1 Corinthians 12: 12 For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Question: How does an organization function fluidly with so many people who are gifted diversely and forgiven equally? It seems like a paradox, but in the hands of the omnipotent, all powerful God it is a great weapon. That is the identity of the church. Not a building, but a group of people with God in their midst. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” When we gather together as the church we are gathering a diverse group of people who have one common denominator and that is our faith in Jesus Christ. There is no political standing anyone has in kingdom work. In fact Jesus says to be greatest we must be the least. In Matthew 23 Jesus is speaking to the point of who is the greatest and he is dealing with the Pharisees and their self proclaimed standing in religious circles. In verses 10-13 Jesus says 10 Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. People who think they have position in a church fellowship don’t even realize by. elevating themselves they have put themselves at the bottom of the heap in God’s eyes. If politics and position are utmost in your thinking, you are not thinking according to God’s Word and that is dangerous.
Back to the Octopus. An octopus can control each one of it’s tentacles independently and it is all run from the central nervous system in the head. Jesus calls each of us to be able to live independently, but corporately together. We are like the octopus and even though each of us is doing a different thing, in which we are gifted, we all work in accordance to what the head wants us to do and that keeps us moving in the same direction. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 it says 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. The unifying part of our gathering and our serving is the Holy Spirit of God. It stands to reason that if we leave the Holy Spirit out of any decision or ministry we are leaving out the very person who makes it all run smoothly. In John 14:16-17 Jesus told of the Holy Spirit and what He would do to make all of this continue in power and Godly direction. Jesus said 16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
According to the above verse, if we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to be our helper then we are making decisions based on “worldly knowledge.” THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS. So many church fellowships are struggling and cannot figure out why. Could it be that they are basing ministries, monies, lifestyles, and many other things on worldly standards? The guarantee is this: if you base the ministry on worldly standards and worldly thinking, then the Holy Spirit is not in it and that ministry will be powerless. What is the end result in the modern day American church? Disinterest by its members and closed doors, due to a lack of interest. I’m not making this stuff up and you can believe it because of God’s word. Sometimes Christians who are running from totally being committed to God will take the focus off where they are spiritually and make a diversion based on worldly thinking. WRONG!!
If we are going to function with the church model Jesus put in place then all have to commit to the greater power and that is the Holy Spirit. When we do that He will guide us through all of the obstacles thrown our way by a lost and dying world that hates Jesus, and His message will continue to impact lives. If we try to do it according to the religion that has been built in America by politically minded, prideful people, then the church organization will fall.
It is time to reconnect to the head of the octopus and start getting our signals from Him and all will function properly and it will be Holy Spirit led. You can begin this process by committing to give your life to the “greater good” and that “greater good” is God’s Will that is found through the direction of the Holy Spirit. Turn to God and let the process begin. You may feel weak at times when beginning to get things right but the Apostle Paul explains how the Holy Spirit helps us in that weakness as well. Romans 8: 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Are you groaning from your core and longing for help from the Holy Spirit? If you are, then be ready to get some immediate help from Him. He is ready to spread out His tentacles throughout the church and immobilize His believers to become a powerful force for the gospel.
The Pilgrimage continues…
David Warren
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