Devotion 6: Everyone is Needed

January 18, 2025 5:00 AM
Lesson Two | Devotion 6: Everyone is Needed  
Dr. Randy T. Johnson 

“And he 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, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-13 

When I was in college, I had a beautiful Honda Cb750 motorcycle. It was a deep red/maroon with some black and gold trim. The windshield (fairing) continued the design. It even had matching helmets. The seat was custom and comfortable, enclosed by a padded “sissy bar.” It was sweet, or “fly,” as we used to say. 

One afternoon, when I was riding home, I had a learning experience that taught me so much more. I was driving on the south side of Eight Mile Road, and my bike just died. I pushed it off to the side of the road and released the gas cap. There was plenty of fuel. This was the 80s, so I did not have a cell phone. There was no way I was going to just leave it as I walked home or looked for a phone booth. I had to start pushing my 500-pound baby. Several drivers slowed up, rolled down their windows, and asked if I had run out of gas. I replied, “No.”  

Finally, one guy pulled over and came out of his car. After asking about the fuel, he popped off the side panel of my prized possession. He pointed out it had blown a fuse. Fortunately, there was a spare fuse fastened to the panel. He plugged it in and my ride purred beautifully. He encouraged to make sure I replaced the spare fuse. I did. It cost me a quarter. It is amazing that a 25 cent piece could shut down everything. 

I find this to be such an accurate picture of the church. Everyone is needed.  

• It does not matter if your position is visible to all.  
• It does not matter if you are not flashy (a lot of parts of my bike were dipped in chrome and had a special shine to them).  
• It does not matter if you are thought of as replaceable, insignificant, unimportant, or just a 25 cent piece. 

Every part and everyone is needed. God has placed “apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints.” However, the church needs “saints” who serve in the nursery, greet people at the door, make coffee, pray for the gatherings, help in the kids’ ministry, host a Growth Community, encourage others, monitor the sound, serve as gathering hosts, prepare communion, make sure everyone is safe, lead worship, wash dishes, help with student ministry, pull weeds, organize craft material, clean bathrooms, drive a bus, make hospital visits, set up chairs, answer phones, distribute food, register kids, run a camera, maintain vehicles, provide information at guest services, prepare snacks, and help growth become contagious. Remember, a missing or faulty part can disrupt the whole machine. I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something.  

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