The Assembly Line

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 14-19

Message No. 0684 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Until the industrial revolution, which was generally believed to have run between 1760 and 1840, goods manufacturing was basically done by hands. The industrial revolution introduced machines to doing tasks that were done by hands, thereby making manufacturing quicker. However, it was not until 1901 that a man named Ransom Olds began to pattern interchangeable parts in manufacturing to help him make cars quicker. This was the start of what is today known as the Assembly Line.

According to a documentary, the whole point of an assembly line is that the parts or processes for a product are completed in a sequence by individual workers. No single worker is responsible for the entire finished product. Each worker or machine does one part and then the parts are put together, to make the finished product. With this approach, the product is made much more quickly and much more efficiently, and all at a lower cost.

When Olds tried this to make his cars in 1901, it was discovered that production increased by 500%, and when Henry Ford seized on this idea and added conveyors to move the unfinished product from point to point so men or machines could add the next parts to the product until it reached the finished line, he was able to revolutionarily turn out one car in 1.5 hours, creating a capacity of 2 million cars per year!

In the household of faith, we are much like an assembly line. Each member’s valuable contribution adds to each product until it is finished. Take, for instance, a typical Sunday service. The assembly line might begin from you, inviting someone to come to church with you. The next stage might be the parking lot where some workers guide and direct vehicle owners where to park their cars. Next, the greeters at the entrance of the church auditorium, who warmly welcome people to church, followed by the ushers who direct where to seat in the auditorium. The choir might be next in line, after which a pastor comes to do a general welcome and to pray. Finally, the pastor might come to the pulpit to preach and to make an alter call. Your invitee might come out to give his or her life to Christ, and a new finished product is created.

Sometimes children of God get discouraged as they think no one is recognizing them, or the parts they play are insignificant or worthless. Wow, how wrong could they be! Look at how Paul explained this to the Corinthians in his first letter, chapter 12, and verses 14-19:

For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?

Do you know that some of the largest airplanes have more than six million parts and some small hidden parts are extremely critical to the overall flying if the plane? Imagine the tail of the aircraft saying I am just a tail, I am not important, what would happen to the aircraft? Many crashes that have occurred have indeed been due to the pilot not being able to turn the tail left or right for the plane to maneuver and land safely. And if the break oil of any automobile says it is hidden from sight and therefore not important or even remembered, can anyone consider what a disaster it would be if the oil drained without warning?

Imagine if no one invites anyone to church, then no one would be saved, and the church of God would be starved of new members. Or, if the humble old lady praying in her closets decides to say that she is not important because no one even knows that she is praying, what would happen to the success of the entire body of Christ? In most cases, no one sees the guy or lady who is projecting the songs on the screen during praise and worship, but if the person takes his or her eyes off the ball for 2 seconds, the sequence might be late and most people in the congregation would keep quiet in confusion, not knowing what the next line of the song is.

As a child of God, if there’s anything you should never consider, it is the fallacy that you are not important or not recognized or not known. There’s only one Person who needs to know you, and that is our Almighty Father. He it is who has a reward for everything you are doing and is compiling and loading your rewards into your heavenly mansion, and waiting to crown you when you return home. Earthly recognition will end here on earth, but the recognition of heaven will last forever. You may not have heard this often, but you are loved, recognized, and well respected. Keep doing what you are doing, and you will be amazed at what God is storing up for you.

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 PLEASE ACT NOW:
 If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
 Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!