1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,080 We continue our sermon series, Simply Irresistible, where we are just shy of halfway through. 2 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,520 We are looking at an interesting group of texts today. 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:16,540 We'll be in Hebrews 4, we'll be in Psalms, we'll be in Hebrews 7. 4 00:00:16,540 --> 00:00:24,680 As we look at a pretty unique, and for a lot of us, we just kind of blow past some of this, 5 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:29,200 especially in the Old Testament, when it comes to this person of Melchizedek, as again, we 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:34,800 continue the sermon series on Simply Irresistible, the irresistibleness of Christ, as we every 7 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:42,600 week have looked at, hopefully, adequately, as why Jesus reigns supreme, why He is better, 8 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:49,640 why He is reliable, having the evidence in not only Scripture, but in history. 9 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:56,080 And as we've seen the writer of Hebrews write in such a way, as he is putting Jesus on this 10 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,080 pedestal that Jesus should be on in all of our lives. 11 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:07,200 But the question I posed very early on, the best version of yourself, or if someone were 12 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,200 to ask, who are you when you're at your best? 13 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:15,200 If we think about it, it's kind of an odd question, but it's something that we get asked 14 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:19,360 all the time, something that the culture asks us, right? 15 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,420 What does it take for it to be the best version of yourself? 16 00:01:23,420 --> 00:01:28,600 Any brave souls that want to share kind of what thoughts or feelings come to mind when 17 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:30,040 you get asked that question? 18 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:32,360 Up in the balcony, Tina. 19 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:33,840 Gratitude, okay? 20 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,760 The best version of yourself is when maybe you're sitting in a place of Thanksgiving. 21 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:44,440 Now, we're not talking the holiday, but having gratitude for D, all of the above, absolutely. 22 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,440 Others, Nikki. 23 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:47,640 Efficient. 24 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,680 So the best version of Nikki is an efficient version of Nikki. 25 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,040 Okay, absolutely, sure. 26 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:56,040 Yeah, in the back. 27 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:02,240 When I'm doing something for others, more of a giving spirit, okay? 28 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:03,240 Absolutely. 29 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,240 Yeah, anyone else? 30 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,200 Humility, right? 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,400 So when I'm finding myself in more of a humble place, right? 32 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,720 Not saying I'm the most humble of all people, right? 33 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:16,800 Because that's usually not that. 34 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:21,160 But that's, ooh, Jesse. 35 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:22,960 There's an underlying thing there. 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,920 The best version of myself is a humble self. 37 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:29,080 We're going to talk about that at the farm today, or this week, not today. 38 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:30,320 I'm not coming over today. 39 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,040 But this week, when I go to the farm, we're going to talk about that. 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,040 So I hand over here. 41 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:36,360 Yeah. 42 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,320 Being happy and productive, okay? 43 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:45,680 Sensing a theme, Jesse's aside, because that one wrecked my week, thank you. 44 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:46,680 Anyone else? 45 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,600 In the back, too. 46 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,160 Anytime I'm hanging with kids, right? 47 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,880 Spoken from someone who directs an entire youth baseball league. 48 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:57,260 Absolutely, yes. 49 00:02:57,260 --> 00:02:59,280 And those are kids with bats. 50 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:00,280 Yeah. 51 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,880 Yeah, Jim, in the back. 52 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,560 Oh, he's pointing to her. 53 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:07,720 Oh, okay. 54 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:08,720 Anyone else? 55 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:09,720 Yeah. 56 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:10,720 Love? 57 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:11,720 Yeah. 58 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,840 When I'm in a loving place, absolutely. 59 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:15,280 We'll go two more. 60 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,360 In the back. 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,800 Best version of yourself is when you're visiting someone in the hospital. 62 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,200 Yes. 63 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:25,560 Anyone else? 64 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:27,760 You guys, hook, line, and sinker. 65 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,440 You guys did exactly what I was hoping you were going to do, and that is great. 66 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:33,360 Yes, Alicia? 67 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,680 Having kids, what did you say? 68 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:37,760 Oh, okay. 69 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,040 The best version, never mind. 70 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:40,040 Okay, what did you say? 71 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,040 Christ-like? 72 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:42,040 Absolutely, yeah. 73 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:43,040 Yeah. 74 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:44,040 Christ-like. 75 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,600 If you're here this morning and you want to know why everyone laughed when I said having 76 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:53,840 kids, just see who all stands up when the Schleichers leave, and you'll make more sense. 77 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,900 You all went to really positive things. 78 00:03:56,900 --> 00:04:02,880 You all went to doing something or having a state of mind that was positive. 79 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:07,480 No one said the best version of myself is when I'm depressed. 80 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,760 The best version of myself is when I'm lazy. 81 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:14,840 The best version of myself is when I hold on to these negative thoughts about people. 82 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:22,840 Yet, if I were to press a little bit in a conversation one-on-one, I would ask, well, 83 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:25,840 then why don't you do that all the time? 84 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:31,400 If that's the best version of yourself, why don't you do that all the time? 85 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:32,400 Ron, you know I love you. 86 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,400 Why aren't you at the hospital all the time? 87 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:35,560 Because Chris wouldn't let you. 88 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:36,560 I get it. 89 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:37,800 I get it. 90 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:45,280 But is that if we think about it, okay, the best version of myself, no one said is right 91 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:46,280 now. 92 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:51,920 Now, I won't take that personally, but none of you said the right now. 93 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:58,120 10.01 on October 8th, 2023 is the best version of myself. 94 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:05,840 You all went to a different time, a different place, a different characteristic of yourself. 95 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:11,640 And if I were to ask, is that achievable 51% of the time during your weeks, I wonder what 96 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,680 kind of hands would be raised. 97 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,680 But you all went into reflection mode, which is good, it's a reflective question, that 98 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:26,000 the best version of myself, no one said is being a daughter or son of the king. 99 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,820 No one said being a Christian. 100 00:05:28,820 --> 00:05:33,360 No one said being a member of Munster Church. 101 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:38,080 And there are things that we look at, being productive or being efficient, being happy 102 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:44,360 and productive, that, okay, the best version of me comes out when these things are happening. 103 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:50,280 So then why aren't you like that all the time? 104 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:54,360 Because I know a lot of you that answered, you're not like that all the time. 105 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:55,360 Right? 106 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,920 And Jesse, you know I love you. 107 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:01,520 Jesse's not humble all the time. 108 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:03,000 None of us are. 109 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,480 Humility is hard. 110 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:11,960 Now, we hope to give off a humble spirit, but there are times that we have those thoughts, 111 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,200 like man, I'm better than them. 112 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:20,760 Now, we probably never say it out loud, you know, we probably never put it out on the 113 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:28,360 interwebs, but we think that, that we all struggle at times to be the best version of 114 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:29,680 self. 115 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:35,480 When people come into my office, it's rarely, they're on the spiritual high, they're giving 116 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:40,240 all their money to the poor, and they are just living a John the Baptist life. 117 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:45,280 I rarely see that in my office. 118 00:06:45,280 --> 00:06:53,000 But the best version of self, if we're not engaging that through the lens of Christ, 119 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,440 then we're probably not doing it right. 120 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,600 And for some of you, that might be, you know, because of my faith in Christ, I could see 121 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:06,520 Ron saying, that's why I go visit people when they're sick in the hospital. 122 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,120 But non-Christians can do that too, right? 123 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:12,360 Being efficient, right? 124 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:18,640 I'm efficient because Christ is in me and that is what I like to do. 125 00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:22,920 But and you'll receive this well, sometimes Christ says, Nikki, rest. 126 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,880 Nikki, stop. 127 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,440 Stop moving, stop running, stop talking, right? 128 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:30,400 Because he says the same thing to me, right? 129 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,120 I'm owning that one as well. 130 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,600 I think my wife just shook her head, amen. 131 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:41,960 But understand that who we are, the best version of self comes from Christ. 132 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,680 And some of you are looking at me like, you said Melchizedek, when are we getting there? 133 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:53,840 This is how we set up the understanding of who or what Melchizedek is. 134 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,160 That we have this individual in the Old Testament, right? 135 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:03,320 So let's jump to Hebrews 4, starting with verse 14, where we're talking about this level. 136 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:08,320 Now, the writer of Hebrews is talking about Jesus being better than the high priests. 137 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:13,120 The high priests had an amazing place in the temple, right? 138 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:18,760 The high priests were seen as the religious authorities of their day. 139 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:23,480 They were, some seem kind of in cahoots with Rome, but really there was a lot of tension 140 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,280 between the high priests, right? 141 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:31,400 The Pharisees, the Sadducees with Rome, because it had to do with spiritual power. 142 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:35,320 The Romans could care less about what the Christians, or what, not Christians, the Jews 143 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,160 were doing as long as they paid taxes. 144 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:43,520 So you had this religious system that was getting a part of that. 145 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:44,520 It was corrupt. 146 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:45,960 They were getting the money, right? 147 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:47,320 The Romans were getting the money. 148 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:53,000 They were kind of like, the temple was somewhat giving their tithes or their taxes to Rome 149 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,680 for protection, but there's that constant struggle, right? 150 00:08:56,680 --> 00:09:01,520 If you've ever loaned somebody 20 bucks and you were only 50% sure you were going to get 151 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:05,680 that back, is there not a tension there, right? 152 00:09:05,680 --> 00:09:10,240 Especially when you guys go out to eat and then they don't offer to pay, and they're 153 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,920 like, but I only ordered $15 worth. 154 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:13,920 You owe me 20. 155 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:18,360 Like, not only should you pay for my meal, you should give me $5, right? 156 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:19,520 There's that tension there. 157 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:24,620 The same kind of was happening between the church and Rome in the first century. 158 00:09:24,620 --> 00:09:30,820 So the high priest, the writer of Hebrews, needed to make sure that they spent some time 159 00:09:30,820 --> 00:09:37,520 with talking about Jesus as not only the high priest, but the highest of all priests, and 160 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:38,520 we'll get to why. 161 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:43,440 Hebrews 4, since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, 162 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:45,280 Jesus the son of God. 163 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:50,960 Let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize 164 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:58,920 with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 165 00:09:58,920 --> 00:09:59,920 Remember that. 166 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:05,160 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy 167 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,900 and find grace to help in time of need. 168 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:14,400 For every high priest chosen among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation 169 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:19,360 to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. 170 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:26,280 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 171 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:31,700 Because of this, he is obliged to offer sacrifice for his own sins, just as he does for those 172 00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:32,920 of people. 173 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:40,160 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 174 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:44,120 So Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest. 175 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:50,360 He was appointed by him who said to him, you are my son, today I have begotten you. 176 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:57,800 As he says also in another place, you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. 177 00:10:57,800 --> 00:11:01,640 Now in scripture, you have these things called archetypes. 178 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:09,180 So these are imagery, these are phraseology, this is maybe a story or some aspect of a 179 00:11:09,180 --> 00:11:16,920 story that points us to the archetype of Christ, good reformed scholarship, everything in scripture 180 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:24,120 accomplishes what it sets out to do and points everything to the person of Jesus. 181 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:30,200 You can buy books on Amazon that talk about all the different books of the Bible pointing 182 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:31,200 to Jesus. 183 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:39,440 That Jesus is the grand hoopla of the narrative that is all of scripture. 184 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,760 You have situations where Moses, right, with the iron snake holding it up on the pole in 185 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:49,000 the desert to heal the diseased and the complaining Israelites. 186 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:55,040 That is an archetype of Christ, that Christ, right, will be put on a stick, will be put 187 00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:00,400 on wood, on a cross, that all who lay eyes on him would not be quote unquote healed like 188 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:07,040 they were with Moses, but they will be freed from sin because of his death and his resurrection. 189 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:09,520 There are these archetypes of Christ. 190 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:14,520 You see an archetype of when Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends on him like a 191 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:21,720 dove that he is bringing peace through the baptism of fire like John the Baptist prophesies 192 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,000 about. 193 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:28,040 When you see Jesus coming in to the roads of Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, we've 194 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:29,200 talked about that. 195 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:35,840 It was not a statement of war, but it was a statement of conquering through peace. 196 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:40,320 That you see all these different archetypes, these are different than prophecies about 197 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:46,320 Jesus because these are kind of more specific imagery, if you will, that point to the person 198 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:47,640 of Jesus. 199 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:53,360 But one area that Jesus fulfills not only in the Old Testament, New Testament, and our 200 00:12:53,360 --> 00:13:01,400 lives today is this idea of being the perfect prophet, priest, and king. 201 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,280 That that was the Messiah. 202 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:11,000 That the Messiah, capital M, the guy, the Messiah was going to come and fulfill all 203 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:17,360 of those roles that we see somewhat grouped together in the narrative of the Old Testament. 204 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:22,200 You have your prophets, you have your major prophets and your minor prophets. 205 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:28,040 Anyone know why prophets got the title major or minor for a cup of coffee and a conversation 206 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,040 with Pastor Jim? 207 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:31,880 What? 208 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:32,880 More writing. 209 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:33,880 So you're saying bigger books? 210 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:34,880 Absolutely. 211 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,000 Mr. Mack, you and I, we'll do coffee. 212 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,480 It's nothing really big, nothing super spiritual. 213 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:41,640 They just had a bigger letter than the other ones. 214 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:43,400 I know some of you are like, oh, I've got to go deep. 215 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:44,400 It's a deep question. 216 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,140 It's not. 217 00:13:46,140 --> 00:13:49,880 But major or minor prophets pointing to the person of Jesus. 218 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,120 Isaiah prophesying about Jesus. 219 00:13:53,120 --> 00:14:00,040 And the government will be upon his shoulders and he will be called wonderful, almighty, 220 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:05,000 everlasting, prince of, when do we sing that? 221 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:06,200 Christmas. 222 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:07,200 Very good. 223 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,440 But that's the prophecy of Isaiah. 224 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:15,660 You have Jeremiah, stand and look at the ancient paths where the good way is. 225 00:14:15,660 --> 00:14:23,200 Follow it and find rest for your souls that Jesus is the messianic prophecy for our lives. 226 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,440 Then those little minor prophets, right? 227 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:32,680 Smaller books that talk about, oh, Bethlehem, pointing to his birth. 228 00:14:32,680 --> 00:14:39,000 That these archetypes and prophecies of Christ really set a foundation as to why Jesus is 229 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,440 greater. 230 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,320 The biggest one is Jesus, the new Adam. 231 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:45,320 Right? 232 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:50,040 Because the old Adam, and here at Monster Church we believe in historical Adam. 233 00:14:50,040 --> 00:14:51,880 That Adam and Eve lived. 234 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:53,880 Adam and Eve were in the garden together. 235 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,120 They were duped by the snake. 236 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:57,800 Sin entered the world. 237 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:03,280 And just as it says, through one man brought death, Adam, the second Adam, Christ brings 238 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:05,240 life. 239 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,240 Eternal life. 240 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,760 But then we got this guy. 241 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:10,920 We got this guy. 242 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,560 We see it in Psalm 110. 243 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:19,160 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever after the order 244 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:22,040 of Melchizedek. 245 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:29,080 That there's this one story that we see where this guy shows up, right, named Melchizedek 246 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,120 and has an interaction with Abraham. 247 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:39,180 And then we don't see him again, yet in Hebrews, three different chapters talk about this. 248 00:15:39,180 --> 00:15:44,480 And if this is, the writer of Hebrews showing us, this is why Jesus is the great high priest 249 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:45,480 forever. 250 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:50,080 No other priests, high or otherwise, are better than Jesus. 251 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:57,160 He is the high priest because he conquered, or he fulfilled the religious system of the 252 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:59,240 atonement sacrifice. 253 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:00,240 Right? 254 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:08,280 Jesus died on the cross, imputed his righteousness onto us so we don't have to spin our wheels 255 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,240 trying to work our way into heaven. 256 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,920 We don't have to try to, you know, notches on our belt and say, well, I had, I did a 257 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:20,960 trunk for 20 years at Munster Church so I'm going to get to heaven. 258 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:21,960 No. 259 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:26,800 That his righteousness was laid on us so God sees that and sees the son. 260 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,920 The priest was that. 261 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,080 And we saw in the beginning set of scriptures, the priest, right? 262 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:38,240 In the order of Aaron, the Levites, the priest, they had to make sacrifices for themselves. 263 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:44,920 So they had to make sacrifices for their own sin. 264 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:53,120 Jesus, the perfect priest and sacrifice, were for the sin of all of us. 265 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,360 That is good news this morning. 266 00:16:55,360 --> 00:17:01,320 That the perfect sacrifice died for you and for me so we can be forgiven of our sins. 267 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,960 Spoiler, that's the gospel. 268 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,960 That Jesus died for you out of love for you. 269 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:15,560 I love you regardless of what you've done but go and sin no more. 270 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:20,360 The sins that were, the sins that are, the sins that will be, the great priest sacrifices 271 00:17:20,360 --> 00:17:23,400 himself for you. 272 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:30,760 But this Melchizedek thing, let's dive into it. 273 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,040 And so, April, I think this is our longer text, right? 274 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:34,160 One through seven. 275 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:39,380 For this, Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham returning 276 00:17:39,380 --> 00:17:42,680 from his slaughter of the kings and blessed him. 277 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:48,360 And him, Abraham, appropriated a tenth part of everything. 278 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:53,480 He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness. 279 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:56,520 And then he is also the king of Salem, which is the king of peace. 280 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:57,520 Hold it. 281 00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:58,520 Go back. 282 00:17:58,520 --> 00:17:59,520 Go back. 283 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,700 There you go. 284 00:18:02,700 --> 00:18:08,040 So not only the king of righteousness but the king of peace, okay? 285 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,740 So that's a big deal. 286 00:18:09,740 --> 00:18:11,040 So we have this king. 287 00:18:11,040 --> 00:18:13,080 He does some conquering. 288 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:14,920 He meets with Abraham. 289 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:15,920 Let's keep going. 290 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,020 I don't want to give it away yet. 291 00:18:18,020 --> 00:18:19,020 King of peace. 292 00:18:19,020 --> 00:18:24,540 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of 293 00:18:24,540 --> 00:18:31,340 life but resembling the son of God, he continues a priest forever. 294 00:18:31,340 --> 00:18:36,880 See how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, right, who 295 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:43,800 the writer of Hebrews is writing, gave a tenth of his spoils and those descendants of Levi 296 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:50,120 who received the priestly office as a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, 297 00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:56,540 that is, from their brothers, though these are also descended from Abraham. 298 00:18:56,540 --> 00:19:03,520 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and 299 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,820 blessed him who had the promises. 300 00:19:07,820 --> 00:19:13,920 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 301 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:17,960 Can you put that last slide up, April? 302 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:22,440 So you have this situation with Abraham and this king, right? 303 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:28,200 So Abraham just conquered over Charlamander and he has all, he's got a bounty. 304 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,740 When you take over a people, you get everything. 305 00:19:31,740 --> 00:19:33,840 Nothing that is worthy of value is left. 306 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:35,140 You get everything. 307 00:19:35,140 --> 00:19:42,680 He meets Melchizedek and offers a tithe. 308 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,680 Growing up, how were you taught about tithing? 309 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,540 And no, this isn't going to be a money grab, don't worry about it. 310 00:19:48,540 --> 00:19:50,400 How were you taught about tithing? 311 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:51,400 10%. 312 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,240 All right, what others? 313 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:55,240 What other things? 314 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:57,680 Maybe it was that simple, but I know it's not. 315 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:03,440 What else did we learn about tithing? 316 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,360 That God gets everything, right? 317 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:08,320 Say that last part. 318 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:09,960 He gave us everything, right? 319 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:16,600 A flip side of that, Kathy, right, is everything belongs to him, but he gives us 90% back, right? 320 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,240 Okay, someone over here. 321 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,520 The first fruits, yeah, right? 322 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:30,040 So when we do that, right, if we were in first century time and we were at, Smedberg said 323 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:35,720 in some kind of Jewish way, that was terrible, but we were at their farm, right, and they 324 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:41,160 were giving their offering, they would take their first row of whatever it is and the 325 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:46,440 good stuff, not the stuff that was rotten, not the stuff that didn't make the last storm 326 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,560 and say, that'll be our tithe. 327 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:52,760 No, they give the good stuff and they tithe to it. 328 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,360 So a tenth, right? 329 00:20:55,360 --> 00:21:00,560 Anyone ever hear we give of our time, talents, and treasures, right? 330 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,360 All of my deacons should be shaking their head. 331 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:03,640 Yes, you have heard of that. 332 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,600 That that is how we can give of that. 333 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:11,840 One of the biggest questions is, but pastor, I can't give 10%. 334 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:12,840 Okay. 335 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:16,280 Like, I don't know what you want me to say. 336 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:20,280 You give as God has given to you, so you give. 337 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:22,760 Just as God has forgiven you, you also forgive. 338 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:30,760 So this idea of tithing, this idea of 10% has not been established yet. 339 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,200 This system has not been established, right? 340 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,360 The Levitical code was still getting figured out. 341 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:42,320 This understanding of sacrifice, this understanding of when to do it, the day of atonement, all 342 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,600 of those things are still being figured out, but our great, great, great, great, great, 343 00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:54,920 great grandfather of the faith, Abraham, recognizes something in Melchizedek and makes it very 344 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:55,920 holy. 345 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,920 And he tithes. 346 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,080 Melchizedek didn't demand it, right? 347 00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:09,040 How do you think that would go if every Sunday we had our offering, but the deacons just 348 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:15,640 stood up there and said, it would be super awkward, right? 349 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,840 I don't think we'd ever have anyone want to be a deacon ever again, because that takes 350 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,320 metal to stand up and just point. 351 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:26,720 Now, Melchizedek didn't do that, right? 352 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:33,480 Something was recognized by Abraham, and this is someone that God conversed with. 353 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:42,600 He went to Abraham and had conversations, yet he recognizes the holy in Melchizedek 354 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:51,840 and says, of all of this, I tithe, I give, I offer this to you, and Melchizedek blesses 355 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:52,840 him. 356 00:22:52,840 --> 00:23:00,520 But, remember, this is a prophet, this is a priest and a king, so this is an archetype 357 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:02,760 of Christ. 358 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:07,880 It is poor theology to say, well, Melchizedek was Jesus. 359 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,200 I understand where you're going with that, but you can't necessarily do that, because 360 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,840 scripture doesn't go that far. 361 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:20,800 Yet in Hebrews, right, in this Heroes of the Faith, which we'll get to in two weeks, he 362 00:23:20,800 --> 00:23:27,400 gets lauded as just like this, but Jesus is better. 363 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:28,840 So where do we draw from this? 364 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:32,120 What do we do with this? 365 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:39,280 In that last sentence, it is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 366 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:48,480 I don't know about you, but Abraham was held as the superior in Israelite conversation, 367 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:50,080 right? 368 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:56,340 The people of God, they're from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that he was from the start. 369 00:23:56,340 --> 00:23:59,040 He was never left out. 370 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,560 We sing a song about Abraham, don't we? 371 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,080 Father Abraham and many sons. 372 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,320 Right, let's just stop. 373 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,120 We don't have to keep going. 374 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:15,320 I said stop. 375 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:19,520 But Abraham holds a place. 376 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:25,400 Abraham in a lot of ways can be the best version of ourselves. 377 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:29,680 But if we think about the life of faith, the journey that Abraham had with Yahweh, the 378 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:36,840 ups, the downs, the inside and out, that Abraham was counted as holy and God used him as imperfect 379 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:45,560 and as dirty as he was, he was still used by God. 380 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:52,480 And not only does Abraham tithe to Melchizedek, Melchizedek blesses him. 381 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:55,080 He doesn't just take it and run. 382 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,000 This is a king. 383 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,720 Abraham wasn't a king, yet he recognized his kingship. 384 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:07,120 He recognized his lordship and so does the writer of Hebrews. 385 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:09,740 So what do we do with Melchizedek? 386 00:25:09,740 --> 00:25:10,740 What do we do? 387 00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:17,040 How do we understand this individual in our lives? 388 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:21,560 Is what he tells us about the priesthood of Christ. 389 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:27,400 That this priesthood then, the temple was a national thing. 390 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,840 It was the national religion. 391 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:35,360 It's like when Constantine became emperor in Rome, Christianity became the national 392 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:36,580 religion. 393 00:25:36,580 --> 00:25:41,760 They went to all the temples, to all the Roman gods, slapped a cross on it and made it a 394 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:42,760 church. 395 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:44,760 That was the national religion. 396 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:51,040 Had nothing to do with the relationship with Jesus, but had everything to do with national 397 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:52,040 bow down. 398 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:56,280 I'm the emperor of Rome, now we're going to move it, we're going to go to Constantinople. 399 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:59,280 Everyone's going to be Christians. 400 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:00,880 That's not how Christianity works. 401 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:05,040 That's not how Jesus works. 402 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:12,080 The priesthood that Melchizedek shows us is that Jesus' priesthood is universal, not national. 403 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,560 It's not tied to any specific country. 404 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,000 It's not tied to any specific group. 405 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:25,040 That Jesus is above all of that, all of the crowns are paper mache to Jesus' that everybody, 406 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:31,400 every leader, every elected official, every person sitting in a pew or a chair will all 407 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,420 bow down at the name of Jesus one day. 408 00:26:35,420 --> 00:26:41,000 The priesthood of Jesus is universal and personal, not national. 409 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,840 Melchizedek's priesthood was royal. 410 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:49,000 He himself was a king, as we have talked about. 411 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:53,280 We look at Psalm 132, for the Lord has chosen Zion, Jerusalem. 412 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:55,720 He has desired it for his habitation. 413 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,920 This is my resting place forever. 414 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,880 Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. 415 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:09,600 That Jesus, what we can pull as the archetype of Christ is that Jesus is the royal priesthood. 416 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:17,920 We do prophet, priest, and king so he can connect to every part of who we are. 417 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:21,560 We're always looking for someone to follow. 418 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,840 We always are looking for someone to critique as a leader. 419 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,960 We're always looking for someone, oh, we've got to vote in the best person, or we've got 420 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:30,840 to vote, all this, that, and the other thing. 421 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,640 We've got elections coming up in Munster. 422 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,200 That's why you see signs all over the place. 423 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:38,200 You see debates. 424 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:39,200 You see winning. 425 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:40,200 You see losing. 426 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:41,200 You see sore winners. 427 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:42,200 You see sore losers. 428 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,920 Thank God Jesus didn't come up through that system. 429 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:50,080 We wouldn't know what to do. 430 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:52,280 Jesus is royal. 431 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:53,800 Elected officials are not royal. 432 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,280 They're elected. 433 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:00,400 Jesus is the high priest. 434 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:06,060 I love that Melchizedek does not have, he does not have a lineage. 435 00:28:06,060 --> 00:28:08,560 That's a big deal. 436 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:10,280 That Jesus has no lineage. 437 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:14,000 His priesthood is personal to us. 438 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:19,280 It's an understanding that there is a king that loves you, that wants you to be a part 439 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,480 of his kingdom. 440 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,000 He is telling us that the kingdom of God is personal. 441 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:27,000 The kingdom of God is active. 442 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:33,640 The kingdom of God welcomes sinners like you and me. 443 00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:39,600 That the king is working in the kingdom. 444 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:45,520 And the last thing is the tithe and the blessing. 445 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,600 That we talk about tithing as in money. 446 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:52,160 We talk about tithing as in time, talents, or treasures. 447 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,480 Treasure is just a church fancy word for money. 448 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:59,840 That's not what Jesus wants first and foremost. 449 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:03,960 And he doesn't want a tithe of your life. 450 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:06,600 Alright I'll give 10% of my life to Jesus. 451 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:11,480 Well friend if that's the case, what is the 90% going to? 452 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:18,480 Because it's not of Jesus that it's not going to be the best version of you. 453 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:27,200 That first and foremost Jesus wants everything, always, all the time, 100%. 454 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:36,120 And that this is a king that demands that you give up your life. 455 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,520 That you die to the things you think, you die to the things that you believe you need, 456 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:43,680 that you die to the things and the successes that you've had. 457 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:48,600 That if you are putting those before Jesus, if you're allowing those to define who you 458 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:56,720 are and not this king, this priest, this prophet of Jesus, then you are given 10% because you're 459 00:29:56,720 --> 00:29:58,720 keeping the other 90% for yourself. 460 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:02,440 That's not how that works. 461 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:08,320 Go to that last slide of the last section. 462 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:14,160 It is beyond dispute the inferior is blessed by the superior. 463 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:19,880 So friend how do you receive the blessings of God? 464 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:28,880 You lay down all that you have, all that you are at the foot of the cross. 465 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:34,120 To the royal high priest forever. 466 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:39,720 Last point, all kings lived and died. 467 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,880 All prophets lived and died. 468 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,960 All priests lived and died. 469 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:54,960 That's formal chesedec, but if he is pointing us to Christ, then when a king dies his reign 470 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,960 is over. 471 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:03,080 Jesus' reign is never going to be over. 472 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:06,040 And we get to be a part of that reign on this earth. 473 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:07,040 One day we'll be there. 474 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:15,220 One day we will see it, we will experience it, and we will be in kingdom and glory forever. 475 00:31:15,220 --> 00:31:18,880 But until that time you are part of the kingdom now. 476 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:23,000 The kingdom of God at work here at 214 Ridge Road. 477 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:28,000 The kingdom of God at work at whatever your address is. 478 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,800 So what kingdom are you showing? 479 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:33,680 Are you showing a kingdom that lasts forever? 480 00:31:33,680 --> 00:31:37,760 Are you showing a kingdom that pines after all these other things? 481 00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:43,440 Because if we are pining, if we are following, if we are wanting to show a kingdom that lasts 482 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:49,760 forever, I'm pretty sure that is the best version of ourselves on this earth.