Ambassadors and Priests

Peter writes to the churches that they are a royal priesthood. Paul uses another metaphor. He says those who follow Jesus are his ambassadors.

The point in both places is that the people of God are intermediaries, representing God to people, and people to God. This means that all of God's people are pastors. All of God's people are evangelists. All of God's people are church planters. And all of God's people are missionaries.

We might not all function in the way most christians understand those terms today. Many think that only leaders, and the more spiritual, should practice these things. But God has commanded all of us to practice these areas. A large part of the role of leaders in God's family is to equip, train, and enable all of God's family to grow, and complete, those functions.

For example, all of God's family should be involved in producing, and facilitating the growth, of disciples. This includes instruction, encouragement, equipping, as well as reproof, and rebuke. All of God's family may not be involved in a formal, or structured, way. But our hearts should be filled with God's word, and love for one another, that we should be open, and alert, to give what we have to stir up, to encourage, to ground, and to promote growth in one another.

And we should be similarly involved in the other areas too. We need to learn to recognize opportunities for the gospel. We need to learn how to transition from one conversation into another that brings the gospel into focus.

The gospel moves into new areas by connecting to people, creating disciples, and planting churches. We generally refer to planting churches in new areas that involve crossing boundaries of language, culture, and ethnicity, as missions. And indeed, there are different issues to be faced, and so new skills to develop. Still the command is given to all of God's family to be concerned, and involved, in both of these areas. Again, a particular individual may not be on a church plant team, or move into another culture. But the hearts of all the family of God need to be given, and invested, in these areas, as much as those who are involved in person.

Now, aw we are not all going to be experts in these areas, but we should be growing in these areas, we need the experts to promote growth in these areas for all of us. And there should be those, in our churches, who can be resources to promote growth, and equip, in these areas. As well as ones who help promote other avenues of involvement. Like prayer, and support. Both of these are vital to promote the gospel -- locally, and around the world. And both are needed as much as person to person connection with people.