1 00:00:32,419 --> 00:00:35,079 We should give our bodies a living sacrifice, right? 2 00:00:35,459 --> 00:00:37,691 Surrender all to him. 3 00:00:37,795 --> 00:00:40,811 If you put in your Bibles, turn to Revelation chapter one tonight. 4 00:00:40,875 --> 00:00:42,359 Revelation chapter one. 5 00:00:43,459 --> 00:00:46,955 And we are continuing our series on the Baptist distinctives. 6 00:00:47,147 --> 00:00:52,919 And we are on the fifth of those number five. 7 00:00:54,099 --> 00:00:58,963 And so again, the Baptist distinctives are a collection of 8 00:00:59,091 --> 00:01:02,039 biblical truths that are unique to Baptists. 9 00:01:02,619 --> 00:01:06,451 Again, I want to clarify because I've had this question a 10 00:01:06,475 --> 00:01:11,827 lot and that is, again, we're not saying at all that there's not 11 00:01:11,883 --> 00:01:15,879 other groups, other churches, other denominations that aren't teaching 12 00:01:16,379 --> 00:01:17,539 some of these troops. 13 00:01:17,619 --> 00:01:19,715 What we're saying is the collection of them. 14 00:01:19,787 --> 00:01:25,339 If you take all 12 of them together and some Baptist will do 15 00:01:25,379 --> 00:01:26,987 eight, it's around eight to 12. 16 00:01:27,043 --> 00:01:32,267 But this unique collection makes us Baptists. 17 00:01:32,443 --> 00:01:35,627 It's what we would call the historic Baptist faith. 18 00:01:35,803 --> 00:01:42,315 And so it does make us unique again, others may teach part of this, 19 00:01:42,467 --> 00:01:46,331 but to believe all 12 is unique to Baptists. 20 00:01:46,475 --> 00:01:52,599 The series theme verse akin that the church churches are the 21 00:01:52,639 --> 00:01:57,063 caretakers of God's truth, that is that we are responsible, 22 00:01:57,191 --> 00:02:01,495 we are accountable to make sure the truths the faith is carried 23 00:02:01,527 --> 00:02:03,099 on to the next generation. 24 00:02:03,519 --> 00:02:06,887 That what we've been taught, that those things that we have been 25 00:02:06,943 --> 00:02:07,559 heard. 26 00:02:07,719 --> 00:02:09,683 I'll go ahead and quote it second Timothy 2. 27 00:02:09,754 --> 00:02:10,071 2. 28 00:02:10,175 --> 00:02:13,383 The things that thou hast heard of me, among many witnesses, 29 00:02:13,511 --> 00:02:16,951 the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to 30 00:02:16,975 --> 00:02:17,867 teach others also. 31 00:02:17,983 --> 00:02:22,627 So the same things that were given to me, I should take those 32 00:02:22,683 --> 00:02:26,799 same things and commit those to others also. 33 00:02:27,739 --> 00:02:32,547 And again, inference here is making sure that the faith is passed 34 00:02:32,563 --> 00:02:33,603 on to the next generation. 35 00:02:33,651 --> 00:02:36,079 Look at Revelation, chapter 1, verse 4. 36 00:02:36,379 --> 00:02:42,067 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto 37 00:02:42,083 --> 00:02:46,509 you, and peace from from him which is and which was and which 38 00:02:46,549 --> 00:02:47,357 is to come. 39 00:02:47,493 --> 00:02:51,165 And from the seven spirits which are before his throne. 40 00:02:51,357 --> 00:02:52,409 Verse 5. 41 00:02:53,269 --> 00:02:57,229 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first 42 00:02:57,269 --> 00:03:00,845 begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, 43 00:03:00,957 --> 00:03:05,021 unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own 44 00:03:05,045 --> 00:03:05,245 blood. 45 00:03:05,277 --> 00:03:06,649 Aren't you thankful for that? 46 00:03:07,429 --> 00:03:08,445 Listen to this. 47 00:03:08,517 --> 00:03:09,449 Verse 6. 48 00:03:10,519 --> 00:03:18,575 And hath made us kings and what priests Unto God and his Father 49 00:03:18,687 --> 00:03:23,135 to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 50 00:03:23,287 --> 00:03:24,179 Amen. 51 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:27,263 Made us kings and priests. 52 00:03:27,311 --> 00:03:27,695 Let's pray. 53 00:03:27,727 --> 00:03:29,775 Heavenly Father, again, I've just already prayed. 54 00:03:29,887 --> 00:03:34,019 I'm telling you, my mind is in 35,000 different directions. 55 00:03:34,769 --> 00:03:35,913 35 death generations. 56 00:03:35,961 --> 00:03:37,389 Y'all pray for me tonight. 57 00:03:38,449 --> 00:03:43,149 I think about the Baptist distinctives. 58 00:03:44,129 --> 00:03:47,833 I again think about the uniqueness of being a Baptist. 59 00:03:47,881 --> 00:03:52,429 I'm thankful it's a privilege to be a Baptist. 60 00:03:53,089 --> 00:03:58,041 I'm Baptist from the bottom of my feet to the top of my head because 61 00:03:58,225 --> 00:04:01,913 Baptists, the historic Baptist faith, what Baptists have believed 62 00:04:01,961 --> 00:04:06,131 historically lines up with Scripture, lines up with the Bible. 63 00:04:06,275 --> 00:04:09,763 If some other denomination or some other group lined up with the 64 00:04:09,771 --> 00:04:12,319 Scripture like that, I would be one of those. 65 00:04:12,619 --> 00:04:15,399 But I'm Baptist by conviction. 66 00:04:15,819 --> 00:04:20,659 The first four Baptist distinctives we cover is number one, 67 00:04:20,699 --> 00:04:24,147 the Bible is the final authority for faith and practice. 68 00:04:24,323 --> 00:04:26,835 The Bible is the final authority for faith and practice. 69 00:04:26,867 --> 00:04:29,699 In other words, the Bible is the final authority for our life. 70 00:04:29,739 --> 00:04:30,933 It is the guide. 71 00:04:31,131 --> 00:04:35,297 And it's again, not only the truth, but the application. 72 00:04:35,473 --> 00:04:39,601 It tells us again not only what is true, but how to live that 73 00:04:39,625 --> 00:04:40,749 out in our lives. 74 00:04:41,369 --> 00:04:44,961 And then secondly, salvation is by grace through faith in the 75 00:04:44,985 --> 00:04:46,989 personal life and work of Jesus Christ. 76 00:04:47,289 --> 00:04:51,569 And we all believe that here tonight, salvation is in Christ alone. 77 00:04:51,729 --> 00:04:54,497 Jesus said himself, I am the way, the truth and the life. 78 00:04:54,633 --> 00:04:56,989 No man cometh to the Father but by me. 79 00:04:57,319 --> 00:05:01,935 And then the third Baptist distinctive that we covered is eternal 80 00:05:01,967 --> 00:05:02,539 security. 81 00:05:02,839 --> 00:05:05,455 Eternal security of the believer that once you're saved, 82 00:05:05,487 --> 00:05:06,659 you're always saved. 83 00:05:06,999 --> 00:05:10,031 And again, if you believe you can lose it, then that means you 84 00:05:10,055 --> 00:05:12,623 are earning it, you're doing something to keep it. 85 00:05:12,791 --> 00:05:15,615 The Bible says, for by grace are you saved through faith and that 86 00:05:15,687 --> 00:05:16,799 not of yourself. 87 00:05:16,879 --> 00:05:21,139 It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. 88 00:05:21,479 --> 00:05:23,871 And salvation is by grace, through faith. 89 00:05:23,935 --> 00:05:27,561 So again, you could knock out number two with number three. 90 00:05:27,585 --> 00:05:30,633 If you don't believe, if you believe you can lose your salvation 91 00:05:30,681 --> 00:05:33,065 because again, if you believe you can lose it, then you're working 92 00:05:33,137 --> 00:05:34,073 to keep it. 93 00:05:34,241 --> 00:05:36,873 Number four, we covered this last week. 94 00:05:36,961 --> 00:05:41,385 Soul, liberty and competency again, that each of us are personally 95 00:05:41,417 --> 00:05:45,481 accountable, that one day we'll each give an account to God. 96 00:05:45,625 --> 00:05:47,993 If you're saved, if you're a born again believer, then you will 97 00:05:48,001 --> 00:05:48,969 give an account to God. 98 00:05:49,049 --> 00:05:49,977 Not for your sins. 99 00:05:50,073 --> 00:05:52,029 I'm thankful my sins are under the blood. 100 00:05:53,169 --> 00:05:57,145 Been tossed in the depths of the sea, never to be remembered anymore. 101 00:05:57,337 --> 00:05:59,509 Thrown as far as the east is from the west. 102 00:05:59,809 --> 00:06:00,841 My sins are gone. 103 00:06:00,905 --> 00:06:02,553 Thank God, my sins are gone. 104 00:06:02,601 --> 00:06:03,309 Amen. 105 00:06:04,769 --> 00:06:10,889 And understand that I am personally accountable for what I 106 00:06:10,929 --> 00:06:13,353 do when it comes to serving. 107 00:06:13,481 --> 00:06:15,225 In other words, my works. 108 00:06:15,417 --> 00:06:16,281 My works. 109 00:06:16,345 --> 00:06:20,469 I'll be judged according to our works, whether they be good or 110 00:06:20,509 --> 00:06:20,709 bad. 111 00:06:20,749 --> 00:06:21,717 The Bible says. 112 00:06:21,853 --> 00:06:25,173 And that has to do with whether or not what was your motive 113 00:06:25,221 --> 00:06:25,973 for serving? 114 00:06:26,101 --> 00:06:28,101 Was it for his glory or for yours? 115 00:06:28,245 --> 00:06:35,809 And so this sole liberty means that our kids are born to this world, 116 00:06:36,109 --> 00:06:40,261 but our kids ultimately responsible for their own faith and 117 00:06:40,285 --> 00:06:41,493 trust in Jesus Christ. 118 00:06:41,581 --> 00:06:43,329 I can't save my children. 119 00:06:43,799 --> 00:06:45,151 I can't get them saved. 120 00:06:45,215 --> 00:06:47,855 They have to make that choice themselves. 121 00:06:48,047 --> 00:06:49,779 Individual soul liberty. 122 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:51,327 So everybody see that? 123 00:06:51,383 --> 00:06:55,359 Because tonight's Baptist thing was going to be super close 124 00:06:55,399 --> 00:06:58,699 to the same thought, but it is different. 125 00:06:59,239 --> 00:07:02,959 Soul liberty means I am personally accountable, by the way. 126 00:07:02,999 --> 00:07:04,303 People ought to be. 127 00:07:04,391 --> 00:07:05,519 We're personally accountable. 128 00:07:05,599 --> 00:07:06,859 Ought to be in everything. 129 00:07:07,479 --> 00:07:09,215 We'll personally give an account. 130 00:07:09,287 --> 00:07:10,943 And then tonight is the separate. 131 00:07:11,071 --> 00:07:13,375 A separate and equal priesthood of the believer. 132 00:07:13,407 --> 00:07:16,335 So you've probably heard the term priesthood of the believer. 133 00:07:16,527 --> 00:07:19,423 That again is the number five tonight. 134 00:07:19,471 --> 00:07:20,255 Baptist distinctive. 135 00:07:20,287 --> 00:07:24,099 The priesthood of the believer. 136 00:07:24,759 --> 00:07:28,239 And I do like the way Brother Stewart terms it. 137 00:07:28,359 --> 00:07:31,535 Separate and equal priesthood of the believer. 138 00:07:31,567 --> 00:07:33,699 Brother Stewart always likes to be so precise. 139 00:07:37,489 --> 00:07:41,369 We think about priests, we think about, again, the Bible makes 140 00:07:41,409 --> 00:07:43,977 it clear that the priest represents man to God. 141 00:07:44,153 --> 00:07:46,601 The prophets represent God to man. 142 00:07:46,785 --> 00:07:48,469 Represents God to man. 143 00:07:48,929 --> 00:07:53,001 And so we see the definitions of this number one, separate. 144 00:07:53,065 --> 00:07:55,609 That means we are individually equal. 145 00:07:55,689 --> 00:07:58,281 Means no less or more than any other believers. 146 00:07:58,425 --> 00:08:03,279 Priesthood representation or representative interceder, one who 147 00:08:03,319 --> 00:08:08,303 intercedes and then all believers, every Christian and church 148 00:08:08,431 --> 00:08:09,919 when it is assembled. 149 00:08:09,999 --> 00:08:12,767 This does apply corporately as well. 150 00:08:12,823 --> 00:08:15,071 And we'll cover that a little bit at the end. 151 00:08:15,255 --> 00:08:18,179 But God has made us priests. 152 00:08:20,919 --> 00:08:23,167 I mean, revelation makes that clear. 153 00:08:23,223 --> 00:08:25,119 You can go to Revelation chapter 5 as well. 154 00:08:25,159 --> 00:08:25,711 We won't do that. 155 00:08:25,735 --> 00:08:31,149 But again, makes it very clear that God hath made us priests. 156 00:08:32,049 --> 00:08:36,189 And the role of the priest is to mediate. 157 00:08:36,609 --> 00:08:39,705 All right, so every New Testament believer, each New Testament 158 00:08:39,737 --> 00:08:45,465 believer functions in the role of a priest in the area of prayer. 159 00:08:45,657 --> 00:08:48,389 And this is why I didn't want to combine the two. 160 00:08:48,849 --> 00:08:52,345 The individual soul liberty and the priests to the believer. 161 00:08:52,377 --> 00:08:55,221 Because it is similar but different. 162 00:08:55,405 --> 00:09:01,205 And that is, as we mentioned last week, that I do not need another 163 00:09:01,277 --> 00:09:05,689 person to mediate between me and God. 164 00:09:06,029 --> 00:09:07,649 I don't need another person. 165 00:09:08,109 --> 00:09:10,885 Now, I'm thankful for the Heavenly Father, but I'm thankful 166 00:09:10,917 --> 00:09:13,893 for Jesus Christ, who's my mediator, who is my great high priest. 167 00:09:13,941 --> 00:09:14,917 The Bible says. 168 00:09:15,053 --> 00:09:17,929 But I can come boldly before the throne of grace. 169 00:09:18,269 --> 00:09:20,799 I do not have to go talk to the pastor in his office. 170 00:09:20,869 --> 00:09:26,411 I don't have to have a pastor pray in my stead. 171 00:09:26,555 --> 00:09:32,079 No, I have equal access to God as the pastor has access to God. 172 00:09:33,379 --> 00:09:38,795 Some guy in a black coat with a little white collar, he doesn't 173 00:09:38,827 --> 00:09:40,699 have any more access to God than you do. 174 00:09:40,739 --> 00:09:44,587 That's what the Bible Makes clear the priesthood of the believer. 175 00:09:44,763 --> 00:09:49,499 Each believer, each born again child of God is. 176 00:09:49,539 --> 00:09:51,403 Is a priest. 177 00:09:51,531 --> 00:09:55,479 Turn over to Romans chapter 8, Romans 8. 178 00:09:58,419 --> 00:10:02,171 Most of this passage is familiar, but we'll back up a little 179 00:10:02,195 --> 00:10:04,279 bit before you get to verse 28. 180 00:10:06,899 --> 00:10:08,719 The priesthood of the believer. 181 00:10:09,299 --> 00:10:13,243 I appreciate our youth pastor the other night who preached on intercessory 182 00:10:13,291 --> 00:10:13,999 prayer. 183 00:10:15,149 --> 00:10:19,253 Tonight, again, I want to just emphasize prayer and what a privilege 184 00:10:19,301 --> 00:10:24,409 it is to be able to go before the throne of God to pray. 185 00:10:24,829 --> 00:10:26,485 Romans 8, verse 26. 186 00:10:26,557 --> 00:10:29,669 Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know 187 00:10:29,709 --> 00:10:34,405 not what we should pray for as we ought to or ought. 188 00:10:34,517 --> 00:10:37,941 But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings 189 00:10:38,005 --> 00:10:39,877 which cannot be uttered. 190 00:10:39,973 --> 00:10:42,881 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of 191 00:10:42,905 --> 00:10:46,749 the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according. 192 00:10:47,289 --> 00:10:50,081 Notice that intercession for the saints according to the will 193 00:10:50,105 --> 00:10:50,801 of God. 194 00:10:50,945 --> 00:10:55,265 I'm thankful that I have the Holy Spirit who abides in me. 195 00:10:55,417 --> 00:11:01,185 And the Holy Spirit is there to help me, is called alongside to 196 00:11:01,337 --> 00:11:05,409 strengthen me, enable me, encourage me, comfort me. 197 00:11:05,449 --> 00:11:06,961 I can go on and on and on. 198 00:11:07,065 --> 00:11:10,279 The Holy Spirit is there, but the Holy Spirit is there also to 199 00:11:10,319 --> 00:11:15,607 help me when I pray, to help me when I'm interceding for others, 200 00:11:15,663 --> 00:11:16,979 when I'm praying for others. 201 00:11:17,439 --> 00:11:19,139 He's there helping me. 202 00:11:19,439 --> 00:11:20,951 But notice he's there helping me. 203 00:11:20,975 --> 00:11:22,103 He's not doing. 204 00:11:22,271 --> 00:11:23,979 We have access ourself. 205 00:11:24,639 --> 00:11:25,607 How do we have access? 206 00:11:25,663 --> 00:11:28,583 We have access, the Bible says through the Spirit, through Jesus 207 00:11:28,631 --> 00:11:29,219 Christ. 208 00:11:29,519 --> 00:11:31,979 We have access through Christ Jesus. 209 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:37,233 Alright, so what is this priesthood and how, as a believer 210 00:11:37,281 --> 00:11:40,389 or a group of believers, how are we to get ahold of God? 211 00:11:40,809 --> 00:11:44,769 If a priest is a representation of man to God, how 212 00:11:44,809 --> 00:11:47,669 are we to get ahold of God? 213 00:11:48,329 --> 00:11:51,469 Not only individually, but corporately as well. 214 00:11:53,049 --> 00:11:54,429 Corporately as well. 215 00:11:54,889 --> 00:11:55,969 I'm going to try to do this. 216 00:11:56,009 --> 00:11:56,257 Ready? 217 00:11:56,273 --> 00:11:56,641 Here we go. 218 00:11:56,665 --> 00:11:57,153 Hang on. 219 00:11:57,241 --> 00:11:58,161 Y'all don't know what I'm doing. 220 00:11:58,185 --> 00:11:58,909 Hang on. 221 00:11:59,289 --> 00:12:00,669 The story is told. 222 00:12:01,459 --> 00:12:02,171 Going to try. 223 00:12:02,275 --> 00:12:09,531 A story is told about some scientists in Scotland who dug a 224 00:12:09,555 --> 00:12:13,199 thousand feet down and found copper wire. 225 00:12:14,419 --> 00:12:22,603 And they decided that Scotland had telecommunications a thousand 226 00:12:22,691 --> 00:12:23,479 years ago. 227 00:12:27,549 --> 00:12:30,501 So the English said, well, if the Scottish had it a thousand years 228 00:12:30,525 --> 00:12:31,685 ago, let us do some digging. 229 00:12:31,717 --> 00:12:35,813 And they dug down 2,000ft and they found telecommunication wire, 230 00:12:35,861 --> 00:12:39,809 copper wire and said, well, the English had it 2,000 years ago. 231 00:12:40,909 --> 00:12:43,169 Of course Texans had to get involved, right? 232 00:12:43,789 --> 00:12:48,009 Texans dug down 5,000ft, found nothing. 233 00:12:49,869 --> 00:12:53,049 So the conclusion was, we already had wireless. 234 00:12:54,689 --> 00:12:56,025 I thought that was pretty good. 235 00:12:56,097 --> 00:13:00,969 Actually, I actually hit it pretty good, man. 236 00:13:01,009 --> 00:13:02,841 We love our wireless phones, don't we? 237 00:13:02,945 --> 00:13:04,309 Whoever would have thought. 238 00:13:04,689 --> 00:13:07,625 I know we take it for granted now, but I'm telling you, whoever 239 00:13:07,657 --> 00:13:13,273 would have thought you could call somebody and there's no phone 240 00:13:13,321 --> 00:13:15,721 line there, you know, I remember using the little cups with 241 00:13:15,745 --> 00:13:17,721 the string on them and all that. 242 00:13:17,745 --> 00:13:21,131 I remember the very first time I used a cell phone. 243 00:13:21,275 --> 00:13:25,211 My boss in the oil field, when I worked in the oil field, he had 244 00:13:25,235 --> 00:13:28,635 a little money and so he had one of those big old phones inside 245 00:13:28,667 --> 00:13:31,355 the truck, you know, and had the big old bag. 246 00:13:31,467 --> 00:13:33,719 And I remember making phone calls on it. 247 00:13:34,179 --> 00:13:35,771 But it's amazing how far we've come. 248 00:13:35,795 --> 00:13:40,187 We can now, not only can we call, but we can talk to somebody. 249 00:13:40,283 --> 00:13:42,279 But now we can see them. 250 00:13:42,739 --> 00:13:44,923 We can see them as we're talking to them. 251 00:13:45,011 --> 00:13:47,301 I mean, that's like, that's like from the movies. 252 00:13:47,365 --> 00:13:48,649 That's sci fi. 253 00:13:49,709 --> 00:13:52,649 That's, you know, that's Inspector Gadget stuff. 254 00:13:54,109 --> 00:13:55,049 Nobody. 255 00:13:55,469 --> 00:13:59,089 Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it? 256 00:14:00,589 --> 00:14:03,173 And the technology, it's super. 257 00:14:03,261 --> 00:14:04,649 It's just amazing. 258 00:14:04,989 --> 00:14:10,821 But can I tell you that prayer has always been wireless and more 259 00:14:10,845 --> 00:14:15,389 than just talking to, you know, someone across the country 260 00:14:15,689 --> 00:14:19,709 by wireless, you could get to talk to the God who created all things, 261 00:14:20,169 --> 00:14:22,229 the Creator of the universe. 262 00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:25,281 What a privilege it is. 263 00:14:25,465 --> 00:14:27,665 What an amazing, amazing thought. 264 00:14:27,817 --> 00:14:30,549 Talking to the God of the universe. 265 00:14:31,449 --> 00:14:39,689 And understand that each believer has equal access to God, 266 00:14:40,589 --> 00:14:45,989 The Bible teaches, makes it very clear that each of us have access 267 00:14:46,109 --> 00:14:51,157 to God equally through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our great 268 00:14:51,213 --> 00:14:59,925 high priest, and with the Holy Spirit, without the help of another 269 00:15:00,077 --> 00:15:00,769 person. 270 00:15:02,749 --> 00:15:04,529 Without the help of another person. 271 00:15:06,009 --> 00:15:12,561 Many churches and denominations view the pastorate. 272 00:15:12,705 --> 00:15:18,721 We'll use the word clergy when it comes to this many, in fact, I 273 00:15:18,745 --> 00:15:21,949 would say even most have a wrong view of this. 274 00:15:22,489 --> 00:15:24,509 They don't have a biblical view of this. 275 00:15:25,929 --> 00:15:29,825 And if we're not careful, we can even do that with in Baptist 276 00:15:29,857 --> 00:15:30,829 churches too. 277 00:15:34,069 --> 00:15:41,997 The pastor does not have some, you know, magic connection, some 278 00:15:42,053 --> 00:15:46,525 special connection with God that every other believer has. 279 00:15:46,677 --> 00:15:48,209 No, it's all equal. 280 00:15:49,269 --> 00:15:50,413 It's all equal. 281 00:15:50,541 --> 00:15:51,325 I don't have. 282 00:15:51,397 --> 00:15:55,405 Again, I have a nice library and I thank the Lord for a good reference 283 00:15:55,437 --> 00:15:55,725 library. 284 00:15:55,757 --> 00:15:57,965 I have people come up to my office all the time and they haven't 285 00:15:57,997 --> 00:15:58,509 been there yet. 286 00:15:58,549 --> 00:16:01,481 And they go in, they see all those books, and what's the very 287 00:16:01,505 --> 00:16:02,629 first thing they say? 288 00:16:03,809 --> 00:16:05,269 Have you read all these? 289 00:16:07,729 --> 00:16:09,641 No, I haven't read all these. 290 00:16:09,825 --> 00:16:13,789 95% of my library is a reference library. 291 00:16:14,369 --> 00:16:19,657 It's meant to be used like an encyclopedia you would use. 292 00:16:19,713 --> 00:16:21,257 I'm talking about the old encyclopedias. 293 00:16:21,273 --> 00:16:24,793 When you used to have a book, it's where you go to, to find references. 294 00:16:24,841 --> 00:16:28,805 If I want to read what somebody else thinks about the verses 295 00:16:28,837 --> 00:16:34,725 I've read tonight, I can go read 10 or 15 or 20 opinions on that 296 00:16:34,797 --> 00:16:37,733 and what some other commentator or some other scholar 297 00:16:37,861 --> 00:16:40,209 thinks that that verse means. 298 00:16:43,469 --> 00:16:50,405 But my library, in fact, in today's world, my library is almost 299 00:16:50,477 --> 00:16:56,095 worthless because each of you can go online and you can Google 300 00:16:56,127 --> 00:17:01,551 it and you could just go type in Alexander MacLaren and you could 301 00:17:01,655 --> 00:17:04,847 go to his commentary, type in Charles Haddon Spurgeon, which y'all 302 00:17:04,863 --> 00:17:05,855 know is my favorite. 303 00:17:05,967 --> 00:17:06,831 Type him in. 304 00:17:06,935 --> 00:17:11,343 There are free websites, easy websites that you can maneuver through, 305 00:17:11,431 --> 00:17:14,459 and you can read every Spurgeon sermon you want to read. 306 00:17:14,919 --> 00:17:19,263 Type in, you know, John Phillips or many of these commentators 307 00:17:19,311 --> 00:17:20,895 that I enjoy reading after. 308 00:17:21,047 --> 00:17:23,791 And maybe you don't enjoy reading in that way, but I'm just 309 00:17:23,815 --> 00:17:27,579 saying you have as much access as I do. 310 00:17:28,919 --> 00:17:29,779 Amen. 311 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:36,271 This is a big deal because this is in a lot of other denominations, 312 00:17:36,335 --> 00:17:40,099 beliefs, churches, whatever, misunderstood. 313 00:17:41,479 --> 00:17:45,593 And thus sometimes the priest, or whatever they call him bishop, 314 00:17:45,641 --> 00:17:50,777 whatever he gets put up here, and he shouldn't be when it comes 315 00:17:50,833 --> 00:17:54,109 to prayer or when it comes to biblical interpretation. 316 00:17:56,609 --> 00:18:00,601 Let me again clarify, as I said last week, it doesn't mean we 317 00:18:00,625 --> 00:18:01,789 don't need teachers. 318 00:18:02,289 --> 00:18:07,497 It doesn't mean that we don't need some good saints, seasoned saints 319 00:18:07,673 --> 00:18:10,441 who do know more than we do or do know. 320 00:18:10,465 --> 00:18:12,349 I'm thankful I have a brother, Stewart. 321 00:18:13,329 --> 00:18:16,745 I email him once a month at least, and say, hey, I'm preaching 322 00:18:16,777 --> 00:18:17,305 on. 323 00:18:17,457 --> 00:18:19,509 Will you send me whatever you got? 324 00:18:19,889 --> 00:18:21,993 Or I may have a problem with a verse. 325 00:18:22,041 --> 00:18:25,625 And I'll talk to Eddie Johnson, or I'll talk to Dick Webster, 326 00:18:25,657 --> 00:18:29,113 or I'll call Chris Chadwick, or I'll call someone. 327 00:18:29,281 --> 00:18:29,817 I'll talk. 328 00:18:29,873 --> 00:18:32,229 I'm thankful I have men who teach me. 329 00:18:35,329 --> 00:18:37,349 But all of us have equal access. 330 00:18:39,419 --> 00:18:42,771 And unlike the Gnostics, as we said from Colossians, unlike the 331 00:18:42,795 --> 00:18:46,979 Gnostics, nobody has a special corner on the market when it comes 332 00:18:47,019 --> 00:18:52,163 to biblical interpretation or prayer and access to God. 333 00:18:52,291 --> 00:18:54,771 So when it comes to the priesthood of believers, what is 334 00:18:54,795 --> 00:18:54,979 it? 335 00:18:55,019 --> 00:18:57,587 How do we get a hold of God? 336 00:18:57,683 --> 00:19:01,667 Well, number one, believers are a royal priesthood. 337 00:19:01,843 --> 00:19:03,523 We are a royal priesthood. 338 00:19:03,571 --> 00:19:05,399 Of course, royal means kingly. 339 00:19:05,789 --> 00:19:07,301 A kingly priesthood. 340 00:19:07,365 --> 00:19:09,769 Turn, if you would, in your Bibles to First Peter. 341 00:19:10,349 --> 00:19:11,529 First Peter. 342 00:19:12,669 --> 00:19:13,381 First Peter. 343 00:19:13,445 --> 00:19:20,449 We'll look at chapter two and we'll begin reading in Verse one, 344 00:19:20,989 --> 00:19:22,565 A royal priesthood. 345 00:19:22,597 --> 00:19:25,285 We already read Revelation, chapter one, verse six. 346 00:19:25,437 --> 00:19:28,805 If you want another reference you can go to later, you can write 347 00:19:28,837 --> 00:19:31,555 down Revelation, chapter 5, verses 9 through 10. 348 00:19:31,717 --> 00:19:34,939 Also referencing believers as being priests. 349 00:19:35,999 --> 00:19:37,815 And I'm not even touching the book of Hebrews. 350 00:19:37,847 --> 00:19:41,559 I mean, there's so many places where again, the Bible makes it very 351 00:19:41,599 --> 00:19:42,179 clear. 352 00:19:43,839 --> 00:19:45,415 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 1. 353 00:19:45,487 --> 00:19:51,655 Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies 354 00:19:51,687 --> 00:19:54,775 and envyings and evil speakings, as newborn babes desire 355 00:19:54,807 --> 00:19:58,459 the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. 356 00:19:58,799 --> 00:20:01,991 Again, the Bible is referred to as the milk of the Word. 357 00:20:02,135 --> 00:20:02,967 It's how we grow. 358 00:20:03,023 --> 00:20:05,559 It's how we grow in our faith. 359 00:20:05,719 --> 00:20:09,415 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious to whom coming 360 00:20:09,487 --> 00:20:14,295 as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen 361 00:20:14,327 --> 00:20:15,527 of God and precious. 362 00:20:15,623 --> 00:20:21,831 So here Peter refers to Christ as a living stone, again chosen of 363 00:20:21,855 --> 00:20:24,599 God, but rejected by man. 364 00:20:24,639 --> 00:20:25,255 Verse 5. 365 00:20:25,327 --> 00:20:27,459 Ye also talking to believers. 366 00:20:27,539 --> 00:20:32,355 Ye also are lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy 367 00:20:32,387 --> 00:20:32,803 priesthood. 368 00:20:32,851 --> 00:20:38,371 A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to 369 00:20:38,395 --> 00:20:40,435 God by Jesus Christ. 370 00:20:40,507 --> 00:20:43,651 Notice again by Jesus Christ. 371 00:20:43,835 --> 00:20:45,279 Look down at verse nine. 372 00:20:45,659 --> 00:20:50,739 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and 373 00:20:50,779 --> 00:20:52,913 holy nation, a peculiar people. 374 00:20:53,091 --> 00:20:54,809 We are all peculiar. 375 00:20:55,949 --> 00:20:59,029 That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you 376 00:20:59,069 --> 00:21:04,069 out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past 377 00:21:04,109 --> 00:21:08,101 were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not 378 00:21:08,125 --> 00:21:12,341 obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 379 00:21:12,485 --> 00:21:18,677 So refers to again Christ Jesus as a lively stone, disallowed 380 00:21:18,693 --> 00:21:19,893 indeed, but chosen of God. 381 00:21:19,941 --> 00:21:22,999 Then it says, ye are living stones building up a spiritual house. 382 00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:25,271 And some of you who've been around heritage for a while know 383 00:21:25,295 --> 00:21:27,959 this is one of my favorite passages when it comes to the church 384 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,039 and that understand that each member of the church, each member 385 00:21:32,079 --> 00:21:34,551 of the church is a lively stone. 386 00:21:34,695 --> 00:21:35,735 Is a lively stone. 387 00:21:35,767 --> 00:21:37,991 That's the illustration, what Peter's doing. 388 00:21:38,095 --> 00:21:41,207 Just like Paul did in Ephesians, chapter two, he's going 389 00:21:41,263 --> 00:21:44,839 back to the Old Testament and he's drawing an analogy from the 390 00:21:44,879 --> 00:21:45,655 temple. 391 00:21:45,847 --> 00:21:49,619 And when they there, when Solomon built the temple, when they 392 00:21:49,659 --> 00:21:53,475 quarried the rocks for the temple, they quarried those rocks 393 00:21:53,507 --> 00:21:56,355 and they cut them out of the mountain in numbers. 394 00:21:56,467 --> 00:21:58,179 So number one, number two. 395 00:21:58,219 --> 00:22:01,891 And they kept track of the numbers of these stones. 396 00:22:01,955 --> 00:22:05,795 And when they brought them back down to the temple, they stacked 397 00:22:05,827 --> 00:22:06,371 these stones. 398 00:22:06,435 --> 00:22:08,959 The Bible says they were fitly framed together. 399 00:22:09,419 --> 00:22:11,187 The Bible says in the Old Testament. 400 00:22:11,283 --> 00:22:12,339 That's the New Testament term. 401 00:22:12,379 --> 00:22:14,345 The Old Testament was that they were. 402 00:22:14,467 --> 00:22:15,533 That they were. 403 00:22:15,701 --> 00:22:18,009 There was no hammer used on the site. 404 00:22:18,469 --> 00:22:22,557 And just like the landscape, you know, little landscape bricks 405 00:22:22,573 --> 00:22:24,301 we use that slide together. 406 00:22:24,485 --> 00:22:25,389 That's the way that. 407 00:22:25,429 --> 00:22:26,605 That's the way it worked. 408 00:22:26,717 --> 00:22:30,653 So the stones would have the edging on the side and the stones 409 00:22:30,701 --> 00:22:32,765 would be set up and they would slide together. 410 00:22:32,837 --> 00:22:34,169 They would slide them down. 411 00:22:34,789 --> 00:22:37,529 But historians say that the. 412 00:22:37,829 --> 00:22:41,849 That the temple was built in such a way and built to such. 413 00:22:44,439 --> 00:22:49,263 Such precision that you couldn't get a piece of paper between 414 00:22:49,351 --> 00:22:50,739 two of the stones. 415 00:22:51,639 --> 00:22:54,819 I was watching a special on the pyramids in Egypt. 416 00:22:55,719 --> 00:22:57,499 Do you know they were the same way? 417 00:22:59,239 --> 00:23:00,143 It's pretty neat. 418 00:23:00,191 --> 00:23:01,819 You can go study those too. 419 00:23:03,239 --> 00:23:04,127 It's not pretty neat. 420 00:23:04,143 --> 00:23:05,295 It's amazing, actually. 421 00:23:05,447 --> 00:23:08,891 There's still things on the pyramids they can't do today with 422 00:23:08,915 --> 00:23:10,011 all the technology we have. 423 00:23:10,035 --> 00:23:13,179 There's still things on the Great Pyramid that they cannot do 424 00:23:13,219 --> 00:23:13,611 today. 425 00:23:13,715 --> 00:23:15,227 They cannot figure it out. 426 00:23:15,363 --> 00:23:16,639 Isn't that amazing? 427 00:23:17,619 --> 00:23:21,915 Can I tell you that just because we have all this technology 428 00:23:21,987 --> 00:23:24,719 doesn't mean we're the smartest who've been on the earth. 429 00:23:26,019 --> 00:23:27,243 I can't wait to meet Adam. 430 00:23:27,291 --> 00:23:27,879 Right? 431 00:23:28,259 --> 00:23:32,347 We are all going to be blown away how smart people were before 432 00:23:32,403 --> 00:23:33,621 the flood anyway. 433 00:23:33,715 --> 00:23:34,753 That's a whole nother sermon. 434 00:23:34,801 --> 00:23:38,257 I chased a rabbit for a second, but those stones were so 435 00:23:38,393 --> 00:23:41,793 put together in such a fashion that there was no need for hammers 436 00:23:41,841 --> 00:23:42,321 and no need. 437 00:23:42,345 --> 00:23:43,921 They just slid together fitly. 438 00:23:43,985 --> 00:23:47,377 The New Testament describes the spiritual house that we are building 439 00:23:47,433 --> 00:23:51,057 when you came in tonight as a member of Heritage Baptist Church. 440 00:23:51,233 --> 00:23:53,761 And we're not discounting friends and those who are non members, 441 00:23:53,865 --> 00:23:56,753 but here specifically, it is talking about the membership of the 442 00:23:56,761 --> 00:23:57,425 church. 443 00:23:57,617 --> 00:24:01,801 And we are building up a spiritual house fitly framed together. 444 00:24:01,945 --> 00:24:03,241 Ephesians, chapter two. 445 00:24:03,345 --> 00:24:05,161 And says a holy what? 446 00:24:05,265 --> 00:24:06,989 Habitation of the Lord. 447 00:24:07,489 --> 00:24:09,189 Habitation means home. 448 00:24:10,689 --> 00:24:15,369 So as you came in tonight, you are a lively stone to build up the 449 00:24:15,409 --> 00:24:16,377 spiritual house. 450 00:24:16,513 --> 00:24:17,897 This spiritual house. 451 00:24:18,033 --> 00:24:20,389 That's why we don't have to meet in a building. 452 00:24:20,929 --> 00:24:24,137 We could meet down to the Haslett park and we're still all 453 00:24:24,193 --> 00:24:26,789 lively stones building up a spiritual house. 454 00:24:28,139 --> 00:24:28,499 Right? 455 00:24:28,539 --> 00:24:30,559 Because the church is the people, not the building. 456 00:24:31,419 --> 00:24:35,119 We have emphasized this over the years and I emphasize it again. 457 00:24:35,899 --> 00:24:40,279 These buildings mean nothing spiritually. 458 00:24:43,739 --> 00:24:44,515 Amen. 459 00:24:44,627 --> 00:24:47,123 I know you don't want to say amen because you're thinking I'm 460 00:24:47,131 --> 00:24:48,051 tricking you. 461 00:24:48,235 --> 00:24:48,959 No. 462 00:24:50,539 --> 00:24:54,517 What makes these buildings special is they were paid for by 463 00:24:54,573 --> 00:24:56,213 people of God with God's money. 464 00:24:56,381 --> 00:24:57,845 That does make them special. 465 00:24:57,997 --> 00:25:01,397 But spiritually, we could meet in the park and be just as spiritual 466 00:25:01,413 --> 00:25:03,249 as we are here in this room. 467 00:25:03,549 --> 00:25:04,629 This is God's house. 468 00:25:04,669 --> 00:25:05,989 I'm not discounting it. 469 00:25:06,109 --> 00:25:08,969 I'm just saying we are the church. 470 00:25:09,469 --> 00:25:11,209 The people are the church. 471 00:25:12,509 --> 00:25:16,489 If this place was to burn to the ground, we would still be a church. 472 00:25:17,389 --> 00:25:20,805 It's an amazing analogy from the Old Testament as Paul and Peter 473 00:25:20,837 --> 00:25:25,283 and these apostles draw from that and say, we are lively stones, 474 00:25:25,331 --> 00:25:27,331 we are living stones building up a spiritual house. 475 00:25:27,355 --> 00:25:28,595 And who's the cornerstone? 476 00:25:28,707 --> 00:25:29,839 Jesus Christ. 477 00:25:30,459 --> 00:25:32,559 He's the one who keeps us in line. 478 00:25:32,939 --> 00:25:34,479 He's the plumb line. 479 00:25:34,859 --> 00:25:36,719 He's the one that keeps us level. 480 00:25:37,739 --> 00:25:42,899 He's the one that we gauge everything off of to make sure we 481 00:25:42,939 --> 00:25:44,439 stay square. 482 00:25:46,059 --> 00:25:49,225 You ever built anything and got to the end of it and you rattled 483 00:25:49,257 --> 00:25:49,949 square. 484 00:25:53,729 --> 00:26:00,629 I'm thankful that we have a perfect cornerstone, Jesus Christ. 485 00:26:02,769 --> 00:26:07,337 As we think about this royal priesthood that we are the. 486 00:26:07,473 --> 00:26:08,829 We are priests. 487 00:26:09,649 --> 00:26:17,885 We are designated as priests in the Old Testament, Israel, Israel's 488 00:26:17,917 --> 00:26:22,301 history from the time of Abraham to Solomon, the priests were 489 00:26:22,325 --> 00:26:23,489 in the forefront. 490 00:26:23,909 --> 00:26:24,973 They were the leaders. 491 00:26:25,061 --> 00:26:27,917 It was, you know, Samuel and whomever, they were the leaders. 492 00:26:27,973 --> 00:26:33,981 But once Solomon died and Rehoboam came to power and the kingdom 493 00:26:34,045 --> 00:26:38,365 split, you'll notice that the priesthood kind of became. 494 00:26:38,557 --> 00:26:42,579 Came a secondary thing to what the prophets. 495 00:26:43,079 --> 00:26:47,419 Because now you have the prophets who represent God to man, 496 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,567 telling them to get right with God, you know, preaching to them 497 00:26:51,623 --> 00:26:57,439 to go back to surrender and to go back to God. 498 00:26:57,599 --> 00:27:00,079 And the priests were no longer in the forefront. 499 00:27:00,239 --> 00:27:03,871 And the analogy tonight I would say to you is when we walk 500 00:27:03,895 --> 00:27:08,489 with God, when Israel was walking with God, when Israel was 501 00:27:08,529 --> 00:27:11,709 right with God, prayer was prominent. 502 00:27:13,169 --> 00:27:18,909 When Israel was not right with God, hard preaching was prominent 503 00:27:20,209 --> 00:27:25,469 and needed so that Israel would get back right with God. 504 00:27:26,849 --> 00:27:31,389 When we walk with God, as we should, prayer will be prominent, 505 00:27:32,129 --> 00:27:33,709 prayer will be emphasized. 506 00:27:34,639 --> 00:27:36,579 Prayer will be a part of our lives. 507 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,499 Believers, we are royal priests. 508 00:27:42,799 --> 00:27:46,339 And then believers, it is a position. 509 00:27:47,279 --> 00:27:50,179 And this position we have is in Christ. 510 00:27:50,959 --> 00:27:53,419 That is the theme of the book of Ephesians. 511 00:27:53,919 --> 00:27:57,259 The Bible says in Romans we have been clothed in his righteousness. 512 00:27:58,079 --> 00:28:00,539 That we have become joint heirs with God. 513 00:28:01,539 --> 00:28:03,439 That we are children of God. 514 00:28:04,579 --> 00:28:05,799 Think about that. 515 00:28:06,579 --> 00:28:07,915 I'm a Crawford. 516 00:28:08,107 --> 00:28:14,079 I'm a child of the guy over there, but I'm a child of the king. 517 00:28:15,699 --> 00:28:16,759 I'm a child. 518 00:28:17,059 --> 00:28:20,523 I am the great high priest. 519 00:28:20,571 --> 00:28:22,319 Jesus Christ is my big brother. 520 00:28:25,219 --> 00:28:26,347 It's an amazing thought. 521 00:28:26,403 --> 00:28:30,925 Joint heirs with Jesus Christ again clothed in his righteousness. 522 00:28:30,957 --> 00:28:31,597 What is our position? 523 00:28:31,653 --> 00:28:33,729 Our position is that of righteousness. 524 00:28:34,069 --> 00:28:39,769 That Our supposed righteousness has been erased, our 525 00:28:40,149 --> 00:28:45,021 deficit has been erased, our debt is gone, our sinful record is 526 00:28:45,045 --> 00:28:45,485 erased. 527 00:28:45,517 --> 00:28:46,445 It's gone. 528 00:28:46,637 --> 00:28:50,445 And Christ's sinless righteous record is put in its place. 529 00:28:50,517 --> 00:28:52,973 And the Bible describes that as we preached here a few weeks ago, 530 00:28:53,061 --> 00:28:56,731 as imputed righteousness, that his righteousness has been put to 531 00:28:56,755 --> 00:29:01,439 our account and we are clothed in his righteousness. 532 00:29:02,419 --> 00:29:03,755 Clothed in his righteousness. 533 00:29:03,787 --> 00:29:05,323 What is righteousness in one word? 534 00:29:05,451 --> 00:29:07,839 Righteousness in one word is selflessness. 535 00:29:08,339 --> 00:29:12,923 That we as Christians ought to be selfless, selfless to live selfless 536 00:29:12,971 --> 00:29:16,479 lives, that we ought to be more concerned of others than self. 537 00:29:17,059 --> 00:29:22,005 So we conclude from that that we ought to feel the need to pray 538 00:29:22,037 --> 00:29:24,849 for our families, Right? 539 00:29:25,469 --> 00:29:31,061 If we are royal priests and our righteousness, we are robed in 540 00:29:31,085 --> 00:29:35,093 his righteousness, selflessness, then that would certainly 541 00:29:35,141 --> 00:29:39,893 entail us praying for our family or praying for co workers, 542 00:29:39,981 --> 00:29:43,013 praying for other church members, praying for missionaries, 543 00:29:43,061 --> 00:29:47,309 praying for our government, praying for the lost, praying for 544 00:29:47,349 --> 00:29:48,609 souls to be saved. 545 00:29:49,109 --> 00:29:52,929 Because as believers, this is number three, we're responsible. 546 00:29:53,829 --> 00:29:57,901 We're responsible because of our priesthood and the position we 547 00:29:57,925 --> 00:29:58,797 have in Christ. 548 00:29:58,933 --> 00:30:00,573 Then we are responsible. 549 00:30:00,701 --> 00:30:05,933 We are responsible to pray for others, their needs. 550 00:30:06,101 --> 00:30:06,797 Their needs. 551 00:30:06,853 --> 00:30:16,389 The others motivates us who have access to prayer to pray motivated 552 00:30:17,369 --> 00:30:19,069 by what may happen. 553 00:30:19,449 --> 00:30:24,789 Do you believe that prayer, that prayer has an effect on God? 554 00:30:26,329 --> 00:30:32,513 How many examples in the Bible can you go to, Elijah? 555 00:30:32,561 --> 00:30:35,469 I mean, we could start in the Old Testament and work our way through. 556 00:30:36,009 --> 00:30:38,353 You say, well, does prayer really have any effect on God? 557 00:30:38,401 --> 00:30:39,269 Absolutely. 558 00:30:40,539 --> 00:30:41,719 Absolutely. 559 00:30:43,259 --> 00:30:45,639 Prayer is the muscle that moves the arm of God. 560 00:30:46,459 --> 00:30:47,555 You say, well, he's God. 561 00:30:47,587 --> 00:30:50,723 You just preached here a while back that God knows the beginning 562 00:30:50,771 --> 00:30:51,267 from the end. 563 00:30:51,323 --> 00:30:52,803 So he knows he's going to change his mind. 564 00:30:52,891 --> 00:30:54,307 Yes, that'll blow you away. 565 00:30:54,363 --> 00:31:05,267 Just keep trying to think that through prayer, our accessibility 566 00:31:05,363 --> 00:31:11,907 to prayer, to pray to God individually because we do have that 567 00:31:11,963 --> 00:31:15,155 opportunity, because we do have that ability and because we're 568 00:31:15,187 --> 00:31:19,427 robed in the righteousness of Christ and we want to live as Christ 569 00:31:19,483 --> 00:31:22,083 would live, we want to walk in his steps. 570 00:31:22,131 --> 00:31:24,399 Then that motivates us to pray for others. 571 00:31:24,699 --> 00:31:27,715 It motivates us to pray for Kevin Davis tonight. 572 00:31:27,907 --> 00:31:30,195 It motivates us to pray for Chalene. 573 00:31:30,307 --> 00:31:31,599 It motivates us. 574 00:31:32,699 --> 00:31:33,891 It's so good to see Ms. 575 00:31:33,915 --> 00:31:34,877 Smith here tonight. 576 00:31:35,003 --> 00:31:38,073 It motivates us to pray for our fellow church members who are 577 00:31:38,081 --> 00:31:41,369 hurting and those who have lost loved ones and on and on. 578 00:31:41,409 --> 00:31:42,089 It motivates us. 579 00:31:42,129 --> 00:31:45,081 It motivates us to pray for that person at work who we know is 580 00:31:45,105 --> 00:31:45,577 lost. 581 00:31:45,713 --> 00:31:48,969 It motivates us to pray for that neighbor who may be lost. 582 00:31:49,009 --> 00:31:52,829 It motivates us to pray for family, to pray for our kids. 583 00:31:54,049 --> 00:31:55,353 To pray our kids. 584 00:31:55,481 --> 00:31:57,609 That God would give us wisdom in raising them. 585 00:31:57,649 --> 00:32:03,347 That God would give us help and trembling fear as we have this 586 00:32:03,403 --> 00:32:07,299 great and wonderful opportunity to raise children, to 587 00:32:07,339 --> 00:32:12,515 pray for them, to pray for their future spouses, to pray, pray 588 00:32:12,547 --> 00:32:16,079 for our families, pray that God would protect them. 589 00:32:16,939 --> 00:32:18,799 Things we should be praying for. 590 00:32:20,219 --> 00:32:25,731 To pray for our government, to pray for our leaders, to pray for 591 00:32:25,755 --> 00:32:26,679 missionaries. 592 00:32:28,069 --> 00:32:31,965 A lot of you are rope holders being faithful to pray for your missionaries. 593 00:32:32,077 --> 00:32:33,689 Pray for our missionaries of the week. 594 00:32:34,149 --> 00:32:35,889 Be faithful in praying. 595 00:32:37,669 --> 00:32:38,409 Why? 596 00:32:40,069 --> 00:32:45,089 Because we are priests and because we've been given that privilege. 597 00:32:45,909 --> 00:32:50,477 We ought to be motivated by the righteousness of Christ to pray 598 00:32:50,493 --> 00:32:51,209 for others. 599 00:32:52,799 --> 00:32:55,255 What do you think of politicians or policemen or doctors 600 00:32:55,287 --> 00:32:59,299 or judges that do not live up to their position? 601 00:33:02,639 --> 00:33:09,847 Ever get on your nerves when you find out a politician speaks 602 00:33:09,863 --> 00:33:10,775 out of both sides of his mouth? 603 00:33:10,807 --> 00:33:13,751 Does it make you mad a man in that position or a woman in that 604 00:33:13,775 --> 00:33:17,099 position wouldn't take it seriously? 605 00:33:18,489 --> 00:33:23,269 Doesn't line up or live up to your expectations? 606 00:33:24,489 --> 00:33:25,709 What about us? 607 00:33:26,969 --> 00:33:32,321 We've been given the privilege to pray to an Almighty God directly 608 00:33:32,385 --> 00:33:35,189 to him to come before the throne of grace. 609 00:33:36,969 --> 00:33:40,709 In other words, we ought to be practicing priests. 610 00:33:42,809 --> 00:33:48,285 And we as a church ought to remember again that the focus of 611 00:33:48,357 --> 00:33:51,529 our church should be Jesus Christ. 612 00:33:52,389 --> 00:33:55,197 Each church is a spiritual temple. 613 00:33:55,373 --> 00:33:58,781 When we're assembled now again, it's when we're assembled. 614 00:33:58,845 --> 00:34:02,365 A church is a called out assembly of born again baptized believers. 615 00:34:02,557 --> 00:34:04,929 You can't attend church over the tv. 616 00:34:05,509 --> 00:34:06,317 We learned that. 617 00:34:06,373 --> 00:34:07,565 Well, that's biblical. 618 00:34:07,597 --> 00:34:09,667 But also it's not the same. 619 00:34:09,853 --> 00:34:13,287 Now if you're home sick tonight and this is what we have, 620 00:34:13,423 --> 00:34:17,591 you know, this wonderful, wonderful livestream for if you had 621 00:34:17,615 --> 00:34:19,779 to work tonight or whatever the case is. 622 00:34:20,319 --> 00:34:24,039 But because you're watching online, remember that's not going 623 00:34:24,079 --> 00:34:27,223 to church called out assembly. 624 00:34:27,271 --> 00:34:30,579 When we're assembled together, we are a spiritual house. 625 00:34:31,279 --> 00:34:33,095 And each person again. 626 00:34:33,247 --> 00:34:36,199 And this is found in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 18 through 22. 627 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:37,469 You can look it up later. 628 00:34:37,639 --> 00:34:40,129 But each person again is building up the spiritual house. 629 00:34:40,169 --> 00:34:42,369 The illustration again is being fitly framed together. 630 00:34:42,409 --> 00:34:47,121 And you've heard me say this before, but the analogy is that so 631 00:34:47,145 --> 00:34:50,689 many times we allow mortar and other things to keep us from being 632 00:34:50,729 --> 00:34:51,857 fitly framed together. 633 00:34:51,993 --> 00:34:54,193 If every member of Heritage Baptist Church had walked through 634 00:34:54,201 --> 00:34:55,953 the doors, every member. 635 00:34:56,041 --> 00:34:59,153 Now when we have membership missing, it means we are missing 636 00:34:59,201 --> 00:35:00,469 some of our wall. 637 00:35:02,649 --> 00:35:05,545 So if you decide to miss church, whether it's a Wednesday 638 00:35:05,617 --> 00:35:14,153 night, Sunday night, Sunday morning, you are hurting the spiritual 639 00:35:14,201 --> 00:35:14,789 house. 640 00:35:15,569 --> 00:35:16,857 You say, well, I had to do this. 641 00:35:16,913 --> 00:35:18,217 And again, that's between you and the Lord. 642 00:35:18,233 --> 00:35:20,109 I'm not saying you should never take a vacation. 643 00:35:20,849 --> 00:35:21,709 Amen. 644 00:35:22,449 --> 00:35:28,105 I'm just saying there is absolutely biblical basis for Hebrews 645 00:35:28,137 --> 00:35:30,825 chapter 10 that says you should not forsake the assembling 646 00:35:30,857 --> 00:35:33,187 of yourselves together as the manner of some is. 647 00:35:33,353 --> 00:35:36,943 But what we should meet together more so as the day approaches. 648 00:35:36,991 --> 00:35:42,191 And so when we miss church, our brick is missing and then the 649 00:35:42,215 --> 00:35:43,151 mortar is sin. 650 00:35:43,215 --> 00:35:47,183 That's the analogy when we allow sin in our life and sin affects 651 00:35:47,311 --> 00:35:50,139 us spiritually, when we're not walking with God during the week, 652 00:35:51,879 --> 00:35:56,527 when we're not living and practicing the Bible, when we become 653 00:35:56,583 --> 00:35:59,551 Dead Sea Christians where we just take it all in. 654 00:35:59,575 --> 00:35:59,975 But. 655 00:36:00,087 --> 00:36:01,739 But nothing is applied. 656 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:10,579 We ought to be and we ought to strive to be fitly framed together 657 00:36:12,959 --> 00:36:17,959 to build up a spiritual house where the Holy Spirit will feel comfortable, 658 00:36:18,119 --> 00:36:21,619 where the Holy Spirit would want to make himself at home. 659 00:36:22,239 --> 00:36:23,539 How do we do this? 660 00:36:24,319 --> 00:36:25,619 How do we do this? 661 00:36:28,249 --> 00:36:33,589 By giving people what they want at church, by more programs. 662 00:36:34,249 --> 00:36:37,345 And I'm thankful for Heritage Baptist Church and our programs. 663 00:36:37,537 --> 00:36:41,869 But can I remind you, programs cannot produce power. 664 00:36:43,769 --> 00:36:51,313 The power that we need, the power that is evidenced at Heritage 665 00:36:51,361 --> 00:36:57,113 from time to time, I wish it was every time is found in keeping 666 00:36:57,161 --> 00:36:59,469 our focus on Christ Jesus. 667 00:37:01,169 --> 00:37:06,989 The Holy Spirit will activate, if you would, or make himself evident. 668 00:37:08,129 --> 00:37:08,873 When. 669 00:37:09,041 --> 00:37:16,989 When Christ is exalted, when Christ is lifted up, when we worship 670 00:37:17,489 --> 00:37:24,345 in truth, when there's fervent prayer going on, when there's strong 671 00:37:24,417 --> 00:37:29,033 biblical preaching on truths, especially those concerning Jesus 672 00:37:29,081 --> 00:37:36,905 Christ, that we all are concentrated thinking, focusing on 673 00:37:37,057 --> 00:37:38,709 the Lord Jesus Christ. 674 00:37:39,089 --> 00:37:40,137 And that's so hard. 675 00:37:40,193 --> 00:37:42,069 You've all worked today. 676 00:37:44,219 --> 00:37:48,851 Some of you have to drive in traffic, some of you didn't get to 677 00:37:48,875 --> 00:37:49,799 eat supper. 678 00:37:51,339 --> 00:37:52,179 I would die. 679 00:37:52,259 --> 00:37:55,399 But some of you didn't get to supper. 680 00:37:57,659 --> 00:37:58,467 It's tough. 681 00:37:58,563 --> 00:38:02,211 I mean, around, around work all day, home all day. 682 00:38:02,315 --> 00:38:05,491 Some of you retired, but they're still, you know, man, we 683 00:38:05,515 --> 00:38:12,071 have a hard time coming back to church and remembering, hey, this 684 00:38:12,095 --> 00:38:14,179 is a place to come apart from the world. 685 00:38:14,879 --> 00:38:18,455 This is a place to come and fellowship with fellow Christians. 686 00:38:18,487 --> 00:38:21,815 And I don't have to listen to the cussing because my fellow church 687 00:38:21,847 --> 00:38:23,419 members aren't going to cuss at church. 688 00:38:24,639 --> 00:38:25,895 They shouldn't be cussing anywhere. 689 00:38:25,927 --> 00:38:29,219 But you kind of get the point, though. 690 00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:30,695 I don't have to come to. 691 00:38:30,767 --> 00:38:31,495 I can come to church. 692 00:38:31,527 --> 00:38:34,967 I don't have to worry about the jokes or the stories being told. 693 00:38:35,103 --> 00:38:40,653 I can come to church and I can fellowship with fellow members who 694 00:38:40,741 --> 00:38:44,461 care about the same things I care about, who have the same standards 695 00:38:44,525 --> 00:38:50,189 that I do, biblical standards that I do, and just enjoy, enjoy 696 00:38:50,349 --> 00:38:51,597 encouraging each other. 697 00:38:51,653 --> 00:38:53,597 And sometimes we're proving each other. 698 00:38:53,653 --> 00:38:55,929 And it's an amazing thing, isn't it? 699 00:38:57,029 --> 00:38:58,449 And focusing. 700 00:38:59,029 --> 00:39:04,133 That's what the song service is supposed to help do too give a 701 00:39:04,141 --> 00:39:04,485 few minutes. 702 00:39:04,517 --> 00:39:06,149 That's why I emphasize with Caleb. 703 00:39:06,229 --> 00:39:09,957 I mean, it's important that we have a shorter, you know, prelude 704 00:39:09,973 --> 00:39:11,141 service on Wednesday night. 705 00:39:11,245 --> 00:39:16,213 But we need a little time, just a little time to get our brains, 706 00:39:16,341 --> 00:39:18,549 try to get our brains in the room. 707 00:39:18,589 --> 00:39:19,717 I wasn't in here tonight. 708 00:39:19,813 --> 00:39:21,009 Took me a little bit. 709 00:39:23,549 --> 00:39:25,969 Just so much going on. 710 00:39:27,389 --> 00:39:32,439 True, absolute, true revival will happen. 711 00:39:33,139 --> 00:39:36,331 The fruit of focusing on Christ. 712 00:39:36,515 --> 00:39:41,563 The fruit of you coming into the church, having already spent 713 00:39:41,611 --> 00:39:44,651 time with the Lord during the week, having already walked with 714 00:39:44,675 --> 00:39:49,899 God as a priest, having already fellowshipped with him during 715 00:39:49,939 --> 00:39:57,219 the week, and you coming into this sanctuary, if you would, and 716 00:39:57,259 --> 00:39:59,039 building up a spiritual house. 717 00:40:00,539 --> 00:40:05,411 If every member came and did that, if most members came and did 718 00:40:05,435 --> 00:40:08,679 that, the fruit of that would be revival. 719 00:40:09,739 --> 00:40:12,479 And that's why the philosophy of ministry around here has been 720 00:40:12,779 --> 00:40:14,399 let's lift Christ up. 721 00:40:14,779 --> 00:40:18,067 You shouldn't have to come to church and be told how to live every 722 00:40:18,123 --> 00:40:18,719 week. 723 00:40:19,419 --> 00:40:20,227 I am not. 724 00:40:20,283 --> 00:40:24,305 I'm not a sergeant to tell you what you can wear and what you can't 725 00:40:24,337 --> 00:40:27,265 wear, what you can't do, what you can't do. 726 00:40:27,417 --> 00:40:30,689 And though we do cover and we will not compromise when it comes 727 00:40:30,729 --> 00:40:32,241 to those things and standards. 728 00:40:32,385 --> 00:40:34,817 But no, I want to come here and tell you, you know what, Follow 729 00:40:34,873 --> 00:40:38,289 in the steps of Jesus fellowship and walk with him. 730 00:40:38,329 --> 00:40:39,329 Have a daily walk with him. 731 00:40:39,369 --> 00:40:43,681 If you daily walk with Jesus Christ, then those things will fall 732 00:40:43,705 --> 00:40:44,429 in place. 733 00:40:45,609 --> 00:40:46,209 Why? 734 00:40:46,329 --> 00:40:50,929 Because you are a priest, you have access to God. 735 00:40:52,069 --> 00:40:53,009 Amen. 736 00:40:54,389 --> 00:40:58,781 You have the same ability because of the Holy Spirit to ask 737 00:40:58,805 --> 00:40:59,661 the Holy Spirit. 738 00:40:59,805 --> 00:41:03,965 Holy Spirit, Lord, help me to understand, Open my eyes that I may 739 00:41:04,037 --> 00:41:06,397 understand and see wondrous things in thy law. 740 00:41:06,533 --> 00:41:08,253 Lord, open my eyes as you read your Bible. 741 00:41:08,301 --> 00:41:08,893 Just pray. 742 00:41:08,941 --> 00:41:10,329 Ask him to help you understand. 743 00:41:11,029 --> 00:41:12,557 Well, I still don't understand it all. 744 00:41:12,613 --> 00:41:13,849 Well, none of us do. 745 00:41:15,079 --> 00:41:16,939 But you have the same access. 746 00:41:17,799 --> 00:41:19,519 You have the same Holy Spirit. 747 00:41:19,599 --> 00:41:20,623 Isn't that amazing? 748 00:41:20,751 --> 00:41:22,735 Priesthood of the believer. 749 00:41:22,767 --> 00:41:23,939 And I got to quit. 750 00:41:24,439 --> 00:41:26,339 What a privilege it is to pray. 751 00:41:27,559 --> 00:41:31,339 Prayer is a spiritual matter, maybe the most spiritual matter. 752 00:41:32,519 --> 00:41:33,659 Think about it. 753 00:41:34,839 --> 00:41:37,775 I can serve and do other things, but when it comes to prayer. 754 00:41:37,887 --> 00:41:39,459 That's absolutely spiritual. 755 00:41:43,099 --> 00:41:46,679 We can come to God. 756 00:41:47,819 --> 00:41:49,011 Unlike the Old Testament. 757 00:41:49,075 --> 00:41:53,203 Old Testament, the Levi's were representation to God. 758 00:41:53,331 --> 00:41:54,195 The priests. 759 00:41:54,307 --> 00:41:57,107 If you wanted to speak with God, if you wanted to worship God, 760 00:41:57,123 --> 00:42:02,039 you had to come to the temple, not the New Testament. 761 00:42:03,579 --> 00:42:04,759 We can practice. 762 00:42:06,309 --> 00:42:07,729 We are our own priests. 763 00:42:09,029 --> 00:42:10,649 Have you been to God today? 764 00:42:11,109 --> 00:42:12,701 Have you talked to him today? 765 00:42:12,885 --> 00:42:14,729 Have you spent time with him today? 766 00:42:15,269 --> 00:42:19,469 I'm thankful I don't have to kneel to pray though if I'm where 767 00:42:19,509 --> 00:42:20,461 I can, I ought to. 768 00:42:20,485 --> 00:42:21,517 I believe that. 769 00:42:21,653 --> 00:42:25,645 I believe that worship is kneeling, that part of that is kneeling. 770 00:42:25,837 --> 00:42:27,529 But I can pray in the car. 771 00:42:30,559 --> 00:42:32,579 Don't close your eyes when you pray in the car. 772 00:42:33,999 --> 00:42:35,579 I can pray anywhere. 773 00:42:35,999 --> 00:42:37,339 Isn't that amazing? 774 00:42:39,999 --> 00:42:41,019 Spiritual. 775 00:42:44,479 --> 00:42:46,059 So thankful for our church. 776 00:42:46,639 --> 00:42:50,023 I'm thankful that I could come on Sundays, the first day of the 777 00:42:50,031 --> 00:42:54,471 week, give my first day to Jesus, come to a place where I can 778 00:42:54,495 --> 00:42:59,539 come apart from all the other stuff going on and focus on Jesus. 779 00:43:00,199 --> 00:43:01,499 Think about him. 780 00:43:03,079 --> 00:43:04,191 What a wonderful Savior. 781 00:43:04,255 --> 00:43:05,259 Let's all stand. 782 00:43:06,359 --> 00:43:10,639 We're going to sing a verse of invitation, hymn 337, trust and obey. 783 00:43:10,799 --> 00:43:12,655 Maybe tonight you need us to come and pray. 784 00:43:12,767 --> 00:43:17,379 Maybe tonight you need to practice the priesthood of the believer. 785 00:43:18,359 --> 00:43:19,151 Lord, we love you. 786 00:43:19,175 --> 00:43:23,663 And we thank you, God, that you have given us the privilege of 787 00:43:23,671 --> 00:43:24,579 being priests. 788 00:43:24,969 --> 00:43:29,553 Lord, we just thank you for the ability to come directly to you. 789 00:43:29,721 --> 00:43:32,549 Lord, help us not to take it for granted. 790 00:43:33,129 --> 00:43:35,585 Lord, help us to see the wonderful privilege. 791 00:43:35,617 --> 00:43:38,257 It is afresh anew. 792 00:43:38,433 --> 00:43:40,789 And Lord, may we as Christians practice. 793 00:43:41,369 --> 00:43:43,249 May we be practicing priests. 794 00:43:43,329 --> 00:43:44,097 We thank you. 795 00:43:44,153 --> 00:43:44,689 We love you. 796 00:43:44,729 --> 00:43:45,729 In Jesus name, amen.