Priesthood of ALL BELIEVERS

Almost 5 centuries ago a German monk Martin Luther, father of the Reformation movement, challenged the Church of the day to accept Biblical teaching that the priesthood belongs to all believers. He build the reformation on following premises:
- all believers are laity, meaning the People of God;
- all believers are clergy, meaning Called by God.
Clergy and laity are not distinct categories among believers, but rather collective descriptions of who we are when we enter the Kingdom of God: the people of God who are called out for God’s purpose.
Centuries of darkness in the Medieval Church distorted the Biblical mandate for believers and relegated the life of service only to a few professionals, making the rest of believers consumers of service. Today many churches are still struggling in attempts to shed the inherited baggage of ministry consumerism and status quo of few.
Through the long centuries of church history many human errors and traditions had crippled the effectiveness of our collective efforts. One of common misconceptions was, (and still is), that we tell heaven what to do.
Paul had to write to the church in Corinth that it is the Holy Spirit Who decides which gifts to give, to whom, and when, as He alone pleases. (1st Corinthians 12:11) The church in Corinth assumed that they would decide which gifts they need and nominate people to receive such. They assumed that they would appoint the functions of their church according to their planning. And Paul strongly reminded them that God is the one who sets up and appoints, for this Body, the Church – is His Body, with Christ being the Head.
As I think of Spiritual Gifts I remember the parable Jesus told about servants who got talents given to them for use and investment. He told this parable right after telling the conditions of the church that is falling asleep, loosing the Spiritual oil in their lamps and missing the invitation to enter the Wedding Feast (the 10 virgins) (Matthew 25:14-30)
I don’t want my talent be taken away from me. Moreover, I don’t want to be thrown out as a useless, good-for-nothing servant into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. What do you do with your talents? Have you discovered them yet? Are you willing to risk and invest them with your family?
When we say "ministry" we must recognize that it is a general inclusive term meaning all kinds of services. Ministry is not limited only to the pulpit proclamation or public speaking. Ministry is using God given gift for the benefit of others. Think of a lady who has a gift of mercy and encouragement, and as she goes about her job from day to day as a nurse aid at the hospital ward she shares the word of mercy and encouragement with people she looks after – she is a minister. Think of a person who has a gift of helps and combines it with the natural talent of an artist to produce beautiful and insightful artwork that illustrates unseen beauties of life – he is a minister. Think of a person who’s got the gift of love and a talent for decorating and arranging flowers –she is a minister.
When we discover our spiritual gifts and combine them with natural talents we find ourselves doing the ministry not for the sake of reward, or recognition, or receiving praises but from natural outflow of God’s Grace in our lives – freely receive, so freely give. Ministering from giftedness makes even such a menial task as changing the lettering on the church sign a delight - ministry of communication and proclamation.
Spiritual gifts are not an option but a vital necessity in our Church. Your brothers and sisters need your giftedness!!!

Nominating Committee as Ministry Placement Team

HAVE YOU DISCOVERED THE GIFT YET?
WHAT IS YOUR CALLING?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?
HOW ARE YOU USING GOD GIVEN GIFTS?
We do not decide how the Spirit gives, the Holy Spirit is in charge of distributing gifts. And the Holy Spirit reveals gifts to people who receive them. For the past two weeks I have written to you on the Biblical Metaphor of the Church as the Body (taken from 1st Corinthians 12). We need each other’s cooperation for this Body of Faith to function. Our spiritual gifts were given for edification of the Body, for building up the Church family, for benefit of other believers.(1st Corinthians 12:7)
To every servant of the Master and Lord Jesus some gift of the Spirit is promised. There is no one who has not received!!!
At this very hour His Spirit and His grace are for all who need them and will take Him at His word. The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God.
If they are connected with Christ, if the gifts of the Spirit are theirs, the poorest and most ignorant of His disciples will have a power that will tell upon hearts. God makes them the channel for the outworking of the highest influence in the universe. (Ellen G. White, The Faith I Live By. 292)
From the same inspired pen came these words: “the greatest cause of our spiritual feebleness as a people, is the lack of real faith in Spiritual Gifts.” (Ellen G. White, an Appeal in Review & Herald, January 14, 1868)
The members have depended upon pulpit declamations instead of on the Holy Spirit. Uncalled for and unused, the spiritual gifts bestowed on them have dwindled into feebleness. (Ellen G. White, Selected Messages. Vol.1. 127)
When Christians serve in their area of giftedness, they function less in their own strength and more in the power of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual gifts are not an option but a vital necessity in our Church. Your brothers and sisters need your giftedness!!!

Interdependence

We are all diverse and different, right? Yet through the Spirit, through our unique gifts we are made One Body, making us all INTERDEPENDENT. We may not like it, having been inducted in the secular materialistic lifestyle, where every one is expected to be self-made independent persona. Yet, God’s people are to live and operate on a different set of values, and INTERDEPENDENCE is one of them.
Apostle Paul illustrates it as a body having many parts – limbs, organs, cells – no matter how big, or how many parts – still One Body. By the Spirit of Christ we have to say good buy to our partial and divided lives. I know you are used to call your own shots, but when you were baptized you had entered the Body where He, Christ, call the shots. He has final say in everything. The old labels we used to identify ourselves with are no longer valid. He is the Head and it is His Mind in all of us that produces Unity!
A Body is not just a single part blown up into something huge (out of proportion). We are all “different-but-similar” parts ARRANGED TO FUNCTION TOGETHER. If the foot say, “I am not as elegant as the hand, and I guess I don’t belong to the body” would that make so? If an Ear say, “I am not beautiful like an Eye, clear and expressive, I don’t deserve place on the head” – would you remove it from the Body?
God has placed each part where it belongs and where it is functional. Moreover, there are not 100 hands on the body – only two. Not million of noses – only one. Not many hearts – but one. Many cells combined and fit together become an organ.
As you consider your place in the Body, discerning the body part you belong to, who are the constituent parts of the same organ? Who are the people that have same, or similar, ministry drive as you? Who are your team colleagues? Who belong in the same cohort of “cells” that make an organ?
The way God designed our Bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church – every part dependent on every other part, there part we mention and the parts we don’t, there are parts we see, and the parts we don’t. But when one part hurts – all are involved in the healing. If one flourishes – all are enjoying. We are all – Christ’s body. Only as you accept yourself as a “part” that it means anything.
In the Body it’s all about unity, team work, belonging, interaction, cooperation and INTERDEPENDENCE. Discover your place!

Discovering YOUR Ministry

You’ve heard about the Spiritual Gifts survey that we are conducting to develop a database of giftedness in each local church. It is our objective to reduce number of duties some people are burdened with, and to provide opportunities for others who had never been offered a chance to participate in serving God.
We are not talking about your natural talents. We are talking about Spiritual Gifts that are not your own, but are God Gracious gift for you.
Author of Hebrews writes to the believers that their salvation is announced and given by Christ, and comes with confirmation through Gifts distributed by the Holy Spirit according to His Will. (Hebrews 2:3-4). On another occasion apostle Paul wrote to believers that gifts of the Spirit are distributed not by our demand but by the decision and choice of the Holy Spirit. (1st Corinthians 12:11)
Every believer, every person who is saved in Jesus receives Gifts of the Holy Spirit to do work of ministry. That is the truth of the Bible, the faith passed on from generation to generation. When Jesus commanded a few doubting disciples to go into all the world (Matthew 28:17-20) they knew they were not able, they had no talents, no means. Christ’s promise to be with us is contingent on us receiving the Holy Spirits and gifts that He gives. That is how the Church has grown from a few to conquer the world.

• What is YOUR ministry?
  
• What Gift did the Holy Spirit give YOU?
  
• What confirmation do you have that YOU are saved?
  

As you take this survey, pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in revealing to you your giftedness. Your initiative in returning completed surveys will indicate your readiness to serve, to accept God’s calling for ministry in your life, and confirm your salvation.
What Body-part are YOU in Christ’s Church?