“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB)
For you who are not bilingual in Spanish, the title of this morning’s meditation translates, “I Am Not The Boss!” The backstory: At my last job in the secular world, Manager of Human Resources, for some odd reason many of the Spanish-speaking associates thought I was the boss, the highest-ranking manager on site. Perhaps they thought so because I spent a lot of time visiting the various work areas on a daily basis, or perhaps because I greeted them at the door in the morning and bid them farewell at the end of their shift. When I would run into associates with their family outside of work, they would introduce me as “El Jefe.” I quickly corrected them and let them know that I reported to the General Manager of the facility. I wanted them to know that I am not the boss.
Someone driving by the church where I pastor during the week spotted me in the driveway and called me to his car. He shook my hand and then asked if I was the head person? Another “El Jefe” type question. I responded with a smile, “I’m the Pastor, but I am not the head.” Translation: “I am not the boss!: The driver look puzzled for a second, but quickly said, “Well, if you are the Pastor, you are the head, right?” Again, I reiterated that I am not the head. I went on to let him know that the Lord is the head and I was just the under-shepherd who serves humbly as the senior pastor of the church. I pointed to the sky above, symbolizing me pointing to heaven and I said, “He’s the One in charge.”
Even though he still had a puzzled look, this drive-by stranger moved to some other questions. He inquired about how good was the choir, asked about the composition of the congregation, and wanted to know whether he could make good business connections, since he was an entrepreneur. Now it is I who has the puzzled look, but I was not hesitant to reply. I said, “If you are looking for a church, don’t look for a certain type of choir, and don’t let the composition of the congregation be a determinant, and know that church is not a place where your objective is centered around the purpose of making contacts, connections with potential clients that certainly had cash to spend. Church is where you come to be in the special presence of the Lord. Church is where you come to know Christ or to know Him better! Church is where you come to encourage others in the faith!” I kept going, whether it would lead him to deliverance or dismay of leave him in a state of defiance as it relates to the real reason for coming to church! “Any real church is where you can offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord; the One who has blessed you and kept you all during your life. He’s blessing you right now.”
I ended with an invitation to attend. He took one of my church invite cards, but I have not seen him attend, not yet. Maybe this Sunday he will show up. Or just maybe he will show up at your church.
Let me tell you that I’m glad I don’t have to be concerned about you showing up tomorrow, right? Have a great Saturday, but look ahead with great anticipation to tomorrow, Sunday, the Lord’s Day! Show up and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth! Show up and make a direct connection with the real El Jefe of the church! And don’t forget to thank the Lord for sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for you! Get to church in the morning! You will be blessed! I guarantee that you will go out better than when you came in! Be blessed!
“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are His. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever.” (Psalm 100 NLT)
Mark L. King