YOU are Needed

We just completed the process of selecting some new shepherds in our Church family on Sunday. During our special ordination service, we studied Ephesians 4:7-13.

As you already know, Paul is discussing unity and ministry in the Body of Christ. In this context, he talks about gifts that are a result of the work of Christ. The Apostle quotes from Psalm 68 and says that Jesus gave gifts to His people. Among those gifts He gave some to be Apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.

He concludes by telling us that these “gifts,” are given to us so that we might be equipped for ministry, for the building up of the Body, and so that we might be united in our knowledge about Jesus.

What strikes me most in this passage is that God chooses to accomplish these lofty goals through people. Our God certainly could have chosen many other ways to accomplish His work. He could have used angels, He could have employed some other miraculous way to reach this goal, but He did not. He chose to use people for this vital work.

Among this group of people, Paul mentions evangelists. This means you, brothers. God needs you. I know, He doesn’t need us because He isn’t capable, He doesn’t need us because there is no other way.

He needs you because He made the decision to accomplish His work through people.

He needs you to preach His unsearchable riches.

He needs you to help equip the saints.

He needs you to be involved in building up the Body.

He needs you to help promote unity among His people.

He needs you to love His people, to model Jesus for His people, to pray for His people, to visit His people, to help feed His people, and to minister to His people in numerous other ways.

When you are feeling down, and maybe just a little unneeded, please don’t ever forget, God needs you, and so does His people!