Let's Be Clear: The Priesthood of All Believers

The notion of the priesthood of all believers (1 Pet. 2) by no means negates the important and biblical roles within the local church. It also does not denigrate the calling and office of pastor/elder/overseer or that of the deacons (1 Tim. 3 & Titus 1). Instead, this biblical conviction reveals to us that laypeople have vocations and callings of their own that also entail holy responsibilities, authorities, and blessings.

Because of Christ, all believers—like the priests of the Old Testament—may come into the presence of God through the blood of the Lamb. All believers can handle holy things (such as the Bible) which was at one time denied to the laity. All can proclaim the Gospel to those who need its saving message.

"The priesthood of all believers means that all Christians enjoy the same access to Christ and are spiritually equal before Him. The priesthood of all believers did not make everyone into church workers; rather, it turned every kind of work into a sacred calling" 

Source: Gene Edward Veith, God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life

When Breaking Fellowship Becomes the Best Option

Christians, there may come a time when breaking fellowship becomes the best option. Where disagreements on secondary issues affect our ability to effectively achieve our primary aim. We see an example of this, in Acts 15, when the apostle Paul parted ways with his dear friend and ministry companion, Barnabas.

However, what is also important to remember is that neither of these men lost their focus on Jesus Christ or the greater mission of The Church. In their choice to part ways, they never lost their love or deep respect for one another and the gospel continued to spread throughout the world.

Brothers and sisters, we are but simple vessels for the fame and glory of Jesus Christ. We don't work for our own glory, but instead for the glory of the only one who deserves it! While we may differ on certain secondary doctrines, and while these doctrines may be important enough to break fellowship over, we agree on what is absolutely essential:

"Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God." | 1 Pet. 3:18

Therefore, go and make disciples...together!

#GrowOn #TheWordSpeaks #TrueCommunity

Bringing Truth to the Light

There is great freedom in bringing things to the light. When things are exposed to the light, the enemy loses his power to destroy. One of the worst lies people are convinced to believe is that there is more grief in sharing the truth then in hiding it. While it may be true that, at times, it is difficult to share the truth...the truth always liberates. When we choose to keep things in the dark, rather than exposing them to the light, it is an indication that we fear people more than God. But God will never bless a lie or a willful omission; on the contrary, truth that is known and hidden becomes judgment.

Marriage is Primarily About Jesus

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. | Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV)

True Christian Community

True Christian Community (koinonia) says, "I gladly lay down my rights...for your good."

I probably don't have to tell you this, but I'm going to anyway. We are selfish people! Now, before you get offended let me take ownership of my own self-centeredness. We can try to hide behind our "goodness" but deep down if we're willing to be honest with ourselves we have a constant desire to get what we want, and more often than not that desire comes with an expectation that other people meet our needs.

So here's the rub. When you look at your life and, more specifically, your relationships are you in them primarily for what you can give or what you can get? Now before you too quickly provide the cookie-cutter answer that you know is "right" take a moment to dig a bit deeper to find the real answer. It is my personal belief that if (and it is a big if) we are willing to be honest with ourselves our focus in our relationships is usually centered on our needs and desires being met instead of meeting the needs and desires of others. You don't believe me? Here's a quick test. Think back to your past (3) arguments and then answer these questions:

1. What was the argument really about?
2. Did I have expectations of the other person that weren't met?
3. Evaluating the emotions I was feeling at the time, what was the primary emotion behind them?

Again, if we're willing to be honest...I believe our answer to these questions will prove that most of the time it is selfishness that drives the negative interactions we have with others.

For those of you who may still be lost, let me try to make the connection for you. Picture this: a man comes home from work to a house that's less than clean and kids that are going crazy. His wife asks him how his day was and with a shortened tone of voice he responds, "fine." You see where I'm going with this right? More than likely you've been on one side or the other of these types of interactions a hundred times of more. So why was his response back to his wife, short? Was it because he always talks in one word sentences, or was it because his expectation of a clean and less rambunctious house wasn't met? Only he knows the answer to the question, but I'm hoping this analogy helps connect some dots for you.

But for Christians, this way of "doing business" ought not be the case. As Christians, we are not living in relationships built on contracts which say, "if you do this for me then I will do that for you." Instead, we are living in covenantal relationships which say, "I gladly lay down my rights for your good and God's glory." This means that even if others are not meeting our needs, we live in such a way that we strive to bless them and encourage them. This means that even if Christ gave us the freedom and liberty to do certain things (i.e. drink a beer, eat bacon, watch R rated movies or hang out at the beach) if these things cause our brothers or sisters to stumble in the faith, then as a blessing to them...we choose not to partake in these things. It's an intentional effort to live selflessly for the blessing and encouragement of others. This is how Christ lived among his disciples, this is how his disciples and the apostles encouraged the early church to live, and this is how local churches are still called to live, today.

May the words from John Piper and the audio clip from Matt Chandler (below) be the hammer and chisel we need to help us kill the the sin of selfishness that remains in our lives and hearts. May we learn to find joy in living for God's glory and the blessing of others, even at the expense of our own freedoms and expectations.

"The root of our sinfulness is the desire for our own happiness apart from God and apart from the happiness of others in God. All sin comes from a desire to be happy cut off from the glory of God and cut off from the good of others." | John Piper

More is at Stake Than We Know

I encourage you to be like a dolphin in the sea of our egalitarian, gender-leveling culture. Don’t
be like a jellyfish. The ocean of secularism that we swim in (including much of the church) drifts
toward minimizing serious differences between manhood and womanhood. The culture swings
back and forth as to whether women are mainly sex objects or senior vice presidents. But rarely
does it ponder the biblical vision that men are called to humbly lead and protect and provide, and
women are called to come in alongside with their unique gifts and strengths and help the men
carry through the vision.

I pray that you will be stirred up by Ruth and Boaz to pursue mature manhood and womanhood.
More is at stake than we know. God has made marriage the showcase of his covenant love
where the husband models Christ and the wife models the Church (Ephesians 5:21–33).

John Piper - Pursue Mature Manhood and Womanhood