Embracing the Mess: Our Call to Authentic Ministry

Devotional

Day 1: Every Believer Is Called to Be a Priest

God’s vision for His people is not that a select few serve as priests, but that all who know Jesus are called to be priests—servants who minister to others, carry His presence, and represent Him in the world. This means that every follower of Christ, regardless of title or position, is invited into the holy work of loving, serving, and interceding for others, just as the priests of old did. The New Testament calls us a “royal priesthood,” reminding us that ministry is not reserved for pastors or leaders, but is the calling and privilege of every believer. [32:04]

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
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.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to embrace your role as a priest—serving, loving, or interceding for someone who needs God’s touch today?

Day 2: Ministry Is Messy—And That’s Where God Works

True ministry is rarely neat or predictable; it often means stepping into the messiness of people’s lives, whether that’s in children’s ministry, serving the hurting, or welcoming those who are different. The work of loving others as Christ did will sometimes mean being misunderstood, inconvenienced, or even “splattered” by the struggles and brokenness of those we serve. Yet, it is in these messy places that God’s love and transformation shine brightest, and where we most closely follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who entered into our mess to bring redemption. [37:26]

Leviticus 1:1-9 (NIV)
The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.’”

Reflection: Where is God inviting you to step into a “messy” situation this week, and how can you respond with His love instead of seeking comfort or neatness?

Day 3: Covered by the Blood of Jesus, Not Our Own Righteousness

Just as the Old Testament priests were covered in the blood of the sacrifice, we are covered by the blood of Jesus—our true and perfect sacrifice. Our own attempts at righteousness are like filthy rags, but Christ’s sacrifice makes us clean and empowers us to minister to others, not from a place of superiority, but from shared need and grace. When we serve, we do so not to keep ourselves “clean,” but to share the cleansing, healing, and hope that only Jesus provides. [51:39]

Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Reflection: Is there an area where you’ve been relying on your own “cleanliness” or goodness instead of Christ’s grace? How can you let His sacrifice cover you and free you to serve others today?

Day 4: Choose Life Over Perfection—A Church Alive Is a Church That’s Messy

We can choose to keep our lives and our church pristine, orderly, and “museum-like,” or we can embrace the vibrant, sometimes chaotic life that comes from truly loving and welcoming people as they are. A church that is alive will be full of unexpected challenges, new people with different backgrounds, and situations that don’t fit our plans—but it will also be full of God’s presence, transformation, and joy. God calls us to choose life, even if it means things get a little wild, because that’s where His Spirit moves. [53:52]

John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Reflection: What is one way you can help your church or your own life become more “alive” with God’s love, even if it means letting go of perfection or control?

Day 5: Communion Reminds Us That God Meets Us in the Mess

When we come to the Lord’s Table, we remember that Jesus offered His broken body and spilled blood in the midst of betrayal, chaos, and pain—not in a sanitized, perfect setting. Communion is a reminder that God meets us in our brokenness and invites us to bring our mess to Him, trusting that He can transform it into something holy. As we receive, we are called to extend that same grace to others, welcoming them in their mess and trusting God to do the work of healing and redemption. [56:47]

Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

Reflection: As you remember Christ’s sacrifice, what “mess” in your life or in someone else’s do you need to bring honestly before God today, trusting Him to meet you there?

Sermon Summary

This morning, we gathered to worship God and to remember that our calling as followers of Jesus is not to a life of pristine order, but to a life that is often messy, challenging, and deeply real. We celebrated the blessing of a grant to revamp our children’s ministry, a reminder that God is providing for us as we seek to serve the next generation—even though that work, like all ministry, will be far from tidy. We prayed together, lifting up the burdens and needs of our community, and recognized that worship is not just about songs or rituals, but about bringing our whole selves—mess and all—before God.

Turning to Leviticus, we reflected on the ancient duties of the priests, who were called to offer sacrifices in ways that were physically messy and demanding. The image of spotless, robed priests is a sanitized one; in reality, their work left them covered in blood and soot. This is a powerful metaphor for our own calling as the “royal priesthood” in Christ. Ministry, in the New Testament and today, is not reserved for a select few, but is the work of every believer. And that work is inevitably messy, because it means entering into the real, broken lives of others.

We considered what this looks like in practical terms: children’s ministry that is chaotic and unpredictable, walking alongside people who have experienced trauma, serving those who are homeless or struggling with addiction, and welcoming new people who may not fit our expectations. True ministry means being willing to get our hands dirty, to be vulnerable, and to love people where they are, not where we wish they would be. The mess is not a sign of failure, but of life—just as the priests of old were marked by the blood of the sacrifice, we are marked by the blood of Christ, called to bring His presence into the chaos of the world.

We are faced with a choice: to be a museum, beautiful but dead, or a zoo, alive and messy but teeming with the life of God. Jesus Himself entered into the mess of humanity, and His body was broken and His blood spilled for us. As we come to the table of communion, we remember that our calling is not to avoid the mess, but to bring the hope and healing of Christ into it, trusting that God is at work in the chaos, making all things new.

Key Takeaways

1. Every follower of Jesus is called to be a priest, not just in title but in action. The New Testament vision of priesthood is not about special garments or rituals, but about ordinary people stepping into the sacred work of loving, serving, and sacrificing for others. This means that ministry is not the job of a select few, but the shared calling of the whole church. [32:04]
2. Ministry is inherently messy because it involves real people with real problems. Whether it’s children running wild, people wrestling with trauma, or those struggling with addiction and homelessness, true ministry means entering into the brokenness of others without fear or judgment. The mess is not something to be avoided, but embraced as the very place where God’s grace is most needed and most powerful. [37:26]
3. The temptation to sanitize our faith—to make church life neat, orderly, and comfortable—robs us of the vitality and authenticity that comes from genuine engagement with the world’s pain. A church that values cleanliness over compassion risks becoming a museum: beautiful, but lifeless. Instead, we are called to be a “zoo”—alive, unpredictable, and full of the Spirit’s energy, even if it means things get out of control. [53:08]
4. The blood and brokenness of the Old Testament sacrifices point us to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, whose body was broken and blood spilled for us. Just as the priests were marked by the blood of the sacrifice, we are marked by the blood of Christ. Our righteousness is not found in our own cleanliness, but in our willingness to be covered by His grace and to share that grace with others, no matter how messy it gets. [51:02]
5. True transformation happens not when we avoid the mess, but when we surrender to God’s will in the midst of it. Communion reminds us that Jesus meets us in our brokenness and calls us to bring His presence into the brokenness of others. Our prayer should be for the courage to step into messy situations, trusting that God is at work in the chaos, bringing life, healing, and redemption. [57:44]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[08:43] - Announcements and Celebrations
[09:21] - Preparing Our Hearts for Worship
[10:35] - Congregational Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer
[19:35] - Worship Through Giving
[25:47] - Scripture Reading: Leviticus 1
[28:16] - Wrestling with Leviticus: The Messy Work of Priests
[32:04] - The New Testament Priesthood: All Believers
[33:35] - The Reality of Messy Ministry
[37:26] - Ministry in the Mess: Real Life Examples
[41:32] - Raising Kids, Not Grass: Embracing the Chaos
[43:03] - Walking with the Broken and Traumatized
[45:29] - Serving the Homeless and Addicted
[49:00] - Welcoming New and Different People
[51:02] - Covered by the Blood: The True Mark of Ministry
[53:08] - Museum or Zoo: Choosing Life Over Order
[55:14] - Communion: Remembering Christ in the Mess
[57:44] - Responding to God’s Call in the Mess
[58:30] - Closing Prayer and Sending Forth
[64:01] - World Communion Sunday Reflections
[67:24] - Final Blessing and Dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Leviticus 1:1-9 (NIV) — The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you brings an offering to the Lord, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the Lord. You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. You are to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. You are to skin the burnt offering and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest are to put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, including the head and the fat, on the wood that is burning on the altar. You are to wash the internal organs and the legs with water, and the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.’”

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV) — 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.

Isaiah 64:6 (NIV) — All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Observation Questions

According to Leviticus 1:1-9, what were some of the specific, physical tasks the priests had to do when offering a burnt sacrifice?
In the sermon, what image did the pastor say we often have of priests, and how does that differ from the reality described in Leviticus? [[30:02]]
What does 1 Peter 2:9 say about who is called to be a priest in the New Testament?
The pastor described two different “types” of church: a museum and a zoo. What are the main differences between these two, according to the sermon? [[53:08]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God designed the Old Testament priesthood to involve such messy, hands-on work? What might this teach us about God’s view of ministry? [[33:35]]
The sermon says that every believer is now part of the “royal priesthood.” What does it mean for ordinary people to be priests, not just pastors or church leaders? [[32:04]]
The pastor said, “Ministry is messy because it involves real people with real problems.” How does this challenge the idea that church should always be neat, orderly, and comfortable? [[37:26]]
The sermon draws a parallel between the priests being covered in the blood of sacrifices and believers being “covered by the blood of Christ.” What does this mean for how we see ourselves and others in the church? [[51:02]]

Application Questions

The pastor shared stories about children’s ministry, trauma survivors, and people struggling with addiction or homelessness. Which of these “messy” ministries do you find most challenging or uncomfortable, and why? [[38:19]]
Have you ever been tempted to value order, cleanliness, or tradition over compassion and real engagement with people? What did that look like in your life or in the church? [[53:08]]
The sermon said, “If you don’t have any aspect of your life that’s messy, are you doing any real ministry?” What is one area of your life where you could step into someone else’s mess this week? [[37:26]]
When new people come to church who don’t fit our expectations, how do you usually respond? Is there a specific way you could be more welcoming or patient with someone different from you? [[49:00]]
The pastor said, “We’re not raising grass, we’re raising kids. It’s going to be messy.” How does this idea apply to other areas of ministry or relationships in your life? [[41:32]]
Communion reminds us that Jesus meets us in our brokenness. Is there a “mess” in your own life that you need to bring honestly before God, instead of hiding or trying to clean up first? [[55:14]]
The pastor challenged the church to pray for courage to step into messy situations, trusting that God is at work in the chaos. What is one specific prayer you could pray this week to ask God for that kind of courage? [[57:44]]

Sermon Clips

And we say, just dress your best and smile, and when you do ministry for the Lord, it'll be this wonderful, great thing that just smiles on Everybody's head faces and nothing gets disturbed. Is that a true picture of what it looks like when you have been involved in ministry for Jesus Christ? There's all sorts of different ways that ministry can be. But my promise to you today is that ministry is messy. [00:36:56] (30 seconds) #MinistryIsMessyTruth

If you want to see people healed for Christ, you've got to handle people that are broken. You've got to be in the midst of folks who have problems in their life. And here's the great thing to put you at ease there. We're all broken. The only difference is some of us wear our band aids really good to hide our brokenness. But that doesn't bring healing. If we really want healing, we're going to deal with people and recognize that the things that they can come out with are going to be. Be way messier, Are going to be much messier than the things kids can touch and spit. [00:42:36] (44 seconds) #ServeInMessyMinistry

But if you're willing to get a little bit on you, if you're willing to get a little bit messy, you can step into their world and offer them hope and comfort and peace, something that they might remember that might make a transformational difference as you seek to minister to them. [00:47:08] (21 seconds) #OnlyJesusSaves

We have two options for our Christian life and for our church. We can have everything beautiful and pristine and clean and meaningful. You know what you call that place? A museum. You go to a museum, things are meaningful. They point to the past. They remind you of things. They are beautiful and they are well manicured and they are taken care of. And everything in a museum is dead. That's not what I want for my Christian life. That's not what I want for my church. [00:52:50] (35 seconds)

On the opposite end of that is a zoo. At a zoo, things are crazy. Some things get out of their enclosure and run wild. Poop everywhere. That's a Zeus. But everything's alive. Everything is teeming with life for me. I want a Christian life that is teeming with the life of God. That Zoe life. That I might know Jesus Christ and the joy that he experienced, that I might experience that same extravagant, abundant life, even in the mess, even in the chaos, even when things look like they're coming apart. [00:53:26] (55 seconds)

Let us remember the mess in us that Jesus came to heal, the mess that remains in us that has yet to be healed. And let us remember that the mess in others are not the problem. The problem is our willingness to surrender to the will of God. Let him have his way in us, whether we get our hands messy or not. [00:57:25] (29 seconds)

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