Chapter 9: Ministering in Coordination with the Church

Bible Reading:

Romans 12: 4-8

I Corinthians 12:13-27

Ephesians 4:11-13

“Ministering in Coordination with the Church” is an important topic because it is the key to the rise or decline and success or failure of the church. If the coordination of ministry within the church is strong, the church will flourish. On the contrary, if coordination in the church ministry is weak, the church will decline.

1. The Church is the Body of Christ; We Must Minister in the Body

   Today, we believe that many young Christians in the church do have a direct relationship with the Lord in the vertical context. However, they are generally ignorant of the horizontal context, which is their relationship with the church. Because of this, a common behaviour existed, which is, after baptism, they neglected living a corporate church life of meeting together, such that they gradually wandered away from the church, and slowly began to fall away into loving the world and deserting the Lord. The elderly believers are no exception either. The key in determining how useful we may be in the Lord’s hands lies in whether or not we live a church life and minister within the body.

   1. Believers are Members of Christ’s Body and Must Not Depart from the Church

      “The church is the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 1:23) This clearly tells us that Christians altogether comprise one body. Whether Romans 12, I Corinthians 12 or Ephesians 4, these three areas in the Bible speak separately about the exercise of gifts in serving the Lord. However, a common factor exists, in that all of them mention the words “the body of Christ.” This means that no Christian should depart from the body of Christ.

      Take for instance our human body, if the foot should say, “Since I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it cannot for this reason cease to be part of the body. (I Corinthians 12:15) This means that not a single part of the body can detach itself from the body. The moment any part of the body detaches itself from the body, it will surely dry up and not survive. Likewise, the moment a Christian detaches himself from the church, he will surely grow weak and fall away.

      An interesting news article once appeared in a newspaper in Taiwan about a certain hospital’s postsurgery system of trash disposal. A foot, after having been amputated from a person’s body, was carelessly dumped into a trash bin. This system of improper waste disposal had led to many controversies in the medical world..... The instant a foot gets detached from the body, it becomes a dead part and eventually turns into waste. From here we could see that when a Christian departs from the church and gets detached from the body (church), although he may still maintain a life of private prayer and reading the Bible he has, in fact, lost his spiritual functions, and has gradually become spiritually destitute until he eventually dries up. This is similar to a branch being cut off from the grapevine. It withers away and gets thrown outside. It loses its function and can no longer bear fruit. Hence, Christians must live a church life and serve in coordination with all the saints; otherwise sooner or later, they will fall away, encounter failures, and become desolate.

      In 1953, I went to the Philippines for the first time to have fellowship with the church there. There was a young brother who went to see me several times for spiritual fellowship. However in 1961, when I returned to the Philippines hoping to see him again, I did not get to do so. I heard that he had left for the United States to pursue further studies. Nevertheless, every time I visited the Philippines, I always thought of him. Thank the Lord; I finally got to meet him again in Manila. We were so glad to see each other, we shook hands enthusiastically. In our fellowship, he recalled the time he went to the United Stated some 20 to 30 years ago to study:  He stayed in the school dormitory, and when Saturday came, he would go and stay at the home of a church co-worker and have spiritual fellowship with him. The following morning, being the Lord’s Day, he would attend the church meeting, after which, he would return to school on Monday. For a year he lived a normal Christian life. Nonetheless, before long, due to a hectic study schedule, he only attended the Sunday morning service and went back to school in the afternoon. Shortly after, his church meeting attendance was reduced to only once every two weeks, then once a month, then once every three months, and finally to just once in a long while. Because he had missed out on the meetings, he was not able to withstand temptations and enticements. He first learned to smoke...… then he continued to fall away until he no longer prayed nor read the Bible.

      Dear brothers and sisters, we are situated in the latter part of the century where pits, snares and temptations abound in the society we live in. Anyone who departs from the church and isolates himself will, sooner or later, stumble and fall away. I hope those brothers and sisters who had been attending meetings in the past will be all the more eager to attend meetings when you return home from this conference. Quite a few only attended the Saturday youth meeting, while others have given up coming to the meetings due to some home trifles. This kind of Christian, undoubtedly, does not have any spiritual foundations. Every Sunday morning we need to join the Breaking of Bread and fellowship with all the saints. We also need to attend the Sunday Message Service to receive spiritual nurturing. From the messages we heard, we need to digest them through prayers. Furthermore, we must participate in the ministries of the church, otherwise we will easily be ensnared by sin and the world to the point of falling away and encountering failure.

      If Christians do not take part in church ministries but listen to sermons alone, they will not be able to digest spiritual matters and their spiritual lives will not make any progress. Only when one takes part in the ministry will he gain true spiritual knowledge and experience to enter into the fullness of Christ. Here it talks about the body ---- on the one hand, it implies that we must not leave the church lest we fall and end up in failure.

   2. Members Depend on One Another to Minister, Survive, and Grow

      On the other hand, the body depends on its members serving in coordination with one another in order to survive and grow. The members depend on one another to survive. I cannot do without you, and you cannot do without me. Just as the feet cannot do without the hands, so the hands cannot do without the feet. The members relate with one another and do each one’s respective work in order to grow. Hence, Christians must participate in the ministries to carry out their functions; each person must exercise his gift(s). On the contrary, if a Christian does not serve, he will consequently ruin the body. Brothers and sisters, I hope your spiritual eyes will be opened by the Lord to truly see the severity of not serving. Do not think that it does not matter if you do not serve, anyway there are so many people in the church, it makes no difference having one less person like me. We need to know that the Lord uses the body as an example when referring to the church to imply that every member must be closely related and mutually dependent on one another for survival. I need you, and you need me. We help each other perform our functions. This way, the body will stay healthy, survive, and grow. No wonder Colossians 2:19 says, “..… connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”

      Japan is widely recognized as the most outstanding nation in the world. They are top in the world when it comes to cooperation. The education system of that country is quite different from that of other democratic nations. The success or fall of a nation does not happen overnight. It requires twenty years or so of hard work and toilsome cultivation. From the most basic elementary education all the way up to college, there must be quality education in order that its people may render rightful contributions to society. Japan’s education gives tremendous emphasis to cooperation.

      I can still remember vividly that during our elementary school days we had a subject called Moral Cultivation which focuses mainly on the moral values of life. There was a particular topic that explained the importance of cooperation by using the body as an illustration. I would like to mention its main message:

      Once upon a time, the four extremities and the five organs of the body held a conference together. The feet said, “I am situated at the lowest part of the human body which is just too much for me. Every day I come in contact with the dirty ground while the entire weight of the body is pressed upon me. I want to excuse myself from walking today.” Upon waking up, the feet lay in bed and refused to move. The clock struck seven, then eight, yet it remained in bed and refused to get up. Nine o’ clock…ten o’ clock, the stomach began to grumble and protested to the mouth saying, “Why have you not delivered food to me?” The mouth replied, “Because the hand did not pass any food to my mouth.” So they questioned the hand, “Why did you not send food to us?” The hand replied, “The feet refused to walk. My hands are too short to find its way to the kitchen and get food.” Oh, the moment the feet decided not to move, the hands were not able to work too, the mouth was not able to chew, the stomach was not able to digest, and consequently, the entire body went limp and lay in bed all day. When evening came, the stomach cried of hunger and pain, then they all came to their senses and said to the feet, “Look, because you refused to walk, thinking you’re taking a rest, let’s see if you’re able to walk now.” With much confidence, the feet made an effort to move, that’s when it realized that its strength was all gone because the body had not taken any food or water all day long. Beloved brothers and sisters, this lesson had taught students the value of cooperation and the importance of doing one’s own duty. The feet have to walk, the hands have to get food, the mouth has to chew, the stomach has to digest, the intestines have to absorb.... when the whole body moves in consonance with all the parts, it will stay healthy. Today, quite a few places in the world are adopting this principle found in the Bible. The Scripture wants us to learn to serve as one body in the church, and this pertains to members serving in coordination with the body. If the feet refuse to move, the whole body will be affected. Even if the feet were to walk to where the food is, yet if the hands refuse to move, or the mouth refuses to chew, or the stomach refuses to digest, altogether they would impair the wellness of the entire body. In other words, as long as there is one member that refuses to cooperate, then the law of the body will be broken.

      Brothers and sisters, from here we could see that each one of us is a member of the body. If you do not serve, your individual losses may be just a small matter to reckon with; however if the law of the body gets broken, then it becomes a very serious problem. I hope that through this, we will all come to a renewed understanding that the church is the body of Christ, and that we ought to serve in coordination with the body. None of us can do without serving. If you do not serve, not only will you fall into spiritual destitution, you will also not make progress, while at the same time, suffer losses and impair the survival and growth of the Body of Christ.

2. The Church is the House of God; We Must Minister in the House

   Once a person believes in the Lord and is born again and baptized, then he is born into God’s household. From thence on, he must live a life in the household of God. During Paul’s final years, he entrusted Timothy his commission. In his epistles to Timothy, he wrote, “If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God.” (I Timothy 3:15) This means that Paul wanted Timothy to remain in God’s household and to live a church life. If I am delayed, you must remain in God’s house. This is my command to you: Do not depart from God’s house, which is the church; you must remain in the church, live, and serve together with others.

   While Jesus was on earth, He once told a parable, “A father had two sons. The younger son took his share of the estate, left home, and set off for a distant place. He squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, he began to be in need.” In the same way, each of us Christians has received from the Lord our share of gifts (inheritance). However, if you run away from the church, you will discover that your spiritual condition has become destitute. Thank the Lord the younger son later came to his senses and said, “My father’s house has a lot of food to spare, do I have to starve to death here?” Brothers and sisters, from here we could see that if we leave God’s household (church), our spiritual life will become desolate and impoverished just like the prodigal son who was later dressed in rags;  our testimony will suffer failure and bankruptcy.

   Hence, Christians not only must live in God’s house; they must also serve in consonance with others in God’s house.

   Moses was faithful in all God’s house. (Hebrews 3:2) A faithful servant is one who is faithful in all God’s house. We are merely little servants of God; that is why we must learn how to be faithful in God’s house. The brother who led the singing earlier once had an unpleasant encounter in serving. He felt so bothered within, he no longer wanted to serve. With a heavy heart, he went home. Since it was a Tuesday and there will be a prayer meeting later that evening, he struggled whether or not to attend. In the end, his decision to attend the prayer meeting took the better of him, so he went back to the meeting. Praise the Lord, he met the Lord in that meeting. He confessed and repented before God and was filled and renewed by the Holy Spirit. He was strengthened within. Two days later during the Thursday night Bible study, he testified how he had fallen weak and had contemplated not to serve any more. However when he returned to the prayer meeting, he experienced once again a spiritual turnaround. He discovered the preciousness of living a church life. He made the decision to remain in God’s house and to serve Him all his life, and never to leave the life and ministry of the church.

3. We Need to Serve in the Church for It to be Built Up

   Now is the age of the Holy Spirit, as well as the age of the church. After the Lord ascended to heaven, all His works are centered upon the building up of the church. Apart from building up the church, the Lord had no other works. Although Christians may take part in many areas of ministry, all these sum up in the building up of the body of Christ. The topic for this year’s special conference is also “The Building Up of the Body of Christ,” because the heart of the Lord is in the church. Zechariah 1:14 says, “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion.” Jerusalem and Zion are both symbolic of the church. This means that although the Lord is in heaven, His heart is tied up with the church. Brothers and sisters, today if we want to satisfy God, we must commit ourselves to the building up of the church. Therefore the building up of the church can never be confined to one solitary action, but through every one of us serving in coordination with each other.

   1. The Lord Walks the Way of the Church

      The book of Revelation not only speaks about the future of the church, it also prophesies about the things that will come to pass during each period. The second and third chapters record the letters written to the seven churches. Each of the letters closes with this same phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) This means that the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church. It is true that whenever we draw near to the Lord, He speaks to us; even as we move about, the Holy Spirit is also speaking in us. But most importantly, the Holy Spirit is speaking to the church. When John wrote to the seven churches namely, the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, he ended all his letters with one same phrase: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.” This implies that the Holy Spirit sees the church as one unit; and when God speaks, it is therefore directed to the church. Today, the path that the Lord walks is the path of the church because He regards the church as a unit. Since we walk the path of the church, we must, therefore, minister in coordination with the church.

   2. God’s Blessings are Found in the Church

      The Letter to the Ephesians is a book that speaks about the church. It mentions the place of the church in God’s plan. Ephesians 1:3 says, “… who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Meaning, the church is where we receive God’s blessings. If we are in the church, we become people who are blessed.

      For instance, we see rains falling outside. Suppose we take a cup and place it outside under the rain, the raindrops will immediately fill up the cup. However, if it was only a small piece of glass sheet, even though the rain falls hard on it, it will not retain much water except for a few droplets on its surface. However, if this piece of glass sheet is shaped into a cup, then it will be able to collect an entire cupful of rainwater. The riches in this cup can then be shared by all. Likewise, the blessings of the Lord are found in the church. The church is the vessel that receives God’s blessings --- in it are the riches of the Lord. Therefore, we must serve in the church in order to inherit the riches from the Lord. The moment we depart from the church, we will not be able to enjoy His riches.

   3. Walking in One’s Own Way Causes One to Lose the Lord’s Rich Blessings

      No matter how great a person’s gift may be, as long as he walks his own way, he will gradually discover that the Lord’s blessings are no longer with him. In view of the Lord’s mercy, over the past three years, we were blessed with more than 1,000 newly baptized brothers and sisters. We did not invite any so-called evangelist or well-known preacher. Our young people were the ones who preached the gospel in their respective groups. The young brothers and sisters shared their personal testimonies while the young co-workers gathered the nets upon conclusion. In every baptismal meeting, there were more than a hundred, sometimes even more than two hundred, who came to be baptized. These are the bountiful blessings of the Lord found in the church.

   4. The Body of Christ Will Be Built Up If All the Saints Serve Together in the Church

      The reason we mention ministering in the church is because when all the saints minister together in the church, the body of Christ will be built up. Ephesians 3:18 says, “… together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” It means that, when all the saints fellowship and minister together in full coordination, the body of Christ will be built up, and the church will be filled with Christ.

      When the Apostle Peter talked about the church, he said, “We are like living stones being built into a spiritual house.” (I Peter 2:5) We (little stones) are being built up. If we are placed outside, we remain a single piece of stone and may become a stumbling block to others. However, if we are placed in the church in order to be built up, we will become a spiritual house. How lovely this would be. The Bible says that, when Solomon finished building the temple, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Likewise, when Moses went up the mountain and drew near to God, his face became radiant --- which shows the glory of God being manifested through his face; yet God’s awesome glory is that which fills the temple (church). As individuals, we may undeniably be spiritual, but since God’s glory is that which fills the church, we must therefore minister in coordination within the church.

   5. One will be Kept if He Serves in the Church

      Another point is that we must expose the schemes of the devil. All through the ages, the devil has been trying in countless ways and with utmost efforts to destroy the church. Satan is like a roaring lion that prowls around looking for someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8) Who are the ones it devours? They are those who run away from the church and walk their own ways. Matthew 18:18 records, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Here it tells us that the authority of the church overcomes the power of Hades. When Peter obtained the revelation from Christ, the Lord took a step further by revealing to him saying, “The gates of Hades cannot overcome her (church).” It means that apart from the church, no individual authority can overcome Hades. Therefore, we must not depart from serving in the church if we are to be kept by the Lord.

      What the Apostle Paul had preached was no exception. In Ephesians 6:11 when he mentioned about ministering in the body, he said, “Put on the full armour of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes…” This means that the entire body of brothers and sisters has to put on the full spiritual armour in order to fight against the devil – not as individuals, but as a church. That is why if you and I were to depart from the church, then our protection is gone and we will become easy prey to Satan, the roaring lion.

      We, therefore, want to remind Christians over and over again that it is a must that you attend Sunday church meetings and not to absent yourself casually, to live a church life, and to participate in the various church ministries. You might, perhaps, wonder if the church has that much ministries for you to get involved in. Let me tell you this, the ministries in the church are widely varied. Prayer alone is one ministry that has no end. Simpson, a servant greatly used by the Lord, once said, “Prayer is the highest ministry,” meaning, of all the ministries, there is none that surpasses prayer. You must know that your prayer ministry is nobler than my preaching ministry on the pulpit. Praying out loud in the meetings is also ministering. Singing hymns is also ministering. Saying “Amen” out loud is also ministering. These are some of the most basic forms of ministering. Also, the visitation of saints, testifying, evangelizing…. and the like are all ministering. We ought to serve in the church in order to be kept.

4. The Ministry of the Church is the Ministry of Coordination in the Body

   Since we are going to serve in the church, how then do we do it? Romans 12 mentions the gifts of life (grace). This means that once we are saved, we have obtained the Lord’s life (grace) and we all have our share of gifts; so it is but natural that we serve the Lord. 

   1. Romans 12 Talks About the Ministry in the Body of Christ--- Each Member Fulfills His Part

      Romans 12:5 says, “So in Christ we who are many form one body with many members, and each member belongs to all the others.” This means that we are the body of Christ; in the church, we interact with one another as members --- everyone standing in the position of a member--- in one’s own designated position, and exercise his gifts in serving the Lord.

      Suppose you are a hand, you will use this hand to get things and do work with it. Suppose I am an ear, then I will perform my function of listening. Suppose he is an eye, he will carry out his function of seeing. Everyone must faithfully exercise the portion of gifts he receives from the Lord. Perhaps you may wonder if you any have gifts at all, do not be anxious about what gifts you may or may not have. Even though we have no idea what gifts we may have, yet the most important thing to do is to participate in the church ministries. This is similar to a fruit tree. Before the fruit tree grows big, it is hard to tell whether it is an apple tree, an orange tree, a peach tree, or a plum tree. Nevertheless as time goes by, it starts to grow leaves and bear fruits. Now you can tell what tree it is. Therefore, all you need to do is pray, give praise, learn to visit the saints, preach the gospel, and actively practice sharing your insights and inspirations; after a while, your gifts will be revealed. If you do not serve, then your gifts will never be revealed. Romans 12:15 also tells us that each member belongs to all the others. Meaning, we must work in consonance with others to fulfill each of our roles. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, or encouraging, or teaching, he must work at it with all his heart. If it is contributing to the needs of others, or showing mercy, or leadership, and the like, he must be faithful in doing his share of these functions.

   2. I Corinthians 12 Talks About Members Serving In Coordination

      I Corinthians 12 talks about the gifts of the Holy Spirit which may also be called the miraculous gifts. In other words, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then our gifts will be revealed. The gifts mentioned here put emphasis on the aspects of work and power, but more specifically, it talks about God who arranges each of us to be a part of the body. 

      1. God Has Arranged the Parts of the Body Just as He Wanted Them to be

         Look at verse 18, “In fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.” Perhaps God has arranged for you to be the hands, for me to be the feet, and for him to be the ears….. the Lord thus arranged us according to what He wanted. We simply do our share of the ministries in accordance with His arrangements.

         In actual practice, the leaders in the church ought to take special care when assigning ministries. They must never make arrangements at their own discretion, but rather they must learn to submit before the Lord, wait upon Him, inquire of Him, and assign ministries in accordance with God’s will.

         On the other hand, when brothers and sisters accept arrangements, it is very likely that we may not be pleased about it. However, you need to learn to accept the tearing work of the cross and God’s work of building you up. It is by serving that we allow Christ to increase in us.

      2. Believers Must Accept Arrangements and Minister in Coordination

         Actually, ministering in itself is not an objective, but a process; through ministering, I may decrease and Christ may increase. This is the objective in ministering. In the church, there are many areas wherein one can minister. For example, every year we hold baptismal meetings. There are different kinds of assignments in the baptismal ministry. Some are assigned the ministry of overall servants while others as ushers, name tag writers, number assigners, or back-up helpers for the wiping of faces, changing of clothes, arranging of slippers, and the like.

         There was a year when I assigned a brother to be the overall servant in a baptismal meeting. He, in turn, assigned a brother to take charge of the picking up of wooden slippers. A few years later, I assigned this brother to be the overall servant again. This time around he told me, “It is fine with me to take this assignment as overall servant, but as to the other services, may I request you to do the assigning for me?” I asked him why. He replied, “That year when you assigned me as overall servant, with no bad intention at all, I assigned a brother the task of picking up the wooden slippers. He misunderstood me, thinking that I humiliated him by assigning him to do such a demeaning job. He was furious at me and was not willing to forgive me from that time on.”

         Beloved brothers and sisters, if everyone behaves like him, then the entire congregation will bear grudges against me. When I assigned a certain brother or sister as overseer of a room that is hot, humid, and void of fresh air, they would probably hate this Brother X, wondering why he is dealing with me in such a way. “This kind of assignment is a torture to me…” Actually, every kind of service assignment is the Lord lifting us up. On the contrary, if everyone is not willing to accept service assignments like picking up slippers, wiping the floors, overseeing the rooms, and the like, not only will we encounter difficulties in holding baptismal meetings; in fact, every baptismal meeting will end up with misunderstandings and grudges among brothers and sisters. After going through more than ten baptismal meetings, there will be tens of people who have held grudges in their hearts. Therefore, brothers and sisters, every time we do service assignments, let us put ourselves in others’ position and show consideration to the overall servant. If everybody protests and is unwilling to accept assignments, how could one do according to his ability and build up the body of Christ? Hence, I Corinthians 12:18 says, “.…just as God wanted them to be;” meaning, the Lord has sovereign authority in His arrangements and eternal insights. His arrangement is the best and the most beneficial to us.

         Therefore in ministry, there is no position or rank --- whether high or low, noble or degrading. A spiritual man who cleans the washroom is still spiritual. On the contrary, if a carnal person should lead the church, that church is bound to be carnal. Therefore, do not question whether a ministry assigned to you is high, low, noble, or degrading, but rather what kind of an individual you are.

   3. Ephesians 4 Talks About How Workers Prepare the Saints for Works of Service

      Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Meaning when co-workers lead in the church, they must hold steadfastly to this principle of ministry:  to prepare God’s people for works of service. For a church to be strong, the greatest factor lies in its strong array of coordination among co-workers, elders, and deacons; and next to that, how all the saints serve together in coordination.

      In some churches, even though there are no formal titles given to co-workers, elders, and deacons, there is in fact a group of people who are serving faithfully and diligently. Just like in our branch in Manila, there are quite a few elderly sisters who, although they do not carry the title of deaconship, yet have manifested the functions of a deacon in their services. If a church has only a line-up of titles for its elders and deacons, yet people who enter that church cannot see the believers’ love for the Lord, or consecration, or diligence in serving, then that church has no future at all. On the contrary, if a church has a group of elders and deacons who lead all the saints to serve together with oneness of heart, then that church will surely make progress.

      I hope the leaders in every local church will delegate ministries to all the saints, enabling them to all come out and serve. Do not make assumptions that a certain brother is not good enough, or a certain sister is not capable enough, thus depriving them of any ministries. It is precisely the fact that they are not good enough or not capable enough that they need to learn. If they are good and capable, then there is no need to teach them. Delegate ministries to those who are incapable, and their gifts will be revealed. The leaders, no doubt, must display wisdom when assigning. The more accomplished saints on the other hand, need not decline out of modesty, but must be aware that once you decline, you will end up being a spiritual waste product. Hence, nobody can claim that he is incapable, because as long as you have the life of the Lord in you, your capability to serve is innate. Hence, through accepting assignments and learning, you will be made perfect.

      After World War II had ended, we recall how the United States had allotted funds to aid countries in the East like Japan and the Philippines. However, thirty years later, Japan had grown more powerful with each passing day while the Philippines had regressed. One of the main reasons is that Filipinos were generally sloppier in character and less willing to work hard unlike their Japanese counterparts who were more diligent and more willing to endure hardships. What is even more pathetic is the fact that recently many Filipinos not only refuse to work, they even go on strike everywhere. Today, a certain textile factory goes on strike; tomorrow a food company would follow suit; and still another day, a car manufacturer’s employees would stage a walk-out…. On the streets, strikers in groups lingered here and there carrying picket signs and placards, while the Japanese toil hard all day and all night. No wonder these two countries show very sharp contrast in terms of prosperity versus poverty.

      Dear brothers and sisters, the rise and fall of our church depend on whether or not all the saints are willing to accept assignments and diligently offer their share of services. Relying on the co-workers alone to serve is a sign of abnormality in the church. Today, many churches depend on their pastor alone. To understand the will of God, there must be a general mobilization of all the saints and the entire church body must serve.

5. Learn to Minister in Coordination with the Church

   Lastly, let us look at how we can put these into practice as we learn to minister in coordination with the church:

   1. Hold Fast to Christ the Head

      This year, the slogan “Christ is the Head of the Church” (Colossians 1:18) is displayed in the assembly hall of our church in Manila. This verse says explicitly that if we want to serve in coordination with the church, the first step is to maintain a normal relationship with the Lord, which is to let Christ be the head. Not only in our individual ministry do we directly accept the Lord’s leading and let Christ be the head, but in our ministry as a church, we must all the more hold fast to Christ, who is the Head. If an individual or a church loses sight of this basic principle, he would surely deviate.

      This is analogous to the five sense organs and the four extremities in our body. How are they able to work together so naturally and harmoniously? The eyes see, the ears hear, the nose smells, the mouth speaks, the hands hold, the feet walk...… Undoubtedly, these five organs and four extremities are all controlled by the head. It is the head that directly controls the entire body --- not just one organ, but the entire nervous system --- not just the extremities and sense organs, but all the internal organs as well. Brothers and sisters, whether or not we can serve together harmoniously in the church, and whether or not we can be fruitful in our ministries, depend on whether or not we hold fast to Christ the Head.

      For a ship to sail securely in the vast ocean, it needs to rely on the compass, because only the compass can guide a ship to sail in the right direction. Once, there was a ship that hit a boulder. It was said that there was the presence of a mineral reef near the coast, which produced a magnetic force that altered the direction of the needle in the compass. Due to this slight deviation of the compass needle, the ship hit the boulder. Spiritually, if our relationship with the Lord is not accurate, there will certainly be discord in the ministries down the line. Therefore, we must hold firmly to this fact: that we must learn to submit ourselves before God, hold fast to the Head, and allow Christ the Head to take control and lead the church.

      I remember once not long ago, while walking to the Soler assembly hall, a group of people suddenly came running toward my direction. I realized then that there was a mentally deranged person who was throwing stones at passersby. Mentally deranged people are people whose nervous system are in disarray and are no longer controlled and ruled by the head. Likewise, when we minister in coordination with one another in the church but do not hold fast to the head, then things will surely go wrong. On the contrary, in the event that differences in viewpoints, opinions, and suggestions do arise, nonetheless, if everyone submits and holds fast to the Head, I believe everything will be readily resolved. Because Christ is the Head, all difficulties will be dispelled.

   2. Accept Assignments and Fulfill Individual Tasks

      Early on, we read in I Corinthians 12:18 that God had arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be. This means that God, by His sovereign authority, assigns each of us to be a member of the body to carry out our respective functions. For this reason, we must learn to accept assignments and to work together in consonance with others. In terms of experience, if a responsible brother assigns me to do gospel visitation, I will accept. When he assigns you to shepherd the saints and you obey, then this is right. If he assigns you to be with someone whose personality is different from yours, but then you show resentment by refusing to serve, then you are rejecting his assignment to you. If you just take a look at the Lord Jesus while He was on earth, whenever He sent out His disciples, it was always in twos. This indicates that the disciples accepted assignments to work with one another. (Of course, another aspect of this spiritual implication has to do with testimony.)

      May the Lord allow us to see that we who are redeemed by His precious blood are brothers and sisters in the Lord, why then can we not love one another? The great love of the Lord is in us, enabling us to love the unlovable. Therefore in serving, let us learn not to insist on our personal selections, but to accept assignments, so that each one may perform his own part.

      This is similar to a symphony orchestra wherein there are trumpets, flutes, cellos, violins, etc. Suppose the conductor assigns you to play the flute but you refuse and, instead, insist on blowing the trumpet just because blowing the trumpet easily attracts more attention than playing the flute. As a result, everyone scrambles to blow the trumpet --- I want to blow the trumpet, you want to blow the trumpet, he wants to blow the trumpet. Imagine what will become of the entire situation. The orchestral concert will never get to play successfully. On the contrary, if I play the flute, he plays the violin, you blow the trumpet, and someone else plays the cello… then when all kinds of instruments come together and play, the music will sound so harmoniously splendid. O, how beautiful, how magnificent!

   3. Have Concern for Each Other

      I Corinthians 12:25 records, “So that there should be no division in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.” This means that when everyone is standing at his own position, serving in coordination with the church, there is a tendency for us to virtually distance ourselves with one another, even to the point of doing things independently. Therefore, we must learn to show concern for each other. For instance, when the foot gets bitten by the mosquito, the hand automatically reaches down to slap the mosquito. It will not wait for the skin to get swollen before it hits the mosquito. This is called having concern for one another. In serving with coordination, we must learn to be considerate of others, to show concern for them, and to give others the benefits. This is the virtue of serving. Not only would this enable all of us to be in harmony with one another, but also to love one another.

   4. Care for the Feelings of the Members

      Lastly, I would like to remind everyone about a specific point recorded in I Corinthians 12:26. It says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it.” Meaning, we must show concern for the feelings of the members. When everybody stands at his position serving the Lord, and someone conveys his inner feelings, then you ought to take heed, give consideration, and offer help. During the time of the apostles in the early church, when 3,000 were baptized and added to the church, all the believers were together and had everything in common. However, after some time, some of the men complained because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. When the apostles knew about this, they immediately decided to choose seven deacons to look after the food distribution work in order that they may devote their attention to prayer and ministry of the word. The apostles then chose seven men to be in-charge of the food as their way of taking care of the feelings of the members. On the contrary, if they did not care for the feelings of the members, this will eventually become a loophole that will give the enemy the opportunity to attack, and the church will be distracted and destroyed.

      May the Lord give us a sensitive spirit and lead us into learning to minister in coordination with the church, holding fast to Christ the Head, accepting assignments in fulfillling our respective duties, having concern for one another, and caring for the feelings of the members.

<-- Back to "The Way of Ministry" Next Chapter -->