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Jesus Christ wants you to work with Him in serving people in His Kingdom! What will He have you do?
I've always been fascinated by the Millennium-the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth, which will commence when He returns to establish the Kingdom of God over all nations. Particularly intriguing to me are its implications for those of us who become truly converted Christians in God's Church today.
God offers the gift of eternal life to those He calls who believe, repent and are baptized and live His way during this life. We will take part in the Millennium as glorified spirit beings. We have the chance to be like Christ, even as He is (1 John 3:2). So what exactly will those who become God's sons and daughters in this age be doing during the Millennium?
Revelation 5:10 gives the basic job description: We will be kings and priests and will reign on the earth. But what does that job truly entail?
The best example of serving as a king and priest is our elder brother Jesus Christ. He practiced godly leadership His entire life and taught by His example compassionate service to others. Christ's instruction to the apostles in Matthew 20 demonstrates that godly leadership is much different from what is generally practiced in the world today. To rule with Christ in the coming Kingdom of God, our leadership has to be focused on service to others.
"Whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant," Jesus said. "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28).
Servant leadership is a selfless act, motivated by love. Our actions in the Millennium will be of the same nature. So whom will we be serving in the Millennium?
As always, we will serve God, of course, but in the sense of helping others, our serving work will be that of guiding and directing the people of the earth. The world of the Millennium will still be a physical one, though under the rule of God through Christ. Our focus will be not on pursuing our own enjoyment but on first aiding and then teaching the thousands of displaced people who survive the calamities at the end of the age.
As the Millennium progresses, the dire consequences of Satan's influence over the world today will become a distant memory. And over the course of generations, humanity will need to be reminded and warned that Satan will be let loose at the end of the Millennium. They will need to be taught about the coming of God the Father to His Kingdom in a new heaven and new earth.
What better teacher is there than one who has experienced life during Satan's reign and chosen right? We have that opportunity to be there for these succeeding generations. Those in God's Church today know what it's like to live a life where, with the help of God's Holy Spirit, Satan's influence can be resisted and overcome. And those of us who've grown up in the Church prior to conversion have a unique perspective that should drive us even more to want to be there to teach young people in the Millennium and after.
After living our lives in spiritual battles and overcoming, our experience can be used to mentor the coming generations of God's family.
How much do you yearn for all mankind to know the way of God? When we are kings and priests in the Millennium, how much will we desire that all people would join us in the family of God? How much do God and Jesus Christ desire it for us? (See 2 Peter 3:9.)
We will be there serving and teaching because of the unquantifiable love that God has for humanity, for His future sons and daughters in His family. Jesus Christ died to make our inheritance possible (John 3:16). He also serves as our High Priest before God and as an example to us.
In the Millennium, we can give people additional comfort and encouragement not only in God's love for them, but also in the assurance that His Word is true. We will be living examples that someone else did it. Someone Jesus Christ died for made it. The same words that give us comfort now will still encourage people in the Millennium.
Who better to teach them to hold fast so that no one may take their crown? (See Revelation 3:11.) The numerous warnings to stand strong, endure to the end, keep the faith, grow in grace and knowledge, and love one another must still be taught.
At the end of the Millennium, when Satan is released, he will deceive vast multitudes of people, likened to the sand along the seashore in number (Revelation 20:7-10). During nearly a thousand years of godly rule, how often will we need to stir people up and warn them of the roaring lion that will seek to devour them? How will we help some avoid choosing to follow Satan and being deceived? The answer can be inferred by looking at ourselves today. Where are our weak points? Where do we need aid or encouragement? These same weaknesses will be present in people during the Millennium. We must endure to help teach others to do the same.
We have an opportunity beyond our lifetime-an opportunity of an eternity. The millennial period on earth will be just the beginning. Our role as kings and priests will mirror Jesus Christ's example. Our life in the Millennium will be eternal, yet we must still long to see many more sons and daughters come to glory. All people are potential sons and daughters in God's family. Both today and in the Millennium we must view their future potential and look beyond their shortcomings. We must live as examples now to be examples in the future. Our role in the Millennium is also our role today (compare 1 Peter 2:9).
Then and now, we must strive to live Jesus Christ's example of servant leadership. Our present life is to be a living sacrifice, acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). Then and now, the Bible is "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, New International Version). How well do we know and practice God's way now?
If we want to be a part of the Kingdom and be ready for our future roles as kings and priests in the family of God, we must first repent, be baptized and receive God's Spirit working in us so we can seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). If we are faithful in our lives now, we will be granted the opportunity to be faithful with much, much more in our future life.
Do you really want to be here to take on your role? Start living it today.
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