Only the 25th Priest Could Enter the Holy of Holies

Sermon outline

2025 is a year of great grace, and the double blessing comes to those who wait for God's timing, act in faith with what is already in their hand, refuse to be a counterfeit of anyone else, and love the Blesser more than the blessing.

1. Abraham waited twenty-five years for the promise

   Abraham was seventy-five when God promised to make him a great nation and a hundred when Isaac was born. He had twenty-five years of excuses but trusted the promise and grew strong in faith, fully convinced God was able. When we step out of God's timing, for example because a biological clock is ticking, we are stuck with the imperfection of that decision. Your birth itself is evidence that your life has a plan and a purpose.

   Illustration: Many men he shares the gospel with say the old man upstairs and they need to have a conversation. Asked whether they have had it, they never have, and they have not been to church in years, but they say they are Christians.

   “Look for the Lord's timing.”

   • Genesis 12:4
   • Genesis 21:5
   • Proverbs 3:5-8
   • Romans 4:20-21

2. Great grace: take the territory

   Grace is unmerited favour, so do not look at the labour but at the One who gives the reward. Start the morning focused on the goodness of God rather than the size of the problem. Where God has led you, He has graced you to take it over, so walk into the atmosphere, declare the word and take authority, but do not jump into places He has not graced you for.

   “Great grace means that it won't be a long time before you take control. You just need to walk in that faith.”

3. What twenty-five means: grace, redemption and divine completeness

   He teaches that twenty-five speaks of grace, redemption, divine completeness and God's timing. There were twenty-four divisions of priests and the twenty-fifth was the high priest, the one man who entered the Holy of Holies; in Revelation there are twenty-four elders around the throne and the Lamb. Twenty-five is a celebration as if the jubilee of fifty had already come, a celebration of generational blessing rather than of biryani and a meal out, and a sign that angels go ahead to open doors on our behalf.

   Illustration: Angelic visitation is more real than Casper the Friendly Ghost: think of what the angels said to Mary, to Abraham and in Sodom and Gomorrah.

   “Is this gonna be another twenty-five years of you just going round the mountain like how Israel went through the wilderness? Or is twenty-five gonna be a celebration of jubilee?”

   • 1 Chronicles 24:1-19
   • Revelation 4:4
   • Revelation 5:6

4. Character before wealth

   Asked what he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom to lead God's people. Millions in the hands of an unwise person make him less wise, and money is never the indicator of whether someone is blessed. Be faithful with what is in your hand now, whether a hundred rand, your health or an idea, and act in obedience rather than fear, and the resources will come when the time is right.

   Illustration: Do not look at the Christian with a Mercedes in Umhlanga Rocks and call that the blessing. Who is blessed: the man with the Mercedes, or the old woman who has taken in five orphans and given them a life?

   “Money must never be an indicator whether you're blessed or you're not.”

   • 1 Kings 3:5-9
   • Matthew 25:14-30
   • 1 Timothy 6:10

5. Be an original: God never blesses a counterfeit

   You are designed by the great Designer for a purpose no one else can fill, so the worst thing you can do is compare yourself with others. Be known for what God called you to, whether a singer, a plumber or a preacher. The world looks harshly on an original, and when the reward comes people see the result but not the years of obscurity, pain and conflict that went before it. You do not need to perform on social media or television; what you need is divine.

   Illustration: A man on Facebook is known as the Gucci Guru because everything he does is Gucci, though he is meant to be known for his calling. Imagine an excellent electrician known only for wearing lipstick.

   “What you need is divine. So you need to enact the divine in order to bring the divine.”

6. How to walk into the increase

   First, decide to do things God's way: get to church, pray, read and be faithful. Then walk in eager expectation, looking to the hills, not to the problem or to the person who owes you money; your forgiveness of that debt may be the testimony. Increase comes to the consistent and diligent who never quit, and your whole life is a cell group, a testimony and evangelism.

   Illustration: When you order from Takealot or import goods from China, you pay and trust they will arrive though you have no control over the journey. Everything in life must be that kind of step of faith. A young woman told him her promotion at work was rigged, but she had got unbelieving colleagues to fast and believe with her, and he told her that was already the testimony.

   “This type of increase comes to the consistent. It comes to the faithful. It comes to the diligent.”

   • Psalm 121:1-2
   • Joshua 1:3
   • Matthew 18:23-35
   • Matthew 4:1-2

7. Grace upon grace: love the Blesser, not the blessing

   We are saved by grace and we live by grace, and our focus belongs on the cross and the blood, not on a transactional blessing. Many have been protected so long they no longer notice: not being robbed or hijacked, a full cupboard and good health are all testimonies. Let go of old unforgiveness that blocks the blessing. Of His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

   Illustration: Do not hold on to what an uncle called your father in 1965 when you were not even there. Phone him and say, I forgive you, I don't care who was right or wrong.

   “When you learn to let it go, the blessing starts to flow.”

   • John 1:6-16
   • James 1:7-8
   • 2 Corinthians 6:2

In this message