Help Wanted - save the world

Help wanted, save the world

“Help wanted, save the world.”  Does that sound grandiose to you?  That is the calling God gives to every Christian!  Need purpose, meaning, a reason to get out of bed every day? Well, there it is. There is no question this world needs saving.  Injustice, greed, lewdness, loneliness, depression, sex slavery, poverty, and environmental exploitation are all symptoms of  the same sickness – sinfulness! God calls us to wade into the middle of all of these things to build a bridge out of that lost place into His Presence, where there is forgiveness, restoration, and life eternal.  The Scripture calls that being a ‘priest.’

When we invited Christ to be Lord of life, we also entered the holy priesthood of Believers. "Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God. …  you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you." (1 Peter 2:8-9, The Message)  No matter what your occupation may be – plumber, lawyer, mother, teacher, pastor, or systems analyst – your calling is to the priesthood.

The Bible teaches us that being a priest means we live in such a way that our daily actions cause others to think of God and His goodness.  Our lives lift others, shed light into darkness; yes, even cause people to become acutely aware of their own sinfulness.  No, it isn’t necessarily that we point out their sins or accuse.  It the life of the Spirit in us that creates a longing for something better.  Being a priest also involves standing between heaven and earth, holding out our hands to God in prayer on behalf of those who need His grace, and then turning to extend our hands to invite the world to join us at the Cross of Christ.

If that all sounds overwhelming, it is. That is why we must not attempt this Christian life on our own. We cannot fulfill the calling of the priesthood without the empowering of the Spirit.  The very first disciples were told of their mission to go into all the world and preach the Good News, but Jesus told them before they went, they had to wait.  Wait? For what?  "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49, NIV) "In one of these meetings as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before." (Acts 1:4, NLT)  "But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8, NLT)  "On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability." (Acts 2:1-4, NLT)

Those people went from that place newly empowered priests!  Their lives and message transformed the world within a generation. What does God want to do with you in your family circle as you represent Him as His holy priest?  Are you faithfulness to carry your friends and family members, your neighbors and the world before Him with priestly prayers that seek His grace?  

Yes, we can change the world. Could there be any higher purpose?