I am currently reading "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan. It is about how the church has been neglecting the Holy Spirit. It is a very challenging book. What I want to do for this post is put an excerpt from the book up. It is something that I think everybody needs to wrestle with an examine themselves to see how they are working in the body of Christ.
"Did God lead you to where you are? A lot of people in my church and in my travels tell me, "I believe that God has called me to Simi Valley." Or Wichita. Or New York. Or Greenville. Or wherever. That very well may be the case. But it could also be a cop-out because you like where you live. You have a good job. The school district is safe and has high ratings. Your family lives close by ( or perhaps far away, depending on your relationship with them). It makes sense that you are "called to be there, right?
And maybe you are called to where you live. But if you say you are called to be in the place that you are, a few questions need to be considered. For example, how would you be missed if you left this place? What would change? Basically, what difference does your presence here make? Or, as my youth pastor once asked me, what would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?
My purpose in posing the questions is not to convince you to "go into the ministry." I'm not about recruiting pastors or missionaries. My purpose in these questions is to get you to take 1 Corinthians 12 seriously, to believe that you have been given a manifestation of the Spirit and that your church, the worldwide body of Christ, and the world are crippled without your involvement. I write this because I love the church and want you to trust that you are more than just real estate brokers, salesclerks, restaurant servers, baristas, teachers... etc, you are vital members of the body of Christ. Ask yourself, Do I believe the church needs me like a body needs a mouth?
It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But it's absolutely vital to grasp that He didn't call you there so you could settle in and live out your life in comfort and superficial peace. His purposes are not random or arbitrary. If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do. He places us on this earth for purposes that He orchestrated long before we were born (Eph. 2:8-10). Do you believe you exist not for your own pleasure but to help people know the love of Jesus and to come fully alive in Him? If so, then that will shape how you live your life in the place where you are." - Excerpt from Forgotten God by Francis Chan.
I see so many people come to church right before the service starts, sit through the service as if it were a show to watch, and then leave immediately afterwards. This is NOT how we should be viewing the church. We need to be active in the body. 1 Corinthians 12 25-27 "So that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." I would encourage you to read all of 1 Corinthians 12 because it is about using spiritual gifts in the body. I pray that God will give me and others a greater love for the body of Christ.
Do you believe the church needs you like a body needs a mouth?
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