Devotion 3: Gathering as the Church
In the mid-1800s, Abner Doubleday introduced a game that required players to not only have talent, but also have the ability to work as part of a team to be successful. The game of baseball has been our nation’s favorite pastime ever since. Do you think any team has ever won a game without having an essential position playing on the field? Every position in baseball is important and has its role, and no team can find success without having each of them.
Even though the church is not the same as your favorite baseball team, the church can still be thought of as a team. There are many different positions that make up the body of Christ. Each position holds an indispensable value in growing the Kingdom and sharing the Gospel of Jesus.
In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul shares that when Christ ascended on high, He gave gifts to men. In verses 11-12, he expresses that Christ “gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In verse 13, Paul shares that our goal in working as the body of Christ remains “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” We can strive to achieve this goal when we, as followers of Christ, remain faithful and diligent in our role as part of the body of Christ regardless of what specific position we fill, no matter if we are a leader in the church or a volunteer behind the scenes.
There is an incredibly important action that we should all consistently cling to which will further help us achieve the goal that Paul shares to us in Ephesians: gathering as the church.
Being together, whether in the larger context of a Sunday gathering or in a smaller context such as a Growth Community, is so much more than just going through the motions of a typical Christian routine. When we are separated, we become weak, our strength falters, and we are vulnerable to failure. God did not intend for us to be alone in our walk of faith. It is crucial that we gather together as the body.
Later in Ephesians chapter 4, Paul shares why our goal is to be unified in our faith and knowledge of Christ as believers. In verse 14, he expresses that this is “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” We can relate Paul’s mentioning of being children to being young and immature in our faith as believers.
An important responsibility of being on a baseball team is that you as a player have to hold yourself accountable by understanding what your weaknesses are and how those can affect the team’s success. Another major responsibility is that, in knowing your flaws as a player, you will also be diligent in strengthening those flaws with a desire to become better.
As a part of the body of Christ, we have the exact same responsibility. Christ has given us all that we need to carry out the work of ministry, and one invaluable weapon that we have at our disposal is the ability to gather as the church. When we gather, our focus is reset, our minds are sharpened, our hearts are softened, and our spiritual strength is renewed.
The church has the opportunity to gather on a consistent basis. We must not fail to take advantage of that fact. It is our responsibility as a follower of Christ. When we are unified and together as a body, we are strong.