Are You a Priest?

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

In the quote above, to whom is Peter speaking:

1)      Ordained priests who have completed seminary and been set apart by the church to be the anointed ones who administer sacraments such as baptisms, communion, weddings, private confessions, and public prayers.

2)      Ordained priests, pastors, and church leaders of every Christian denomination who are set apart to be the holy ones who lead the church, administer sacraments, and teach God’s word.

3)      All who come to Christ for salvation and follow Him, offering spiritual sacrifices, telling people about God and interceding for the world around them.

“Hold on! Tread lightly! You are on holy ground here!” exclaimed my newfound friend as I talked to him about how he could be a priest in what I would consider a “high church” denomination and still believe in the New Testament Scriptures such as those above that clearly teach that all who have faith in Christ have equal access to the Father and that everyone who believes is included in the priesthood of believers.

“All believers in Christ have the responsibility to represent God to those around them and to intercede for their friends and loved ones!” I declared. “You and your clergy friends are not the only ones who have been chosen by God and set apart to serve Him – all who come to Christ become a part of the Body of Christ, a member of a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a subject in the kingdom of God, ministers of reconciliation, the light of the world and the salt of the earth! We all become children of God who have direct access to the Father!”

My friend, who was my host at a monastery I was staying at in an attempt to draw near to the Lord and learn more about other church traditions, was patient with me as he replied, “I understand that. I believe those Scriptures the same way you do. I used to be a Methodist. But I have found that church traditions and rituals are beautiful and meaningful; they provide the structure that I needed in my relationship with God and portray Christ in ways I didn’t understand before.”

We parted ways amicably after spending several hours talking about our different viewpoints and gaining understanding regarding our diverse ways of “doing church.” He defended his point of view using Old Testament examples, New Testament verses on church leadership, and church tradition. He was obviously more well-educated than I was and, this is what hit me the hardest, more honest with himself.

For when it got right down to it, even though I argued passionately for the priesthood of all believers and declared that every member ought to be a minister, the way I “did church” wasn’t that much different than what my friend did. True, we didn’t have the rituals and stained glass, but when it got right down to it I was the one who spoke at every Sunday service, led every Bible study, and prayed for those who came forward for prayer. Somehow I got it in my head that I had to do everything and the church couldn’t survive without me. I worked hard, loved God and loved people, would not have intentionally hurt anyone or disobeyed the Lord, but by doing everything myself I was sending a not-so-subtle message that it was my church and that God had called me but not you and that I had a connection to God that others just didn’t have.

So I preached, I taught, I prayed, I served, I agonized over why my church was so small and why I was so tired and why God seemed so far away. I was discouraged and a friend recommended a retreat, some time alone with God, and he told me about a monastery where a person could go and rent a room for a dollar or two while seeking God in the natural beauty of the area. So I went, met with God and found the new friend I wrote about above, and came to terms with the error of my ways. I gave the church back to God, began to release others to minister, and started changing the culture of the church by not only teaching the priesthood of all believers but also living it out. And, would you believe it, miracle of miracles, the church actually started to grow and even to thrive.

As we go to prayer today, think about your church. Are the meetings led by one person or does the Holy Spirit move through a variety of people? Does one person do all the teaching or is there a team of teachers? Do people pray for one another or does one person do all the praying? Do people think the pastor’s prayers will be heard by God more than a layperson’s prayers? When someone is sick or in need is there a team of shepherds to call upon or is it up to the pastor or a staff member? Is the whole Body active and involved in ministering to one another and to the community or is it up to a handful of people to do the work that was designed for the whole Body of Christ to do?

Let’s Pray Together: Lord, you are Lord of the Church. I give you my church and pray that your will would be done in our local congregation. Help our whole congregation, every member of your Body, to be actively involved in ministering to others. Help us all to see that we are all called to be priests who offer ourselves as spiritual sacrifices and tell people about God and intercede for them. I pray for the following people to be released into everything that You have for them… (Continue praying as you feel led…)

This devotional is authored and published by Randy Brockett. All publishing rights are reserved but readers are encouraged to repost (please include this copyright info) or share his insights with their family, friends, and congregations. For other devotionals by Brother Randy, see www.blesseddisciples.com, www.dwellinchrist.com, and www.discoveringbiblicalchurch.com.