June 2, 2013

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Who Do You Think You Are? // In His Presence // June 2, 2013 Text: 1 Peter 2:9 (p. 1015)

How often do we miss the ____________________ in the midst of the ________________? Peter, the one who by the grace of God has become what Jesus declared – a ___________ – is encouraging these early believers to be ____________, to walk faithfully through sufferings and difficulties they don’t deserve. What he says is this: In the midst of the struggle, don’t forget who Christ has made you to be and what that means. In Christ you are __________________. As we look at the Old Testament system, knowing that only priests are the ones close to God’s presence, then what would you do if you wanted to be ___________ _________, to really know God? You decide to become a priest. Only one problem. You didn’t choose to become in priest in Israel. You were either __________ a priest or not a priest. Jesus __________ _______ _________. In Jesus every person can now come near to the presence of God. In Jesus we can experience the presence of God in our normal life. (Mt. 27:50-52; Ps. 16:11) Far too often we in the Western Church want to make Christianity totally about ________________ to be believed and _______________ to be followed. That is not the totality of our lives as followers of Jesus. In Christ we are priests. We are those who are to come near to God – to know God – to _____________ _________. “Truth” is what we believe and how we study – doctrines and precepts, ______________ ________________ based on what God has revealed. (Jn. 4:23) “Spirit” is about our hearts, our passions and our emotions. It is where we relate to and encounter God. We worship in truth AND spirit. We don’t choose one or the other. It is ____________. Jesus said that when we ___________________ serve people, we meet Him, we encounter Him in our service (cf. Mt. 25:31-46). Just like a shepherd with his sheep, God will ____________ to us – through His word, through others, through impressions. (cf. Jn. 10:1-5) When we gather to declare God’s praises together, God in a special way ____________ _______. (Mt. 18:20; Ps. 22:3) We, His people, His priests, get to bring joy and _______________ to the heart of our Father. And we can experience His presence – His presence that gives strength in the midst of difficulty, gives _____________ that transcends comprehension, gives _________ in the midst of struggles and even persecution.