Turn with me in your copy of the scripture to that very text, 1 Peter chapter 2 this morning. 1 Peter chapter 2. In the city of Jerusalem there is a large 35 acre site called the Temple Mount. And you would recognize it as the place of the Muslim Dome of the Rock But there Solomon's temple stood for more than 400 years, spanning 20 generations of kings, until it was destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 BC. It was because of the prophetic voice of Haggai that the Jews who returned to the land after captivity under Zerubbabel were inspired or stirred to rebuild Solomon's temple. And that second temple, what we call Zerubbabel's temple, was then further enhanced in the days of King Herod. But alas, it was again destroyed by Titus and the Romans in AD 70. The temple. was the house of Israel's God. The temple was the centerpiece of Israel's worship. And apart from the temple, without the temple, the practice of Judaism is incomplete. And furthermore, the exercises and the activities of the temple were conducted by the priests. And priests served as mediators between men and God. Priests offered men sacrifices to God. Priests ordered men's worship before God. But today there's no temple. Today there's no Jewish priesthood presenting sacrifices and worship to God. But here in 1 Peter chapter 2, Peter uses the imagery of temple worship and declares us to be believer priests. Each of us as believers are priests who offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. I would point you again to the text, 1 Peter 2, verse number four, coming to him as a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. The living stone here, in verse number four, that is rejected by men but selected by God is Jesus Christ. For Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him. Jesus is the one whom the prophet Isaiah explained would be despised and rejected of men. Jesus is the stone, specifically the cornerstone, later in verses six through eight, as Peter cites some Old Testament texts. Look at verse number five, you also as living stones, plural. are being built up a spiritual house, think temple, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And the stone imagery is a picture of the temple, the place of stone or stones, where the priest would carry out their spiritual activity before the Lord, which according to the end of verse number five, was spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. If we cheat ahead to verse number nine as we read a moment ago, Peter repeats this designation by calling us a royal priesthood. And so this morning I declare to you that in Christ you are, or in Christ I am, a priest. Each one of us who have been born again by the Spirit of God are priests before God. We call it the priesthood of the believer. And this summer as we are rediscovering our identity in Christ, Another point of our identity is as priests before the Most High God. Let's pause for prayer, and then we'll look at the scripture and unpack this theme together. Let's pray. O God in heaven above, we thank you so much that you are in control. And Lord, in these difficult days, when we are fearful or we are frustrated, we can throw ourselves back by faith in your sovereign control. knowing that you are working all things together for your glory, for our good, and so we walk by faith and we trust in your control. God, this morning we now come to a portion of Scripture that identifies us as priests before you. We thank you for that position, and we thank you for that privilege. I pray that you give us understanding and appreciation for this standing that we have in Christ. And as priests, may we offer to you worship that is acceptable, for I pray it in Jesus' name. Amen. Before we consider ourselves as New Testament priests, I would like to take a moment and reach back into Israel's history and revisit the Old Testament priesthood so that we can better appreciate our identity today as New Testament believer priests. And so I would begin with the Old Testament priesthood. And the first point that I would highlight is how that God's sovereignty chose the priests. God's sovereignty chose the Old Testament priests. It's in Exodus 28 that God chose Aaron and his sons to be priests, even though they were from the least respected tribe in all of Israel. They were from the tribe of Levi. From a list of the 12 tribes of Israel, Levi was at the bottom of the list. Humanly speaking, the tribe of Levi was the doormat of Israel. And in Genesis 49, when Jacob gathered his twelve sons around him before he died, he cursed Levi. Jacob cursed Levi and his descendants, the tribe, for their wrath and violence. But isn't that how God works? God, in fact, chose Israel not because they were the greatest of all nations, but because they were the least of all nations or of all peoples, Genesis chapter 7. God chose David to be king not because he was the greatest of all of Jesse's sons, but because he was the least of all of Jesse's sons. And God chose us by the very same principle. I would offer you this from 1 Corinthians 1. Consider your calling, brethren. Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty and the base things of the world and the things that are despised. God has chosen so that no flesh should glory in His presence. And I'm so glad for that. It means that God loves me. in spite of who I am. It means that God has saved me in spite of who I am. It means that God has called me to be a priest when I otherwise would not be qualified in spite of me." Look at verse number 10, verse number 9, 1 Peter 2 verse number 9, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people. but are now the people of God who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. God's sovereignty chose and chooses the priest. Number two, God's cleansing purified the priests. God's cleansing purified the priest. Now, I'm gonna ask you to turn with me in your Bibles to Leviticus chapter eight, in your Old Testaments to Leviticus chapter number eight. I know turning to Leviticus is like going to the dentist, right? You know it's going to be painful, but you need to go at least once a year. Okay? So, turn with me to Leviticus chapter number 8, and follow as I begin reading an extended portion, but I begin reading in verse number 6. Then Moses brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water. After this ceremonial washing, there was a sin offering beginning in verse 14. Leviticus 8 verse 14. And he brought the bull for the sin offering. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull for the sin offering and Moses killed it. Then he took the blood and put some of the some on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and purified the altar and he poured the blood at the base of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. Then he took all the fat that was on the entrails and the fatty lobe and attached to the liver and the two kidneys with their fat and Moses burned them on the altar but the bull, its hide, its flesh and its offal he burned with fire outside the camp as the Lord had commanded Moses. After this sin offering, there was a burnt offering. Let's continue in verse number 18. Then he brought the rams. The ram is a burnt offering. And Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, and Moses killed it. Then he sprinkled the blood all around the altar, and he cut the ram into pieces, and Moses burned the head, the pieces, and the fat. Then he washed the entrails and the legs in water, and Moses burned the whole ram on the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord, as the Lord had commanded Moses. After this burnt offering, there was a wave offering beginning in verse 22. And he brought the second ram, the ram of consecration. Then Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the ram, and Moses killed it and took some of its blood and put it on the tip of Aaron's right ear, on the thumb of his right hand, and on the big toe of his right foot. Then he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses did the very same thing in verse 24. And then in verse 25, he took the fat of the tail, the fat that was on the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver and the two kidneys, and their fat in the right thigh. And from the basket of unleavened bread that was before the Lord, he took unleavened cake, a cake of bread, anointed it with oil, and one wafer, put it on the fat in the right thigh, and put all of these in Aaron's hands, and his son's hands, and waved them as a wave offering before the Lord. You say, enough, Pastor Matt, is this really necessary, right? to read all of that from the deep weeds of the book of Leviticus. Let me tell you what was happening. Not until there was cleansing were the priests qualified to perform their priestly duties. And that purification, that cleansing was extensive. But that's the way God works. And the same is true for us as New Testament believers. Titus explains that God, that Jesus, I'm sorry, gave himself as a perfect sacrifice that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify us unto himself, his own special people. For it's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. And so there, in the Old Testament, this purification was extensive. It was graphic. We don't understand it or fully appreciate it. But God's cleansing purified the priest. How about this? God's clothing set apart the priest, letter C. God's clothing, I'm sorry, set apart the priest, and you're still in the Old Testament. Go back further to Exodus, chapter 28. Exodus 28, I won't read as many verses, but I would like to highlight this in Exodus 28 beginning in verse 1. Now take Aaron, God is speaking to Moses, take Aaron your brother and his sons with him from among the children of Israel that he may minister to me as priests. Exodus 28 verse 1. That is Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nahab. Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister to me as a priest." And these are the garments which they shall make, a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother, and his sons, that they may minister to me as priests." Jump ahead to verse 40, Exodus 28, verse 40. For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them, and you shall make hats for them for glory and beauty. You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall anoint them, consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister to me as priests. And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness, and they shall reach from their waist to their thighs. They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near to the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him." The priestly garments that God ordered for Aaron and his sons as priests were not standard issue business casual. They were special, and they were unique to qualify them for their priestly duty. And that's the way that God works. If you think of us as New Testament believers, God has clothed us. in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and has made us holy in that garment positionally. We are then to progressively put off the old man, put on the new man which is created in righteousness and true holiness. God's clothing set apart the priests for their priestly activity. How about this? God's anointing prepared the priests. Letter D, God's anointing prepared the priests and I will refrain and restrain myself from having us dig deeper into the weeds of the Old Testament law but in Leviticus chapter 8 Moses anointed Aaron and his sons to symbolize and to appoint and to prepare them for their priestly activity. In a similar way in 1 John 2 verse 20 the Bible says that we have an anointing from the Holy Spirits. And then following that anointing again if we were to dig deep into Leviticus we'd find how that God prepared Aaron and his sons for their priestly work. Letter E, God's instruction directed the priests. In this case Leviticus chapter 10 we could read the explicit and the exhaustive instructions that God gave to the priesthood to direct their activity. And it was so explicit and it was so exhaustive and so detailed that we we don't normally enjoy the reading of it, and so we don't. How often do we go to the book of Leviticus and read of the priesthood and all of the instructions that God gave them in every way? In Leviticus 10, there's an account of when Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu did not follow the priestly instructions, and they offered strange fire to the Lord, the Bible says. And we don't know exactly what that was, but they violated the instructions that God had given them, and so God destroyed them for it. Because obedience to God's instruction as priests is absolutely necessary. And so as we look to the Old Testament, as we look to Israel's history, we understand the significance of the priesthood and priests as priests mediated between men and God and offered man's sacrifice to God and ordered man's worship to God. But now if you'll return to 1 Peter chapter 2, our primary text this morning, We notice there in 1 Peter 2 verse number 5 that we are called a holy priesthood. That's who we are in Christ. However you may identify yourself as single or married, as retired or unemployed, as a father or as a child, as an American or a Minnesotan, however you identify yourself, the apostle Peter is calling us a holy priesthood. That's who we are in Christ. And while there are similarities between New Testament believer priests and the Old Testament priesthood, there is one significant difference, and you'll find it there in verse number five, 1 Peter 2 verse five, that we are a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. You see, the Old Testament priesthood offered up physical sacrifices to God in the form of animals, a bull or a goat or a lamb or a pigeon and such, or material sacrifices, these grain offerings and these wave offerings and such. But for the New Testament believer priest, we are offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ. Who was the once-for-all ultimate sacrifice? You read the book of Hebrews chapters 9 and 10. And so this morning, by way of application, I would like to identify for us seven sacrifices that are acceptable spiritual sacrifices for the Christian. They're in the back of your notes, and I call this simply New Testament sacrifices. As a priest, what do you do? What is your activity as a priest? You offer spiritual sacrifices first, a sacrifice of self. A sacrifice of self, and this is what is found in Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 where Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, or it could be translated, your act of worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Everything that we are and everything that we have ought to be put on the altar before God. Lord, here I am. Take me, use me, spend me. I am a living sacrifice before You. My time and my talent and my treasure, everything that I am, everything that I have is to You, a sacrifice of self. How about another sacrifice that we make as priests, and that would be a sacrifice of praise and worship? the sacrifice of praise and worship. Hebrews 13 verse number 15, let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. And this is more than congregational singing on Sunday morning for a few moments. This is the continual declaration of God's worth and God's works, of his attributes and his activity. And as priests, we offer up to God praise and thanksgiving and worship. the fruit of our lips. That's what's acceptable to God. As priests, there's other sacrifices we can make. I'll give you two at once. I'll give you letter C, a sacrifice of doing good, and I'll give you letter D, a sacrifice of sharing. Both of these offerings we make to the Lord per Hebrews 13 verse 16. Now immediately following Hebrews 13 verse 15, that was letter B, is Hebrews 13 verse 16, that's letters C and D. And so let me give them to you again together. Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But do not, verse 16, but do not forget to do good and to share For with such sacrifices God is well pleased." So what of these two categories, doing good is a pretty broad category. What is doing good? Reading your Bible, maybe praying, maybe saying a kind word, helping the needy, paying your taxes, whatever, right? Do good. The Lord is pleased and satisfied with that activity. Then there's sharing. That's a little bit more specific. It's giving one's resources to meet another's needs. Of course in the New Testament I think of the good Samaritan. I think of the early church in Acts 4 who had all things in common. They shared and they distributed among themselves to anyone who had need I think of the Philippians who shared with Paul in his distress, meeting his needs in Philippians 4. There's a sacrifice of sharing. How about this? A sacrifice of converts. Romans chapter 15. Now, don't misunderstand this point. We don't sacrifice converts in the church, you see. But from Romans chapter 15, this is what Paul says. Paul says, I have written more boldly to you on some points as reminding you because of the grace of God given to me, grace given to me by God, that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." What is Paul describing here? He's saying, my evangelism, my soul winning, my efforts to take the gospel to the Gentiles and their subsequent conversion is a sacrificial offering to God. And that's what God is looking for, and that's what God wants as we present the gospel, and as some come to salvation in Jesus Christ, that is an acceptable offering to God. It's a sacrifice of converts. How about this, letter F, a sacrifice of love for one another. a sacrifice of love for one another. Where do I find this? In Ephesians 5 verses 1 and 2. What does the scripture say? Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. And as we love one another as Christ loved us, we are presenting an offering to God. As priests, we are making a sacrifice to God that is pleasant to God. And if you can picture the aroma from the incense that was burned by the Old Testament priests rising up into the nostrils of God, so also our activity of love among one another is a sweet-smelling aroma in the nostrils of God. It's an acceptable sacrifice. And God forbid that he should have to hold his nose when there is a lack of love or when there's unkindness and mistreatment among God's people. Love one another. This is a sacrifice that's acceptable to God. And then letter G, the sacrifice of prayer, the sacrifice of prayer, and I would reference Revelation 8. The scene is heaven around the throne. Then another angel having a golden censer came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand." Folks, would you know it that as a priest You don't need any other human mediator to go directly to God in prayer. In the Old Testament, Aaron and his sons, the tribe of Levi, were designated as those priests. And your approach to God was necessarily done through those priests, but not so for the New Testament believer. Jesus Christ, our high priest, gives us access to God in prayer. And as we go to God in prayer, we are in fact performing our priestly duties, our priestly privilege in offering up prayer to God, the prayers of the saints. Now, let me come full circle back as I began, as in fact Peter begins here in verses 4 and 5 speaking of stones and the temple. Paul told the Corinthian believers that they were individually and collectively, they were the temple of God. The Spirit of God is a resident within us. You are the temple of God, living stones. The writer to the Hebrews explained that believers were priests who could boldly approach the throne of grace. And now Peter is declaring us to be priests, a holy priesthood, a royal priesthood. to offer up spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God. So beyond simply identifying ourselves as priests, we must ask ourselves, how are we functioning as priests? At the end of the day, our priestly privilege and our priestly responsibility is worship. We present offerings to God. We present sacrifices to God. And we worship God not just because we are priests, but because He is worthy of it. And so, in conclusion, what I want us to do is to pivot from the attention being on our identity as priests to His worthiness of all our sacrifice, of all our offering, of all of our praise, and the New Testament sacrifices that are written there, these seven, there are others, that we come to the Lord boldly as priests in worship. Let's pray. O God in heaven above, we bow our heads and we humble our hearts and we raise our hands and we open our mouths to praise You, to worship You, for You are worthy. God, You have made us to be priests before the Most High God so that we can worship in these ways. I pray that You would help us to function as we are, a priesthood of believers, and worship You. In Jesus' name I pray.