This is a guideline for a sermon delivered on the evening of Sunday 12 July 2015 at Cape Town Union Church, the city site of Church on Main. It is a discussion on the passage from 1 Peter 2 v 9 with particular focus on the concept Peter mentions of 'the royal priesthood'. Its consists of a series of observations and the argument that Christians may have a tendency towards misunderstanding our identity as members of the royal family of the King of Kings and what royalty means in His Kingdom. We have been given specific talents, treasure and time to serve people and planet while holding our relationship with the Lord as something personal, intimate and committed.

1. A Royal Priesthood
CoM City Bowl
Cape Town Union, Kloof Street
12 July 2015
Colin Habberton

3. “Priests” (Wikipedia)
They are generally regarded as having positive
contact with a deity or deities of the religion to
which they subscribe, often interpreting the
meaning of events and performing the rituals
of the religion.
“Priesthood”
Their office or position is the priesthood, a
term which also may apply to such persons
collectively.

4. Quick Recap…
“Priesthood of all Believers” (1 Peter 2: 4-10)
• God makes His redeemed people priests, from the
moment they know Him, without any other qualification,
except that they place their faith in Him
• Christ is the basis or cornerstone for our priesthood: we
draw our strength, direction and validation from Him
• Belief in Him is a matter of the head, the heart and
practical effort, bearing in mind that we do not have to be
perfect we have to just be doing our best, walking in
dependence upon God.
• Finally that Christ, as the cornerstone of our priesthood will
call us to love others but, nevertheless his truth may also
offend those who do not believe in Him.

5. Historical Context (circa 64 AD)

6. Historical Context

7. Historical Context

8. Historical Context

9. Historical Context

12. 1 Peter 2 v 9 (ESV)
“But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
people for His own possession,
that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him who called
you out of darkness into His
marvellous light…”

13. 1 Peter 2 v 10 (ESV)
“…Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received
mercy, but now you have
received mercy.”

14. Identity Crisis?
1. Observations
2. Argument
3. Invitation

16. But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach,
diamonds on your timepiece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your
love affair.
And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood,
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz.…

17. What does it mean to be Royal?
• Kingdom - Kings & Queens
• Privilege & Power
• Riches & Wealth
• Subjects & Servants
• Reverence
• Inherited by birth
• Bloodline

19. How could we possibly be Royal?
• We serve a King – the King of Kings
• So are we His servants?
• But, we are also His children

20. The Genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1: 1-17)
12.Obed
13.Jesse
12.David & Bathsheba
13.Solomon & Naamah
14.Rehoboam
40.Joseph & Mary
41. Jesus
1. Abraham & Sarah
2. Isaac & Rebekah
1. Jacob & Leah
2. Judah & Tamar
3. Perez
10.Salmon & Rahab
11.Boaz & Ruth

21. How could we possibly be Royal?
• We serve a King – the King of Kings
• So are we His servants?
• But, we are also His children
• Hang on, aren’t we sinners?
• How have we been chosen & redeemed?

22. John 3:16,17 (ESV)
For God so Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life. 17 For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn
the world, but in order that the world
might be saved through him…”

23. We = Royalty? – A Biblical Perspective
• Kingdom?
• Privilege & Power?
• Riches?
• Subjects?
• Servants?
• Reverence?
• Inherited by birth?
• Heirs?
1 Peter 3:22
1 Peter 2:9; Acts 2
1 Peter 1:3,4,7; 5:4
1 Peter 1:22; 2:10, 13
1 Peter 1:12; 2:5
1 Peter 1:17
1 Peter 1:18,19; John 3:16
Romans 8:12

24. How could we possibly be Royal?
• We serve a King – the King of Kings
• So are we His servants?
• But, we are also His children
• Hang on, aren’t we sinners?
• How have we been redeemed?
• What are our royal responsibilities?

25. What is the currency of His
Kingdom?

27. Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV)
The Great Commandment
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in
the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the
great and first commandment. 39 And a second is
like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the
Law and the Prophets.”

29. 1 Corinthians 7:17-23 (ESV)
Live as You are Called
“17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord
has assigned to him, and to which God has called
him…
22 …For he who was called in the Lord as a
bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise
he who was free when called is a bondservant of
Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not
become bondservants of men. ”

30. Matthew 25:29 (ESV)
The Parable of the Talents
…29 For to everyone who has will more be given,
and he will have an abundance. But from the one
who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer
darkness. In that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’...

31. An Invitation

32. Mark 10: 17-27 (ESV)
The Rich Young Man
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man
ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me
good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You
know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not
commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false
witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and
mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these
I have kept from my youth.”

33. Mark 10: 21-24 (ESV)
The Rich Young Man
21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said
to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you
have and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away
sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his
disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who
have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And
the disciples were amazed at his words…

34. Mark 10: 24-27 (ESV)
The Rich Young Man (or Woman)
…But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how
difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom
of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished,
and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is
impossible, but not with God. For all things are
possible with God.”

35. “The two most important
days in your life is
the day you are born,
and the day you find out
why”
Samuel Langhorne Clemens
(Mark Twain)

36. A Personal, Committed
Relationship with our
God and Father

37. Personal, committed relationships
with all He has created
guiding us in
what He has created us to do.

38. In Christ we find our true Identity
Royal, Servants, Priests