Who is the Most Important?

Matthew 20:26-28

But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; (27) And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: (28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The very notion of who is the greatest or most important in the church is anti-Christ. We have differing roles. We have differing functions. We have different ministries in the church, but we are members of a body, which must function as a complete and healthy whole if it is to exist at all.

1 Corinthians 12:12-24

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. (13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (14) For the body is not one member, but many. (15) If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (16) And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? (17) If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? (18) But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. (19) And if they were all one member, where were the body? (20) But now are they many members, yet but one body. (21) And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. (22) Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: (23) And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. (24) For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:

In our body, an individual cell can be dispensed with without the body suffering, but no cells function can be erased without causing the body to diminish or suffer. Likewise a healthy church is not dependant for life upon any individual.

Which is most important in a body heart? Lungs? Skin? Bones? Nerves? Digestive system? Muscles? Eliminate any one of them and the body perishes. Some are invisible, others greatly visible, but visibility doesn’t dictate importance.

The purpose of the church is two fold. . . internal in ministering to those who are saved, and external in reaching the lost. In both cases we are talking of eternal salvation.

Eternity might be looked upon as an infinity in mathematics. There’s a funny and unique thing about infinities. In most any other mathematical equation, 2 times something equals twice as much. Multiply an apple by 2, and you have 2 apples. . . same with lemons, people, cars. . . atoms, stars, galaxies. . . any physical object multiplied by 2 equals twice as many of them.

An infinity is different. Multiply an infinity by 2, and you still only have an infinity. The spiritual implication of this is that there is nothing more weighty and important than the eternal salvation of one.

Matthew 18:12

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

There is no greater purpose in the church, than your ministry. There is no role more important than the one child asking a question of the Sunday School teacher. . . nothing is more important than the church bus driver helping the old lady getting on the church bus. . . or the first time visitor asking a question of the greeter in the church foyer. . .Even those ministries not dealing directly with people, might be thought of as internal organs of the body.

The lungs never see the light of day, but without them the body quickly dies. Without cleaning of the church, the building becomes filled with filth, attracts vermin and illness. . . Without skilled laborers in the kitchen, church fellowship dinners are distasteful or worse. Without careful attention paid to landscaping, and building maintenance, the church becomes unattractive, reflects poorly upon Christ, and gives Him a bad testimony.

There is no one more important than the one to whom you are ministering to at the moment, and no matter what your role in the church, there is always someone impacted by your ministry.

Pray without ceasing. . . pray as you sweep. . . pray as you cook. . . pray as you shovel snow or prepare to preach or to drive the church bus for the Spirit of God to shine through you and through your labors, to bless those who partake of your labors and to help lead them into an eternal fellowship with Christ. . .