This is a good picture of the Christian life. The kingdom of God is not a spectator sport, where a few well-trained people do the “work of the church”. Sometimes people look at it that way and want to see the pastor, Sunday School teachers, and deacons do all the work while they sit back and watch. Instead, as we talked about recently with the study on the body of Christ, all of us are part of what God is doing here. Whether it be a banquet, a mission endeavor, a prayer meeting, or anything else we do, it’s you—the people of the church—that make it happen by faithfully serving as God has enabled you.
As a choir director in the past, I remember one new singer in the choir commenting how she had enjoyed our music from the congregation for years, but that it was a whole new level of blessing being a part of the ministry now that she had decided to sing in the choir. That is true for all areas of service. It’s a blessing to watch God’s work being done, but a bigger one to be a part of it.
My job as your pastor is to help equip, prepare, and guide the church in its work, not to do everything myself, and I’m thankful that Cross Roads recognizes this. It not only makes my job less stressful, it makes us more effective as a church. To God be the glory!