Datasets:

on1onmangoes

/

RICKVOICE071024_voice17

like 0

to Melchizedek, the sons of Aaron went and gathered it from Abraham's seed. And so he's throwing that down too.

And he said, so all the people gave their tithes to Abraham, and then Abraham himself gave them to what you must see as the top of the heap now, Melchizedek.

In verse 7, he says, look at what Melchizedek extended to Abraham, showing that what he did was right. And he said, now this is beyond dispute. It is beyond dispute that the inferior, meaning Abraham, was blessed by the superior. How can somebody give you a blessing if they're not superior to you? They can't.

And so the writer of Hebrews says, I think if you're looking at my case right now, I'm looking pretty good here.

I'm making a pretty good case about Melchizedek. And he says, and then verse 8, he goes on to say, In the one case, tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives.

So here, now, the Levites, one dies, another takes his place.

There, going back into Genesis, Melchizedek had no predecessor or successor.

He liveth. Had no predecessor or successor. He liveth. There is no end to the priesthood of Melchizedek. And I'm telling you, that's where Jesus lands. There's no end to his priesthood.

And he's trying to drive this point home. He says, there is no end to his priestly reign. Do you see that when I tell you there was a priesthood before the Levitical priesthood, not only was there one, it was superior.

It has no end. Aaron's descendants, one would die, another would come along. They'd get old. They'd get feeble. We had this system going.

What does it reflect? Just like the rituals. Slaughter some animals, come the rituals slaughter some animals come back slaughter some more he said there was a priesthood that was always intended that was superior to this and this is the one that jesus has fulfilled everybody with me everybody tracking all right so verses 9 and 10 one might even say that levi himself who tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.

Now that drives the point home. Levi himself was in the loins of Abraham. He didn't even exist. If you want to look at it really, if you want to understand, Levi was given his tithes to Melchizedek because he was still in the loins of abraham and he's really saying that uh don't don't even he said why would you go back to an inferior priesthood uh this entire priesthood was still in abraham in his loins when he gave the tithes to melchizedek, Christ is in this line of priestly superiority and says that Christ is in this line which is superior to Aaron's sons.

And then he comes back and he's about to lay down in verse 11 and as we go forward, the undeniable legality of Christ as priest.

Here he goes. He's going to compare him to Melchizedek now. Now, if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law, what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron? Now he's going to hit this same theme when we get to eight in two weeks. He's going to say the same thing about the law. If the old covenant got the job done, why do we need a new covenant? It's obvious that it was inferior. We say the same thing about the priesthood. If Aaron's priesthood was all we needed if it was perfect and we could have attained it through the Levitical priesthood what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek rather than one named after the order of Aaron so he's making kind of a kind of straightforward. So he's making kind of a straightforward thing.

So he's reminding them, if you have your Bible right now, go to Psalm 110. I think we're ready for Psalm 110 now.

So when you go to Psalm 110, he's going to show the Hebrews that David himself, who created the Levitical priesthood, that even David knew this was not going to last.

And he points them to Psalm 110. He's reminding them that this wasn't going to get it done.

Here is David, and I don't know about your Bible, but my Bible on Psalm 110 actually has it titled, Sit at My Right Hand. Who's sitting at the right hand of the Father? Jesus. This is a messianic Psalm. Now look what he says in 4.

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Well, look at there. Even David is uttering Melchizedek.

And you know what the writer of Hebrews is saying? David knew the Levitical priesthood was insufficient.

Even David knew that there needed to be a superior priesthood, and he was looking forward to Jesus.

He knew that there was a forever priesthood coming that would be superior to the very priesthood that he himself set up.

He knew it was flawed. He knew that we had problems, and something would have to come that was better.

So even David was pointing to the change that must take place.

Look at verse 12. For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.

For with one of whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe from which no one has ever served at the altar.

For it's evident that our Lord was descended from Judah and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests this now what do you do here when you're making when you're debating now I will acknowledge Moses didn't seem to speak of this priesthood but David did David did Abram did so because he knows you know they for them Moses was it you know he's saying Abraham's where we all came from I understand Moses was a big deal so because he knows you know they for them moses was it you know he's saying now y'all abraham's where we all came from i understand moses was a big deal to us and and he was he was a type of redeemer but but he was he's inferior to what jesus has done we've already talked about that and he says but i acknowledge that y'all had a hang-up remember we talked about this for a few weeks now he's acknowledging the hang-up that that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and Moses never mentioned anything about a priesthood come from Judah. I'm acknowledging that. However, David did. However, Abram did. Okay. So don't let that trip you up because he's saying David knew that there must be a change in the tribe of Levi.

The Lord is from Judah. Moses said this but mentioned nothing about a priesthood from Judah. But then as we get into 15, he's going to say, Melchizedek gives us the necessary change. So look at 15. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek.

He said if there was no Melchizedek that was established, a priesthood long before Levi, long before Aaron, long before Moses, if that had not been there, then yeah, we'd have a problem.

But the deed change is available to us because of Melchizedek. Everybody with me? Which goes back to the possible theory that Melchizedek was placed in scripture for this moment alone. Because it is what they need to be okay with what the writer of Hebrews is trying to tell them. Don't go back to the inferior priesthood. Don't go back to the inferior old covenant. Don't go back to the inferior sacrificial system because there's no redemption to be found there. Now look at 16. So he's established that. Melchizedek is the change that's needed. God hid it away. David was even inspired to utter the name. Now the seed that David planted, oh, get ready. Here comes an amen today.

The very seed that King David planted is now about to bear fruit because it has come to its completeness in Jesus David uttered this Jesus fulfilled it it's here celebrate it don't go back to the old you're gonna find out when he gets and we start talking in eight you're gonna see him double down on this again, on this returning to something that is inferior.

And so 15, he says, This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16, who has become a priest not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. No, he wasn't in the line of Aaron. Didn't need to be. This is available to us. Didn't need to be. As a matter of fact, being bodily descent hasn't really served us well. That didn't go that great. They kept dying off, kept being feeble, kept being sick. We had some you couldn't even trust. They were a little bit shaky, a little bit shady.

For it is witnessed of him, you are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

We just read it. Where'd that come from? Psalm 110. The writer of Hebrews says, I'm going to give a little quote here. Anybody remember this one?

Anybody want to talk about who said that? King David. Okay, so this is something that David saw, and it has happened.

Don't reject it. And we move on now. He says that the old way, the Mosaic law came from dead, but now we're looking at how dead we are compared to the requirement of the Mosaic law.

It's going to tell us how dead we are, but the new covenant is going to lead us to a new law, and it's going to not be a law of your death.

It's going to be a law of eternal life. Everybody with me? That's what he's hitting on in 16. And in 17, as David said himself, Aaron's priests grew feeble.

They died, but Christ's priesthood, it came from eternal life, and never ends after the order of Melchizedek.

Verse 18. For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness.

19. For the law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God.

This is all good news. The weakness of the old order of Aaron's priesthood, it was just a shadow priesthood of what we have now.

Now, that shadow, that inferior priesthood, listen to this. This is so good. It could not satisfy the demand of God from men. And we say men, I mean mankind, man and women.

Couldn't do it, right? They kept trying. Why couldn't it do it? Jesus talked about this when he was trying to tell everybody who he was and what he was going to do. Do you remember? Because I remember the first time I read it, I was like, oh man, and I didn't understand it. What does Jesus go around saying?

You have to be perfect. I'm sorry, what'd he say? He said, we have to be perfect. He said, my father is perfect. Now Jesus isn't saying, I hope y'all can figure out how to act perfect.

You know what he's saying? Y'all need me. Because the standard that the old covenant showed you but you could never achieve was that God demands sinless.

God demands perfection. Good luck with your animal sacrifices. Good luck with your old priesthood.

None of that could meet the standard. The only person, the ultimate priest, the priest we have now in the new covenant meets the standard. The only person, the ultimate priest, the priest we have now in the new covenant meets the standard. The old ones couldn't because what does Jesus make us? Fully righteous.

And without Jesus, go to John 15. Jesus himself said this, which I know for some of you out there that think Jesus needs a PR agent.

It wasn't very hippie like. Here's what Jesus said. The branches that are attached to me, the vine, I will produce in them much fruit.

And my father will be glorified by this and it will prove to him you are my disciples. Now, for the rest of you that are branches that don't want to attach to me, you're going to be like dried dead branches, and you're going to strut in front of my Father without me, and you're only going to be good for one thing, fire.

And for those of you that cannot translate Calhoun County Bible teaching, that means Jesus said if you're not redeemed by him, you're going to go to hell.

That's what that means. It's kind of a poetic way to say it, but that's what it means. You don't want to be a branch marching in front of a holy God not attached to Jesus.

Because then you're just going to be firewood. This is what he's saying. Why? Because we must be perfect. Who makes us perfect?

Jesus. Aaron's descendants couldn't make us perfect. The sacrificial system couldn't make us perfect. Only the Lamb of God makes us perfect. Jesus. Aaron's descendants couldn't make us perfect. The sacrificial system couldn't make us perfect. Only the Lamb of God makes us perfect. And he's telling them that what we had before could not meet the standard. The new covenant and the new high priest meets the standard. Look, instead of it, you remember what Jesus said? I'm so excited paul talked about this in his last letter to timothy it's so wonderful for those that have been redeemed we are not going to shrink at the thought of the return of jesus we're not going to shrink to that we're going to run to that because you know what the new covenant and those of us that are redeemed, somebody say hallelujah, doesn't have us cower away from the fear of God.

It actually brings us near to God. Our sin pushes us away from God. The old covenant and the frustrations of the old Mosaic law that we could never keep just kept making us dread God.

But the peace that Jesus promises comes from the fact that he said, I've redeemed you.

I've overcome the world. I've overcome the sin. I make you fully righteous.

I hope you have that peace. It's the only thing that gets me up every morning. For on one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and its uselessness.

Don't you love that he says that? Hey, it was useless, but we have a better hope. Now let's go to verse 20.

And it was not without an oath for those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath.

Look at 21. But this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and he will not change his mind. You are a priest forever. Aaron's priesthood had no oath. You know why? It was hereditary. I get to be a priest. I'm one of Aaron's grandkids, be a priest i'm one of aaron's grandkids kids whatever great grandkids i get to be a priest why heredity he said that's not melchizedek it had nothing to do with hereditary stuff with him that he was made a priest as his son he was made a priest by an oath that came from God. And the fact that it came from God, the oath that was quoted by David in Psalm 110, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever just like Melchizedek.

That came from David. So he said it's one thing for you to be a priest just because you won the genetic lottery.

He said, it's quite another, it's quite another for you to be ordained a priest by the one and only living God who says your priesthood goes on forever.

Now, keep in mind, at this time, the temple still exists. Don't get in your mind that when Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, now the temple's gone, nobody had anywhere to go.

In this time, you could pick one or the other. Still do the meaningless rituals over at the temple, or you could be part of the church that's moving into Jesus has fulfilled all this.

Okay, and I told you all, this is an issue to this day in Israel. The thing that really trips up those that have not acknowledged Jesus as Messiah, that are still pushing back on that, they have no idea how to be redeemed of their sin.

I've asked them. They have no idea. Now, they come up with, you know, I said the temple doesn't exist anymore. You got a wall with people stuffing prayers in it.

That's all you got. Where is the sacrificial system? Where are the lambs? Where are the bulls? Where are the system? And they don't know, but it's gone.

So how are you redeemed? We try to do good things. How do you know if you've done enough? They don't. So this is an issue, but on this particular time, when this is being written, it's still up. Now, it ain't up for long.

When we go to Hebrews 8, you'll see that he says, I got news for you, this is vanishing. And the Romans come in and they take care of that confusion. But right now, it's still going on. So what he's saying is, don't go back to these meaningless rituals. And like I say, the Romans are going to come in just a few years and take it away he says christ priesthood it was inducted by a singular oath god himself has sworn that christ priesthood will last forever more and this was mentioned by david as i said in psalm 110 which he actually quotes there in 21 so So let's go to verse 22.

This Jesus, the guarantor of a better covenant. That's what I just said.

He's bringing it back now. Notice he hadn't mentioned Jesus' name for a while. He says, now I think it's time for me to tell you who I'm talking about here.

I'm talking about Jesus. So Jesus, this jesus this this new oath this new covenant this better covenant guess who now guarantees redemption jesus for all who repent and are redeemed by the lamb of god the old mosaic covenant barred Christ from priesthood, but it has been done away with. And the new covenant focuses everything on Christ that has taken its place.

He finishes the undying life of Christ as priest forever.

Verse 23 and 24. The former priests were many in number, but they were prevented by death from continuing in office. That's pretty straightforward. Any of them live forever? They didn't. Okay. 24, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever.

Y'all might remember that Jesus came back from the dead. Aaron's descendants did not. Jesus did. He beat death. They didn't. Okay, so his priesthood goes on forever. He is never replaced.

He never goes away. This is that promise to us in the new covenant when Jesus said what? And lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age. I am the best, most wonderful high priest you've ever had, because unlike the ones that keep dying off or getting so sick or go through Alzheimer's or don't know what's going on, unlike all of them, I am your high priest.

I have redeemed you and I'll never leave you. I'm always with you. It's a better covenant.

It's a better high priest. And then he says, what are the consequences of this in 25? priest and then he says what are the consequences of this in 25 he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to god through him since he underline this always lives to make intercession for them now i want you to think about that how many times and i know we're just human beings, we just can't stand it.

We're just made to worship, and we will find ourselves, and by the way, it's not the fault, it can be in some cases.

Whatever you call your shepherd, some of you say, well, we are actually calling ours a priest.

Okay. We call ours a minister. We call ours a pastor or whatever. Whoever this person is in your congregation of whatever church you attend in the new covenant, we many times find ourselves being disappointed with the fact that they don't seem to make us the priority we wish they would.

Of course, we can't for some reason reason out that they have responsibility to thousands of people, but we always think that they should be giving us more attention.

I don't know why that they sent somebody else to the hospital. He didn't come, and he didn't care about me.

And then what else happens? They get old. They get feeble. They leave. They die.

And so what we need to understand is that all they are is representatives of the ultimate they are not it they are simply working for him okay he's the focus not them he's the focus he's the one that does it perfectly he's the one like like when we first did the very first curriculum that we ever did with the manchurch.com it was just so logical how to be a man here's an idea why don't we emulate when god became a man since he did it right we need to get that same mindset on who really is Lord of the church, who really is the shepherd of the church. It's Jesus. And you're going to find flaws with human beings, but you're not going to find a flaw with him. Like we said about all of us, when people understand those of us that have been redeemed in the new covenant. All we are is a bunch of beggars trying to show you where the bread is.

He's the big, the only thing good about anybody who's redeemed is Jesus. Well, he's the only thing good about any minister, any pastor, anyone.

And if they're not with him, then you better find somebody else because this is the point he's making.

Jesus never stops interceding for us. I got news for you. Human beings will.

I'll raise my hand right now. And I've really made some very, very intentional moves in my life to correct this, to minimize it, but I still ain't got it right. There's some of you in this room that have asked me to pray for you, and I haven't.

I just haven't. I forgot. I try to remember, but I'm flawed. So sometimes I don't intercede for you. Jesus does.

The person that's the closest to you, that you think gets it mostly right, I promise you they don't intercede for you all the time. They can't. They're human. They're flawed. The best of intentions. Do y'all really think that I can pray for every single person that wants me to pray for them? I'm too flawed for that. I can't remember it all. Even if I write it down. So y'all probably do what I do. I'll tell the Lord and everybody that you know asked me to pray for them and I can't remember who it was. Will you please take care of that too? Right? I mean, we mean well.

I'm not saying we're bad. We do it to be mean or uncaring. I honestly love y'all and I honestly care about you and I'm moved by, you know, today this encouragement y'all have given me. I love every one of you and I do mean to pray for all of you but i don't i forget sometimes and and and what he's saying is there's no nothing like this in jesus he never stops interceding for us i hope that brings you comfort today he never stops interceding. And then he goes on to say this in 26.

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, look at this, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

He said, I know there's a lot of talk out there about consecrated people but let me tell you something there's only one that's truly consecrated and that's jesus there's not i don't care what people may say about somebody who's the earthly incarnation of god that's hogwash. There ain't nothing perfect about any human being. I don't care who he is. And what he's saying is, if you want a truly holy, unstained, sinless, consecrated priest, you find that only in Jesus. Nobody has achieved the standard that he has achieved.

You know what I love about this? We've all seen it. How many of you, well, that's okay because we're not going to say names.

How many of you have been burned by somebody that acted like they represented Jesus?

My hands up. Everybody's hand up? Yeah. You know what he's saying? No evil fakes. Not with Jesus. You're never going to hear that Jesus was not living out what you were told he was.

He's going to be perfect. He's going to be sinless. He's going to be holy. He's going to meet the standard. Nobody else does. And certainly the sons of Aaron didn't.