1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-13

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.  For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 

TO PONDER

It’s crazy that a time when loneliness is endemic to life in Australia, and mental health is taking a huge hit as a result, we still hear people say that they believe in God but don’t need to ‘go to church’? If only they knew. When we hear such comments, we may satisfy ourselves with their confession of faith but may have left the conversation thinking we could have gifted them with so much more. Just having a belief in Jesus is not enough to serve God’s purposes and achieve a full and rewarding life. In 1 Corinthians 3, St Paul said a life lived with faith in Jesus for personal salvation only, is a life lived in a home on fire. We may escape it with our own life intact, but our life’s work will turn to ashes.

How can we ensure a life of meaning and purpose and be confident that we are leaving an eternal legacy for the salvation of others? We start by changing the language we use because wrong language reinforces wrong understanding. ‘Going’ to church is an oxymoron; it makes no sense. Together with our diverse gifts, skills, and abilities, we are the church. The building is not a church. It’s a building for the church. It’s a chapel. The body of Christ is made up of many parts and together we are the church. This means we are ‘more’ when we are together. The whole is more than the sum of its parts. You have gifts I need and I, gifts you need. On our own we will get by and maybe get through, but together in Christ we will triumph, and we can be sure Christ will have his way. He will build his church and we will experience the beautiful buoyancy of life together in the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER

Father, let us never forget that being church is not an activity we do or a duty we perform but a fruitful life we lead among friends.

Today's devotion provided by David Schuppan, LifeWay Illawarra Site Pastor