The Purity of the Priesthood
Notes
Transcript
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
You are brought in by God. You are mad a royal priest, you’re put in a family, you have a place to belong.
This verse is filled with OT references about the elite Levite priesthood in Israel, and you are a part of that.
With that in mind, let’s look at what God includes us in, and what He calls us to as priests.
The inclusion of God
The inclusion of God
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
God gives you a place to belong. You were alone, and He brought you in.
Every other group has a bunch of rules to be loved or to be popular. God already loves you and wants a relationship with you.
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
God also gives you value!
You’re a piece of the church, a building block of the Kingdom
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” - C.S. Lewis
The Call of God
The Call of God
A priest doesn’t just get to sit and ‘be holy.’ A priest has a call on their lives and are supposed to have their lives entirely devoted to the Lord.
Offer Spiritual sacrifices (5)
This seems to be intentionally vague. We no longer offer literal sacrifices to God, but we can offer different sacrifices of ourselves.
Sacrificing time to read your Bible, etc.
Proclaim the excellencies of God. (9)
Tell the entire world about how great God is.
A priest that doesn’t tell people about the God that she worships is a terrible priest, don’t be a terrible priest.
Long for the word. (1-2)
Like a baby with milk, long to know God better.
Do everything you can to get closer to God!
Questions.
What does it mean to you that you are the house of God?
What are some spiritual sacrifices you can give to God?
If you’re being completely honest, are you longing for the Word of God? If not, how can you grow in that?