Roles

June 9

I Kings 3-4

Psalm 69:29-36

Proverbs 15:18-19

Acts 6:1-12

Roles

“So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is not pleasing to God for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.  Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this need.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word.”  Acts 6:2-4 LSB 

Not long after the early church was formed, the apostles began to recognize that they could not do everything. Thousands of people were being added to the church in a short amount of time and the needs were great.  Just as in the church today, there were people who were sick that needed to be cared for, some who were grieving the loss of loved ones, those who didn’t have adequate food and shelter,  and widows and orphans needing support.  There were also many new converts to be discipled and multitudes of others to share the gospel with.  There was no way 12 men could or even should do everything.  They figured out that isn’t the way a healthy church should function.  God designed the church to function as an organism with each part serving in a different role.  He has given everyone gifts, talents, abilities, passions, and desires.  God created each of us to fulfill the role He has designed for us within the body.  Some people are made to be the leaders that serve as pastors, teachers, elders, and deacons and others are meant to serve in other roles, but God expects everyone to serve in some capacity.  When everyone is functioning within their God-given roles, everything within the church gets done.  The problem is that some people within the body don’t serve.  They attend church, come to some functions, but don’t do anything else.  Unfortunately, this is the norm in many churches. 

For the Christian, service is not optional.  God instructs each of us to do our part.  We each have different functions, but they are all vital in carrying out the mission of the church.  In 2 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, Paul explains that every part of the body is essential with none being more important than the others.  Your role may look different in different seasons of your life, but there should never be a time when the believer isn’t serving in some capacity.  The Christian life doesn’t have a retirement plan.  As long as we have breath, God has something for us to be doing in service to Him and others.  If we are physically limited due to illness or age, we can serve on the prayer team, or we can be an encouragement to younger believers.  Figure out what your role is and do something!  If you don’t know what to do, call the church and ask what you can do to help.   While serving benefits others, it also is a blessing to you.  You’ll be surprised at what an impact it will have on your life and your walk with the Lord.