function | Ebenezer Family Church

ONE BODY, MANY MEMBERS

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:3-5.

It seem to me that Paul is not talking so much about pride as about competition in the church. Perhaps pride does underlie the competition that goes on between the members in many church groups; but what about insecurity? It is the insecure person who craves to be noticed so that he can receive the accolades that boost his self-esteem but, like a drug, the effect wears off after a while, and he needs another “fix” to keep going.

Since the most prominent and visible people get the accolades, he will try to climb up the pecking order by aspiring to gifts and functions which are not his. Paul warns, “Don’t try to become what you are not.” Not only will you not fit the function, but you will also rob the rightful person of his or her place in the body. Those who crave to be noticed by trying to fill the wrong shoes, do not understand either the mercy of God or the way the church should function.

Paul uses three images to describe the church in its relation to Jesus and to the world; a body, a building and a bride. Each image points to a specific facet of what it should be and do.

A body cannot function without a head. It is the head than controls the body, not the body the head. The head of the church is Jesus, who controls and directs His body by His Holy Spirit. Individuals in each local church are placed there by the head in order to fulfil the function of that particular body in its local setting.

“God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:22, 23.

A body has two primary functions; to take care of its own health and to reproduce. It can only fulfil those functions if each part does its own work efficiently. No body part can take over the function of another: an ear cannot see and an eye cannot hear. Why is it that we understand this in the natural and yet we overlook it in the spiritual? The health of the body depends on each part fulfilling its own function so that the whole body can work as a unit.

Once again, this brings us back to the nature of God – He is one in three distinct persons. His nature is reflected in the interdependence of everything in the universe. God’s glory is evident when everything works together in harmony. Unity was destroyed when Adam sinned. Jesus restored the potential for unity through the cross and He will complete the restoration when He returns, bringing everything back under His headship and orchestrating the universe as one harmonious whole. That includes every person who is submitted to him.

Can you see how important it is that every member fulfil his or her function in the body regardless of how visible or invisible he happens to be? Personal ambition has no place in the body. Unity is the goal.

“So Christ Himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ…From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:11-13; 16.

Unity and maturity go hand in hand. To grow up in Christ, unlike the independence everyone in the world craves, is to become increasingly dependent on Him and on one another. Jesus said that we are to become like little children – helpless without Daddy and Mommy! When we each do our part without encroaching on someone else’s function, we show the world what God is like and reveal His power that makes unity possible.

Acknowledgement

IS THIS STORY JUST FOR US?

“Peter said, ‘Master, are you telling this story just for us? Or is it for everybody?’

The Master said, ‘Let me ask you; who is the dependable manager, full of common sense, that the master puts in charge of his staff, to feed them well and on time? He is a blessed man if, when the master shows up, he’s doing his job.'” Luke 12:41-44 (The Message).

Jesus did not give Peter a direct answer. The disciples were left to figure out for themselves whether they either were or wanted to fit the description. The word we love to use, Christian, is never a title. It is a function, just as the subtitles in this category of Christian are functions; words like elder, deacon, bishop, apostle, prophet, reverend, etc. Christian leaders love these titles because they tend to raise them above the crowd.

Jesus had issues with this attitude because it took away from the humility of the function and placed the focus on the elevated status of the person. On one occasion He taught His disciples that they should never allow themselves to be called ‘Father’. Titles may give a person prestige in the eyes of people but they add nothing to the person in the eyes of God.

What is God looking for in His people? He looking for people who will fulfil the function of the title we love to wear. ‘Why do you call me ‘Lord’ and do not do what I say?’ He asked them. Even calling Jesus ‘Lord’ is useless if our behaviour does not measure up to our confession.

So what is the point of Jesus’ reply? In the context of this entire chapter of Luke’s Gospel, He is talking about what we as His followers do to imitate Him in the way we treat the people entrusted to us. It may be within our family circle or much farther afield, depending on our sphere of responsibility. It does not matter what our circumstances are, He is looking for faithfulness to our task during His absence. And what is our task? To take care of those entrusted to us until He returns.

In the context of this discussion, the question is: How are we carrying out our function as managers of the property and people He has entrusted to us to care for during His absence? In whatever capacity we function in the body of Christ, leaders have been put into managerial positions, not to lord it over the people, but to take responsibility for their wellbeing in every way until the Master comes to claim His possessions.

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that are under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2, 3 (NIV).

It is sad that today many so-called ‘Christian’ leaders are manipulating God’s people into ‘sowing’ their livelihood through guilt, fear or false promises, even to the point where they promise that, for every unit of money the people give, a soul will be saved! Have we gone back to the same outrageous preaching that triggered the Reformation six centuries ago? Do we have resurrected ‘John Tetzels’ peddling indulgences to swell the coffers of their churches?

This is not God’s way. Leaders are “men who must give account,” Hebrews 13:17b (NIV). Our leadership is both a privilege and a responsibility – and we are to carry it faithfully and patiently until the Master returns.

Ebenezer Family Church

HE IS RISEN!

Tag Archives: function

One Body, Many Members

Is This Story Just For Us?

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