God told the prophet Jeremiah, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me” (Jeremiah 33:22). He was saying, “I give you this covenant promise that I’m going to increase the holy priesthood that will shepherd my multiplying flocks.”
You may wonder, “Where are all the godly shepherds the Lord promised us? Where are they pastoring? Are you saying we can find their righteous churches in any city, town or village? There aren’t enough Bible schools and seminaries in the world to even begin to fulfill this incredible prophecy. I know the Lord is raising up a host of godly young ministers but surely they are few and far between.”
How will God do this? We find the answer in the book of Revelation: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). God has made us all His priests! Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus is a member of His royal priesthood.
The apostle Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God has called us to be priests who minister to Him.
You see, the Lord’s concept of “church” is much different from ours. We think of church as being a ministry to people. It is a place where all the needs of God’s people—spiritual, physical and emotional—are met. Of course, that is all part of what makes up a church. But the true Church, according to Scripture, begins with ministry to Jesus Christ. His concept of the Church is anyplace there is ministry to Him.
