~ Positioned, Aligned, and Joined: Finding & Taking Your Place in the Body ~
Eph. 2:19-22 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of Elohim, (20) being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Yahshua Himself being the chief cornerstone; (21) in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Master; (22) in whom you also are built together for a habitation of Yahweh in the Spirit.
Recognizing the Assignment
We are the Body of Messiah and the household of Elohim. We are to grow together into a holy temple, the habitation of Yahweh in the Spirit. In order to do that, we must recognize where we’re assigned – where we’re supposed to be “fitted together”. Just as “Yahweh set some in the assembly” as apostles and prophets (1 Cor 12:27-28), so He has set each and every member in place where it pleased Him.
He’s been dealing with me for several years on this subject. Each believer must be positioned, aligned, and joined in his or her assigned place. Very few believers recognize the importance of this in their spiritual walk: most don’t recognize that they have an assigned place, much less what that means. Too often, believers adopt the lifestyle of spiritual gypsies, wandering from place to place with no sense of commitment or belonging. Some even view the local ekklesia as an orphanage or “halfway house”, rather than the glorious manifestation of His presence that He intended it to be.
Recognizing the Assembly
When a builder begins constructing a new brick building, the first thing he does is gather or position all of the building materials in one place – the job site. But just piling bricks in one location doesn’t make a building. The builder then needs to assemble those bricks according to the architect’s blueprints – he must align them. Even then, though, the building isn’t complete. He also has to mortar or join the bricks together.
The reality is that this is a time-consuming, patience-testing, labor-intensive process. It obviously cannot happen if people don’t have a heart to see it through, no matter the circumstance or adversity. It can be very frustrating to pursue relationships with others. This requires a lot of love and grace. Above all, it requires that all involved be led by the Spirit.
Basic Training
The first step to being positioned, aligned, and joined is recognizing by the Spirit where we’re supposed to be. We have to ask and answer this question – to what part of the Body did Yahweh assign me? Once we’ve answered that, then we must determine what our place is in that local work. The Apostle Paul dealt with this topic in depth in his letter to the Corinthians (see 1 Cor. 12 – 14). We must ask ourselves what our spiritual gifts are and how we are to use them. Yahweh gave all of the spiritual gifts for the edifying (building up) of the Body. It is imperative that we know what our gifts are and become adept at using them.
Paul referred to the Body of Messiah as the ‘church’ or ekklesia (see Col. 1:24 and Eph. 1:22-23, for example) and stated that the local ekklesia is “the pillar and the ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). What many believers haven’t been taught is that our gatherings are more than just times of preaching & teaching of the Word, praise & worship, & fellowship. Our gatherings are actually “boot camp” or “basic training”, where we are to learn to walk in our gifting and develop our ability to hear and obey the voice of Yahweh. It is incumbent upon each of us to make a conscious, deliberate effort to take advantage of the safe and secure environment that the local ekklesia represents. Otherwise, how will the Body of Messiah ever become all that it is truly meant to be?
May each of us find our assigned place and allow ourselves to be positioned, aligned, and joined there by the Spirit!
For a more in-depth study on this subject and more, please request our free booklet I Will Build My House