INTRODUCTION
• The Bible is full of pictures of believers that define their destiny…chapter 19 in Exodus is one of those.
• How we see ourselves and our call in Him is crucial to living out our destiny.
• One of our callings is to touch others…with life and possibility.
• It’s not an action it is a lifestyle.
Read Exodus 19:1-2
Exodus 19:2-6, 3Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall…and tell the sons of Israel: 4‘…I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 5‘Now then, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples…and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”
I Peter 2:4-5,9-10, "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:…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; 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."
I. THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVER
• What is all that about…
• Two pictures here that are vitally important to all of us…one of Israel and one of us.
• Exodus 19 says God is going to call Israel as a nation to be priests.
• Now they are only three months into this journey and God is already transforming their destiny…if they will receive it.
• A kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
• I Peter 2:9-10 - We are also called priests in fact we are told we are what Israel wouldn’t become.
• The priesthood of the believer is this: at the Reformation the church had said it alone had priests and the reformation said “no we are all priests…we can all come to God on our own.”
• We don’t have to have another make a way, Jesus did that!
• In the Old Testament the high priest once a year went into the Holy of Holies and made a sacrifice. He alone got in God’s presence.
• Matthew 27:51, “And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.”
• When Jesus died we are told the veil into the Holy of Holies was torn from the top to the bottom exposing the inner place with God to all people.
• That was the message; we all have access to come to God in Jesus’ name.
• He will hear your heart, share in your life.
• This privilege of access, we all get that.
• What we don’t get is the exercise of authority that the priesthood provides.
• The kingdom of possibility Jesus ushered in is to come through His priests, His people of authority.
• This would push back the intrusion of darkness the enemy brings.
II. THE AUTHORITY TO RESTORE LIFE
• When the Lord said, “Israel would become a kingdom/nation of priests”
• He was imparting His directive for destiny not just for Israel but for all people.
• Exodus 19:6 - What God had in mind was not a tribe of priests but a nation.
• Those of you who remember the story know when Moses came down they were worshipping the golden calf and he told those who were with him to come to him and the tribe of Levi, Moses’ tribe came.
• For the rest of Israel’s history the tribe of Levi became the priests to the other eleven tribes.
• That was not God’s original plan; it was that they would all be priests.
• Well if they were all priests, who would they be priests to? To others - Gentiles, to the nations of the world.
• They would bring the message to nations, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the world.
• But it didn’t happen.
• Now God says that nation of priests is us.
• The nation of His kingdom.
• We have the privilege of access to Him to help stem the plague of death.
• Numbers 16 - Aaron saving the people from death.
• You take from the Holy of Holies - intimate place with God and you do battle.
• Worship and warfare - a blessing from His throne to us to move into the realm of mankind,
• And make a difference.
III. BRIDGE BUILDING
• The term comes from Latin for priests.
• It is certainly appropriate for priests, a bridge from the realm of the natural to the supernatural.
• That is what priests did.
• A priest would meet you and take your sacrifice to Him and return with His forgiveness for you.
• They cared for the physical needs of the sick, medicine, hygiene.
• The book of Leviticus shows the priests teaching worship.
• Healing, worship, imparting life, grace for sin.
• All these happened as examples for us.
First - We are to declare grace for sin, not condemnation.
• Spewing out hatred does nothing to push back darkness and when our personalities jump in that does happen, but God’s Spirit is great
• To create a bridge for others to see a way to Him.
• But living a life of compromise does the same. It allows darkness to reign through us.
Second - We are called to be healers. Praying for others pain, needs…
• Asking “would it be alright for me to pray for you?”
Third – Teaching paths of worship by being a worshiper, by making time with Him a lifestyle.
• As a parent to model each of these for our children.
• Your children seeing you tithe, give, worship, study, seek Him daily.
Fourth – Going to others. I tell you that we are an outreach church, touching neighborhoods and nations
• Because it is crucial to building the kingdom in others and in ourselves.
• It is our destiny, our callin.g
• According to I Peter 2:9 “proclaiming His excellencies”
• By living and speaking.
CLOSE – Two requirements for all priests:
• Holiness and sacrifice
Holiness opens you to His authority to touch others with life.
• “You are to be holy for I am holy.”
• How? God through Jesus has given me righteousness because His history rewrites mine!
• God calls me a saint, because Christ’s holiness has given me a position of holiness.
• But now let’s talk about your practice.
• Walk in Him, you will stumble but give your whole heart to Him.
• See this is a heart issue. Set your heart before Him, a purity of life, integrity, a commitment to His Spirit’s work in your life.
• “You shall be holy” here’s what I say, “Wholly” not perfection but direction. My heart in His hand, wholly follow the Lord.
• A wholly person never forgets what Jesus has done for them.
• But they intercede and patiently believe for others.
Sacrifice
• When we compromise we lose authority over that evil.
Romans 12:1-2, “1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
• A sacrifice - me my body.
• What I do with my body reflects my holiness and my wholeness.
• When you bow down, lift up, speak out , often sacrifice
• Lying down your way, your rights, then you receive authority to change destiny.
