Do you know your role in the Body of Christ? Do you care? If you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength you should care about the part he has given to you to fulfill in his plan. He has invited you to join him in his work and you are an important part of it. Today he has plans to use you according to the manifestation of the Spirit that has been given to you. He has plans to work through all of us, but unfortunately many of us have made ourselves unavailable by denying the Spirit in us.
It is unfortunate, sad and a bit frightening that we have reduced the richly gifted Body of Christ to pastors, elders, deacons and musicians. Occasionally an evangelist might come along and perhaps someone who calls himself a prophet but we consider pastors to be the teachers and we draw the line there. Paul asked the Corinthians this question:
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:29-30)
Every single believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them and with that dwelling comes the manifestation, where the Spirit works through us in power. It is right here in front of us in black and white but it makes people uncomfortable so we deny it and only accept the pastor, elders, deacons and musicians. And even the pastors we set up as priests and administrators, forcing them to work in the flesh instead of the Spirit. I am telling you right now, God's desire and expectation of his children is that they will operate in the Spirit, his Spirit who he has pour out into us. The prophets of old had the Spirit come on them but we have the Spirit in us, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that the only ministers in your church are the pastor, assistant pastor, youth pastor and the worship leader with the musicians. We have become heavily unbalanced and are putting far more emphasis on worship than we are on the work of the Spirit through us. We are all ministers, servants, and we are empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to be such. We need the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to train us not control us. We need training but how can the trainers train when they don't even know what it is about.
There was a great wave of the Holy Spirit that swept through the Church in the 1800's and many things were born out of that great revival. Yet today, those great things have fallen asleep again and instead of being part of the great mission they have become institutions; powerless, cold, stuck-where-they-are institution. But Jesus sad that those who are born of the Spirit are like the wind, constantly moving. Here are the facts according to the Word of God, not man's opinion:
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
The apostle Paul had written his great understanding of the Body of Christ because he was concerned that people would remain ignorant of it:
Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. (1 Corinthians 12:1)
My friends we have a form of godliness but we are lacking the power. We have ordered the pie and are satisfied with receiving the shell. We have castrated the Church and are left scratching our head asking where we have gone wrong.
It doesn't matter how old you are, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus then you have been empowered to serve him in more than the flesh. You are a supernatural creation, possessed by the Spirit of God to do his biding. He has called you and equipped you. We don't go off to Bible College to be equipped by the Spirit. Colleges are things of education, man's interpretation, teachers of techniques and systems. The real equipping we need to be effective workmen for Jesus Christ comes from the Holy Spirit who enables us to do things beyond our own capabilities.
We need to pray for a new awakening similar to the Great Awakening. The whole Body of Christ needs that fresh wind and fresh fire that so many have longed for. We need to be on our knees asking for forgiveness and asking God to call to us so we can respond to him. We need the Holy Spirit to ignite in us again with his great power but we have to believe that this is the Body of Christ as designed by God. It is not a thing to be controlled but instead to be celebrated.
Please, study it for yourself. See if I am wrong. But when you see the truth for yourself don't deny it, instead join with me in praying for a great awakening in the Body, that every member of it will come alive in the Spirit and we will see the real work of the Church advancing once again. To God be the glory.
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