by 
Let’s test your view of the body of Christ with a matching game. Suppose someone in your local church says one of the things on the left hand side of this list.
Check out the responses on the right hand side and see how you would respond. You can respond in comments below, comment on any one in particular, but think it through. There are more than one answer to most of these:
| Statements | Principles |
| A. “I think we should clean up our church rolls and get rid of all those names of people who don’t attend anymore.” | 1. The Spirit decides who to give assignments to, and enables members to accomplish His work. |
| B. “Bill got himself into trouble by breaking the law. It doesn’t bother me that he has to serve time in jail.” | 2. The body is a single unity made up of many parts. |
| C. “I think I should be elected chairman of the deacons. After all, I have been a faithful member of this church for 42 years.” | 3. Members of the body do not decide their own role in the body. |
| D. “If I can’t be a Sunday School teacher, I’ll just quit coming to this church.” | 4. God puts members in the body where He wants them to be. |
| E. “I don’t care that the rest of the body things God is leading them to ask me to serve in that role. I have never been a … and I know I couldn’t do it. I don’t have the talents necessary.” | 5. The body is not complete without all the members God has given the body. |
| F. “If those 10 families can’t agree with the majority, that’s tough. In this church the majority rules. If they don’t like what we are doing, they can go somewhere else. | 6. Members of the body need every other member. |
| G. “Since God has told me what His will is for this church, all you have to do is listen to me. Anybody who doesn’t agree with me is unspiritual and out of God’s will.” | 7. The body should be united as one, not divided. |
| 8. Members of the body should have equal concern for each other. | |
| 9. Members of the body have different assignments from God for the good of the whole body. |
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I get test anxiety. 🙂
What’s sad is with the exception of B, I’ve heard every single one of these comments in my old church. Unfortunately I didn’t hear a whole lot of the numbers in response.
Rachels last blog post..Conviction and an Award
@Rachel: The first one really threw me (for reasons that will be explained later!)– I was usually for cleaning up the membership roles.
However, when you get God’s view of the body of Christ instead of man’s view you see the people around you as much more important than we generally tend to treat them.