by Dr. Paul Chappell

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."

Ephesians 4:4-12

Teamwork makes the dream work.

The story is told of a performer who was asked to come to a program put on for soldiers coming home from overseas. The performer wrestled with whether or not he could make the program. He wanted to attend, but his schedule was so tight he'd only have time for a brief appearance. Deciding he could make it work, he promised to come as long as everyone was fine with the understanding he'd only perform one monologue then leave. He'd be on stage for ten minutes at the most.

The night of the benefit came and soldiers and families came from near and far. All wanted to see the performer and enjoy the concert, especially the soldiers who had been through some of the toughest fighting the war had seen. The performer took the stage, and went through his routine. After his last joke, he planned to leave, but as the applause grew louder, he decided to stay just a few minutes longer. Soon ten minutes turned into twenty minutes then thirty minutes, until finally after forty-five minutes he walked off the stage to laughs and thunderous applause.

Once backstage, his agent hastily approached him, "What are you doing? We have somewhere to be! Why were you on stage for that long?" The performer replied, "I meant to come off, and planned to after my last bit, but as everyone was clapping, I looked down at the first row of soldiers." Pointing to the crowd the performer continued, "That's why I stayed." The manager followed the performer's point and saw two soldiers sitting in the front row clapping. The two had obviously been in some sort of explosion, as both were missing an arm-one a right arm, the other a left arm. But by sitting together, they were able to use their remaining arms to clap for the performer.

Someone once said, "Teamwork makes the dream work." That was true about the wounded soldiers, and it also applies to churches today. Many Christians approach church as a service to attend each week, but truth is, much more goes into church than a simple service. God desires for all His children to be involved in church in one way or another.

Your church needs your help to minister to others. They need someone to help in the nursery, teach Sunday school, work a bus route, greet guests, keep the bathrooms clean, minister to the widows and hurting, and perform a variety of tasks. If you'll ask your pastor, there are a number of ways you can help around your church.

Paul tells the Ephesian church that they are one body with one mind and one goal. As a church, you should have one goal in mind-reaching unsaved people with the Gospel and ministering to Christians. How can you help accomplish that goal in your church?

You may not be in a position to work in certain areas of the church, but perhaps by praying for your pastor, sending encouraging notes to hurting church members, or visiting church members in the hospital; you can be a blessing to others.

If you aren't involved in your church, ask your pastor or a staff member how you can get involved. Obey God's command to work together for the furtherance of His Gospel.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 46-48 | Acts 28