CALL

CALL, CALLING

MINISTER

MINISTER

MINISTRY

Today we commence our look at 'The Power of the Call' from the perspective of the people.

Since the Industrial Revolution of the 1800's we have promoted the division of labour, splitting jobs into specialised parts so that a task may be achieved in the most efficient way in the shortest time possible.

The classic example of this methodology has been the car production line in which thousands of parts come together in an intricately preplanned manner to produce an almost living organism that is the pride of many a man's heart.

Unfortunately, this specialisation mindset applies to 'religion' too, although in the spiritual world, no matter the religion, the assignment of 'spiritual functions' to a specialist priest, of whatever name, has been the norm from almost the beginning of time.

Why is this?

It is because of sin!

Before Adam and Eve sinned, they walked with God

They had an intimate, personal relationship with God as we (hopefully!) have with our spouse.

But sin and purity cannot co-exist. When our forefathers sinned, they were banished from the Garden of Eden, from the direct presence of God.

The story of all religions worldwide since, has been to, in whatever way, to attempt to come back into relationship with the 'supreme being', in whatever form or name is given to him, her or it. As mankind was separated from God through the sin of Adam and Eve, 'reconciliation' has almost always been attempted through an intermediary, a priest, who 'communicates' with God on people's behalf. Many religions have been born as people have attempted to make this reconciliation.

God too, related with His chosen people, The Jews, in this way, through firstly, the priesthood of Melchizedek and then the Aaronic priesthood. However, people being people, Jew and gentile alike, meant that sin continued to get in the way!

Yet God always desired for people to walk in a close, intimate, personal relationship with Him, as had Adam and Eve prior to the fall.

There was only one way of achieving this however. People had to become sinless. But how?

Jesus WAS the answer. Jesus IS the answer. Jesus always WILL BE the answer.

Through the sacrifice of the perfect man on the cross at Calvary

Hallelujah!

God required a perfect sinless sacrifice in order that individuals who accepted its reality might come back into a personal, intimate relationship with Him.

People say, "surely there are many ways back to God?" While there have been numbers of 'good men' who have tried to make this reconciliation, there has not been a 'perfect sacrifice', other than Jesus. That is why Jesus made the controversial, and often rejected statement today,

When Jesus came, He turned the world upside down. Not in the way that the people of the day, or most of us today expected, as a physical takeover of the world, but rather, in the reopening of a direct spiritual path to for you and me to the Almighty, to God the Father. As mentioned earlier, a relationship last experienced by Adam and Eve, before the fall.

Jesus brought a spiritual revolution, not a physical one. So what was this revolution? The formation of a spiritual kingdom, the kingdom of God.

Pilate could not understand it. The Jews could not understand it. We do not really understand it either!

The Temple in which the presence of God lived is gone! Physically today it is actually the site of a Muslim Mosque! No it has not been replaced by the Vatican, Canterbury Cathedral, the Crystal Cathedral, or the local church down the road. We, you and I, are God's building!

The 'temple of God' is now within every believer.

You are the temple of God. I am the temple of God. We are all the temple of God!

Before Jesus, only the priests could enter the sanctuary and only the High Priest could come into God's presence once a year. But the sacrifice of Jesus changed all that. The veil which separated God from man was supernaturally split so that we might again have direct access to the Father. Now we are all priests!

This was such a huge revolution that it reverberated in the physical as well as the spiritual.

It was the most momentous but least understood moment in human history! God is in us! We have direct access to God! We are now all priests in the kingdom of God! Hallelujah!

We must believe it! We must live it!

The revolution has come! You are a priest! I am a priest! Not by appointment by man! Not by wearing a robe or a ring! Not by the preaching of a sermon! But by the appointment of Jesus through his sacrifice on the cross at Calvary!

And again!

We continue our look at leadership from the perspective of the people.

It makes me shudder when I think of the sacrifice of sacrifices that my Jesus made for me and my often lacklustre response to it!

The 'power of the call' on you and me is such that it should turn our lives upside down - or rather - right side up!

How about you?

JESUS: BACKGROUND

Historical Overview

Rome - JULIUS CAESAR

Julius Caesar, after defeating the Gaul's and eliminating his political enemies, returned to Rome where he received the greatest triumphal celebration any Roman general had ever known. He received almost every power than an obedient Senate could confer on him. Because he arrogantly took up the powers of dictator, some of his close friends, including Brutus, joined in a plot to assassinate him in 44 BC, on the Ides of March, the 15th.