One of the things that has been a mainstay of Reformed theology from the beginning has been the doctrine of the priesthood of believers. Lately this has been on my mind because I've been reading some early church fathers for Church History.
The problem is so many today have taken the doctrine and placed a subtle twist to it, see if you notice the difference. They call it priesthood of the believer. Not priesthood of the believers.

Now you might say that is nit picky. But this is the reason for the difference. If believer is singular then the implication is that we can be priests and interpret Scripture without accountability to the others. "Because I am a priest, I can interpret it that way and you can interpret it your way. You have no ability to try to tell me I'm wrong." That's the danger.

We are priests, but a community of priests that answer to one another-in love-so that we may exhort one another to live in a way that brings glory to the One who bore our sin and gave us life eternal. In community we build one another up, and correct one another, and teach one another, and learn from one another.

So much of this is seen in modern day "preaching" (yes, I used "" because so much of what passes for preaching today is really ranting due to the poor biblical content, if it even has biblical content) that says "I got a word from God..." All to build up the emotional and energetic response from the audience.

We have to remember, those of us called to preach, how our most serious calling is to watch our lives and doctrine closely-not just our lives, not just our doctrine. Without both in balance, both are deadly. Our lives alone will look for experience and "points and times" in our lives. Doctrine will lead to cold dead legalism. Neither is priestly, or worthy of one who proclaims the Word.

All that to say, here is a part of a sermon from a guy named Martin Luther on Freedom and Service how we are to approach serving through preaching. He spoke this almost 500 years ago but it is still pertinent:

I believe that it has now become clear that it is not enough or in any sense Christian to preach the works, life, and words of Christ as historical facts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice for the conduct of life; yet this is the fashion among those who must today be regarded as our best preachers. Far less is it sufficient or Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach instead the laws of men and the decrees of the fathers. Now there are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews, and such childish and effeminate nonsense. Rather ought Christ to be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established that He may not only be Christ, but be Christ for you and me, and that what is said of Him and is denoted in His name may be effectual in us....

May God grant us all that Christ be for you and me, His priests, His servants...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3