You Are Most Important?
We live in a world where people strive for significance and the experience of feeling needed. Often, we work in places where our contributions or efforts are not recognized. Many times, we operate within environments where our ability to be creative or to use our talents and gifts to a greater degree is significantly limited due to philosophical differences, keeping the status quo, or we’re simply hindered by others striving for their own significance. There is one entity like no other on earth where the feeling of being needed and significant can be fully satisfied and allowed to thrive. That entity is the church. The church is the only place given by God whereby our presence, service, gifts, talents, and creativity are needed, appreciated, and are extremely important in kingdom building and edifying and encouraging people. The church is the one place where we can be certain that our presence, service, talents, creativity, and gifts works towards God’s glory, the edification of others, and our own transformation into the image of Jesus. For example:
1) By our mere presence, when we come to church, we stir up one another to love and good works. That is significant. That is important. Being here edifies others. This should encourage us to come often. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
2) When we serve in any capacity we are being just like Jesus and the people we serve get a glimpse of what Jesus is like. Being like Jesus should encourage us to serve even more. (Matthew 20:28).
3) When we serve, we are being good stewards of the gifts with which Jesus blessed us. It’s very important to be a good steward of all that God gives us. (1 Peter 4:10)
4) When we use the talents and creativity that God gave us, we are being just like our heavenly Father who is the Creator of all things and gave them to the world for our enjoyment and His glory. (Colossians 1:16)
5) When we reach out to others and build new relationships with the goal of bringing others into the kingdom we are following in the footsteps of Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:15)
6) When we support or participate in activities and programs, we exhibit the same mind that Jesus has because we esteem others more highly than ourselves. We should want His mind as opposed to our own.
My point is simply two-fold. First, when we employ all that God gives us for the benefit of the body, our pride is demoted to its rightful place because our significance in the body is being used for the glory of Jesus. Second, as Christians we walk by faith and not by sight. By faith we live out the identities we have in Christ Jesus by working to build the kingdom and by serving and loving one another. As we do these things by faith we contribute greatly to the cause of Christ, the building of the kingdom, the edification of others, and the transformation and sanctification of our own spiritual walk. When we consistently engage ourselves in these things our importance to the kingdom and to others increase significantly even though our contributions may not be apparent. I can truly affirm this statement as a pastor who is deficit in so many areas yet because of you, I am complete. Because I forget so much, those who remember well keeps me on track. Because I am not very good in technology, those who are better still makes the things that need to be done, happen. Much goes into fulfilling the calling that God gave the church. Of all the things that goes into God’s calling on the church, one of the most important things is you. You are most important to the church. God’s message about our importance to the church is found in 1 Corinthians 12:14-31. What is the point of His message to us? In the body, the church, “apart from Jesus,” YOU ARE MOST IMPORTANT!
Pastor Lawrence Robinson
