1 Corinthians 12:27-31a English Standard Version

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts.

My experience in the past holds memories of individuals who held a dishonest desire for what they considered the higher gifts. We can call a desire dishonest if it is born of the flesh and not the Spirit. We have lived in a world that rewards self-achievement with worldly praise, good job.

Promotions come to those who have achieved some level of success in their chosen field. That is the world and we now live in the Kingdom of God that does not reward obedience of faith with promotions. The way we can believe that by faith is identified in 1 Corinthians 12:31b which was not quoted above. “And I will show you a still more excellent way” is the preamble to the love chapter 1 Corinthians 13.

1 Corinthians 13:4 English Standard Version (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.

A dishonest desire does not demonstrate the very first descriptors of agape love. It is impatient, arrogant, envious and boasts of what it has done to deserve what they consider is a promotion.

1 Corinthians 7:35 English Standard Version (ESV) I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Note closely that Paul addressed undivided devotion to the Lord before speaking to the issues of the appointed ministries. God made those appointments based on His perfect knowledge and the enforcement of His will that was determined before the world began. Nothing we do or say will change the will of God in those appointments.

Honest desires originate from our personal relationship with our Lord.

“Repetition is the price of knowledge.” Dr. Keith Lamb, Doctorate in Theology

Over the past seven years these devotionals have repeated the gospel message over and over again. The messages of life in the Kingdom have been repeated. It is not that we forget these important messages, but to remind us that new believers come along all the time and they need to be greeted. In that spirit, let us talk about greeters.

Psalm 44:1-3 English Standard Version

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[Song] of the Sons of Korah. 

1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: 2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

Some of the sons of Korah were greeters.

1 Chronicles 9:19 English Standard Version (ESV) Shallum the son of Kore, son of Ebiasaph, son of Korah, and his kinsmen of his fathers’ house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, as their fathers had been in charge of the camp of the Lord, keepers of the entrance.

The position of greeter is a venerated position with a long history of service to God. We should look to the service of the greeters with respect and honor because it is not only our first opportunity to shine a light upon the lost but they are our first line of defense of the gospel.

Greeters are a valued member of our fellowship and it should be considered an honor to be chosen to serve in that capacity. Greeters can influence the growth of a church just by being gracious to strangers. They are the welcoming committee. 

Greeters are worthy of praise, honor them as they greet us.