Sermon Intro

• God’s VISION - Kingdom of Priest
  • God sees us as priests. That’s what we are, that’s what we will be. It was spoken to Israel, now it has been spoken to the church. 
  • One of the defining qualities of priesthood is holiness. They feel otherly, elevated, revered. 
  • So, if God has called each of us to priesthood, doesn't it reason that we are called to be holy? 
• Wrestling with the identity of priesthood. Feeling out of your league, not measuring up. 

Passage

• 1 Peter 2:5–9 (NLT) — 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his HOLY priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a HOLY nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

1. Think separate, not same
   1. Israel was separated from the world - The rest of the world were Gentiles. 
      1. His HOLY LAW
      2. His HOLY PRESENCE
      3. His HOLY PRIESTHOOD
   2. The priest gave the impression that they were higher than people in so many ways. If you got around a priest, you felt underdressed, common, not worthy. They emanated “special” by outward things. 
   3. The clothing of holiness - Dressed for service for people, unto God
   4. The lifestyle of holiness - Restrictions on diets, travel, dress, funerals, etc. 
   5. The ceremony of holiness - Blood - ear, thumb, toe; Water - washed; Oil - poured on head
   6. The need for holiness - If they had defects they couldn’t participate, offered sacrifices wrong and struck dead.
   7. 2 Corinthians 6:16–18 (NLT) — 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 18 And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”
   8. What things in our culture make us “same”
      1. Our input - see the same, hear the same, around the same
      2. Our output - we speak like, we do like
   9. TRANSITION - The danger of the symbol - It becomes legalism without a heart transformation. 
2. Think impact, not isolation
   1. Monastacism; St. Simeon Stylites (STY-luh-teez) and the pillar of Syria; 
   2. Jesus gave the impression that he was common, but if someone engaged with him for any time they quickly realized that he was otherly! 
      1. T.L. Osborne
   3. Inner Holiness - Many people had the perception that they were less than Jesus, although he was dressed just as they were. People like Peter had to say get away from me, I am a sinner. 
      1. Jesus on the boat
      2. Charles FInney in the textile factory of Rochester
      3. Smith Wigglesworth on a train
      4. Charles Wesley on a horse
      5. George Whitfield praying over coal miners
   4. Impactful Holiness - The holiness of Jesus was so strong, that he transmitted holiness, he cleansed the leper, he forgave the sinner.
      1. By that same holiness, he imputes holiness unto us. 
3. Holiness is available, not avoidable
   1. 1 Peter 1:13–19 (NLT) — 13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. 15 But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. 16 For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” 17 And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” 18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. 19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.
   2. Why be holy?
      1. He’s asked you to (OBEY)
      2. To reflect Him (REFLECT)
      3. He will judge (FEAR)
      4. He paid a high price. (RESPONSE)

Five step process to walking in Holiness as a priest of the most high

1. Repent
2. Be Baptized
3. Receive the Holy Spirit
4. Obey Him
   1. We use the word sanctification to show growing more like him, and the word holy as the end result.
5. Flee Sin