The Body

You remember, we opened up on Sunday night, thinking about the deep things of God. And there are so many deep things. But we started out with the book, The Word of God, we didn't get through all of it. It's so profound, so much to meditate on and think about, but it is, if we can inculcate that in the young converts, and also old timers not to forget it. The book is the book of God. And he didn't write it just because he had nothing else to do. He had a purpose when he wrote it, and as a vice purpose. So we got three times on that. Then last night, we talked about the blood, the blood of Jesus Christ. And that's so profound that you really only nibble at the edges, but it's a good start. The book of Hebrews don't forget, and the 14 songs of Revelation, study them up. And if you want a little guidance, the book is still for sale. I know because you can get it the book, songs of heaven, by Robert E. Coleman. He is a very godly guy. And he was a professor at Trinity seminary and other places a very godly man. And then tonight, we'll talk about the blessed hope. So the book, the blood, the body of Christ this morning, and the blessing of which is the return of Jesus Christ tonight, but this morning, I'd like to talk about the body of Christ, the church today, they talk a lot about it in the newspapers, in the media, about the church, and it's often the writing it. Kids are dropping out of the church, and this kind of a thing, but what is the church? And really, how important is it, you get a lot of people even who claim to come from some fundamentalist church who say, I don't believe in organized religion at all. And so they walk out of it. And they say that organized religion says that, if you're a believer, you are the church. So if you kick against the church, you're kicking against yourself, because everybody who belongs to Christ is part of the body of Christ, which is the church. And when you kick against that you are kicking yourself. And so rather than kick yourself think about something better to do. When the Apostle Paul was converted you remember the Lord Jesus said, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It's hard for you to kick against the goads. How many of you know what the goats are? It took me years to finally say what in the world of a goods and apparently, if I've got it, right, my English fails me sometimes. The when they used to have cows or oxen to pull clouds, plows, and they would hook to oxen, sometimes do cows, and tie them up, or they had to pull the plow, but the cows and the ox on Sundays got mad at the boss, and we started kicking, you know, and so they spank him Hit him and get killed, they kick. So they put some metal thing over there call goats. So when the idiot cow or oxen kicked, they hurt themselves and said, That's not smart. So they go, bang, it hurts. And so we'd stopped kicking. So kicking against the goads is kicking against yourself. Is that clear? Yeah, very profound. But but really is interesting. I never used to know that I finally said, I gotta find out what the goals are. And I never heard any preacher say it. Anyway, let's read two passages from the Bible. The church is a marvelous thing in the body of Christ is an intriguing thing. My wife and I have been missionaries for one term, four years in Colombia, four years in Mexico one year in Costa Rica, back in 1961, or two when she was learning Spanish, in Costa Rica. And we have spiritual children all over the world. We've been in 72 countries, having these festivals and campaigns, and we got 1000s of spiritual children. This morning, somebody was talking about Bulgaria, we were there when they were still coming out of communism and how poor they were. But 1000s of people came to the Lord and didn't have and we'll meet them once in a while we meet them here and there, you know. And then we've been in Romania and Russia and China, and Indonesia and Thailand and on and on 70, some countries in the unsought and to think that we are members of the Body of Christ all over the world, because we preach the gospel, and they have been converted, and we continue to do it, and our sons are continuing to do it. Also, the body is a beautiful thing and a fascinating thing. So let's read first of all, in the book of Acts, chapter two, and look at the beginning of the church, not the real day when the Holy Spirit came down, but just a few weeks later, look, let's read verses 37 Chapter 237. And there's an interesting indication about the body of Christ. And what is it like we call it the church and that's okay. A it means the assembly, the gathering of God's people. The church is worldwide and in every nation of the world now has members of the Church. Okay, verse 37. When the people heard this, which is beat up preaching, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers, what shall we do? Peter replied, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promises for you, and your children, and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call with many other words that he warned them and he pleaded with them, save yourselves from this corrupt generation, those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day. So what did they do? Yeah, goes those who are just converted, just baptized, they devoted themselves, one to the apostles teaching, to, to the fellowship, three, to the breaking of bread, and for to prayer, everyone was filled with all and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together, and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone who had a need. Every day, they continued to meet together in the temple courts, and they broke bread in their homes, and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God, and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily, those who are being saved. Now we stop right there for a second, what a beautiful picture of the church. There was a crowd, the apostle Peter was speaking to them. They were convicted of sin. It says they were cut to the heart, which is a fascinating phrase, people are cut to the heart when the Holy Spirit convinced them of sin. The Bible says John 16, you and I, and I've sent out into the world to try and convict the world of sin. The Holy Spirit does that. In John 16. It says the Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, we are sent out so that those who are convicted of their sin and righteousness and judgment here that there's a way out, and the way out is the cross and the blood of Jesus Christ. And if you repent and believe in Him and follow Him, Hey, you are saved, you're rescued, you begin a new life and that day 3000 were converted, and 3000 were baptized that very day. So God loves large crowds. That's what we love also. That's why when people say, I don't believe in big events, I don't either I believe in Jesus Christ. I just proclaiming to big crowds. That's all. Some people say mass evangelism doesn't work. I've always threatened to write a book called mass evangelism doesn't work by evangelists Luis Palau. Yeah, I bet you they buy it more than a lot of these other boring titles. But but the subtitle would be massive. Angela ism doesn't work. But God works through mass evangelism. Yes. That's that that would be a great book. So the body of Christ today is all over the world. And in fact, in some other parts of the world, there are more believers than in the United States. So the churches all over the world. But when you read about it, and you see what's happening over here, what an exciting thing, the first thing they started doing is getting together every day. I will look at it just before we finish this morning. Now, would you mind going to First Corinthians chapter six, just a few verses, because here we have an interesting insight into what is the church and how does the body of Christ really look to God and to you and to me very personally, look at chapter six of fourth Corinthians and beginning with verse, okay, let's make it verse 12. Okay. Everything is permissible for me. But not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food for the stomach, the stomach for food, but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. By His power, God raised the Lord Jesus from the dead, and He will raise us also, don't you know, here we go, that your bodies are members of Christ Himself, shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them? With a prostitute, never Don't you know that He unites the same with a prostitute is one with her embody. For it is said the two shall become one flesh, but he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit. One translation puts it in a way that I like just a little bit more. He who unites himself with the Lord is one spirit with him. Same Same difference, but it's something a little more clear. And so the last two verses, Flee from sexual immorality, all other sins that a man commits are outside his body, but he will sin sexually sins against his own body. Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, you are not your own. You were bought at a price, therefore honor God in your body. Now go back one page to chapter three, almost a repetition with a little slight slant, verse 16, of Chapter Three of Corinthians, look at what Paul by the Holy Spirit says, and I want to repeat this, the whole New Testament is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The whole New Testament is the word of God. Not the red letters. The red letters is an escape clause for many people who want to say when it's convenient, Jesus never talked about that. Oh, yes, he did. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jesus spoke through his, the whole New Testament is the word of God. Okay, we settled on one, verse 18, look at what it says, Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit lives in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is sacred. And you are that temple. Man, we're into holy ground here. That's why I picked it out as part of the deep things of God, that the church was God's creation. You know, the Bible speaks in first Corinthians tonight, we may touch it a bit more about God looks at the human race, really in three major divisions, and the New Testament, which is the one we live under now that we learned from the old one is that the Jews, the Gentiles, and the Church of God. That's how God divides the human race in his eyes. You could divide it in another way, those who are saved and those who are lost, but the Lord makes a point, especially when he's teaching about the future. Why does God act with the Jews one way and with a Gentile nations in another way, and with a church in another way, because he chose to do it. And the church is his own creation. The churches, one foundation I know him used to say is Jesus Christ, the Lord about the church is God's creation, and the body of Christ is the body. Now there are several pictures, so to speak, symbols that the Lord uses to help us understand who we are, and what is the church. What is the body of Jesus Christ. First of all, Hebrews three six says, We are God's house. We are God's house. Every believer, whether it's a little boy or girl, a teenage kid, a middle aged man or woman, and an old timer like me, and you many of you, we are God's house. That to me speaks about a pleasant relationship. But family relationship, it isn't just me alone. It's me and all the other believers, we are the family of God. So when you talk about the church, don't go around just spitting as a digital church, you know, lousy place full of hypocrites. I've said it more than once, and I'll say it again. I know more hypocrites outside the church than inside the church. And I've been in the church since I was a baby. I've met very few, out and out. Shameless hypocrites. There's a lot of broken people, trouble people, sad people, stumbling people, but they usually come to church not to be hypocrites. Why would you waste time putting on a show? For the other brothers? You come because you're searching, you need him? And you feel the need for fellowship and so on. But to church is God's house. So insulting the church doesn't help. And it certainly isn't too smart. Because it's God's house. It wasn't created by the Pope in Rome. It wasn't created by the Orthodox Church in wherever Turkey. It was God's idea. And he says, My people and we didn't read an X 20 But for All his speaking to the elders of Ephesus. And he says, shepherd the flock of God, listen to this, which He purchased with His own blood. The Church of God, Shepherd, he says to the elders of emphasis the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. That's the price he paid to get us who are believers, millions of us praise God all over the world, of every culture, non culture, education, non education, all of us. He purchased us with His own blood, so he doesn't take it lightly when you start insulting the church, man. Hey, I bought that little weirdo in Cedar mill Oregon, with my own blood. Stop insulting him. The Lord bought him with his own blood. So don't you despise him? He doesn't smile lightly on somebody who says, yeah, that weird over there. I get my blood for him. So love him. It's a serious thing. You and I were not so nice ourselves. Let's face it. Our mothers told us we were nice. You're special. I saw a cartoon in Barron's Magazine. A business guy is dismissing a kid employ obviously dismissing him, the whole picture said, he says, I hope from now on you stop believing all the month that you are special, like your mother told you, you know? And the other one is? Yes, you are special. So are we all I mean, you're not special. We think we're special. All of us are special at all of us are very non special too. But Christ bought us with His blood and the body of Christ. One picture is the family of God. That's exactly the word that the Scripture uses. Here. We read in Corinthians, the sacred side, when it says you, meaning you and me, you are the temple of God. And the Spirit of God lives in you. That's the body of Christ. So again, it is sacred. And then Corinthians three that we also chose to read a few months ago, it actually literally says, you yourselves are God's temple. And then he goes on, and God Spirit lives in you. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him because God's temple is sacred. And you are that temple. You look at yourself, and he says he was out of shape. I looked like I'm pregnant, when I'm just a man. So I probably am not pregnant. But the Lord says, your body, ugly as it may be, is my temple. Because the Spirit of God lives in that funny little body of yours. And some of us are funnier than others. I always worry when I'm without a jacket, because I'm so flat back here. And I wonder what the people behind me think they probably don't think anything, but I feel very inferior, and I am. But God says, God says, that little foolish body of yours is my temple. And my temple is sacred. You destroy God's temple, and watch out. God Himself says, Hey, you're messing with me. Hold on awesome thought. The body of Christ is God's temple. And God's temple is sacred. You know, when you teach these profound things? I used to think when I was younger, and and some people still say it today. Why are you so impractical? I mean, to talk about the blood of Jesus for an hour? How does that affect my kid who's out in the world, hey, if they get the point about the blood of Jesus, they're going to fool around much less. If you talk about being the temple of God, you don't have to rail too long about adultery. Because, hey, your temple is the temple of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you. So when you're fooling around coveting your neighbor's wife, or doing more than coveting, the Holy Spirit knows it all, man. And when you understand that, you see Yahuwah, I better stay away from sin. God is watching me, He lives within me. He even knows my thoughts. It says Psalm 139 ahead of me before I even think of them, who that is the body of Christ. So that's another picture. Then another picture that the Lord uses is the flock of God. In another picture turns to sheep. It has been said many times that sheep are not too bright. Uh huh. And some members of the Body of Christ are not too bright, who say foolish things. And they always bring up the same issue. Oh, yeah, there's all sorts of funny people around, but you know, the flock of God. And the elders in the Bible are called shepherds, a shepherd. When you read the Bible goes ahead of the sheep. He's not a CEO. Nowadays, there's a lot of talks about pastors or CEOs, not in the Bible. In the Bible, a pastor is a shepherd. He goes ahead of the sheep, and whether he likes it or not, but sheep are watching him. And in Acts, the apostle says, by the Holy Spirit in Acts 20, he says, Shepherd, the flock of God, that He purchased with now, if you're an elder in your church, even though you're not a reverence, also, you're not the lead pastor, you're not even the administrative Master. You're just an elder, like I am. We are shepherds, you know, it's not just the paid staff that are shepherds, and those of you who love God, and love the church and love Jesus Christ, whether you're appointed officially an elder or not, if you have a burden for the church, you shepherd, if you lead a little group in a home, and you are in charge, you're a shepherd. And so a shepherd is not a CEO, giving orders and writing memos. A shepherd in the Bible, leads the sheep to green pastures, feed them, leads them to quiet waters, so they can be fulfilled and satisfied and excited. And then John 21, the Lord Jesus, as he's finishing his message to the apostle Peter, remember that an awesome thought he says, Peter, do you love Me more than these? And Peter, you know, had denied the Lord, for? Yeah, he swore that he didn't know who he was. And then the Lord on the third time, and Jesus said to him, I remember you're gonna deny me three times. And then Peter denies in the third time, the Bible says, The Lord was looking at Peter. And when he saw the Lord looking at MP that went out and wept bitterly, and he probably thought, I'm finished. It's over. I just denied the Lord. I even swore that I didn't know him in front of some little maid, for goodness sakes. But the Lord comes at PETA. Do you love Me more than these? Herpes is? Yes, Lord, I love you. Feed my lambs. Peter, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Take care of my sheep. Third time, Peter, do you really love me? Yes, Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you feed my sheep. And you know, the body of Christ is a mass all over the world. And many are like sheep. They should have grown up, but they're still tiny babies. They don't take time to meditate to grow. We who are shepherds, as I say whether it's in your own home sick, or you have a bunch of seven kids in your Sunday school class, you have a shepherd. So don't pass the buck to the paid senior pastor. That's a good role and pay him well, but you are a shepherd too. And those little kids are watching you. And you know, many of us remember our Sunday school teacher. There's a guy here and his wife got 10 kids now that is their own congregation. He is a shepherd whether he wants to or not, and he does. He's a good Bible teacher, I understand. But anyway, the sheep, that's the body of Christ. So yes, you know, a lot of people are so slow witted, but they're in the kingdom of God. They are sheep, and the Lord loves them. And he gave his blood for them, and he bought them with his own blood. And some of them are quite simple. And they need shepherds. So that's another picture of the Body of Christ. But then there's another one that I want to tell you about is in first Corinthians chapter two, believe me, it's there. Verse 16, I love this one, we have the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ, being in the body of Christ, dear friends, even those of you who become Christians very recently, you may not realize it, but because the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Now, if we take time and meditate and think that's why the bush in the first three Bible studies we had about the Word of God, we begin to understand things that other people don't get. Even believers. If they're not growing, they don't get but if you and I take time with the Lord, we have the mind of Christ, because the Holy Spirit indwells us and we take the word of God seriously. The body of Christ has the mind of Christ. And we can think God's thoughts after him. Like the old timers used to call it think God's thoughts after him. And I really want to make an exhortation here. Don't follow yoga, that is following the Hindus stick religion, where basically they say sit down, and in some Christian circles that coffee gets so I'm not just blowing hot air. Yeah. You sit down and say, empty your mind. Pick one word, think of it, meditate on it. That's not Christian. Meditation is a Christian concept. That is not emptying your mind. And picking one word, whatever that may be, but it's meditating on the Holy Word of God. If you open your mind and you empty it, you can become a victim of determinism, and not even realize it. Because the Bible you remember the story of the Lord Jesus, when he told that a demon leaves a person, when he's cast out, I think goes around that he, you'd kind of find a place to light on, he comes back to that person finds that the house is empty, he brings seven demons worse on him and invade you. So when you meditate the word of God, with a mind of Christ, base it on the Word of God, don't get drawn into meditation, that is not biblical, because it can lead you into real determinism. And you think everything's just fine. Anyway, I won't proceed with that one anymore. It's too gruesome. The Lord Jesus said, I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. And he has built his church, if you had the privilege that I've had, that some of you have had to have going to many countries, and you run into Christians, we I run into them on purpose, but you know, no matter some you run into without trying, and you get to meet with them, even though you don't know the language and you need an interpreter. The oneness of the body is fabulous. And as glorious, you know, to meet a person in Taiwan or India or China or turkey, or wherever you meet them. And you soon discover that you are one in Jesus Christ. That is a beauty to it. Because we think the thoughts of God, we know him just because we are part of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now in that in in Ephesians, five, and then in the, in the book of Revelation, it talks about the body of Christ, the church as the bride of Christ, the bride of Christ. And in Revelation had talks that when the the big day comes, there will be the marriage supper of the Lamb, in which there's going to be a formal, so to speak wedding, between Jesus Christ and the church, the Body of Christ is a glorious moment that the Lord keeps putting before us in the Book of Revelation, as something to really look forward to. The Lord loves His church, even though we are not what we should have been, or could be in Christ, He loves us, and he's happy with us, and we are His Bride. That's why it says in Ephesians, five, that the man is the head of the home just as Christ as the head of the church, and he puts the picture that we men are supposed to represent Christ in the home Mamamia. I mean, that is a big demand for from us men, that we can love our family, like Jesus Christ loves the church, man, is that a challenge, but that shows you how much the Lord loves His church. And then in First Corinthians chapter 11, when it's talking about the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Supper, sometimes unfortunately, we do it a little too quickly. But if you can take a break, and those of us who are leaders and pastors, in that moment, when we celebrate the Lord's Supper, it says that we we all partake of the one loaf, one loaf of bread, because we are one body. And you know, at the Lord's Supper, we do several things. We remember him, his crucifixion, his death, and inevitably, His resurrection. We also realize that we are one body, and we all partake of the one body of Jesus Christ world partake of that one cup and one loaf, because we are one in Jesus Christ. It's a very sacred moment, the basic purpose of the Lord's Supper is to remember him, but at the same time, you can't avoid it. We are one, I sometimes sit near the one of the tables in our church where people go and get the cup and the bread and I look at the different people, sometimes I look at their shoes, because I'm with my head bowed on that walking past. And I think so many people in this congregation who are part of the body, they're my brothers and sisters, some I know, most of them, I don't know, because I'm an elder, I'm always on the road. So I don't know many of them. We just smile. As we know each other. We really don't know each other that well. But the fact is that we're one body and the Church of Jesus Christ remembers him because we're all under the blood, rescued by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then the body of Christ also has a multiplicity and variety of gifts. We don't have to emphasize that, but we need to be reminded of it, and each one of us has his place in the body. If for instance, I'll just give you an illustration of myself. I can do Bible teaching, and I enjoy it. We I have a radio program in Spanish. That's been Bible teaching, literally since 1964. But you know, people come to me sometimes and they say, I need to talk to you, I've got a problem. My husband is this and my wife is that or my in laws, this or my son? Could you tell me what I should do? And you know what? I at that point, I almost go paralyzed. I can give you principles. I feel freedom to put the Scripture, but I not a good counselor on a very specific thing. You know, my junior high end system wearing short skirts, what do I do? I don't know. I never had a junior high girl, thank God. And you know, and I wouldn't know what to say to a girl, ask your wife as somebody else. I am no good at giving very specific details. Principles. Yes. I love it. I mean, people love from chemistry. You know, one day you said Dada and achieve? Hallelujah, I don't remember it. But obviously it work, you know. But if if you come and ask me, I should go to somebody, my wife, for instance, she's more specific. And as he goes, bang, bang, bang. And I always think, Wow, where did she get that from? Not me. I'm not that smart. But you know, it's different gifts. And the Lord gives even variety of gifts. Some people are just geniuses are giving advice. I'm not one of them. But I do rejoice in the gifts he has given me. And the body of Christ has variety in it. That's what makes it interesting. And we as leaders need to encourage God's people to not only discover what their gifts are, but to practice them. And you guys, you know, I've been hitting on you men hard, or men, you take the time, somebody said to the other men's thing, that in some meetings when they asked for questions, often it's just the women who ask questions or make statements, while women have a facility with words, most men sort of will by the time they get going, the wife is finished with a whole chapter of a book. But But that's different gifting different personalities, not to God has given to us. But you know, if we all practice our gifts, we build each other up in the body of Jesus Christ. And so we have a multiplicity of gifting. Now, you'll notice over here, internally, the body of Christ in the book of Acts, they mentioned four basics. And you know, it's true even today. 2000 years later, you notice that when we were reading it, I made a bit of a point of it. Four things, first of all, the apostles teaching the apostles teaching that I said, the apostles teaching, not the red letter, the apostles teaching, you won't forget the Red Letter thing, and that's good. Uh huh. The Apostle CG, they spent time on it. The apostles were there teaching by the way. Now we have the apostles teaching and writing, and therefore we concentrate on that. The second thing they did, it says, The fellowship is a local church, we can be friends. Now, there are many clubs in the world, there are sports clubs, there are service clubs. There are all sorts of people getting together the church, is if I may put it this way, it's not biblical, God's club. Uh huh. And we can play with each other, we can talk with each other, we can help one another. We can eat together, sometimes we can go out we can fellowship. And then thirdly, he talks about prayer, the prayers, they also prayed heavily internally. And then of course, the Lord's Supper. Those were four basics of when the body of Christ gets together, a grows when it practices these four things, the teaching, the fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and praying. And that's what the fellowship of the church is about. And we all need each other. And you know, often is the weakest members that bless us the most, at least in my experience. I mean, I enjoy talking to sharp people, ask questions, your origins, people that are Greek and so on. We all enjoy that. But I also it's interesting to talk to simple people who are not very profound, who don't have a great IQ, but who love Jesus Christ, and they build you up. They have answers to prayer that most intellectuals don't ever seem to get the simple. The poor in the church are often rich in faith, they can teach us how to trust God under pressure. And so Peter then finishes with this. I'm gonna finish with First Peter, chapter two and verse nine, it First Peter chapter two and verse nine, and this is the end. So relax. He says over here in that in that verse, You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. People belong to God, so that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light and verse 10. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God, once you had not received mercy, but now you have receive mercy. Now four things, isn't it? First, you are chosen people. That's the body of Christ, chosen, chosen in Christ. And we are His people, chosen by the Lord number two, royal priesthood. There were five big deals for big ones that came out of the Reformation. One is the Scripture only, not tradition, not history of the church Scriptura sola or pure scripture to grace only, that salvation is by grace, not by works, not by belonging to the church, not by water sprinkled on you not by ties that you give its grace, the grace of God, and faith only was the third ones. They used to say it in Latins to show you that I can spit it out to sola scriptura sola gratia, sola feeder faith, those three were the big cries of the Reformation. But there was a fourth one that often isn't mentioned, I've got to give a talk in several places next year on the Reformation. And I'm going to emphasize the fourth one, the priesthood of all believers, because the church in the Middle Ages had this problem that only a few people were considered priests, that led to the next step. The priests are the ones who can talk to God. You're not a priest, you are nobody. So go to the priest. Let him hold your hand. Confess your sins to Him. He'll give you the sign of the cross. Make you say the Lord's prayer three times and Hail Mary 27 times, and you're okay go home. The Bible teaches but every woman and every man and every boy and girl Yes. Who belongs to Christ is a priest. The Bible teaches what priests the like Book of Hebrews, again, deep stuff together, but a priest intercedes with God for other people. That's one of the signs that it talks about in the book of Hebrews, chapter five, six around there. And you as a priest, woman, women, are you listening? Women always listen, man, are you listening? No, you're thinking of soccer game next Saturday, you're a priest. And as a priest, you have two big privileges, one to go to God on behalf of people. That's what the Bible says, I didn't admit that. And a priest today also speaks to people about God. And what Peter is saying here, you will notice if you saw it, it says, To proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, as a priest, woman, as a priest, man, as a priest, teenager, as a priest, boys and girls. You have the privilege of interceding with God with access directly to the throne of God. That's what we saw last night very quickly, about the blood of Christ, it opened the door to the very throne of God. So that when you get on your knees as a member of the Body of Christ, the church and you pray for somebody else, it isn't just hot air that you hoped maybe God hears that, if not tough luck. It's actually interceding by the throne of God. Authority. You are a royal priest. You women believe that? Say it out loud. For goodness sake. I hope you do. Otherwise, you're missing out on the best. And you men. Come on, man. Come on, man. Yeah, bored stiff. Why does leishmania say something? But you know, you as a man. You're driving a truck. from Seattle to Arizona. All those hours in the truck. You can intercede with God for every turn, you drive through. You can intercede with God for the politicians in Washington right now. You can turn to see the god for your mother in law, for goodness sakes. I mean, why do people laugh whenever you say your mother in law? I don't know. I'm married to one and she's great. My wife that is She's a mother. I love these four girls but intercede. You have authority with God? You're a royal priesthood. I can't emphasize that enough. And some of you are looking at me like blouse knots. No, it's biblical. You are a priest. Yeah. The mistake is that we confuse priesthood with local church order. Totally different issue. Priests. Have a holy calling you teenagers who are recent Christians. You're a priest, man. You're a priest, woman. You're not just a little weasel running around, causing trouble in the church and bugging your mom and dad. You're a priest. Act like a priest. Think like a priest. And then the great privilege is that when we talk about the Lord Peter Botsford proclaim the excellencies of Him, who what did he do? He took you out of the kingdom of darkness into his wonderful. There's a lady here. I presume she's here this morning. But the other night, my wife and I were at the coach house. And she came and told me a story that bless me. She used to live here in Cannon Beach when she was 20. I don't know, the family situation, but she said, One day she was at the beach. And two young kids, teenagers Bali, perhaps early 20 Studying at a cola bible school here, engage that in conversation at the beach right here in Cannon Beach when he was 20. Nothing to do with God or the church or I don't think these two kids approached on the beach and started talking. What do you do we study in a school here is spiritual stuff is your I'm interested in spiritual things. So they said to her, Oh, good. Have you ever heard of the four spiritual laws? And she said, No, I haven't. But I'm interested. How many of you are aware the four spiritual laws is okay, we got a good old bunch of old timers. Yeah. You know, the new generation doesn't know a thing about the footbridge a lot. We were in New York, and I bought 30,000 copies of the four spiritual laws. Oh, there you got a copy of it. Yeah. And, you know, I asked the New York to the young generation 30. And under, how many of you have heard those spiritual laws every night with Francis Chan? About six people? They didn't know what it is. I wonder what they do to lead someone to Christ. Anyway. They pulled out the Four Laws, they went through it with her right there on the beach. She became a believer, those two kids, whoever they were, were priests of God doing priestly work. Not on an altar in our cathedral. But on the beach. She became a believer. She's married a guy. They've served the Lord. They live in the south somewhere. Where are you here, Madame? There she is. You tell them the story. She's in white talk to her later. That has to do the whole did I tell it pretty good? Pretty good. Yeah, yeah. I always make it more interesting than the real thing. You know. There was there was a medical doctor in Guatemala, who became a Christian later in life. He was a doctor, he was a businessman. He was a politician. And he married the beauty queen. So he was a sharp guy. I said to him come to I don't know where in Mexico and tell your stories. And now you tell it, you thought it much better than I do. He's, uh, you may get such fun that I enjoy listening to my story when you tell it. Yeah. But but it was true. I mean, you know, that is being a priest. catching someone on the beach. I'm talking about the glories of being liberated from darkness into the light. So when you with this, you're not just somebody sweating, trying to win someone to Christ, you are a priest, and you are doing priestly work. And you are being used of God, that is the body of Christ. There is much to be said, but not today, about the body of Christ. I had 10 self images of a Christian, as a witness for Jesus Christ as a priest, but we'll talk about it some other day. What do you think you love the body of Christ? He bought it with what are we one color, endless colors. I'm discolored. But some people have gotten. I'm so pale. It's embarrassing. And if I do go into the sun, instead of getting time I get launched red blotches. So I'm not proud of my Color My Skin. But it's fun to go all over the world. And so people, little people, tall people, smart people not so smart, handsome beyond words, and not so handsome. You know, they're all members of the Body of Christ. And it's so good to meet them. And then Heaven has got to be a big party. And it says, They shall come from the east, and the West, from the north and the south. And they shall sit at the table with Abraham. Moses, ooh, I want to sit next to David and Joseph one on each side. I've already made my reservations, and the Lord at the head of the table. We're all going to be eating together at the table in the presence of God. That is the body of Christ. And that's why and I want to just finish with this. Immigrants are often the most open people to hear the gospel of Christ. Did you know that? When people move from their culture, to a new culture, their eyes, their ears, their all their senses are open? Yes, some of the parents want to force them to keep the old traditions back home. But most people are thinking, what makes this country tick? Why is there so much freedom? And when you tell them about the Lord, they're interested, so let God use you to lead immigrants to Jesus Christ, because they come with an open mind and an open heart that says so to speak the easiest often to lead to Jesus Christ. Anyway, the body of Christ, let us pray. Father in heaven, thank you for this meditation in the body that you created. You said, Lord Jesus, I will build my church. And the gates of hell cannot prevail against that. Thank you. And Lord, we see the church conquering all over the world. In Iran, in Africa, in India, in Pakistan, Indonesia, Russia, Western Europe, South America, everywhere, Lord, you're bringing new people every day into your kingdom. We thank you what you're doing in China, so many millions, oh Lord, that love you, and are willing to suffer for you and be despised and lose their jobs. But they're sold out to you, Lord Jesus, oh, God, use each one of us here to pray for one another, to support one another, to rejoice with one another, at the victories of your church around the world. And help us all Lord, to love your body, to love your church, to love the least and the last than the lonely on the last to really love them and use us Oh, God to be priests with a high priestly duty of honoring you and leading them into your kingdom. We thank you in Jesus name. Amen. This is Kevin Palau, one of loose Palau sons. Toward the end of Dad's life. He had zero regrets about spending his years sharing the good news. He was convinced that an even greater harvest was waiting in the generations to come. We agree and we're continuing the work dad started. We are passionate about bringing the Gospel to every person on the planet. Millions still don't know the hope that's found only in Jesus Christ. If dad was here today, I think he would say don't wait. share Jesus today, wherever you go. If you'd like to join with us in spreading the good news around the world, you can visit Luispalau.org To give a God honoring gift today. How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. Thank you for being with us today. God bless you