Category: Reflections Blog

Living Sacrifice Day 37 – One Body

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Philippians 2:1-11

The Bible talks about a number of mystical unions. Genesis 2:24 teaches us that a man and woman who marry become one flesh. The Trinity – that God is One yet three Persons is another mystical union. The church is another. While a number of words are used in the New Testament to describe the church, the Greek word for body – soma, used in Romans 12:5 – offers a number of illustrations we can draw from.

Paul talks about this mystic union when he says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one spirit, we were all baptized into one body.” Regarding this mystical union, we would do well as a church to mimic the Trinity. This is the most holy and majestic of all mystic unions and undefiled by sin. There is a sweet submissiveness that we see in Jesus as He says in Luke 22:42, “Not my will but thine be done.” Jesus’ teaching in John 5 emphasizes a beautiful and mysterious relationship. It is a relationship of trusting, empowering, and glorifying the other members. While they are literally One, they are so in-sync and intertwined, that each One can be seen in the others. Jesus told His disciples in John 14:9, “If you’ve seen me, then you’ve seen the Father.”

Secondly, when considering the analogy of the church to the body, we should note that the body parts are attached. The Trinity was not a long distance relationship. Jesus existed with the Father, and on earth, we see times where Jesus removes Himself from the crowds in order to connect with Him. Churches where interactions only occur on Sunday mornings will never achieve true unity. Unfortunately, in suburban America, where we are spread out, we miss out on the tight community aspect on which the early church thrived.

Your office may use the phrase, “keep relationships professional” or “maintain a professional distance.” This should not be applied to church. Our church relationships are not supposed to be professional; they are supposed to be personal. Fellowship is key to building relationships. Relationships are key to building unity.

Third, because the body parts are attached, one movement affects the entire body. For example, consider what happens when you get embarrassed. First, your ears send a signal to your brain, then there’s a tingly sensation that makes its way through your body, followed by your cheeks and ears getting red, and then you start sweating. One sensation and movement affects the others. While we could talk in depth about the consequences of sin on the Body of Christ, let me focus on the positive effects this has.

Since September, I have been working out, nearly five days a week. It has had a tremendous effect on my body. My muscles have gotten larger, fat has burned off, I have more stamina and energy, and I’ve been less prone to illness. Did you know that when you work out, you may tone one area of the body, but you burn fat all over your body, not just in the area that is getting exercise? When you spiritually exercise (walk with God, pray, study, train, and use your spiritual gifts), you are toning yourself as a member of the body of Christ. However, you will influence and impact the entire body. If you’re active in the church, your personal walk with God will affect the ministry you’re involved in as well as the people you minister to.

While entire books have been written about unity in the Body of Christ, let me leave you with this thought. You can’t force unity. Like the movement of a body, it’s natural. However, muscles need to be exercised in order to develop and grow. First, we need to be personal living sacrifices and walk with God. Secondly, we need to spend time with each other and let those relationships grow. That doesn’t mean more church activities per se. It might just mean hanging out. Let me encourage you to invite a church family over or out for dinner once every week or two. As we build those relationships, we will be desirous to look out for the best interests of each other. At that point, unity is inevitable.

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Living Sacrifice Day 36 – Belonging to Each Other

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Peter 5:5-11

Submit is one of those words we don’t like to use. Many weddings these days exclude Ephesians 5:22 which says, “wives submit to your husbands.” I love what one of our elders and teachers Steve Coleman shared about this point. He explained that the need for submission is a consequence of the fall. While it is necessary that the wife take a submissive role, it should not be a yoke put around her neck. In the same way that we try to lessen other consequences of the fall such as child birth pain with medicine and yard work with machines and chemicals, so too must we act to make the need to submit as painless and infrequent as possible.

Yesterday we discussed the first four verses of 1 Peter 5 in connection with a leader’s role in the church. We looked at the job of a shepherd and compared it to church leadership. In today’s reading, we see that people are supposed to submit to their elders. The words that are used does not limit this to a younger person submitting to an older person; but rather the congregation submitting to the elders or pastors of the church.

Steve’s point about submission in marriage can be applied to churches as well. The picture Peter is painting is one of a shepherd. As I shared with you yesterday, the shepherd is one who roams with his sheep, guiding them to pasture. If you ever get to watch shepherds in action (like I did in Morocco), you’ll find that they often give their sheep room to roam. If one sheep ventures too far, the shepherd gently brings him back with either the sound of his voice or a nudge with his staff. In the same way, church leaders are not supposed to be micro-managers. We, as leaders, must give leeway to allow the congregation to use their gifts, grow, and develop their vision for ministry. I like the NIV version of Romans 12:6-8, which essentially says, “if someone has the gift, let him use it.”

However, I would be a naive if I pretended like there was never a need for us to submit to the church leaders. I have heard of situations even in the most harmonious of churches where the need for church discipline and correction had to take place. Sometimes it becomes necessary to emphasize the need to be submissive.

Let me caution the leader with two points here. First, times of necessary correction are not moments to exert power and flex muscles, but are opportunities to restore and build relationships. Paul uses the phrase in Romans 12:5, “each member belongs to the others.” There is a parallel here between marriage and the church. Just as the husband belongs to the wife and the wife to the husband, so each member belongs to all the others. There is a yielding that takes place so as to honor, serve, and edify each other. The purpose of church discipline is to correct and restore. While there may be cases where that is impossible, the idea of a church leader is a husband that yearns for his wife to return to him.

Secondly, submission should never be demanded but always earned. If leaders are not respectful, trustworthy, responsible, godly examples, and loving, then they should not be surprised if people are hesitant to submit. As I watch the riots in countries like Egypt, Libya, and Iran, I’m reminded that tyrants are leaders who demand respect rather than earn it. Church is not like a business. A leader does not earn respect by title, education, or expertise. Being a shepherd is a calling of building trust, of walking with individuals through the trenches and mountain passes of life, and offering food and drink along the way.

In the same way that I have talked about leaders, this applies to each person in the Body of Christ. We gain respect by exercising our gifts with sensitivity and love. Yes, each of us has gifts, each of us ought to use our gifts, but the goal must always be to glorify God and edify the Body. When we use our gifts in a cavalier fashion, we end up creating the “look at me show.” However, as we grow in understanding that each person is a precious child of God, dearly loved, and entrusted to this flock, we begin to see our ministry not as an opportunity to exercise our gifts for the sake of doing so, but we do it to bless the people around us.

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Living Sacrifice Day 35 – Shepherding: the Heart of Church Leadership

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Peter 5:1-4

A number of summers ago, my wife and I spent time in a remote region of Morocco with some missionary friends. Nearly every day we would watch shepherds lead their flock of sheep up and over the mountain pass near the home where we stayed, or we would see them in a field near a highway we drove by. It is not a glamorous job. It is a job of caring for these animals and leading them to places where they can find water and pasture. As they walked up steep hills, it looked like a never-ending exhausting job. Often times the shepherds were dirty, they looked vigilant but tired, and they seemed to give no indication that the destination was nearby. It was like their job and their only concern was keeping the sheep safe and well fed, wherever it led them.

Over the past few days, I have been challenging you to not think of yourself as an average Joe just helping your pastor, but rather as a called member of the clergy, qualified for service – whatever that service may be. Today I want to talk about the heart of leadership.

Peter very intentionally uses the analogy of shepherd with church leader for a couple of reasons. First, Peter wants us to understand what church leadership is all about. Like those shepherds in Morocco, church leadership is not about being a glamorous CEO, it is about walking the trenches with the sheep. It is about putting them and their needs first and helping them find pasture.

Sadly, sometimes this point is forgotten among many church leaders. Instead of seeing the church as a ministry to serve, sometimes it can be treated merely as a corporation with success as its only aim. When pastors and elders lose the vision of shepherds and treat their jobs as though they were CEOs, attitudes quickly switch to “it’s my way or the highway.” I heard a story recently about a pastor who barged into a meeting, proclaiming, “You will pay me more, and all I’m going to do from now on is preach!” Sadly he had forgotten that being a pastor is not a calling to be Steve Jobs but to be more like Mother Teresa.

In some churches this happens because the congregation has unbiblical expectations of their pastors and leaders. Instead of seeing them as shepherds, they cater to the corporate mentality. They want their leaders to build a thriving empire of perfection, rather than a ministry of love and relationship building. They’ll roll out the red carpet and offer a free Mercedes, but when the leadership doesn’t grow the church in numbers, they’re out the door looking for a new flock with which to wander. Peter wants us church leaders and congregations to realize that leading in God’s ministry is a ministry of shepherding.

Secondly, Peter’s words remind us whose sheep we’re caring for. We are told that these are not our sheep but sheep that God has entrusted to us for a time. He tells us that our attitude should not be to do this service because we have to but because we may do it. One day, the Lord will return and hold us to account. Why should we be proud to say, “Look at the building we were able to build!” if our sheep are skinny and unfed. Why should we feel proud to say, “Look at the vision statements adorning our wall!” if our sheep have not been led to healthy pastures. Why should we feel proud to say, “Look at how large our church is!” if our sheep are all sickly and deformed. The point is that God cares primarily about His sheep. Sure, we must be good stewards of our building and facilities, but we must recognize that the true church, bought with the precious blood of Christ, is not made up of bricks and mortar, rather it is made up of human beings.

These human beings form the one body, which Paul talks about in Romans 12. Our calling as shepherds (whether it be elder, ministry leader, teacher, etc.) is to feed the flock by allowing them and encouraging them to use their gifts. Some churches don’t trust the congregation to do this because of fear that they’ll screw something up. But I think it would be wise to understand the job of a shepherd. Their job is not to merely get the flock into a pen ten miles away and say, “I’ve arrived.” Their job is to feed them. It is a calling marked by journey and never by destination.

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Living Sacrifice Day 34 – When You Have to be Clutch

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Mark 11:12-26

I’m an avid baseball fan and am looking forward to the upcoming season. You know, I really love a game that comes down to the wire. It’s during these games that strategy becomes important, and we often see managerial moves that otherwise wouldn’t occur. One of those moves is bringing in a pinch hitter. This is someone who is not in the starting lineup who replaces a batter. Managers will do this to throw off the opposing pitcher from what he was expecting. Sometimes he will do this if the regular batter doesn’t fair well against the pitcher and in the situation. Or sometimes the manager just wants to try his luck. There’s nothing more exciting than a pinch hitter coming through with a clutch hit to extend or win the game. Well, as long as he’s on the team you’re routing for.

Being a servant of God, sometimes we’re called to be a pinch hitter. Take a look at the gifts that are listed in Romans 12:6-8 – prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy. What do you notice? Well, hopefully, you’re doing these to some extent or another. You may not be gifted at giving, but if everyone used that as an excuse not to give, we would be in a pretty sad state. Likewise, you may not have the gift of encouragement, but we are all still called to encourage each other.

It may help to think of it in terms of a baseball team. You might not be the starting player or the captain when it comes to teaching, but that doesn’t mean that you’re off the hook. You never know when the Coach will call upon you to teach. Maybe it won’t be a sermon, but it might be a one-on-one situation.

In today’s reading, we find what might seem an unreasonable Lord. How can a fig tree be expected to produce fruit out of season? Well, Jesus was teaching us a lesson and used a tree to make the point. We are sometimes out of season. Maybe we aren’t prepared, maybe we’re not in playoff form, or maybe we’re not gifted in an area. But the Lord still expects us to produce. While it’s important to know your calling and focus in that area, don’t let that become an excuse for not serving when needs arise.

I think here the phrase living sacrifice is especially fitting. Often times, a manager will bring in a pinch hitter who is good at laying down a bunt. This player is expected to put the ball gently in play, and his role is to advance the other player. It is a near certainty that the batter will get thrown out in the play, but this is why it’s called a sacrifice. Sometimes, God may call on us to serve in areas and situations where we may not feel best suited. Maybe we just flat out don’t want to do something. These are the moments we need to remember our primary calling. We are living sacrifices. This is where we need to say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

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Living Sacrifice Day 33 – Anyone Can Minister

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13

One of my family’s favorite movies is a Disney Pixar film called Ratatouille. It’s about a rat named Remy who gets disconnected from his scavenging family and ends up in Paris. He realizes early on that he’s not like the other rats who dig for grub in the trash. No, he loves to cook. His inspiration comes from a world-renowned chef named Gusteau, who wrote a book entitled “Anyone Can Cook.” At the end of this cute movie, Remy who is the brains behind a Parisian restaurant kitchen has to impress a tough food critic named Anton Ego. And when Ego finds out that the delicious dish of ratatouille he just consumed was made by a rat, we’re left in suspense wondering what type of review Ego will give Remy’s restaurant. It turns out that Ego’s egotistical heart softens, and he gives this review. “…In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

This is a good lesson not just for the artist or chef but for the Christian as well. As we have been talking about for the past two days, the idea that there are some that are called to ministry is a myth. We are all called to ministry. Scripture makes no distinction between the clergy and the laity. We are all part of a laos – a holy nation – called to share a portion (or kleros) of God’s ministry. Anyone can minister.

When I say “anyone can minister,” I am really saying two things. First, everyone should minister to each other in the area that God calls and equips you for. He may not call you to be a pastor, but he may call you to be a teacher, an encourager, or a giver. When you exercise your gift(s), you are glorifying God and ministering to the Body of Christ.

Secondly, when I say “anyone can minister,” I mean to say, God can use anyone. The Bible is filled with examples of people whom we would overlook for ministry. Abraham was a pagan, Moses stuttered, Ruth was poor, David cheated on his wife, Jonah was afraid, Zaccheaus was short, Peter was rough around the edges, and the stories go on and on. If we have learned anything about the Bible, it is that God can use anyone. Not everyone becomes pastors and prophets, but like Anton Ego’s train of thought, pastors, prophets, and leaders can come from anywhere. We just don’t know who God will raise up and for what purpose. It is as God tells Samuel, “Man looks at the appearance, but God looks at the heart.”

Let me encourage you with this thought. As you walk with God, you are changing. You are receiving a heart transplant. People around you may see your weaknesses, may see your past failures, may see your faults, but God sees something different in you. When God grabs a hold of you and the Holy Spirit begins to work, you never know what can happen. Just remember the story of Peter. When his friend and rabbi was being beaten, Peter couldn’t even muster up the words to say, “Yes, I know Him.” But once the Holy Spirit entered his life at Pentecost, everything changed. Peter stood up before priests, scholars, and thousands of people and gave a sermon that may be considered one of the most powerful and influential of all time. In Acts 4, we find the elders and priests astonished at how it was that Peter, an uneducated man, could speak with such power and authority. If God can use Peter, He can use you. Be sensitive to His leading. You just never know what He’ll call and qualify you to do.

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Living Sacrifice Day 32 – Your Full-Time Calling to Ministry

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Matthew 28:18-20

Early on while serving at New Hope Chapel on a part-time basis, I was also serving another church as their pastor, also on a part-time basis. One day, one of the Elders of the church I was pastoring approached me and said, “We have to figure out a way to get you full-time.” I told him I appreciated his notion, but I didn’t think it was necessary. After all the church was only about 30 people, and with limited resources, it seemed like it would be more of a burden on the church than a blessing. A couple weeks later at a meeting, that same Elder stood up and accused me of not being called to full-time ministry. I was taken back by the blindsided attack, but I was more so confused. “Wasn’t I serving in full-time ministry by being on staff part-time at two different churches?” But then I began to ask, “Aren’t we all called to full-time ministry?”

Before you answer, “no,” remember what we have established as a Biblical understanding of the church. First, the Bible teaches no distinction between clergy and laity. The standard or expectation God gives to a clergyman is the same as a layman. The Bible doesn’t seem to support the idea that payment equals higher calling. Secondly, we are all equipped and qualified by the Lord to serve in unique and important ways.

So, are you called to full-time ministry? This is a complicated question with an even more complicated answer. In our society, we are accustomed (especially men) to ask each other what it is we do. By that, we are asking about a person’s occupation – what type of job they have that brings home the bacon. I remember once asking a man about this, and he blew it off and said, “well, I’m a husband and a father.” Men, we have to understand that there is a temptation to get our self-worth from our occupations. This may also be the case for some women as well.

We don’t remember Paul for being a tent-maker. We may forget that Luke was a physician or that Peter was a fisherman. No, we think of these men as champions of the faith, ministers of the Gospel, and servants of Christ. I suppose if one of them were around today, and we saw them at a party and asked what it is they do, they would have emphasized first and foremost their work in the church. They saw their ministry, the exercising of their gifts, as their calling. Their “occupation,” so to speak, was a way to make money to support their calling. Is this the way you see your life?

Now before you run to church and ask to become a full-time staff member, let me encourage you with this thought: While we are called to serve the local church, sometimes our ministry extends beyond the bounds of our local body. Some are involved in various ministries that cross denominational borders. This is part of Kingdom work and is just as important as work within the local church. So, to that regard, ministry does not just mean serving the church that you attend.

Furthermore, most of us cannot afford to quit our jobs and focus solely on church work. We need that money to support our families. Therefore, we’re stuck at our office for at least forty hours a week. If that’s the case, let me encourage you to pray that God will begin or continue showing you ways that your workplace can become your ministry. This parallels what we talked about earlier on in the series in regards to worship. Every opportunity can be an opportunity to worship just as it can be to serve and build up the body of Christ.

On this point, I want to make a special emphasis on ministering to Believers, as that is what it means to edify the Body. We need each other. You may know of a Believer or two at your office. Let me encourage you to spend time with them at your workplace. Maybe you can have lunch or commute together. Maybe you can mimic the smokers and take breaks together whenever you please to get that encouragement fix.

Your full-time work is not whatever vocation you have that pays you. You are first and foremost a servant in the Kingdom of God. In your living sacrifice journey, I urge you to be faithful in your service. Part of that is seeing every opportunity as an opportunity to be a minister of the Gospel of Christ. Let that define who you are.

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Living Sacrifice Day 31 – Your Serious Calling to Ministry

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Peter 4:1-11

A number of years ago, I served as Pastor of a small church. I didn’t have much experience or training, and I was unprepared to spar with the big personalities. My wife and I left the church bruised and jaded. We swore we would never return to a pastoral role. I remember saying, “In the future, my goal is to say to my pastor, ‘what can I do for you to help your ministry along?’” I thought that was pretty humble and generous of me, offering to give my pastor a boost in his ministry.

I’m not alone in my thinking. There was a study in the mid 1900s given to 12,000 members of the Methodist denomination, in which they were asked to choose among four options that represented their idea of a layperson.
1. Laypersons are members of the people of God called to a total ministry of witness and service in the world.
2. Laypersons are those who are ministered to by the clergy who are the true church.
3. Laypersons are people in part-time Christian service.
4. Laypersons are non-ordained Christians whose function is to help the clergy do the work of the church.

59.4% chose option 4. Needless to say, I would have been one of those.

Yesterday, we discussed how the Bible never makes a distinction between clergy and laity as classes of Christians. It’s important to note that this isn’t to say that there aren’t various leadership positions in the church with different functions. Ephesians 4 lays out a number of them: apostles, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc. However, the way we use clergy generally is used in a professional sense. Thus, we distinguish between a professional minister and a volunteer minister.

What’s the difference? Generally, a professional minister is one who is paid by the church, serves on staff at the church, and thus is held to a higher standard because there is money involved. Often times that person earns that position based on a level of education and experience. It would be awfully difficult for a professional minister to wake up on Sunday morning and say, “I don’t feel like teaching today. I think I’m going to take a sick day.” But a volunteer may not have nearly as difficult of a time doing so. Consider a church that has a volunteer pastor. They might get off the hook for neglecting the body. Whereas, if a professional pastor were to do that, he might be out of a job. Thus if we were to call the professional minister clergy and the non-professional laity, what we are saying is that there are different standards or expectations, based on payment.

An illustration might serve to make this point. Imagine an elementary school where there are teachers for every grade. There are ways that a 5th grade teacher may go about teaching differently than a kindergarten teacher. They, in a sense, have different functions, but the standards of teaching are the same. Maybe it’s show up to work on time, dress professionally, have lesson plans ready, etc. We can see what might happen if we brought a volunteer into the mix. If a school was not upfront with a volunteer regarding expectations, maybe different standards would be applied. Or perhaps the volunteer might say, “I don’t get paid so why should I have to show up on time?”

This is what Paul is combating in Romans 12:6-8 when he says, if your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. He is applying a standard to each gift and function within the church. Thus, he is teaching us that there is no distinction or different level of expectation between a clergy and a layman, one who is paid and one who isn’t. We have a standard that we must follow. What’s that standard? Paul tells us in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” This was also the point Peter was making in today’s reading.

My heart has really been moved in recent months to encourage the Body of Christ in this regard. I want each person not to see themselves as a warm body in the pew. I want them to see themselves as an integral part to the Body of Christ. Your role in ministry is not to help the pastor build his church. Your role in ministry is to help God build His church. Of the survey I mentioned earlier, I think the Biblical answer is to say, “Laypersons are members of the people of God called to a total ministry of witness and service in the world.” To this regard, you are no different than one who carries a title of clergy. You may not be called to be an apostle, elder, teacher, pastor, or deacon. You may be called to stand at the door and pass at bulletins as people enter. Your role, your standard of expectation, your importance in the ministry is no less than the one who gives the sermon.

Your call to the ministry is serious. It’s not something you do with your leftover time and energy. God has entrusted you with gifts, empowered you by His Spirit, and He is saying, “come build my church.” Let me challenge you that as you seek to become a living sacrifice to find out what God is telling you specifically. When you find out what role He is calling you to, take it seriously. God is watching. God is testing to see if you are faithful. And there is a reward for you in heaven.

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Living Sacrifice Day 30 – The Myth of Clergy and Laity

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Colossians 1:1-14

A friend of mine who is a Pastor carries a special card in his wallet. It is a card given by a Major League Baseball organization that allows him entrance into their ballpark for free. It’s a clergy pass. I imagine the light bulb just went off in your head, and now you’re wondering how you can get one of those too. Well, I’ve got good news for you, but if you’re like I was, this news may shock you. Ready? There’s no Biblical basis for a distinction of clergy and laity among Christians. In other words, the Bible does not teach that there’s a special class of Christians that enter the clergy and the rest are the laity. So, go ahead and apply for your cards!

Well, if the Bible doesn’t teach this, where did this idea come from? Well, it’s a long story, but it began in the early church. There is evidence in post-apostolic writings, beginning with Clement I, of teachers making a distinction between the qualified and the unqualified. The qualified became known as the clergy and the general population of Christians became known as the laity. By the 300s, this idea was taught and practiced in churches, and today, we can see how that has developed. In the Catholic Church, there is a very distinct hierarchy, and to become part of that, you have to make some very intense vows. And if you aren’t willing or “called” to do that, then you are, by default, part of the laity. However, this idea is still in place in many Protestant churches as well, where there is a distinction between the called and the unqualified, the pulpiters and the pewsitters.

So, what does the Bible teach? The Greek word for laity is the word laos. Whenever that word is used in the New Testament, it is used to refer to the entire Church. Because it is a word often associated in ancient Greek with a nation of people, this would have been revolutionary to the Jewish converts to Christianity. Whereas, the people of Israel were a laos or nation in and of themselves, now this term was being used to cross borders and ethnicities, bridging the gap between Jews and Gentiles, giving a unified identity through the Person of Christ. The word laos or laity is never used in Scripture, as we often hear it used today – to talk about a general population of Christians who are not called to an elite league of ministers.

Likewise, the word Clergy is never used in Scripture to reference an elite group with a special calling. This word comes from the Greek word kleros, which means a share or portion. It is used in Colossians 1:12 when Paul says, “the Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people.” This share of ministry is something that God entrusts to every Believer. While the Bible talks about the importance of training and discipling, it does not suggest that only those with a certain level of education can obtain a kleros. While the Bible does talk about specific offices and leadership in the church, it does not identify two separate classes of Christians. As Paul states in 1 Corinthians 12:25, “There should be no division in the body.”

Today, we use the word clergy to designate those who are employed by a church, recognized on a pastoral staff, or we may even go so far as to say that missionaries fall under this classification. But I believe there is harm in making this distinction. Over time, we can see what has happened. As we have emphasized the elite and special calling of the pastor, the general congregation has lost its sense that they are equally called, equally qualified, and equally responsible to exercise their gifts in the church. Instead, it becomes easy for us to say, “we pay the pastor to do the ministry,” and pass the buck on him. Likewise, many churches have pastors who want to take control, using the “clergy card” as a way of lording over the people.

I feel both extremes sadden the Lord greatly. Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Colossians 1, and other passages never speak of such an attitude as one the church should have. Instead, we are encouraged to see the church as a body working together, each part equally important and necessary. And who’s the head? It’s not the pastor, or the main teacher, or the patriarch who sits on the elder’s board. No, it’s Christ and Christ alone.

Being a living sacrifice compels us to understand this important point and to fight off hundreds of years of tradition that I believe violates some vital Biblical points. We are the laos – the people of God. As Peter points out, “We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s chosen people.” We, by God’s grace, have been entrusted with a portion of ministry. It’s not my ministry. It’s not your ministry. It’s God’s ministry.

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Living Sacrifice Day 29 – Adorned with the Gift of God

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading Matthew 25:14-30

As most engagements go, my cousin bought a ring for his fiance and asked her to be his wife. Later, gathered as a family, we asked them about the proposal, and they shared with us the details. When we asked her about the ring, she laughed. “Oh, it’s so ugly!” she exclaimed. “I don’t even wear it.” She turned to my cousin. “What were you thinking when you bought me that hideous ring?”

Ouch! I couldn’t imagine my wife saying that about the ring I gave her when I proposed. It was custom made with every penny I owned (which really wasn’t much at all). I had dipped into the savings account I had started as a little kid and gave it to her as a humble offering and token of my love. It makes me so happy that she wears that ring with pride. She confirms and esteems me by adorning herself with that humble gift.

God has given you spiritual gifts. He has poured grace and mercy out on you. When we put down, deny, or bury our gifts, we, in a sense, do what my cousin’s wife did. But when we accept God’s gifts and use them, we are honoring our Lord.

As we have talked about during the past couple of days, there is a difference between humility and low self-esteem. Putting yourself down, whether verbally or in your thinking, undermines the grandeur of God and His ability to make something out of your life. Remember, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. When we fail to realize that, we place ourselves above and before God. We make ourselves bigger than God, and thus we become our own idols and are displaying an attitude of pride.

The Parable of the Talents in today’s reading gives us insight to help us have the right attitude. All these three men were given gifts. They couldn’t say, “Look at me,” because what they were given was a gift or a loan. The first two had a right to be pleased with their work, only inasmuch as their Master was pleased. Of this point, C.S. Lewis notes in Mere Christianity, “Pleasure in being praised is not Pride. The child who is patted on the back for doing a lesson well, the woman whose beauty is praised by her lover, the saved soul to whom Christ says ‘Well done,’ are pleased and ought to be. For here the pleasure lies not in what you are but in the fact that you have pleased someone you wanted (and rightly wanted) to please. The trouble begins when you pass from thinking, ‘I have pleased him; all is well,’ to thinking, ‘What a fine person I must be to have done it.’ The more you delight in yourself and the less you delight in the praise, the worse you delight in the praise, the worse you are becoming.”

In utilizing our gifts, let’s remember these points. First, we are Living Sacrifices; our purpose is to be a pleasurable fragrance to the Lord. Secondly, we are using our gifts to please our Master. Thirdly, when we use our gifts, we honor God because it is really God’s amazing grace that is on display. And lastly, when we use the gifts God has entrusted us with, we can expect to be given a greater measure, just as the faithful servants were given.

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Living Sacrifice Day 28 – Three Gifts

Justin Hibbard


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Begin by reading 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Playing sports, my father always gave us incentives to do well. Score a goal, and it was a $5 reward. Score another, and it meant $10 on top of the previous $5. If we scored a hat-trick, he gave us $15 more. Three goals earned us $30. I think if I had understood the value of money, I would have tried a lot harder to get those three goals.

Depending on your job, you may have experienced merit or incentive pay. First, you may have received a salary based on your experience, education, and expertise. Then, you may be set up to receive bonuses or incentives based on how well you do the job. At the end of the year when you get that raise, you can pat yourself on the back for how well you did. The paycheck proves it.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this is very different than how God works. We are told in Romans 12:3-6 that we have been given three gifts. First, we know that we have been given spiritual gifts. These gifts are outlined for us in today’s reading. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, we are told three times that it is the Lord who gives us gifts. These are not our personal abilities based on our experience and expertise, these are gifts from the Lord.

How are these gifts distributed? Are they given to you based on your good looks or your height? Nope. They are given in accordance to grace. What is grace? Ephesians 2:7-8 tells us that grace is a gift. It’s not based on who you are or what you’ve accomplished in the past; it’s a gift. So, we’re given a gift based on a gift.

And lest we should boast, Paul tells us to think soberly about ourselves in accordance to the measure of faith given to us. What is faith? Faith is also a gift. When Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah in Matthew 16, Jesus says, “Blessed are you Peter, because the Father has revealed this to you.” Not only is grace a gift but so is faith. Basically, Paul is telling us that we’ve received a gift, based on a gift, in a measure that’s also a gift.

So before you boast about what it is you can do, remember, it’s all a gift. There’s really nothing about you to boast about. Secondly, because we’ve been given not just one gift but a whole bunch of them, spend some time today thanking God for what He is doing through you.

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