“Take Your Place”

Series Title: The Greatest Among You Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 08/23/26 (4th Sunday Message)

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{All scriptures are “NIV84” unless stated}

New Series:

The Greatest Among You

We’re finishing our series today

Message Title:

“Take Your Place”

Starting with:

1 Corinthians 12:12 (a)

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.

The body is made up of different parts….

You’ve learned since you were little major parts of your body. We teach our children their:

eyes, nose, mouth, hands, shoulders, legs, feet And we teach them that these parts have a function.

and those parts are needed to do their function for the body to work correctly.

The Body Works Best When Every Part Does Its Work

1 Corinthians 12:12

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.

The same idea that we have about our bodies… it’s the same for the body of Christ as well.

Take Your Place:

• Every Believer Is Part Of The Body Of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Each one of you is a part of it.

There is no one who doesn’t have a purpose.

I mentioned with gifts last week…

each of you has something given to you. but not only do you have a gift… it’s also a responsibility…

because you have a role to play!

You Have A Gift For A Reason! There Is A Purpose For You!

You aren’t just born with talents and a knack for things. those things are gifts…

and you have them for a reason.

*Repeat*

“I Have A Gift And A Responsibility To Use It”

point #2:

Take Your Place:

• Every Single Part Has A Needed Function

1 Corinthians 12:14-16

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that

reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

The WHOLE body is not made up of just one part. The foot can’t decide it doesn’t want to be a foot…

It was designed to be a foot.

The ear has its purpose…it can’t decide it doesn’t want to be an ear anymore.

1 Corinthians 12:17

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

Each part has a purpose.

The ear shouldn’t say “I’m not a good eye…” it is an ear.

It’s not supposed to see…it’s supposed to hear!

You Were Created With A Purpose In Mind And THAT Is What You Will Be The Best At!

It doesn’t mean that you won’t come into problems every now and again… but it was what you were designed for.

Your Value Isn’t Measured By How Visible You Are

there are some church functions that are “in the front.” Those who preach/teach.

those who sing in the choir those who lead

those who have the microphone.

But that’s what THOSE gifts are.

The Importance Of Your Gift Isn’t Determined By Just Having A Microphone

this could be a good or a bad thing.

but not everyone who wants the microphone should have it and maybe some who don’t…SHOULD have it.

Some of us might think our gift is to be a hand… when we’re actually meant to be an ear.

This means that your gift might not put you in the front of the room… you might be on the side of the room.

maybe in the back.

or maybe during the week doing ministry. but you won’t be just standing…

you will be functioning…using YOUR gift.

We each are needed.

1 Corinthians 12:21

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

This means that we can’t look down on someone else for walking in their gifts.

Each gift is important…

meaning EVERY PERSON has a place.

Take Your Place:

• When The Parts Don’t Function It Creates Strain On The Rest Of The Body

1 Corinthians 12:26

26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

We have to stop looking at this like WE are individuals in this. Because people are choosing not to do their part for the body.

The Body Suffers When The Parts Don’t Work Correctly

If you injure your leg…

your body doesn’t just say…

oh well that leg wasn’t any good anyway. the entire body has to compensate for that.

If you can walk on that leg… you have a limp…. your weight shifts.

your GOOD leg works harder. your hips have to work harder…

your back has to work harder.

and then it can create strain on your other parts… to cover for the one that’s injured…

But here’s the plot twist…

what if the leg wasn’t injured?

what if the leg just decides it doesn’t wanna work that day?

Everything else still pays the cost for it.

When One Part Won’t Function, Other Parts Have To Compensate For It!

This means that when we don’t put our gifts to work… others have to cover for us.

You Might Be Covering For Someone Now, Or You Might Be The One Someone Is Having To Cover For!

When you work out… you’re taught posture.

You have to make sure when you work muscles that you use good form.

Bad form causes other muscle groups to compensate…likely injuring them.

And this is where we have to take responsibility….

Take Your Place:

• The Body Needs YOU! Not Someone Covering For You!

Back to verse 14.

1 Corinthians 12:14-15

15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.

Doesn’t matter if we like our gift or not.

We didn’t design ourselves. We didn’t create who we are.

we also don’t get to choose what we do.

Your Purpose Is Something The Lord Determined For You Before You Got Here

The Lord explained that to Jeremiah very clearly.

Jeremiah 1:5

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

He told him before he was formed… he was known.

Before he was formed… he was chosen…

Before he was formed…he was appointed. appointed to be what?

appointed to be a prophet.

Before You Were Formed You Were Known, Chosen And Appointed By The Lord!

The Lord had all this designed from the beginning.

Before your parents knew your name… The LORD knew your calling!

You have a place and belong somewhere.

You might be saying “well I can’t sing or teach…” I don’t like standing in front of others…

Well again…maybe the Lord didn’t design you to be the mouth.

But you have a place. Paul says that in verse 17.

1 Corinthians 12:17

17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?

The Church Doesn’t Need You To Do Everything - It Needs You To Do Your Part!

You might not want to do your part…

but it doesn’t change what the Lord chose you for.

Jeremiah had issues with it too…

Jeremiah 1:5(b)-6

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 6 “Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”

Jeremiah already had reservations about what the Lord wanted for him. When the Lord told Moses to go get the Hebrews from Egypt…

Moses gave all types of reasons he didn’t want to do it.

Many people were hesitant…scared…procrastinating… our outright didn’t WANT their calling.

Bishop ran from being a pastor… Honestly “I” ran from doing it… But we didn’t choose it.

it was chosen for us…

and YOU can’t choose it.

Why???

Take Your Place:

• The Lord Put The Parts Where HE Wanted Them

1 Corinthians 12:18

18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.

 Who arranged them?

God!

 How did he arrange them?

How he wanted them to be!

 Well WHO is God that he can do that?

He’s God!

Why do we think we can tell God he got it wrong with us?

Why do we think it’s okay to tell the creator what we’re not going to do?

For the next few weeks we’re having a Ministry Fair outside. why have we been doing this?

Yes the ministry needs help…

but YOU need opportunities to be what you were designed for!

Last week we looked at our gifts… TODAY it becomes…

Lord Where Do You Want These Gifts I Have To Work?

Ephesians 4:16

16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

As each part does their work. Each of us has a part we play. Each of us has a part of the body.

Each of us has a part we have to hold up.

When we don’t do our job… the entire body suffers.

Repeat:

“I Have A Work To Do.”

This means the ministry leaders aren’t supposed to do all the work. This means the same faithful aren’t supposed to do all the work.

This means the Pastors or Reverends or Bishops aren’t supposed to do ALL the work. They’re supposed to do THEIR part.

And we’re supposed to do ours.

Repeat:

“Doing My Part Helps The Whole Body To Grow And Be Built Up!”

This is the whole point behind the Greatest Among You Series We’ve discussed What Greatness Looks Like

how striving for greatness isn’t a sin.

how desiring to be the best isn’t wrong. but you achieve it by being a servant.

“The greatest among you will be your servant.” We then talked about not burying what God gave you.

this was about the parable of the talents.

how each of the masters servants was given something.

and how each of them was responsible for not only DOING something… but getting a return on it.

some of us may have to visit burial grounds where we hid what we were given.

And today…we’re talking about how what we have is bigger than us. we EACH have a part…

and EACH part must do the work for the body to be built up.

A Healthy Church Isn’t A Church Where A Few People Do A Whole Lot Of Work. A Healthy Church Is A Place Where Each Person Does Their Own Work.

The tables outside will change over the next few weeks. Take a look at where you can put YOUR gift to work.

It’s not just about showing up.

It’s not just about sending money.

there is a place for all that but truth be told… It’s about service.

The Body Only Grows As It Should When Each Part Does It’s Work.