Some 60 years ago, President John F. Kennedy made a statement in his 1961 inaugural address that has remained in our national consciousness:
“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Essentially, JFK was calling the people of the nation to sacrifice, unity and a commitment to the common good.
Not a bad vision for the well-being of our country!
In the same vein, I think the same request can be made of the church.
“Ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church.”
Truth be told, when it comes to church involvement, we live in times of great consumerism.
People often come to a church not looking to invest, but to withdraw.
It might be said that church has become more of a spectator sport, with actual ministry participation at historic lows
But that’s not how the scriptures describe the proper function of the church.
In scripture, the church is likened to a human body, what with all it’s interesting and necessary parts working together.
Imagine if your foot or your eye decided it wasn’t important or needed anymore and wanted to stop doing its part. Would you notice? I bet you would!
The apostle Paul used the body analogy to get us thinking how every part of the body in vital to functionality. Check out what he wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:14-17:
Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 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 if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
The bottom line is this: everyone in the church should be serving in some manner. That’s because service is foundational to what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
On more than one occasion, Jesus had to remind his disciples that they weren’t being fitted power or prominence, but for service and sacrifice. In one instance, Jesus put it like this:
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
The health of a local church depends on the participation of its members. If most of the members are spectating, and only a few of the members are serving, the church will suffer greatly.
KURT STAEUBLE 