“3 Offices” Sermon Series - Wk 3 - Office of the Prophet

 The ability to communicate in powerful ways have turned the tides of history. Words have great power. I want to share with you a couple of ways words have been used to get a point across. Someone posted a message by a handicapped sign that read, “If you are not handicapped when you park here, you will be when you leave.” Another sign in a high school homeroom read, “Laugh and the class laughs with you. But you go to the principal’s office alone.” Mark Twain was said to have mentioned about a particular person’s funeral, “I didn’t attend the funeral but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” Ronald Reagan was famous for his quips, and responded to a question about his age in his debate with Mondale, “I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

It’s the idea of the communication of words that brings us back to our series where we are looking at three offices of Christ: King, Prophet, and Priest. If you have your Bibles, we are going to start off in Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 15. As we open to Deuteronomy 18:15, let’s look back at the last two weeks of our series, to refresh our thoughts. 

In our first week, we looked at how God exercises authority in all three offices in the first three chapters of Genesis. First, God creates, showing that he is King and Sovereign over all creation. Then, God prophesies to Adam of death if he eats of the forbidden fruit, which comes true. Finally, God covers Adam and Eve, in the fashion of a priest who’s job it is to make covering sacrifices for the sins of the people. In these offices, God reigns supreme, yet he delegates these offices to the nation of Israel. Christ’s coming is the consolidation of these offices once again in God alone.

Following this, in our second week we began to look at how Jesus, in his incarnate ministry, exercises the authority of the first office of King. We saw how Jesus points to himself as the kingly figure of Daniel 7. We saw how he viewed his kingdom as a spiritual non-nation state; with his reign being over all peoples, places, and things. Then we saw how his work as King opened the door for peace between himself and rebellious humanity. It is then, by his authority as King, that those who accept his peace become ambassadors to the people of this world who are still in rebellion. 

With this recap in our minds, we can now turn to the second office of Prophet. We do this by first reading Deuteronomy 18, starting in verse 15.

We find the passage in the last of the five books of Moses, where Moses is preparing the people not only to follow God, but to live without him as their leader. Moses says,

“15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. (Duet. 18:15-18 [ESV])”

We first must understand that Moses’ prophetic utterance of a Prophet like him, was something that nation of Israel was looking for in connection with the Messiah. 

The Sar Shalom Messianic Community says this about this Prophet like Moses, “Moses’ statement that a prophet like him would come from among the people of Israel, is one that the Israelite people were looking for at the time of Jesus. 

“The most explicit Messianic prophecy found in the Torah occurs in …  Deut. 18:15 [which] tells us that God will one day send a prophet like unto Moses.

“The prophecy concerning the prophet like Moses has heavily influenced Jewish expectation of Messiah. The Prophet like Moses is regarded to be Messiah. For this reason, we find that Jewish literature casts Messiah in the pattern of Moses.

“The life and ministry of Moses serve as a Messianic prototype which the ultimate Messiah is expected to reflect. The Midrash often refers to Moses and Messiah respectively as the First Redeemer and the Ultimate Redeemer. As a prophet like Moses, the life and work of Messiah must reflect the pattern set by Moses.”

Since the Prophet like Moses was expected to be the Messiah, it shouldn’t surprise us that when Jesus started his earthly ministry people began asking themselves if he was that Prophet. 

In fact, in response to Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand, the people are recored in John 6:14, as questioning if Jesus might be the Prophet. The verses reads, “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” A similar connection by the people would happen at the raising of the Nain widow’s son, where Luke 7:16 records, “Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, 'A great prophet has arisen among us!’ and ‘God has visited his people!’” 

In Matthew 16:13-14, we get this interaction between Jesus and his disciples, “13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ 14 And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”

As Jesus went about his ministry the people clamored with the question, is Jesus the Prophet like Moses. In fact, the entire Gospel of Matthew is partially dedicated to show the parallels between Moses and Jesus. From his birth, to his return from Egypt, to his desert wanderings, and much more.

The second thing she need to understand is that Jesus’ disciples believed Jesus was the fulfillment of this Deuteronomy 18 prophecy.

After Jesus’ ascension, when speaking to the people at Solomon's Portico, Peter connected Jesus to Moses as the prophet that was foretold, we he said, “22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. (Acts 3:22-26)”

The Hebrew writer would also make connections between Jesus and the Prophet like Moses, writing, “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (Heb. 1:1-2)”

So the Jewish people were looking for the the Prophet like Moses and Jesus’ disciples believed him to be that Prophet, but what about Jesus himself?

First we need to understand that, originally, the word prophet was used only of one who “… proclaimed the message given to him … (https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/eastons-bible-dictionary/Prophet)” Whereas a seer was one who “… beheld the visions of God …” to predict future events. Over time the two titles came together, as is referenced in First Samuel 9:9.

So in the broad sense of the word, a prophet is simply someone who delivers messages to reveal God’s plans and purposes. However, in Jesus we have a fuller revealer of God. 

Jesus spoke of his revelatory uniqueness in his interaction with Philip in John 14:8-9, “8 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ 9 Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

This revelation would lead the apostle John to realize that Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. (Jn 1:1). Due to this, Jesus revelatory authority exceeds that of every prophet before him. This is why Jesus can speak in his Sermon the Mount, with the language of, “21 You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment … (Matt. 5:21-22)” 

Jesus saw himself as the greater revealer of God, going as far as to tell the disciples that, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (Jn. 14:26)”

Finally, after Jesus’ resurrection, Luke would record Jesus’ continued revealing work, writing, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Lk. 24:27)”

Since Jesus fulfills Moses’ prediction of a prophet like him to come, and Jesus is a greater revealer of God, we can trust him in what he says. We can trust him in his proclamation that, “… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matt. 28:20)” We can trust him when he states, “31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. (Matt. 6:31-32)” And we can trust Jesus when he states, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. (Rev. 22:12)” 

Jesus’ word stands for all time. It was through him that all things were made, and by them all things hold together.  Paul would write this in Colossians 1:15-20, “5 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

It is in Jesus that we may abide and produce the fruit that we were saved to show (Jn. 15). And it is from his authority that we go out into all the world to witness to his greatness. 

Jesus’ desire is that we follow and obey his word that we might show our love for him and love for each other. He is the Prophet who was foretold by Moses, to bring a greater revelation of God, that we may be saved through the grace he shares through his death and resurrection. Let us walk in his word, showing that we truly are saved by his mercy and grace. 

My challenge for you this week, is trust in Jesus’ word. I have given you many Scriptures verses today, However, I want to challenge you to memorize one of three. If you struggle with believing Jesus is with you, memorize the end of Matthew 28:20. If you struggle with anxiety, memorize Matthew 6:31-32. And if you struggle with the world and all the evil in it, memorize Revelation 22:12. 

Let us be a people who trust in Jesus, the Word made flesh, that we stand secure on his word, as wise people ready for any storm. Amen.

“3 Offices” Sermon Series - Wk 2 - Office of the King

  There is a South Asian story called “The Story of a Smart King,” which is a story about four kings. In the kingdom, the people had decided to curb the power of the ruler by only allowing the king to rule for five years. At the end of his rule, he had to live out the rest of his days in the forest across the river from the city. The first king came to power and lived a decadent life, focusing on himself rather than the people he ruled. When his term ended, he cried as he took the boat to the forest. Soon after the wild animals came and ate him. The second king, afraid of what could happen, cowered for all five years at the thought of what awaited him in the forest. His rule was one of fear, and when it was time for him to cross the river, his heart gave out and he died. A third king came, and tried to enjoy himself like the first, but fear soon gave way, and he too died in the forest. A fourth king came to power, and ruled wisely over the people. So much so, that the people did not want to see him go. Yet as he crossed the river, he sang songs and appeared happy. The boatman who took the king marveled at the king’s singing, and asked, “Why are you so joyful, when the others had been so frightened?” The king replied, “I have sent my people before me to clear the land and build a new kingdom, from which to rule.”

The moral of the story is to be a person who does not fear, but prepares for the future. But it is this idea of a wise king ruling over his people that brings us to our second week in our series on Christ’s offices, or his authority in his work to redeem creation. If you have your Bibles, we are going to start off in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24 verse 63, where we are going to look at Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas. As we open up to Matthew 24:63, let us remind ourselves where we are in this series. 

Last week we talked about how God can be seen in Genesis 1-3 in the authority of King, Prophet, and Priest. We talked about how God is King over all creation, in that from him, all things are created. He is sovereign over all things, and all things are to bow to him in worship. Following God’s Kingship, we saw how God fulfilled the duty of a prophet in that he spoke to Adam to not eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, for when they did, they would die. This prophetic word was then fulfilled when Adam and Eve ate from the tree and entered into death. Finally, we saw how God performed the duties of a priest when we covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve after their sin. In all of this, we also talked about how those offices were then delegated in part to the nation of Israel, through Saul and David as kings, through those like Daniel and Isaiah as prophets, and the Levites as priests. It’s here where we are going to begin taking a deeper look at how Christ fulfills these three offices through his incarnate work.

With that in our minds, let us open the Scriptures to the Gospel of Matthew 26:63, and read together.

“63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ 64 Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death.’”

In front of the Jewish leaders, early that first Good Friday morning, Jesus was asked the question, “… tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God. (v.63)” At Jesus’ response, Caiaphas the high priest became enraged and calls Jesus’ words blasphemy. The reason for this is because Jesus’ response was a call back to Daniel 7, something Caiaphas would have recognized. 

In Daniel 7, Daniel is seeing a vision of heaven. Let’s read together, starting in verse 9. 

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.”

Daniel sees God, the Ancient of Days, the King of Creation seated on a his heavenly throne, surrounded by his servants. This description of God sees him in his kingly role of judgment. The beasts who have made war have their power and authority stripped from them and now are to be judged. 

After this judgment from the King, the vision continues in verse 13, “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (v.13-14)” It's this vision that Jesus points to, and Caiaphas recognizes. The son of man figure is one whom is given an everlasting kingdom. Jesus claims this everlasting kingdom for himself, and challenges the high priest in his misjudgment of who he thinks Jesus is. It is because Jesus claims to be the Son of Man who receives an everlasting dominion, and who is worshiped alongside the Ancient of Days, that Caiaphas decries “… blasphemy!”

 

From here, Jesus is sent to Pilate. Who, like Caiaphas, wants Jesus to reveal his identity. Pilate must have heard of Jesus’ claim to kingship, because the Roman governor asks the question in John 18:33, “… Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus’ answer to this was, “… My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. (Jn. 18:36)” Here, Jesus gives the clearest affirmation to his kingship. King Jesus is not simply a head of state, if that were the case, he would have rebelled with violence. No, Jesus’ kingdom is over all creation. In this moment the King is not bringing war upon his subjects, but rather he is paving a way for peace. Through Jesus the King’s sacrifice, the King has offered a peaceful resolution to humanities’ rebellion. 

Paul would recognize this kingship when he writes in Ephesians 1:20-22, “that he [God the Father] worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church …”

John, in the opening of the book of Revelation, would see Christ as King in the Lord’s full glory and would write of the vision, “12 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. (1:12-16)” This imagery harkens back to the same imagery Daniel saw in his vision. And since the image of Jesus in his full kingship was so overwhelming, John's response was, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. (Rev. 1:17)”

Jesus invokes and wields the power of the office of King. He is King by rights of his station as God, and he is King by right of his work on behalf of humanity through which the Father has given authority to the Son. Due to these factors, Jesus is honored with names corresponding to his great kingship. He is called El Gibbowr, the Might God (Is. 9:6); this name invokes the hero tyrant who overcomes his enemies. He is the Sovereign, King of Kings, and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). He is the Ruler and Shepherd of Israel (Matt. 2:6). His is the King of Ages (1 Tim. 1:17). The King of Nations (Rev. 15:3). The Lawgiver (Is. 33:22) and Leader and Commander (Is. 55:4). He is the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5). The Lord of Righteousness (Jer. 23:6).

It is because of his kingly status that Jesus could then declare to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matt. 28:18)” John would see this authority wielded in the last days and would write of it in Revelation 19:14-16, “14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

It is through this authority of kingship that Jesus calls people to follow. It is through his great might that he sends us into the world as messengers of peace. For this reason Paul writes in Second Corinthians 5:20, of being “… ambassadors for Christ …” We are to proclaim the peace treaty of the King to whoever would embrace it; calling people to him, until the day when the King will return and rule for eternity. This is who Christ is in the office of King, and his purpose is to bring about his kingdom’s full rule without rebellion, as was always his intention from Genesis 1.

There is an olive branch of peace paid for by the King himself to all those in rebellion. That olive branch, bought through the blood of the King, is offered until his return. At that time, “… at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:10-11)”

And when that happens, Jesus will rule with the rod of iron, in his majesty and authority. Therefore, whether by choice or by force, all will recognize the King as the Eternal Creator and Sustainer of all things. And all glory and honor will be given to him. And we who choose to willing bow, will join with the living creatures and elders singing, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth … Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing … To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And all will say with one voice as they lay their crowns before King Jesus, “AMEN! (Rev. 5:9-10, 12, 13-14)” 

Because Jesus is King, my challenge for you this week is to submit your will to his authority. The King’s rule is absolute, there is to be no rebellion of his subjects. In your bulletin is a white paper flag cutout. This week, seek the Holy Spirit to reveal an area of your life that you are currently rebelling in. Write that area on the white flag, and then place it where you will see it every day. We must raise the white flag of surrender to our King, so that his work would be ever greater in us. 

Let us be a people, fully surrender to the King of kings, and be able to truly proclaim, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt 6.10)” Amen.

“3 Offices” Sermon Series - Wk 1 - God: King, Prophet, Priest

 This past year I have had it pressed on my mind that I need to teach a little more on how certain theological aspects of who God is and what he does impacts us. This past Christmas we walked through four attributes of God that were found in the manger. For the next four weeks, we’re going to look at the three offices of Christ and how each of those effects our walk with God. 

Now in our modern mind, when we talk about offices, we tend to think of buildings with cubicles and water cooler talk. There is the show “The Office” where it’s filmed like a documentary about a bunch of people working together and all their hijinks. But when speaking of the offices of Christ, we are talking about positions that carry with it authority to enact certain duties. The three offices, or positions of authority, of Christ are: king, prophet, and priest.

As we jump into our series on the offices of Christ, we need to understand where this language came from. In the fourth century a Christian historian named Eusebius of Caesarea, wrote about three authorities of Christ that were seen in the Old Testament yet were fulfilled in Jesus. Eusebius wrote, “And not only those who were honored with the high priesthood, and who for the sake of the symbol were anointed with especially prepared oil, were adorned with the name of Christ among the Hebrews, but also the kings whom the prophets anointed under the influence of the divine Spirit, and thus constituted, as it were, typical Christs. For they also bore in their own persons types of the royal and sovereign power of the true and only Christ, the divine Word who ruleth over all. And we have been told also that certain of the prophets themselves became, by the act of anointing, Christs in type, so that all these have reference to the true Christ, the divinely inspired and heavenly Word, who is the only high priest of all, and the only King of every creature, and the Father’s only supreme prophet of prophets. (Ecclesiastical History 1.3, 7-8.)”

Eusebius saw throughout the Old Testament, three major offices of authority instituted by God to guide and direct the people of Israel. But these offices did not come about out of no where, they are rooted in who God is.

Now in the Old Testament, God both fulfilled these roles and delegated these roles to his chosen people Israel. We can see that in God these roles were fulfilled in the Genesis account. In the act of creation, God shows his kingship over the earth. Genesis 1:1 begins with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Theologian David Carr notes that, “Though Gen. 1 never once uses the word ‘king’ for God, it echoes the Enuma Elish epic in its use of a creation account to demonstrate the absolute supremacy of ‘God’.” God is seen as the King in Genesis 1; he is the sovereign over all the earth, creating it from nothing and ruling supremely over it. It is why the Church, in Acts 4:24, would pray together, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them … (ESV)” And it is why the elders in Revelation 4:11 would shout, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” As human history unfolded and God focused on the nation of Israel, it was his intent to rule Israel as her king. When Isaiah speaks of God to the people he states, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: (Is. 44:6)” Zephaniah would declare, “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. (Zeph. 3:15b)” However, Israel desired an earthy king like the nations who surrounded them. Reluctantly, but not caught off guard by the request, God extended his office of king first to Saul, and then to David and his linage. This office of king was not on the scale of a universal kingship, but was more like a regent king. Yet, the true king of Israel would only be fulfilled in Christ, bringing kingship of God and to the heir of David together. Thomas would echo the words of Psalm 5:2 when he would proclaim after the resurrection, “My Lord and my God! (Jn. 20:26-28)”

The second office that God shows to occupy is the role of prophet. In Genesis 2, after God has made man, and placed him in the Garden of Eden, he speaks to Adam, “… 16 ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Gen. 2:16-17)” God spoke of what would happen if Adam chose to eat of the fruit from the forbidden tree. This prophetic word came to pass in Genesis 3, when the results of Adam and Eve’s decision to rebel against God and succumbed to the temptation of the serpent. Adam and Eve then fall into sin, and God’s word was fulfilled that they would enter into death. God would declare this prophetic ability in Ezekiel’s day, telling the people, “For I am the Lord; I will speak the word that I will speak, and it will be performed. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, declares the Lord God. (Ez. 12:25)” To the prophet Isaiah, God stated, “I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Is. 46:11b)”

This office would eventually be extended to a host of other prophets, such as Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and many others. Christ takes up this office and minsters as a prophet by calling people back to God, and proclaiming prophetic utterances of coming judgment. Jesus’ first words in Mark 1:15 are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” From Christ’s work, others are given a spiritual gift of prophecy, but never in the same vein as the prophets of the Old Testament, now that the Prophet above all prophets had arrived.

The final office that God fulfills in the first three chapters of Genesis, is that of priest. This happens soon after Adam and Eve fall into sin. God’s word tells us that, after God decrees punishment for Adam, and Eve, and the serpent, that “… the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)” When we speak of God’s atoning work in salvation, one aspect is that of covering. God covers our sin by way of sacrifice. David would open Psalm 32:1 with, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” In ancient Israel “The act of covering was often linked to God's mercy and protection, as seen in the sacrificial system where sins were covered through offerings. (Kasah,” https://biblehub.com/hebrew/3680.htm)” Psalm 85:2 also records this covering, “You forgave the iniquity of your people; you covered all their sin.”

For Adam and Eve, God performs the first act of covering in the Scriptures. This priestly role would eventually be extended to the Levites in the Exodus, as God set up his ceremonial institutions. The Levites would sacrifice on behalf of the people of Israel, as the blood of the animals would then cover the people’s sin. Christ would fulfill these sacrificial rites, as he would bring the sacrifice of himself before the Father. This work would then prompt the Hebrew writer to proclaim, “… we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God … (Heb. 4:14)”

God shows himself to be King, Prophet, and Priest in the Old Testament Scriptures. He then extended and separated these offices in the nation of Israel. Kings, prophets, and priests were set as examples of what it meant to follow God righteously and what it meant to act in those offices unrighteously. When Jesus came, being God himself, he took on these roles in his earthy ministry. Christ reestablished what he had at the beginning of his creation. In this way, Jesus’ claims to be God and the seeker to bring about his kingdom come together. As we move forward in this series, we’re going to dive deeper into each of these offices and see how fully Christ fulfills them. We will also see how these offices of Jesus’ work to effect us.

My challenge then for you this week is to take each of these three offices and meditate on how God fulfills them in your life. For the office of King, how is God king over your life, how is he not? How is God a prophet in your life, are you listening to him? How is God priest in your life, do you trust his ministering work? We need to understand how each office of God effects our daily lives, because when we do, we will better trust and obey him. 

Let us be a people who better understand the work of God, that we might be able to trust and obey him ever greater. Amen.

Worship in Liturgy

 Growing up we had some family friends who were hispanic and Catholic. Every once and a while I’d go with them to mass. As a kid I enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the building, but I was bored at the service itself. Which was par for the course since anytime my parents would go to church, I would just curl up under a pew and fall asleep. 

But when I went to college, in one of our classes, we had to write about another Christian tradition that was not like out own, and we hadn’t experienced before. My wife and I chose Episcopalian. When we entered the building, it felt very similar to the Catholic mass. The garments, the rituals, all brought back memories of being six or seven years old and following my friend’s family into the large open room adorned with all sorts of images. The use of incense, the presentation of the elements for communion, the call and response of the priest, it was an experience that was both interesting and foreign. Since then, I have come to understand the meaning of the various rituals and procedures that go into these more traditional services. 

Recently God placed on my mind the idea communicating what we’re doing here. What I mean by that is, when we come together as believers from various traditions and backgrounds, we all might have different expectations of the worship service. Some of us come from more ritual based worship services, however most probably come from more non-ritualistic traditions. Yet we all have experienced a structured worship time, that we call a service. 

It’s this worship time that I want to discuss with you today.

As Jesus references in Matthew 18:20, “… where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them …,” the Church can meet in groups of as little as two. However, if they conduct a worship time, they actually enter into a worship service. That idea simply means, that when the Church meets, they serve or minister to God through their worship. 

The structure of this service is called a liturgy, and it comes from this Greek word (leitourgia [lay-toorg-eh’-o]) which means to serve or minister. We see this in Acts 13:2, where the Church at Antioch has come together. It reads in the English Standard Version, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting …” But a literal translation would be, “As they were ministering (lay-toorg-eh’-o) to the Lord …” 

The gathering of believers to perform liturgy has been an establish since the early days of the faith. An early Christian document called the Didache, or Teaching of the Twelve, was kind of an early “How to” Christian manual. In it’s fourteenth chapter it states, “But every Lord’s day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure.”  

Our worship is a service, a ministry, and sacrifice to God. When we come together it is not for ourselves, but for the exaltation, or the evaluating of God in our lives. A worship service is a time to realign God where he is supposed to be, for he is God and we are not.

To do this, liturgies come in all sorts of styles. There are the high liturgies of the Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican traditions. Then there are low liturgies like ours. The difference is the emphasis on ritualism in the liturgy. 

One of the most ancient liturgies is Saint Mark’s Liturgy. Mark is the writer of the Gospel of Mark a tradition states that he received the liturgy in Egypt in the first century. The order of the liturgy is:

The Preface, where there is a dialogue between the priest and the people. Within this dialogue, there are hymns sung to God, God is blessed, as are the people.

Following that is a praise of the Cherubim who minister to the Lord.

Next is the Institution, of the elements of communion, where the words of Jesus at the last supper about the bread and wine are recited.  

Then an Invocation, or calling upon, the Holy Spirit to bless the bread and wine occurs. 

After that, communion is given the the faithful believers.

Finally, prayers and perhaps hymns are given back to God.

Now if there isn’t an understanding of the why behind these things, they can feel like empty actions. Yet, if one understands the purposes, it can be a very rich experience.

Yet, because of how easily these rituals can loose their meaning, over time in low liturgy traditions, we have stripped away a lot of the ritual aspects to these high liturgies. Low meaning low in ritual, but not absent in ritual. 

I want to walk you through our low liturgy, so that you might see the intentionality behind it. 

Our liturgy starts when you enter the door. We create space for the Church, the people of God, to meet for fellowship. 

Then we begin with singing. These songs seek to focus on who God is. Psalm 100:1-2 state, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing!”

We start off singing upbeat songs because God calls us into his service with gladness. Sometimes that’s hard to do when the world beats us down during. But again, the service is to restore God to his proper place in our lives. Singing his praises helps in that restoration. We also sing three songs, as a reference to the Triune God we worship. We worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; One God in three persons, co-equal in all aspects of the Godhead.

Then our liturgy moves to a welcome. We cannot fellowship with everyone, and because Quartzsite is transient in nature it’s easy to overlook people. The welcome is to connect with people we may overlook in our busy lives. In that we must be mindful of each other, some people enjoy a good hug, others a handshake is enough, still others might not be comfortable with embracing. The welcome time is to see each other as fellow believers. Maybe God will set someone in your mind in the greeting time and that might prompt you to pursue a deeper relationship with them. Paul calls us to this type of greeting when he writes in Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.” A holy kiss isn’t necessary, because that is a cultural thing, but greeting and knowing each other is a part of the meeting of the Church for service.

We then do announcements, mainly because we have found there are things that need to be said, to keep everyone in the loop. We have found that just in the bulletin and on the screens doesn’t work, these things have to be said. There’s no Scriptural verse for this. Hence why we try to get through it quickly.

Next is the word. Psalm 119:128-131 states, “Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant, because I long for your commandments.”

Going through God’s word is extremely important. It is the basis for our faith, and the rule by which we should govern our lives. It guides us in conjunction with the Holy Spirit. It sets our minds on the good things of God, and directs us away for the temptations, and desires of the world, the flesh, and the enemy. A sermon might not pertain 100% to our lives, but I personally try to find one thing that I can apply from every sermon I preach or hear. This is why I give weekly challenges. No matter where we find ourselves we should be challenged in our faith to grow.

Out of the word, we continue singing and once a month we take communion. Both are to be a response to the word that we just heard. It’s the first opportunity of response to what God has brought to us during the opening of his word. Paul writes this in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” This initial response is to help solidify the word in our lives that it my dwell in us.

Next, we receive an offering. This is not one we emphasize, nor is one we require. But we as a ministry need to make room for people to give to what they feel God is doing. We put this after the word, because it is also a response to what has happened. We used to not do this,  instead receiving an offering before the word. When we changed it the argument against such a change was, what if you do a bad job? That was the wrong mindset. The offering is a response to what God is doing, not what the speaker has done. So we want to put it in a place of response, not obligation. Paul writes in 2nd Corinthians 9:7 and 12, “7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver … 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” Yes, the offering helps us to continue the ministry God has given to us here in Quartzsite, but it is an overflowing of thanksgiving to God himself.

Finally, we leave with a song on our lips. Psalm 96:1-2 reads, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” We leave with the blessing of God on us to bless his name throughout the world. The final thing is to remember that God is all we need. We sing it, we are blessed by it, and we head out to face this world. This world is going to beat us up during the week, but we leave here with God in his rightful place in our lives.

Our liturgy, though not big on ritual, is purposeful in design. It’s to take us out of the world for a moment, refocus us on Christ, and then send us back with holy intention to live out God’s calling. That is God’s intention, that we minister in our worship to him, and that our eyes remain on him.

My challenge for you then this week, is to take this next song and sing as a response. You are a minister unto God right now. God wants your eyes on him, that you may rest in his holy presence, not just now, but through our whole life. So sing as one in an eternal chorus of other ministers to the Lord.

God is great, and mighty, and holy. As the Church, called by the Father, saved by the Son, and empowered by the Spirit, we are to minister to him who is wonderful. And through that, he ministers to us, and we overflow in love to the people around us. So let us be a people of liturgy, of service, and ministry to our God. Amen.