Will you please turn to the Book of Numbers? Numbers, chapter 3. We begin with Numbers 3:5-13.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him on the behalf of the children of Israel.
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall keep their priesthood: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine:
For all the first-born are Mine; on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: Mine they shall be: I am the Lord.
May we look to the Lord in prayer.
Our Heavenly Father, as we continue in Thy presence, we just pray that Thy will continue to shine upon us, that Thy Word may become very living, very real, and that it may be life and spirit to us. We just commit this time into Thy hands and trust Thy Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. In the name of our Lord Jesus, amen.
Last time, when we were together, we mentioned this matter of Aaron and his sons. In the Old Testament, Aaron and his sons represent the holy priesthood of the New Testament.
We remember that it is said in 1 Peter 2:5 that, as we come to the Lord, we all become living stones, being built up together into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
So, brothers and sisters, do remember that we who are the Lord’s, we who are redeemed of the Lord, are all priests unto God. Today, it is not like the old days under the old covenant, when only Aaron and his sons were priests. But today, through the finished work of Christ, God’s original design concerning His people is now our portion. Therefore, every redeemed child of God is a priest unto God.
But let us also remember that not only is each individual believer a priest; as a matter of fact, we are a holy priesthood. That is to say, we are individually priests, and yet we minister unto the Lord corporately as a priesthood.
Aaron is a type of Christ. Christ is our High Priest, and under His direction, we as priests minister to God together as one. As priests, we are worshippers. As priests, we are those who minister unto the Lord and unto one another.
This morning, we would like to continue with this matter of spiritual service. We find that in the Old Testament there is not only priestly service, but in connection with priestly service there is Levitical service.
These two services can be distinguished, but they cannot be separated. In other words, Aaron and his sons were priests, and yet they could not fully fulfil their function without the help and assistance of all the Levites. In the same manner, the Levites could not serve effectively if they did not serve under the direction of the priests.
So these two services are distinguishable, but they cannot be separated. Perhaps we can say that priestly function is unto the Lord, unto God; Levitical function is unto the house of God, or the people of God.
Priestly service is basically spiritual in nature. Levitical service is primarily physical in nature. But even though we find such distinctions, we also see that these two services sometimes overlap. They work together in such proximity that sometimes it is very difficult to say, “This is Levitical service,” or, “This is priestly service.” You can see how closely related they are.
As a matter of fact, even in Old Testament times, you find that sometimes the Levites, in their service unto the Lord, could rise up and enter, as it were, into parts of priestly function.
Let me give you an illustration. In 2 Chronicles 29, we find that during the days of Hezekiah there was such a revival, such a recovery.
In 2 Chronicles 29:34, only the priests were too few. There was such a revival that people came to offer sacrifices to God in such abundance. Only the priests were too few, and they could not flay all the burnt offerings. Therefore, the Levites helped them until the work was ended, and until the priests had hallowed themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to hallow themselves than the priests.
So you find that even in Old Testament times the Levites could rise up to that level of priestly function.
In the New Testament, we can find such examples too. For instance, in Acts 6, you remember how, in the early church, they separated seven to serve tables. These seven were to serve tables, which is Levitical service.
And yet you find that at least two of them entered into priestly function. For instance, Stephen. If you read Acts 7, you will recognise that Stephen had a prophetic ministry. Then later on, in Acts 8, you find Philip. No doubt Philip was an evangelist; he preached the gospel. Again, this entered into priestly function.
So this shows that even though priestly service and Levitical service can be distinguished—one spiritual, the other physical; one toward God, the other toward the house of God—yet they come together in such a fashion that you just cannot separate them.
As a matter of fact, if you read the Old Testament, you will find two different phrases. One is “the priests the Levites,” and the other is “the priests and the Levites.”
For example, in Joshua 3:3, when Israel crossed the River Jordan, they commanded the people, saying:
When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Here you find the phrase, “the priests the Levites.” Then in 1 Kings 8:4, when Solomon had finished the temple and they brought the ark and the holy things into it, we read:
And they brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
If you read the Old Testament carefully, you will find these two terms: “the priests the Levites,” and “the priests and the Levites.” On the one hand, “the priests the Levites” means that the priests were Levites. Of course, we know that the house of Aaron belonged to the tribe of Levi.
On the other hand, in other cases you find the phrase, “the priests and the Levites,” as if they were two separate groups. This shows how closely the priests and the Levites worked together. As a matter of fact, the priests needed the help of the Levites, and the Levites needed the direction of the priests. Without both, you will find that both services suffer.
As we go into this matter of Levitical service, what really are the services that the Levites do? As you look into the Old Testament, there are a few places that tell us the works of the Levites.
For instance, Numbers 1:50 says:
But appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongeth to it: they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.
Here you find that the work of the Levites was mainly connected with the service of the tabernacle. They were appointed over the tabernacle of testimony, over all the vessels, and over all things belonging to the tabernacle. They were to bear the tabernacle and all its vessels, serve it, and encamp around it.
Then in Numbers 3:7-8, we are told that they were to keep the charge of Aaron the priest, the charge of the whole assembly, and all the utensils of the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
So basically, the work of the Levites was to do the service of the tabernacle under the direction of the priests, for the whole assembly of the children of Israel.
Now, you know one thing. When God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt at the Passover, all the firstborn of the children of Israel were delivered through the blood of the lamb. That night, when the destroyer passed through the whole land of Egypt, when he saw the blood on the doorposts and the lintel, he passed over. So the firstborn were kept.
Because of this deliverance, God said that all the firstborn of Israel belonged to Him. All the firstborn of Israel belonged to the Lord because they were bought with blood.
What does it mean to belong to the Lord? In one sense, belonging to the Lord means that they were destined to serve God. So instead of having all the firstborn among the children of Israel separated for the service of God, God set apart the tribe of Levi instead of the firstborn.
Thus, the tribe of Levi actually represented the firstborn of the children of Israel. Therefore, they belonged to the Lord, and they were to serve God in His tabernacle.
Later on, when they counted the number of the Levites and the number of the firstborn, they were a few hundred short. Those who were short had to be redeemed with shekels, with a price of ransom.
So, brothers and sisters, when you apply this to us today, you will see that we are all Levites. We are the redeemed of the Lord. All the redeemed belong to God, and therefore belong to God.
I think this is very basic, but this is the foundation that we must see: none of us belongs to himself. No. All of us belong to the Lord. The firstborn in the Old Testament actually represented the whole household. So today, when you apply this to us, you find that we are the firstborn; we are the redeemed. Because of that, we all belong to the Lord. We do not belong to ourselves.
Therefore, God has called us and separated us to serve Him in His house. That is our position.
Every brother and sister is a priest. Every brother and sister is a Levite. So far as the person is concerned, we are both priest and Levite; we are the priest, the Levite.
Do not say that you are only a priest and not a Levite. No. We are the Levite, the priest, the Levite. So far as the person is concerned, the Levite and the priest are one person. That is what we are before the Lord.
But so far as the services are concerned, you find priestly service and Levitical service. For this reason, every brother and sister must function as priest and as Levite. That is to say, we have two services to fulfil, not one.
We have a spiritual service to fulfil as priests unto God, and we have a physical service to fulfil as Levites unto the house of God. There is no such thing as some people being just priests and other people being just Levites. We are both priests and Levites.
As a matter of fact, if you want to fulfil your Levitical service, you have to serve with a priestly spirit. Or, if you want to fulfil your priestly function, you have to have a Levitical heart. You just cannot separate these two things completely.
Look at the early church. If you read the Book of Acts, Acts 2 is the beginning of church history. There, in Acts 2:42, we read:
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.
On the day of Pentecost, we know that three thousand were added to the one hundred and twenty. There you find that all the believers persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Then Acts 2:43-45 says:
And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
And they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.
Here you find that these people who believed were together, had all things common, and distributed their substance to all according as anyone might have need. That is Levitical service, because Levitical service is toward the people of God.
In the early church, nobody considered anything as his own. God had delivered them from the spirit of self-possessiveness. I think that is a spirit from which it is very difficult to be delivered, and yet it is something from which we need to be delivered.
Even from childhood, we have that kind of spirit in us. When children are playing, they say, “Oh, it is mine. Mine, mine, mine.” You know, self-possessiveness.
But thank God, He had delivered these people from the spirit of self-possessiveness. They considered all things common. They were just one family. They shared everything, and according to the need of everyone, substance was given. That is Levitical service. The whole church was involved in Levitical service.
Then in Acts 2:46-47, we read:
And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they did take their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.
That is priestly service. Here you find them constantly in the temple with one accord, breaking bread at home, and praising God. That is priestly function. The whole church was involved in priestly service.
Read Acts 4, and you find the very same thing. Peter and John were taken before the council and warned. After they came back to their own company, the believers took up the burden in prayer.
Acts 4:31 says:
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Remember, the whole church was engaged in priestly function. When the apostles came back and reported what happened, it was not just the apostles, nor just a few. The whole church prayed, the place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. All the believers spoke the Word of God with boldness, not just the apostles. That is priestly function.
Then Acts 4:32 says:
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul: and not one of them said that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
In Acts 4:33-35, you find how these services intertwined:
And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
And laid them at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto each, according as any one had need.
Here you find the Levitical service and the priestly service intertwined in the early church. These services were apparent, and all the brothers and sisters were involved.
It is true that when God begins to multiply and multiply, something happens. When you come to Acts 6, you find that the twelve apostles tried to do both priestly function and Levitical service at the same time.
As the leadership of the church, they prayed, ministered the Word, and served tables at the same time. But the result was that some widows belonging to believers with Hellenistic backgrounds were being neglected.
There were many widows in those days. Those were difficult days, and the church took care of them. But in the church in Jerusalem there were Hebrew Jews, Jews born and reared in the Promised Land. Then there were Jews coming to Jerusalem from all corners of the world—Hellenistic Jews, who had lived outside Palestine.
Thus, in the early church in Jerusalem, even though they were all Jews, there were Hellenistic Jews and Hebrew Jews. The twelve apostles were all Hebrew Jews, so far as their background was concerned. Naturally, they were more familiar with the condition of the widows among the Hebrew Jews.
Not intentionally, they neglected the widows of the Hellenistic Jews; it was just human. They knew more of the conditions of the Hebrew widows and took care of them, but the conditions of the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked. Because of that, there was murmuring in the church.
Now, I wonder whether there is ever a time when there is no murmuring in the church. Well, murmuring is not too good. But even if murmuring is not good, if it can be solved, it can be beneficial.
Fortunately, the ears of the apostles were open. They heard the murmuring. What if they had not heard it? If the apostles had failed to hear the murmur and failed to take action, probably from the very beginning of church history there would have been a division. The Hellenistic Jews would have formed one church, and the Hebrew Jews would have formed another church.
But we know that the church is one. Fortunately, the apostles heard the murmur, and they took action immediately. They called the whole assembly together and said, “It is not good that we minister the Word and also serve tables.” It was impossible, because both suffered: the tables suffered, and the ministry of the Word suffered too.
So they suggested that seven men be chosen to serve tables. If you read the qualifications of these seven men, you wonder why. They had to be men of good report; of course, we understand that. They had to be full of wisdom; we understand that. But they also had to be full of the Holy Spirit.
Serving tables needs men filled with the Holy Spirit, because serving this table is different from serving any other table. This table is in the house of God. It is different.
The seven were chosen to serve the people so that the apostles could give themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. When this division of labour happened, there was blessing. The Bible says that the Word of God increased, the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a great company of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Are we contradicting ourselves? We said in the beginning that we must serve both ways. We are both priests and Levites. We have spiritual service as well as physical service. We have to serve God as well as serve the people of God. We all must be involved in both.
But here you find division of labour. The apostles gave themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word, and the seven were chosen to serve tables. Is there any contradiction? No.
What this tells us is that whether you serve tables or minister the Word, it is not a matter of personal choice. It is the result of growth.
When the church begins to grow, there comes a time when certain people have to concentrate more on one area while other people concentrate more on another area. Division of labour is needed. But that is not a matter of personal choice.
In other words, brothers and sisters, we cannot begin by saying, “Well, I choose to be a priest, and a priest only. I am spiritual. I only take care of spiritual things. I minister unto the Lord as a worshipper; I minister the Word of God; I give myself to prayer and intercessory prayer. I will have nothing to do with physical things. I do not care whether the chair is upside down.”
Now, do not be that spiritual.
Or perhaps some people would choose, from the very beginning, to say, “Well, I will just put the chairs in order, open the door, and clean the place. That is all I will do. I will do nothing of priestly function.”
You cannot do that. God’s people may be profited, but what does God have from you? You deprive God of service.
So, brothers and sisters, in the beginning we have to see that every one of us must be involved both in priestly service and in Levitical service. We have to do both.
It is only when God begins to add the numbers, and when it becomes impossible for everybody to do the same thing at the same time, that it is time for division of labour. But even with division of labour, we must remember that those who take care of the tables must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
In other words, it is not just a matter of getting work done. Physical work in the church is different from physical work that you do in an office, institution, or organisation.
In an office, institution, or organisation, as long as you finish the work and do the work, that is all that matters. But in doing work, even physical work in the church, it is different.
Yes, we have to see the work done. But how is it done? In what spirit is it done? Unto whom is it done? There is a difference.
Therefore, serving tables in the church requires people full of the Holy Spirit. It cannot be done merely by human flesh, fleshly wisdom, or fleshly energy. No. It has to be under the Holy Spirit.
Gradually there will be a division of labour, and yet it is not so exclusive that one is completely Levitical or completely priestly. Even priestly ministry is unto the Lord, but we find that it is also unto God’s people. And vice versa: even though Levitical service is unto the house of God, the people of God, it is still as unto the Lord. You still cannot divide these two things.
Let us go back and see the works of the Levites. We have seen that the Levites were mainly related to the service of the tabernacle, which is the house of God. They cared for the utensils and vessels, cleaning them, keeping them, and carrying them. These were the works of the Levites.
If you read Numbers 3 and 4, you will find that this was during the time when Israel journeyed through the wilderness. From time to time, the tent—the tabernacle—had to be taken down and set up again.
It was a large tabernacle, and the whole thing had to be taken down and set up. The Levites were divided into three families, and each family took care of certain things.
One family took care of the vessels and furniture in the tabernacle. Another family took care of all the curtains, coverings, and related items. Another family took care of the boards, bases, and other structural things. They were responsible for the service of the tabernacle. They carried the tabernacle and all the vessels in it.
Those who took care of furniture such as the altar, the golden lampstand, and other holy vessels carried them on their shoulders. But the curtains, pillars, and bases were too heavy, so God provided oxen and carts. They placed these things on the ox carts and carried them. They went forward, set up the tent, brought in the furniture, and did all these works.
If you read 1 Chronicles 15, during the days of David, you find further works of the Levites. In 1 Chronicles 15:15-16, we read:
And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the Lord.
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren the singers, with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding aloud and lifting up the voice with joy.
Here you find further works of the Levites. They were not only to care for the service of the tabernacle, with all its vessels and utensils—to carry them, keep them, clean them, and so forth—but during the days of David they were appointed as singers. They were to sing unto the Lord. They were musicians, using lutes, harps, cymbals, and other instruments to sing praises unto the Lord.
Another work was that they were doorkeepers. They kept the doors.
In 1 Chronicles 23, David gathered together the princes of Israel, with the priests and Levites. The Levites were numbered from thirty years old and upward, and their number was thirty-eight thousand.
Of these, twenty-four thousand were to preside over the work of the house of the Lord. Six thousand were officers and judges. Four thousand praised the Lord with instruments that David had made for praise.
Then in Nehemiah 8, when the people gathered together and Ezra read the Book of the Law, the Levites caused the people to understand the law. Nehemiah 8:8 says:
And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
Here you find the Levites involved in instructing the people, reading the Word to them, explaining it, and causing them to understand. The Levites did that work too.
Last time, we mentioned that it was the work of the priests to teach the people to distinguish between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the common. Yet here you find the Levites engaged in reading the Word and explaining its meaning to the people. So you find the overlap.
When you take all these things together, what were the works of the Levites? Again, we say that the work of the Levites was mainly toward the people—that is, the house of God. Yet it included all kinds of things.
They helped the people bring in sacrifices. They helped tie the sacrifice to the horns of the altar. They helped the people slaughter sacrifices. Sometimes, when the priests were not sufficient, they helped the priests flay the sacrifices.
They assisted the priests in all the sacrifices and offerings. Probably they were the people who poured water into the brazen laver. Probably they prepared the wood and fuel for the altar. They did all these things. They cleaned the place.
A great deal of cleaning had to be done in the temple, in the house. Think of it: hundreds and thousands of sacrifices. What a cleaning job that must have been.
The Levites were engaged in these works. They were doorkeepers; they stood guard. We are told that especially at night some priests stood guard in the inner temple, while the Levites were gatekeepers for the outer courts and surrounding places. They guarded the gates lest any stranger enter in.
They did all these things, they sang unto the Lord, they were musicians, and sometimes they taught the people. All these were the works of the Levites—lots of work.
How were these works to be done? Number one: all these works were done under the direction of Aaron and his sons.
In other words, Levitical service is not independent of priestly function. Even though Levitical services were physical in nature and toward the people in nature, none of these works was to be done independently of the priests. It had to be under the direction of Aaron and his sons.
You cannot just say, “I am going to do this,” or, “I am going to do that.” No. You have to be under the direction of the priests.
What does this mean to us today? I think it means this: even when we are involved in physical things in the house of God, it has to come out of our priestly function unto God. In other words, we minister to the Lord first, and then to the house.
Before you do anything, wait upon the Lord first. Looking upon the Lord is priestly function. Out of your worship comes your activity.
When you are engaged in these activities, you have to maintain the spirit of doing them as unto the Lord.
I think this is very clear in the New Testament. When Paul mentioned slaves serving their masters—an extreme example—he said, “Serve them as unto the Lord.” That is the difference.
Even when we are doing physical things, we are not merely doing these things; we are doing them as unto the Lord. It is true that the people are benefited, but it is unto the Lord, with that kind of spirit.
Whether you are singing as a musician, you are not merely entertaining the people. You sing as unto the Lord.
Or whether you are cleaning the house, you are not merely cleaning the house to make it clean. You clean the house as unto the Lord. That is to say: will the Lord be happy with what I do? Will the Lord be glorified in what I do?
You are not looking for people to praise you, but you are looking to the Lord for His acceptance. This is the way Levitical services are to be done. It is different from ordinary physical work.
You may clean your house at home, but when you clean a meeting place, there is a difference. Well, in one sense there is no difference, because even in cleaning the house you have to remember the Lord.
I cannot forget one sister—she is with the Lord now—who told me many times, “Brother, when I am washing dishes in the kitchen, I am washing them as unto the Lord.” I said, “Amen. That is right.”
When you are washing dishes, yes, do it unto the Lord. Ah, that makes a great difference. You cannot just do a very sloppy job. Do it unto the Lord. That is the reason why you must be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Another thing: as you read of Levitical work in the Old Testament, you find a change. Why? Because of the change of circumstances.
When they journeyed through the wilderness, it seemed that the heaviest job, or the greatest job, of the Levites—aside from assisting the priests in sacrifices—was carrying the tabernacle. That was a big job.
But after they entered the Promised Land and the temple was built, that carrying job was no longer there. They did not need to carry the temple; it was fixed. So that work was finished. But other jobs came up.
Again, you find that Levitical work is according to need. That is exactly what you find in Acts: according to each need. What are the works of the Levites? According to the need. If there is a need, then it has to be done. If the need no longer exists, then that work is finished.
Now, come to ourselves. We are not without work to do. Thank God, there are needs.
Perhaps I can illustrate a few. For instance, we have this place that the Lord has given to us. When we meet in a brother’s or sister’s home, the host or hostess is naturally more responsible for the cleaning, arrangement, and everything else. That is natural.
But as the Lord has given us a place like this, we find that the bigger the place, the more work needs to be done. There is responsibility there.
So, brothers and sisters, this is a call to the Levites. We have called to the priests; now we are calling the Levites. Let all the Levites arise and do the works that need to be done in the house of God for the people of God.
Number one: when you come to the meeting, the door has to be unlocked. Who will unlock the door? If the weather is fine, we can meet in the open air, but we need someone who is responsible to open the door.
It is a small thing, but it is necessary. What if we came and nobody opened the door? Do not take it for granted that the door is automatic. We take things for granted. It is not automatic; it has to be manually opened.
We need brothers or sisters who will really be before the Lord and take this up as unto the Lord: to open the doors at every meeting.
Personally, I would think how good it would be if there were no door, or if the door were always open. I think that should be. But unfortunately, we are living in such a situation that if you do not have a door, or if you leave the door open, when you come, probably you will have to sit on the floor—and maybe the floor will be gone too.
One day there will be gates that never close. That is New Jerusalem. But today we have to close the door and lock it. So we need some brothers and sisters to open it.
If you need to open the door, then you need to close it. After the meeting, do not take it for granted that we can all just go away. Somebody has to stay behind and close the doors. Who is willing to do that as unto the Lord?
Number two: as we come to the meeting, we expect all the chairs to be in order. Thank God, they are in order this morning, but these chairs do not set themselves in order. Some brothers and sisters have to set them up.
We need brothers and sisters to do this work. If you do such a work, you have to come before the other brothers and sisters arrive. Do not come after they have already arrived. You have to come early, set the chairs in order, so that when brothers and sisters come in, they have chairs to sit on. That is your service unto the people of God and as unto the Lord.
I will mention another thing: the hymnbooks. These hymnbooks need to be gathered up and put on the chairs so people can sing. That is another thing that needs to be done.
Then there is the cleaning of the place. This place needs to be cleaned. Thank God for some sisters who have been doing that quite regularly, but I wonder whether they need some help.
If you look outside, there is a great deal of work to do. It will not honour the Lord if all the grass is two feet long. The lawn needs to be mowed. Who does it? Unfortunately, I heard that in the past only one or two brothers were doing it. There is lots of work to be done.
There is the maintenance of the house.
There is the preparing of the table. Some people have to prepare the loaf and the cup. They do not just drop down from heaven.
If there is baptism, it has to be prepared. If there is a fellowship time, a family time, when we come together to eat, we need people—sisters especially—who will really help to coordinate, serve, and help with all these things.
We also need people who can visit. Some brothers and sisters are sick and need to be visited. All needs need to be found. Some families may need babysitters from time to time, or physical help in some way.
Then there is the matter of hospitality. When brothers and sisters are passing through, they may need a place to stay. Of course, they can stay in a hotel or motel; that is true. But if they can have a place where they can stay without all the worldly atmosphere, and instead have a Christian family atmosphere and more fellowship, we need brothers and sisters who will open their homes for hospitality.
There are many other things. I have only mentioned a few. There are lots of things that need to be done. But remember: all these are Levitical services, and we are Levites.
I believe the Lord expects us to rise up and do all these things unto the house of God, but as unto the Lord, and always with a priestly spirit—with a spirit of mercy, as unto the Lord.
Brothers and sisters, unless every member of the body of Christ begins to function as priests and Levites, we do not see the house of God being built.
Remember: in the house of God, there is no stranger and no visitor. Every child of God is a member of the house of God. Therefore, everyone has to function as priests and Levites.
I feel that it is a great loss to the church, and a great loss to individuals, when they never function as a priest and as a Levite in the house of God.
This is something I want to leave with you and ask you to pray about. Brothers and sisters, may I say this? I do not see the reality of the church until I see all the brothers and sisters functioning as priests and as Levites.
May the Lord help us. Shall we pray?
Our Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank Thee that Thou hast redeemed us with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus. Thou hast bought us. We are Thine, and Thou hast set us apart for Thy service.
O our Father, we consider it a great honour and a great privilege that we can serve Thee, such a great God. O, do help us to serve Thee with a spirit of humility, a spirit of love, and a spirit of worship.
We pray that we all may function as priests, that we may all rise up to offer Thee spiritual sacrifices to satisfy Thy heart, that we may all serve Thy table, and that we may all offer incense of prayer unto Thee.
May we all minister to one another, admonish one another, and help one another. May we all be involved in the cleaning of Thy house, that there may be no need unattended.
O Lord, we do pray that the glorious church may be a reality, unto the praise of Thy glory. We offer ourselves afresh this morning, Lord. We acknowledge that in ourselves there is nothing, but we praise and thank Thee that with Thee all things are possible.
So we just look to Thee to enable us to do the things that Thou hast apportioned each one of us to do. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.