Dear First Pres,
When I was younger there was a wonderful phrase that was making its way onto the front of Presbyterian church bulletins all over the country. The phrase was this: “every member, a minister.” It was meant to remind the people in the church that even though there were pastors and elders and deacons and staff, every church member was called into ministry. It was meant to remind the people in the congregation that every follower of Christ is made a minister of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit.
I wholeheartedly agree. However, as the religious context of our nation has changed, I think we need to understand the word “minister” more outwardly. Instead of thinking of a minister as someone who works in the church, we need to think about ministers (remember, that’s every follower of Christ) as people who work in the community for the sake of making Christ and His Kingdom known.
This is one of things I hope you’ve heard loud and clear during our Live Like Jesus series these past three months. Jesus lived His life completely on mission with the Father by the power of the Spirit. Then, before He ascended to the Father’s right hand, Jesus commissioned His disciples (Mt 28:18-20; Jn 20:21-22; Acts 1:8) to continue His mission. Then, He sent the Holy Spirit, as promised, to empower disciples for that commission. So, now, every disciple of Jesus, is called to live like Jesus: on mission with the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus. Obviously, that will look different for particular believers in particular places according to God’s particular call. No follower of Christ is not called into that great mission of redemption and restoration.
All of us are called to be in the world but not of the world. All of us are called to love God, love our neighbors, make disciples and pursue shalom. All of us are called to be Christ’s ambassadors. All of us are called to keep in step with the Spirit. All of us are called to be ready to give an answer for the hope we profess. The list goes on, but these are the things that Jesus has already demonstrated for us.
This coming Sunday is the final sermon in the Live Like Jesus series, and I hope this group of sermons, and the premise that undergirds it, will forever stick with us as a congregation. What does it mean to be First Presbyterian Church Fresno? I pray it means, more and more, that we are people in awe of Jesus committed to live like Jesus.
Do you believe and receive His call on your life?
If you struggle with that, you’re not alone. Even Jesus struggled with His call. Yet, as we’ll see on Sunday, He taught us how to deal with that, as well. We’ll see you then.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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