OUTCRY for the Priests pt. 1 – What Order are You?

1 Samuel 2:12 – Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD (NIV).

Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord under Eli, had no regard for the Lord. They did not value what the Lord valued; they did not deem important what God deemed important. They were misrepresenting the One whom they served, leading people astray, turning people away from God, and taking advantage of young women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Their actions were known over all of Israel, they rejected the counsel of their father and extorted people’s worship to God. The poor quality of their spiritual leadership affected not only their entire nation but their future generations as well. In 1 Samuel 4, a neighboring enemy captures the ark of God because under the ministry of Hophni and Phinehas, Israel was never taught how to honor His presence. As a result, Phinehas’ son, representing the next generation, is given a name (Ichabod) that forever marked him with an identity of losing God’s glory. (Ichabod means, “the glory has departed.)

I address this issue in the first OUTCRY blog because before there can ever be an OUTCRY for the world, there must be one for the church. There must arise an OUTCRY for the priests, for the current system and standard of spiritual leadership in the earth. The first four chapters of 1 Samuel are a clear picture of what God is speaking to this generation and a masterful distinction between two types of priests: priests after the order of the sons of Eli and priests after the order of Samuel.

I believe Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, represent a generation of churched youth while Samuel represents a generation of consecrated youth. Consider some of the similarities between Hophni and Phinehas and the typical American youth and young adult ministry:

They administered the Lord’s offerings (1 Sam. 2:12-17)
Many of our sons and daughters have administered/ “taken up” the offering OF the Lord without presenting their lives as an offering TO the Lord. In most places, the tithe and the offering is, at best, a token segment of a weekly service where we “transition” out of worship, tolerate an exhortation to give and perhaps toss in a couple of bucks in a bucket. At worst, it’s the time to talk, pass notes, go to the restroom, send texts or find that person you actually came to the service to see.

Their father was a priest of God (1 Sam. 1:1-3)
Must I really comment on this one? Religious expectation without spiritual facilitation creates generational frustration. Second generation Christians, those claiming to have grown up IN the church are fast becoming one of the largest mission fields OF the church. When sons and daughters are going to church because they “have to,” they are following after the order of the sons of Eli. When they assume favor, influence, and opportunity because of whom their parents are or what their parents have done, they are following after the order of the sons of Eli.

They had positions and titles and functions
I was the president of my youth group once. I was also making out in the Sunday school room during church lock-ins. My title doesn’t make me a priest after the order of Samuel, my devotion, purity, and consecration do. Big picture: when a generation of priests is more concerned with their positions than their posture, impending trouble ensues for the nation. In greater focus: there are some ministers who demand thousands of dollars to speak or sing and others who can’t be touched by someone wanting prayer. There are some who won’t travel without a 12-man entourage and others who expect to be saluted when they leave the building. I’ve even heard of preachers demanding special treatment to come to a church, Perrier water at specific temperatures, limousines to be chauffeured in, and a whole slew of other criteria that would compete with the best of today’s entertainers. Ministers expect to be treated like celebrities and not servants when they take their cues from this culture and not the kingdom. There is a generation of Samuels that is arising that could care less about photo-ops and endorsements, we would much rather be unknown so that He can be.

They were in the presence of God(1 Sam. 4:4)
We have a generation of churched youth that treat the presence of God like a commodity, something to be consumed not someone to be loved and revered. Consequently, we have based the truth of God, the validity of His Word, and the depth of our faith by how we feel from week to week and not by who He says He is or what He has done. How many times have you questioned the love of God because you could not “feel” Him? Moreover, we have created environments that have become substitutes for the essence of God and in so doing have fostered the inaccurate notion that just going to church is good enough.

They slept with the women who served at the tent(1 Sam. 2:22)
In the average American youth and young adult ministry, a large number of students come following a relationship, looking to find a relationship, or can’t connect with God because of a relationship. When our hearts have not been truly captivated by His, we will by default look to another relationship to fulfill us. The house of God in many places has simply become another place to pick up a prospect. I have been to some church meetings where the amount of caressing and touching between a couple would cause a person to seriously question what their limits were behind closed doors. And then there are students whose sole motivation in coming to church is to meet up and engage in sexual activity somewhere off the premises during the service. This is not an exaggeration for affect; it’s a true account. Relationships in the church follow the pattern of relationships outside of the church: drawing attention to oneself, flirting, selfish relating, experimenting, leading on, crossing lines physically, broken promises, hurt, discard, repeat.

There is an awakening that is coming to this generation. But before it is put into full motion, there will first be a movement of repentance and transformation among sons and daughters. Within a remnant of this generation, an OUTCRY is being released for consecrated priests who will lead with life-giving restraint not legalistic lordship. Holiness and sacrifice will be our joy. I believe that as you read this, something is stirring within you. Something that believes, as I do, that we were created for so much more than this. You are that breed of believers who through purity, prayer, and fasting, will help mobilize a generation to carry a move of God to the uttermost parts of the earth.