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Eugene Prewitt

The Priesthood of Believers

In Jamaica, just about 1 in 30 people is a Seventh-day Adventist.

In Peru, about 1 in 55 people are Seventh-day Adventist.

In the northwest part of the United States, it's about 1 in 300 people are Seventh-day Adventist.

In most of inter- and South America, it's between 1 in 100 and 1 in 150 people are Seventh-day Adventist.

In Arkansas, Louisiana Conference, it's less than 1 in 700 people.

What I want to communicate to you just by that starting figure is that you are living in a mission field that is more dearth of light, more deficient in light than any other part of the United States and really any other part of inter or North or South America.

But Bonnardale has quite a bit of light compared to the number of people that live in Bonnardale.

In Arkadelphia about 1 in 10000 people are a Seventh-day Admonist.

That's because there's 1 Seventh-day Admonist living in Arkadelphia.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Exodus chapter 19.

The Bible says, Now therefore, if you will obey my voice truly, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, for all the earth is mine." When you read that verse, would it be true to say that the people that live in hot springs belong to God?

God owns everyone entirely, but in this verse, are there a class of people that are in a particular, peculiar way His own?

There are people that are in a particular, peculiar way, His own.

It's the class that obey His Word truly and keep His covenant.

"'And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." If there was a message that God wanted to go to the people before they heard the 10 Commandments, it's what you find in Exodus 19.

And what did they hear before they heard the 10 Commandments?

They heard that if they would obey His voice truly, if they would keep His covenant, they would be in a peculiar way His own.

He would make them into a kingdom of priests.

What I want to do for you this morning in the next 20 minutes or so is have a Bible study before I tell you some stories.

A Bible study on the truth that we are a kingdom of priests as a church.

And then to talk about what are our qualifications to be priests, that we are priests, what are our qualifications to be priests, and then to talk about what are the duties of priests.

Turn with me in your Bibles to 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter 2.

1 Peter chapter 2 and we're looking at verse 9.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Why are you priests according to this passage?

It's to show forth his praises to those that are in darkness, because some light has come your direction, and it really isn't fair if you hoard it.

It says, You also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

There are sacrifices that need to be offered to God.

Those sacrifices are made acceptable by Jesus according to this verse.

But who is it that offers up the sacrifices?

That we are a kingdom of priests that offer up spiritual sacrifices.

I'd like to show you what 1 of those sacrifices...

The composition of 1 of those sacrifices, turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 12.

Romans chapter 12, and we're looking at the very first verse.

Romans chapter 12 and looking at verse 1.

I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice.

Maybe you've read this verse before and you've thought about the fact that you are a sacrifice.

But have you ever read this verse and thought about the fact that You are the 1 that offers the sacrifice.

Does this try to show the verses that I'm turning to?

Whoever is doing that, I'll be showing a lot of verses.

But the rest of you should turn in your Bibles just in case it doesn't work out, you think?

Let me review that in case we're distracted.

We are a kingdom of priests if we obey what God has said.

If we keep his covenant we can become a kingdom of priest.

The duties of the priest are to show forth light into dark places.

The first sacrifice we've looked at here is the sacrifice of self.

There is a passage where David asks, what shall we offer to the Lord for all of the mercies that he's given to us?

And then he responds that I will take the cup of salvation.

That is the sacrifice, the first 1 that God is looking for, it's the sacrifice of yourself.

What are the qualifications of being priests?

Turn with me in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 9.

It might be a surprise to someone in the audience to know that most, or maybe many would be more accurate, that very many of the things that we think of as New Testament ideas are in the book of Deuteronomy.

When Jesus talks about a new commandment I give to you, it's from Deuteronomy.

When he says, love your neighbor as yourself, it's in Deuteronomy.

When he communicates about so many ideas, he's quoting from this book.

Deuteronomy chapter 9, and we are looking at verse 4.

It says, speak not thou in your heart, after that the Lord your God has cast them out from before thee, Who are the them?

There were Perizzites and Hittites and Jebusites and Canaanites and other Hittites.

There were these people that were inhabiting Canaan.

God said that I'm going to move them out of the way.

Originally it was not God's intention to kill them.

He was going to use bees, wasps, to drive them out of the way and make room for Israel.

If you knew that God was going to move someone out of their house to make room for you, you might think that you're pretty special.

Pretty special that God would move someone out to move you in.

And that's why verse 4 is written, Speak not thou in your heart, after that the Lord your God has cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land.

But rather, for the wickedness of these nations the Lord does drive them out from before you." If God has made you, if he's made me a depository of special truth, If we know something that others don't know, if we have light that they don't have, it isn't because we are so special.

It's not because of our righteousness that we have been given light.

In fact, we've been given light because they are in darkness.

Let me say that thought in a different way.

You have been given light to be a channel for it.

The kingdom of priests have been given light so that they can teach it.

Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart.

Verse 4 said it's not for your righteousness, but verse 5 said it's not for your righteousness.

Look at verse 6, Understand therefore that the Lord your God gives thee not this good land to possess it for your righteousness, for you are a stiff necked people.

Verse 7, Remember and don't forget how that you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness.

If I could summarize these 5 verses in a row, The reason that God has entrusted you with special light is not because you are better than others.

In fact, it might even be accurate to say it's quite the opposite reason.

Turn with me and your Bibles to our scripture reading.

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The Priesthood of Believers

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