The body of Christ
by Apostle Andre – 02 Sept 2007 10am

Church has been created and designed by God for people like us. And it is not like we have our lives all sorted out. No. But until you have seen this truth, you give yourself license not to be in a church, an accurate church. Not just a church that uses you like a slave but a church where you can function and do your share, but also where you can draw from. A bit of laughter, does good like medicine and we have a lot of laughter here in church. A bit of love we have shared amongst each other brings a healing and acceptance. People will do anything for acceptance. They join all sorts of groups, religious or not, gangs, etc. But here in church you find all you'll need. Philippians 4:19-'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'. It is an adventure to serve God. There is never a dull moment, we are the dull ones. It makes a parent happy when their kids are happy, even though they cannot do a lot for them sometimes. All a parent wants is for their children to be happy. A happy child is an incredible thing and a miserable child is a terrible thing. A husband wants his wife to be happy, and a wife wants her husband to be happy. It is not asking much. A husband works hard during the day, and he faces all sorts of things at work and when he comes home he does not want to hear complaints of this and that, and this is not working and that is not working, instead of greeting him nicely at the door. But the same with the husband, he needs to bring home some flowers for the wife every once in a while.

Matthew 6:26- 'Look at the birds in the air, for they neither sow nr reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them…'
and verse 28- 'Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin.'

The Word says to look at the lilies, and I found a spot on Table Mountain, behind Rhodes Memorial, where there are lilies, and I used to go and look at the lilies after dropping the kids off at school. I obeyed the scripture. And then He says to look at the birds, so I would look at the birds. For the lilies toil not nor spin and the birds get fed by the Father.

It used to puzzle me why I need to look at the lilies and the birds. Then one day I got it. You have to start with something foolish otherwise you will not end up with something wise. I obeyed it blindly, looking at the lilies everyday and I felt very foolish, hoping that no one saw me. I will look at the birds not really knowing what I am looking at. Then one day I re-read the scriptures.
'Look at the lilies in the field and watch how they grow. Look at the birds in the air and watch how they eat.' Then I discovered it is not just looking at the lilies, but I realized that lilies grow because they are in the soil and birds fly because they are in the air.

The point is that you must be in the right place. A lily was designed to be in the soil, does not matter if it is in mud next to a lagoon or in a beautiful garden. No matter where it grows, it is still beautiful. 'Look at the lily in the ground'. Birds were made to fly, if they don't fly they can't feed. You need to be at the right place at the right time, it is where you get your provision. And so God has designed the church for believers, a body of Christ. If you are part of an accurate body of believers you pluck into the resources of God's provision, God's wisdom, God's protection, and you all contribute to that conglomerate, to that body, with your bit of faith, with your bit of compassion, your bit of care, your bit of tithe, your bit of prayer. Every bit that you do, creates a synergy that you can draw more than what you contribute.

So if the Lord says to look at the lilies in the field, look at the birds in the air, you can say look at the believers in the church. It is the right place. If you say that church is just a waste of time, you will not make it. You are then like a bird who is trying to be planted in the ground and a lily who is trying to fly in the air. You are not in the right place.

Church has been created and designed by God for people like us. And it is not like we have our lives all sorted out. No. But until you have seen this truth, you give yourself license not to be in a church, an accurate church. Not just a church that uses you like a slave but a church where you can function and do your share, but also where you can draw from. A bit of laughter, does good like medicine and we have a lot of laughter here in church. A bit of love we have shared amongst each other brings a healing and acceptance. People will do anything for acceptance. They join all sorts of groups, religious or not, gangs, etc. But here in church you find all you'll need. Philippians 4:19-'And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'. Amen.