Building Up the Body of Christ—with Love
How we serve is as important as how much or what we serve. In fact, it is more important how we serve than that we serve. How then are we to serve? We are to serve with love. We are to love with patience. We are to serve with kindness and gentleness. It is the manner in which we serve that builds people up, not just the gift. Without the character of love, gifts themselves don’t build up the church.
The Corinthian church was a very gifted church, but immature, using gifts to impress others and one-upping one another. The gift was not used with love. Paul reminds them of a “more excellent way” to serve and build up the body of Christ. The more excellent way he shows is a way of love: “If I speak in the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Cor 13:1-3).
Without love I am nothing, and I gain nothing. All the spiritual gifts that God has given to build up the body of Christ—if they are not used well in the manner of love—can actually be used to destroy the body, instead of building it up.
So in Ephesians 4, when Paul instructs the church to build the up body of Christ by using various gifts by each member of the church, he starts by saying the following: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:2-3, NIV)
Do you want to build up the church? Do you want to build up the ministry that you are serving in? Do you want to build up the Life Group you are part of? Do you want to build up your family? Do you want to build up your friendship? Then “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another.”
Again, as I mentioned during my sermon, I thank you, New Hope, for being so patient with me and bearing with me for the past many years as I grew as a person and as a pastor. You have been very generous and kind to me. It is my prayer that you and I will extend love to one another as we grow together as a church family. That we will be completely humble and gentle. That we will be patient, bearing with one another. That we will speak the truth in love. That we will build each other up in love.
What builds up the church is not a charismatic leader or some spectacular ministry or well-run program. What really builds up the church is love for Jesus. What really builds up the church is love--genuine concern and care--for one another. What really builds up the church is love for those outside who have yet to know the love of God our Father.
When we build up the body of Christ with love, then the vision of becoming a glorious church will become more and more real in our church. Then God will be glorified and we will be edified and the world will be blessed by our church. May that be so.