Mission Minded

WANTED: People with confidence and equipping to handle the role of a priest for God’s service. Skill set should include: The ability to provide sound counsel and teaching based upon the nature and will of God; a desire to share the love of God through word and deed; a love for the souls of people; and a humble spirit with the emotional make-up of being a peace-maker.

God is looking for more than just a few good men and women! He has called each of His followers to become part of “a Royal Priesthood”. In fact, the job opening listed above is really a REQUIREMENT FOR ALL OF GOD’S FOLLOWERS!!! Peter states, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). The blessing of being God’s chosen people and His treasured possession brings with it the responsibility of representing Him and even calling others out of darkness into His marvelous light.

God always intended for His people to serve as a priesthood to the rest of the world! His challenge to the Israelites as He called them into covenant with Him at Mt. Sinai was to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). They were His “treasured possession among all the peoples,” but He also said, “all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5). In other words, He was not content with only the Israelites knowing Him in this special relationship. That is why He poured out His Spirit upon the Gentiles in the same manner that He did to the Jews in Acts 10. That is why God went out of His way to show a eunuch that he could now be acceptable to God and worship in His presence in Acts 8.

There are none whose lives are so messed up that God does not care for them and want to restore order and peace to their existence! We are His priesthood—representing Him to the fallen world and helping the fallen see the cleansing and new life available to them through Jesus. Do we even think about others in a priestly way? Do we see our need to reconcile people to the LORD? Will we fulfill our call to be missionaries and priests, or will we leave that up to the “professionals”? (This terminology is foreign to God’s word and intention!)

This morning you will have an opportunity to hear about mission work being done by others through our support. Be excited about what is going on and how we get to play a small part in that, BUT, don’t think that fulfills your duty as a priesthood for God! If you are not ready to share the truth about who God is and what He offers in Jesus, when will you be ready? What are you doing to develop the confidence and abilities to help others get right with God? You are God’s priesthood! Will you fulfill your role?

-Scott