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In this blog, I provide encouragement and biblical teaching on the nature of our Good Shepherd, and how that relates to being a shepherd of His sheep. As the our Lord said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (Joh 10:7-10)

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. (Joh 10:11-15)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep." (Joh 10:1-2)

Some of the topics covered include the the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Good Shepherd and our Senior Pastor, the shepherding role of elders, the need for pastors to provide good care for the sheep, the servant-hood of elders, the need for people to hear and recognize the Lord's voice, direction on how to teach and preach the Word, the significance of the seven angels of the seven churches of Asia in Revelation, church government, the purpose of structure in the Church, the proper way for disciples to treat their leaders, the need for biblical submission to authority, dealing with persecution against leaders, accusations against leaders, the distinction commonly made between clergy and laity, women teaching men, the need for leaders to be accountable, correctable, and teachable, the use of titles, as well as love, mercy, holiness, righteousness, true success as a minister, and raising the dead.

The Lord, Our Shepherd	The Shepherding Role of Elders	The Servant of the Lord
Our Senior Pastor	Accountable, correctable, and teachable	Success in God's Eyes
How to Treat Leaders	Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical	No One to Intercede
Jesus Christ the Nazarene	The Priesthood of All Believers	A Personality Profile of the Apostle Paul
A Tale of Two Kings	Leadership Approach Reveals View of God	Wisdom for Wealthy Preachers and Prosperity Teachers
Local Church Leadership	A Word to the Wise and Learned	The Great Shepherd of the Sheep
Women Teaching Men	How to Preach and Teach the Word	The Pros, Cons, and Purpose of Structure
Raising the Dead	Guarding Your Prayer Life	Boasting: From Human Pride to Christ-Centered Glory
Beyond the Theology: Paul’s Relational World in 2 Timothy	Courage in the Surf: A Reflection on Rescue and Redemption	The Shepherd Is the King: A Christ-Centered Reading of Psalms 23 and 24
Preparation of the Preacher	What Thirty Pages of Sayings Taught Me	The Sheep, the Goats, and the Heart Behind our Actions

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB and from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Priesthood of All Believers

Thou Art Worthy by C.V Lacroix

In my previous article, Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical, I explained that there is no Scriptural basis for limiting the priesthood to a special class of people within the Church, nor is there any biblical grounds for excluding all others in the Church from the priesthood. In this present post, I would like to expand on the priesthood of all believers.

All disciples in the kingdom of God are priests. A priest, according to the Word of God, is one who represents men before Almighty God and performs a holy service in God’s house. Let's see what the Scriptures say.

A Holy Priesthood
The apostle Peter wrote, “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 2:5).

Peter used the expression “holy priesthood” in this passage. This sets us apart from all other priests on earth, including pagan priests. We are a holy priesthood, which is a high calling. The emphasis is on holiness to the Lord in our service to Him.

As holy priests, we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. According to the apostle Paul, the spiritual sacrifice we offer is our body. He wrote:

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.” (Rom 12:1).

Instead of placing dead animals on the altar as the Israelites did, or placing our children on an altar as the pagans do, he said we should present our own bodies a living and holy sacrifice. This is our spiritual service of worship as priests.

A Royal Priesthood
Not only are we a holy priesthood, we are a royal one, since we are a kingdom. In John’s Revelation, he wrote:

“He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6).

“And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.’" (Rev 5:9-10)

Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, who purchased for God with His blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  He made us to be a kingdom and priests to our God. And it says we will reign upon the earth, which is in line with what God told Moses to prophesy to the Israelites:

“And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Exo 19:6a).

Moses used the expression “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, rather than “a kingdom and priests” as we see in Revelation 5:10, but it carries the very same meaning.

The apostle Peter agreed with this when he wrote:

“But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  (1Pe 2:9-10). 

Peter’s use of the expression, “royal priesthood” comes from the Greek Septuagint, which translates Exodus 19:6 in part to say, “a royal priesthood and a holy nation.” He said the reason we were made to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation was so that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Proclaiming His excellencies refers to praise and worship, as well as telling others what God has done for us, which is our testimony, and what He can do for them, too. All disciples are supposed to do this.

Our Offerings to God as Priests
Paul referred to himself as one ministering like a priest. “But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 15:15-16 NASB). In Paul’s priestly service, he was offering up Gentiles to God. The Gentiles became acceptable to God through the gospel of God that Paul ministered to them, and through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul also referred to another type of offering that we as priests make to God, which is our praise and thanks to God. God is pleased with such sacrifices. He said, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Heb 13:15-16). Not only is God pleased with the sacrifices of praise and thanks that we offer to Him, but He is also pleased whenever we offer to Him such sacrifices as good deeds and sharing with others.

But notice that even though we are all priests offering sacrifices to God that He is pleased with, that does not mean we are all called to function in an oversight role. Paul said in the very next verse, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Heb 13:17 NASB). This shows us that although it is true we are all priests, we still need to obey our leaders and submit to their authority, since they keep watch over our souls

Direct Access to God
Beware of any church that teaches you must go through a priest in order to obtain access to God. For example, they may teach that you must confess your sins to a priest in order to receive forgiveness, which is false. That’s what I was once taught and I believed it.

However, the apostle Paul said, “…there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…” (1Ti 2:5). The only Mediator between God and men is Christ.

Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Joh 14:6). The one and only way to the Father is through Jesus – nobody else.

As priests of God, all believers have direct access to the Father through Jesus Christ, not through any man. This is a big blessing, but it is also a big responsibility!

Keeping People Clean
One of the problems with the priests in Israel is that they failed to do what they were called by God to do. They broke the Law of God, defiled His holy things, and made no distinction between the holy and the profane. They did not teach the difference between the clean and the unclean, and they neglected keeping the Lord’s Sabbaths. The Lord said through Ezekiel the prophet, who was also a priest:

"Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. (Eze 22:26)

Because these priests went astray, they lost some of their privileges that had been given to them by God. They were left with the task of keeping charge of God’s house and all its service and all that was done in it, but they were no longer allowed to come near to the Lord. Instead the Lord chose to have the sons of Zadok, be the ones to come near to Him and stand before Him to minister to Him and offer sacrifices, because they were holy and did not go astray like Israel and the other Levites did. Since the Zadok priests were faithful, the Lord told Ezekiel He would give them a most holy place as their allotment with the sanctuary of the Lord in the middle of it. He said:

"It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. (Eze 48:11).

It’s very important to God that we as priests keep ourselves holy and do not go astray from the Lord. We are supposed to make a distinction between the holy and the profane and between the clean and the unclean.

God requires purity in our lives. But there are priests today, as in the days when Israel went astray, who do not teach the need for purity. The Lord requires holiness, but some preachers teach that the only holiness we need is the inward kind. They deny that God is concerned about the rest of our lives, such as our bodies and how we attire and adorn them. God is certainly interested in our whole lives, and commands us to be holy in all we do, not just in certain select areas, such as the inward parts, but in everything. As Peter said, “But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Pe 1:15-16, NIV).

Putting it All Together
Scripture teaches that all believers are priests and are part of God’s holy priesthood. We all have direct access to God through Jesus Christ. The spiritual sacrifice we offer to God is our own body, as well as our praises. The service we perform for Him is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ, as well as the gospel of God. When people through our ministry believe the gospel, come to Christ, and become sanctified by the Holy Spirit, then as priests we offer them also to God.

The term priest is not reserved for a select few individuals, but is used for all disciples in the kingdom of God. Let’s be sure that we order and align our lives with this calling in everything we do, including all of our plans, decisions, prayers, thoughts, attitudes, deeds, and words. We must keep ourselves pure and be holy even as God is holy. Our lives are not our own. We’ve been bought with a price. We are set apart for God. We are not supposed to live our lives for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose again on our behalf.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Thou Art Worthy" illustration by my seventeen-year old daughter, C.V.  You can find more of her lovely artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page directory on this blog. I also recommend reading Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical, A Tale of Two Kings, Baptized with the Spirit, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, How to Treat Leaders, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, and Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Servant of the Lord

In the book of Isaiah, there are five servants mentioned. One is Isaiah the prophet, who was a type of Christ (Isa 20:3). The second is God’s people Israel, also known as Jacob (Isa 41:8-14; 42:19-20; 44:21-28; 45:4), which was also a type of Christ. The third one is King David, who is also a type of Christ (Isa 37:35). The fourth one is Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over King Hezekiah's household (Isa 22:20-24), and was yet another type of Christ. The fifth is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the One I would like to focus on here. Let’s look at some of the verses that refer to Him, keeping in mind that sometimes there is a double reference to Israel and the Messiah in the same passage.

We begin with the prophecy about Eliakim son of Hilkiah that clearly has a double reference, one of which is about Christ.

"Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My Servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, And I will clothe Him with your tunic And tie your sash securely about Him. I will entrust Him with your authority, And He will become a Father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Then I will set the key of the house of David on His shoulder, When He opens no one will shut, When He shuts no one will open. I will drive him like a peg in a firm place, And He will become a throne of glory to His Father's house. So they will hang on Him all the glory of his Father's house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.” (Isa 22:20-24).

This is clearly referring to Christ, since the Lord explicitly said so in His Revelation to the apostle John: "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name…” (Rev 3:7-8)

Likewise, when the Lord says, "I will drive Him like a peg in a firm place" (Is 22:23), the word "nail" here (yatēd) means properly a peg, nail, stake, or spike. It is often used to refer to the large spikes that were used to fasten tent cords. It is also used of nails and spikes that were driven into walls. The phrase literally means, "I will fasten Him like a nail in a secure place". This is an obvious reference to the crucifixion of Christ, in which large nails or spikes were driven through His hands and feet to fasten Him securely to the cross (John 20.25; Acts 2.23; Col 2.14).

After His death, His body was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, who received permission from governor Pilate to do so (Joh 19:38-40; Mk 15:43-46). Accompanied by Nicodemus, Joseph had to remove the nails, in order to take down the Lord's body. When they did so, the prophecy was fulfilled that said, "On that day the peg which I firmly fastened in place will be removed." (Is 22:25a, GW). The Hebrew word in this verse for removed is (mush), meaning remove, take away, or withdraw.

The prophecy was that when the nail would be removed on that day, the burden that was on it would be cut off and fall (Is 22:25b). Since the Lord Jesus was the one driven in a firm place (Is 22:23), and He was the burden hanging on it, then His body is what fell when the nails were removed. Joseph and Nicodemus probably climbed upon a ladder and used either ropes or a long piece of linen cloth draped over the top of the cross as a pulley system, in order to gently lower the body from the cross down to the ground. Since the Romans sometimes used ropes in conjunction with nails to secure a victim to the cross, Joseph would have cut off those ropes. This would explain why the prophecy says the burden would be "cut off." Since the Lord was also carrying the burden of our sin in his body, this prophecy may also have a secondary reference to the burden of our sin that was cut off or destroyed at that time.

Now let us continue on to what is known as the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah, which are found in chapters 42 - 53.

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law." Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it And spirit to those who walk in it, "I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon And those who dwell in darkness from the prison.  (Isa 42:1-7) 

"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My Servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. "Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"  (Isa 43:10-13)

"But now listen, O Jacob, My Servant, And Israel, whom I have chosen: Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you, 'Do not fear, O Jacob My Servant; And you Jeshurun whom I have chosen. 'For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants; And they will spring up among the grass Like poplars by streams of water.' "This one will say, 'I am the LORD'S'; And that one will call on the name of Jacob; And another will write on his hand, 'Belonging to the LORD,' And will name Israel's name with honor. "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last, And there is no God besides Me. 'Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. 'Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'" (Isa 44:1-8)

In this passage He is referred to as the First and the Last, which we know is Christ. The apostle John said, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” (Rev 1:17-18). The Lord also said, "Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev 22:12-13)

In this passage in Isaiah 44, He is referred to as the Rock, which is Christ. Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."  (Mat 21:42-44)

The apostle Peter further elaborates on this saying, "’A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense’; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” (1Pe 2:8)

Another passage in Isaiah about the Lord’s Servant is this:

Listen to Me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He named Me. He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; And He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; Yet surely the justice due to Me is with the LORD, And My reward with My God." And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the LORD, And My God is My strength), He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, "Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You." Thus says the LORD, "In a favorable time I have answered You, And in a day of salvation I have helped You; And I will keep You and give You for a covenant of the people, To restore the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages;”  (Isa 49:1-8)

The next passage speaks of the suffering of the Lord’s Servant, the Messiah:

“See, My Servant will act wisely; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him— His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness— so He will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of Him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand..” (Isa 52:13-15, NIV)

When it says that He will be lifted up, this refers to His being lifted up on a cross and crucified. Jesus confirmed this when He said, "’And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.’ But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.” (Joh 12:32-33). Jesus Christ was truly the suffering Servant.

When it says, "There were many who were appalled at him— His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness," this refers to the gross disfigurement He suffered from the beating, flogging, and crucifixion that He endured for us. It was appalling, even worse than anything we have seen in any painting or movie. He was swollen, bleeding, and marred to the point that He did not really look human anymore. The expression, "He will sprinkle many nations," refers to His precious blood sprinkling many nations.

When it says in Isaiah 52 that He will be raised and greatly exalted, it is referring to His resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God. In Mark’s gospel it says, “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mar 16:19).  Peter also said, "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to My Lord, "sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."'  (Act 2:33-35). The apostle Paul wrote, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” (Heb 1:3). And again he wrote: “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

The end of Isaiah 52 is a preface to what is written in Isaiah 53, which is a detailed description of the crucifixion of Christ. And in that chapter it says, “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.” (Isa 53:11). God the Father saw the anguish of His Servant’s soul and He was satisfied. We are justified by personally knowing Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, His Servant.

Jesus even declared Himself to be a Servant when He said, "Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mat 20:26b-28)

And Peter said, "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, the One whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him…For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways."  (Act 3:13,26)

So there are an abundance of passages that refer to our Lord, the Messiah, as God’s Servant. He served His disciples by washing their feet during the last supper, on the night He was betrayed (Jn 13). He served us by giving His life for us on the cross. And He still serves today by interceding for us (Heb 7:25). Even when He returns, He will serve His people at the table in the kingdom of heaven. He said, "Blessed are those slaves whom the Master will find on the alert when He comes; truly I say to you, that He will gird Himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.” (Luk 12:37)

Therefore, since our Lord and Savior is the Lord’s Anointed Servant, He has set us an example that we should follow. “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” (1Pe 2:21) And “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1Jn 2:6). Every disciple of Christ, every elder, apostle, pastor, teacher, prophet, and evangelist must be a servant of the Lord and others.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, and others are from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. "Because I Love You" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: I also recommend reading Having a Servant's Heart, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Crucified with Christ, What Jesus Did Not Do on the Cross, Holy Washings - Part II, Persecuted or Popular?, and Success in God's Eyes. You may also access other articles about the Good Shepherd on the Home page for this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Success in God's Eyes

Success in God's eyes does not mean you'll have great numbers of people following you. Beware when all men speak well of you. Jesus warned, "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way." (Luk 6:26)

In reading Jeremiah, I am amazed by his godly success. His main message was "Turn now everyone from his evil way and from the evil of your deeds, and dwell on the land which the LORD has given to you and your forefathers forever and ever; and do not go after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands, and I will do you no harm." (Jer 25:5-6).  Yet the people of Judah did not listen to him during his 23 years of ministry, warning them to turn from their evil ways and prophesying God's coming judgment. (Jer 25:3). Instead, they cursed him, mocked him, spoke arrogantly to him, beat him, abused him, imprisoned him in solitary confinement, and threatened him with death. Yet he continued to prophesy the Word of the Lord to them for another 18 years after that (Jer 52:12).

They never did listen to him. So they were carried in chains into exile in Babylon for 70 years, where they remained captive and fell by the sword, famine, and plague. Yet the Babylonians, who recognized him as a true prophet of God, treated Jeremiah kindly. And he was spared from going into exile. “Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, ‘Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.’” (Jer 39:11-12). It may not look like success to the world, but let's see someone try to top that!

Jeremiah has touched more people since his death than he did during his lifetime. There were about 4,600 people from Judah who went into Babylonian captivity (Jer 52:30). That was his audience. But since his death around 2,500 years ago, his writings have been translated into over 2,000 languages and read by hundreds of millions of people around the world! His writings have encouraged many, led some of those people to repentance, helped many to persevere through trials, and others to a closer walk with God. That goes to show us that we can't base our sense of success on what we see in the natural during our lifetime. Instead we should serve the Lord with our whole heart in obedience to His commands, and trust that He will bring forth fruit for His glory that will last long after we're gone from this world.

Many Christians will gladly receive false prophets who predict good times ahead, peace and safety. The apostle Paul warned that “While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” (1Th 5:3). There are plenty of prophets like this. But they usually practice deceit (Jer 8:10). Both prophet and priest are polluted (Jer 23:11). Jeremiah gave us the real test of a true prophet. "The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent." (Jer 28:9).

Historically, the religious people have persecuted God’s true prophets. It would not surprise me if non-believers have greater respect for God's true prophets than do the sons and daughters of light. Jesus said that if anyone receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, he would receive a prophet's reward (Mt 10:41). Ebed-Melech was a good example. He was a Cushite from the Nile region who helped get Jeremiah out of the cistern (Jer 38:8-9). Later he received a reward (Jer 39:15-17). And if they receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, they will receive a righteous man's reward. Jesus said that if they receive true disciple, then in doing so they also receive Jesus Himself. And if they receive Jesus, they receive the Father who sent Him (Mt 10:40).

Look at the people of Nineveh for example.  These non-believing Gentiles received Jonah as a true prophet and their reward was that God spared their city.  There were 120,000 children in that great city, which didn’t know their right hand from their left, plus adults and animals (Jon 4:11).  That was a real success!

I love the book of Jonah, because it’s a true story of mercy and compassion.  He had a mission to go and preach to people who were enemies of Israel.  The message was that they needed to repent, because Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days.  Many Christians today would say we don’t need that kind of preaching.  They would say that it’s doom and gloom, and that we need more preaching on love and grace.

But I see it just the opposite. The whole reason that God sent the prophet Jonah to Nineveh was that He did not want to have to destroy them.  But God was going to have to destroy them, if they did not repent of their wickedness.  The only obstacle was that Jonah knew that God would mercifully spare them, if they repented.  He did not want to see these enemies of Israel spared.  In fact, after the whole city, from the king to the most lowly person repented, and God spared them from destruction, Jonah confessed to God why He ran from his mission.  “He prayed to the LORD and said, ‘Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.’” (Jon 4:2).

Then there was also the mercy that God showed to Jonah himself.  When God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach, he ran from God and went in the opposite direction, away from Nineveh.  But the ship he was on encountered a huge storm that nearly sank it. It was only when they threw Jonah overboard that the storm ceased.  And God in His mercy sent a big fish to swallow Jonah.  It was there in the belly of the fish that Jonah himself repented.  God forgave him and had mercy on Him, giving him a second chance to complete the mission. The Lord knew before He sent Jonah that this would happen, and He intended on being merciful to Jonah. God also intended on being merciful to the Ninevites before He sent Jonah to preach to them.  And in the end, the Lord was merciful to Jonah and the Ninevites. 

So rather than doom and gloom, this was a real story of mercy and compassion in every respect, for those who have ears to hear.  Maybe the church today needs more preaching of repentance, faith and forgiveness.  Those who do preach this message are in good company with people like Jeremiah, Jonah, Jesus, and John the Baptist. 

However, preachers may be afraid that they will lose people, by proclaiming this message.  It’s true that often times the so-called believers don’t receive the servants of God sent to them. So if you’re concerned about rejection, the prospects of this could scare you away from this kind of preaching.  It’s not for the faint of heart.

Jesus only had one apostle and a few women who remained with Him to the end, during His crucifixion.  The rest were scattered.  The apostle Paul, at the end of his life said, "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them." (2Ti 4:16) In some of the places where Paul made disciples and established churches, those same places are dominated by Islam today with barely a trace of Christian faith present.

But those who are obedient to the Lord in preaching the full gospel of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ will receive a rich reward.  Their ministry may seem like a dismal failure in man’s eyes, but that’s not what God looks at. They may not draw large crowds, but they are truly successful in God’s eyes.  And the fruit they bring forth will be the kind that lasts!

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Clergy-Laity Distinction unbiblical

Even though the Reformation occurred almost 500 years ago, we still see unbiblical divisions in the Church today. One of those is the distinction between clergy and laity.

Clergy comes from a Latin word, meaning clerk. It’s used today to refer to the body of people ordained for religious service. It refers to those who are ordained religious practitioners, such as priests, ministers, pastors, bishops, cardinals, chaplains, or any prelates ruling in the Church.

For those who recognize this as a separate class of Christian people, all those who are not clergy are referred to as laity. The word laity refers to members of a religious community that do not have the priestly responsibilities of ordained clergy.

We don’t find these terms clergy and laity in the Bible, nor do we find the distinction between two such classes.

Overseers and Elders
In God’s Word, we do find that the Lord gave gifts to the Church, for the purpose of building up and equipping the Church. According to the apostle Paul, these are called apostles, teachers, pastors, prophets, and evangelists (Eph 4:20). These people are supposed to be equipping God’s people for works of service, so that they too can serve.

The New Testament Bible also refers to elders or overseers. The apostle Paul said that if any man desires to be an overseer, it is a fine work he desires (1 Tim 3:1). This word overseer comes from the Greek word episkopos, which means one who oversees. Paul described the qualifications for overseers in this same third chapter of his letter to Timothy.

Another term for overseer is an elder. Elder comes from the Greek word presbuteros, which means older, senior, or simply elder. In the context of Paul’s writings, it is clear that elders and overseers are two words for the same function. They simply describe different aspects of the same role. Peter wrote to the elders, referring to himself as a fellow elder (1 Pet 5:1). So he considered himself an elder also, even though he was also an apostle. He states that an elder should “shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight.” (1 Pet 5:2). Since an elder shepherds the flock and provides oversight, it is obvious that he is an overseer by definition.

So when we read the New Testament in context, we see that elders or overseers are either pastors, teachers, apostles, prophets, or evangelists. The head is our Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Peter wrote to the elders saying, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” (1Pe 5:4) 

Reasons Why Clergy is an unbiblical term

There are three basic reasons why the concept of clergy must be dismissed as unbiblical.

1. First, all disciples in the kingdom of God are priests. A priest, according to the Word of God, is one who represents men before Almighty God and performs a holy service in God’s house. In John’s Revelation, he wrote: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6).

The apostle Peter agreed with this when he wrote: “You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 2:5). Peter went on to write: “But you are a chosen race, A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1Pe 2:9-10).

So Scripture teaches that all believers are priests and are part of God’s holy priesthood. The spiritual sacrifice we offer is our own body, and the service we perform is to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. The term priest is not reserved for a select few individuals, but is used for all disciples in the kingdom of God.

2. Secondly, we have only One Leader, and His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself taught us not to use titles like “Father,” “Leader,” or “Rabbi” to distinguish ourselves or set ourselves apart from other believers. He said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Mat 23:8-11). So we should not use the titles “Father,” "Teacher," or "Leader," when addressing those who serve in equipping ministries, since we are all brothers. We shouldn’t let anyone address us with titles and we should not address anyone with titles. Rather, we must walk in humility.

You will not find one single instance in the Bible where any of the apostles put the word "apostle" in front of their name as a title. Peter was simply called "Peter" by others, and that is what he called himself. Likewise, Paul was called "Paul" by others, and that is what he called himself. He was "Paul, an apostle", not "Apostle Paul." The same was true of James, John, and all the other apostles. Moreover, there is not one instance in Scripture where someone was called with the title "Pastor" in front of his name. It does not exist. The same is true of other big titles like "Bishop," "Archbishop," "Reverend," "Right Reverend," etc. Therefore, anyone who uses titles like this has no biblical basis for it. In fact, they are disobeying the Lord's command not to use titles.

3. Thirdly, according to the apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit has given gifts to the Church. The apostle Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” (1Co 12:4-14).

He teaches in this passage that the Body is not made up of just one member who does everything. Yet many churches operate like this where everything depends on the pastor. Paul taught that there are a variety of gifts given for the common good. They are distributed to the various members of the Body as He wills, so they can use them in their priestly service.

Functional differences
Naturally there are functional differences. Not everyone in the Body of Christ is an elder. But all are priests. Not every elder is a pastor either. But some elders are pastors, some are teachers, some are apostles, etc. While there are clearly functional differences, the Lord taught us not to set ourselves apart or distinguish ourselves with titles or class distinctions.

The apostle Paul affirmed this also. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Co 1:10).

Yet how many times do you see in a Christian gathering that the clergy get front row seats? Or there is special reserved seating for clergy. Why do men do this?

James taught us not to make distinctions among ourselves when he wrote: “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?” (Jam 2:1-4). One might consider that if an elder is supposed to be functioning in oversight, he is better positioned to do so while seated among the people, rather than from the front in a seat of honor, as though he were above everyone else.

If a man is serving as an elder in the role of a pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet or evangelist, then others will know it. He does not need to wear a title to let everyone know. The key is that he must be serving. This is what Jesus taught.

Putting it All Together
While many people today still make a distinction among Christians between clergy and laity, it’s unbiblical. If we claim to follow the Word of God as our sole rule of faith, then we should do away with such distinctions. They only serve to create divisions and exalt men above others.

Instead we should exalt our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Body, the Chief Shepherd of the flock. Let’s humble ourselves before the mighty hand of God and repent of this practice. Let's restore Jesus Christ to His rightful place in the Church as our One Leader.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I recommend reading The Priesthood of All Believers and How to Treat Leaders. You may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.