Receiving From The Body

This last year my primary teachers in Christ have been: my wife Meredith, my neighbors, a dirty little boy in the streets of Nepal, my daughter Madison, a blind homeless women, people that slander and mistreat me, my brother who is a few months young in Christ, ancient books and writings from former believers, and so many others in the body of Christ.

    Who do you primarily receive from? Ministers with bigger positions and influence then you? Children and new believers? The people you lead? The whole body of Christ?

    When we value the body of Christ above our own agenda, the vision is discovered through relationship, instead of only through those who are primary leaders. Everyone brings their ideas and visions to the table. This way the whole picture of the vision of Christ doesn’t come through one man, but through everyone. It is through relationship and humility!

    Philippians 2:3-4 says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

    This is where grace flows! This is where the Kingdom advances. This is where the body grows. When in Humility we consider others in the body. When we look to find revelation gold in those around us. When we find locked up vision in the people around us and we help it come to pass. It’s not about us! It’s about Jesus and His body. When we lay down our ego and pride that drives us to be the center of attention and vision, and authentically honor and value others around us, the body flourishes! As “each part” does its work we build ourselves up in love. Not as “some special parts” do the work. 

Colossians 1:27-28 says “…the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

Christ in YOU is the HOPE of glory, it isn’t the fullness of glory. The next verse reveals the fullness. That EVERYONE is presented perfectly IN Christ. The hope of glory is Christ in YOU. The fullness of glory is EVERYONE MATURE IN Christ. 

In this day and age, God is calling the body to step into the maturity of being Christ’s bride. The focus is shifting from me to we. There is a shift from Christ in me, to the body IN Christ. This shift is bringing alignment to the purpose of leadership and corporate gathering. Biblical leadership is called to facilitate for EVERYONE to participate. 

1 Corinthians 14:26 “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.”

“When you come together, each one has” is the prophetic message to the church in this day! The original word of the Father is His son: Jesus! Not a principle, but a person. As Jesus again becomes the centerpiece in the church, a radical reformation will take place in the structure that will give room for each believer to participate when we gather, so that we all grow up into a mature bride. Many of the systems and services we have built will be shifting. As the primary goal of gathering becomes Jesus (His person and presence), more and more we will see everyone participating and growing into maturity IN HIM as His bride!

Ephesians 4:11-13 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

The Father is shouting, “Maturity is calling!” It’s time for the body of Christ to step into greater maturity in the knowledge of the Son of God. God’s dream is for everyone to grow up into Him. We can no longer be okay with spectator Christianity because it keeps everyone in immaturity. Everyone must participate in the body so that everyone can grow up in Christ. 

In the last century, there has been a focus on the fivefold to equip the saints for the work of ministry. The primary goal has been to sit under men and women of God with a specific fivefold grace to learn how to do that ministry. But the purpose of the fivefold isn’t just to equip a specific gift for a specific ministry. The primary purpose of the fivefold has always been to build up and grow up the body into maturity in Christ. It’s not about ministry, it’s about maturity in Him. We call the church to Jesus! 

We need humility and eyes to perceive the gold in the least of these. As Philippians 2:5 continues, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” The missing piece of the vision and revelation of Christ you are looking for may not be in the next conference with the famous preachers, but in the child at church, the elderly women who is your next door neighbor, your parents, or the homeless person you pass. The mind of Christ is in the body as a whole, not the select few who are on the public platform. 

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you His eyes to consider the Body. There is so much treasure, wisdom, revelation, and vision that is locked up in the people around you. So often we miss the wealth and riches of Christ, because we are looking for it from a platform, a book, or a video. But as we look to Jesus, we find Him in the body and bride. We will Discover Him through children! We will learn of Him from the least of these and we will see ourselves properly and in the context of the body as a whole. There is so much room in the bride. There is so much to walk in together, in Christ!  

Yours in Christ, 

Micah Level