May 24, 2012 … God’s Body – His Glory

1st Chronicles: … Reference of Today’s Chronological Bible Study: 1st Chronicles 23-25 … To study these chapters, go to this link -
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Highlight Passage of the Day: 1st Chronicles 23: 28-32 … 28 The duty of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord: to be in charge of the courtyards, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things and the performance of other duties at the house of God.29 They were in charge of the bread set out on the table, the special flour for the grain offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing, and all measurements of quantity and size.30 They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening31 and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals. They were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them. 32 And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the Holy Place and, under their relatives the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord.  
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Highlight Passage #2: … 1st Chronicles 24: 1a … These were the divisions of the descendants of Aaron: …  
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Highlight Passage #3: … 1st Chronicles 25: 1 …  David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service: … 

My Journal for Today: Today’s chronological read took me to the chronicles of how David, though he would not be the one to build God’s restored temple in Jerusalem, was certainly the King who prepared and planned for its rebuilding, it’s administrative organization, and pro-actively planned for how corporate worship was to take place after the Temple was built. And this is the subject matter of Chapters 23-25 of the book of 1st Chronicles, my study and mediation for today.

And in reading and meditating through these chapters, several things impressed me which are still apparent in God’s gathering church today, all things which had their beginnings in the traditions and principles established at this time of David. And the first principle becomes obvious that planning and organization is absolutely necessary for any building project or ministry effort for God’s kingdom. David’s function in delegating and supervising the roles of temple leadership, setting apart the priests and Levites, is very much like the roles of Senior and/or Executive Pastor leadership in today’s church. Leaders lead; and David set the patterns in motion which became the function and organization of God’s Temple; and that pattern is still in place today in a well organized body of believers [today’s church] who come together to worship God in the place built for that purpose as well as to go out from that place to serve the Lord in His kingdom. All of this was a pattern set in motion by King David and then carried out by his son, Solomon, after the Temple was built.

Next in these chapters one reads how structure and organization facilitate the works of God’s body of believers. Being organized, from leaders down to workers in God’s body (the Temple in David’s day – the church today) is a Godly trait; and David obviously had that gift of organized leadership. Some time ago in the church where I’m an Elder, we church leaders, having the responsibility for church organization and decision-making, recognized that we were putting too much of the burden of church organization and administration in the hands of our Senior Pastor, who was not spiritually gifted for organizational leadership. So, we created a position of Executive Pastor to do what David was modeling in these OT chapters. And in doing so, our pro-active planning has paid off. Now our body of believers, having hired a man with Spirit-anointed administrative gifts, functions with so much more efficiency and effectiveness, freeing up our Teaching Pastor to do what he was/is gifted to do, teach and preach. And this kind of leadership and organization is what was modeled by David and the Levites in David’s day.

Finally, in Chapter 25 of today’s reading, we see the principle that anyone and everyone has a place to exercise their individual gifts and talents in God’s body.  And this includes such behind-the-scenes work as carrying out the mundane functions needed to support Temple (Church), singing in the choir, or making sure that the Temple (i.e., Church) is kept clean and ready for corporate worship or service to God. In David’s day a lot of this was set aside for the Levites; but men and women of God were identified for their talents and gifts to carry out specific functions in the Temple to be built for God’s glory; and the same should be so today in God’s NT Church.

If you’re a member of a local church were you live and work for God and His kingdom (and you should be!), I hope you’ve identified your Spirit-imparted gift or gifts and know how your time/talents/treasures can be used in and through YOUR church, God’s body of believers, to serve and to glorify our Lord. All of that is modeled and taught in the chapters we read today; and I hope you are contributing what God has given you to do your part to be part of God’s body, working in the world for His glory.

My Prayer Today: … Lord, use me – even today – for Your Church and Your glory. Amen