“Kings and Priests” by Dave Bessey

www.reach413.com

Subtitle; “Holy Vs. Common or Unholy”

Message in a nutshell: We build the Ekklesia as Priests while we Advance the Kingdom as kings.

We may be familiar with this verse - 1 Peter 2:9:

“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 marvelous light.”

1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

Maybe you have never been told that you are a royal priest and a kingly warrior all in one and understood it. Maybe because you’re hearing and reading this right now for first time, that we are kings and priests as sons of God it will radically change your life. It should transform you. Now!

But what does it mean to be a royal priesthood or kings and priests? Some get a “image” of throngs of robbed featureless mindless priests marching in lock-step to a tyrannical god. Everything becomes uniform and clothed in religious dogma. There is No uniqueness, There is no unique character or personality as we do what we are told to do or we are removed, as in shunned. This image of priesthood could be seen in the Pharisees and Saducees of Jerusalem’s Sanhedrin at the beginning of the 1st Century. Even the apostle Paul was one of them until he was radically woke up. This is the real awakening. We can get sense of the feeling of false worldly Kingdom which does NOT even come close to the Kingdom of Christ or Heaven. As Heaven in so in the to earth, through us we bring Kingdom impact. We see a violent shift. We see unity not uniformity. We Are corporately united as one not just cookie cutter or carbon copy clones.

What 1 Peters 2:9 is telling us is that as a believer in Jesus Christ, you are now a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and God’s own possession for a purpose. That purpose is to build and advance.

However, this verse doesn’t exactly shed more light into what it means to be a “royal priesthood”.

Honestly, I’ll be the first to admit that to have a full understanding of what it means would take quite a bit of background in Bible language study and revelation. For 30 or more years I did not know what this meant. Not until I heard my calling in 2005 did the Lord expose the deepest meaning of this and it scared me. I was rebuked, shaken and consumned all at once, ouch! I had to repent. But this message is more than a funeral discussion of my old outdated interpretations of scripture and us being levitical priests or even a general amessage on the royal priesthood under the Melchizedek order , it is about identity in Christ as a corporate son who are warrior kings and priests too.

We are to put on the spiritual armor and come together as an army of warriors to advance the Kingdom through the gospel of the kingdom, but also priests who minister to Yahweh and to each other. We train up, equip (weapons) and release.

For the better part of one year I took a walk with the Lord in the cool of the morning through the book of Ezekiel there I met the Lord and He talked to me about His Kingdom. He always reminded me it is about Him as King and NOT just the things of the Kingdom. THE LAST PART of Ezekiel Chapters 40-48, Jesus showed me something that gave a me a clear vision of how His Kingdom functions. Everything is precise. Hd measures with perfection. He executes His plan on time on target.

Let us just read part of the vision Ezekiel as he received it as a priest and prophet:

“And He (Yahweh) completed the measurements of the inner temple, and He brought me to the walkway of the gate that faces toward the east and He measured it all the way around. He measured the east side with the reed for measuring, five hundred cubits, with respect to reeds with the reed for measurement, He measured it all around. He measured the north side as five hundred cubits, with respect to reeds with the reed for measurement all around. Then He measured the south side as five hundred cubits, with respect to reeds with the reed for measurement. He went around the west side and he measured five hundred cubits, with respect to reeds with the reed for measurement. Toward the four sides He measured it; there was a wall for it all the way around. Its length was five hundred cubits and its width was five hundred cubits, in order to make a separation between what is holy and what is common.”Ezekiel‬ ‭42‬:‭15‬-‭20‬ ‭LEB‬‬

We must wake up to the truth that we have been wrong. Our understanding of ministry was set by men who had an agenda to create for themselves a kingdom of their own. They used the levitical order of priesthood as their model. This places us back into the law and our own failed righteousness. Their pattern was about religious control only in their hands and not freedom in Christ. They were and are threatened by equality in the body. They are insecure men who want to maintain commonality rather than true holiness through the righteousness of our King and that only can come through Christ our King and His blood shed once and for all. These religious leaders want us to stay inside those four walls and keep it all common or natural, worldly and powerless, not supernatural, holy and full of His power.

Those walls were not built apostolically and prophetically to keep the enemy out, but they were built to maintain holiness through righteousness and to differentiate our priestly function in the order of Melchizedek and our kingly function under the King of kings, (the Prince of Peace and the Lion of Judah). He Is High priest and King (Honor glory to Him forever), and His reign has no end. Our righteouness to walk Holy comes from Christ and not our works. We carry a scepter as kings under His anointing as mature Sons. We battle as kings and minister as priests to our King and each other before we can raise a royal scepter in battle outside the walls. Remember the measurement for this temple are precise. No room for error in building and advancing. We build his temple (His people) and advance His kingdom (gospel of the Kingdom) by Christ’s plans and His orders. For we build up a people not just a concrete structure, but a consecrated one to advance the perfect kingdom of Christ…We do this corporately as we put on the full armor of God (Christ) and stand firm:

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. Pray for me, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭20‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬

“Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, you aren’t ready even now, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly, and don’t you walk in the ways of men? For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you fleshly? Who then is Apollos, and who is Paul, but servants through whom you believed, and each as the Lord gave to him? I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire. Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, which you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.” Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”1 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭23‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬

We are not idolators. We worship God alone not our apostles or pastors. We need to repent on how we equip and train formerly called discipling new believers. To Train. We need to demonstrate more OJT on how to minister like Christ did with His disciples. How do we teach deliverance, evangelism, healing, raising the dead and many more things in a classroom or on a Zoom? We can teach, but ultimately it must be demonstrated in the real. Like a reality show, but with the added after action to perfect or mature. This is called raising up sons not neglecting them. We hone to precision just like that temple in Ezekiel 40-48. The temple being the Church, perfected in Christ built up to advance the Kingdom and occupy.

My favorite set verses of how to train kingd was David with his warriors in the caves of Adullam;

“David therefore departed from there and escaped to Adullam’s cave. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. Everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them. There were with him about four hundred men. David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out to you, until I know what God will do for me.” He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. The prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah.” Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.”1 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬

We must have the mindset of a warrior with heart of a priest.

David demonstrates this well in his prayer:

“I love you, Yahweh, my strength. Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. Yahweh also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts. Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me. I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down. For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed. I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. They cried, but there was no one to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭43‬ ‭WEBUS‬‬