My True Purpose is Priesthood

1 Kings 18 NLT

³⁰ Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.

Welcome to our official first day of consecration. I want to remind you that we were created for God's purpose. Everything we do should be submitted to His will, in His direction, and ultimately accomplishing His goals. Again, I am not saying we have to be like nuns and monks who do nothing outside of the physical temple. I am saying that we should do everything as His temple, with the ultimate goal of pleasing the homeowner. My secular activities must assist my divine purpose to glorify God and advance His kingdom.

The conundrum we are in is the difficult crucible of throwing super on seemingly natural things. How do I spiritualize what the average person carnalizes? Can I really glorify God with a secular degree? Can I praise God with secular goals? The truth is, you can. However, it is only done through the priesthood.

God did not just create us to be fivefold gifts (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers). Instead, He created us to be priests. If you are interested in learning more, enjoy this free short excerpt from one of my books Altars: Re-Establishing Your Priesthood. A priest is a person in the text who served God in the temple and through the altar. Their only job was to present sacrifices or WORSHIP before God to satisfy Him.

What interests me the most is that the job of the priest was not merely weekly, despite some of us only worshipping weekly (and inconsistently at that). The fire on the altar was expected to burn daily. That means there was daily sacrifice happening, so God was always being worshipped. For this reason, the priesthood in the Old Testament was a full-time job. They did not even work. They ate the worship for their sustenance. Jesus! Read that again. THEY ATE THE WORSHIP FOR THEIR SUSTENANCE. THEIR ALTAR WAS NOT WHERE THEY ASKED FOR PROVISION, BUT THEIR SACRIFICE BECAME THE THING THAT SUFFICED! Maybe you do not have enough because you don't send enough worship up! I am not telling you to quit your job. I am telling you about the power of building an altar. Those at the altar will never lack because I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread. God's entire intent for us was to constantly be people of the altar. By the simplest definition, he wants us constantly connected to him through continual worship.

The first time you see men offering a sacrifice to the Lord is Genesis 3 through the story of Cain and Abel. Immediately after the fall of man, you see the system of priesthood being used for God to reconnect to man. Last night, we spoke about God destroying the whole Earth, but preserving Noah for a brand new Earth. When God was providing instruction for the brand new Earth, he told Noah,

GENESIS 7:2 Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others."

It was not enough to have enough to eat to survive. Noah also needed enough to sacrifice. Do you prepare your worship as much as you prepare your lunch? Do you daydream about praise as much as you daydream about your next meal, because both are necessary for survival! From here on out, you see a pattern of the altar.

While we will look at other examples later, I want to make this abundantly clear. Just because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our sin does not mean you no longer need an altar of worship! Worship is not about what it can do for us, but it should really be about pleasing Him. The New Testament tells us:

 ROMANS 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.^[b

Christ's cross did not disqualify the altar. Instead, it changed what we put on it and eliminated a reason for it. I don't kill lambs and goats to wash away my sins. I crucify my flesh to glorify God and satisfy Him (by fulfilling His purpose, which requires my flesh to die). Today, reflect on these questions and pray on these points. While we may not be on Zoom tonight, feel free to use the comment section of this post to share your thoughts/questions, and Pastor Isidore will be available to answer:

Reflection Questions

1. What area of my life have I treated as “secular” that I need to intentionally submit to God’s purpose?

2. What has been torn down or neglected on my altar that I need to repair during this consecration? What have I depended on more than my altar to sustain me?

3. Do I prepare my praise and worship as intentionally as I prepare for my natural needs? What am I willing to sacrifice so my life becomes worship that pleases God?

Prayer Points

1. Father, help me repair my altar and restore me to my priesthood. Restore consistency in my prayer, worship, devotion, sacrifice, and communion with You.

2. Lord, align my entire life with Your purpose. Let my education, career, relationships, goals, and resources become instruments for Your glory.

3. Father, teach me how to depend on my altar for provision again. Teach me to trust that as I prioritize Your presence, worship, and Kingdom, You will faithfully take care of my needs.