#1552. PRIESTS ARE CHOSEN (27/7/26)
- Matt Beaney
- Jul 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 28
Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (currently posted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) as we continue our series: I Will Dwell Among Them.
Today, we reflect on the truth:
Just as the Old Testament priests were chosen by God, so every Christian has been chosen by God to serve as part of His royal priesthood.
To watch this devotional, please select the link below:
‘“Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honour.”’ (Exodus 28:1-2)
Perhaps recently you experienced both the excitement and disappointment of watching England be knocked out of the World Cup. Before and during every match, much discussion centres on the manager's team selection and substitutions. For a player, being chosen must be a tremendous honour; being left out must be deeply disappointing. Harder still would be hearing commentators argue that someone else should have been selected instead.
Christians are to understand that God has chosen them. He, by the Spirit, called them out of spiritual death and into new birth and into His Kingdom. Additionally, like the priesthood in the Old Testament, they are to understand that they have been chosen to be a priest for God. In Hebrews we read:
‘Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. And no one takes this honour on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.’ (Hebrews 5:1-4)
Although Christ is now our perfect and final High Priest, every Christian has been called into a priestly ministry. We are to offer God our worship, bring the needs of others before Him in prayer, and declare His praises to the world. Through the faithful ministry of God's people, the church, our communities, and even the nations are blessed.
This is why Peter writes:
‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ (1 Peter 2:9)
Response
Just as the Old Testament priests were chosen by God, so every Christian has been chosen by God to serve as part of His royal priesthood.
Perhaps you've never been singled out by others for a position of influence or honour. Many of us know what it feels like to be overlooked. Yet, if you belong to Christ, you have been chosen by God Himself. He has entrusted you with the privilege of serving in His royal priesthood. He has given you a significant role in His purposes, and He wants you to recognise both the privilege and the spiritual influence and responsibility that this calling brings.
This year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of CCP; to watch our anniversary video, please select the link below:
Community Group Study
Community Group Study
(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week, so we’ll be focussing on this during our time together.
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
3. Study and pray together
(This week is ‘SIV’ (Serve, Invest and inVite) Week)
On Sunday, we concluded our I Will Dwell Among Them series by exploring how the priestly garments described in Exodus 28 point to the calling of God's people today and are to be lived out in our churches and daily lives.
One of the key applications concerns our mission to reach our communities with the gospel. As God's royal priesthood, we are called to stand before Him on behalf of others, praying and interceding for His mercy to be poured out on our families, neighbours, and communities. Prayer is not a secondary part of evangelism—it is one of the primary ways God releases His power. As we faithfully intercede for those around us, we prepare the way for the gospel to be proclaimed with conviction and received with open hearts.
What is SIV?
SIV stands for Serve, Invest and inVite. This is our very simple strategy to help bring our community to Jesus. We believe that God has placed us in relationships and in specific locations to be 'salt and light.' and to ‘fish for people’. We can effectively bring people to Jesus by:
'Serving' them - Demonstrating the love of Christ in practical ways;
'Investing' - Investing in the ‘people of peace’ those whom we feel the Spirit is leading us.
'Inviting' - Inviting them into our homes by showing hospitality and inviting them to church events, to Alpha, and ultimately, inviting them to come to Jesus through the gospel.
In your groups:
Share stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest in, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.
Think about practical next steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?
Pray together:
New Day: Pray for our young people who are currently at New Day - pray for blessing and salvation.
Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.
Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.
Pray for our Alpha ministry and Phil Mash who heads up this team
Pray for our mission in Roehampton - that He would lead us in reaching that community with the gospel.
General prayer: how do people want prayer at this time?
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