You are a Priest

INTRODUCTION (October 1st Slide) Good morning! My name is David Sorn, and I’m the Lead Pastor of Renovation Church. Welcome to the Fall. I know many of you have kids back in school, and Fall is in full swing. (Vikings are on today!) We’ve got House Group sign ups starting here in just 2 weeks! And we are getting pumped to get back in our building! We are still aiming at October 1st, Lord willing! But anything can happen as this is a massive project. If you just drive by there and you see all 10.5 acres being developed, and the building more than doubling…it’s a lot of work. But for now, we’re still on track for the 1st So we’ll be here again on the 17th & the 24th (two more Sundays, and we’re back!) It’s still a construction zone…with 6.5 more months of construction to go (so keep that in mind when you come!) But our expanded lobby, and expanded worship center, and most of our new parking lot should be ready for us! Pretty exciting! Start praying about inviting a friend with you to see it as well! (Series Slide) All right, we are starting a new series this morning called, “Remember Who You Are.” And this is a really important theme in the Bible. God’s Word talks about our identity at length. The Bible says, as a Christian, you are: Chosen Set apart Adopted into his family Forgiven Treasured An Ambassador And we could go on and on, right? Because God wants you to know WHO YOU ARE because our identity (how we think of ourselves) is what guides our thinking and our actions. And so we’re going to take 3 weeks, and look at 3 different Scriptures, on 3 different Christian identities all from the Biblical Sacrificial System. (3 Week Topic Slide) So this will be a rather unique series. We’re going to start with your identity as a priest, and then next week, as a temple, and finally, as an instrument in the hand of God. And we’re going to get theological today, and historical, and practical, all at the same time! So let’s start with today’s topic: You are a Priest. Did you know that? Go ahead and grab a Bible, let me show this to you. 1 Peter 2:4 5 and 9 Page 828 Sunday Services Tab Now, this might feel like a strange teaching, especially if you grew up Catholic (which about 75% of you did), or Episcopal, or Orthodox, and you had a priest leading your church. But I want you to see what the Bible, (not just a church’s tradition) says about this topic. Let’s take a look at a letter from the disciple Peter to one of the early churches. (1 Peter 2:4 5) – NIV 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And let’s jump and read verse 9 also. (1 Peter 2:9) – NIV 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Okay, this is amazing. Twice here the Bible says that all Christians are priests. Verse 4 says you are a HOLY priesthood. And verse 9 says you are a ROYAL priesthood. And Revelation chapter 5 says all Christians are “priests who serve God.” (Title Slide – You are a Priest) I want to explain to you what this means, But first, I need to tell you why this teaching even feels funny to most of you in the first place… And it only feels funny to you because the church lost sight of this Biblical truth way back in the day. See, back in medieval times, the church elevated priests, as special men who had a special knowledge & access to God that the common people didn’t have. And these priests then were the ones who supposedly dispensed God’s grace to the people And they said they did that through what they determined were the 7 sacraments (things like the Eucharist (communion), confession, confirmation, and more) And even visually the priests were set a part as a different class, wearing different robes than the lay people. And if you think about it, the church had in those days, essentially reverted back to the Old Testament, instead of living out New Testament theology Because in the Old Testament, the Israelites had priests. And the Israelites would have to go to their priest to get right with God. The Old Testament priest would offer the person’s sacrifice to God, so the person could experience forgiveness. The priest was an intermediary between the sinner and God. Much like the Catholic priest became. But that’s not at all the teaching of the New Testament. The New Testament says that those priests of the Old Testament were just a shadow of what was to come. And what was to come…was Jesus, who was our final sacrifice, and our high priest (we talked about this in Zechariah), and that all Christians now share that priestly role under our High Priest Jesus. And in the early 1500’s, the great reformer Martin Luther, rediscovered this truth through passages like 1 Peter And when he started what eventually became the Protestant Church, one of his key doctrines is what theologians now call, “The Priesthood of all Believers.” The Priesthood of All Believers. This is the Biblical Truth that every Christian shares in Christ’s priestly status. And therefore, no longer is there a special class of people who have special access to God and do all the work of the ministry We all have the Holy Spirit, and so we’re all priests. Now, we still need pastors (that was suspenseful for a second!) Because the Bible says God has gifted certain people to teach the Word to others. The Bible says to appoint elders to oversee, and shepherd the flock…and even discipline the flock Church leadership still matters. But every Christian has the same access to God, and we can all do His work. YOU HAVE ACCESS TO GOD LIKE A PRIEST So let me highlight on the screen for you the two main ways that you are a priest as a believer You Are A Priest #1: You have access to God like a priest Can I just say how much I missed having a screen this summer? I want to go over there and hug it right now. But look at verse 9 again (1 Peter 2:9) – NIV 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. And it says that you are a royal priesthood. That means you are a child of the king. And as the King’s child, you have free access to your Father. In a castle, everybody else has to get permission through an intermediary to see the King But as his child, you can run right up to His throne. Hebrews 4, that we can approach his throne with confidence. We’re His kid! See, just as in the Old Testament, the priests were born into that special class by being a child of the family line of Aaron So now we are born into the priesthood, by being born again, and being a child of the King. (Title Slide – You are a Priest) God wants you to know you have access to His presence! In part because of what happened when Jesus died on the cross. When Jesus gave out his last breath, the Bible says that the thick temple curtain in Jerusalem ripped open. And that curtain used to veil off the holy of holies… The place where God’s presence dwelt in a special way The place where only the high PRIEST could enter once a year… …that curtain was ripped open. Signifying that now every believer (and not just the priests) can have access to God’s presence. We’re ALL priests! And I’m not sure if you understand how revolutionary this thinking is. It feels normal to us, but this was baffling to people back then...and still is to many people around the world today. In fact, this doctrine we’re teaching on today was so bewildering to the Romans, that they incorrectly labeled Christians as atheists in the first few centuries. Because they couldn’t comprehend why Christians didn’t have temples…and priests…and sacrifices… like everyone else! …these early Christians just met in homes…and without priests! The Romans were like, “How can you even reach God without an intermediary like that?!” But they could because Jesus was our intermediary. He was our sacrifice He ripped the curtain. And He and the Father sent the Holy Spirit to us. And so I want you to step back and think about how awesome this Biblical Truth is. …When you get to work on Monday, at your desk, or station, or wherever you work, I want you to pause for a second, and think, “Like a priest, I have access to the God of the Universe, right here and now.” Be wowed by that…and then speak with him. Pray continually as Paul writes. Remember who you are. You are a priest. YOU OFFER SACRIFICES TO GOD LIKE A PRIEST And there’s another part of this passage I want you to see. Another key aspect of you being a priest Look again at verse 5 (1 Peter 2:5) NIV — 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, a priest would offer sacrifices, provide instruction, counsel, pray for the people, and declare the praises of God. But now, since we’re all priests, we’re ALL to fulfill this role for each other. Offering ourselves as sacrifices in serving each other… We’re ALL disciples who make disciples. You Are A Priest #1: You have access to God like a priest #2: You are to serve God’s people like a priest Each and every one of us, like the end of verse 9 says, should be declaring the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. And while I think the Protestant Church has done well with that first point, I’m not sure we even have a passing grade with the 2nd point. In fact, let me share a few examples of how all sorts of different churches in America are failing to remember this Biblical truth that all Christians are to serve God’s people like priests. But let’s start with the Mainline Protestant church (that’s the Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians)…in many ways they don’t look all that different than the Catholic Church in this regard. I grew up in mainline church (not saved) that didn’t preach the Gospel It was a church where the pastor wore his fancy robes, and he was the only one who could do the sacraments and duties of the church. And in so many ways, the pastor (much like a Catholic Priest even) was “other” to me…a special, different class. And that’s not what Peter has in mind for the church when he wrote this letter. That’s not living like we’re all priests. (Title Slide – You are a Priest) Let’s talk about large evangelical churches…or even charismatic churches. Because they too struggle with living out the Biblical doctrine of the Priesthood of All Believers. Our larger churches today are notorious for their rockstar, celebrity pastors. These famous pastors do all of the teaching, and the people do all of the consuming. We call it cruise ship Christianity, right? Well what is that? It’s making the pastors into a priestly, special class. But Pastors aren’t special. And there are a lot of unfortunate consequences when laypeople think their pastors are special… OR, when pastors think they are special. Not once, but twice in the last year, I’ve had large church pastors tell me that their Sunday morning livestream was so important, because people from all over the country can listen to them. And they tell me how people from small towns in New Hampshire, or Alaska, or Alabama sit at home and listen to them on Sunday mornings. And I always reply by saying, “is the Holy Spirit not working in Alabama anymore?” “Is what you’re doing so special, in such a class of its own, that this person can’t go find a church in Alabama? Or even a Bible Study? A small group? A House church? Where they could have someone that could see them face to face, minister to them, care for them, teach them, challenge them, and love them through the Holy Spirit? Are the only priests left in America those who get 10,000 views on YouTube? Or could it still be true that every Christian is a priest, and every Christian can minister to one another? And often I hear small evangelical churches point the finger here at Mainline Churches with their robes or at Megachurches with their famous pastors, but I think small churches struggle living out this doctrine just as much. Over the last 3 years, statistically we’ve had more pastors quit than ever before in my lifetime. Most of them from small churches. And I’ve read the studies and articles about why they’re quitting. The pastors who are walking away say the #1 reason they’re quitting is because they’re expected to do too much. They say, “I’m expected to lead like a CEO, and raise money like a professional fundraiser, and cast vision, be an incredible communicator, marry, and bury, and counsel everyone, and visit everyone in the hospital But I’ve often encouraged pastors by saying, “It may FEEL like you have to do all that, but WHO said you have to do all that?” Who said, that YOU had to visit everyone and YOU had to counsel everyone? See, I think even our small Bible Churches have forgotten the Priesthood of all Believers. And in America, we’ve made the local pastor out to be the only one who can minister And quite frankly, that’s unbiblical. What does the Bible instruct the Christian leader, like the pastor, to do? Let’s look: (Ephesians 4:11 12) – NIV 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up What are the leaders of the church to do? Equip the PEOPLE! To do what? To do the work of the ministry! And WHY are we as leaders to do that? Because you’re all priests!! Every one of you has an oar! You all have the Holy Spirit in you to do the work. (Title Slide – You are a Priest) In 1 Corinthians 12, when Paul explains that we are all a part of the body, but just have different parts, and thus different roles… He keeps saying, “But the same Spirit that is in me, is in you” And I can’t tell you how much I believe in this. And in many ways, it’s one of the reasons I think I’m still in ministry 20 years later. I don’t believe I have to do it all myself. I don’t believe there’s anything special about me. And I don’t believe that I have every spiritual gift…not even close. God gave me the gift of preaching, and administration, leadership. But I’m not a counselor. I’m not a very good shepherd. You don’t want me helping you fix your marriage. Really, you don’t. It’s not my gift. And so at this church, we’re living out Ephesians 4. I think this is a big reason we’ve seen some of the growth we have. I don’t have to care for everyone…the Bible commands me not to! I’ve equipped other pastors, and now we’ve equipped others elders, who are our house leaders, to shepherd and counsel our people in our House Groups. And they’re way better at it than I am. And they’re a priest just like I am, and just like you are. But let’s not point the finger at everyone else and not also ourselves. Because we’ve got growth points here too. Let me give you a couple of examples: For one: Sometimes people will come to me and say, “Our friends are struggling with their marriage, so can you start a marriage seminar at church?” Or, “There are a bunch of new moms in my neighborhood, could a leader at church start a new moms program at the building?” And we ask questions like that, because so many of us are still living under this old paradigm, or where the pastor, or the church leader is the special class of priest…who can (and should) do the work. But the truth of God’s Word says that His Holy Spirit resides in YOU, and has gifted YOU to offer sacrifices like a priest, and YOU to declare His goodness to those around you. And so I’ll say to people, “I think God has put that couple in your life for a reason. Why don’t the both of you have them over for dinner, and start pouring into their marriage yourself. God will use YOU way more than any class anyway.” Or, “If God is putting new moms on your heart, start a brunch club for new moms in your home every Tuesday…maybe even share a Bible truth or story each week.” And I want to ask each of you (because God’s Word says that He’s put the Holy Spirit in You)… …what is He calling YOU to do? Remember who you are. You are a Priest! Let God use you. And let me close with a huge thing we need to work on here: Listen, if our church is going to fulfill our mission to “follow Jesus and help others do the same…” …if we’re not going to rest until every person in our city has heard the Gospel… Then this Biblical Truth, the Priesthood of ALL believers, is essential to fulfilling that. Because here’s the hard reality: Over half the people in our city, will never walk into the doors of a church…even if they’re invited. And the only way they’re going to meet God, is if YOU, the priest, the one who’s had access to God, brings God to them. But for most of us, our only method of evangelism (if we have one) is to bring a friend to church to hear the Gospel. And that’s great… But we have plenty of friends & neighbors that will never come. And so we’ve got to get back to Biblically Remembering who you are. You are a priest. You HAVE the same Holy Spirit as the Apostle Paul! You can share the Gospel! And listen is the way that God has moved most mightily in history When the church had explosive growth in the first few centuries, it was before the church was institutionalized…and professionalized. People were meeting in small gatherings, in house churches even, and every person was sharing with their friends and neighbors. Even today, I think of The Timothy Initiative They have reached 2 million people in 15 years!! How? By quickly training up lay people to go out and start churches, others to shepherd, to counsel, to pastor. Because they remembered that everybody is a priest! And listen, the Lord moves mightily every time Christians rediscover this doctrine When we remember that God has mightily gifted not just pastors and preachers but paramedics and plumbers. God wants to use YOU right where you are at, right where you live, right where you work, to influence the world around you for a Christ. And so REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE! You are a priest You, YOU, have access to the Holy God! And you, YOU, have His Spirit to change the world around you! Let me pray.