Our Call To The Priesthood

1 Peter 2:9-12

Before we get to the heart of the topic today, it's important that we talk briefly about priests. Many of us, for many reasons, may not think thoughts of grace when we think of priests; after all, the priests of the Bible did not always act rightly. The priesthood, however, was a VERY, VERY important, God-ordained position and concept.

About 3,800 years ago God chose Abraham (or Abram) to be the father of a nation of people that he was going to create. This nation was created specifically to receive God's kindness. This nation was supposed to then show God's goodness to the entire world and move the eyes of history toward the coming Savior. In the early days of the Hebrew people this nation was split into 12 groups, or tribes (the 12 sons of Jacob). The tribe of Aaron was set apart to specifically fill the calling of priest (the tribe of Levi was also called to filled an important, supportive role in the worship of God).

Being a priest of the Almighty God, the Creator of all that exists, was a holy position (Lev 21:6-7), and the priests were set apart by God specifically for this service (Lev 22:9, 16). I can't overemphasize how important the role of the priest was. It was SACRED - the HIGHEST honor!

Not just anyone could be a priest - they had to come from the tribe of Aaron and had to be able to prove their genealogy (Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64) - they could not have physical deformity (Leviticus 21:17-23) either. In other words, the qualifications were very detailed and exact - this was a sacred calling.

So what did a priest actually do? Well, among other things, the priest of God would:

1. offer sacrifices for himself and the people he represented (Leviticus 1:4-17; 2:2,16; 3:5,11,13,16; 4:5-12,17,25,26,30-35; 1 Chronicles 16:40; 2 Chronicles 13:11; 29:34; 35:11-14; Ezra 6:20; Hebrews 10:11)
2. Represent the people before God – bless and intercede for the people (Numbers 6:23-27)
3. Represent God before the people – teach the law, messenger of God (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 24:8; 27:14; 31:9-13; 33:10; Malachi 2:7)
4. Encourage God's people to act in faith because God is with them (Deut 20:1-4)

The priest was to be the link between God and the people. They were to live lives of purity that would allow them to focus on doing God's work.

Last Sunday

The last time I was here we examined John 17:20-23 and found that there are three relationships every Christian should commit to, and understand as the reality of life:

· First - our most fundamental relationship is with God. Here we see God taking kind, merciful action so we can be rescued from my sin. Through Jesus God has overcome my self-centered, God-hating disposition.

· Second - God has ordained that those who follow Jesus should dedicate themselves to each other as a “fellowship” of people rescued by God and here to do God’s work. Here we see the power of the Holy Spirit in community

· Third - we are to dedicate ourselves to those who don't yet embrace Jesus as lord and savior. God’s plan is that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will live and speak Jesus to those around us.

The design is for those God rescues to become a people consumed by the person of Jesus such that they live and breathe God's character and purpose. The design is that Jesus becomes so precious to us that we no longer see the enticements of this world as attractive. The design is that we, both individually and corporately, cannot help but move the Kingdom forward.

Today

Today and the next Sunday or two, I’d like to talk specifically about the first relationship found in John 17:20-23 – Our relationship with God. We all have a vision for what this relationship should look like, and often our vision is very self-centered and defeatist.

So I’d like to start by looking at one biblical image for this relationship that arches across Scripture and describes God’s vision for who we are meant to be in this relationship.

It is the biblical image of “priest”. You and I are to function as God’s priests here.

God made this very clear in Exodus (Ex 19:3-6)

[Soon after God freed Israel from Egyptian slavery they came to the "foot" of Mt. Sinai and] while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation..."

This is restated by the apostle Peter in New Testament (1 Peter 2:9-12)

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. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

This is what John records as God granted him a vision for the end of history as we know it now (Rev 5:8-10)

...the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."

We are designed to be priests!

There are many VERY important aspects of the Old Testament system that were designed to serve God’s people before Jesus came – things like:

▪ Sacrifices – Before Jesus came to be the final sacrifice for sin it was important that the Hebrews understood the severity of sin and God’s design for dealing with it – the sacrificial system pointed to Jesus.

▪ The High Priest – Before Jesus came to take on the final and full definition of High Priest it was important that there was someone who could stand in the presence of God for the people – this concept of High Priest pointed to Jesus, the final High Priest.

The important thing for us to understand today is that THE CONCEPT OF “PRIEST” HAS NOT GONE AWAY – IT LIVES ON IN GOD’S PLAN.

As in the O.T., not just anyone can be a priest. Still today a priest must be able to prove their genealogy. The O.T. priest had to be able to prove Aaron as father. We as priests today must have the correct genealogy. We do – we have God himself as our father. The O.T. priest could not have deformity. We as well must be "perfect". We are - There is a sense in which we are perfect. When God looks at us through the perfect work and SURE victory of Jesus - sin has been killed, nothing can separate us from God, we are clothed in the perfect provision of Jesus - in Jesus we meet the requirements.

So what are God’s priests called to do today? Just as in the past we, God’s priests are called to:

1. Offer sacrifices - The sacrifice of our bodies, what God has given us, the sacrifice of praise – Romans 12:1, Phil 4:18, Heb 13:15
2. Represent the people before God – We as priests are to, in the Spirit, in faith, in the name of Jesus, with persistence, and boldness pray for those in authority, pray for healing, pray for salvation, strength to continue the fight
3. Represent God before the people – Our loving and sacrificial lives, our words, our prayers should show the beauty and Jesus to those around us
4. Encourage God's people to act in faith because God is with us and he is our full and only hope.

Have you thought of your relationship to God within the context of who he has called you to be? God has a dynamic plan for your life. In humility and faith we are here to fulfill a sacred calling individually and as a community – we are priests.