Services | Jesus’ Priesthood Is Superior

Bulletin

FBCWest
October 3, 2021

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him.
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”

Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – Deuteronomy 6:4 & 5
“Battle Belongs”
“God so Loved”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Jesus’ Priesthood Is Superior”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“The Stand”


Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
“Come Thou Fount”
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate

Continued Praise and Worship
“Great Things”
“Draw Me Close”

Benediction “Egypt”


Acknowledgements and Announcements


Sermon Notes
Hebrews 7:11 Perfection cannot be obtained through the Levitical priesthood
Hebrews 7:12 When priesthood is changed, so is the law
Hebrews 7:13 & 14 Jesus was a descendant of Judah not Levi
Hebrews 7:15 – 17 New priesthood not based on birth but on an indestructible life
Hebrews 7:18 & 19 Law was weak and ineffective. It made nothing perfect, but the new brings a better hope, which allows us to draw near to God
Hebrews 7:20 & 21 New priesthood based upon an oath by God
Hebrews 7:22 Jesus guarantees that better covenant
Hebrews 7:23 – 25 Jesus’ priesthood superior because Levitical priest died – Jesus lives forever, it is permanent- He saves forever
Hebrews 7:26 – 28 Jesus is a superior priest because He is perfect and sinless

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Previously when we spoke we, the writer.

Had been saying, you know, there's so much about the high priesthood of Melchizedek I I want to share with you, but you're just not able to deal with it. And and he gave some warnings and some instructions. And then he's kind of returned back and I think he's talking more about Melchizedek because one I think he's optimistic that we'll get it, but I don't think he's given us everything because.

The the readers aren't quite ready to handle it yet. They're not mature enough and so, but he's honest, said OK, now I want to talk to you about my cosmetics and more. And last time what we basically just kind of. Sum it up was that.

Melchizedek was a shadow of of what Christ would be and that.

The Melchizedek priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood because of priority that Melchizedek blessed Abraham.

Levi hadn't even been born yet, and the greater blessings that now he's going to turn and talk about why the Melchizedek priesthood is superior, and he's going to say basically because of effectiveness that the Melchizedek priesthood is much more effective than the Levitical priesthood. So looking at verse 11, it says now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood for on the basis of it, the people receive the law. What further need?

Was there for another priest to arise according to the Order of Melchizedek?

So he's saying OK at the Levitical priesthood.

Was so great.

Then God didn't need to make another priesthood. He could have just dealt with that one.

But apparently, and he's going to give us the answers why the the vertical priesthood wasn't.

Sufficient, and that's why the another priest had to arise.

And not be designated according to the Order of Aaron.

For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity, there takes place a change of law also.

For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belong to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.

Or it is evident that our Lord was the Senate from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke, nothing concerning priests, so he says.

When there is a change in the priesthood.

There is a change in the law because the Levitical priesthood is based on the.

Old covenant if you will, and once that priesthood is going to be replaced then that old covenant needs to be replaced as well. So this is one of the implications that we're no longer subject to the old law because it is.

A part of the Levitical priesthood. And now we're a part of the Melchizedek priesthood. So he says, there's a change in priesthood. So now there needs to be a change in the law and he's and he goes on to say Jesus was never a part of the tribe of Levi. He was from the tribe of Judah who was.

Prophesied to be the Messiah and so.

His priesthood is not going to be based on the old law, but on.

Something else.

And he says, no, I'm not and they sent.

I don't have an argument Jesus was born to the tribe of Judah.

And this is clear. Still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, has become such, not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

So Jesus is priesthood is not based on the Levitical priest. It's not based on the law, it's based on the fact that he has an indestructible life.

He was crucified. He was buried in. He rose again on the third day to always live, and so his priesthood is going to be better and greater because he doesn't die. His priesthood is not based on physical requirements, but on the fact that he is indestructible.

And I'm going to.

Talk a little bit more that in a little while.

Ford is attested of him. You are a priest forever.

According to the Order of Melchizedek.

This is important.

Jesus as our high priest is not our high priest.

On this earth only.

He will always be and forever our high priest.

For the word of God has so declared it, and God has sworn it so.

Which again, I've shared this before and I want to come back to it because it's important so many people will say, well, you know, you really can't trust the Bible because of this and that, and it's written in old man and and it's not really the word of God.

A little passage of a few verses.

Talked about Melchizedek.

Blessing Abraham.

So short and insignificant, because Abraham is the big.

Person that we read about that it's easy to pass on. And then the writer. I believe it's David of Asom

who the writer of Hebrews is quoting.

Picks up on this and don't say that this Melchizedek priesthood God is going to swear and create an order based on him.

And then the writer of Hebrews is helping us to understand better about this.

So my answer to those who, well it's written by a bunch of men and whatever.

No, the scriptures were written by the Holy Spirit.

Used men to do so.

Men wouldn't say, oh Gee, here's here's a strange story that we're going to pick up a few centuries later. And then if another few centuries later, we'll talk about how important it is.

God.

Weaves his

plan throughout the scriptures.

It is the word of God.

For on the one hand, there is a setting, a sign of the former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness.

For the law made nothing perfect.

So this is the reason that we need a new priesthood.

It doesn't matter how many times you went to the priest and how many times he entered. The Holy of Holies. We were never made perfect.

We were only at best made.

Cognizant of our sinfulness and our separation from God. But it never made us strong and never made us perfect. The law was weak. The whole point of the law was not to make us perfect, but was to teach us we needed a savior.

So the little bit ikle priesthood needs to pass away because it didn't do what it needs to do to make us righteous.

It's useless, it makes nothing perfect, no matter how hard you work and try to follow all the law, you will fail.

And on the other hand, there is a bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God.

We have a better hope because we have a high priest who is there for us and he's going to explain again why that priesthood is better. But we have a better hope.

Because when the people came and offered sacrifices, whether it was on Passover or on the day of Atonement or during the rest of the year, they would place their hands on the sheeps or the goats and they would be slaughtered and there would be that substitution airy offering to understand that someone else is paying the price for my sin. But it never made you perfect.

We now have an offering Jesus, who suffered and died on a cross and rose again whose sacrifice is perfect that cleanses us from all sin.

Past, present and future.

What an offering. We have a better hope. It's not. Gee, I hope the high priest does what he's supposed to do and doesn't mess up in the Holy of Holies I'm. I'm hoping he does the right thing.

We have a high priest in Jesus that we have a better hope for that which allows us to draw near to God, which again was God's plan. Back in Exodus, God wanted his people to climb the mountain top and be with him and they got afraid because of the Thunder and the lightning in the clouds and they go Moses you go will stay here.

That would have been bad enough.

They should have taken the invitation and gone.

But they didn't.

But what they do? Instead, they decided to make a golden calf and worship it.

All too often when people missed the opportunity to draw near to God, they substituted for something worse.

Indestructible.

This better hope allows us to draw near to God.

And inasmuch as it was not without an oath, for they indeed because.

Became priest without an old, but with an oath through the one who said to him. The Lord has sworn, and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever.

So much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

You see, when it came to the high priest under the Levitical priest said it was assigned to you based on your family. Based on the fact that you were Levitical and then the Simon came and you and you took it. And then either because of your death or because of your age, you were then disqualified and somebody else had to be substituted in. You are limited by that physical requirements.

Under the Melchizedek form of the priesthood, God says you are a priest forever. I swear it.

And as we saw last time.

First off, God's War and he can't swear to anything above. Then himself, he's worked on himself, and it is also impossible for God to lie.

So it God can't lie and then he sword is gonna. So Gary guess what?

It's guaranteed.

God said it, that settles it.

And Jesus.

Because of his offering because of his priesthood.

Has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

You wanna know whether your saved Jesus guarantees it?

You want to know whether you can draw near to God. Jesus guarantees it. You wanna know whether he's gonna come again? Jesus guarantees it.

Isn't it interesting that we should be satisfied with God? Said it?

But God says, I said it, I guarantee it. And I'm going to give Jesus as a guarantee. And on top of that I'm gonna give the Holy Spirit as a pledge to show you that. I mean what I say.

And I think he does so because he's used to dealing with us.

He's going to tell us once he's got to tell us why she's gotta tell us three times. You gotta tell us four times he's gonna tell us five times. And then after the fifth time we go, what do you mean by that Lord? Then he tells us six times and seven times in, and then we go off and do our own thing. He knows who we are.

So he does everything he can to persuade us.

He's serious.

1st 23.

The former priest, on one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, became because he continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently.

I'm gonna tell you a story.

I guess it's called a religious fiction.

Didn't happen, not going to happen.

But because.

I don't think anybody in here is Jewish.

And maybe somebody is listening me is.

But even if you are.

It's been about 19140 years since there's been an offering done at the temple, so most people aren't familiar with the whole.

Sacrificial system, so I want to tell you a story.

That never happened.

I'm gonna use.

A young man by the name of Joseph.

And Joseph goes to the man who's going to be the next high priest.

And we'll call him Ali.

Spell like Eli but Ally because El means God so ally and he goes to Ally and says, Sir.

While you are the high priest, I will serve you.

When you make the sacrifices, I will wash and make sure that all the stains of the blood from the animals will be cleaned so that your rose will be perfectly clean. I will press them so that they're well done. I will wash them. I will do all those things to to make sure that when you present sacrifices that you are in the manner that you should be. I will serve you meals. I will do whatever you need.

To be done to make your life easier as you serve as high priests, I just have one request.

And that request is when you go on the day of atonement and you enter into the Holy of Holies first to make an offering for your sins. And then you're going to leave. And then you're going to come and make an offering for the sins of the people.

My request is that you say God be merciful to Joseph.

He means well.

He desires to follow you, but he understands that the heart is most desperately wicked and he seeks your mercy and forgiveness. And so when you're asking for the sins to be forgiven of the people I want as Joseph for you to mention my name as well.

Now I won't be in there, so I won't know that you do it or not. I will trust that you do it, but that's my request. And whether you do it or not, I will serve you all those years.

An ally says, OK, Joseph, I will, and Joseph dutifully serve him for several years and every year.

Ally goes and and into the Holy of Holies and does.

And then after several years.

Ally dies.

So Joseph goes, oh, I'm in trouble now.

'cause the person who is going in there to mediate for me has died.

So the new guy is named Samuel.

So he goes to Samuel and says makes the same offer.

In Samuel says number one, I don't know you, Joseph.

So no.

And number two, I'm really scared of God and I'm going to only be in there as short a time as I can. I'm going to go present the blood on the mercy seat for the mice in, and then I'm going to go in and put the blood on the mercy seat for the people and I'm out of there. 'cause I've heard the stories about how high priests have died in that place, they've had to drag him out, and so I'm not saying in there any longer than I can. But so even if I was inclined to, I'm not going to do it. And #2, I don't know you so buzz off.

Why do I tell that story?

'cause you have a high priest and cheese.

Who after he offered his blood as a sacrifice on the Holy of Holies and Heaven, he sat down at the right hand of God to enter suppose and intercession for you.

We always say and rightfully so and praise God that Jesus died for us because Jesus loves us.

But he didn't stop there. He's sitting currently at the Sprite hand of God and saying, yeah, when Joe screwed my blood covers that.

He's still righteous. He still holy. Yeah, he messed up he.

That story he just told maybe wasn't quite right. My blood covers that because I'm interceding for him because he's mine.

And the amazing thing is I don't have to worry whether he's gonna die or not. He has an indestructible life. I don't have to be like Eli who goes Li. Who's going?

As long as he's.

Alive I've got in with God. No. No Jesus never dies. Jesus is always at the right hand of God the father. And he is always interceding for me as my high priest.

So praise God, he died for me.

But praise God, he is there every day, every moment saying.

Bless his little heart.

He just doesn't know better. I'm trying to teach him. I'm trying to get somebody who understands and I'm trying to have somebody write a book. He'll read it and maybe he'll read the Bible better. And finally he'll figure it out. But my blood covers his sins and he's there for me every single day, every single moment of my life and thereafter.

So.

When you're praying and you're wondering well, what should? I thank God for because I'm running out of things.

When you say yeah thank you God for dying for me.

Thank you God.

That Jesus intercedes for me even now.

We we talked about and and again I don't mean to diminish this.

God loves us because he died for us.

But

I'll let you on a little secret.

If after I was saved.

I became a model Christian.

That would be wonderful.

And I would say because he died for me.

I'm now 100 percent different.

But I ain't.

And his blood still covers me.

He still loves me. He is still faithful to me when I am faithless to him.

He loves me that much.

Yes, he loves me that so much that he died for me but he loves me so much that nothing separates me from his love, not even myself.

That's how great a high priest we have.

He is there forever and goddess worn it that he will be there forever and he is a guarantee of that better hope. He is a guarantee of that better covenant. He is a guarantee that I don't have to worry that something now says gonna change because he's there.

He continues forever, holds his priesthood permanently.

Therefore.

He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through him.

Notice it didn't say he is able to.

Save forever those who draw near to him as long as they do everything right.

He is able to save forever.

His ability, not mine.

He has a hold on me. It doesn't matter how hard my grip is on him 'cause he's holding me and God is holding that and no one ***** us out of the hand of God.

We are saved forever.

Because we've drawn near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them.

He is there always to intercede for us.

Or it was fitting for us to have such a high priest?

I wish that were so that Scripture says so, so I guess I believe it.

But when I look at who I am, I don't know. It's fitting that I have such high priest.

But praise be to God, I do.

Because he is who he is.

Not because I am who I am.

So I chased this robber real quick.

The story is not about you and me. The stories about him.

Four was fitting for us to have such a high priest holy.

You see the miracle priest just got there because they were. It was their turn and it was their genetics.

But he's holy.

He's innocent.

He's just not sinless, he's innocent.

He's not just not guilty, he's innocent.

He's undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.

Who does not need daily like these? Those high priests who offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people because.

This he did once for all. When he offered up himself.

Again, under the Day of Atonement, it was they would offer. They would sacrifice a sheep.

Go in and place blood on the mercy seat.

To offer sacrifices of sin for himself.

So that then he could come back and offer sacrifices for sins for the people he had to go there twice, one for himself, once for everybody else.

The word of God says Jesus didn't need to go in once.

For himself, because he's wholly innocent, undefiled.

Separated, exhausted.

So when he offered his blood, he offered it not for himself but for us.

He didn't have to go there daily, didn't have to go there annually once for all.

For the law appoints men as high priests who are weak.

Was awarded the oath.

Which came from after the law appoints a son made perfect for ever.

Why can I trust God?

Because he appointed Jesus.

Swore an oath.

And confirm that Jesus is my high priest.

That he offered his blood for me and for you.

And didn't stop there. He continues to intercede for us.

Oh Hon.

Isn't it wonderful?

God loves you.

Isn't it wonderful?

Is this time?

Is it amazing?

Betty rose from the dead.

Isn't it awesome?

These are high.

Isn't it hard to understand that he intercedes for me even when I mess up so bad?

That's the average Christian's response.

Our wives should be different.

When we die, they should not be able to wipe the smile off our face.

Because we are going to a place.

That loves us so much.

That not only did he die for us, he intercedes for us daily by, minute, by minute.

We think it's wonderful.

That when we come to a church that it's warm and inclusive.

And they're not a bunch of clicks and they ignore us.

Wait till we have.

'cause it says.

Jesus said there is more rejoicing happening over though.

1.

Center who rip?

What a party.

And heaven that would be.

And I hope our lives.

Aren't such.

That when we get there.

Everybody around will say.

I didn't know you were invited.

You never look like you cared.

I never heard you once say praise God.

I never once heard you say Amen.

I never once heard you like the gentleman I talked about happy in a static that God loved him.

And he decided that since God loved him, he's going to love other people.

Draw near to God.

He will draw near to you.

Praise him.

For his marvelous works.

And one of those are, yes, he's Lord. And yes, he's king. And yes, he savior. And yes, he presents the word of God, but yes, and Amen and Hallelujah he is my high priest and all God's people said.