What is Church - What is Your Role?

The speaker welcomes the audience and prays for God's presence during the devotion. They read a confession from Joshua 1:8 and introduce the theme of the devotion, which is "What is Church?". They read passages from Ephesians 1:22-23 and 1 Corinthians 12:12-18, emphasizing the importance of each person's role in the body of Christ. The speaker encourages listeners to understand and fulfill their roles in the church and reminds them that their actions impact others. They conclude with a prayer and invite listeners to tune in for more content on Radio HCI Today. Shalom, wonderful family, and welcome to today's morning glory devotion. God bless you for being a part of the just ended prayer time. My name is Joshua from Harvest Chapel International Akumasi and it is a privilege to be facilitating today's morning glory devotion. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for another wonderful day. Lord, this morning we pray for your presence to be with us as we study your word. Reveal yourself to us and write your truths upon the tablets of our hearts. As we continue to study your word, give us insight and understanding and bring us maturity. In the name of Jesus, we pray with thanksgiving. Amen. Let us kindly take our confession from Joshua chapter 1 verse 8. This book of the law shall not depart out of my mouth, but I shall meditate in it day and night, that I may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then I will make my way prosperous, and then I will have good success. Amen. The theme for today's devotion is, What is Church? This is the second part of our two-part series and it is subtitled, What is Your Role? Our scripture reading today will be from Ephesians chapter 1 verse 22 to 23 and 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12 to 18. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 22 to 23 Reading from the New Living Translation God has put all things under the authority of Christ, and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the Church. And the Church is His Body, it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself. Amen. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 12 to 18 from the New Living Translation The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one spirit, and we all share the same spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand, that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, I am not a part of the body because I am not an eye, would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where He wants it. Amen. In our last discourse, we answered the question about what church is and whether we are actually in the homes that God has placed us. We said that church is a place and a system that God has designed for His children, where they can be nurtured and where they can mature into the people that God has destined them to be. Today, we want to answer the question about what our roles are in the spiritual families and homes that God has placed us in. We see from our first reading that Christ is the head and final authority in the church. The church is His body, and everything He does is for the benefit of the church, for our good. This includes the various roles that He assigns to us when He adds us to His family, the church. Our second reading illustrates the importance of our roles as parts of the body of Christ and members of His church. It says that God has put each of us just where He wants us, and every part inherently has a role to play and a purpose to fulfill. Further down in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the Bible lists some of the various roles that God assigns to us as members of His body, all for the edification and growth of the church. It says in verses 27 and 28 that, Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it. And in a church God has appointed, first of all, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various terms. Amen. So, beloved, I will ask once again, what is your role? What are you doing as a member of the body of Christ? Do you know the roles that have been assigned to you? Do you understand how essential your role is? Beloved, don't be an idle member of the body of Christ. Someone's truth, someone's need being met, someone's encouragement is connected to your fulfilling your role, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you. Why don't you prayerfully consider throughout the day what your role is as a member of the body of Christ? What has God placed you in that spiritual home to accomplish? Are you fulfilling your role, and how effective have you been? Let us take a memory verse from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 27 and 28. Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it, and in a church God has appointed, first of all, apostles, second, prophets, third, teachers, then, workers of miracles, and those with gifts of healing, helping, administration, and various terms. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for your Word that has come to us today. We pray that you will help us to know our roles and grant us the grace to undertake them in excellence, grant us understanding and furnish in our hearts the willingness to serve one another as you have instructed us to, amend us for all that you've called us to, and teach us to work in assurance that our labors of love will not go unrewarded. In the name of Jesus, we pray with thanksgiving, Amen. Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for more spirit-filled content on Radio HCI Today. Until we come your way once again tomorrow morning at the same time, do stay blessed.