Sunday, November 13, 2011

Gift and Responsibility

Numbers 18

God gives to Aaron and his sons the priesthood as a gift (vs 7) and as a responsibility (vs 1). 

Being called to serve God is indeed a gift.  I first felt called to this pastoral ministry when I was about 11 or 12 years old.  For many years, I worked other positions, denying the gift, denying the call.  But, then again when the time was right everything fell into place.  I think that the Lord had to prepare me in other ways, besides just the academic, before He was ready for me to serve Him.  There had to be a lot of training and learning in the wilderness first.  The gifts that I received to prepare for the gift of ministry took a long time to cultivate in me. 

But, ministry as a pastor is also a great responsibility.  I believe the hardest part of the responsibility for me is to try  to help the lost sheep get back on the path.  I'm not talking about those who make no claims to Jesus, those who have never heard the good news.  Rather, I'm talking about those who are called to share the good news with those who have never heard.  I'm talking about those who say they believe, but do not follow.  They may be right in front of you, but it is apparent that they have no clue in which direction to turn.  They are lost in plain site.  For whatever reason, although they are baptized and professed Christians they can not seem to know the way, which is Jesus the Christ.  It is difficult for me when someone I care deeply about is following another god, following in a way that will lead them to destruction and they do not even know it.  They cannot even acknowledge that they have lost their way.

I can understand why universalism has crept into the church.  We do not want to accept that some whom we love may not enter the Kingdom of God because they have turned their backs on Him in this world.  It would be nice if God would say, OK everyone will go to heaven.  We want everyone we love to enter that kingdom.  But, that is not what He says.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." 

When we know the Lord, when we truly love Him, we will do the will (or at least try) of our Father in heaven.  But, how can we know that will apart from His word given to us in the Holy Scriptures?  We cannot.  The reading and hearing of scripture is necessary for us to be able to grow in faith - to grow in love.  And... without faith and love nothing is accomplished through us. 

Remember that children's song that goes "and they'll know we are Christians by our love."?  Last Wednesday, we discussed in Bible study how so many people have been baptized, but if you met them on the street and talked to them, you would not have a clue that they know Jesus.  Probably because they don't.  They are counting on water baptism to save them.  The gift of Baptism has been taken for granted.  The gifts received in Holy Baptism have been tossed aside.  It is, some feel, enough to go through the ritual.  I was asked at the study how one could know if someone they met were a follower of Jesus.  I went to a Marine Corps birthday party the other night.  It is more of a ritual observance than a party.  There were only a few active duty Marines there, most of them were no longer active.  They all consider themselves Marines for life whether they are active or not.  If I met any one of them for the first time on the street or in the grocery store, I would be able to tell that they were Marines.  It's part of their very being, it is who they are.  However, if their service had been of a nature that rendered dishonorable discharges, I would not be able to tell that they had been in the Marine Corps.  Whenever we have clergy show up for worship who I do not know, I can tell they are clergy, just by watching them.  They don't have to be wearing their collars.  You can just tell.  The same goes for all Christians.  When one strives to follow Jesus, to live in God's presence, in the kingdom of God even now, one can tell.  It is who they are.  But, there are many today who have been baptized who do not know Jesus, who have not taken the time to know our Father's will and so when we meet them on the street we cannot tell - they are not distinguishable as a people set apart by God.  One could never tell that they follow Jesus.

We have all (all Christians) been called to the ministry - it is what 1 Peter (2:9) refers to as the royal priesthood.  This whole priesthood has been called to proclaim the praises - declare the goodness of God.  As baptized Christians we have all been given the gift of ministry.  Along with the gift comes the responsibility to declare the goodness of God. 

Well, now I am rambling - gotten off topic a bit again!  Each year that passes I wonder more and more at how it is that we can take God and our call to serve Him so for granted.  May God help us to proclaim His great love for humankind in all that we say and do. 

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