I BELIEVE IN THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVERS

I Believe: The Priesthood of the Believer
Hebrews 10:19–22
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
And having an high priest over the house of God;
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Over the last several weeks, we have been preaching through our series, “I Believe.” We have been talking about what we believe and, more importantly, what we should believe based upon the Word of God.
Every church has core beliefs. Every business has core beliefs. You can go to Chick-fil-A and ask the majority of their employees about their core values, and they have been trained to know, “This is what we do. This is how we act. And we always say, ‘My pleasure.’”
The church is the same way.
We have a statement of faith. We have doctrinal truths that we adhere to. Some things in our church were put into place many years ago because they help us operate efficiently and orderly. But there are other things that are grounded directly in the Word of God.
Those things are not up for discussion when it comes to whether we still believe them.
They ought to be discussed. We ought to study them. We ought to understand them. But if they are in the Word of God, then we stay with them.
Over the last several weeks, we have talked about the Scriptures. What does the Bible say? Do we believe the Bible? Is it our faith in practice? Is it what we use to gauge the things of life?
We have talked about God—who He is and what He can do in our lives.
We have talked about Jesus Christ—who He is, His place in the Trinity, and everything He accomplished through His sacrifice on the cross.
And in every area of our lives, the fundamentals make a difference.
There is not a baseball team having success that has abandoned the fundamentals. Coaches still teach boys to get their elbow up and keep their eye on the ball. Moms and dads still fuss from the stands when the referee misses a call!
The fundamentals matter.
And in the church, fundamentals matter. They help us start right and stay right. They are the basis, the framework, and the footings.
But it is important that we understand the difference between preference and doctrine.
Some people like pews. Some like chairs. Some like guitar music. Some like piano music. Some like the lights up, and some like them down. Some like Vacation Bible School, and some don't!
There is room for preference.
But the Bible gives us sound doctrine. We often refer to it as the Apostles' doctrine—the truth that Christ gave to those men and that they carried with them as they went out and established churches.
And I pray today that you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that you know Christ.
That is the most important thing you can know.
If you don't know Christ, settle that today. Then begin to learn the other things God has given us.
But if you do know Christ, you are in a wonderful position. You have a relationship with God the Father. You have a relationship with God the Son. And you have the Holy Spirit living within you, helping you understand and rightly divide the Word of God.
Sometimes, however, I think we get close to the church without getting close to God.
We get close to people in the church. We get close to a teacher. We get close to an organization.
But today I want to ask you a question:
How close can we really get to God?
Not just as a matter of distance, but as a doctrine of the church.
How close can we get to God?
Today I want to preach on an unusual subject, but an important one:
The Priesthood of the Believer
I believe, continuing our series, in the priesthood of the believer.

1. There Was a Veil That Kept Us Out
Hebrews 10:19 reminds us that we now have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”
But there was a time when we did not have that access.
There was a veil that kept us out.
In the tabernacle, and later in the temple, God commanded that a curtain or veil hang between the holy place and the Holy of Holies.
Behind that veil was the Ark of the Covenant. It represented the presence of God.
This was not a little decorative curtain.
This was a massive veil. In Solomon's Temple, it could have been around sixty feet tall and several inches thick.
And it was not there for decoration.
It was a barrier.
Exodus 26:33 says:
“And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.”
Nobody could simply walk through that veil.
Leviticus 16:2 says:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”
You didn't just walk into the presence of God whenever you wanted.
You couldn't peek around the curtain.
You couldn't sneak in.
You couldn't go in and have your own private prayer.
Hebrews 9:7 says:
“But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people.”
Think about that.
One man.
Not all the deacons. Not all the Sunday school classes. Not everybody in the congregation.
One man—the high priest.
And he could go in once a year.
Not every day. Not every week.
Once a year.
And he could not come empty-handed. There had to be blood. There had to be a sacrifice.
So imagine carrying a burden in that day.
You have a wayward child.
You have a broken marriage.
You are sick.
You have a great need.
You cannot simply go into the presence of God yourself.
You have to wait.
There was a veil.
The veil kept us out.

2. Christ Tore the Veil
Now let's look at what happened when Jesus died on the cross.
Matthew 27:50–51 says:
“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”
Jesus died.
His blood was shed.
And immediately, the veil was torn.
Not from the bottom to the top.
From the top to the bottom.
That is significant.
This was not man opening the way to God.
This was God opening the way to man.
That veil was massive. It was thick. It was heavy. It was not something an ordinary person could simply tear apart.
And when Jesus died, God Himself opened the veil.
Think about when the veil was not torn.
It was not torn at the birth of Christ.
It was not torn when Jesus performed His miracles.
It was not torn when He opened blinded eyes, healed the sick, fed thousands, or raised the dead.
But when His blood was shed and the sacrifice was complete, the veil was torn.
Why?
Because Jesus had made the sacrifice necessary for us to enter.
Hebrews 9:11–12 says:
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Not once a year.
Once for all.
The access we have today was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.
What a Savior we have!
What a God we have!
He opened the way for you and me.
The veil that once said, “Keep out,” was torn open, and God said, “Come in.”
Come and make your petitions known.
Come and talk to the Father.
Come and have a relationship with God.

3. Now There Is No Veil Between Us and God
Hebrews 4:14–16 says:
“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Notice that phrase:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
Why can we come boldly?
Because Jesus tore the veil.
And Jesus is not an untouchable high priest who does not understand what we experience.
He came to this earth.
He walked where we walk.
He hungered.
He thirsted.
He wept at the tomb of Lazarus.
He experienced temptation.
He knows what it is to hurt.
He knows what it is to suffer.
He knows what it is to be rejected.
He knows what it is to carry a burden.
So when we come to Him, we are not coming to Someone who doesn't understand.
We are coming to our High Priest who understands.
And now there is no veil.
No veil between us and God.
Think about how we understand access.
Growing up, there were places in our grandparents' houses we simply did not go.
I remember my grandmother's room. We could play in other parts of the house, but we didn't just walk into Granny's room.
There were things on Pawpaw's dresser we didn't touch.
There was a cigar box we didn't open.
There was a time when there was no access.
But if somebody had said, “You want to see what's in that box?”
I probably would have taken the opportunity!
But spiritually, there was once a time when humanity had no access to the presence of God.
The veil said, “Keep out.”
But now the veil is torn.
And God says:
Come in.
How often do we take advantage of that opportunity?
How often do we come before Him and say:
“God, I need You.”
“God, forgive me.”
“God, I'm coming on behalf of my children.”
“God, I'm coming on behalf of my grandchildren.”
“God, I'm praying for somebody else.”
How often do we take advantage of the open door God has given us?
I love it when people call me and say, “Preacher Craig, I'm having surgery. Would you pray?”
I love the opportunity to pray for people.
But can I tell you something?
You don't have to go through me to pray.
I can pray with you.
We can pray together.
But you can go directly into the throne room of heaven.
You can say, “God, it's me today.”
And you can bring your burden before Him.
We don't have to go through somebody else.
We don't have to fear death from entering His presence.
The Bible says:
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.”
You can step into the throne room of heaven and say:
“God, I'm here as one of Your children, and I've come to make my request known unto You.”
The throne room is always open.

4. We Are Part of the Priesthood
This is where we get to the heart of the doctrine.
Under the Old Testament system, the priesthood was a special position. It was often generational and connected to a particular family and calling.
But look at what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:5:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
Think about that.
A holy priesthood.
Peter was a fisherman.
Peter had denied Christ.
Peter had put his foot in his mouth more times than he could count.
And yet Peter says, “Ye also...”
You and me.
We are part of this.
Then Peter says in verse 9:
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.”
Hallelujah!
We don't have to wait on another man.
We don't have to wait on a certain date on the calendar.
We don't have to wait until we have our best sacrifice prepared.
Today I can talk to God.
Today you can go directly into the throne room of heaven.
Today you can go to our High Priest, Jesus Christ, and petition Him for what you need.
That is the priesthood of the believer.
How Close Can We Get to God?
That's the question we started with.
How close can we get to God?
Centuries ago, not very close.
There was a veil.
There was a barrier.
There was a priest.
There was a sacrifice.
There was a particular day.
But today?
You can go into His very throne room.
You can call Him Father.
You can ask Him according to His will.
I've heard people say, “When I get to heaven, I'm going to ask God...”
Why not ask Him now?
“Well, He's not really here before me.”
Oh, yes, He is.
The veil was torn.
The door is open.
And I believe He is waiting with open arms and open ears to hear from His children.
The Door Is Open to Whosoever Will
And let me say one more thing.
If you're lost today, the ground is just as level.
The door is just as open.
Nobody stands between you and God.
Not me.
Not a preacher.
Not a priest.
Not a denomination.
God tore the veil down through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The once-closed veil has been torn open.
Why not come today and begin a relationship with God?
Why not come today and say:
“God, I've never really talked to You before. But now I understand that I can come directly into Your presence.”
Maybe you've got burdens on your heart today.
Sometimes it's hard to pray.
There have been times in my own life when I needed prayer so badly that I couldn't even pray.
Have you ever been there?
You needed to pray, but the weight was so heavy that you didn't know what to say.
Can I remind you?
The throne room is open.
Come and say:
“God, I need You.”
Give God your burdens.
Give Him your needs.
Give Him your desires.
Let Him decide what He will do with them.
Psalm 23:1 says:
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Philippians 4:19 says:
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
God is interested in your heart.
God is interested in your needs.
But if we live as though the veil is still closed, we are missing the great opportunity God has given us.
If I can only talk to God on Sunday...
If I can only talk to God down at the church...
If I can only talk to God when my Sunday school class prays...
If I can only talk to God when we announce prayer requests on Wednesday night...
Then I'm missing the access Christ purchased for me.
The veil is torn.
The throne room is open.
You can go directly to God through Jesus Christ.
You Have Personal Responsibility
I remember how many churches used to have a church covenant hanging on the wall.
It would talk about how church members should live, how we should care for one another, and how we should conduct ourselves.
And somewhere in that covenant you would often find something about personal responsibility.
Can I tell you today?
You have personal responsibility before God.
You must work out your own salvation.
You must live unto God.
You must confess your sin.
Not me.
Not a priest.
You.
But not only do we have personal responsibility.
We have a personal open door.
The door isn't just open to me.
It isn't just open to some priest.
It isn't open only to Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, or anybody else.
The door is open to whosoever will.
Revelation 22:17 says:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
Isaiah 1:18 says:
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow...”
The invitation is simple:
Come.
If you're thirsty, come.
If you're hungry, come.
If you're burdened, come.
If you're lost, come.
If you're saved, come.
If you need help, come.
If you need forgiveness, come.
If you're praying for your family, come.
If you don't know what to pray, come.
Because the veil has been torn.
The way is open.
Come Boldly
So today, I want to invite our church family to come.
If you're visiting, come.
If you're carrying a major burden, come.
If you're saved, come and tell God what a great Father He is.
But don't forget to tell Him what you're going through.
Ask Him for help.
Cast your cares upon Him.
If you're lost today, come and ask Christ into your heart.
You don't have to go through somebody else.
You don't have to wait for another day.
You don't have to wait for another sacrifice.
You don't have to wait for a priest.
Jesus has already made the sacrifice.
The veil has already been torn.
The door is already open.
And Hebrews 10:22 gives us the invitation:
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...”
So draw near.
Come boldly.
Come humbly.
Come honestly.
Come with your burdens.
Come with your needs.
Come with your family.
Come with your questions.
Come with your broken heart.
Come with your praise.
Come because the way has been made.
The veil is torn.
The throne room is open.
And because of Jesus Christ, we can come boldly into the presence of God.
That is the priesthood of the believer.
And that is something I believe.