CHOSEN GENERATION #4

CHOSEN GENERATION

1 Peter 2:9: “But you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light;”

Identity and Purpose: that is what 1 Peter 2:9 is sharing with us, that we have identity and purpose in the Kingdom of God. We carry our identity with the purpose of praising God, proclaiming His praises for calling us out of the darkness and our identity being that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

HOLY NATION

Our final topic of the month is holy nation. Being a holy nation means that we can show the praises of God on the same scale that Moses and David did, the same scale represented the day the church was born, declaring the praises of God en masse.

Let’s break this topic down into two parts:

  • Holiness
  • Nationhood

What does it mean to be holy, what does biblical nationhood look like?

HOLINESS

Holiness is the epitome, definition, be all, end all of everything that is awesome. It’s awesome to "infinity and beyond" to quote Buzz Lightyear. Holiness is about holiness to infinity. Majestic, everything that is absolutely, glorious, etc, etc. Have a read of Revelation and you will so many examples of the holiness and glory of God. KEYPOINT: IT'S AWESOME!

MEANING

Holiness: sanctify, hallowed, dedicate, holy, consecrate, sacred, appointed, purified. Qadosh.

SET APART

Leviticus 20:26: Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I am the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine”.

We are set apart for a purpose, we are meant to be different from those of the world, set apart means not living selfishly as the world does but as part of God's team, we are to live to certain standards, biblical standards and we live to these standards by the Holy Spirit, that is how we take part in holiness because we cannot reach that on our own.

  • The Holy Spirit: 2 Corinthians 1:21-22:” Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
  • Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23: “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
  • Gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
  • Hearts of gratitude. 1 Thessalonians 5:15–18
  • Love God, love people. Mark 12:30-31
  • Loving like Jesus: sacrificially. John 15:13
  • Discipline: Psalm 90:12, Proverbs 3:12.
  • We not me: an attitude of team work. Matthew 28:16-20, Ephesians 4:4.

Because we are being made holy, we are set apart from the world. Through Christ's death on the cross, we received the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is constantly working in us, transforming us from glory to glory, 2 Corinthians 3:18. People will notice something different, they will see change. We all were broken people, and people of the world and know what worldly standards look like, but when we receive the Holy Spirit, those standards change and are a stark difference to how we used to live. We now have our role model living inside of us, guiding us in the Spirit and the Word to go from glory to glory. Set apart means not living selfishly as the world does but as part of God's team.

Again, holiness is AMAZING! We get to take part in holiness because GOD IS A HOLY GOD.

Isaiah 43:15: “I am the Lord, you Holy One, The Creator of Israel, you King”.

2 Chronicles 5:18: "So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God."

1 Samuel 2:2: “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

Exodus 15:11: “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?”

Revelation 15:4: “Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For you alone are holy; For all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Exodus 33:19-23. "And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen."

Revelation 4:8: "And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

2 Chronicles 5: 13-14: It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers we as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they  lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and the instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

NATIONHOOD

Common perspective: monks, persist, nuns, live a life of sanctimonious life in convents, monastery's, where it’s about individuals developing their relationship with God, but we are becoming apart of the Holy Nation, it’s about God and his ability to bring peace, to stand out in the world that the Holy Nation is an awesome place, having great joy, great capacity to handle challenges, representing beautiful, powerful kingdom.

MEANING

Nationhood is defined as “the fact or status of being a nation; national identity or independence.” Biblical nationhood is no different, but is by far a more powerful, fulfilling nationality to carry and identify with.

ISRAEL: CHOSEN NATION

Deuteronomy 7:6-8: “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the people who are on the face of the earth.”

Israel is a chosen nation and is representing a chosen people, a holy nation. We know that the church is the New Testament fulfillment for the gentiles to be a part of the holy nation. We get to enter into the tabernacle that was made for gathering, made to come together and praise God.  Not only when we gather are we meant to praise God, but giving praise at all times as lifestyle, this is why we talk of setting the spiritual tone for life in the affirmation zone, it is a way of life as we gather and in the secret place.

KINGS AND PRIESTS

Revelation 1:5:"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,"

God has made us kings/queens, a royal priesthood that means we have power and purpose. We are made royal and that implies parades, assemblies, and nationwide gatherings! Being kings and priests means we have authority, The authority we have is to disciple all nations, teach them all things and generate glory for God, His Church - His Holy Nation - His bride to be and the nations.

HOLY NATION

As a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, we are to enforce God’s noble government, and doing so in a way that is honorable and glorious and also a revelation that God has a plan for the nations and we, as the church, a holy nation filled with the Holy Spirit do so with the following factors at the forefront of our minds.

  1. Disciple the nations.
  2.  Teach the nations everything God has for us in the free gift of salvation. 
  3.  Be a joyful house of prayer for the nations.
  4.  Prepare ourselves as the victorious and glorious bride of Jesus Christ, the Church, one holy nation.  
  5. Generate the Glory of the nations.
  6. Discover the inheritance we have in the nations as kings and priests.
  7. Empower the people of every nation to use their God given creativity to build relationship.
  8. Outline the confidence we have in the day of judgment of the nations.
  9. Take hold of the keys of the kingdom and deploy heaven on earth.

We were created to be a holy nation, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a people filled with the Holy Spirit, living in our identity and purpose, testifying through praise how God has called us out of the darkness en masse! Walking in the authority as kings and priests, telling all nations of all that God has for us all.

Revelation 7:9: "After these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes and tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb, clothed with whites robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice "salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb."

 

Megamorphic ChurchComment