Priesthood of All Believers

Here the reading of God's word and may it be a lamp unto our feet and a light into our path. A son honors his father and a servant his master. If I'm a father, where is the honor due me if I am a master, where is the respect due me, says the Lord Almighty is you a priest who show contempt for my name, but you asked how we shown contempt for your name, you place defiled food on my altar but you ask, how we defiled you by saying that the Lord's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong you sacrifice crippled and disease animals is that not wrong.

Try offering them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you. Would he accept you, says the Lord Almighty now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands will he accept you, says the Lord Almighty. Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will accept no offering from your hands, my name will be great among the nations from the rising to the setting of the sun, and every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name because my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord Almighty. But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table is defiled and of its food. It's contemptible when you say what a burden, and you sniff at it contemptuously says the Lord Almighty when you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands, says the Lord curse. It is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it but then sacrificed a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great king, says the Lord Almighty and my name is to be feared among the nations, and now this admonition is for you priests.

If you do not listen and if you do not set your heart to honor my name says the Lord Almighty, and I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I've already curse them because you have not set your heart on me because of you I will rebuke your descendents I will spread on your faces. The hopeful from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it and you will know that I've sent you this admonition so that my covenant with Levi may continue, says the Lord Almighty. My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him. This called for reverence and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin for the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction because he is a messenger of the Lord Almighty. But you have turned from the way by your teaching have caused many to stumble.

You have violated the covenant with Levi, says the Lord Almighty so I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality matters of the law. Let us pray. Additionally father I pray that you would forgive us for our sins. Father, we thank you that in Jesus Christ our Lord is blood cleanses us and washes us free. Pray now that you would not only create a new heart within us, you would fill us with your spirit overflowing opening her eyes. The eyes of our heart, giving a love for your word through your spirit, helping us to discern the truth and apply it to our day-to-day lives so that you might be lifted up and glorified, lifted up now administered each one of our hearts.

We pray this in Jesus name, amen. Should've prayed in Jesus name that the Lord would help me not call. Amen. I have been wanting to show this quite a while now. Those of you have been to my house saying this lady some of you have never even seen this before.

This is a statue in the church of San PA trope in the Nicoli Rome by know who it is Moses that's right. What's so great about Moses is Moses in this picture has horns. Most people don't know what that means but I think it's really cool when I went to Gordon Conwell seminary. There was a chapel there that was once the Catholic Cathedral and they had these alcoves along the walls and they would have these statues in fact one of them was Moses with horns was only about three or 4 feet tall and it came to be that it was a prank that the students would steal him and they would pass around so someone would have Moses in their possession in their room or in their own whatever and then when I graduated he will all of a sudden show up on stage or somewhere and then before you know it when you were distracted, Moses would disappear and somebody else had. I thought that was really neat but it really over time came to mean a lot to me. Those of the Scripture that I'm gonna read to you. I guess I should hold this up to you is very important in hourly. We read this morning which chemist also glory so there there's a little bit of overlap here and it is not intentional. Address is the providence of God. I was planning on this, but we read it.

So here it is says in second Corinthians chapter 3.

Now we, who with unveiled faces are filled with the spirit, all reflect the Lord's glory. We are being transformed into his likeness with an ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the spirit in the picture. Most people think of this text and think of the veil that was rent or the veil this over their hearts because of the law in comparison to the spirit of the word, but I'm gonna read the text again and I want you to focus on the glory because you see the horns, like the Statue of Liberty has those horns coming out ahead glory as of these horns are representing the fading cedar, nubby. There is a fading glory of the old covenant, the reading of the word trust has been some muscular when you read the text again to you this time. Think about second Corinthians 13 about the glory. Now we who was unveiled faces are filled with the spirit, all reflect the Lord's glory. We are being transformed into his likeness with an ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord is the spirit that contrast is between the old covenant and the new, but is also contrasting the glory of the presence of God which faded in comparison to us now who are filled with the Holy Spirit and are filled with an increasing glory are increasing glory because we are like temples filled with the Holy Spirit as we become more like him. The light of his glory shines all the brighter in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. So as we grow closer to him. We become brighter lights all said no to the Corinthians in chapter 3 verse 16 don't you know that you are God's temple and that the spirit lives is his spirit lives in you as well, and frequenting 619's a very similar statement. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you received from God. So I'm taking this and emphasizing. I want to emphasize that we are a temple, and that we are filled with the Holy Spirit when you look at if you want to turn without with me to first Corinthians chapter 6 there is a contrast that Paul makes their with the people who were the in the world due to verse nine do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters, nor adulterers speaking about this morning nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy or drunkards nor slanderers, swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. That's in contrast, our lives should contrast that lifestyle of the flesh, we should live for the glory of the Lord. First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31 says so, whether you eat or drink whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. So where the temples were filled with the Holy Spirit. We should not be given over to the following the flesh, but in fact we should give ourselves to living a lives that would glorify God. You and Sebastian Bach would always put SB G SDG at the at the end of his works. In fact, he carved it on a couple organs as well is one of our greatest composers and even before starting the composition he would right at the top of the pages JJ which is J Sue Juba. I'm not sure I would language it is whether it's French or what, but which means Jesus help me with this simple prayer. Bach acknowledges utter dependence upon the Savior for all that he did and then at the end of the composition. He would like those letters SDG meaning solely Dayo Gloria for the glory of God alone best of the last of the five of us always.

As you know them, you know, the first is Scripture alone for the grace alone by Christ alone through faith alone for the glory of God alone five souls there everything that we do should be for the glory of God and based upon our text here in first Corinthians 6 that I just read because he offered himself up for us. He has saved us and made us into a temple and filled us with the Holy Spirit. My point tonight is that as the priesthood of believers, we glorify God by living faithfully for him in the past I see here in the past couple weeks. I past couple sermons I spoke about what is right worship and I spoke about halfhearted worship of the priesthood so were transitioning now into the third and last sermon of this series talking about the priesthood of believers. The application of the sermons was kinda interesting.

I'm not necessarily following the text because I did that in the first and second sermon to make the point to what worship is all about.

Because of the priest do now I'm taking and apply it to us because there's a direct correlation between what the priest failed to do.

We are called to do.

We are the priesthood of believers. We have been made to be lights on a hill not hid hidden under a bushel the world which is in darkness through us is going to see the light of Christ the light of God in and through us.

And speaking of the cloud that we just read in our text from Luke, the cloud, like the pillar of fire and cloud that rested over the cloud. That is, it rested over Israel in the desert whose footstool was the ark of the covenant Israel was a witness to the truth and reality of the living God so out in the desert as the billion plus people gathered around to worship. There was a pillar of fire and cloud with the covering so to speak, like a creation of covering and the world could observe God's people in worship and recognize that he was the true and living one. Likewise, we are temples filled with the presence of God. Okay, you think of the tabernacle temple. Now he has made us to be a temple, referring here to first Corinthians 3, and six we are temples and that light of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God fills us.

We are that light to the darkness of the world. God fills us not to satisfy ourselves but to glorify him solely Dayo Gloria so what I want to do more you talk about a couple things worship and service in the Old Testament worship and service in the New Testament.

I'm going to conclude I want us to see that the life that we live is the application of worship. Yes, we come to church on Sundays and Wednesday nights. We might have devotions in the morning, but we go to work every day we serve God and this is the point is, I want you to see that we serve God as the priesthood of believers and everything that we do not just by coming here not focused on that. What is worship. What is true worship methods that in the first sermon series, but now I'm taking a little bit step further and application to say, it's what you do. It's how you live that is service of worship, so worship is not just limited to bowing down to the gesticulations bowing down raising hands. Whatever you might think of praising God. They even danced around the golden calf. But however you think of worship were adding to this aspect of worship. What we're doing here this evening. I'm adding to it. How can I add to it because it comes in the word we often overlook this and I hope that by pointing it out. It's really good applied our hearts worship and service in Exodus chapter 20 verse four and five if you want to turn in your Bibles there. Exodus chapter 25 verse four and five were back to the loft and is important that we see what follows after worship and verse four. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above on earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them grind the Lord your God, and I'm a jealous God. Now I have NIV if you got the ESV it says serve and that's a correct trip shape usual not worship nor serve them. This word for serve is going to be applicable see and has a relationship with the New Testament and the second point, but I just want to see that Jesus quoted this same text to Satan in Matthew chapter 4 verse nine, Jesus said, are actually Satan said there's all this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me. But Jesus replied and said go away Satan, for it is been written, you shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone see that Connick captures a little more clearly when you're looking from the New Testament backwards in the Septuagint, the Greek knew of the Greek Old Testament is the same word for to serve and so when Jesus is making clear that it's not just bowing down and worship. But it's also living for recall to live for God solely Dayo Gloria should be our motto for our lives right. I want to give you another text to make this point Adam was charged in the garden in Genesis 215 turn their Genesis 215. If you want to write quick 215 was charged. Adam was charged in the garden to guard and to serve the Lord. I'm reading the text took man and put him in the garden of Eden to work and take care of it. As I only missing something here.

Well know, that's the English NIV translation but though the words are still a bod and some are to guard and to serve. There is still the same words Adam was placed in the garden to guard and to serve. So what does that have to do with well Adam had not yet send those pleading context.

This is after the after he placed him after you all the creation he made Adam, he had yet to sin. He was charged with oversight of the garden. Specifically, he was called in 127, 28 to rule over word that I like to use is God's vice regent or a parallel of another word would be as a vassal suzerain vassal King subordinate King suzerain vassal.

He's an under King.

In fact, Adam was likened to God as he was made in the image of God. So you have Adam, who was made on the sixth day to rule over just as God who is the creator of heavens and earth ruled over all creation. Everything that is in a way Adam was the crown of creation and God told him to guard the temple and to serve him. This was before the fall. Another parallel Riverwood building here noted this is great if we it's great. I hope you get something out of this. I know a lot unlikely to the car and everybody loves the Lord here, but I want you to understand the clarity of this so that if anything it it helps you to understand in a deep way. What it means to worship God in your daily life. How do you worship God, and I'm getting there a building 1/3 place we find this is in the priesthood. The priesthood was charged to guard and to serve. Now we go back to the Exodus 32. If you turn there with me.

Exodus 32 verse 26 it says after the golden calf at Moses it come down from the mountain and he saw that the people were singing and dancing worshiping around the golden calf is says here that the people were claiming that it was the golden calf that had delivered them. Moses was very upset and angry so we's verse 26 so we stood at the entrance of the camp and said whoever is for the Lord, come to me and all that the Levites rallied to him. Then he said to them, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says each man strapped a sword on his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end of the other, each killing his brother's friend in his neighbor. Levites did as Moses commanded in that day about 3000 of the people died and Moses said you have been set apart to the Lord this day for you or against her own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day is the background for the Levitical ordination Levites called to guard and to serve. They were set apart by the Lord Aaron's descendents to be priests and in art, in the context of our of Malachi in the second gift disputation. These people had forgotten from whence they came in the Lord who may serve in his word.

It was very clear in the word that they would offer up blemished sacrifices and numbers chapter 1. Turn with me a little bit further over numbers chapter 1 it was a look at a couple text here just to make the point that the text doesn't tell the Levites to garden serve because I want to see that because were commanded to garden serve as the priesthood of believers numbers chapter 1 verse 53 the Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle, but the word there is once again in Hebrew Shemar, which is to guard were called to guard the tabernacle. No numbers chapter 3 verse seven and eight.

They are to perform duties. This is guarding and the whole community. By doing the work of the tabernacle and they the Levites shall guard Shemar and all the furnishings of the 10 the meaning and guard the sons of Israel as they serve. So here we have again guarding and serving. So we started out with the Old Testament about how we need to add serve to worship, serve meeting a lifestyle of worship but now are starting to see that it actually goes back this lifestyle of guarding and serving goes all the way back to Adam was very interesting because Adam failed and then you know what happened. If you read the last verse there in that chapter, the Lord put cherubim to guard because Adam had failed to guard. He put a chairman there to guard access to the tree of life. Then when we look at the Levitical priesthood. They is wealth failed miserably and so all Israel goes as as the minister goes, so did the people, so to speak. If if we up here are leading you astray watering down the word compromising woe unto us because your blood is on our hands. We have this responsibility to be faithful to the work to be careful in the word. Last we are to be held accountable and you were led astray by Lenny.

Point number two worship and service in the New Testament in between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Let me just give you will parenthetical statement here because it's pretty important for hundred 50 years passed between Malachi and the birth of Christ our Savior.

Of silence, possibly as its between the trumpets a period of judgment. The sixth and seventh trumpet.

There was silence. Maybe this was a period of silence but in the fullness of time you've heard the Scriptures from Galatians before God sent his son to redeem those under law by becoming a curse for us, God cursed those who were pronouncing a blessing because they compromised but now God, conversations he comes down into the flesh become a curse for us that we might receive his righteousness. He came down to fulfill. As we been talking about in the sermon on the Mount to fulfill the Old Testament types and figures and shadows, ceremonial law, civil law to offer himself up as the perfect perfect sacrifice which all these types and shadows pointed to God sent him down as well. To be is the author of Hebrews puts it, our high priest. So now all of a sudden were shifting into the priesthood of believers, we had Adam as a priest and assay. This Greg Beale who wrote big thick commentary on the book of Revelation was one of my professors and in seminary. He also wrote a book on the mission of the church in the temple, and he has a whole chapter in there on the phone Adam as a priest in the garden which is like a temple and making that relationship to chapter 21 of Revelation about the new Jerusalem, coming down like into the temple garden temple. And so it goes all the way back to make the point that Adam was a priest then you have the priesthood of believers they failed, but Christ succeeds. He fulfills the responsibility I remember is pretty interesting. If you think about it. Adam didn't worship in a physical temple. The garden was the temple and he abated the Lord by guarding and serving by letting Dana today life. There was no need to offer up sacrifices yet because there was no sin. Now Christ is come to pay the penalty for that sin and as a result making class to be a holy people or Royal nation royal priesthood, set apart for him and has a red in the very beginning he's made us to be temples, filled with the Holy Spirit that we would glorify him. How and why didn't we live this way when we should live this way.

So worship has to do, not only with just this act of gathering together with the saints and and praising his name, and hearing the word proclaiming ties and offerings in the sacraments in prayer. But it's also in our day-to-day lives. Where is this in the New Testament. Now that we talked about how Jesus is the transition with this. I had asked this question and I thought about it, it came to me, living sacrifices, but is supported by one of your favorite scholars and pastors John Piper wrote a nice little article on worship relating to the life of the St. and it comes from Romans chapter 12 verses one to so turn with me there if you will, is very important that we read Romans chapter 12 verse one and two in the context of all that he's done that is an Paul begins with the proclamation of the gospel of the gospel that will which includes both Jews and Gentiles items all put out according to God's plan to save those who would put their trust and faith in Christ.

They are those who put their faith in Christ are true Israel now begins with the doxology know the depths of verse chapter 11 verse 30 30 the depths of the riches and the wisdom of knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments is passed beyond tracing out who is known the mind of the Lord who is been his counselor was ever given to God that he should repay him for from him and threw him into him are all things and be the glory forever in based upon this what God has done for us. Therefore, talk about that in Sunday school. Based upon this ground first chapters of one through 11. Therefore, this is how you should live.

I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies talk offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of my NIV says worship, but the word is the same as what Jesus used in relationship to Satan service. This is your spiritual act of service. We are made to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God told offer ourselves doesn't have that offering language doesn't it has this this Old Testament Levitical sacrificial system since two it meaning to offer. We offer ourselves to the Lord. So based upon what God is done for us. Let us live for him and being living sacrifice is not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. It's in everything we say or do the Lord. I long to honor you. May my greatest motive be to love the Christ died for me.

Turn with me to first Peter this is the text from which our title comes from and that most of us recognize of the priesthood of believers Peter chapter 1 I like to go too deep into it, but I do want to give you a quick little summary. He says that we have been saved by the blood of the Lamb who was without blemish or defect.

Verse 19 see their precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. Making that relationship between Jesus our high priest who not only is faithful as a high priest, but offering up himself without blemish. He is the what the typology of the sacrifices pointed to computers making this point right here he is, without blemish or defect. So then he goes on to say, therefore, do not conform to the sinful way of life but be holy based upon what Christ has done for you. He offered himself up for you.

Therefore, how should we live behind me don't do that. Do this, goes on to say you been purified and born-again. Therefore written yourselves of the ways of the world for you, are being built. Chapter 2 verse five into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare proclaim that is the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his word and comes in on him that we just saying about Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 I believe it is the husband is to, as Christ washes us with the water of the word, to make his church radiant that where there is doxology is glorious to make her glorious as what husband we have the obligation to do with our lives is the lesson with the water of the ministry of the word we had that responsibility to lead our family and emotions are you doing it. Are you reading the Bible with your wife. Make time to do it read with your families, your kids get to see you reading the Bible and there you not take onto that and realize the important later on in life. God is glorified in our leadership. God is glorified in our lives as we live for him as living sacrifices so Peter emphasizes need to live for God.

Since we been born again and made a spiritual house. Harkening back to Temple and holy priesthood within we are that temple we been filled with the spirit and we offer ourselves up as living sacrifices, conclude your all in him seemed to come on time but on the try and wrap it up here therefore is the priesthood of believers. We are called to worship and serve faithfully in our daily lives. Worship the Lord and serve him only Jesus said in the commandment Paul said to Timothy second Timothy chapter 1 verse 14 guard the deposit that was entrusted you guarded with the help of the Holy Spirit lives in us.

Jesus also said to the disciples and his followers. Guard yourself against the yeast of the Pharisees walk in the spirit. Paul said in obedience to the word now want to end with this with this one concept is called investiture a been talking about in our Sunday school class but I want to add to it now just a little bit our flesh it out just a little bit investiture. God has vested in us. He has secured us. Are you invested in your job, job security, so to speak, vested God has vested he is secured our salvation he has purchased us with the precious blood of the Lamb.

We have been bought and purchased and so it says they're in first Corinthians, you know, we should therefore offer ourselves up. He says therefore honor God with your body. Investiture is this act of vesting.

If the ceremony essentially of being closed like a king. What is it make us think of her should make us think of it makes us think of the priests in the temple. The priest would wear and E pod and minister before the Lord's presence that defied not only that he thought it actually the layers of clothes were very well were representative of the tabernacle, but he would wear and he fought going into the tabernacle representing the people of God making these sacrifices and that on the day of atonement. He would go into the holy of holies and offer up this one sacrifice and God would eat it. Your note with the sacrifices.

Are you what they mean. You have to ask the question who's eating them in the end on the day of atonement. God eats it heats the sin represented thereby the priest, which is essentially Christ dying on the cross is in us another point. But were called to be closed in Christ, just as the priest worn a side we are called to be clothed in Christ. Why, because back in the garden just before Adam after the incident. Just before they were booted out of the garden adamantly works move God covered their shame before Christ were all shameful. But God clothes us in the blood of the Lamb. So what should you do go and offer your members to sexual immorality as a result, no you be holy as he is holy. What is done for you from me for all of us. How shall I live this investiture is exemplified in three words you read Scripture for each one but three words clothe yourselves put on holiness and offer yourselves up as living sacrifices. That's what investor means we have been purchased by the blood of the Lamb. We been closed in Christ so as a response. Romans 1314. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Colossians 3 only more cautious. 312. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility and gentleness and patience number to put on.

This is a conclusion we can put on fusion chapter 4 verse 22. You were taught, with regard to the former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness sees who we are now since we been bought and purchased enclosed in the blood of the Lamb covered in the in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, we should be taking steps to clothe ourselves with these acts of righteousness with the knowledge of him so that we would live such a life that would glorify the light of all the nations were watching do not live to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and put on the new self, and input on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge of the image of its creator. We are made in that image now. The image is been restored re-creating us to the Holy Spirit.

Just as Adam borne the image of God and rolled over guarded and serve. We now have been made new creatures in Christ we been made errors in the images been fulfilled through the Holy Spirit bear that image to the world so therefore before the world we are offering ourselves up as number three therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you advance evil desires do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of weakness but rather offer yourselves to God as those who been brought from death to life, and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness, just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and ever-increasing weakness. So now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness brothers and sisters. We been transformed. As we read saying that him we been transformed. God has filled us with the Holy Spirit and given us his word that by faith we would honor and glorify him in a harsh in our daily lives and that is our spiritual service of worship. Our day-to-day lives.

Living for him spray family.

Father, we thank you that you have done all this for us. We were once your enemies which he loved us you were faithful even with Jacob father in your promises to him. Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated father, you have been faithful to your promises to save the people the gospel will go out to the nations that we are the recipients of even here in 2022, 21, whatever.

I pray father in Jesus name that in our lives. Lord, you would be glorified. Pray father that is we live our day-to-day lives that we would take in account not only temptations that come our way, but choose to be holy, Holy Spirit 10.

Inspire us capture our minds and the life that we should live as living sacrifices to bring honor and glory to you, Lord Jesus in his name we pray. Amen