Ephesians 4:11-16 ERV; And that same Christ gave these gifts to people: He made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to care for and teach God’s people.  Christ gave these gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.  This work must continue until we are all joined together in what we believe and in what we know about the Son of God. Our goal is to become like a full-grown man—to look just like Christ and have all his perfection.

Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way.  No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head, and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.

This morning, I was thinking of how often we as Christians get dissatisfied. We gage our attendance and participation in church by our feelings. I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard fellow believers say, “I feel God is moving us on to another church because we just don’t feel connected here.” We want what we want without considering that it’s not about us and our feelings, it’s about God and what He needs done in His body. Being dissatisfied where we are can be a good thing, but it should cause us to draw closer to God, not separated from His body. We have to remember that the body depends on the head, not the other way around.

There have been transitional times in my past where I was between ministries or unsure of where I was, but I stayed and used the gifting God placed in me to encourage those around me. I stayed faithful to the Head instead of my feelings. I’ve learned that feelings come and go, but the Word never changes. You see, I’m responsible to draw near to God. Not my pastor, my teachers, I am responsible to go after God. If I’m dissatisfied, I must dig deeper into His Word until I find out what it is in ME that’s separating me from God. Is it disobedience? Is it self-centeredness? Have I come down with the attitude that church is all about me, because it’s not. The church is about growing others, together we come to worship but I should be adding to, not taking away.

Walt and I have favorite t.v. ministers we listen to at least 2 hours a week. Is it because we don’t get fed by our pastor? No! But we don’t depend on him or her to feed us, we depend on God to bring us what we need. Then we share! We share what we’ve heard with others, we go about confirming the Word in other believers, encouraging, building the saints because that is what it’s all about. I think of each person that surrounds me as being a cell in the body. Each cell is designed to bring life. When a cell is sickly and malnourished, it pulls from the cells around it and can either spread its sickness or be nourished back by other cells. How you respond to the Word can either strengthen you or cause you to disconnect. You must draw near to God so that you don’t fall prey to a spirit of discontent.

So my dear friends and fellow remnant, I leave you with this word and encourage you to stay strong in your stance as believers. Don’t lose heart or faint. Don’t listen to your feelings of discontent. God is simply saying, “Come up higher with me. There are places I need to show you. I will strengthen you for the task ahead. Be faithful.” Philippians 1:27-28; Just be sure you live as God’s people in a way that honors the Good News of Christ. Then if I come and visit you or if I am away from you, I will hear good things about you. I will know that you stand together with the same purpose and that you work together like a team to help others believe the Good News.  And you will not be afraid of those who are against you. All of this is proof from God that you are being saved and that your enemies will be lost.