Rabbi Schneider - Your Job as a Christian
When you know that the reason that you believe is because God gave you a gift to believe, when you know you believe because He gave you revelation that the rest of the world doesn't have, those that don't believe in Him, when you know that, listen, you'll know who you are and you'll know why you're here on earth. You'll know that your purpose in life is single-fold. When you know you're chosen, that you're elect, then you'll understand who you are. You'll know you're a priest on the earth. We're a kingdom of priests, the Lord says. What do priests do? If I'm a priest, what does that mean? Well, we learn what a priest does through the Hebrew Scriptures... What do priests do? Three things.
Number one, the priests were chosen to draw nearer to the divine presence. The priests were chosen, beloved ones, to come near to God. They came to the Tabernacle where the Lord's presence dwell. So the first thing that you're chosen for is to know God. Why did the Father bring you to Jesus? That you would know Him. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, to know the Father, and Jesus Christ whom thou have sent. You've been brought to Jesus, number one, that you would know God. That's what eternal life is-to draw near.
Number two, the priesthood in the Hebrew Scriptures, they offered up sacrifices. They served in the Tabernacle by offering up sacrifices. So what does that mean for you and me? We're chosen to know God, to draw near to Him. Secondly, we're chosen, beloved ones, to offer up ourselves to Him. Our gifts, our talents, our hearts, our minds, our bodies, our dreams. We're called to offer ourselves up to Him as a living sacrifice.
So we need to stop looking to the world for our identity. We need to stop running after the world to try to find purpose and meaning. We need to stop looking to the world to find out what they think and then compromising or being conformed to the world. And instead what we need to realize is that we've been called, listen, to offer ourselves up to our maker as a living sacrifice, that we're alive to Him alone. Paul said he had been crucified to the world and the world was crucified to Him. Paul was separate from the world. He was a living sacrifice to the Lord. Paul's will then encourage us, therefore offer yourself up as a living sacrifice. So you're a priest chosen to draw near to know God.
Number two, chosen to offer yourself up to God as a living sacrifice and as a spokesman for Him on the planet. And then the third thing that the priests did in the Hebrew Bible, listen, they blessed the people. The priests were chosen to draw near, to offer up sacrifices, and to bless the people. You're in the earth, beloved ones, to be a blessing, to bring God's goodness into the earth.