Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:00:07 But you were 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 marvelous light verse, Peter chapter two. Hey, Brian Phillips here today with you. It's an honor to be on this podcast. We love the podcast. We love how it's launched and it's taken off. Thank you for being part of it. I've got a favor to ask you before we get into the content today, could you subscribe to the podcast? If you haven't already, that would really help us out. Click the share button, share it with a friend, get some other people involved, go to our website, grey sops.net. Check out this brand. This culture read over the five-star charge. We have a lot of new things coming in 2021. We're excited about what we're doing, what we're developing.
Speaker 1 00:01:00 One of those things is a consistent email content. So when you go to our website, there'll be a pop-up. And it'll ask you to sign up on the email. Please do that. It'd be a great way. Another Avenue for you to connect with us. We'd be excited to have your email. We'd be excited to empower you to live upright. Now, this podcast, what we're doing here is we're learning biblical masculinity. So we're aiming this to men, but all are welcome in our heart is that it would result in effective leadership that we would lead well so that we could impact the spheres of influence that we're called to impact. So it's really good to be here with you today. I'm excited about what I'm about to lay out. I want to kind of open up and just, this has been passionate subject in my heart.
Speaker 1 00:01:47 The book of Malakai I've been studying the book of Malakai a few weeks ago, I did a podcast on Malakai chapter one. Oh, that there will be one among you who would shut the door, check it out. If you've got time, maybe you've already listened to it, but I'm actually going to continue this, this letter written by the minor prophet. And I I've said this before. There's nothing minor about his message Malakai or the Italian prophet. Malachi is a nice little joke that we throw out there. Oh, he has a message that he brought to the priesthood of his day. Now it's very clear. I want to kind of help us understand something very, very powerful. Every believer in Christ is actually a priest of the Lord from the very beginning, when God took Israel out of Egypt, the Exodus, and he, he struck a covenant with them at Mount Sinai.
Speaker 0 00:02:48 He wanted
Speaker 1 00:02:49 The entire nation of Israel to actually be a kingdom and priest to him. Well, they didn't all sign up for it. Some of them were afraid. All the 12 tribes didn't really sign up. But the tribe of Levi said, yes, the Levitical priesthood was, uh, inaugurated. It was, it began. So God was pleased with the Levites and I'm kind of skipping over a lot of stuff like about 13 chapters of the book of Exodus here, but God wanted all of Israel. So I find in the old Testament, I find that this is an invitation to his people. Now the scripture I opened up with first, Peter two says that we are a Royal priesthood. It's not inviting us in anymore. There's no longer an invitation. It's actually declared identity. Our father is declaring over you today that you are a priest before him. If you're a believer, I mean, what a better word to use, right?
Speaker 1 00:03:53 I don't want to just call myself a Christian. I actually don't call myself a Christian. I don't use that term a whole lot. I don't like that term as a noun. I like it better as a verb. It's about action. So people who don't know God don't call me a Christian. I'm not going to call myself one. If my deeds aren't proving God to them, you know, like, like it says, here, we're a Royal priesthood for his, uh, for his own possession of people for his own possession that we could proclaim the excellencies. So if my lifestyle isn't proclaiming the excellencies to where lost people can go, Hey, that's a man of God or that's a man who's living upright. He must know God or know Christ or something. Or maybe he's a Christian.
Speaker 1 00:04:32 There's a lot of work to do. Christianity. Christian has never meant to be a noun. It's a, it's a, it's an active way of living. So there's a lot of work to do in our 21st century culture. I mean, there's, there's some interesting days, right? Where our mask shut downs, uh, black lives matters. We've got all kinds of pressures facing our world. The churches are shut down. A lot of churches are shut down. I mean, these are days that we never thought we would face in this country. Like there's, these are days of disruption. COVID-19 divided more divided politically in our country, maybe than ever. There's high tensions in our world right now, what the heck is going on. But I believe the solution to the world is actually the people of God. But I believe that prosperity at large has lulled the people of God to sleep.
Speaker 1 00:05:38 God is a good father. And he's using these circumstances not to scare us, not to crush us down, but to awaken us, awaken us to our first love awakeness, back to intimacy with him, abiding in him, awakened in us. And so that the zeal of God, I like to look at the of God like lava, that his lava, his heat is his zeal would actually infuse me. And it would actually drive me to the things that he cares about. Drive me to be part of the great commission. So the book of Malakai is actually a message to the priesthood of the days of Malakai. God had a message to the priest and it wasn't a good message. Had a lot of hope in, it had a lot of, if you, if you would do these things, if you would take it to heart, then, then it's going to be a different outcome.
Speaker 1 00:06:31 But if you don't listen to me now, these are days of prosperity and prosperity. Can boy, we all want it, right. We want to be blessed. We want the promises of God, but do we want to walk in the responsibilities of a priesthood? I mean, that's really what it is. There's there's duties in. There are responsibilities that we must walk in. So God was addressing the priest of the day. But I look at this as a message that just goes straight into the 21st century culture into the, every believer priesthood of God's kingdom. So there it is. There's a good little foundational. I laid down a good foundation. So I'm just going to work right through this. So chapter one, there's some key things. God is declaring that my name is going to be great. My name is great, but the priests are polluting my ways and therefore they're dishonoring my name. They're polluting actually my name. So God's addressing them and he's asking them questions. Where's my honor, if I'm your father, where is my honor, if I'm a master, where is my fear? And it's not a fear of like, you're like bogeyman scared kind of fear. It's a F where's my reverence. Where's the awe in your life. Does your heart tremble at all? When you think about me or you do this, does yawn and go through the motions.
Speaker 1 00:08:08 They were bringing sacrifices that were lame and sick to God's altar, and God was dealing with them. And he said, you, you do that to me. He said, go do that to your governor. Go bring him a lame sacrifice and see if he honors you. You wouldn't dare bring that to a governor. So why are you doing that to me? And then the big problem is the priest. That's actually allowing it to happen. Check out Malakai two verse 17, you have wearied the Lord with your words, but you say, how have we wearied him by saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord. And he delights in them. So God's addressing the priest, the priesthood. And he says, or by asking, where is the God of justice?
Speaker 2 00:09:02 So there were four
Speaker 1 00:09:03 Things going on in the days of Malakai that he's addressing. This is the evil that they, the priest were allowing. And so Malakai, the prophet is asking the nation to repent. He's actually asking the priesthood to repent. I mean, in that wild God, if the priest would repent and do it the way God designed it, that was an answer and a solution to that day. And I believe it's the same in this hour. If the priesthood, which is every believer in Christ, not just church leadership, but if every believer would take to heart the message of Malakai, we would realize we're not to do away with a systems guy created we're we're to get our hearts right, and stop polluting the systems that God created. And if we would get right with the Lord through repentance, and we would bring them the honor and the fear through our lifestyles, it would be an answer and solution to a world greatly in need.
Speaker 1 00:10:00 And may I remind you, God only has an a plan. He doesn't have a B plan. So we get in tune with God. And the scripture says that we would hasten the day. So men think about your life. Think about your heart. Think about your walk with God. As I go through this, this time with you on this podcast, this devotion think about your own life. And it's this, this, this is not designed to pulverize you and smash it down the ground and make you hopeless. That's not our father. Our father in heaven loves you. And he cares enough for all that. He loves to discipline us. And so I think these because these are days of awakening and because God wants to do powerful things in the earth, he wants to have us walking accordingly.
Speaker 1 00:10:52 So here's the four things worship had become routine. Divorce was widespread. Social justice was being ignored and tithing was being neglected. And they were even asking God. So they were polluting the altar by bringing lame sacrifices, like imagine the father to the son, Hey son, go over and get that sick lamb. We're going to go sacrifice that to the Lord. But if they were going to the governor's house, they would have brought the best that's whacked, but who was allowing it to happen was the priest of the Lord. And the priest was saying, you know, everyone who does evil as good in the sight of God, you're all good. It's all fine. And, and you know what? He even delights in you. So they were being deceived kind of in a lot of ways by the priesthood.
Speaker 1 00:11:39 And then they, they had this thing of like, where's the God of justice. So they're polluting the alter, but there are still wanting the promises of God to happen. And when it didn't happen, they doubted his justice instead of their own of his ways. Ah, so I'm going to rip through Malakai to just a few verses. You're starting verse two and now, Oh, priest, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart behold. I will rebuke your offering and spread dung on your faces, the dong of your offsprings, and you shall be taken away with it. Social. You know that I have sent this command to you. Now I'm going to stop right there for a moment.
Speaker 1 00:12:52 The Lord is opening an awesome door. If you will not take, if you will take this to heart, he wants his people. He wants his priesthood to take it to heart. So men today, as you hear this podcast, these are awesome. Days of opportunity. Will you take it to heart to give honor to his name? Will we listen to his command? Yeah, you can say all. That's the old Testament in this all the way back before the days of Christ. And I agree with you, but man, there's such a powerful, prophetic message. That's alive for us to take heed in because those four areas on a sound lot, like the American church don't they worship is becoming routine. There's churches. Now willing to just shut down, just do online church. That's not church. I'm sorry. That's not church. That's an online resource, but that's not the gathering of the saints.
Speaker 1 00:13:59 Divorce had become widespread just like in our day. It's a problem. Social justice was being ignored. Well on our day, we, we have whole sections of Christianity that do social justice and they ignore the gospel. Tithing was being neglected. Wow. Wow. We quickly assuming we quickly get to these stances and positions, but I want the message of Malakai to awaken that every believer priesthood in Christ right now in this hour, and maybe we would be hungry to listen. Maybe we'd be hungry to take it to heart. Maybe we would be hungry for awakening. It's crazy how we can get into deception assumption.
Speaker 1 00:15:09 And he goes on, Oh God is so in chapter one, God brings this powerful statement. He's like, Oh, that there'd be one among you who had shut the doors and not destroy the system, but that you would shut the doors and take it to heart and do what, uh, what needs to be done on my altar. Don't let people bring lamb, lame sick, blind sacrifices. That's dishonoring to me. So as we get into chapter two, God says, I'll spread dung on your face as the dung of your offerings. That's intense. It's kind of gross. See the priest was supposed to take the dung from the offering at the sacrifice at the altar. They were supposed to take that and the carcass and their sister remove it. And they were supposed to take it outside the camp and burn it. But they weren't doing that. And God says, because you didn't take that away.
Speaker 1 00:16:06 That's the way I designed it. And you don't want to honor me. You don't want to do it my way. You want to do it man's way. So, because you've done that to the priesthood, the ones who really let me down, I'm going to take the dong from that offering. And I'm going to wipe it on your face and I'm going to take you away with it. I mean, it's a pretty bold warning. Verse five. So God gets into this. My covenant with Levi may stand. He says, so you shall know that I have sent this command, you that my covenant would Levi may stand. So Levi's representing the Levitical priesthood. So God, in the days of Malika, he's reminding them of the days of, of Levi. And he says, this is my covenant with him was one of life and peace. And I gave them to him. Now he's talking about all the Levitical priests, the whole tribe.
Speaker 1 00:17:00 It was a covenant of fear and he feared me. So, so he's saying, Hey, the Levitical priesthood had the fear of the Lord. Now they didn't always get it right and perfect. But he's talking about this covenant he had with them. He was like, it was working. There is life and peace. And I gave them life in peace. It was a covenant of fear and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. So not into the all believer priesthood that I'm referencing here out of first Peter two, that we're all in Christ. It's an identity piece. It's declared identity from our father. You're a chosen race, a Royal priesthood. And you're a Holy nation, a people for his own possession that we would proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. So verse six goes into some powerful. It's still unfolding. This Levitical priesthood, true instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips. Men is true. Instructions found in your mouth.
Speaker 1 00:18:17 Now, Hey, I bring this to you. As one who is learning and growing. And again, this is actually a message of hope. Cause I I'm pay attention more. I don't look at as much as the dung on your face. I look at it as like, take it to heart. Oh God. Today I want to take it to heart. What it means to honor your name and Revere you. I mean, God, I want true instruction to be found in my mouth says he walked with me in peace and uprightness and he turned many from iniquity. I think that's an interesting way to say it. He didn't say turn many away from sin. So sin is like one thing iniquity is actually like at that subconscious level, it's like, it's a deeper layer of darkness that can be found in us. And he's like, Levi, this priesthood actually did it my way. And they turn people from the subconscious iniquity that was found inside of them.
Speaker 1 00:19:17 It says for the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and people should seek instruction from his mouth. So think about that today. Men are lips as the all believer priesthood in Christ, a Royal priesthood, our lips should guard knowledge and people. We should be finding this active in our lives that people should seek instruction from your mouth, your mouth. Like we like to look at it like, well my church leader or church leadership now church leadership is, is got all kinds of problems. But church leadership is really there to equip you to be a good Royal priest to actually do the work of the ministry. And we've got a lot of work to do there as church leaders, because I think we live in a day and age where church at large has kind of really watered down the gospel.
Speaker 1 00:20:25 We've allowed the wrong things to be happening for so long. And we're like those priests, um, Oh, the Lord loves you. The Lord is good. The Lord is good with you. Everyone who does evils good in the sight of the Lord. And he delights in you, right? Like there's, there's such a, in that pollutes, the waters. We want her down the standards of the gospel. I mean, I kinda got this thing that I do, right. Like in my head is like that whole like cue the music, right? Like <inaudible> and you know, those little, like those little monkeys that like clap like that, I'll look at like, there's a lot of that in the church culture today, cue the music, ramp up the entertainment. It's all about driving growth. Both. It's all about bigger, badder, better. Let's just be an inch deep and a mile wide who cares about the standards of the gospel? You know, Dietrich bone offer says Chris Christ, Christ bids, a man come and die. Well, that, that message is too hard for people. So let's put our floaties on and let's get into the shallow waters and let's just get them. Let, let, let them get their toes wet and their ankles wet. And let me kind of ease into this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But I don't know. I just don't find that scripturally.
Speaker 1 00:21:42 You're all in. You may not understand every little thing about God. I mean, who does right? If you meet that person run, but the heart levels like, so, okay. Just think about this. When God gave us Christ, did he give us lame blind or sick sacrifice? Now it gave us his best. See everything God's asking us to do. He's already done it first. He's already modeled it to us first. There we go. Get all that off my chest here. So here we go. As we kind of wrapped us up, the lips of a priest should guard knowledge. People should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts and God goes on, but you've turned aside from the way you've caused many to stumble by your instruction. You've corrupted. The covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts. And so I make you despise in a based before all the people in as much as you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your instruction. And that is so key. That is so key.
Speaker 1 00:22:51 Let's pray together, father, even this last verse, it says in as much as you do not keep my ways, father, we desire in this Royal priesthood, this every believer, a priest, one who would carry your presence. One would who, who would have access to the throne. Lord, we, we want there. We want our lips to guard knowledge today. We want our hearts to walk in a sensitive manner father right now, anywhere in our lives, where we're polluting your ways, where we're dishonoring your name and our lifestyle. We know you're a good father. And we're just asking you for strength today. God forgive us where we've sinned against you. Forgive us in these categories of our lives, where we were stumbled or we've lost battles to the flesh. May your grace train us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions today, father, and to live self-controlled upright and godly lifestyles. So father, I take hope out of this message. May we today on this podcast, those who are listening, may we embrace the beauty and the wonder of being a priesthood unto you, of being a Royal priesthood, you call us Royal. It's not like the priesthood was like some kind of sub-level or some substandard. Jesus is the great high priest. He's a King and a priest and God still desires for us to be a kingdom and priest unto him.
Speaker 1 00:24:39 So when we claim Christ, but we don't walk in a priestly manner like Levi, we pollute the waters. So today may you be encouraged today may be strengthened in your faith today. May you take the responsibilities that God is calling to calling you to as a priest of the Lord, may you take them seriously? Take them to heart. And may maybe we approach the Lord in a new way. Father awakened me. Use me to advance your kingdom today. That's not the job of a church leadership. Good church leadership is equipping you to do the work, equipping you to be a good priest of the Lord.
Speaker 1 00:25:30 All this has been a good podcast. I'm going to bring in at least two more, maybe three more, uh, devotions here in the future on the book of Malakai. I hope this has blessed you today. All of this has stirred your heart today and I hope it's actually infused hope in you today. So let's go, come on. Let's go into the sphere of influence that we're called to and let's live upright. Let's be priest, a Royal priesthood on to God. I love you. We love you from the podcast, from the gray subs culture. We are so for you until next time live upright. <inaudible>.
