Simple Church Minute 32--priesthood of believers

32—priesthood of believers

My name is Tom; this is Simple Church Minute

            First Peter chapter 2 verses 4 to 6 say, “…coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed among men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are buing built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  After that, Peter quotes a number of places in Leviticus. “Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”  These verses speak of the church.  That is God’s people; according to scripture, that is not a building or special type of not for profit organization.  Nowhere in that part of scripture describing the goings on of the New Covenant people are the words “church”, “temple”, or “house of God” used to refer to a structure that believers in Jesus used to worship in.  Believers are the house of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is the cornerstone.  Revelation chapter 1 verse 6 says, “To him (that’s Jesus” who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father to Him be glory forever and ever.”  In this world, I may feel more like a prisoner than a king, but he has made me and every believer in Jesus a priest—I can pray to God directly,, without a human intermediary, and I am to pray without ceasing.  I have to understand that as an attitude of desiring constant communication with God.  I can’t do my job, drive to work, care for my family with my eyes closed and hands folded.

            No buildings were built for Christian worship and meeting together until the Roman Empire made Christianity legal, and forced many political and pagan customs into the church.  They had churches built over the tombs of the apostles, and named churches after apostles, like paganism named temples after pagan gods.

            You can email me at simplechurchminute@gmail.com. For more info on organic church*, see http://www.simplechurch.com/ or locally at (local website).

On the recording, at this time, it says, “house churches.”  While that phrasing is OK, to say “organic church” is better.  I comment on that in blip 94.