A Priest on the Throne (Hebrews 4:14-5:10- Jeff Kliewer)

Would stand with me You were worthy of Worthy of every song we could ever sing

Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe we live for you

Jesus the name of all every other day Jesus See Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe we live for you

Live for you Oh There is no one like you there is none beside Open up our eyes

Who you are She's us the name of every other day she's us the only one

Beside beside you open up my eyes And show me

Holy holy holy was it is it is to come

For your throne Lord Jesus we come this morning

Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh For you this morning your son or there's nothing that we can do

But lay ourselves at your feet at your throne Offering everything that we are to you

Oh The skies of Bethlehem appear to start

While angels sang to lonely shepherds Three wise men seeking truth traveled from afar

Hoping to find the child from heaven Falling on their knees they bow before the humble

I bring an offering of worship to my key

No one on earth deserves the praises that I see

Jesus may you receive the honor that you're due

Oh Lord, I bring an offering to you

I bring an offering to you To the glory of your love

There is no shadow It's only through your mercy

I bring an offering No Jesus may you receive the honor that you're due

Oh Lord I bring Oh Lord I bring

Bring it all

Let's pray Lord we are so privileged to come into this place this morning

We can only gather as the church because you have first made a new and living way into the

Holy of Holies Jesus because you died on the cross as You died your body broken

The veil in the temple was torn in two and access was granted into the holy place

And so we are here this morning because of Jesus because he is a great high priest

So high priest we look to you now to help us to know you more that we would relate to you

That we would run to you to have our sins forgiven. I Pray that all of us would begin confessing our sins to you and drawing near because you have offered us this throne of grace

Help us now to learn of it Through your word in Jesus name. Amen the influx of Roman Catholics into America was truly a great blessing on this country

In fact, did you know that there was one Roman Catholic signer to the Declaration of Independence?

Anybody know that his name was Charles Carroll after that though, of course, there were great waves of Roman Catholic immigration to America and The people who came were wonderful people they were hard -working

You had the the Irish potato famine which resulted in a whole wave of Irish Catholics coming in the early 1800s

Then there were German Catholics there were Italian Catholics and then great waves coming up from South America and in each case the people proved to be a great help to this country and Just really hard -working

Industrious kind of people upon whose backs much of this country was built So I say that as a bit of a preface because when

I make some comments about the Pope I don't want to in any way denigrate

Roman Catholics who would just need to hear the truth from God's Word and look to Christ as the great high priest

But I do have some comments about the Pope before the first Pope even came about in fact

Before there was a church there was a pontifix Maximus Anybody heard of the pontiff

Maximus? He is the great high priest pontifix

Maximus now this did not refer to anybody in the church This is 300 years before Christ in the pagan

Roman religion. They had a great pontiff Maximus Supreme Priest Augustus Caesar before Christ was born

Took that title for himself. And so the Emperor carried that title all the way into the 300s of course when

Constantine converted to Christianity before long as the 400s rolled around the

Pope of Rome Assumed that title for himself Pontiff Maximus Supreme Priest Constantine built a

Palace the Lateran Palace was built for the Pope and he began to gain prestige in society

He became first among all the bishops Whereas the early Roman bishops did not see themselves as preeminent over all the other bishops after Constantine the power became more and more centralized in Rome in 1000 around the around the year 1000 a decree was made by a

Pope that priests were no longer allowed to marry They had to remain celibate and that became a great source of difficulty for Roman Catholics and for priests throughout the years

But one of the biggest turning points in the development of the papacy and of Roman Catholicism was in reaction to the

Protestant Reformation Just before the Reformation The Roman Catholic Church sought to build the st

Peter's Basilica early 1500s. You guys are familiar with that right who painted the Sistine Chapel?

Michelangelo, yeah, he's laying on his back for like four years painting these beautiful paintings this

Renaissance painter They say he was a bit of a curmudgeon He really liked just be by himself

So those four years were like heaven for him didn't have to interact with anybody just way up high in the air in his own little world but in any case the

Reformation burst forth just a few years later with Martin Luther and We'll get into something about Luther later in the sermon

But the Reformation brought the true gospel centered on Christ and him alone

Scripture alone faith alone grace alone the solos of the Reformation wonderful time But in reaction to that the

Pope called a council, of course, it's called the Council of Trent 1545 1546 and at that Council they actually anathematized the gospel

Anathema means to declare that it's it's bound for hell. It's it's cursed They cursed the gospel by saying that if anyone says that salvation is by faith alone, let him be anathema

Well, the Bible says that so there's a there's a turning away from Scripture in the 1540s 1854 almost 300 years later a

Pope steps forward and declares that The conception of Mary was immaculate you guys have heard of the immaculate conception, right?

Well, the immaculate conception does not refer to Jesus being born sinless, which he was

It refers to Mary being born sinless, which she wasn't the

Pope decreed that many people questioned that and so at the first Vatican Vatican one a

Council was called in the 1870s to address what authority the Pope actually has

Vatican one declared that the Pope has absolute authority He can now speak infallibly

Ex cathedra when he speaks from his seat what he says cannot be questioned by the church tradition the

Bible anything It placed himself as the absolute infallible Authority, that's

Vatican one 1960s Vatican to the next big council and they become very ecumenical

That's also where masses began to be done in English or French or whatever rather than Latin point being there has been a progression of centralizing power to the papacy to the

Pope and He has taken upon himself from around the year 400 the title pontiff

Maximus Greatest High Priest Maximus Maximum Supreme Priest he takes that title to himself and yet nowadays you can go to hashtag pontiff and Follow the tweets of the

Pope and what you will not find is wisdom from on high It seems that just about everything that he tweets

Lacks not only common sense but biblical wisdom whether it's advancing socialism or just Joining into the hysteria and panic of the culture or advancing social justice causes and divisive racial claims cozying up to Islam Calling climate an accident existential threat to the world and being wrong on borders immigration

And we could go on and on and on but the point is there lacks wisdom from that particular pulpit

We're still though in claiming himself to be the great high priest he takes on himself a presumptuous authority that does not belong to him and I underscore this because the passage today is about the great high priest and There is but one great high priest so whether a

Buddhist priest or Some Eastern mystic or a

Roman Catholic pontiff who represents 1 billion people on this planet

Regardless of who it is that makes that claim for themselves. It is a presumptuous claim if it is not biblical and it's not

Okay, we are gonna see today about the calling of the great high priest the appointment of the great high priest

And he is none other than Jesus another thing about the true high priest He is eminently approachable

He is available if I desired to go see the so -called pontiff

Maximus I wouldn't get any closer than his Twitter account

If I went to Rome and demanded an audience with the Pope I would get the right hand of fellowship

I Would get stiff -armed and sent away So The Pope is not approachable.

You and I can't go see him He has no help to offer us in time of need but the point of our passage today is that we have one who has come and suffered in Every way that we suffer he knows by experience the weaknesses that we have and he invites us to come to his throne now notice a

King sits on a throne But the king who sits on the throne is also a priest and Because he is the great high priest he can welcome us to this throne and this throne becomes a throne of grace

We are invited to draw near to the throne of grace he is approachable so let's see this in Hebrews 4 14 through 5 10

Now as you find that passage I like to situate us in the text before we dive in so by way of review the thesis of the book of Hebrews is the kingly priesthood of Jesus I Would even go so far as to say that the book of Hebrews is really fleshing out

Psalm 110 Hebrews 1 3 says that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature

He upholds the universe by the word of his power. This is about the greatness of Jesus So the book is about how

Jesus is better. He's better than angels He's better than Moses like the builder of a house is better than the house.

He built here We're going to learn that he's better than Aaron Notice what does a priest do

Hebrews 1 3 after making purification for sins? That's a priestly work priests make purification for sins by offerings and sacrifices on behalf of the sinner

After he did that he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high That language comes from Psalm 110

The Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet

Psalm 110 will become important today. So mark that in your mind. It is the construct of the book of Hebrews We have on the throne seated at the right hand of the

Father one who is also a priest and so the center most passage of the center most portion of the book of Hebrews is

From this fifth chapter the end of four and five through chapter 10

It's all about the priesthood of Christ. He is a better priest a better priest

Psalm 110 will be quoted again in chapter 1 verse 13 where that seals the argument that he's better than angels and We're giving warnings.

It's a very practical book up until this point we've had to the beginning of chapter 2 and then chapters 3 and 4 the

Warnings that we must enter his rest and come to him as priest So we pick up at chapter 4 verse 14 and we were coming out of one of these warnings

We're being told that we must strive to enter his rest The danger is that some of us would fall away.

We might be sitting here on a Sunday morning going strong week after week But then by some tragedy in life

Some of us may fall away The danger is apostasy that some of you who claim the name of Christ today

May 20 years from now hate him With a passion and a fury.

I Know people like that. It breaks my heart Apostasy was a real danger back in the

Roman era Because Peter had been crucified upside down Paul Beheaded Christians were being persecuted in Rome and many

Christians were leaving Christianity to go back to Judaism. Hey, Judaism has a high priest little did they know but within a couple years 70

AD the temple will be destroyed and The priest would be put out of work.

He'll be standing in the unemployment unemployment line Because there's no way to offer sacrifices without the temple

There is still though a danger throughout all of Christian history That any of us might not enter that rest.

So we're to strive From this context we're told how it is that we can persevere in the faith

It's because we have a priest and whenever we begin to stumble Whenever we start to lose our way

We can run back to the throne of grace and we will find grace and mercy the big idea today is that seated on the throne is a priest and This throne is a throne of grace that we can come back to and he keeps us safe when we go there

Let's look at verse 14. We're just gonna take it verse by verse through chapter 5 verse 10

Make some comments out of each verse as we read it. So since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens

Jesus the Son of God Let us hold fast our confession So again, it's it's the exhortation to hold on keep your confession.

Don't stop confessing Christ Hang on to the faith How can we do that?

It's since we have a great high priest We have a high priest now the high priest was chosen from among men

Moses's brother Aaron was the first then his sons and after them came more and more high priests

Right up until 70 AD The high priest

Ever since Passover when the Jews were brought out of captivity in Egypt and the tabernacle was built would go in Once a year on the

Day of Atonement and make a sacrifice Now throughout the year people would know themselves to have sinned and they would bring their own sin offerings

Because of their sin But once a year only the high priest would go and on this day he could go into the

Holy of Holies In the Holy of Holies the very presence of God The Ark of the

Covenant was there Aaron's staff that budded the Ten Commandments The mercy seat with the cherubim where God dwelt his presence on earth

The priest could go in once a year now tradition says they would tie a rope to his ankle and They would put bells on him

Because so holy was that place that if he went in in an unworthy manner, he might drop dead

God would judge him and they would hear the bells as he hit the floor and they'd need to use the rope

To drag his body out because nobody can go into the Holy of Holies But once a year he could go behind the veil

Through the veil to the presence of God look at verse 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens

This is with reference to the high priest going into the holy place Our high priest has not only gone it got into the earthly holy phrase place.

He actually destroyed that veil at His death it was torn in two. He has gone into a heavenly temple, which we'll learn about in chapter 10

He has gone through to the heavenly throne room of God He has gone into the very presence of God Almighty Our high priest has done this

This is why we can hang on because we have a priest now look at verses 15 and 16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses

But one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace

That we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need

We have a great high priest and he is a help He is one that you can go to he is approachable

No matter what sin you have committed if you will repent if you'll humble yourself go to the throne you will find a merciful and Gracious high priest ready to forgive now, that is good news

This is very good news about our priest He is omniscient

He already knew everything you would ever do and everything you'd ever think He discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart divides them like bone from marrow.

He knows us better than we know us But there was one aspect of knowledge that was only possible by living the human experience

Maybe some of you have suffered greatly in your life. I Remember times in my life where I lost friends as a youth pastor one of the teens

Stabbed to death another died of meningitis and just the heartbreak or the heartbreak of a miscarriage

Feeling what that pain is like. I'll tell you when you have suffered You have more compassion for others who suffer in the same way

You know what? It's like for others when they go through pain if you've suffered yourself Jesus is our high priest.

He was already omniscient. He knew everything but he also has Experiential knowledge

He has experienced the pain the suffering of this world

The weakness it says he can sympathize with our weaknesses in Every way he was tempted the way we are yet without sin

Now much could be said about this. We don't want to err to the left or to the right Temptation is not sin according to this verse

Because Jesus was tempted yet without sin, but remember the Sermon on the

Mount Jesus also taught us that sin can be in the heart or in the thought life

Jesus said if you even look at a woman with lust in your heart You violated the deeper meaning of thou shalt not commit murder

And if you have anger in your heart, you're violating the deeper meaning of thou shalt not murder

So even at the heart level at the thought level it's possible for us to sin there's some people that say as long as you don't act on a

Sinful behavior you're good In fact, there's a whole conference called the revoice conference

Sam Albury teaching that to to have desires is Never wrong.

It's just that you can't act on them That's error because Jesus said that even Desires can be sinful, but we have to be very careful in the other direction as well

Remember how I mentioned Martin Luther? He before understanding

Christ as his high priest would spend four hours a day confessing sin

He was so wracked by his conscience That any thought that entered his mind he took as sin and There's danger in that way as well.

Do you realize that some of the thoughts that enter your mind? Did not come from you

Sometimes Your brain just creates a wild thought It's just a junk thought that you need to get just dismiss dark thoughts that come into your mind sometimes demons tempt you with thoughts whispering thoughts into your ear and You need to dismiss those

But recognize that voice is not always sin. It could be temptation Jesus suffered temptation

So that line between being tempted and then entering into thoughtful sins errors in your thought life sinful ideas and thoughts that you

Entertain that line is very thin and it's it's it's a fine line that we don't always recognize

Okay So you don't want to become like an antinomian? Well, I could just do whatever I want in my mind and fantasize and all of these things that is sinful on The other hand you don't want to be over scrupulous where you just overthink every thought and Condemn yourself for having a thought come into your mind so point being we have a priest

That can help us in every area of our sin. Look at verse 16.

Let us then with confidence draw near I Doubt if there's anybody in this room

Who will escape the day without a sinful thought whether it's lustful or angry prideful selfish in Some way sinful.

I doubt if there's anybody here that's going to escape December 27th 2020 without sinning

Let alone the next day and the next year You may have a New Year's resolution to not sin and that's good

But the thoughts of the heart The heart is deceitful above all else who can know it?

so we can't really find that line of when we've often sinned, but we cross it and The good news of this passage is that we can still keep coming

We have a compassionate God we can come confidently and draw near to the throne of grace

When feeling tempted run to the throne Run to the throne because as soon as you come to him you open his word you begin to pray it breaks the power of the temptation

It sets you free There is a throne of grace for sinners like us

The Christian message is not one of captivity but of Liberty Christians live as free people and as we begin to stumble all throughout our

Christian lives. We have a priest to go to He's approachable all day long he's as near as a prayer

You don't have to go to Rome He's here He said in Matthew 28 20.

I am with you even to the end of the age He is here this morning You can begin to confess your sin.

Maybe you've harbored sin in your heart and you're afraid to go to him Right now you can go confidently because he understands experientially

What weakness is like? He offers a throne of grace

So let's look a little more deeply at what a priest is chapter 5 verse 1 for every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins

Jesus did not become an angel to save angels an

Angel cannot save a human. He didn't become an animal to save humans Jesus had to become a human to mediate for humans to God The definition of a priest is a go -between

He's a mediator You have a holy God in heaven and you have sinful men on earth and a priest is one who stands in the gap between holy

God and sinful men He's chosen from among men Appointed to act on behalf of men

The only hope that sinners us like us had Was that God would come to us?

to as it were scoop us up and Rescue us from our sinful condition to do that.

He had to become one of us He had to become a priest To act on behalf of men chapter 2 of Hebrews is about Jesus as a man

He's not ashamed to call us brothers He became one of us to rescue us and bring us to God chapter 5 verse 2 and 3 now speaking of priests in general

Levitical priests He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward

Since he himself is beset with weakness That's that experiential compassion

Because of this he's obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people

Aaron in Leviticus 16 6 was told first Aaron you have to offer sacrifices for you and Your family and then you offer sacrifices for the people

He himself was a sinner. Of course, Jesus was without sin. So his one offering was on our behalf

Verse 4 through 6 Verses 4 through 6 is about the calling of a priest

So and no one takes this honor for himself, but only when what?

called by God Just as Aaron was So also

Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest But was appointed by him who said to him you are my son today.

I have begotten you that Psalm chapter 2 That's a place where Jesus is appointed and then

Psalm 110 as he says also in another place you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek Now in verse 4 no one takes this honor upon himself

To be made a high priest Only God can call a high priest when the first one was called

Aaron Not everybody recognized that God had specially chosen

Aaron, maybe you know the story there were some who tried to overthrow

Aaron and they said You know what?

God is with us just as equally as with you So why are you claiming

Aaron to the priesthood? Nadab said this and He gathered a whole group of people to join him in this rebellion

Moses wasn't too pleased and he started to pray for intercession and God Eventually said separate out

Those who are making this claim And he said if these people die an ordinary death

Then you know That everybody's equal And I haven't called

Aaron in a special way, but that day the ground opened up and swallowed the rebels

Completely consumed them and closed in over them Of course, all the people were just scurrying running every which way we're gonna get swallowed by the ground that would have been terrifying

But in this way God showed that no he had specially chosen Aaron, but he wasn't done follow this

He said now Take a staff from each of the leaders of the tribes of Israel.

There's 12 tribes Take these 11 staves and then take errands from the tribe of Levi and put the 12 staffs in the holy place

Now remember these are just walking sticks so they're just like really dry wood They're Not planted in the ground, but God says

I will show you who I have called who I have designated to be the priest whichever staff buds in the morning is my chosen one and In the morning

Moses went in and retrieved the staff They had written the names of each of the tribes on each of the 12 staffs

It was the tribe of Levi Aaron written on that staff and that morning

The staff had budded little branches coming off that dry stick and almonds hanging from the stick

Moses brought that out and showed it to the people and everyone recognized that God Had chosen and appointed

Aaron John MacArthur makes the point about this story That if someone is genuinely called to ministry

That person will be recognized by supernatural fruit Just as Aaron's staff budded

So it is in the ministry today that we are not called of our own volition

But the evidence is that people will be born again The church will be edified and built up through the power of the

Word God will do something that a minister can't do I Can't make a staff bud and I can't bring anybody to saving faith.

I Can preach God's Word and if he gives that fruit that's an evidence that he is present and the same for you

And the ministries that you're called to do But here the issue is the high priest right look at verse 4.

No one takes this honor to himself Well, wait a minute. Don't people do that? They sure do

It's just not recognized by God It's not genuine Only those called by God are high priest

So how was Jesus called quickly two things one God called him in Psalm 2

Where he said you are my son Today I have begotten you Earlier we saw that that included his calling to be

King He was called a son and placed on the throne earlier in Hebrews.

I Like the way the Nicene Creed Explains this verse and kind of exegetes it for us the

Nicene Creed Was written in the 300s in response to a guy named

Arius Arius was teaching basically that Jesus was a created being

Before I read it just think about it this way There's a horizontal line Everything over that line is

God Father Son and Holy Spirit Everything over the line is uncreated

Not made everything under the line is creation That would include the planets and the stars and us as people angels included under the line

It's a creature a created being so you have God and creation and a sharp distinction between the two

Here's the Nicene Creed. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only

Son of God begotten from the Father before all ages

God from God light from light true God from true God begotten not made of the same essence of the

Father Through him all things were made What the

Nicene Creed is Clearly stating is that when the Bible says that Jesus is begotten of the

Father. It's an eternal day an eternal begetting He's eternally of the

Father. He's begotten very distinctly not made Jesus was not made by God.

He's always been God of the same essence The same being an eternal

God. So how does that then apply to him as a priest? We'll look at the next verse as He says also in another place.

This is Hebrews 5 6 You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek got it

That's that's fixes it. All right there right now. We all get it Okay, this is one of the more complicated teachings in the

Bible and it takes some time but repetition is good for us. I Was in Dallas.

I had a friend named Tom and one day we decided to go try to evangelize at a local community college and We ended up meeting a guy named flick

Bob Flickner We called him flick and he turned out to be the athletic director and we asked if we could start a

Bible study there at that little community college and he said sure because he was a

Christian so We ended up inviting students to it and one kid showed up this one college student

So me and Tom were there and my friend Tom for two months taught on Melchizedek and This poor kid sat there for two months trying to understand just couldn't quite get what was being said

And I think this might follow the Department of meat and solid food.

Not exactly baby food Meaning we probably jumped in at the wrong place.

We probably should have laid some groundwork Established some parameters kind of given more of an outline of Christianity before getting into Melchizedek So I understand if you're here and maybe you haven't been in church your whole life and this preacher is talking about Melchizedek It's gonna be hard to have a framework to even know what

I'm saying. The sound like I'm speaking in tongues But here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna do a quick 10 ,000 foot overview to just lay a little bit of groundwork and then when we get to chapter 7

We're the author of Hebrews breaks it all down for us That's when we'll spend more time, but I think by giving the big picture

This will at least give you like a context for what I'm saying. Got it. Okay. Here's what happened back in the day way back in the time of Abraham Abraham's nephew lot was living in a town called

Sodom and at one point in time five kings attacked Sodom and destroyed the city and carried all the people away and lot got taken captive so Abraham sprung into action and he took off after that raiding party and he fought him all off with his band of people like a

Hundred people fighting thousands. God gave them the victory and he won the spoil of war and he rescued lot and He's bringing lot back to the promised land when out of the blue Melchizedek shows up and Melchizedek Greets him gives him some bread wine and Then Abraham gives him a tithe of everything that he just won

This happens from Genesis 18, I mean Genesis 14 verses 18 to 20

So three little verses in the book of Genesis Then you don't hear anything about Melchizedek Follow me so far

So basically he's just this guy that showed up out of nowhere And Then disappeared again

Fast forward a thousand years to a thousand years before Christ 1 ,000

BC David is writing a psalm and he's speaking of the coming Christ Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet a picture of majesty and kingly authority the coming

Messiah King verse 4 you are a priest

According to the order of Melchizedek got it a

Promise that the coming Messiah will be a priest like Melchizedek and then it goes silent again for another thousand years just that one little verse and We're back to quiet What is the deal with this?

Well the author of Hebrews? inspired by the Holy Spirit Picks up that teaching from Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 those four verses and teaches an amazing revelation about the

Lord Jesus Christ And if you're not a believer in Christ, I don't know how you will explain

Melchizedek Because it's mind -blowing Seven things from those three little verses number one

Melchizedek means king of righteousness Melchizedek is the deck righteousness king of righteousness.

There is coming a king of righteousness Only see

Melchizedek will turn out to be a Foreshadowing of Christ a type and Christ is the anti type.

He's the fulfillment So king of righteousness is the first thing that indicates that he is something more than an ordinary guy that showed up out of nowhere king of righteousness number two

He is from Salem Salem Shalom peace

The city of peace later conquered by Jeru to become peace of Jeru Jerusalem he happens to come from Jerusalem and Who but Jesus Christ the king of righteousness the only one who can make people righteous like him?

The only one who can give us peace with God Romans 5 1 Making peace through his blood

The Prince of Peace number three remember what he brought to the war weary Abraham bread and wine the very symbols of Christianity His body his blood

Christ's body is like bread broken for us. His blood is spilled out on the cross

Represented in the cup of the New Covenant take this and drink do this in remembrance of me forgiveness of sin in his blood

Melchizedek brought bread and wine Amazing for three little verses, but we're not even halfway done number four

Israel's kingly line and priestly lines were separate but Melchizedek was both king and priest

We'll get into this more in chapter 7 But just suffice it to say the king has to come from Judah Genesis 49 10 the lion of the tribe of Judah the priest has to be a

Levite How could a king and a priest be the same? Well Melchizedek is both.

It's a different priesthood than Levi So the Lion of Judah belongs to the Melchizedek Ian priesthood not at odds

From the priesthood of Judah we'll get into that later I know that one's a little deep but number five this one's simple

The greater blesses the lesser. That's a principle of life. You come and are blessed by the greater

It's Melchizedek who blesses Abraham indicating that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham and In Abraham is the seed of Levi and the entire

Levitical priesthood Melchizedek is greater than Abraham and all that come from Abraham to reinforce that Who gives tithes the lesser or the greater?

the lesser tithes to the greater We give our offerings we come bring the best of our time and talent and treasure

We give those offerings because he is God and he deserves our best He's the greater we're the lesser but it was

Abraham who tithed to Melchizedek Again indicating that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham higher priesthood than what was in with within him

Levi and Then lastly and this one's just amazing Levitical priests die and get replaced but Melchizedek enters by mysterious origins and Exits by the power of an indestructible life if you're reading the the text of Genesis You come across chapter 14 and you might just miss it or you might just have the thought like oh that was strange

Where did this Melchizedek come from? Who's his parents? What's his origins and then after these three verses?

Why don't we ever hear of him again? Where did he go? What's his what's his life? What's his deal?

You're left with that thought and the author of Hebrews makes this point That the one that Melchizedek represents has no beginning and no end he enters from eternity past and he exits by the power of an indestructible life as Jesus died on the cross and then rose from the dead and will exist forever as priest

So it was with Melchizedek no beginning ostensibly and no end That itself was

Prefiguring Christ the one who has no beginning and has no end the Alpha the Omega the beginning the end it all points to Christ So in other words, that's a cliff -nose virgin version.

So can you imagine when you get into chapter 7? It's I I told you guys

I warned you at the beginning that The book of Hebrews is complicated It's one of the more probably the most complicated books in the

New Testament but For those of us who love God's Word That's just layer upon layer of treasure

To build our faith that we could recognize that this is God who called

Jesus This is not the appointment of man. Somebody wanted to be a great religious teacher and ride around in a

Popemobile This is not that this is God's Designation that no one can argue with so lastly verses 7 to 10.

Just look at his precious suffering I know we're running a little late, but that's okay the precious suffering because the priest

Brings an offering a sacrifice for sins, but this priest brings himself to the altar in the days of his flesh

Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears To him who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his reverence

Picture Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He's praying so passionately and in such agony

Because of the cross that loomed over the horizon. Do you realize Jesus despised the cross?

We cling to the cross and we love the cross because there our salvation was purchased But as Jesus looked to the cross, he despised it.

We're told in Hebrews 12. He despised its shame He would there have to take our sin on his shoulders and the wrath of the father all into himself and He was in agony so much so that as he was sweating

I'm beginning to sweat right now When he was in agony his sweat became drops of blood, this is our priest

He's praying now. It says he prayed to the one who was able to save him from death

The word is ek in the Greek. It means out of it doesn't mean that he would be rescued from dying but having died he'd be brought out of it and He was he rose from the dead

He submitted himself to the will of the father Although he was a son he learned obedience through what he suffered our priest had to suffer

This is that experience of his precious suffering Perfectly obeying the will of the father even though it cost him being made perfect He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him

That obedience is the obedience of faith Romans 1 5 not works righteousness of obeying in order to be saved

He became the source of eternal salvation being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek and the author wants to tell us more about that, but he's got another warning before he does so in closing

I Just want to say to you brothers and sisters We have a true high priest in your

Christian life You need to remember this passage because you will stumble and When you've stumbled

Run to the throne of grace When you sin when you fall short even in your thoughts or in a behavior

You will find this priest humble He can sympathize with you in your weakness

Although he never sinned He knows that feeling by experience of being tempted and he's sympathetic he's compassionate and The throne on which he sits that throne from which he will judge the world is also the seat of a priest

One who can bring you to the father You'll find grace there. You'll find mercy there.

So in closing, we're gonna pray Remember that he is approachable. He's not distant on a different continent

He's right here in the room lo I am with you always even to the end of the age He's a priest that's always here approachable

You can confess. I know that you've sinned. I Know that I've sinned he knows it.

He's experienced temptation. He has experienced suffering And he's willing to forgive you right now.

He's sympathetic To those who call so let's call Father as we come to you now having studied

Hebrews 4 14 to 5 10 We have learned about a priest

The priest the great high priest. Thank you that we are able to come

To you and find mercy and grace in our time of need Father right now.

Would you just hear the prayers of your people? Because of the work of the Son Because of his obedience his suffering his active obedience is passively going to the cross to be a sacrifice for sins and offering because of Jesus would you now listen to the prayers of your people as they confess sin as We confess sin.

So now guys in the quiet just confess in your own mind

Pray, he'll hear your thoughts He'll know your intentions in The quiet just confess sin to him.

Thank you God for the throne of grace Thank you that though we have sinned with anxiety

You forgive us Forgive us of our fearfulness when we should have had faith

You have grace for those who are consumed with lust You have grace for the jealous grace for the prideful

You have grace for the angry you have grace for those who are bored

With the things of your word and Passionate about the things of this world You have grace for sinners like us.

Thank you Lord. Thank you. We run to you now Cleanse us from all unrighteousness

Wash us and we will be clean Thank you for the blood of Jesus shed on the cross

To open the way to this throne of grace Thank you Jesus for being our great high priest

For suffering in ways that we can't even imagine Thank you for being such a loving gracious merciful priest to us in your name.

We pray. Amen Amen. Well, let's stand and sing a final song

Once was lost in darkest night

And thought I knew the way the sin that promised joy and life

And led me to the grave

And you would all want to If you had not loved me first I would refuse you still as I ran to the pond led me to the grave

I seized my lips of all my teeth and some life

I saw forever be my own you

All I knew

Jesus is my life Hallelujah Jesus is my life

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus the great shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant equip you with everything good that you may do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever