Set Within the Body of Christ
Many people are attending church with a consumer mentality. They approach church as they would a restaurant or another place of business. If something said is challenging to them often they just take their “business” elsewhere. Churches shouldn’t have to convince people to be in the right place.
1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now God has set the members every one of them in the Body AS IT HAS PLEASED HIM.” The Bible is making a simple illustration: The Body of Christ is made up of individual members much like a natural body is made up of individual body parts. Notice that God never intended for us, the “body parts”, to set ourselves in the Body of Christ. God has a specific place for you where He knows you will be blessed and where you will be useful to the Body. Have you prayed and asked God where He wants you? Have you asked Him if He is happy with where you are at?
Churches do not need the added pressure of trying to hold onto your “business.” If people had the spiritual sense to seek God about where He wants them in the Body then churches wouldn’t have to resort to gimmicks to keep people. If man sets the members in the Body then those parts are not connected properly. Those parts are in danger of falling off. But if God sets the parts then they will remain and produce blessing for years to come. For instance, aren’t you glad you didn’t have to beg your arm to remain in your body today? “Oh arm, please stay in the body, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m so sorry you felt challenged. Please don’t go, we would miss you.” Doesn’t that sound foolish? But that’s exactly what churches are doing because people demand to be convinced. Listen: Your arm needs your body more than your body needs your arm! The body can live without an arm but the arm cannot live without the body. You need your local church body more than your church needs you. If you leave the church God has set you in, then it will be YOU that will be separated from the flow of God’s blessing.
On other occasions people desert their church because the church goes through a trial. Maybe the church is in a building program, paying off debt, or starting a new ministry. Or maybe there is a disagreement. These things demand that the people in the church pitch in with their giving, serving, and patience. But people don’t want to see their church through these things. People leave their place in the Body because of adverse circumstances. Aren’t you glad that your legs didn’t fall off because you had a cold? Parts that are set in the body don’t fall away just because of a trial. It should be your spiritual priority to be in the place where God set you. How do you know? You know you are in the right place when you sense yourself growing spiritually. You will know because as you fellowship with God you can sense that He is pleased.
Pastor Tim
Family Church Jamestown is a non-denominational church located in Chautauqua County in Jamestown between Lakewood and Busti, NY. The senior pastor of Family Church is Pastor Tim Stahlman a native to the Jamestown, NY area.
