What Role Do You Play?

Over the last several weeks, I have been extremely burdened about the Body of Christ BEING the body; about the church doing their faith, not just talking about it. I am in the midst of a series at church that I have entitled "Practice = Maturity". The goal of this series is to awaken people to the reality that Oswald Chambers spoke about when he said, "Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of the years, but by obedience to the will of God."

In the church today, we have too many who live as if being saved for many years means they are spiritually mature! This mindset, I believe, is part of the reason why the world is in the situation that it is. It is because for too long the church, the body of Christ, has lived as if being saved for a long time is the key to spiritual maturity. Clearly, that is not what God had in mind.

As I said in the first message in this series, real faith is not just what we say, feel, think, or believe. Real faith is what we DO! As the Body of Christ we are to be about doing!

May these words from the song, "If We Are the Body" by Casting Crowns challenge and convict you about whether or not you are DOING!

"It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly slips into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus paid too much high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Jesus is the way!"

I close with the words of Paul to the Christians in Rome: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. . . " (Romans 12:4-6a).

"LET US USE THEM!" Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself!