Whose job is it?

I want you to pay close attention to how the first verses of these 7 books of the bible, specifically addressed to Christians today, in the body of Christ, in the age of grace, are worded.
Romans 1:1
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

I Corinthians 1:1
Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

II Corinthians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

Galatians 1:1
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Ephesians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Colossians 1:1
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

In the very first verse of each book, from Romans to Colossians, Paul is always a servant and/or an apostle, but in Thessalonians, he’s just a simple, common man.

I Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

II Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Why?

Ephesians 4
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Paul was one of the gift ministries to the church, the body of Christ whose purpose or function is stated in verse 12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

However, the main theme of Thessalonians is the hope of Christ’s return. When he comes back, we will have a brand-new spiritual body [see I Corinthians 15]. We will all be in heaven and will no longer need the gift ministries because we will already be perfected in Christ. When Jesus Christ comes back, it won’t matter what your leadership position was, because the gift ministries will no longer be in operation because they are no longer needed. That’s why Paul is listed as just a simple, common man in the books to the Thessalonians.

Today, before Jesus Christ comes back, what’s important is not our position in the body of Christ, but what is our function in the body of Christ and are we doing it? We all have a unique job to do that no one else can fulfill.

I Corinthians 12:27
Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular.

We all have a unique function, a unique place, a special job to do in the body of Christ.  We can all supply a special need and can contribute something of value that nobody else can.  Belonging to God in the family of God supplies a basic human need: to belong to a group as a valuable and unique member to accomplish a worthy goal.

I Corinthians 12
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

So I have a great short story with a dual meaning that we can use, not only in our secular jobs and life in general, but more importantly, we can use this as inspiration to fulfill the greatest job of all, doing the will of God as a unique member in the body of Christ with a special function that nobody else has.

Who’s job is it?

This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it.  Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was it was everybody’s job.  Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized the Everybody wouldn’t do it.  It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

Colossians 3:17
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.