In the same way that all of the parts of your physical body are important, all of the parts of the body of Christ are important. There are many members, but we are all part of one body. We have a local body of believers that we are part of (our church), and also we are part of the worldwide body of Christ with brothers and sisters from all nations around the world. I recently saw this on a mission trip to SE Asia.
I spent one day with believers in a country in SE Asia who desperately want their neighbors to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. They want their neighbors to be saved. The neighborhood is still under development, with new thatch-hut bamboo houses being built every day. With new neighbors to meet, the believers took me house to house to meet the neighbors and deliver a simple but effective water filtration pot that will bring health to their family. While we delivered the “water pots,” as they were called, the national believers asked me to tell the family a little about myself, why I had come from America to their country, and how Jesus could become their Lord and Savior. Through an interpreter, the message was communicated.
Most of the families received the water pot, listened respectfully, but indicated they were not interested in putting their trust in Jesus. As a matter of fact, most had never heard of Jesus before. Raised in Buddhist families, they had never heard about Jesus. These families shared prayer requests with us and we prayed for them before we left.
One family, however, said “YES” to Jesus. They indicated through the interpreter that they wanted to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. I asked the interpreter two more times, “Are you sure they are ready?” and he said, “Yes!” We bowed our heads and prayed to the One True and Living God, thanking him for sending Jesus to die and rise again, asking him to bring salvation to each person in that family.
What a picture of the body of Christ working together:
- prayer warriors
- interpreters
- servants who assembled water pots and sent them to be distributed
- those who gave financially to provide the water pots
- those willing to share the gospel
Romans 12:3-5
3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
Notice three truths from Romans 12:3-5.
There is a reason to be humble. We are humble because God gives us His grace. We did not earn it. It is freely given to us by Him. Also, we are humble because God gives us a measure of faith. Our faith is strong because our faith is in God. Third, we are humble because God gives us our gifts. No one should boast because God does the gift-giving.
There is a reason to be unified. We are unified because God has made us one into one body. We saw this on display in SE Asia. It did not matter that those of us who traveled from hut to hut were born in different nations, nor did it matter that we were of different ethnicities. What mattered was that we were unified as brothers and sisters in Christ in one body.
There is a reason to work together. We need each other! Everyone has different spiritual gifts, talents and experiences, and when you put them all together the body of Christ is an amazing team. Infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, the different members of the body of Christ working together can accomplish much for Christ’s kingdom. We have a reason to work together.
I will never forget that day in May of this year when an entire family who had never heard of Jesus said that they were ready to surrender their lives to Him. The pastor of the new church that is starting was planning to follow up with them the next week to see if they were ready to start a Bible study in their home. Be praying for that new church that is being planted in SE Asia.