For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink. Indeed, the body is not one part but many. If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” it is not for that reason any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that are weaker are indispensable. And those parts of the body that we consider less honorable, we clothe these with greater honor, and our unrespectable parts are treated with greater respect, which our respectable parts do not need.
Instead, God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, next miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, leading, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all do miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But desire the greater gifts. And I will show you an even better way.
The Significance of Every Believer in the Church
Just as no believer can say that they themselves are unimportant to the church, no believer can say of another believer that they are unimportant to the church.
Look at verse 21: The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!
Every part of the church carries significance and value. We can't risk ranking each other as the Corinthians did, because to be a believer means you're an important part of the body of Christ. You can't dismiss yourself. You can't dismiss others. But we often do both, right? We make excuses to not be a real part of the body of believers. We too often go to church to consume it: to listen to good preaching, good music, or to have good feelings, but that's not what we're called to do. We're called to be a part of the church. That's what Paul is trying to convey, that we’re all a part of the body of Christ.
Diversity in the Church
Why are believers different when we are meant to be part of one body? This is by God’s design. The beginning of the chapter mentions how we're all given different gifts from God. The same Spirit is working in each of us, and yet we're given a variety of gifts. Some gifts we see in rarity, and others we see in a plethora. And that's okay! We're all supposed to use all of those different gifts for the common good. Each of our different gifts is being worked out in us so that the whole body can function properly.
Paul illustrates this for us in verses 17 & 18:
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.
The ear cannot smell things. That’s not what it was created for. I cannot tell my ear to smell things. That would be weird and absurd. Right? That’s what the nose is for! As long as I have a nose, then I don't have to worry about my ears trying to smell things. Likewise, my eyes cannot hear things, which isn't a problem so long as I have ears. This is significant because if any of these parts fail to function correctly, it requires us to adapt our lives and find solutions to fix the issue. If your hearing just went away tomorrow wouldn’t you likely go to the doctor? I would! Just as we need our bodies to function properly, we need every different part of the church body to function properly.
The Vital Role of Students in the Church
That being said, students are an integral part of the church. If the students in the student ministry are not active within the church, the whole church body suffers. The church body needs students, and here are just a few reasons why:
1) The children’s ministry needs the student ministry. The children look up to the students, eagerly anticipating the day they can be part of the student ministry, which provides them with guidance. Without a student ministry, children who outgrow the children’s ministry may eventually disengage from the church, never to darken the doors of a church again as adults. Why would they come back as adults when they were not a part of the body for most of their growing-up lives? Without a student ministry, they potentially have less and less reason to even pursue God.
2) Student ministry provides a connection point for parents. How so? Adults who may not have connected before can now connect in the church through their children. There are people in our parent’s class who relate better to each other simply because their children exist. They can talk to each other and understand each other in their burdens because they’re in the same season of life. Students have a huge role in fostering this connection.
3) Student ministry equips students with the Gospel. Research shows us that the chances of a student starting any kind of faith drop significantly after they graduate high school. If a student doesn’t already have faith in Jesus, they are way less likely to follow Him after high school. As we grow older, arrogance can creep in, and students are no exception. That’s unfortunately going to happen to many students when they graduate, for they believe they do not need God. But do you know the best person to get the gospel to students before they graduate? It's not me. The best person to share the gospel with students is another student. Students are the most effective evangelists to their peers.
Why? Because, frankly, I can't just walk into high schools and go sit down next to a random student at lunch, and be like, “Hey, man, you know Jesus, right?” I would be arrested or at the very least kicked out of the school for I am just a random stranger! Students however have friendships and relationships within their schools. Students are the best people to reach students. A student ministry matters. Students are vital in the life of a church.
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