Bible Text: Leviticus 8 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship

— Pastor Lou’s Notes —
Intro:

This idea of priesthood may seem a bit strange to us these days, especially, if you have grown up in a protestant church. According to the Bible, the office of a priest was a high office in which the priest would serve as a mediator between God and man. The bigger context of this account is that God had commissioned the nation of Israel to be a holy nation and a light to all the other nations. Generally speaking, Israel as a nation chose not to obey God. One of the main reasons for the decline of Israel was the failure of the leaders and priests to be holy and obedient.

In Leviticus 8, we see a major element of what a priest is to be in serving God e.g. submitting to the authority of God. If you remember, this hits at the heart of the sin problem man has. Please understand that we inherit the rebellious sin nature of Adam; our pride doesn’t want to submit to any authority, especially God’s authority. God wanted to make clear to Aaron and his sons what he expected from them.

Why is this important to us today? As we unpack this passage, God reveals what He expects from Christ followers.

We Are to Submit to God’s Authority
The Lord’s Commands Are Not Negotiable
Notice the language, “This is what the Lord commanded to be done.” v. 5
God told Moses to have an ordination service for Aaron and his sons
The purpose of the ordination is for God to let the priests know that holiness and sanctification are imperative
We are never to substitute our directives for God’s directives
This was a public ceremony to symbolize the priests’ willingness to submit to the Lordship of God.
Parts of the ceremony were to show the importance of:
Atonement for sin e.g. the blood of the sacrifice
Daily Cleansing for sin e.g. the washing with water
Anointing of the Holy Spirit
Communion with God and one another
The ordination is based upon God’s covenant and is complete
Why Is This Important to Christ Followers Today?
The New Testament is clear that when we place our faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross, we become priests.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 1 Pe 2:4–5.
Jesus made a way through His death and resurrection for us to come directly into God’s presence. Therefore, we no long need a priest because we have become a royal priest because of what Christ did for us on the cross.
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 27:51.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priests who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.u 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Heb 4:14–16.
God many time in the Scriptures says that we are to be Holy because He is Holy
As a Christ follower, we are to submit to the Lordship of Christ
We are to practice daily cleansing
We are to serve God and others
We are to worship God in everything we do. Romans 12:1-2
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Ro 12:1–2.

Conclusion: So, may I ask a question this morning? How difficult would it be to get a personal appointment talk to the President of the United States? How difficult do you think it might be to try to get the president of a major corporation on the phone? Yet, as Christ followers, you and I are ushered by Christ into the very presence of God anytime we wish. When was the last time we spent time with the Creator of the Universe and, as part of a royal priesthood, lovingly obeyed Him?