When you’re watching a movie at home or at the theater, when do you typically stop watching? Do you press “stop” when the camera pans out to a wide angle and the closing music begins playing? Do you exit when the lights come up? Or do you do the unthinkable and actually watch the credits?
Have you ever thought about the number of people that it takes to produce a movie? From boom microphone operators and location scouts to those mysterious workers known only as ”key grips,” there are an incredible number of individuals besides the director and actors that must do their jobs so that a movie can make it through production and onto the big screen.
Serving in the Lord’s church is similar. It takes a number of people doing work (many times behind the scenes) to keep the ministry of the Lord in production. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul teaches that the Lord’s church is one body made up of many parts. Not all perform the same function, but all are necessary for the proper performance of the body. Some serve in front of the camera, while others serve behind the camera, but no one is expendable (1 Cor. 12:14-21). No one should be despised. All are worthy of honor, especially those who work behind the scenes (1 Cor. 12:22-26).
Those of us who are members of the Lord’s church must faithfully utilize the gift(s) that we have been given by God for His glory (1 Cor. 12:11, 18; cf. 1 Pet. 4:10-11). If we don’t, God’s vision for His church will not make it through production and onto the world’s stage to influence those who need Jesus more than anything.
Jacob Evans
Lawrenceburg, TN