Relevant Scripture: 1 Peter 2:4-10 (with
Exodus 19:1-6); 1 Peter 4:7-11; Revelation 1:4-8
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9 ESV).
We live in an
increasingly divided and irreligious culture in which people are ever more in
need of good news and real connection with something bigger than themselves.
God is good news, and he definitely offers something bigger. How can we help?
Kingdom of priests. God has formed the church as a kingdom
of priests, a community of persons who spend their lives offering sacrifices to
God and proclaiming his excellence. We, the church, are being built into a
spiritual house so that as priests we might demonstrate God before others and
bear others before God in prayer.
We offer sacrifices. We offer sacrifices to God as
individuals and community, serving as he sees fit and distinguishing ourselves
as servants who are seeking to know and obey him. We offer praise to him,
worshiping through the voices of our various cultures. We offer our material
wealth to him, supporting our local church and our sisters and brothers in
Christ.
We proclaim. As those whose home is God’s presence
yet who sojourn here, we are called to live in God's ways so that others might
see our good deeds and praise our Father. In our gatherings, this means
ministering to one another with everything we are for the good of the community
and the glory of God. It means recognizing the South Bay as the home base for
our dispersed priestly work. It means focusing on Jesus and his priorities
amidst a politically divided and post-Christian culture that makes our work as
priests difficult, yet ever more important.
Why this matters. Each believer and each local church is
called to use their God-given abilities and ministries to serve one another for
the glory of God. As TFB works toward health, it is crucial that all the
believers in this local church live out their work as priests, both in the
gathering and in the dispersing.
“To him who loves us and has freed us
from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and
Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5b-6
ESV).
