Recently I have had the delight of going to El Salvador to help with the building of a new Local Evangelico there. While I was there I was enjoying the unity of the Saints as we all worked together, though we spoke different languages.
I see an interesting contrast between Gen. 11 (Babel) and God’s assembly.
In Gen. 11, they sought to build a city for themselves. In contrast, God has prepared for us an eternal city not made with hands (Heb. 11: 10,16).
Their desire was to make a tower and a name for themselves. Our desire is to gather to His name and person (Matt. 18:20). His name is our strong tower (Prov. 18:10).
Their purpose was not to be scattered, but God scattered them by creating multiple languages so they could not understand one another. In Acts 2, we see many languages acting in unity as the church was formed. In El Salvador, though from different parts of the world and of different languages, we were united as members of the body of Christ, united in purpose to build for Christ, and united in deed as we built together for Him. Though we may not have met one another, we were at home in each other’s company.
The result of selfish desire was scattered vanity. The result of Christ-centered desire is building for eternity. God cursed the first, and God blesses the second. Sin brings confusion; love brings unity and blessing.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Ps. 133:1
What are some reasons that we gather together? Why do we have assembly meetings? I’m interested in your thoughts. Here are a few that I have come up with.
A. To give the Lord the worship & praise due to Him.
B. To remember Him
C. To obey His command: “Do this” and “Forsaking not” (Matthew 18:20, Heb. 10:25)
D. The Lord is there!
E. To build up and encourage one another
F. to learn of Him
G. to have fellowship one with another
One of the tasks in El Salvador was to carry cement/clay block from the truck to the construction site nearby. To do this we made two lines of people and passed the block from person to person until it finally got to the end where they were piled ready to be placed into the building. This seems to me to be a good example of the necessity of the unity of God’s people for the proper functioning of a local body of Christians. What happens if one member is slower than the rest? The line can only go as fast as that member. What happens if one member of the body suffers? All the members suffer with it (1Cor. 12:26). For our physical bodies to function properly, we need to be healthy and all of our members need to work together. If one part is sick or lacking, it affects the whole body. Therefore, in keeping with the unity of the body, we must all work together to help that part which lacks, that the whole may be helped. What happened when one person left the line? It left a large gap to fill, and everyone else had to try to fill that gap. The work did not progress as quickly, and it made things more difficult. God declares that each member is not only good to have– each is necessary!! (1 Cor. 12:22) God has given us each our own role to play, and the assembly would not be the same without us. Perhaps it would be good for each of us to look to the Lord to better understand what place in that line, that body, He would have me to fill.
Sometimes we get away from the Lord and neglect to fill that place He has given us. Like an arm that has healed but is still lazily laying in the sling, we may not realize that we are needed, but the rest of the body will feel our absence. We may need some exercise in order to regain our usefulness, and truly our bodies do need to be exercised in order to stay fit for service. So, too we need to be exercised in prayer and active in service in order to reach the potential the Lord would have for us. We may not have a public role. Whether our role is to continue “in supplications and prayers night and day”, “distributing to the necessity of the saints”, showing hospitality, or preaching the Word, all are needed in the body of God’s people.
See 1Cor. 12:12-13:13
Eph 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Eph 4:3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Tags: 1Corinthians 12, Babel, body of Christ
