The Priesthood of All Believers
1 Peter 2:9-12
The salvation that God has provided gives us a special relationship to Him as priests.
I. Your Position
A. Chosen Race
Race = Offspring
Chosen = Select or Favored
Deuteronomy 10:12
Instead of the decendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob being the favored offspring God has plucked mixed and matched offspring of Shem, Ham, and Japheth and brought them together under the name of Jesus. We are born again and because of our new birth we are the spiritual offspring of Jesus. We are His favored offspring, chosen to enjoy His blessings through all of eternity.
B. Royal Priesthood
2622 Training School For Priests
A special school has been established in Israel to train young Israelis of the tribe of Levi in ancient rites of sacrifice. Called “Yeshiva Avodas Hakodesh,” the school was founded by Rabbi Hirsh Ha-Cohen and dedicated in December 1970. Only students who could trace their ancestry to Aaron are admitted. There they learn the laws of ancient animal sacrifice and how to perform the practices which existed in the ancient temple.
Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations
We were told that we are a holy preisthood back in vers 5 but now he adds thtat we are a royal priesthood. We of course are not sons Levi or Aaron and so we can never be Levitical priests, but like Jesus we can be priests according to a higher priesthood. Jesus was a decendant of Judah and so He could not be a Levitical priest either, but Hebrews says that He is our great hight priest according to a different priesthood, that of Malchizadek. Malchizadek was a preist and a king in Salem (Jerusalem) during the time of Abraham even before Levi was born. Like Malchizadek we are priests and also part of the royal family because of our relationship to Jesus Christ. We have the privilage of both positions.
Think of what this means for somoene who comes to faith in Jesus. No matter what family they were born into whether they are the son of a drug dealer, daughter of a slave, ditch digger, or even a used car salesman, when they come to faith in Jesus Christ they are elevated in position to the highest family in the universe. they are part of the royal family of King Jesus.
C. Holy Nation
Israel was to be a holy nation as well (Exodus 19:6) but then God removed them from their country because they continued to sin as badly or worse than the countries around them. Eventually their leaders said to Pilate, "We have no king but Caesar." They temporarily lost their position as a holy nation. Even today the nation of Israel is for the first time in almost 2000 years back in their land as a nation, but they are not yet a holy nation. They have no temple, no priesthood, and they do not have the presence of God dwelling with them. Yet, God is not done with Isarel and He will keep His promises to them and they will once again be a holy nation, but what is a Jew to do now. How can they follow God as their king and be citizens of His nation when that nation no longer exitst as it did in the time of David? They become followers of Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah and then they are citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem where the temple which is not made with hands is still inhabited with the presence of God.
And the great part...we can be citizen too! You don't have to be a Jew. One requirement though is that you be holy. the only way to be holy is to by faith recieve the substitutionary sacrifice of this Yeshua. That is to believe that by His death on the cross your sins are placed on Him and His righteousness is place on you making you holy. That is what a saint is, a holy one and that is what you are if you believe in Him.
D. Possessed People
Finally we are a people who belong to our God. This again was a promise to Israel, Exodus 19:5. They failed to keep the covenant (which we could never keep either) and lost their position as the people of God, a people that belong to Him.
Now we are that people. A people of Jews and gentiles who God proclaims, "They belong to me."
Tiutus 2:14
Practically this means, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
We are God's people of His acquisition, choice, care and delight. What a wonderful position that leads us to our glorious pursuit.
II. Your Pursuit
Proclaim means to publish abroad or to advertise.
excellencies speaks of God's virtue or His moral goodness.
He is Just, Righteous, Wise, Merciful, Kind, Gracious, Personal.
This is a dream job for any advertiser! A product that actually is all that you could ever say about it.
A. Proclamation as one Chosen
What excellencies of God can you advertise in light that He has chosen you?
B. Proclamation as a Royal Priests
You have access to the presence of God. You have the unique opportunity to know the excellencies of God. You are also part of the royal family and you know the King personally!
C. Proclamation as a Holy Nation
How dark was your darkness? God has taken you from your darkness and made you holy, how excellent is that!
D. Proclamation as a Possessed People
You are not your own. You belong to Him now. You belong in His light and isn't it marvelous? It is a light that is worthy to be admired.
24 Bus Driver’s Soft Sell
A number of years ago, near what is known as the Kingsport Press in Tennessee, a southbound bus made scheduled midday stops of twenty minutes so that passengers might freshen up and get a bit to eat.
One driver said, as he brought his bus to a stop: “Folks, we’ll be stopping here for twenty minutes. This line makes it a strict policy never to recommend an eating place by name, but if anybody wants to see me whilewe’re here, I’ll be eating a wonderful T-bone steak with French fries at Tony’s first-class, spotlessly clean diner directly across the street.” With that remark he slowly sauntered into the tiny but tidy restaurant.
Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations
III. Your Privilage
Lo-ruhamah - no mercy
Lo-ammi - not my people
We are the children of Hosea. Ephesians 2:12
A. The Privilage of Belonging
Hosea's children:
Hoseah 1:10
B. The Privilage of Mercy
Hoseah 2:23
Ephesians 2:12-13