Core Values Disctinctives - Priesthood - The Power of Community
Core Values • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewThe Core Values that we as the people of God are to Value
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PRAY!
GREET EVERYONE-
If I have not had a chance to meet you; My name is Scott and I am a follower of Jesus and have the privilege of serving Him as the Lead Pastor among the people of Stonewater Fellowship.
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Open it to 1 Peter 2:5-9 today as we Continue exposing what Jesus says about what we should value and what should make the ones called out of darkness distinct in our world and culture - What should become the identifying characteristics of our life as Jesus followers - in our current series called Core Values.
I have though a great deal about values - About values that are core values or central values.
In of the things that I have pondered deeply is a word that Im not sure we talk about all that much in church circles.
That word is Integrated -
More Specifically a fully Integrated Person -
I think in order for me to understand the idea of an integrated person I really had to understand the Disconnected person.
I spent a lot of years in huge disconnection.
Here is what I mean - I spent many many years in my life with a huge disconnections between the person I wanted to be and the person I actually was.
LEt me give you a few examples -
I used to CUS a lot - I was a foul mouthed person - But my desire was to be a person who was clean in my speech becasue words have the power of life and death -
When integration came - I raised the value of wholesome speech in my life - I began allowing the conviction of the Spirit of God to remove from my regular day to day speech the profanity I had become used to.
I smoked - So I was a smoker - As a smoker I was making myself sick - But my desire, inside my mind and heart was to be a non-smoker - So when Integration happened - I began to value health and life and by the power of Jesus - Because of His strength I can do all things - I stopped Smoking
I drank alcohol A-lot and I was a drunk - I spent years in functional intoxication - But what I wanted was to be a sober person -
SO when integration came - I began to value Sobriety and being filled with the Holy Spirit - and by the Spirits conviction, the strength of Jesus
There are other examples in my life -
SO now just take a moment and think through some times of integration in your life - Where you appetites changed and who you wanted to be actually be who you live out to be.
This is the way that God can use His Core Values, by the power of HIs Spirit and the Strength of His joy to conform us into the image of Jesus.
I thought about this series this last week and I suddenly realized that it may have been the case that we have talked about these disctinctive Core Values of Jesus that can move us to be more like Him and we have not taken them in - We have not personalized them and internalized God’s word and his values in our hearts and minds -
This week in moments of continual self reflection my thoughts once again turned to integration with Jesus - My hope in sharing this is that it will be an encouragement to you.
My thoughts turned once again to internalize the Values of Jesus beginning with -
I want to be a person who is Passionate about knowing Jesus as revealed in the Scripture.
I want to be a person who is engaged in Prayer - Prayer that is powered by by the Holy Spirit and my own desperation for God and for him to undertake those thing that only He can do.
I want to be a person who is united with other people around the Gospel and being the Church.
I want to be a person who is connected with others on mission together - Locking arms in grace and reconciliation to reach the lost.
I want to be a person who is joyfully obedient to Making Disciples of others that I may follow Jesus and express my love for Him in obedience to Him,
My prayer for this series is that we all, As the Church, The assembly of the ones called out - That the Holy Spirit would work in us and have us begin to internalize theses things in each one of our lives.
DESIRE FOR THE MESSAGE
Is that we would understand that we are all called into service -
We are all called into a priesthood - Not only a priesthood in our own lives but that we all would become affirming of the priesthood in others.
Every single follower of Jesus is a priest and has a priest hood .
TRUTH
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.
3 On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.
24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.
5 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. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 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,”
8 and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
TENSION -
I think that one of the problems that we have as we enter into the relationship with Jesus is the understanding of WHY God saved us.
Im not really sure we even ask this question in a positive light-
Here is what mean -
For me and for many we come to Jesus, with a full understanding of our past and our current struggles and God gives us Faith, Reveals truth to our hearts, Convicts us of Sin, Judgement and righteousness - Regenerates us to new life - Causing repentance in us to happen and we think
Why in the world Did God saved us and reconcile us to himself - and stopped counting our trespasses against us - Why did God love so deeply someone so unlovable?
Why did God make me a a son even though I was an enemy?
now the easy, real, truthful and churchy answer is becasue He loves me and He loves you.
And that is the reason - But is there a purpose to that reason -
You see if all we do is live in the reason of God then we will miss the purposes of God -
and If we miss the Purposes of God we will miss the abundance of God
and if we miss the abundance of God we will know about God but we will not love God or worship God the way and to the extent that God desires to be and deserves to be loved and worshipped!
BACKGROUND -
We are going to focus in on our Text from 1st Peter later this morning -
1st We are going to answer the question of Purpose - The Purpose of or salvation.
The purpose goes beyond the reason -
The reason is that He loves us -
The purpose is becasue He has something for us to do -
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
You see we are saved by Grace - Who’s grace God’s Grace -
WE are Saved by Faith - Faith a gift of of Holy Spirit of God -
We are Saved by God -
WE are Saved From God - and We are saved To God and for God -
We are saved by Grace - Through Faith - another word for faith is Trust - We are saved by Grace through Trust - a trust that God gives - A trust that God in christ - Reconciled to himself - sinners who were once rebels and enemies of His-
He did this -
He did this By suffering His own wrath against sinners on the cross and in doing that He Satisying His wrath against all of us.
and then God raised Jesus from the dead concoring Death and proving that it was God doing it.
That is a gift of God and you cannot earn it -
You can not deserve it -
You cannot pay it back for it is a gift.
This is not of our own doing -
It is not a result of Working for it -
In other words - We could do nothing to deserve being saved - NOTHING.
SO God’s salvation is not a result of our working ffor it -
THe reason that is is not, can not and will never be becasue of works is becasue if it is or was becasue of works - It then becomes a wage - A payment -
and If it is a payment - We would brag about it.
Here is why - When we are or our children are high income High wage earners we have pride - We have pride in ourselves for earning a high wage - Thinking that we have achieved something unique and something special
when our kids do that we have pride in them and in their achievement.
God’s says - He will not allow anyone to boast what HE does and what He has accomplished - NO ONE!.
There is a reason - Because He loved us
There is a purpose - A why he saved us and made us new and regenerated us through the spirit - that even though we were dead in our trespasses and sin - By the regeneration of the Holy Spirit we have been made alive in Christ.
The Purpose -
VS 10 To be His workmanship - His product - His result - His creation -
This is the same Idea as Creation itself - We are Gods creation - We are Gods handiwork =
We are gods production -
We are created in Christ Jesus -
The reason that We are His creation is becasue God Has Good works for us to do
That God has prepared in advance - that God has prepared Beforehand -
AS the text says - That we should walk in them - That we should do them - That we would be identified by them, That our lives would be changed through them and that we would be fully integrated with them.
And Jesus was the model of those good works.
Jesus commissioned those Good works
Jesus originated the Church, the assembly of the called out ones, to be the message, movement, the motivator and the measurement of those good works in the world.
BUT HOW - How do we walk these good works out both on the individual level and the collective level.
Well - When God saved us - WHen he makes us knew - When He regenerates us by His power and makes us alive in christ -
God gives us, and He gives each one of us Supernatural GIFTS
God spoke and Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church -
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
That we should not be “uninformed” some of your versions will say “ignorant”
That these Gifts - have a variety - There is not just ONE single gift but that they are Gifts - Plural
They all come from the Same Holy SPirit - THey call come from the Same Master - Lord -
THey are all powered by The same GOD -
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
and the reason - The common Good -
They are not given for the good of one or the good of a select person or persons -
They are given for the COMMON GOOD
They are Given for the Good or Benefit of Everyone.
in vs 11 God then reitterates to us that THese gifts are Powered by the Holy SPirit of God and they are Given by the Holy Spirit of God to each person - as the Holy Spirit wills.
The Holy Spirit decided on what Gift and which gift and how many gifts that each person recieved and that means a couple of things -
He decides and they can change depending on the Will of the Holy Spirit.
Vs 12 - God then tells us through the pen of the Apostle Paul that the Gifts - This Baptism this Immersion of the Spirit that is for the common Good is also supposed to be working together - Assembled together in a Body -
ON Spirit, One Baptizm - One Body and it does not matter our background - Jew Greek, Slave or free - Addict, Profaner - Speeder- Drunker - Killer or traffiker - It matters not our past -
I think many of us think we cannnot becasue of what we once were -
That is a lie form the pit of Hell and we are to ignore it and say - I cast you our of my thoughts satan in the name of Jesus.
God then tells us that we cannnot do this alone -
Vs14 Feet and hands and ears and eyes all have to play and do their part or the organizm does not work - It does not function.
This is why Following Jesus cannot, will not and is not capable to be lived as a solo act.
Because as HIS workmanship We are not capable of living the Jesus following life SOLO.
This is what HE reitterates to us in Vs 24 - THere may be NO division -
That members of the Body CARE FOR one another.
IF one suffers we all suffer If one is honored we all are honored - IF one rejoyces we all rejoice.
BUT there is a caviate
LOVE is the caviat =
This is what GOd is telling us in chapter 13 -
IF we have all these gifts and do not have love - We are nothing and we gain nothing and we accomplish nothing -
CHapter 14: vs 1 God says “chace after Love and Desire, Want Ask for Spiritual Gifts -
Then Paul highlioghts ONE -
Prophecy -
No we cannot take time this am to unpack what this Gift is and is not -
But there is what God does tell is in vs 3 that a person who phophises - Speaks to people -
When that person Speaks to People - the Build them up -
They Encourage them -
and if and when they are in stress or distress or grief or troubled - They are consoled.
Here is how important that is -
God says - We are not to just desire to speak words of encouragement, words that uplift and no put down - Words that build up not tear down
Not just desire this gift bit EARNESTLY Desire -
Seriously Desire - Desire this above all gifts - Chase after love and Seriously desire the ability to encourage, build up and console other peopl.
WHY> vs 24
When an unbeliever walks in to the assembly of the called out ones -
That person is convicted by the activity of everyone -
Our actions the Holy SPirit uses to convict HIm and he is called into account
He begins to openly repent as the secreates of His heart are revealed openly and He falles on His face - Worship GOd - and says “God is among you”
GOd then says - Everything - Every manefestation of all Gifts are to be done for Additing to - For Building up -
and Lastly - We are not to despise or forbid any Spiritual gift that manefests iself in the assembly of believers - Even the least of the gifts which is the gift of tongues.
SO that is the HOW
We now have the WHY and the also see the HOW
Now we get to the IDENTITY -
God speaks through Peter and says “that we are living stones”
We are bbeing built up into a spiritual house - We are being added to - as a Spiritual House.
the Reason we are being built into a spiritual house where the Spirit of God does His thing among us -
To BE a holy priesthood -
We are to BE a Holy Priesthood -
What does that Holy Priesthood do -
Offer Spiritual Sacrifices -
We are to all be a priesthood - Offering Spiritual Sacrifices that are acceptable to Go through Jesus -
WHAT ARE THOSE - we must answer -
God through Peter then does what he has done so many times in the other writings of the New Testament - he separated the world into just two groups -
Believers and non - believers -
Believers - Jesus the cornerstone of our faith is precious and chosen and when we place our trust in Him our belief in Him we will not be put to shame -
Paul put is this way -
The cross of Christ is foolishness to whose who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the power of God.
Those who do not believe Peter says -
They reject Jesus the cornerstone - They look at Jesus as an offence and a problem that causes stumbling in this life.
God then talks about the sacrifices as priests that we make that are acceptable to God by looking at the lost world - They Disobey -
Our obedience to Jesus is that sacrifices that we make that are acceptable to God in Christ -
Peter then gives us the Identity -
WE are a Chosen Race - In other words a Chosen Groups of People -
A Royal Priesthood -
not Just special and reserved and set aside - by Set aside for Royalty - Serving the King of Kings and Lord of Lord
A people for God's own possession -
WHY - That we may proclaim to the world the excellencies of God who called us out - You made us the called out ones -
Who called us out of Darkness into His marvelous light -
STICKY POINT EMANUELA AND PRAYER TEAM
APPLICATION OR IMAGINE
1- Your Priesthood -
How do you know what your priesthood might look like?
Your past.. The errors of your past God will use to proclaim His goodness through.
NOT SHAME AND GUILT but His glory and His honor.
2- Specific People -
Addicted - Trafficked - LGBTQ - Imprisoned - Deaf - Terminally Ill - Families of Incarcerated - Poor - Wealthy - Business owners - Law Enforcement -
EMANUEL'S LAST SUNDAY WITH US -
PRAYER TEAM!