The Big Finish

On Sunday, we had the pleasure of Pastor Moody leading our class to close out our "Where Do I Fit?" series. These last few weeks have been a great chance to reflect on the purpose of our church and our purpose in the church body.
Everything boils down to one big issue - either you are a person who is involved in accomplishing the mission of the church or you aren't. This isn't meant as a judgment or a guilt trip. It's just a statement of the way things are. As a church body, we are called to carry out the vision that God gives our pastor. We don't attend South Cleveland COG as a matter of chance or a twist of fate. It stands to reason that if God has placed you where you are now and God has given the pastor a vision for the church you are attending, then God has a role for you to play in seeing that vision come to pass. It isn't the role of the pastor to carry out the vision God has given him. If the vision that our pastor casts is something he can accomplish by himself, then our God is simply too small. God has great things in store for us if we all head in the same direction.
We got a brief glimpse at the vision and what we can do about it. None of us were challenged to do magnificent things by ourselves. Instead we were challenged by two things. The first is to understand that we are all part of the same body that is made up of many parts. Some parts seem more glamorous than others but that doesn't change the fact that every part is pivotal. As we were reminded, a rib is small and seems insignificant - until you break one and then you realize how valuable a healthy, functioning rib is. The second challenge is to take the next step. Wherever you are, know that you are not a finished product, just as our church as a whole is not a finished product. For some of us, that means taking that first step to get involved in some aspect of the ministry of the church. Some of us have already taken that step and now need to become more committed, rather than serving out of convenience. Some of us would consider ourselves quite committed and need to bring someone along, partnering with them to help them to find their place. Whether you feel like you're a misfit or an outfit, trust that a place of love, hope and freedom is a place where you can find a perfect fit.
The pastor has issued us the challenge. Now it's up to us to answer the call. Some of us are having misgivings right now, wondering if this is for you. Let me assure you that both challenges are for all of us. Ephesians 2:8-10 makes it plain:
⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.
¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The phrase that holds these verses together is this one - for we are His workmanship. This isn't some throw-away idea. This is a bombshell if we'll understand it. God didn't just save us. He saved us by his grace. Why would he do that? To accomplish what he's set before us. How is he going to pull that off? You are his workmanship. This calls to mind a craftsman creating a work of art. You aren't something that got slapped together to fill in the pews while other "gifted" people make the magic happen. The pastor isn't the great Oz behind the curtain pulling all the strings. God shaped and fashioned you. He has something in store for you. He made exactly one of you and if you don't step forward you rob us all of the chance to see God's workmanship in action. I know some of us walk around at times wondering why God gave us this or didn't give us that. This fact remains - when God sees you, He sees exactly what he fashioned. He sees a masterpiece.