Christ's Church on Christ's Mission (Part 3)

(Continued from previous post)

 Why do we try to serve Christ on our own? There are, no doubt, more reasons, but let me suggest a few (which I've found in myself). 

1. Perhaps I am seeking some personal recognition, whether from God or man, rather than the profit of the body; I want to be the hero others look up to, rather than the unseen servant of others.
2. Perhaps the Lord has given me a burden to do some good work which I see being neglected by others; and rather than doing the slower & harder task of getting others to serve with me, I take the quicker & easier road of serving alone. 
3. Perhaps I don't think others could or would do as good a job as myself, so I fail to trust God to teach, grow, fill with the Spirit, empower & use them, and I neglect to pray for, encourage, train & make use of them.
4. Perhaps I find it hard working with others because I think I have all the best ideas, and am unwilling to listen to others or submit to their ideas & aid in their work. The end result is a whole lot of different body parts running around separately, trying to be whole bodies individually. There goes an eye. Here comes a nose.

 This is not limited to preachers, teachers & missionaries. Rather, we are all slaves of Christ, freed from our old bondage, so that we might serve him (2Co 5.14,15). Each child of God is necessary & each gift of the Spirit useful for Christ's mission. Men & women (Rom 16.1,2). Business- & tradesmen & women able to travel & ply their trade (16.3; cf. Acts 18.2,3). Laborers (Eph 4.28). Wealthy landowners (Acts 4.34-37). Seamstresses (9.36-42). Slaves (Col 4.9; cf. Phm). Masters (Phm 1.1,2). Servants of governments (Php 4.22). Homeowners (Acts 18.7-11). The list could go on. In short, ordinary people empowered by the Spirit, any--no, every--one of us. All who do so are "co-laborers in the truth" (3Jn 8).

Thus, there is the need for every effort on the measure of every part of the body of Christ toward the fulfillment of the Great Commission, bringing God's salvation to every people group. And in that work, there is the need of every believer lending every gift of the Spirit, who was given to empower us to this same end (Acts 1.8), in order that God may be glorified. Not ME doing what God has called ME personally to do, and maybe convince some others to help ME do it. Rather, US working TOGETHER to accomplish what God has called US to do. That is Christ's community on Christ's mission. Let's go!

Michael and Erin Pfleegor are members of Rockport Baptist Church in Arnold, Missouri and are preparing their family to serve in Suriname, South America. We invite you to pray for them, and consider perhaps contacting us at office@psalm67missions.net if you would like to invite The Pfleegor Family to your congregation, Sunday School class, small group, or other setting to present their ministry.