03(Lev 10,06-07)Serving Through Tears

Leviticus 10:6-7 (p. 88)

I.       A Priesthood of Believers.

There is an excitement and joy when a Christian discovers the fact of their priesthood.

Many people have been church members for years yet have never understood this great truth.

But then God leads them to discover that they can do more than merely come to church and sit there and pay the bills.

They learn that they have been equipped by the Holy Spirit with gifts which enable them to minister wherever they are, whether to Christians or to non-Christians.

A.      This Priesthood is no Joke.

You remember that in our last study we looked at the opening part of Chapter 10 and saw that this priesthood is no joke, that God takes it very seriously.

B.      The Priesthood comes with instructions.

1.       Nadab & Abihu carelessly assumed they could interject their own ideas.

2.       When they did fire came forth and consumed them, they died in the sanctuary.

3.       God has always been specific as to how our functions are to be carried out.

4.       The priesthood was and is extremely important.

II.    Serving through the Tears (Leviticus 10:6-7)

A.      Don’t quit ministering, even when it hurts.

The natural reaction to the death of his sons would be to take the rest of the day off. But Moses said, “No, don’t do that. God won’t let you. Do that and you will die.” God wants you to stick with the priesthood despite the feelings of your own heart.”

For God knew what we usually fail to realize, that out of the pain would come a new sense of purpose for the priesthood. So he said, “Let the rest of Israel mourn, but you don’t quit!”

B.      The Desire to Quit serving, quit working.

Ever felt like quitting? I have, many times. If I were in the remaining two sons shoes, I would be thinking, “How do I get out of this assignment? I didn’t count on this.” But God sent Moses to tell them not to quit. He knows that any priesthood would be richer because of discipline.

C.      Don’t Shrink Back when Tragedy Comes - Hebrews 12:5-11

Don’t shrink back when tragedy comes, because out of the heartache will come a clearer understanding, a deeper compassion, and a stronger sense of the needs of others.

III. What God is Looking For in our Priesthood.

When God looks at your life he doesn’t focus on what we often focus on. We want to be noticed for our work, so we will keep getting paid.

God looks at how we react to other people, how we use opportunities to minister to others. How do you maximize your opportunities for the priesthood?

One day God will call us to account for our priesthood. He will ask, “What did you do in this situation, and that? Here was an opportunity for you to be a priest, and what did you do?”

What are you going to say? What am I going to say? He lays this responsibility at the feet of every Christian here, and he will not let us off the hook – no matter if our heart is breaking and we are going through pressures and trials and problems.

He says, “You can’t quit. I have put you here to deepen the impact of My kingdom, and I will not let you  off.”

Out of this discipline will have to come a deeper, fuller understanding of God’s Word, and how we respond to people in a way that will help them.

This is the priesthood to which God is calling us.