This week’s characteristic of a missional, gospel community, is: the priesthood of all believers. Look for more characteristics in future blogs.
1Pe 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
All Christians are called to carry out their vocational ministries in every area of life. Every believer must fully understand how their vocation plays a central part in God’s redemptive Kingdom.
The first aspect of priestly life is prayer. In the OT, priest interceded for the people. In a sense they were a mediator between the people and God. Jesus is our mediator, our High priest, but as Christians, we exercise priestly functions. Intercessory prayer is a way to bring people before God and minister to them.
Another aspect of priestly service is sacrificial love and service. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Jn 15:13. He also said, we are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. Lk 6:27.
Sacrificing our wants, desires, and even our lives for others is the price we pay for following Jesus. We follow His example as we flesh our Christianity.
Mt 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth;…the light of the world…16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Another way we flesh out our Christianity is by sharing our story and the story of God with others. Notice in 1 Pt 2:9 we are to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” We are called to state publicly what God has done for us and broadcast to the world, the glory, wonder, and accomplishments of our God.
Finally, priests of God must be willing to go where the hungry and thirsty people are. We have been carrying water to the ocean for too long. It is time we carried it to the desert. We must meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people where they are. They will not come to us, and they will not come to Christ, unless we go.
Mt 9: 35 Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. 36 Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”
Jesus went where he went and did what he did because he had compassion for the people. The harvest is plentiful. There are many people ready to enter the Kingdom, but not enough missionary priests who are willing to go to them. The will never know the Good Shepherd unless we are willing to move out of our comfort zones and enter His field.
Are you serving in the church? That's good, but it is not enough! Missional churches go beyond the value of “every member is a minister” to “every member is a missionary.”What kind of missionary are you? Where is your mission field? How often do you engage people with your story and God’s story? What does your prayer life tell you about the condition of your heart?
Pray: Ask God to renew your passion to serve him and other. Ask him for courage and boldness to enter His field and to boldly proclaim to everyone, the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!
Look for a new set of blogs related to missional living in the future.
