As Each Part Does its Work
There is an old joke about a county crew observed working along the side of a road. The crew consisted of two men with shovels. As they proceeded along, one would dig a hole and then walk a few feet and begin to dig another hole. Meanwhile the guy behind him would fill up the hole his buddy just dug. When asked about this strange occurrence, they remarked. Well, usually there are three of us, but the guy who plants the tree is off today!
Usually, the joke is told to spotlight government dysfunction and incompetence. Truly, the more you think about it, the more dysfunction can be seen going all the way up the supervisory chain to the higher levels of leadership.
However, I want to use the story to illustrate another principle: one from , Ephesians 4:16, From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
The context is the practical application section of Ephesians. The subject is the mandate for unity in the church. The emphasis is unity in the midst of diversity. Jesus has given leadership gifts to his church Ephesians 4:11-13,
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. 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.
Notice that each one of these gifts for leadership involve some form of teaching and training as evidenced in the purpose of the gifts, to prepare God’s people for works of service
So what we see here are the preparers (those with a diversity of leadership gifts) and those being prepared (God’s people, the rank and file of the church). Works of service and the building up of the body in unity is the result.
We all should fall into one of these two categories: leadership (preparers) or prepared members (those doing good works). If not, something is amiss with process- “the guy who plants the tree is off today!” That is the reason Paul added this line in Ephesians 4:16, “as each part does its work.”
I used the story of the roadside crew as an icebreaker in my life group this week to introduce this very text. I asked everyone to tell some story about a time they worked on a team where everyone’s contribution mattered. Stories varied, but one factor was common to them all. When people on the team did not do their job, the team suffered along with the project.
Think about this in regard to the church. When leaders don’t prepare God’s people or when God’s people don’t follow their lead, both the church and the cause of Christ suffer –there are no good works, there is no spiritual growth, we don’t become more like Christ, and the unity of the Spirit is not maintained.
Sunday will be our congregational meeting for 2024. The Shepherds will be presenting their plan for the year. Ask yourself, “Am I doing my part? Will I do my part?”
I’ll say more in my lesson!
– Joey
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