Brethren,
As you’re aware, each and every one of us is a part in the great body of Christ. Finding our place and functioning in it should be a priority in our lives. Why? Being in your place is part of the bigger eternal plan of God. So functioning in your place is living for eternal purposes rather than earthly passing schemes.
Sometimes, it calls for a time of prayer and fasting; waiting on the Lord to not only find your place but to be separated to your assignment.
Acts 13:1-3 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. NKJV
You and I must not only find our place but develop in it. To develop in our place we must be separated to it. Notice in the above Scripture that those men were already functioning as prophets and teachers. But as they took time to wait on the Lord, the Holy Ghost said NOW is the time to separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I HAVE called them. Who had called them? The Lord. Who authorized their separation to the next assignment? The Lord Himself did.
Brethren, you’ve got to separate yourself. There are many voices in this world, so many distractions in this world trying to get you involved in this thing or the other. You don’t want to be entangled in the affairs of this life till you have nothing left – no time, no money, no energy for God, for His Church and for His things. Making a living is not the reason you are in this world.
To develop yourself in what you’re called to do, you’ve got to give yourself to it. You’ve got to apply yourself to your development. For example: You have to leave some things so you can make time to study the Word. You’ve got spend time in the presence of the Lord preparing for your call. Pray, study, pray, study and then do it some more.
By so doing, you’ll be magnifying your office of function in the body of Christ.
Rom. 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office. KJV
It looks to me like the apostle Paul found his place: “the apostle to the Gentiles.“ Then he said: I magnify my office. NKJV says: I magnify my ministry. NIV says: I make much of my ministry. Should you make much of your service in ministry? The fact is that if you don’t, you won’t get where you need to be. The word office means SERVICE. The word deacon also means SERVICE. Brethren, you can’t reach your ultimate place without serving. You have been graced with divine abilities to SERVE. Where is your service? How are you functioning in the body of Christ?
What God has put in you is valuable to all of us in the body of Christ. What if every child of God was fully involved in their place? We would be taking the world for Jesus. We’ve already said that faithfulness is one key to fulfilling your purpose. Another key is faith. When you esteem your place, you believe and speak well of it. If you disesteem your place, you actually can lose your place. Do you remember Judas? He lost his place didn’t he? The Bible says: Let another take his place of service. He didn’t value what he had. He valued 30 pieces of silver more. If you cease to value the opportunity God has given you to serve in His kingdom, you could get disqualified.
Brethren, when God gives you opportunity to serve Him, make much of it. Don’t forfeit your place. You’re part of His bigger eternal plan. MERRY CHRISTMAS!