Discovering Your Purpose In God

Why is there confusion in the church? There is confusion in the church because we aren’t listening to the Holy Spirit. The human body is a designer’s original. God is the designer. The placement of each part was designed to function best at that particular place. God put them in place so they would function as He desired and so they would work together. The church is no different. God gave the design of the church to His Son. He is the one who puts each of us in the right place. Your place might not be up front. People might not even know what your function is in the church, but that’s all right. It's not about you.

by Dr. Henry Johnson

I love going to church. It has been my sanctuary. The church has been my family. It has been the place for my growth in the Lord as a result of the preaching and teaching. I am not writing to tear the church down but I am writing because I feel the church is falling down. We have drifted away from the Word of God. We have also moved away from the intent of the church. Jesus is clearly the head of the church. I hear pastors say “my church”. This scares me. In Many cases the pastors who say “my church” or “my people” have pushed the Lord out of the picture. They have forgotten that they are servants to the people and not the CEO or dictator. They have gotten caught up in material things such as flashy cars, expensive clothes, and expensive buildings. Many of the pastors don’t have a clue anymore what it is to visit the sick or widows because they sent a person on staff or the deacons or the mission sisters. They are out of touch with the flock. Jesus didn’t have anything but the clothes on his back but He attracted people because of his genuine love and concern for them. In the Christian community, we say a lot of things. Things like God is good all the time and all the time He is good; the church is a hospital for the sick, or the church is one body in Christ. After being saved for 21 years and preaching for 15 years, I have begun to wonder if we really mean what we say.

I have seen Christians who say God is good all the time and all the time He is good, but they never smile and never seem to have any joy. I have heard pastors, deacons, and church members say the church is a hospital for the sick but people are rejected. Just let someone come in the church with the smell of alcohol on their breath or they don’t have the appropriate clothes on— we don’t accept them. They are in the sanctuary but we certainly don’t reach out to them. I witnessed a man being asked to leave by an usher once. I could talk about both of these for a while but my heart is stuck with the Church being one Body in Christ.

Let me get off the soap box for a minute and share what God has given me. The basis of this article comes from Paul’s letter to the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 12:12- 28 says 12 Our bodies have many parts, but the many parts make up only one body when they are all put together. So it is with the “body” of Christ. 13 Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And what would you think if you heard an ear say, “I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye"? Would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 Suppose the whole body were an eye then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? 18 But that isn't the way God has made us. He has made many parts for our bodies and has put each part just where he wants it. 19 What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20 So he has made many parts, but still there is only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don't need you.” The head can't say to the feet, “I don't need you.”

22 And some of the parts that seem weakest and

least important are really the most necessary. 23 Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd! And we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24 while of course the parts that may be seen do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important. 25 This makes for happiness among the parts, so that the parts have the same care for each other that they do for themselves. 26 If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 Now here is what I am trying to say: All of you together are the one body of Christ, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. 28 Here is a list of some of the parts he has placed in his Church, which is his body: Apostles, Prophets those who preach God's Word, Teachers, Those who do miracles, Those who have the gift of healing; Those who can help others, Those who can get others to work together, Those who speak in languages they have never learned. 29 Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a preacher? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? 30 Can everyone heal the sick? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in languages we've never learned? Can just anyone understand and translate what those are saying who have that gift of foreign speech? 31 No, but try your best to have the more important of these gifts. (TLB)

The human body is amazing.

Only God could put together a body that is so complex and interdependent. The body has many parts and each has a specific function. The function of the body part contributes to the overall way the body functions. The mind is the command center for the functioning of each body part. It sends messages so the body functions in the way it was designed. The body parts aren’t interchangeable. The heart is designed to pump the blood throughout the body while the lungs are for airflow. You can’t take the lungs and replace the heart and expect them to pump blood. They weren’t designed to function that way. Every body part is design to do its function and its function only. When all of the body parts are function as they should, the body is doing well.

They same is true with the church. Paul beautifully explains this to us. He begins by saying, Each of us is a part of the one body of Christ. He goes on to tell us how we are one body. But the Holy Spirit has fitted us all together into one body. We have been baptized into Christ's body by the one Spirit, and have all been given that same Holy Spirit. Yes, the body has many parts, not just one part. The Holy Spirit is the one who moves with in each of us and the church putting us in our proper place in the body.

A question comes to mind right here: why is there confusion in the church? There is confusion in the church because we aren’t listening to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit says you are to teach primary grade Sunday School but your ego says you must be the choir director, and your popularity with the choir members helps keep you in place, out front, seen. While gifted with children, you're really a mediocre music director, at best, and the person God actually can use in that position remains frozen out, God's will for your life, for your choir and your church frozen along with them. The problem is you, because you are trying to fit where the you see yourself instead of where the Holy Spirit places you. Many pastors struggle with leading a congregation because historically the deacons have run the church. Ephesians 4:11-13 is telling the positions Jesus left in the church. It says, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 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 New International Version)

Jesus left the pastor to lead the church, not the deacons nor anyone else. When we put ourselves into positions, the church is not functioning up to its potential. It takes our surrendering to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so He can put us together so we function a our peak of performance. How do we do this? The church needs to learn how to pray together. The model church presented in Act 2:42-47 was a praying church. They were on one accord. The problem with the church today is that we can’t seem to come together to pray. Churches are calling pastors but haven’t prayed. They are ordaining ministers but haven’t prayed. Churches are ordaining deacons but haven’t prayed. They are appointing pulpit committees but haven’t prayed about who should be on the committee. Churches do these things and wonder why things aren’t going well. A church family that prays together will stay together because they will look to the Lord for guidance and allow the Holy Spirit to put each member of the body in their proper place.

We need to stop and pray before we say a person should do this that or the other in the church. We need to ask God about it!

Paul moves on to pose some realistic questions about the body. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And what would you think if you heard an ear say, “I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye"? Would that make it any less a part of the body? Suppose the whole body were an eye then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything? But that isn't the way God has made us. He has made many parts for our bodies and has put each part just where he wants it. What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! So he has made many parts, but still there is only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don't need you.” The head can't say to the feet, “I don't need you.” And some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. Yes, we are especially glad to have some parts that seem rather odd! And we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, while of course the parts that may be seen do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that might otherwise seem less important. This makes for happiness among the parts, so that the parts have the same care for each other that they do for themselves. If one part suffers, all parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

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