Scripture referenced 8 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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1 Timothy 1:17 opening verse read before worship: 'all honor and glory to God forever and ever, He is the eternal king, the unseen one who never dies, He alone is God'
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Keep this verse
John 3:16
referenced in prayer: 'loving the world so much that you would give your only son that whoever believes in you wouldn't perish but have eternal life'
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
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Colossians 3:3
cited after prayer as the source of 'you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ in God'
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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Hebrews 7:1-10
the main passage preached through the entire sermon, concerning Melchizedek
1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
2 to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”;
3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder.
5 They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham,
6 but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.
7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
8 Here people who die receive tithes, but there one receives tithes of whom it is testified that he lives.
9 We can say that through Abraham even Levi, who receives tithes, has paid tithes,
10 for he was yet in the body of his father when Melchizedek met him.
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Genesis 14:17-20
the Old Testament source text the writer of Hebrews draws from, describing Melchizedek meeting Abraham after the slaughter of the kings
17 The king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
19 He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth:
20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.
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Psalm 110:4
cited as the source of 'the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'
4 Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
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John 8:31-59
read at length to show the Hebrews' audience clinging to Abraham as their father while Jesus pointed them to a greater truth
31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s offspring, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
35 A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
36 If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
37 I know that you are Abraham’s offspring, yet you seek to kill me, because my word finds no place in you.
38 I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”
39 They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this.
41 You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.”
42 Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.
43 Why don’t you understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.
44 You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.
45 But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.
46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?
47 He who is of God hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear, because you are not of God.”
48 Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
49 Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me.
50 But I don’t seek my own glory. There is one who seeks and judges.
51 Most certainly, I tell you, if a person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
52 Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you say, ‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’
53 Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died? The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is our God.
55 You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and keep his word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He saw it, and was glad.”
57 The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.”
59 Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.
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John 14:6
quoted in the benediction: 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me'
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message worked through Hebrews 7:1-10, the passage about Melchizedek, as part of an ongoing series through Hebrews. Pastor Ray's central concern was that the original readers, and we ourselves, tend to let our settled theological categories keep us from seeing what Scripture is actually saying. The communion service that closed the morning tied the whole argument together: every background in the room is secondary to the blood of Christ.
What was said
The passage opens with a figure who appears only briefly in Genesis 14: Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from battle, blessed him, and received from him a tenth of the spoils. Pastor Ray kept returning to a single discipline: stay with what the text says and resist the urge to fill in what it does not say. Where the biblical evidence is thin, he warned, speculation moves fast and heresy follows close behind.
The writer of Hebrews makes three observations from that Genesis scene. First, the name Melchizedek means king of righteousness. Second, Salem means peace, so he is also king of peace. Third, and most striking for a Jewish audience, there is no father, no mother, and no genealogical line for him anywhere in Scripture. He simply appears and disappears. That absence is the argument. The Hebrews had their genealogies memorized. Melchizedek is not in any of them, and the writer is asking them to sit with that.
The priestly system his readers knew traced itself through Levi, Aaron, and their descendants. That line was commanded by the law, carefully maintained, and the basis for everything the temple priesthood did. But the writer points out that Abraham, the very patriarch the Levitical priests looked back to as their origin, paid tithes to someone outside that line entirely, and received a blessing from him. The lesser is blessed by the greater. Whatever they thought about Abraham, Melchizedek was greater, and Abraham knew it.
Psalm 110 is where the writer of Hebrews anchors the argument: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." David wrote that line roughly a thousand years after Abraham met Melchizedek, and the writer of Hebrews picks it up a thousand years after David. The point is that the Levitical priesthood was always a temporary system meant to point toward something permanent. The mortal priests received tithes and died. The one the Psalm speaks of lives on.
Pastor Ray read at length from John 8, where Jesus is speaking to Jews who claimed Abraham as their father and used that claim to resist what Jesus was saying to them. Jesus told them that Abraham himself rejoiced to see Christ's day. Their insistence on their heritage, their paradigm, their inherited framework was the very thing keeping them from the truth standing in front of them. That same dynamic, Pastor Ray argued, is what the writer of Hebrews is pressing against: people who have come to Christ but keep reaching back toward the system that was only ever meant to lead them to him.
The sermon closed into communion. Pastor Ray noted that the room likely held people from thirty or more different church backgrounds, some of whom were taught that the others had it wrong. What the passage and the Lord's table both insist on, he said, is that Christ is the point. The Levitical system, Melchizedek, Abraham, the genealogies, all of it was a finger pointing at Jesus, the priest who remains forever, whose life was perfect, whose death was on behalf of ours, and who is alive now.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Pastor Ray kept coming back to the warning from Hebrews about paying closer attention to what we have heard so we don't drift away from it. Where in your own life have you noticed yourself drifting from something you knew to be true, and what pulled you back?
- Pastor Ray said that where scant biblical evidence is available, heresy is apt to happen, and he was careful to stay with what the text actually says about Melchizedek rather than going beyond it. Can you think of a time when a theological assumption you held turned out to go further than what scripture actually said? How did you discover that?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 8,540 words
0:00
Speaker 2There we are. Good morning, everyone. How are you? Hey.
0:07
Speaker 3As people are trickling in, would you stand with me and we'll we'll sing together? And while you're standing, let me share a verse kinda to start this thing off. It's from first Timothy, all honor and glory to God forever and ever. He's the eternal king, the unseen one who never dies. He alone is God.
0:26
Let's sing to him.
0:46
Speaker 2Alright. Before the world was made. Let's sing that. Before the world was made. Before you spoke it to me, you were the king of kings.
1:00
Yeah. You were. Yeah. You were. And now you're reigning still enthroned above all things.
1:08
Angels and saints cry out. We join them as we sing. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God forever.
1:22
Let's sing that again. We sing glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God forever. Forever.
1:43
Alright. Creator God, you gave me breath. Let's sing that together. Creator God, you gave me breath so I could praise your great and matchless name. All my days, all my days, so let my whole life be a blazing offering.
2:06
A lot that shouts and saints, the greatness of our king. Glory to God. Glory to God. Yes. Glory to God forever.
2:20
Let's sing that again. We sing glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God forever.
2:33
Speaker 1Forever Well, good morning everybody. How are y'all? Can you can you hear me? Okay. Y'all can have a seat.
2:54
Thank you for for standing, hanging out. We got a few things going on. Announcements this morning, Bible studies, junior high and high school girls, Bible study started back in September. It's going on at the same time when we released the kids for children's church. There's a teenage.
3:12
So, middle school, high school girls study downstairs. Youth group is tonight, five to seven here at the church, Mike. We're going to stay here at the church. If Mike Awana is happening tomorrow night, 06:00. You see that.
3:30
Hey, Cowboy. If you're not coming to Awana, you're missing out. 05:45 to 07:30. It is biblical discipleship. Let's do that.
3:37
For two years old through fifth grade and it works. It's fun. The Puggles class is having a ball from what I understand. That's a two year and three year and then from three to five is our Sparkies and three to fifth grade is Sparkies, Covey Sparkies, and Truth in Training. Monday nights at first beat.
3:57
Speaker 3Yeah. We're on two at 06:00. Christian and Lisette are making dinner tomorrow and then we're gonna start, the two weeks next two weeks on the book of Jonah on the book of Jonah. So God's grace extended to everybody, even Jonah's enemies. So please know that you're invited to come Monday night at 06:00 tomorrow.
4:17
Speaker 1That sounds good. We are announcing still some Bible studies. If you have one that's happening and you wanted to announce, let me know, okay? If you, if I'm announcing one and you don't want me to announce it, let me know that too, okay? So, this one, this one we could probably stop.
4:33
Most of the people who know about this one are going. Wednesdays at 04:00, whole grocer community room. Actually, not first week. And we have moved that to here, I was going to say. Oh.
4:41
Blake, you can take that one out and the last lot out. So, I don't do this again next week. There is at the Senior Center of Jackson Hole, Mondays at around lunch time. You can go have lunch and then there's a senior center Bible study. Roseanne has been leading that for umpteen years and it's a really really good time.
4:59
So, if you want to go, that's open to you. Precept studies happen in Thursdays, 09:00, sharp in the fellowship hall. The Jackson Hole Men's Alliance, there it is. Formerly known as men's fraternity. The Jackson Hole Men's Alliance.
5:17
It's sort of a community study with guys from all over different churches in the valley. It'll meet here at 1st B, Wednesday, six in the morning. Starts October 23. So, that's coming fast. No materials or commitment are necessary.
5:32
Just bring yourself and your Bible and you can talk to Cotter or you could talk to Dan Tolson and there are probably some other guys that would know about this too but it's starting up. Men's ministry is absolutely needed and it's good good time. So, and it's open. Yep. Frontline, that's a frontline trench right there.
5:53
The frontline team when the time that you hear me say frontline team is when I say, I'm going to invite the frontline team to come forward to take up the offer and that's one of the responsibilities but the people who are handing out the the what do what do we call those things? Bulletins, brochures, bulletins. The people who are handing out the bulletins at the front door and the folks who are just greeting you as you come in are part of the frontline team. If you feel like, you know what? I'm pretty, I'm pretty good at that or I feel like I I do that naturally or if you just think, I want some lasagna right now.
6:29
This afternoon, this afternoon, we're meeting at 12:30. So, after the second service, we're meeting 12:30 down the hall. Sam McVeigh has graciously made along with Brenda Hull has made some lasagna. Three different types that's down the hall. We'd like to talk to anybody who wants to be a part of Frontline team.
6:47
Connect our, if you want to come in and that we we'd love to have you. So, it's not something that's a closed group. This is open and we hope to have you come in and enjoy. Anything else I need to mention, Mark? Twelve thirty.
7:02
Thank you very much. Good. Connect hour also needs volunteers. Sam, would you stand up for just a second? Yeehaw.
7:08
I know you love this. Sam is our volunteer coordinator for the connect hour and the way that that works is the church pays for the groceries and if you would volunteer occasionally to make the little connect hour food in between services just once in a while. You she will coordinate with you about when and who and how and what and but the church pays for the groceries if you'll just set it out. How about that? Connect hour needs volunteers.
7:35
If you're willing, talk to Sam McBay. There she was. Connect hour, that's what I was talking about just a second ago. That's happened in between services every week and if there's anything else that should be in your print printed paper bulletin. I feel a little odd because I was out of the saddle last week.
7:51
Thank you all for praying. We had a great time. I went out and did a wedding Saturday night in Park City and it was just so good. So much fun and Tanya's back from Africa. So, she'll probably be in the second service today but this this weekend was nice but I feel a little out of sorts.
8:10
So, we'll catch up in the music. Would y'all stand up and greet one another? We'll bring you back together with a song. Welcome and I'm glad you're here.
9:41
Speaker 2Lord, now indeed I find thy pond and thine alone can change the leper's spots and nail the hardest stone. Jesus bathed it all Oh, praise the one new, beat my debts and raises life up from money. Oh, praise the one new. Beat my debt and raise his life up from Monday. Oh, praise the world new.
11:27
Beat my debt and raise his life Jesus paid it all once you hear my say how that's a crimson stain We washed it right in the sun.
12:08
Speaker 3Lord, together as a church body, that is our song and it is so true. We thank you Lord for laying your life down for ours, for loving the world so much that you would give your only son that whoever believes believes in you wouldn't perish but have eternal life. That is what we cling to today. Amen.
12:39
Speaker 2Alright. Let's sing. Who am I? Who am I that the highest king would well come. I was lost, but he brought me in all his love for of God.
13:17
Yes. I am free at last. Free last he has ransomed me. His grace runs deep. While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me.
13:39
Yes, he did. Yes, he died for me. Oh, the sun sets free. Oh, he's free indeed. I'm a child of God.
13:58
Yes, I am in my father's house. In my father's house, there's a place for me. I'm a child of God. Yes. I am, and I am chosen.
14:21
I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who you say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who you say I am. Sing that again.
14:39
I am chosen. I am chosen. Not forsake again. I am who we say I am. You are for me, not against me.
14:54
I am who we say I am. I am who we say I am. Who the son, who the son sets free, always free indeed. I'm a child of God. Yes, am in my father's house.
15:21
In my father's house, there's a place for me. I'm a child of God. Yes, am in my father's house. In my father's house. There's no place for me.
15:49
I'm a child of God. Yes, I am.
16:01
Speaker 3God, thank you for these promises that are true, and they are solid, and they can be trusted, that you are the resurrection and the life, that all who put their trust in you, we have eternal life, that you have truly gone to prepare a place for us. I think about those who have passed recently in this congregation who have passed it from from life to life. And what a joy that is. What a comfort that is to know that when we die to this body, we have eternal life. We pass from life to life.
16:40
And I thank you that you are the resurrection and the life. That through you, Jesus, we're good. We're covered. We're covered by your perfect life and and your sacrificial death and your resurrection that we hide ourselves in you. Amen.
16:59
That's Colossians three by the way. It says, you died to this life and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. That is our hope. That is what we are singing right now in rock of ages.
17:46
Speaker 2And make me pure. About the labors of my hands can fulfill thy lost demands. Could my zeal no raspid know? Could my tears And nothing in my hand I bring simply to the cross I clan. Make it come to the fortress.
18:49
Helpless look to the foregrace, la to the fountain fire. Watch me say, oh, I die. Watch me say, oh, I bread. When my eyes shall close in death. When I soar to those unknown and see thee on that judgment throne.
19:37
Rock of angels clap for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let me
21:17
Speaker 3Or taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of who? Those who take refuge in in him.
21:37
Speaker 2I sought on the word, and he answered me and delivered me from every fear. Those who look on him are a dear. They'll never be ashamed. They'll never be ashamed. And this old man cried, and the Lord heard me and me from my enemy.
22:19
The son of God. So I'll see his sayings. He will deliver them. He will deliver them. Magnify.
22:32
Listen.
23:11
Speaker 3Oh, taste and see.
23:14
Speaker 2Oh, taste and sing. That the Lord is good. Oh, blessed is he who hides in him. Oh, fear the Lord. Won't walk you saints.
23:35
They give you everything. They give you everything. Magnify the Lord of me. Call me soar these days. You insins rise.
24:26
Let us bless the Lord every day and night, never ending praise. May our insins rise again and let us bless them though, every daynight, never ending praise. May our insince rise magnify the Lord with me. Calm exalt is there together, glorify the Lord. Come exalt is there
25:39
Speaker 1Alright. So, let's get there. Hebrews seven. Here we are Hebrews seven. Slides help me so much y'all.
25:51
I know I'm not a linear thinker. I haven't mentioned this in a couple of years but I don't think in a straight line. So, the slides forced me to, and y'all hopefully are thankful for that because I wanna go through and I wanna pay attention to what it says. In fact, like the writer of Hebrews urges us to do, I wanna pay more attention to what I have already heard so that I don't drift away from it. So, literally, that's what the slides help me to do.
26:14
So that I don't drift away from it. The scriptures ever before us. I don't think I have anything today up there that's not straight from this passage. So, Tanya says, well, put some art in there. Put something in there.
26:28
Put something up there but I I just have scripture today and I only have one through 10. Hebrews seven one through 10 and it's about Melchizedek and I think the last time I was here two weeks ago, the last slide said, next week, next week, we're going to learn all about Melchizedek, this mysterious guy and then, I wasn't here last week and y'all were left with the Romanian missionary. I didn't do that intentionally. This was, I'm leaning forward into whatever is next. Y'all know that but I'm glad that Peter was able to come and share last week and I'm glad we were able to be there to do that but we are up to this.
27:01
For this, Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and this was a an instance from history. We don't like seeing the slaughter of the kings but that's what it says. It's a Old Testament passage. It's actually old Old Testament Genesis. So, if we are looking at this, Imma try not to re preach all messages of the past but Hebrews is written sixty seven AD.
27:31
I tried to do this with scale in mind this time but sixty seven AD, Hebrews is written. It's like the announcement of Jesus's birth by the angels, his birth, the cross, thirty years apart, and then thirty, thirty three years apart, and thirty three years or so later is the writing of Hebrews, about that, thirty three, thirty four years later. So, these things are all kind of tightly together and the writer or writers of Hebrews pointing back to some things that happen. Now, in this case, Abraham meets Melchizedek returning from the slaughter of the kings. It's Genesis fourteen seventeen.
28:06
So, this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of most high God, met Abraham as he was returning. He's a king. It says that flatly in the text. The other thing I try to do always in general but specifically, I want you to notice it today. I try not to go beyond what is written.
28:22
But I think it's important that we don't go beyond what is written. We can take scripture from here, there, and everywhere bring em together and form ourselves a theology that gets in the way and it keeps us from seeing the point. And so the other problem with exceeding what is written is when you exceed what is written, it's a flight of fancy. It can go any direction, and it gets out of bounds real fast. And where scant biblical evidence is available, heresy is apt to happen.
29:00
So I say all this, we're going to try to just stick to what it says this morning and next week too, we'll still be talking about the same guy for a while but making arguments from there. For this Melchizedek, king, he's a king. Of Salem, priest of most high God. Wait, he's a king and he's a priest. Now, that's odd.
29:20
That would be really really odd for the original audience of the letter to the Hebrews because they know, okay, priest means Levite. They key in on that immediately. Priest mean Levite, they are a priest. If it's not a Levite, then it's not a priest. If it's not and not all Levites are priests.
29:40
Levites are like, Let me think. So, when you're when you're carrying around your tabernacle and you're carrying around everything out in the desert and some team is responsible for this and some other team is responsible for that. Some of y'all camp, y'all know Tanya and I don't. But when you say, all right, Lampas, you all get the tent and the stuff that we're going to need for the sleeping arrangements. And Demetrius, you all get the stuff that we're going to need for the fun times on the lake.
30:11
And Macouilles, y'all get the food, okay? Y'all responsible for that. So, the tribes of Israel, Levites, you're the priest. You're going to deal with this. Some of y'all are going to carry the tabernacle.
30:23
Some of y'all are going to do this. Some of y'all divide it up but some of you are actually going to be priest and then others of you, you're going to do this. You're going to fight. You're going to do this. It's funny to me that the tribes always were really proud of their tribe but then again, if I look around this room and I see where y'all are from, almost every, not everybody, almost everybody is proud of where they're from.
30:44
Yes? Is that true? Yeah. That's good. That's fine.
30:49
There's not a problem with it. It's we we tend to be sort of travel. The kings and priests. Where did that go, Blake? This is going be a short sermon.
31:01
Rebooting, Let me talk about camping for a little bit longer. Their idea immediately when it's priest, Levi. That's what they are seeing. That's what they're thinking. That's the way that this is going to go.
31:17
And it says, this Melchizedek, he was a priest of the most high God and it's God. There's not any doubt about whether it's a different God, it's God. And he's a he's a king and he's a priest. That's odd because in the law, later on, it would say, somebody can't be the king and the priest, okay? In according to the law, that's later than Melchizedek, later than when he lived.
31:44
Who met Abraham as he was returning, he blessed him. Well, that makes sense because he's a priest. He blessed Abraham. Melchizedek blessed Abraham. Okay, that's the job of the priest.
31:57
That's good. Get that. He's also a king. So, where is that? That's in Genesis 14.
32:04
Then, after his return from the defeat of Chertelomer and the kings who are with him, the king of Sodom went out. Now, king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley Of Shabbat, that is the king's valley. There are all these kings around this valley and then, Melchizedek or Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Now, he was a priest of God most high. That's where the writer of Hebrews gets this.
32:32
He's a priest, God most high and where does he get it? King of Salem. It's straight up. There's not inventing anything. It's not a flight of fancy.
32:41
That's what the text says. The writer of Hebrews is using the text. Oh heavens. Somebody hand me a Bible fast. Okay, here we go and and said, blessed be Abraham of God most high.
32:55
Possessor of heaven and earth and blessed be God most high who has delivered your enemies into your hand. Like a priest, he recognizes that victory comes from the Lord and though he is a king, he recognizes Abraham and blesses him and then, to whom also Abraham apportioned the tenth part of all the spoils. Okay, so he's a priest. He has given a blessing or he blesses and he receives tithes. That's what priests do, right?
33:24
Priestly function. He's got two of em right there. So, where is that? Well, that is from that passage too. Last part of verse 20 says and he gave him a tenth of all and if you're wondering who gave who what?
33:37
It's Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth of all. Now, we know Abraham and they knew Abraham but we don't know Abraham the way they knew Abraham. Abraham was their father, right? Abraham is the guy they look back to. If they look back to Moses, Moses looked back to Abraham, right?
33:55
Abraham believed God. It was counted to him as righteousness. Okay, that's key. That's something Paul said. Abraham though was given to this guy, mysterious guy.
34:08
And that's all it says about him in Genesis. That's it. That's the that's all of the biblical evidence right there. Of the actual story of what went on. To whom also Abraham a portion of tenth part of all the spoils was, first of all, he was, first of all, by the translation of his name, this is where I'm coming up with this, the writer of Hebrews says, by the translation of his name, he's a king of righteousness.
34:30
Melky and Zedek means king, Melk, Melkior, king, and Zedek. Means righteousness. He's a king of righteousness. Okay. So, this is a sermon from the writer of Hebrews to the people he's presenting to.
34:46
Just that simple. He's he's by translation of his name, king of righteous, then also he's the king of Salem. It says so in the text which means peace and Salem, you know, they leave out the vowels, shalom. Now, there are people, tons of commentaries say, this means Jerusalem. Maybe.
35:06
Might be. Could be. But the text says Salem so we go with that. This text is a biblical text and this biblical text, the Hebrews says, king of Salem means king of peace. Amen.
35:21
So, this guy's a cool, cool, cool figure. He's a priest who is the king of righteousness and he is the king of peace. That's great. So, lots of people right here jump on to. This is the preexistent Christ.
35:35
It's gotta be because he's prophet, priest, and king and we know that. Okay? Hold on to that. That might be your theology taking over right there because that's not what the text says. Go with what the text says.
35:47
Pay closer attention to what the text says so that you don't drift away from it because when you drift away from it into a flight of fancy, you go places that you don't need to go. So, where is that? That is in Genesis. Melchizedek, king of Salem, it says that. Could be Jerusalem, might be but I'm not going to armor us all over, alright?
36:09
Now, this says, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. Now, that's a rare individual right? We would think without father, without mother, the only people that fit that description are Adam and Eve, right? Well, it says, without father, without mother, without genealogy, okay, holding on to this. There's not a genealogical line that you can trace this guy through.
36:36
Where? In scripture. The writer of Hebrews is making this argument or presentation from scripture. Praise God. That's wonderful.
36:46
It's not a flight of fancy. There's no dad mentioned for Melchizedek in the Bible. There's no mom mentioned for Melchizedek in the Bible. There is no genealogical line mentioned for Melchizedek in the Bible. So, some people will say, lot of commentators will say, well, this is just another word for Noah's son, Shem.
37:04
It doesn't say that. If you go there, it's a guess but you gotta admit it's a guess. Maybe? I don't think so. Could be.
37:12
But what does the text say? Says his name is Melchizedek. He's a king. He's a priest. King of righteous, the king of peace.
37:19
Without father, without mother, without genealogy, who's he arguing with? He's arguing with the Hebrews who know the genealogies. They've all memorized all of em. They've got a paradigm in mind for how things are to be and they've had it their whole life. Now, these folks have walked away from first century Judaism and embraced Christ but they're being tempted to go back to something that they know.
37:41
Oh my goodness. It's so beautiful that God calls Abraham from the land that you know into a place that I will show you. He's taken them from what they knew or thought they knew and taken them to a place that he would direct and he would show em. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life. If you think about the Bible genealogies, it says and so and so was born in the year that so and so happened and then he lived one hundred and thirty years begat so and so and so and so and died, right?
38:14
That's part of the biblical narrative that we usually skip in February sometime. When we're trying to read the Bible through in a year, right? It's important that he's not mentioned right there. So, where is that? I think that is the point.
38:30
I think the whole point of without mother, without father, without genealogy, no beginning, no end. I think the point is, Melchizedek isn't mentioned at all in any of the genealogies of the Old Testament. It's outside of what they know and have memorized and have dedicated their lives to holding on to this truth right here, this right here. He's outside of that. What he's in there and everybody knows he's in there.
38:50
They remember the story from Genesis too. They know he's in there but they've been skipping over it and so he said, pay closer attention to the stuff you skip over, please? And don't hold so tight to your opinion that you can't see what God is doing. This is a genealogical line. This is straight out of the Bible.
39:14
All these people mention the top one up there is Noah and it's got shem, ham, and Japheth up at the top and then their kids and you can see, I could I could track the line of promise for you if you wanted me to but I'm not going to. I'm just saying, from up there, it's 1234567891011121314. Are and and there's no Melchizedek in there and so, they have all this memorized. They know who these people are. They know that stuff.
39:45
Why we skip over and for the most part, I think. So, there are few choice ones that we pick out here and there and there will be some names that come out of the text here in a minute. Noah down to Terah right there and then, if we go from Tara down through and we get to a name we're about to meet right here, Levi. There's Abraham up here, Abraham, Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael, you know, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and then Jacob has all these sons. Jacob, Israel has all these son.
40:18
These tribes, different parts of the camp that do different things. So, that's the line right there. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but who's made like the son of God. Okay, wait a second. In English, we can look at that and go, he was made.
40:38
Oh, Christ wasn't made. I know Christ wasn't made. Well, Christ wasn't made but this is not saying that he was made in the same way that Christ was made. It's saying, he's made like. He is has a similitude.
40:50
There is there is a metaphor here. There's an analogy, not a metaphor, an analogy. He's analogous to Christ in this way and then it'll go on but he's made like God or he's analogous to the son of God. We've already had an introduction to son of God who is the radiance of God's glory, the exact representation of his nature. The son, Jesus.
41:20
Moses was a servant. Jesus is a son. We've had Jesus is better than Moses. Jesus is better than angels. Jesus is better than Torah which is hard thinking for them.
41:35
Melchizedek, with the scan information we have, he's like the son of God in this way. He remains a peace perpetually. We don't know anything more about it. He just goes on. There's nothing we could say about him except for he's the king of Salem.
41:48
He is the king of peace. Okay. Forever because we don't know anything else about him. That's just the way that it is. We can't say, here's his grave.
41:59
We can't say anything more about him. So, that's it. He remains a peace of religion. So, where is that? Well, that's in Hebrews, it says, you know, Jesus being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek and that's where that parenthesis, the long parenthesis started where he kind of started getting on to him, right?
42:16
He got on to him about being sluggish and dull of hearing and not want to pay attention to what's real and good? That when it comes to righteousness, that's where they're having their trouble. But where is that? That comes from somewhere else. It comes from Psalm one ten four.
42:34
Psalm one hundred ten four says, the Lord has sworn sworn and will not change his mind. You, Messiah, are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. So, if we look back at our timeline, Hebrews is written up here near the cross. Now, Abraham meets Melchizedek by eighteen hundred BC or so somewhere in there approximately. Well, King David inspired by the Holy Spirit and Hebrews says both.
43:01
David wrote it and the Holy Spirit wrote it. We've already covered that in previous chapters. Composes Psalm one hundred ten four right there. Psalm 110 says, you're king forever. So, that's where the perpetually comes in.
43:17
Now, step away from that for minute. Now, observe how great this man was and that's why it doesn't look like it was Jesus. Some people say, it's preexistent Christ. There's no doubt about it in my mind. I'm not listening to anybody else say anything else.
43:29
Well, how about the writer of Hebrews? Can you listen to that? Because it says, man, it doesn't say, God man, it doesn't say, son of God. It doesn't have a capital M. It's like, Observe how great this man was.
43:43
This man, Melchizedek, to whom Abraham, Abraham, the patriarch. Y'all love Abraham, right? Remember Abraham? You love him. Abraham, your patriarch, saw something that was outside of your paradigm.
43:56
Abraham is literally not joking. Literally, he's the great, great, great, great granddaddy of Aaron and Moses and they look back and trace their line and they think about how important Moses was and Aaron. Aaron, that's the first place where the Levitical line is going to be, they're going to be the ones during the Exodus. They're going to be the ones that carry forward the priestly duties on the camp out. And and all the way up till the time of Jesus, okay?
44:21
They carried those for a long, long, long time. In fact, the sadducees, most of the sadducees, the high priest that wanted Jesus crucified was a Levite. Pharisees are arguing for paying attention to what the Bible says and the Levites are a little complicit with the, I mean, the sadducees are complicit with the government. Observe this, how great this man was to whom Abraham, your patriarch, gave a tenth of the choice of spoil. So, he paid tithes and those indeed of the sons of Levi, here's his name, who received the priest's office and that's not all of them, not all Levites are priests.
45:05
They are the priestly line but some of em are carrying stuff. Some of em are helping out in different ways but the priestly Levites, they have a commandment in the law to collect a tent from the people. They do. That's right and you're recognizing that but the guy that is there great great granddaddy, you know, was paying tithes to someone else. This is something you hadn't considered.
45:27
You've read it but you hadn't considered it. I want you to consider it. That's what the writer of Hebrews is saying. So, there it is. Abraham meets Melchizedek four hundred years roughly before.
45:39
The Levites are established as a priestly lineage. Then, King David writes about it, thousand four hundred years after that and then this writer of Hebrews is a thousand years later. This is it's not it's not the only verse but this is one of the verses when it's talking about the camp out and it's talking about how these priests are going to do their function. This is the way they're going to dress. Okay, this is what you're going to do.
46:05
You're going to, these are the garments that shall that they shall make. Make a breastplate, make a Ephad, make a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash, and they shall make holy set apart garments that don't look like anything else. They shall make holy garments for Aaron, your brother, and his sons, and that's where the line starts right there. Aaron and his son, it's a succession. It's a succession like kings succeed but these priests are going to succeed from this line.
46:36
And his sons to serve me as what? Priest. That's the place. Now, that's after Melchizedek by four hundred years. Those in need of the sons of Levi who are received the priest office have commandment and allowed to collect the tents.
46:49
So, they're collecting and they're blessing too. By the way, I don't think that's mentioned but they do that. From their brothers and sisters, although these are descended from Abraham. So, he's setting up an argument here. But the one whose genealogy is not traced for them at all, somebody that's just out of the blue, completely out of the blue, Melchizedek, that one.
47:13
He collected a tenth from Abraham and he blessed the one who had the promises. Oh my goodness. Is it possible that it's not just about Abraham? Right? It's it's about how God will bless the world through Abraham but even Abraham recognized that God was working.
47:29
Now, this is sketchy in our day. This is hard. This is hard talk because I'm asking a whole group of people who gathered in Jesus name on a Sunday morning to expand your boundaries. I'm not saying tolerate everything the world throws at you. I'm saying examine what it says.
47:45
Examine what it says. Carl, tomorrow night is going to be preaching from Jonah. It's even your enemies. God loves and wants to reach. He wants to reach reach him through your truth, through his truth, all truth, God truth.
47:59
He wants to reach him through the truth but we are to be carrying it. Even Jonah, not the best. He had the list of line of prophets. Jonah probably down the list somewhere, right? God is wanting to do this.
48:10
I'm asking you to expand. Don't allow everything in but take in what scripture says and allow your isms to kind of fall aside. Your your theology that you know so well, that you've been trained in so well. See how it really lines up with what it really says. Melchizedek received tithes and did blessings.
48:33
So, where is that? It's right there. We covered it. Be blessed. Where is that?
48:38
Be blessed. It's right there. We covered it. The one who had the promises. Oh, Abraham.
48:44
Abraham's a a looming figure and he should be because he believed God and God took him from the place that he knew and when God made his covenant with him, he made that covenant with him in a language he could understand but he said, leave this and go to the place that I'll show you. I'm going to direct you. I'm going to lead you. But without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater. The lesser being Abraham and the greater being Mephizedek in the story.
49:13
How can it? All the stuff we have about Abraham. Chapters and chapters and chapters we have about Abraham. We know everything about the guy. We know when he did well.
49:20
We know when he did poor. Melchizedek barely mentioned and that he's the greater. And I think he is the greater. I think that the text has shown that and will keep on showing it. So, this is a paradigm shift.
49:34
I've been building up this paradigm shift but for them, this is their thinking. We have Abraham for our father. This is, do you remember that in Jesus? John eight, do you remember that? Imma read it, okay?
49:44
This is where we're going with this and we have communion today too. Thought this was a short sermon. So, Jesus, the truth will make you free. I'm just going to read straight through it. So, Ray will attempt to read but not preach his way through this.
49:59
So, Jesus was saying to Jews who had in It's interesting parallel because the writer of Hebrews is writing to those Jews who said that they had believed in Jesus. So, Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed in it, if you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. And they answered him, where Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone, how is it that you say you will become free? They were holding on to that heritage still and Jesus saying, you gotta let go of that heritage and follow after me. It's a direct, it's a teacher.
50:39
It's pointed you in the right direction but now that you've grabbed on, the truth is what's going to make you free. Jesus answered them, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever. The son does remain forever. So, if the son makes you free, you will be free.
50:56
Indeed, I know that you are Abraham's descendants. Yet, you seek to kill me. Because my word has no place in you. I speak the things which I've seen with my father. Therefore, you also do the things which you heard from your father and they answered him and they said, Abraham is our father and Jesus said to them, if you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.
51:24
Believe God. Believe him. The truth is right here in front of you literally. If you're Abraham's children do the deeds of Abraham but as it is, you're seeking to kill me. A man who's told you the truth which I heard from God and this Abraham did not do.
51:41
You're doing the deeds of your father. They said to him, we were not born of fornication. Oh my goodness. Now, they're going to point out Joseph and Mary's relationship. And all of the gossip.
51:55
In defense of themselves, they start attacking him We were not born of fornication We have one father God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father you would love me. For I proceeded forth from him. He's the absolute radiance of God's glory. I proceeded forth and I've come from God for I have not even come of my own initiative but he sent me.
52:19
Why do you not understand what I'm saying? It's because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father. They said, Abraham, he says, the devil and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and he does not stand in the truth because there's no truth in him whenever he speaks a lie.
52:37
He speaks from his own nature. For he is a liar and he's a father of lies. But because I speak truth, you don't believe me. Which one of you convicts me of any sin? If I speak truth, why don't you believe me?
52:49
He who is of God hears the words of God. For this reason, you do not hear them because you're not of God. That's the simple truth as Jesus present. The Jews answered in him and said, do not we say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon. Jesus answered, I don't have a demon but I honor my father and you dishonor me but I do not seek my own glory.
53:12
There's one who seeks and judges and truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death and the Jews said to him, now we know you have a demon because Abraham died. They're still holding on to it and thirty something years later, they're still holding on to it. It's hard to get out of your own paradigm. It's hard to get out of your ism but I tell you what, when you do, God
53:38
Speaker 2shows up
53:42
Speaker 1Somebody was saying, I've been praying. Somebody told me yesterday, I've been praying God's will, God's will, God's will and I'm saying, God, if this is your will, I want to do this. If this is your will, I want to do this. If this is your will, I want to do this and then, kind of slack off of if this is your will and went, God, I want to do your will and there was something right there. Oh, amen.
54:04
Open up for God clarifying your vision. I don't have a demon but I honor my father and you dishonor me but I do not seek my glory. There's one who seeks excuse me and judges, truly I say to you, if any of you keeps my word, he will never see death and the Jews said to him, now, we know that you have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets also and you say, if anyone keeps my word, he will never taste of death. Surely, you're not greater than our father, Abraham.
54:36
Oh, but he is. That's what the writer of Hebrews is saying. He's so much greater. There were others greater that y'all don't even pay attention to. And Jesus is in that land.
54:52
The prophets died too. Who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered. If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my father who glorifies me of whom you say he's our God and you have not come to know him but I know him and if I say that I do not know him, then I'd be a liar like you.
55:13
But I do know him and I keep his word. Your father, Abraham, rejoice to see my day. And he saw it and he was glad. And so the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years old and you've seen Abraham? Jesus said to him, truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am and therefore, they picked up stones to throw at him but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
55:43
Our isms and our theology can get in the way The truth of God is the truth of God. Study it. Pay attention to it. Look for it. Okay, I'm preaching.
55:54
Here we go. Skip that. Got three more verses. Seven, but without any dispute, the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case, mortal men receive tithes.
56:02
Just mortal men. It's this is this is the way we do camp, you know? It's the way we get stuff done. But in that case, one receives them on whom it is witnessed that he lives on. Now, is that Melchizedek or is it Jesus?
56:14
It's a small H in the New American Standard. So, that takes it as Melchizedek and it it could be either grammatically but he's saying, y'all don't even, you haven't even considered this. Consider this. Pay the tithes, they do the blessings, and they die. Jesus is alive.
56:36
Jesus is the one to whom you owe everything. But where is that? Right there, you're a priest forever according to the order of in the line of our sort of like Melchizedek. And so to speak, it's a weird little argument here but and so to speak, through Abraham, even Levi because you know, Levi is down generations after Abraham but through Abraham, even Levi who received the tithes and the Levitical line of priest was the way that God had set up in the law. It was the normal way that it was going to to be and that's okay.
57:14
It was a system to point to a system. It was a temporary system to point to an eternal truth. Even Levi who received tithes, he also paid tithes for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. Like I said, weird argument, kind of an odd stop in place but it sets us up for next week, I promise. We're going to go into a time of communion right now and as we do this, I know that in the room, there are, I I, one day, I want to just do it and ask what your denominational background is.
57:49
I think there are 30 something in here right now and y'all were taught, some of y'all were taught that the others were all wrong. And some of y'all were taught, well, they're close but we should be gracious to em. They can't help it. You know, some of you were taught to just battle it all the time but you know what brings us together? Christ, the blood of Christ.
58:12
If you are not completely devoted to Christ, you've missed it. You've got someone else as your father, right? So, I'm going invite the elders forward and pray. Lori, would you play something pretty? Do we have something else to play too, Carl?
58:27
Let's play Jesus Messiah. Okay, good. But y'all, God, I thank you for bringing us together. Thank you for bringing us into this place this morning to study your word, pay more attention to what it says, slow down for a minute even if it seems pedantic at the time to get a hold of the lesson that you're trying to show us. Lord, would you show us?
58:52
I pray that I pray that you'd sneak up on us and we'd be surprised by the joy that it brings. Lord, we know that that's found in one place and one place alone. The joy of the Lord Jesus is our strength. So, would you, lord, do that as we commemorate your perfect life, well lived, and your sacrificial death perfectly presented on our behalf. Your perfect life for our imperfect one.
59:19
In Jesus name, would you bless this bread, this little cracker as we distribute it, lord. For everyone that would partake, it's because they believe in Jesus. If you don't believe in Jesus and don't want to put your faith in him, then don't partake. But God, for everyone who partakes, I pray that you would give us a sense of your purity and holiness and allow us to see our sin and surrender it for your forgiveness, to confess it before you. We don't want to take that word.
59:50
In Jesus name, we ask that you bless this crack.
1:00:07
Speaker 2And he humbled himself to carry the cross. A love so amazing.
1:00:34
Speaker 1Love
1:01:16
Speaker 2Jesus Messiah, Lord of all. Lord of God.
1:03:07
Speaker 1Amen. And on the same night that Jesus was betrayed, I think it's Paul says, I deliver to you as a matter of first importance that Christ died according to the scriptures. Amen. I'm transmitting that. On that night, that same night that Jesus was betrayed, he took bread after supper and after he given thanks, he broke it and he said to his disciples there and it's transmitting forward to you now that this is my body, Jesus said.
1:03:36
Representative, this is my body that's given for you. Take this and do it in remembrance. That holy walk that you walked in complete submission to the spirit for your whole life, lord. Thank you. Thank you for doing it and thank you for the availability, the availability of that spirit.
1:04:00
Thank you for sending the company. I thank you for your sacrifice which cleanses us as the song we sang earlier says, it is of sin the double cure, save from wrath but also make us pure. Lord, would you sanctify us by your truth this morning and as we go this week, I ask a blessing over this cup, this little plastic cup of grape juice, lord. That we use representative of your blood that was spilled on Calvary willingly, voluntarily on our behalf. In Jesus name, lord, we ask you to surprise us with the joy this morning.
1:04:38
Thank you for your sacrifice. Amen. Amen.
1:04:57
Speaker 2Out all for love. The whole there a tremble, the veil was torn. A love so Jesus Messiah. Lord above. And all
1:06:04
Speaker 3our hope is in you. Let's sing that part.
1:08:26
Speaker 1Just like he had taken the bread, he took cup after supper and he said to them there that this is the new covenant. That's what we've been talking about all morning. There's either the old covenant or there's the new covenant. The old covenant pointed towards the new. That's what we'll see next week.
1:08:43
Jesus said to them there, this is the new covenant in my blood. Take this and drink and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Lord, we thank you for your absolute forgiveness. Though our sins be as scarlet, they can be as white as snow. We thank you lord that your death means victory and freedom.
1:09:09
And Jesus and Jesus, victory. You. Y'all can stand with us.
1:09:18
Speaker 3Yeah. You want to lead a benediction?
1:09:20
Speaker 1Yes, sounds good. We'll do that. This is the Jesus said to him, I'm the way, I'm the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the father except through me. Would you sing with me the doxology? Praise God from whom all blessings flow praise him all creatures here below praise him above ye heavenly halls Praise father, son, and holy ghost.
1:09:57
Amen. Amen.
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