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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends;
When you think of “Royalty“ who or what comes to your mind? Perhaps the “British royal family”, or maybe you think of the Saudi royal family, or the “royals” of the United Arab Emirates?
Do you think of Palaces and Parades and huge banquets and security people and lots of media? Do you think of wealth and popularity, prestige and power?
Now what about the word Priest or Priesthood, what comes to your mind with those words? Humble service, monks and nuns, hard work, simple and unassuming lifestyle, maybe even poverty or at least very modest means? Do you think of prayer, meditation, worship, and helping the poor or ill?
Now what do you see when you combine “Royal” and “Priesthood” into one person, one group of people? That’s what God says His people are… a “Royal Priesthood“!
This week we’re seeking to understand what God was saying through the Apostle Peter when he wrote to first century followers of Jesus all across the Roman Empire: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God… ” (1 Peter 2:9)
So what makes God’s people “ROYAL”? It’s because when we are adopted by God into His family, since He is King of kings, and LORD of lords, we become princes and princesses, sons and daughters of the Most High God! That’s ROYALTY! And that designation calls me to see myself quite differently than simply a sinful, normal human being! I am transformed by the power of God into God honoring ROYALTY and that makes me want to live my life in a God honoring way! Do you see that’s what Peter was writing about in 1 Peter 2:11? “Live such good lives among the pagans that though they may accuse you of doing wrong, they will glorify God…”
Who are the ‘pagans’ in our world? Well, just as God divides the entire human population into Jews & Gentiles, so He also divides the global population into two spiritual groups “Redeemed followers of Jesus Christ” and “pagans”. The word “Pagan” does not necessarily mean decadent, murderer or rapist or wicked to the core person. ‘Pagan’ here means any person who is still living in bondage to their sin nature and has not yet trusted Jesus Christ for their deliverance and been transformed by the Holy Spirit of God into ‘a new creation in Christ’. (2 Corinthians 5:17). This week, using the language of Peter in 1 Peter 2:11,12 I’m referring to Christ followers as “aliens’, for we are so very different from the rest of the world, the pagans.
So in your city, your setting, what would God honoring Royal living look like? Remember royalty is both a reality today but also a forward expectation. A royal prince or princess enjoys being royalty now, but they live daily knowing they may one day sit on the throne as King or Queen. That’s a royal inheritance! Listen to Peter’s words about that: “…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you…in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold… may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:3-7)
Now normally when we think of Royalty, we assume they have no pain, no need, nothing but living a pampered life all the time, with nothing but luxury all around them every day. Yet did you notice Peter declares God’s Royalty face all kinds of trials! Now that doesn’t seem right, does it? Wouldn’t you think God would shower His Royal Family with a pampered life even more than normal human royalty experiences? Why would God allow His Royal Family to suffer? Peter answered the question, do you see it there? ““These trials have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold…may be proved genuine and result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed!”
It is in the difficult times of life that the true strength of our character, our faith, our trust in God bolsters us and others. God allows the trials, difficulties, even persecution from the pagan world around us, so that our Royal Faith, our Royal Character, our Royal Spiritual strength can be evidenced as we stand unwavering in the face of such painful times. Then is when God’s Royal Family is so very helpful to the people all around us wallowing in the pain of our dysfunctional world. Unlike the human royals who scurry away in their limos or chariots when trouble arises, we, God’s Royals step INTO the fray! We offer help as a God protected, God anointed, God empowered ROYAL Family, Aliens of God, ready to bring the compassionate help & hope of Jesus into the pain of our world.
You’ve heard of the Samaritan’s Purse organization coming to the rescue of people in desperate times. They are thousands of missionaries and others like them, who are a wonderful example of God’s Royal Priesthood in action when ‘all hell breaks loose’ in our world. If you are an authentic, born again, follower of Jesus, God urges you to live the rest of your life, as God honoring Royalty, with a royal inheritance awaiting you when you arrive in heaven!
When God says we Christ following ‘royals’ are members of His Royal Priesthood, that calls us to consider that God invites us to represent God to our world, just as He intended with Aaron and the Jewish Priestly heritage. It means we have the privilege and responsibility of praying for, interceding for the needs of our dysfunctional world, just as the Jewish Priests did every day at the large burning altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle or Temple, or even at the altar of incense, both morning and evening in the Holy Place of the Temple. The High Priest especially had this responsibility and great privilege to intercede for the Hebrew people once per year on the Day of Atonement, when he entered into the Most Holy Place to stand before God, and the ark of the Covenant, and pray. (Lev. 16)
Honestly now, how seriously do we take this title of “Royal Priesthood”? Do we see ourselves as Princes and Princesses, sons and daughters of the King of kings, with a royal, heavenly inheritance awaiting us? Do we take seriously this privilege of being a Priest, by God’s definition, representing Jesus in our world, and bringing the people and needs of our world into the throne room of God? But also bringing the help and hope of Jesus into the chaos of our broken world! Who are you praying for these days? Who are you helping?
Oh Lord Jesus we are awed by this idea that we are Godly Royalty and have the remarkable privilege of an audience with Almighty God anytime, because we are princes and princesses. Thank you Jesus for earning for us through your death and resurrection, both our royalty and our priestly privilege! We honor YOU today and we want to live those two roles well!
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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