We Are Living Stones, Royal Priests, A Holy Nation - Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ that I will in the Old Testament you had pleas that were chosen by God pleas in the Old Testament that could only be cleansed by the blood of the sacrifice you and I are blood of sacrifice so different you joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana doing pastoral Gebhardt now is once again he shows up God's word. Our world says you also, as living stones, are billing spiritual house for a holy priesthood, the author's up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ got in verse nine. Your chosen race of oil priesthood while so he's starts out there in verse five you also, you plural you all from the South you all.

He said all of you. He said all of you. He said a part of a holy priesthood word by the way, that had a lot to do with the starting of the Reformation Catholic priest understood at this is what the word of God said, men like Martin Luther said, don't ever call mice call me a priest miss you call yourself a priest because were all priest universal priesthood of believers is a fundamental fact of the New Testament is immoral priest.

Some you come from backgrounds and you think know the priest especially designated group of people and not your specially designated group of people when you're not just any priest event. First of all, he says you have a holy priesthood, set apart by God. That's pretty good, but then he says that in verse nine that is a royal priesthood, that's really cool how many royal priests there are in the Bible.

One. Melchizedek became priest of Salem just one no Levite, not Aaron, not any of the Levites are ever priest Melchizedek's priest because, yeah, that's the kind of priesthood you have because Melchizedek is a theophany of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ as a king priest and you and I are King priests, all of you see, you know it's ironic about this of you think about it from another point of view who wrote this Peter in that interesting. The first pope wrote that were all priests that get so messed up you said were all priest know the point of it is what would something about being a priest noticed offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ you when I make offerings. You know how often all the time your life in my life. Let me show you this, go with me will come back to Romans chapter 12 Romans chapter 12 verse one. The apostle Paul writes this, he said. Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God you can't you can't plead more than that, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, this is so important to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God which is your spiritual service of worship. So as a priest.

What can I offer God me master you should offer God you I offer me a living sacrifice J.

Vernon McGee was the first guy ever heard say it but he he said one time. The problem with living sacrifices they keep getting off of the altar and now you can keep them up where they belong and there's a lot of truth to that, but I am to offer up the God living sacrifice, it's me.

I'm a priest that's what I'm offering you God would send me and I'll do anything anywhere any time at any cost. Just tell me you have me see that's what Paul said that's what you need to do you need offer your whole life. But there's more parts to it. Go with me now to Hebrews chapter 13 the book of Hebrews chapter 13 in verse 15. Here the writer of Hebrews says this through him through Christ through him, he said, then asked continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God. That is the fruit of the lips that give thanks to his name.

God's is there's another thing I want to offer me. I want you to offer me the praise of your lips.

Notice the word. There's continually it doesn't say for an hour on Sunday morning and say that this continually. I want you to continually praise me, that's what I want from you next verse, and do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is pleased says you see, when used when you do good with other people and you suck and you share with other people. God says that's a sacrifice to me. Thank you for your offer me sacrifice God from your life you are familiar. Praise offer me a Thanksgiving offer me doing good in Ephesians chapter 5, Paul says when we love that we have love for God and others were offering up spiritual sacrifices. The motivation of the Christian life is not a religious motivation.

I don't live a certain way because of fear or because of guilt.

I live that way because of love and gratitude. That's what you say that's what you do. You offered up the God. It's interesting that in the book of Revelation the writer keep saying that the prayers of the saints are offerings to God. He sees him as a sweet aroma. Every time we pray, we make an offering to God's will. Priests that's our rule was priest in the Old Testament you had pleas that were chosen by God. You and I are chosen by God, you had priest in the Old Testament that could only be cleansed by the blood of the sacrifice and you and I are cleansed by what the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ see but were so different than they were never bonsai knife you saw in the movie, you know, it was pretty cool was kind of wild looking up there and all the people down and bottom their terrified how many people could walk to Mount Sinai and be sort of in the presence of God. One night, just Moses that's it. So anything of a holy of holies. How many people could go when to work at the mercy seat is the Ark of the covenant, the holiness of God in Sam here just one, the high priest how often once a year. That's it and had bells on his garments. The reason he had bells on his garments was that if you don't hear the bells. I mean, he's dead right and the traditional rumor is that they used to tie a rope around his ankle, so that if you did fall down better. They could drag him out because if you wanted to get them you would die. That's a holy God is. Now what about you and I the writer of Hebrews says come boldly, you and I go boldly to the throne of grace. You and I go boldly, not once a year. Any moment we want to know I can we go boldly, but because you and I are children of God, and adopted I can go boldly into the presence of God climb up on his lap and calm popular daddy and I can talk to him.

It says that that throne of grace, I will receive mercy and grace of God is what it means to be a priest. This is an amazing thing.

What a privilege this is for us, our access to God in an intimate way you do this all the time but all these things and been talk about these last few weeks. Our faith is not a religion. It's a relationship between you and God, and God uses all these different words to define this relationship when you came in this morning you made an offering to God becoming she made an offering to God by coming when you saying you offer praise the God. This is all about what's going on here. If you encourage someone else today you made an offering to God and to even think about it that way more likely to think this get a car save your spouse know about you with that guy, will I just goes on and on and on.

You know I didn't get anything out of it. When we explain something you were supposed to get anything out of it if you came here to get something you're in the wrong place you came to give something you see, you're not the audience. God is the audience for the worshipers matter me were just prompters your the worshipers God the audience today is a you make an offering to God when you sing God. Read your heart. You see, when were praising him. You see, when were praising God says is that they meanness you see, do they really meanness receipt were standing together and saying your worthy. You are worthy of all all blessing and honor Lord I don't really know. I don't really care for the song is a little too slow for me. See, when you do that you're not worshiping where offering God something not just here but everywhere we go.

Isn't it interesting how terrible the church is when you think about this. If you think of all the ways we offer. We have corporate worship we make offerings to God.

The church is decided that only one things the offering everything that just one things he often were now with the men come up and get the baskets were now going to have the offering.

The only thing you can offer God is the money we want the money that your offering money is an offering, but it's not the only offering you see, that's not it at all.

The whole experience is the offering that we call it the offering to simply because money will exchange hands. See were priests. Our job is to offer up to God offerings and sacrifices on a daily basis so were living stones in the same building were Royal priest in the same temple and then lastly back to Peter. He says in verse nine, you're a chosen race that's God's part.

He always does the choosing.

And by the way, why he chooses will look at us were impressive. Molly God said while they're the best of the best on their no nothing.

There's no reason he chose us that you and I brought to the table that pulses the other he says with you really look were not that impressive a group which is kind of interesting but he chose us not on the basis of our merit, but on the basis of his love for us. He chose us.

He said to be a royal priesthood, a holy nation, holy, set apart hog set apart as moss people were a holy people set apart people's called and often translated nation hey piggy gives us a little more specific with the next phrase he said we are people for God's own possession of these guys are mine.

This church is a mine with God's there's only and were just one holy nation. See, there's no racing here there's no class distinction in here.

There is no male and female in her. There's no written, there's none of that in there are Europeans and Asians and African none of that were on the same nation were on the same group were all the body of Christ. That's who we are set apart people for God's own possession. That's we belong to be.

That's who we must be is what he says now those things are wonderful seeing and all that pulses in Philippians chapter 3 we understand were citizens of heaven is a great way to put it. I'm a citizen of America. I'm sure you're too but I'm a citizen of heaven and by the way, that's the priority of my life.

My citizenship in heaven is the most important thing to me and what I'm going to live my life and listen to the Lord of heaven. not that I'm not a citizen. Hopefully not a good citizen, but the point of it is were not citizens of this world were citizens of heaven people of God's own possession. What is the reason for all these things verse right in the middle. Verse nine so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him was called you out of darkness and in the marbles. That's why you're living stone. That's why her Royal priest. That's why you're a holy nation, so that you may proclaim it interesting every time we see one of these. If I'm a child of God. I need to be a witness for God.

What is that in my life, an ambassador for God. You see, in my job is to share with others. Now he says I'm I'm a living stone, Royal priest and he says I'm from a holy nation, so that I can proclaim the excellencies of him. It was called us out of darkness and into his marvelous light. That's what were supposed to do. He said 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. So what we tell people how I proclaim the excellencies of him.

I tell people first, where I came from darkness and then I tell them I am light that's with the verses I also tell them who I was, not as people now who I am. I am as people the same thing as a witness does I just give testimony to the Lord. That's the way this works in the base of it all was that one great word to Peter writes there. He said you had not received mercy, but now you will receive mercy while you go to heaven. Mercy three great words can have all been used your love, grace, mercy what is grace see what is grace getting what I don't deserve this case it's a gift what's mercy, not getting what I do deserve you see as mercy. He says that the whole reason that all this is true, all these great things about us. I'm a child of God. I'm a new creation on the living stone, similar Royal priest, I'm only nationwide mercy of God has nothing to do with anything else that's an amazing thing. I love what he says in verse six when he says I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, precious cornerstone, he says, and Hugh believes in him will not be disappointed. As I bade you with your thinking somehow if you going to jump through some religious groups and somehow that's gonna make a difference in your life, you can end up extremely disappointed. I can be clear with this it's faith in faith alone in Christ and Christ alone. All of the glory goes to him. I don't want any of you to ever be disappointed when you stand before the Lord while now it's interesting about this is why does God tell us all the stuff Paul made a statement in Romans 80 said that nothing can separate you and I from the love of Christ.

Nothing pending in the past and in the future. No created thing, not angels. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ is an amazing statement when you think about what is Katella stuff like that because he once you and I to have something that's extremely important as a sinful person living in a cursed world.

He wants you and I to have peace. That's what he wants and what you and I to be able to have peace because you and I both know how the circumstances out there can get really bad really fast in our lives there people who would disappoint you there diagnosis that you never want to hear their economic town downturns or can one your financial there's a lot of things in the world that can really bother you.

He said yes and I know that I want you to have peace when you live your life.

That's an amazing thing. And the reason for it is he says look I'm in the deliverance business. That's what God says. That's my job. God says this is what I do I deliver people I deliver sinners.

You see I redeem things. That's what God does for us, he delivers us he redeems things in other words, again, as I say all the time.

Read the end of the book we went a set of the liver you I promise you not notice he never promises I'll make the circumstances, so you'll never have to face anything difficult out there because that's not true. So I want to think about that for a moment okay the first thing that happens is he says let me give some stories about deliverance about Doug Daniel and what liens that vetted the place to be no yeah but then our lives and deliver them.

How by Joan and the great fish delivered a teenage boy standing in the shadow of a 9'9" giant named Goliath. Yesterday I delivered him what about the Peter and John in prison yet.

I delivered him what about Thomas and his doubt. I delivered him what about Lazarus in his grave.

I what about the shackles for Paul that I delivered one of the great words of the Bible was the word through.

That's what God really promises us get through this promise. I took them through the Red Sea through the wilderness. Psalmist wrote this even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.

Why because you're with me. You can send my candidiasis is a shadow that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, and you know it's amazing. Not only do you when I get peace but it's one of the most important things of our testimony to other people. One of the things that God can use are the most difficult terrible circumstances to bring people to a saving knowledge of him how he takes us through it. Notice what he says is a goes on. Met verse 11 beloved, I urge you, as aliens and strangers that's after mentioning title force were aliens of this world, he said, beloved, I urge you, as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul. Now watch keep your good behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. That's what happened to prisoners of war in World War II.

They kept their behavior excellent among a heat field German commander named knish. He came to Christ because of how does that stuff happen for two reasons. One, because of who he is, but to because of who we are.

Spring father. This message and these identities that you give us throughout the New Testament of just who we are, somehow, for many of us it never really sets in our soul is never something we meditate on or think about we find ourselves so often preoccupied with the circumstances of our life.

If you're going well were happy and when they're not going what were extremely sad but father what you keep trying to tell us over and over again is that that inner joy, the peace in the hope that we can have come through our relationship with you, not the circumstances of our life. It comes for us, understanding who we are in Jesus Christ.

We are to save people. We are the children of God. We are a new creation. We are living stones.

We are royal priest. We are a holy nation of people and so much more you tell us that to bolster us as we live out our lives in this cursed father I pray that we can incorporate these truths into our lives and our lives can be filled. Peace no matter what this we pray for your glory. Christ pastoral giver on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you dislike of the sum of the method one more time.

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