Priesthood of Believers - Part Five - Ministry is for Everyone, Not just Professionals

The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana, reported an amazing story:  Store Refusing Cash - No Gag.

On Thursday, August 19, Stoner’s Novelty Market in Ft. Wayne on Coldwater Road was robbed and the female clerk was tied up.  That's not the shocking part.  Robberies happened.  What is tragic is what happened next.

Frank Gray from the Journal reports:  "To add insult to injury, shortly after the robber had fled, a woman walked into the shop and the clerk, sobbing, told her she had just been robbed and three times begged her to cut her free so she could call the police. Instead of helping, the woman announced she didn’t want to get involved and left, leaving the clerk tied up and giving the crook more time to get away."
Tragic.  No Good Samaritan that day.  The clerk eventually dialed the phone with her tongue and got the help she needed.  From the “professionals.” 

We have, as a society, professionalized everything.  And you can think what you will on whether that is a good or a bad thing for society, but I want to emphasize that it is a terrible thing for the kingdom of God.  My skills and calling have me serving in the capacity I serve, as a pastor at a church and various organizations in the community.  Your skills and calling have you serving where you serve.  Some of us have positions in life that we feel are inferior to others, but we need to realize that the position we are in right now, will be used by God to bring about His will.  He might not have caused us to be in our position, but he will use us as his priests to bring about His will in your situation. 

When it comes to entering into the presence of the Lord, we can be assured that Jesus’ blood covers our sins.  And because of that, we can have direct access to the lord. 

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Matt 27:50-51 (ESV)

When Jesus died for our sins, the barrier between God and man was torn in two.  Each one of us, whether you are a pastor like me or a young kid like Aria, has direct access to the Heavenly Father because of the blood of Jesus.  When we surrender our life to Jesus and His will, we become His.  When we are His, that line of communication is open. 

So when we feel that we might just be a banana salesman on the beach rather than the sexy lifeguard, we need to realize that God can use the banana salesman to save lives just like he can use the lifeguard.   All it takes is a banana salesman who is willing to get wet, to go out there into the water and save people.