“Very Relaxed Priesthood”
EPISODE 239
Become a Light to the World
We're almost at the finish line of our Square One series, and in Session 12, we're tackling a big one: "What about everyone else?" We'll dive into how your relationships might change when you commit to Christ and why that's not something to fear. Plus, we're talking about the "chill and very relaxed priesthood" that every Christian is a part of. Get ready to discover your special purpose and mission in the world, not as a secret agent, but as someone radiating God's light!
Takeaways
The Big Idea: God sends us into the world to reflect his light in the darkness.
This Week's Challenge: Tell someone you care about something important you've learned in these discussions.
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Introduction and Follow-Up
Ryan: Now I want a t-shirt of like a picture of you with like sunglasses on it says, "A chill and very relaxed priesthood"
Bryan: [ Well, hello everyone, and welcome to the Bible Geeks podcast. This is episode 239. I'm Bryan Schiele,
Ryan: I'm Ryan Joy
Bryan: and thanks so much everyone for tuning in. We're in session 12 of the Square One series.
So before we get into a really helpful conversation and question that we're gonna tackle today, let's follow up from the last episode. In the last conversation, we had this challenge to make a list of questions about the local church membership and ask them next time. And I don't think we're necessarily going to do this ourselves.
Although I suppose, Ryan, if you wanna tackle some questions about church membership, we can do it here to kick off the show. Butit would be fun if our listeners had questions. if you wanna ask us your questions about church membership and what that's all about, reach out, let us know.
And maybe we could tackle that on an upcoming episode all about the church, maybe someday.
Understanding Church Membership
Ryan: Yeah, I love that idea of an episode where we can take on The topic of church in a different angle And think through what it means to be a member And what are the challenges, the barriers, the benefits And all the good stuff about member, about membering About being a member of the body of Christ So with that, maybe we can get into session 12
Session 12: Community and Relationships
Bryan: Session 12, which we nodded to a good bit on the last discussion. Session 12, we are going to ask this question. What about everyone else? we're really talking about community here. So as we've moved on from this really focused challenge in session 10, are you ready to become a Christian? Then in the last episode, last discussion, we talked about the community of the church and why it's so important to be a part of the church.
And now we sort of open our gaze to the rest of the world around us and say, what do we do with all of them and everyone else around us? All these relationships can really become a stumbling block or really just provide some anxiety or fear from somebody who's wanting to give their life to the Lord, maybe has just given their life to the Lord.
What do I do now with all these relationships of the people around
Navigating Relationships as a New Christian
Ryan: it's like you were, You fit in this spot in your life And now your shape has changed So you're trying to put that square peg Into that old round hole or whatever and, you know, most of our relationships Especially when we first come to the Lord Are usually in this category And so your whole life, all these people who are important to you Whether it's in work or your neighborhood or your extended family What if your spouse or your parents aren't Christians How do you fit with that is going to be front of mind For anyone, or at least most people who are coming to the Lord Or thinking about coming to the Lord And so I think this is really an essential conversation And it also gives us a clearer picture of what we're here to do That we don't become Christians just so we're saved We become Christians so that we can become part of God's work In saving the world and blessing everyone And creating something new
Bryan: get us into a discussion here about the priesthood, which for some may feel like it's out of place. Like why suddenly are we talking about priests when we're talking really about our relationship with the world around us? Hopefully it'll become clear here in a little bit, but to muddy the waters quite a bit, we're gonna start off in part one with our hook, talking about jobs and our first jobs.
And we'll get into our icebreaker questions where we get a little personal about our own work history.
Square One - 12: This is square one. What about everyone else? Have you ever started a new job where nobody gave you a clear job description? You show up on day one, ready to work, but you have no idea what you're actually supposed to be doing. It's confusing, a little awkward, and you probably spend most of your time just trying to look busy.
We all crave purpose, and we wanna know what our job is here on earth. The good news is that God doesn't leave us guessing. He gives every Christian a special role and a divine job description, and it's not about blending in or staying quiet. But before we unpack that, let's get into our work history.
What was your very first paying job? And what job did you have that you were especially good at?
First Jobs and Finding Purpose
Bryan: All right, Ryan, what was your first paying job? And has there ever been a job you were actually really good at?
Ryan: Well, there could be differing opinions on that last part But I think that, TCBY, the country's best yogurt
Bryan: All right, frozen
Ryan: yeah, frozen yogurt was my first job That was on Kauai when I was 16 And I loved it, it was a great job, a great high school job It was some members of the church that owned it And I just had a blast It was such a fun time to have a paycheck And do your own work And you start to taste your independence So I loved that, brought home a small yogurt every day with me And then later, I loved my work heading up the creative department At that ad agency in Tempe I worked there for 16, 17 years
And of course, I love this job This is where I feel like I'm supposed to be right now so, I mean, I'm just so blessed It's not even fair I feel so spoiled talking about it How I've just been in so many jobs that I have loved throughout my life What about you?
What was your first job? And have you ever had a job that you were good at?
Bryan: I love that you didn't say actually good at.
Ryan: [laughs]
Bryan: My first paying job was at PacSun or I guess as it used
Ryan: Oh, I remember that
Bryan: Sunwear. It was in the mall, Paradise Valley Mall. And it was a job, I guess. It was fun, I suppose. But one that I was especially good at, like I, have monkey hands. And so I was one of the only people at Starbucks when I worked there who could carry eight gallons of milk from the back room to the front refrigerators.
It was amazing. I love that job so much. And I was really good at it. Like I could knock out a line of customers' drinks faster than I could knock out a line of customers' drinks faster than most people could. loved all of the ins and outs of calling out drinks. And now it's like automated by robots and I'm not sure I'd wanna work there anymore.
But at the time I really loved it. I was very good at it. And I'm not sure I've ever found proficiency in any job since then, like I did in that moment. But yeah,
Ryan: You are, yes, definitely a born barista And
Bryan: [laughing]
Ryan: that is central to your unique skill set And you have made coffee beautifully for me many times [laughs]
Living with Purpose as Christians
Bryan: Well, thank you, sir. All right, so let's get into part two here in our discussion where we get into this idea of purpose quite a bit more, looking at some of the things that Jesus said. In his famous sermon on the mount and we'll get into the big idea and the reach out question.
Square One - 12: Let's get into it and become a light to the world. So far, we've considered our changed relationship with Christ and with his church, but what about everyone else? What's our new purpose in the world? In his most famous sermon, Jesus gives us two powerful images for our new job description, and both are about being noticeably different.
First, he calls us the salt of the earth. What good is salt if it isn't salty? Its whole purpose is to bring flavor and preservation to what you add to it. If we, as Christians, completely blend in and lose our distinctiveness, Jesus says we become as useless as flavorless salt. Good for nothing. Our new relationship with the world calls us to stand out as his followers.
Then Jesus says we're the light of the world, and he points out the obvious. You don't light a lamp just to hide it under a basket. The whole reason light shines in the dark is so people can see. He tells us to let our light, our good works, shine before others, not for our glory, but so that they will see our actions and give glory back to our Father in heaven.
It's not about us, but again, we're challenged to stand out as his messengers on earth. So here's the big idea. God sends us into the world to reflect his light in the darkness. You may have noticed that the Bible can be quite blunt about our changed relationship with the world. Like when Peter says, "The time for living like everyone else is officially over."
We've already spent enough of our lives doing what the Gentiles want to do, chasing after sinful passions, living for wild parties, and running with the wrong crowd. Because our purpose has radically shifted, heads up, when we stop participating, our old friends will be surprised and may even speak badly of us for no longer joining them like we used to.
So get ready for people to notice your changed life, and don't let their comments or treatment discourage you. So are there any relationships you fear might change significantly when they learn about your commitment to Christ? How so?
Bryan: Okay, so I think this is a really fair question as a reach out question goes, I think we've all had a connection to this idea that our relationships might change or could change and the fear surrounding that. does that affect you,
Ryan: Yeah, I mean, this does continue to happen It's happened a lot in my life I try to be open early about who I am when I'm meeting people But, whenever you have an existing relationship with someone And then you take this turn You start to become unrecognizable, frustratingly to some Sometimes to people, I think But, you know, I think for me, just talking personally It's a central part of my life And it's easier for me personally Because it's my job to just make it clear to people But it also, I think, makes it a little weirder for them Like the job is the thing rather than your faith But I think, you know, just to get to the core of it We have to accept that part of our purpose is to be different right next to people just to stand for something as we live beside them Challenges them Just that existence of you as a holy person Right next to and in the midst of all that isn't holy That isn't loving, that isn't good Is going to be disruptive in mostly good ways But in sometimes unpleasant ways for people And I think just like accepting that has been helpful to
Bryan: I didn't even think about you basically just telling people, "Hey, I'm a preacher." I mean, that does kind of give someone a little bit more of a antennas up kind of situation in your regard. But
I feel like it's easy for me
to explain to somebody or to represent myself well as a Christian to somebody who I don't know very well, just somebody who I meet. easier to do that, whether or not they're going to accept me or not.
It's not gonna change tomorrow because I won't have seen them again or anything like that. But when it's somebody who's deeply connected to trying to make sure that my life is a reflection of Jesus all the time, so that there isn't those moments where they can turn to me and as they know me really well, being related to me somehow, turn to me and kind of throw that back in my face as hypocrisy.
And that's gonna happen, right? Like we talked about it last time, we're broken people, we're messed up, we've got a lot of problems. We're working through some stuff. But just that pressure in a marriage to represent yourself well to your spouse, to be a good influence on them, maybe if they're not even a believer, but even if they are, just to make sure you're always presenting your faith in the most honest and real way, but also holy and being righteous and doing all those things in a way that leads your spouse well.
But I don't know. I mean, I think for me, the idea that Jesus just calls it out, right? And talks about the division that he's called for. He didn't come to bring peace, but a sword. And so Jesus doesn't want us to be comfortable in our relationships with our family. He wants us to choose him first.
There are no family relationships that come before God. that changing relationship, I'm gonna place less weight on my connection with my aunt or my uncle who don't believe in the Lord, or I'm gonna place less weight on those kinds of people in my close circle who don't have that kind of love for Jesus, who aren't leading me to Jesus.
But then at the same time, I also turn around and try to be a good influence on them. So it is a changing relationship. I like how you described it. It's like being a square peg for a real long time and then suddenly becoming a round one and trying to figure out how to work in that same reality.
Ryan: And what you're talking about, I think, just highlights the connection between the last discussion and this one Because if you're, we're community people We're tribal type people just like naturally, right? And to be thrown out of the tribe And to have this sense that you are dangerously on the edge of not being part of your friend group Or, your girlfriend might not like you anymore Or your best friend isn't your best friend anymore Or whatever it is It's really just, you know, it's terrifying to think of that just naturally So you need a different tribe as quickly as possible So that it's not like you're rejecting these people But where you're rooted in this counterculture So that the culture around you isn't as strong in the way it molds you And the pressure of your peers is coming more so from a different peer group Than from the one that you lived in for so long
Helping
Bryan: us to see the progression, right? Having just talked about the church and now talking about this other worldly relationship with the world around us and that changing dynamic that we have, it is absolutely a safety net to know that we have a family.
Even if our earthly family rejects us, we have a family. And then moving into part three, I think this is taken even further as we get into a reading of 1 Peter 2, verses 4 to 17. Yeah, we could have just camped in 1 Peter for sure, but we're gonna read 1 Peter 2, verses 4 to 17 together, and then we'll talk about this question that comes from the reading.
Square One - 12: Following Jesus really does make us different. It's life-changing, and that change can create real tension in our relationships.
The apostle Peter understood this struggle well, and he wrote to believers who were trying to figure out how to live as sojourners and exiles in a world that didn't always understand them. In his letter, he lays out our new identity as living stones and a royal priesthood, called out of darkness to proclaim God's marvelous light.
Read 1 Peter 2, verses 4 to 17 together, paying close attention to the practical instructions he gives for living honorably among those who don't yet believe. After reading, take some time to discuss it. How should we interact with the world as his priests?
Bryan: Okay, so I'll start here, 1 Peter 2, verse 4, As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious. You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
For it stands in scripture, behold, I am laying in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possessions, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
Ryan: you were not a people, but now you are God's people Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh Which wage war against your soul Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable When they speak against you as evildoers They may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution Whether it be to the emperor as supreme Or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil And to praise those who do good For this is the will of God That by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people Live as people who are free Not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil But living as servants of God Honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor
Bryan: seems like such a difficult spot to end there in that reading. You know, honor everyone, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the emperor. It's like, wow, there's a lot to unpack there. But getting into this question that we asked, how should we interact with the world as his priests?
Ryan: man, now I just want to talk about that last Those last four sentences And how, man, those are packed, yeah And the emperor is Nero probably at this time So here is someone who does not seem to deserve any honor But as he said, is placed there by God We're trying to honor everyone To show value and worth in everyone in the way we treat them But the brotherhood has a special kind of relationship to love them And this idea of priests Of course, priests offer sacrifices And teach and tend to the temple And there's, you know, things that we understand from the Old Testament About what a priest would do But in all that, I find it so helpful to boil priesthood Down to that in-between role Where as a nation of priests, we represent God to the world And we represent the world to God And you think about Moses, right?
Or think about, you know, the Levitical priests Think about Jesus, who came and represents God the Father In the way He shows us who He is and teaches us And represents the world to God as the great intercessor And just as Israel's priests represented the people as they went before God We bring our prayers before Him Interceding for those who don't know Him You know, it's not that God can't hear anybody else's prayers But they don't have the same relationship we have Their sins have created a separation Just as ours did, but now we've been called into this special relationship And we can pray for them We can bring a blessing And so the priests of the Levitical priesthood At number six were given a blessing That reflects the Christian blessing That we see all of the letters of the New Testament start with That we are to speak peace and grace on them from God You know, may you have God's shalom And so we bring that blessing from God to people But we also, just like Israel did Just like Israel's priests did for the people We teach them and we serve them And we help them follow the Lord in holiness We bring God's message and light and holiness to the world And so that kind of standing in between role Just helps me get a shorthand for what I'm doing here I'm worshipping God all the time And I'm in communion with God And I'm bringing my concern for all of those around me to God But I'm also representing God to them
Bryan: you referenced back to Israel, right, in the Levitical priesthood, but even before, or I suppose Levitical priesthood was being set up, like in Exodus 19, when all of Israel is at Mount Sinai, God is telling Moses to tell the people, I want you to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Like the idea is not that, like I want certain people to be priests, although Levitical priesthood was absolutely in play as a part of all of that.
But like he wanted everybody to be a representative of him to the rest of the world. And he still wants that today. That hasn't changed. So I think what Peter is really boiling it all down and saying here is that our main job is to live honorable lives that force people to reconsider who God is. that means that we, as he talks about here, we abstain from the fleshly lusts which wage war against our souls.
And when we're treated poorly, we acknowledge that we have a duty to honor people because establishing ourselves here on this earth is not what this is all about. You know, it includes this like countercultural call to be subject to human authorities, not because like we're weak or we couldn't fight if we wanted to, but God wants us to put to silence the ignorance of foolish people by our response in this world, that we live honorably.
We live, with our conduct being presented to the world well. And that's, I think, if you go on to read 1 Peter, that's really what he's talking about here in general. It's like, you live in a society that hates you, that does terrible things to you, and yet you still act honorably. And that's a huge sign to the world that we are different and we're not like everyone else.
And so the idea, the whole point, as priests are described here, is so that people can look at us, see our good works, like we talked about with salt and light in the last conversation. They may speak against us, but someday, maybe, hopefully, they'll glorify God because it's just undeniable the good that they've seen in
Ryan: On the day of visitation, they will glorify God Which is, either the day that they're saved Or probably more likely, I think The day that Jesus comes again The day of judgment and salvation Which is what visitation has both of those meanings I love how you started out Talking about the kingdom of priests, Exodus 19 And that Israel as a whole, though there were priests within Israel Israel as a whole was God's representative God's holy nation And meant for the world to look to them as a light to all the Gentiles And to see in them a different kind of people And that's what we're meant to be We are a whole people that is representative Jesus was the great Israelite and the great human Who represented all of us And is the high priest But we are his priesthood So that is a good intro to maybe thinking through priesthood even more
Bryan: let's get into it. Part four here, we're going to challenge our preconceptions about this word priest, what it means, what it doesn't mean, and we'll get into the big question at the end.
Square One - 12: Ready to go deeper? When you hear the word priest, you might picture some highly-trained religious leader in a special robe, or maybe your mind goes back to those Old Testament rituals and practices.
But in the New Testament, priest is the job description for every single believer, including you if you follow Christ. It isn't about special outfits or animal sacrifices. It's a calling that reshapes our entire lives. So what does it mean for us to be a royal priesthood today? Priests today offer spiritual sacrifices.
Since Christ's death covered our sin once and for all, how can we respond to such a gift? The greatest offering we can bring is our own life. Paul urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which he calls our true worship. It means willingly climbing onto the altar and giving God everything, our time, our talents, our hearts, and our minds.
God doesn't want our leftovers or afterthoughts. He wants our best. A life like that requires holiness. Now, holiness isn't about acting holier than thou. It means being set apart from the world for God's special purposes. It's an inward reality that shapes our outward actions. Unlike the Pharisees who only cleaned the outside of the cup, our washing starts within.
This set apart life is what gives us a reason for the hope that we carry, a hope we should always be prepared to explain to anyone who asks. So if we are set apart, what are we set apart for? We're called to be God's representatives to the world. Peter says we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We're meant to be the light of the world, letting our good works shine so that others might see them and glorify God. This means we also act as intercessors, praying for the world around us and showing compassion to the lost. As priests serve daily before God, the main way we represent God is through service.
Jesus set the ultimate example, teaching that in God's kingdom, greatness is found in becoming a servant to all. It's one of the great paradoxes of our faith, whether it's in our jobs, our homes, our communities, we are called to do our work heartily as for the Lord. It's what God has always desired, not empty ritual, but as he says in Hosea 6, verse six, "A heart of steadfast love and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."
Being God's priest isn't a passive title, it's an active calling to bless the world in his name. So here's the big question, do you see how Christians have a special purpose in the world?
Bryan: All right, so that is a lot, you know, especially as somebody who might be working through this idea for the very first time. But I feel like this idea really does describe our job, our role here on this earth, our main purpose very well. And so the big question we led to, do you see how Christians have a special purpose in the world?
And Ryan, when you look at this whole description of the priesthood, are you seeing our new role in the way that we live in the world that we're surrounded by today?
Ryan: Yeah, I think that word purpose is really a cool thing to camp on here As we're coming out of this whole discussion And I think especially when we're young But all of us at times can get lost in the details on that purpose question I mean, like, we really want to get our purpose right And what's my purpose, you
Bryan: I here to
Ryan: What am I here to do?
And, you know, we can start getting into like Oh, what is God's will for me? major in college should I have? Is it my purpose to be an accountant or an architect or something? And of course it's bigger than that And Luke 7 and verse 30, I think Talks about how the Pharisees had rejected God's purpose for them Because they weren't baptized by John And they didn't go and basically they weren't following the Lord And God had something he wanted to accomplish through them and their role And they didn't do it of course God's ultimate purposes weren't thwarted They couldn't thwart God's purposes if they wanted to And in the same way, if we don't follow him Then we're thwarting his purposes for us But to show God's glory and to bring his goodness and light into the world That's what we're here to do Using our unique gifts Whether it's as an architect or an engineer or a teacher or an artist or a preacher Or whatever it is We start doing things on purpose Because we are living with purpose The more you plug into that The more enlivening all of life becomes That you are God's priest As you are doing road construction You are God's priest parenting on purpose And the HOA meeting becomes part of my core reason for existing Because these are the places I do God's work And the way I do it must be true to the way God built me So there's a personal aspect to it But ultimately he put me here to be a priest And to use all of these experiences and opportunities and gifts and passions and everything for him So I think that the purpose thing is worth camping on And the priesthood gives us a really helpful angle in that What do you see in how Christians have a special purpose in the world?
Mission and Purpose
Bryan: Yeah, do you ever watch that old TV show, Mission Impossible? Not the movies, but like the old TV show?
Ryan: Yeah,
Bryan: we bought the complete series on iTunes or whatever. And so we started watching through those. - It's really funny, you know, you get into the beginnings of those episodes and it's like, there's this secret communique that comes to the main character and he's gotta, you know, figure out what his mission and, you know, it starts playing the record or whatever that's gonna self-destruct in 30 seconds.
And it's like, your mission, should you choose to accept it? And I think that's what I'm seeing here as you were talking about purpose, but like framed another way, like this is your mission. This is what I'm here to accomplish. I've got a set of things I need to do to be successful and not to be, you know, successful for myself, but to be successful for the one who has given me the mission and thinking about priests, the priests weren't out there like, oh yeah, this makes sense.
I'm gonna do this, this way. And I'm like, no, let's not do it that way. Let's do it a different way. It's like the priests just listened to the instructions of the one who they were being a priest for, right? They were following the orders that the mission giver gave. And so the mission giver is telling us to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness.
our job, our mission, our purpose is a show and tell to the world about how great God is. And that's my mission given me the direction, the mission, and I gotta get out there and do it. And I need to be intentionally different. I need to live as a sojourner in exile. I need to be out there sticking out kind of like a sore thumb, not a secret agent. That's another one, right? Like I don't need to be hiding in the shadows or, you know, my mission is to be really visible as this show and tell kind of lifestyle would portray.
And so ultimately every part of the change in my life is for the purpose of glorifying God through Jesus. So that everything that I do is about that purpose of helping people see who God is, who Jesus is, and why they transformed me in such an amazing way and how they can do that for others too.
so thinking about my role in the world, I've got a mission. So, do I choose to accept it or not?
Ryan: Do you choose to accept it? That decision at the beginning of each of those episodes You get to choose Over and over again something you choose And I think that's... It's easy to talk about all of this Like, yeah, you know, yeah, we have a reason We have a job to do But it does change the way you live Whenever every day you decide to accept the mission It is a choice that you live on mission Everything you do is as someone that's on a mission To do this and do this well as God's representative I think as you were talking about having some interlude we should have some Mission Impossible theme song right here Before we go into part five
Bryan: no doubt. Yeah, that song has just been in our family's ears for quite a while. So
Preparing for the Final Session
Bryan: part five here, as we wrap this thing up, we're gonna get into our, penultimate challenge here in the Square One series. We'll look ahead to the final, conversation that we'll have in session 13, and then we'll offer a closing blessing.
Square One - 12: Our purpose in life as God's servants leaves us looking around at the people in our circle for ways to bless them.
So this week, tell someone you care about something important you've learned in these discussions. As you start the next conversation, take a moment to talk about how that went. We're nearing the end of these conversations. So in our final discussion from the Square One series, we'll pause and reflect on where we've come and consider what's next on the road ahead.
Jesus said that a disciple who is fully trained will be like his teacher. But how do we train under him, become more like him and grow closer to him? As we'll see, it's a lifelong journey that starts whenever you're ready to go all in with him. But until then, may God's name be glorified in us to the ends of all the earth.
Bryan: all I can think of is like, take one, pass it down. As I think about the opportunity we have to like, tell somebody that you care about something important you've learned in these discussions. if you're actually having these conversations with somebody and you've gone all the way to session 12 here you've covered a lot of ground and asking them to just take something they've learned and insight that they found and pass it along to someone else, you know, is a real easy way for us to encourage somebody to start being a priest of service to others in this world.
[laughing]
Ryan: Yeah, and hopefully start talking about all of this stuff That you've been in beyond these conversations Wherever somebody is If they're a Christian or if they're just still thinking through it They're at this point now as we get towards the end of this Where they should be breaking the seal on their interest in Christ You know, it's like when you first buy the ketchup bottle You unscrew the squeeze bottle top and you take the seal off And then once you put the lid back on Then it can all start to come out, you know, intentionally But at first, everything feels bottled up When you're first thinking through everything internally And maybe people don't know about... That's a weird
Bryan: I love
Ryan: But people maybe don't know about this thing that you're going through That's inside of you and that you're working through But you got to start letting it out And this first conversation, this first challenge Maybe breaks that seal and it starts to get more
Bryan: And how frustrating it is when you want the ketchup but that seal is on there and you don't know it and you're just fighting it. And
how much easier it is when you just take that little piece of plastic off of there.
A Closer Look: Leading the Discussion
Bryan: All right, so let's get into here, our closer look for our thoughts on leading this discussion.
Bryan: don't know if this is accurate, maybe not but like I kind of viewed this in the square one progression as like our version of the great commission, sort of, you know,
kind of the same idea, like, okay you know what you need to do, you know why you need to do it we've challenged you to commit your life to the Lord.
Hopefully they have, here's this great community of people that you can do this work with now go,
Ryan: I could even see putting this one together with 13 The next one as like the Great Commission where you're, you know Okay, we're going to leave you with this Sending you out and "Lo, I am with you always" Jesus says, you know, Jesus is going to be with you You follow him, you keep obeying, you teach others And go, go and do likewise And I think a part of this whole discussion Is addressing that people out there don't seem to like Christians very much And I think it gets exaggerated sometimes in media, you know Depending on context, depending on where you are But, you know, I think there's a general distrust in the world And those who aren't in Christ Just not so sure what to make of us And you can get the impression that Christians don't like the world either Like we don't like people that aren't Christians They're the worst And we don't want any association with them And, I mean, like there's something too That we have a serious values clash with them And we see a brokenness that they're not dealing with in the way they need
Bryan: There's an unequal yoking.
Ryan: There is an unequal yoking we have to figure out what do we do And the answer is not just, monastery or whatever Withdrawal, like getting away from everything And saying we have to be weirdly apart and different But rather to, it's the tares in the weed It's we're right next to them Serving and loving and staying true Rather than adapting to the world But also being conscious of what's going on with them Where they are as we bring them the message And try to win them over So, you know, I think it's an important part of Just anyone who is for the first time Thinking through what is it gonna mean to be a disciple If we skip this conversation, I think we're in trouble
Bryan: Yeah. We've tackled this discussion on the podcast a lot even super early on, like, what does it mean to live holy lives, but not use that holiness as like a weaponized assault on people around us who we may try to be convincing about Jesus, you know? It's like, there's a real delicate balance. And I think what you're bringing out there in those comments is like some things that we talked about a little bit in part four, being holy is not being holier than thou.
It's not like holding up this real arrogant kind of like disdain for people around us. Like, man, that can be a real tendency and we need to be super careful of that. But highlighting here, this tension, right? That we hold a higher standard, yet we live in a world that doesn't care about that standard and how do we do life alongside everyone else?
You know, part one of this discussion started with a conversation about jobs. Be aware, if you are talking to somebody who is like a younger person who may not have ever held a job, you may wanna switch up this hook or discuss something a little bit different.
Like maybe talk about, you know, what do they wanna do someday? Or what are they particularly good at? Or whatever it is, but just, kind of get them thinking about that idea of purpose and what it means to have a job and to be given responsibility over something, just in a light way to grease the skids for the conversation to come.
Ryan: And as someone who for many years In my role at the advertising agency Did not have a job description Had this amorphous job that was always changing To fit whatever was needed I can appreciate like the value of Man, when we sat down and gave me a clear purpose And domains that made a difference And so maybe people can relate to
Bryan: for sure. All right, so part two, we moved on to this idea that Jesus helps us to see, the salt of the earth and the lights of the world and all the things that we learn about ourselves and the different kind of relationship that
we have with everyone around us. Jesus is highlighting here the same things that we're talking about, to be seen and to be unique and distinctive among the world.
And so this reach out question, about these changed relationships that you have around you, I really think that this is gonna land for people very heavily, because once somebody steps out of the shadows and lets people start to see the change in their life, that can be really hard for people.
And it has been hard for me. So, you know, open up and let people see how that's caused you to struggle, if you genuinely have. let them know that they're not alone in dealing with these relationships that are shifting and changing all around them.
Ryan: I think that is really important They're not alone in the experience of it We've all gone through it But also they're not alone as they go through that And, you know, I mentioned in the episode Girlfriends and family members and best friends And these are things that, just real It's relationships start to change And some of them really are no more People who, like the furniture of your life The things that were just like all the makeup Of the room that you were living in Starts to just move around and disappear And now you're in an empty room Like what am I gonna fill it with?
And so them knowing, hey, we're gonna be here with you is really
Bryan: Yeah. That connection back to the previous conversation will be helpful here, for sure. So just, you know, reiterate your commitment to them.
If you continue this relationship with them, reiterate that like you're here for them and you will be a piece of furniture in their life if they would like to have you there. just to kind of help people to see that, yes, things are changing, but change can be good in some ways.
you know, moving on to part three here, where we tackle this really helpful reading in 1 Peter, there a lot more practical instructions here in 1 Peter. if you wanted to offer somebody an additional task, maybe throughout the week, it could very well be to continue reading in 1 Peter and to see really Peter's main point about these changing relationships all of the different facets that being a follower of Jesus, being a special royal priesthood will make an impact on your life.
Ryan: as some of these have been short and light This is one, the reading, that is really packed And packed with some very Jewish ideas Very Old Testament heavy thoughts So, you know, like somebody might hear the word priest And think immediately of Catholic priests Or, you know, whatever And so you just want to think ahead about the reading As you read it ahead of time Think about the person you're gonna be reading with And maybe mark up Is there anything that you would want to give a little more explanation Anything, is there a particular version that's gonna help Help them understand it better So just being aware that we have taken on a pretty heavy reading But there are parts of this that will jump out And make some sense immediately, I think, for anybody,
Bryan: that actually leads to part four, right? Because part four, we kind of tackle eventually this topic of like, what do you think of when you think of a priest? And, you know, they may have already been wrestling with that up to this point, you know, in part three.
But yeah, like you said, I think a lot of people, when they think of priests, think of a very different thing today than maybe they did back then. But, we're all called to be servants.
And that doesn't mean we wear, you know, fancy outfits or, really prioritize the pomp and show that might've happened long ago. This is a chill and very relaxed priesthood in which we take things very seriously. But, you know, we're not out there like offering literal animal sacrifices. We're just putting our entire lives on the line, which is a big deal for sure.
But it's not as visible a show as maybe they're thinking about.
Ryan: Now I want a t-shirt of like a picture of you with like sunglasses on it says, "A chill and very relaxed priesthood"
[Laughter]
I don't know why, that was just so beautifully said A chill and very relaxed priesthood That takes these things
Bryan: very seriously.
Ryan: So I think what you're talking about is, again The pomp and circumstance This is not that kind of a thing we are living our lives as priests And so everything, when we're washing dishes We're doing it as priests, you know, whatever we're doing And those are the things we want people to help, you know To start to understand Those are the moments that people are going to see "Hey, this person never did the dishes" You know, 'cause it wasn't their job And yet, they're doing it, doing my job My agreed upon family chore or whatever And taking that on, this is them being different And they'll start to see, like, whatever All the little things that you are living as a priest of God And then big question there Do you start to see how we have a special purpose in the world?
And so that gives us a context for thinking even deeper about purpose you might just leave it with their answer "Yes", "No", "I'm not sure", "Well, let me think about that" Or, you know, you might ask some follow-up questions You know, you can always just ask them if there's anything they didn't understand OrOr even just more broadly, what's their takeaway from this whole
Bryan: And then that leads us to part five. I always think of the last little bit of a conversation, even in part five, but more specifically about session 13, the last square one conversation.
Almost think of it like landing the plane. We're getting ready to land the plane. And so I think in this conversation, it'd be helpful to kind of get them okay with the idea that this square one session is almost coming to an end and we're, you know, we're going to talk about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how important that is on the next conversation, but help them prepare for the time in this discussion where things are going to stop, or if they're going to continue how they might want to proceed.
feel like that's a good thing to prepare them for, like buckle up, you know, we're getting ready to land the plane. just to check in with them to see what is it that they're interested in doing. If they want to still continue to study, if you're still wanting to study with them, be ready to work through some of those discussions maybe at the end of this one.
Ryan: it's an opportunity to appreciate that they have been on this journey with you You know, even ahead of that next one And, you know, announce, "Hey, we almost made it!" "We almost went through this whole thing" And I love the way you put that Landing the plane and helping them To just start thinking You don't want to get to the end of that, And not have any idea and be like, "Okay" And look around and look at each other And I don't know what to do next You could plant the seed here at the end of this lesson Of some different options And we'll get into that more next time But one possibility certainly would be to move from this Into a cross-training kind of a study If they want to continue going through ongoing discussions
Conclusion and Resources
Bryan: All right, so that's been our thoughts on leading this penultimate discussion. I'm just going to keep saying it. So thanks so much everyone for tuning in. You can find us there on our website. You can find articles, resources.
You can find all of these square one series there as well. And as Ryan just talked about, if you want to check out cross-training and you've never really followed along with cross-training or you don't know what it is, we'll have a link in the show notes for you to go find that on our website as well.
It's biblegeeks.fm/cross-training if you're interested. if you want to ask us any questions the show, about what it means to be a member of the church or anything else, we'd love it if you'd reach out and get in touch with us. And until next episode, everyone, may the Lord bless you and keep.