Week 6 | Friday
Friday – Own Your Church
Written by Brian Hutton (Pickerington Campus)
Ephesians 4:15-16
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 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.”
Have you ever seen the infamous “butt fumble?” I know, what an opening question to your Friday devotional. If you have never seen it (or if you just want a funny reminder), take one minute and Google it – you will get a good laugh. It’s hard to imagine how this play unfolded, but essentially, it happened because at least one part of the football team was not doing their job correctly. Each player had a role to play, but I can guarantee this was not the play they had called. Ultimately, the play failed to reach its full potential because at least one player on the team did not play their part.
As we finish up this section of Ephesians, Paul discusses one final component of Christian maturity: the importance of every believer doing their part in the body of Christ. Paul restates the imagery of the church as a body, emphasizing the connected nature of each part to the whole. The body of Christ “grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” In other words, Christians are to own their local church.
The thing is, there are missed opportunities and purposes when we fail to do our part as members of the body of Christ. Isolated and independent Christians cannot minister to others or be ministered to by others. God’s gifts of equipping and building up cannot be exercised if we are not each doing our part as members of the body. If you are a follower of Jesus, you play a pivotal role in the growth of the body – not just numerically but in its maturity. The capital “C” Church needs you to play your part, and so does your local church, Grace Fellowship!
Owning your church is a key mark of a mature follower of Christ. This plays out in a number of ways: being part of a community through groups, exercising your spiritual gifts through serving, prioritizing your presence through attending weekend services, expressing generosity through giving, and more. God has gifted you so that, empowered by Him, you may use your gifts for the benefit of others and the common good. The ultimate goal is Christlikeness. When only a few people play their part, that goal seems far-fetched and out of reach. But when each part does its work, the body grows and builds itself up in love.
Reflection Questions:
- How does seeing the value of each part change the way you view the church? How does it change the way you see yourself as part of the church?
- If everyone who calls Grace home owned the church like you owned the church, how healthy would our church be? How would inviting, giving, and serving be going?
- What excuses do you often give yourself for now owning the local church like you know you should?
Prayer Prompt:
“God, thank You for inviting me to be a part of Your family – the Church. Help me to play my part and truly own my local church.”