Series: 3:16- Numbers That Bring Hope [#4]
THE HOPE THAT COMES FROM BELONGING TO GOD
Numbers 3:16
Introduction:
This morning, we are going to continue our series from chapter 3 verse 16 of each Book of the Bible. The most familiar of these is John 3:16, a verse that gives us hope; but each of the 3:16’s have a message of hope. Last week we looked at the hope that comes from sacrifice; today we are going to look at a census of the Levites.
Numbers 3:1-4 (NIV)
“This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the LORD talked with Moses on Mount Sinai. The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons; so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
There is hope in…
1. Knowing that I’m important.
Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from our parents, peers, co-workers, family, etc… Would you agree that people do crazy things to be accepted? Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to fit in? When the “cool” kids dared you to do something that was stupid or dangerous you would do it anyway because you desperately wanted to fit in. We love that feeling, the feeling that “I’m important.
When you are chosen, that does tremendous things for your self-esteem. Just as Aaron and his sons were chosen- Christian, “You are a chosen people. You have been chosen by God.” Christ has accepted you and there’s no condition listed there. It’s not based on your performance, on something that you earned. You’ll never deserve it. God simply says, “I chose you.”
Numbers 3:5-13 (NIV)
“The LORD said to Moses, "Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death." The LORD also said to Moses, "I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD."
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
There is hope in…
2. Knowing that I’m worth something.
Our text says not only are you important, but also you’re worth something. How much do you think you’re worth? I’m not talking about your net worth. I’m talking about your self-worth. Don’t ever confuse your valuables with your value as a person. You can be rich or poor but it has nothing to do with your value as a person.
What determines value? There are 2 things that determine value in life: It depends on what somebody is willing to pay for something and it depends on who has owned it in the past. Based on these 2 things, what’s your value? Ask yourself “Who owns me?” and “What was paid for me?” You’ve been bought and paid for by Christ. Just like the Levites, you belong to Him. How much are you worth? Jesus paid for you with His life; He bought you back from the devil. God exchanged His own Son for you. The cross proves your value. God says I love you so much that I gave Jesus’ life for you. That means that you must be very valuable.
Numbers 3:14-16 (NIV)
“The LORD said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, "Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more." So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
There is hope in…
3. Knowing that I’m useful.
I am a royal priesthood. God says I’m a priest. This is telling us that the 2 benefits that priests had are now available to everyone who is a believer.
In the Old Testament, priests did 2 things:
? They had the right, privilege, and responsibility to go directly to God.
They could pray to God, talk to God, worship, and fellowship. Everybody else had to go through a priest.
? The priest had the privilege and responsibility of representing God to the people and ministering (serving) to the needs of other people.
Those are the very 2 things that are true of you when you become a believer. You have a right now to go directly to God. God says you have been gifted for ministry to serve other people. Every Christian is a minister. Anytime you’re using your talents and gifts to help others you are ministering.
Why does God save us and then not just take us to Heaven? Because we are saved to serve Him. A non-serving Christian is a contradiction. God saved us for His holy work. You say, “How do I know what my ministry is?” You look at your talents, your gifts, and your abilities. You look at how God is shaping you and you use those talents and gifts to help other people. Every time you do that, that’s called ministry. Please understand that each person is necessary to the body of Christ. If I don’t use my talents and spiritual gifts, you get cheated. If you don’t use your talents and spiritual gifts, everybody else gets cheated. We are all necessary and important.
Conclusion:
Christians, we must understand who we are and Who we belong to. On our own, we are worthless and sorry; but through Jesus Christ we are important, worth something, and useful. Are you one of God’s people? If you are, you have no excuses. God has equipped you for all that He has called you to be and to become. You are God’s kid. It’s time to start acting like it.
