This post will discuss a topic that is one of the closest
to my heart. I am as passionate about this matter as I am almost anything else,
and it is a passion that I believe is very near to the heart of God. What would
I choose to introduce something I take so seriously? A Monty Python skit, of
course! Please take a moment watch at least the first minute of the video. You should get the gist of it by then.
Pretty ridiculous, right? Anyone can recognize the
abnormal way that the men in the video walk around. But did you know that this
is a picture of the current state of the body of Jesus Christ?
Overfunctioning
There are two aspects of the walk of the minister in the
clip that I want to draw out. First, certain parts of his body are overfunctioning. His legs flail about, he
has extremely odd extra arm motions, sometimes he bends over midstride…these
overfunctioning parts of the body garner the most attention.
Much of the American church is set up in a manner that encourages
overfunctioning. One brother or sister spends 20 to 45 minutes speaking to
everyone else, sharing their interpretation, insights and experience in living
the Christian life. Maybe a few more will take part in performing songs for
others to hear, but less than 10 percent of the body will actively participate
in the meeting.
On occasion this can be fine. But when only a few members
of the body actively contribute to a meeting on a regular basis, those members
are overfunctioning. They may be very sincere, and they may bless others with
the things they share, but they are doing a disproportionate amount of ministry
in the body of Christ.
Underfunctioning
The second aspect of this is a corollary of the first.
While some parts of the silly walks minister’s body are overfunctioning, others
are underfunctioning. Take a look at
his arms throughout the video. Often they are straight at his sides instead of
swinging in a normal pattern.
It is the same in the body of Christ. While some members
do too much, others do little or nothing. Much of this is the product of
conditioning. When you’re used to showing up for a “service” and having
everything done by someone else, falling into passivity is only natural. In some
cases you’re even told what to do all along the way, including when to sit or
stand and what to say. You are programmed to underfunction!
Just as in our human bodies, when portions of the body of
Jesus Christ are unused or underused, atrophy occurs. As I discussed in the previous post, every part of the body of Christ is important. He lives in each
of us, and He has made each of us an integral part of the corporate display of
His body. When we underfunction we neglect the portion of Jesus Christ within
us, and we contribute just as much to the “ministry of silly walks” as one who
overfunctions.
Proper Function
Paul describes the proper function of the body of Christ
in 1 Corinthians 11-14, but I want to highlight one very practical verse:
“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one
has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all
things be done for building up.” 1 Cor 14:26
When the body of Christ gathers, each one is to bring
something to build up the other members. As you can see from Paul’s list, there
is a wide range of things that may contribute to this. One may have a song that
they’ve had in mind recently. Another may have learned a lesson from how they
have seen Christ at work in or around them. Another may have something from the
scriptures to share. And on and on…
But we are not bringing something just to bring
something. We are sharing what we have received from Christ Himself. As we grow
into the Head, which is Christ, He works through the whole body makes the whole body grow. It is not us who share, but Jesus Christ sharing Himself through us.
We were not brought into Jesus Christ to receive from others at a weekly “service,”
but to serve one another as Christ serves.
This means not just showing up for a gathering, but
taking time outside of a meeting to 1) receive from the Lord in your own life;
2) take time before a meeting to ask Him what He has to say to the body through
you; and 3) listen to Him during a gathering to know if and when He wants to
speak. Having something to share does not mean you have to share it. He may
even bring to mind something to mind in the moment for you to share. He speaks
in real time when we are together, and He will lead us together into what He
wants to say and do.
What About You?
Here are some questions I invite you to consider. They
may be piercing as you consider them, but I believe they are vitally important
to Jesus Christ truly being seen as He is. If you’re comfortable, please share
your responses in the comments section; and please expound on them beyond a
simple yes or no.
1.
Do you tend to overfunction or underfunction?
2.
When you gather with the body of Christ, do you
bring something that you have received from Him? Do you spend time with Him
outside of meetings to hear what He has for your brothers and sisters?
3.
Do you believe that Jesus Christ wants to work
through you to build up His body?
4.
During meetings, do you feel Jesus Christ urging
you to share? How do you respond?
For the full expression of Jesus Christ,
Ryan
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Other posts in this series:
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