Our Great High Priest

This is Hans Schild from the finishing well podcast on finishing well.

We help you make godly choices about Medicare long-term care and your money. Your chosen Truth Network podcast starting in just seconds. Enjoy share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the truth. Podcast network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill, you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God. If you do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today. Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose of local tribal ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living.

For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious havoc on this night. Thank you Lord for your incredible kindness to us because you have dealt kindly with us, you, you're a gentle high priest, you're a sympathetic and loving and merciful and gracious high priest in lower we we thank you and we welcome you into our presence tonight but I think I pray that you would like yourself so presence present to my did it would be palpable that we would actually feel you here with us, almost like in a tangible way not primal that your Holy Spirit will penetrate my mind in the minds of every man here, and every man and woman listening to him.

The father that you penetrate hearts, because your word is living and active enough so experience that loaded my own life.

I love you Lord. It was a joy and love for your word and let your word go forth now and accomplish the very purpose for which you intend. In Jesus name I pray a man I marvel at the timing of God's word and I love reading God's word. I share this to Chris Paros funeral service Saturday God's perfect timing is such to me that he passed from. We talked about entering God's Sabbath rest last week and this would happen to Chris Parra last week to see the guys were just lines up with event. Sometimes it tonight.

I have to be honest with you I came in tonight wary and burdened it made you come in tonight wary and burdened, and what was going to see tonight is that we have a Lord and Savior who sympathizes with us in our weaknesses, what you think your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 5 now is how to begin a night by saying this. Most people really have a misconception of who Jesus really is that they don't really understand the great love sympathy and understanding that he has for all of us were protecting for the broken hearted downtrodden, the lonely and the hurting center. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in John chapter 8 verses one through 11, and here's what John writes for us it don't, Jesus appeared again in the temple courts were all the people gathered around him and he sat down to teach them the teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.

They made her stand before the group consider Jesus teaching this woman was caught in the act of adultery in the low Moses commanded us to stone such women know what you say is that were using this question, it says here the text is a trap. It would have a basis for accusing him you'll put yourself in that woman's shoes. She is standing there have just been called an act of adultery. What question where is the man it takes to remember us another sermon. But imagine her field with Shane. These men stand around all these religious men in robes and there's Jesus. As you probably noticed, is a holy man she's been thrust into the public arena what Jesus did in that moment says but Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. Nobody knows what he was writing some of said he was writing about the sins of all those Pharisees standing there. Ella said he was one of the names of their mistresses in the sand. That's the first question my strategies. What we write in the sand, but don't know the answer that says when they Don't question him.

He straightened up, consider them if anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. How good is that again he stooped down and wrote on the ground at this. Those who heard began to go away hundred times the older ones first until only Jesus was left with a woman still standing there, Jesus then straightened up and he asked her woman, where are they has no one condemned you know one sir she said the need to do academic. Jesus declared go now and leave your life of sin, no condemnation came from those lips just the look of love and understanding to so many people believe that God is a God of nothing but condemnation is just waiting for us to mess up so we can judge us every John 317, does away with this idea. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. See, that's the heart of God. He wants to save us.

When a man reads to the Gospels and observes the life of Jesus. He sees a man who is full of grace and mercy and you came for one purpose to save sinners in Luke chapter 5, we found Jesus at the home of Matthew was a tax collector eating and draped with a large crowd of tax collectors when Matthew done, he invited all of his sinful friends. I come on over to my house. I will have some wine and some food and and guess what, I'm bringing Jesus with me. See Matthew was not ashamed to let people know that he believed in Jesus, but see the Pharisees unit asked Jesus what you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners to which Jesus responded. It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Is anyone righteous. So why did he say that is what he means. I did not come to call people who think they're righteous like you Pharisees.

But I came to save sinners like these friends amount of the year who were drinking and carousing and I did reassure the truth with them. You come here tonight feeling like a nugget center unworthy of been in the presence of God you the very person that Jesus came into the world to say if you recognize your self as a center that's good because were all sinners and that's the first step towards finding God is just recognizing that your center that praises Hebrews 5 and have entitled this message. Our great high priest, beginning with verse one your file along with Mr. exam not making this up every high priest is selected from among the men have to say that in this world of political correctness.

Every high priest is selected from among men is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He's able to deal. I love this deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going to strike since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people and no one takes this on himself. He must be called by God. Just as Erin was.

So tonight I want to try to answer, or try I'm going to answer three questions is the first question what qualifies someone to be a high priest can look at back of the Old Testament time up to Jesus's time. Secondly, why was Jesus qualified to be our personal high priest, and what makes Jesus such a great high priest list like this first question what qualifies someone to be a high priest had to be a man from the tribe of Levi, and from the land of their the Levitical priesthood began with Erin who is the older brother of Moses. God is the one who chose man.

Both Levi and Aaron in Genesis 28 verse one and God said to Moses, have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nate. Dad Abby, he, Eliezer, and if the more so they may serve me as précis consider whether that God is the one who chose Erin to begin this priestly line. That line began with Erin and extends all the way to the high priest, who served at the time of Jesus.

I think all the way up to the time the temple was destroyed when they lost all the genealogical records and they could no longer determine who come from the line of Erin, do we need an earthly priest today. No was that this Jesus is our high priest and also did you know that if you entrust your priest where the that's what we believe in the priesthood of of of of the brothers. If you are in Christ and you are a priest and and you can go to Christ who is your high priest was take a look at Levi.

Levi was the third son born to Jacob and a servant leader in Genesis 49. Seven.

Jacob, who was near his death when he calls in his 12 sons, and he prophesies over the base. He blesses them when he gets to Levi he says this is where the Holy Spirit speaking through Jacob about Levi and his descendents.

He says I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them and and throughout Israel. If this is what happened when they when Moses led them and they took the land and they that that the Levites did not get a share in hurts the land because God was their inheritance and so they they would put these priests all over the nation of Israel.

We see this prophecy of Jacob fulfill as these priests were spread all over Israel. So in order to qualify as a high priest yet to be a man who came from the tribe of Levi from the land of Erin. Secondly, he had to be a man who was appointed by God to represent the people in matters related to God. So Aaron and his descendents serve as the priest in the land they serve in the tabernacle of the letter they serve in the temple in Jerusalem. There were three offices available to men in Israel. The officer high priest, who served as man's representative of God to God, then you had the office of prophet who served as God's representative to me is the high priest represented man to God, the prophet represented God to the man if he had the office of king who ruled over God's people as we see in Saul and then David and Solomon in the end of the future kings, as we shall learn in Hebrews we will see that Jesus served in all three of these offices prophet, priest and king third to qualifies.

The high priest.

He had to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people and the reason he had to do this in this by the way was the most important responsibility of the high priest. It was to bring reconciliation between God and man.

You have to reconcile enemies right and we were born. According to Romans 510 we were at one time God is what enemies and we need to be reconciled to God.

And that was the role the high priest back then it was all done, symbolically through the temple and all of the temple feast and sacrifices they were sacrificing the blood of goats and bulls to cover their sins and that was a picture of what the Lamb of God who would come one day and shed his blood so that he might bring about reconciliation for you and me to their you and I can be reconciled to God. The high priest identified with the people have so is he. Remember that he was weak just like them. He was a center that's while the day of atonement, he first had had to be cleansed himself, and he had to sacrifice blood for himself, vinegar, sacrifice, blood fully for the people. So those are the qualifications for a man to be an earthly high priest, but now will to shift gears and I want us to focus on Jesus, the rest of the mind.

Okay this is where we really enter into the holy of holies she'd look at verses five through 10 so Christ, by the way, is that his name was it his title is his title was another way to say Christ Messiah Jesus the Christ Jesus the Messiah. So right here it knows it and say Jesus is talking about Christ. So Christ made that is Jesus but is referred to as title okay so Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but God said to him you, my son, today I have become your father you he can say the same thing over you in the today the day that you receive them into your life. God said over you today you are my son, today I have become your father. Do you know God as your heavenly father.

He says in another place your priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. In verse seven says during the days of Jesus's life on earth. He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission Matthew so the man if Jesus prayed, do you think we need to pray. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, the stoma Jesus.

Now once played perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, and he was designated by God to be a high priest in the order of the Melchizedek. So now I want us to look at what qualifies Jesus to be our personal high priest, and what makes him such a great high priest were first Jesus was sent by who God in John 816.

This is, I stand with a father who sent me. Then John 316 says for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so Jesus was sent by his heavenly father to be the greatest gift to the world has ever received. Look at verse five. So Christ also did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a high priest to Jesus Goldberg to this title is the Christ, the anointed want of the Old Testament, the promised savior of the world who sent by God and having been commissioned by God.

Jesus according to Philippians chapter 2 made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on the cross.

Therefore, God did what exalted him to the highest place where he now serves in heaven is our great high priest, and that's where he is right this moment. Certainly not always Jesus sent by God, but he was designated by God to be a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

This requires a little explanation because formally all the high priest had to come from the line of food.

Erin Jesus did not.

He came from, what line Judah is the kingly line of Judah so wish we seen a little something different here about Jesus.

So who is this Melchizedek will like to refer to him as the mystery man in the Old Testament who actually appeared out of nowhere if you're not almost as suddenly, he disappeared in Genesis chapter 14. Melchizedek appeared to Abraham after Abraham's defeat of these four armies Abraham to go after them because they had taken lot Solomon Camorra which is where his nephew Lot was and he went after he would to rescue his nephew and when he came back.

Melchizedek appears out of nowhere.

Since this is Hebrews 7 verses one through three. This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God most high.

He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him 1/10 of everything who to give attempt to… Give it to Melchizedek first. His name Melchizedek means king of what righteousness and also King of Salem means king of peace.

this the right of Hebrews is describing Melchizedek. He says without father or mother without genealogy, without beginning of days organ of life like the son of God, he remains a priest forever. So who is this mystery man by the name Melchizedek, who appeared to Abraham. Nowhere. I personally believe he was the pre-incarnate Christ who has no beginning of days or end-of-life.

Who is the king of righteousness and peace and who remains priest forever. So Jesus has been appointed. Our high priest in the order of Melchizedek, who himself was both a king and a priest of God.

So, like Melchizedek, Jesus is both king and priest, but is also what the prophet seals all through those offices. When Jesus came to this earth became as a prophet like Moses delimited around when Moses was told someone like you will come one day. That's Jesus. So when Jesus came to serve the came as a prophet when Jesus ascended to heaven, he became a great high priest Roman to this what you get a picture of who Jesus is and how much he loves you what is doing right now for us. Romans 834 sales Christ Jesus who died more than that, who was raised to life is also the right hand of God doing what for us interceding he's praying for us, with loud cries and tears, just like he did when he lived and walked among us. How does that make you feel to know that Jesus is praying for you, particularly when you're hurting when Jesus returns, he will return as King of the world to rule into reign forever and ever and ever and who's going to reign with him all those who belong to him. In Genesis 4910 when Jack was blessing his sons. You remember we just look at his blessing of Aleve when he got to Judah. He prophesied one the greatest prophecies in the Old Testament. He was talking to Judah. Jacob was and he said son, the scepter will not depart from Judah, this ESI from you is really talking to us that the scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs in the obedience of the nations is his. When Jesus began his public ministry he announced the Thomas, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news when he stood before Pilate, he said yes I'm a king, my kingdom is not of this world. When Jesus ascended to heaven and set down upon the throne of God. He took hold of that ruler, staff, and assume his office as King of Kings and Lord of lords. Hebrews informs us of Jesus is our priestly king in the same order of Melchizedek in Matthew chapter 3 when Jesus was baptized by John Scripture says that he came up out of the water. It is the spirit of God to send upon him like a what like a dove, and then they all heard a voice from heaven is that this is my son, whom I love with him. I'm well pleased. But two years ago I stood in the Jordan River probably close to where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist is a real place is a real River.

Jesus is a real man Jesus. The greatest operation of all time as he is the son of God. So when you come to Jesus you come into the son of God. Fourth, Jesus qualified to serve as a high priest because he has been made perfect by his obedience about suffering and what is it mean that Jesus has been made perfect. I can hear some gelato. He's always been perfect. We pass according to Homer can't.

The point of the statement is that Christ was brought to full qualification as our priest, not only by his divine call and genuine humanity, but also by his suffering is qualification to be a high priest was made perfectly complete when he died on the cross.

After saying it is what finished it was complete. He fulfilled all the qualifications and in spite of all the assaults of Satan through all of his pain and suffering account. Jesus retained his integrity. He never once faltered, he never once gave into temptation. He was in is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 he was despised and rejected by man, a man of sorrows, and from Maywood suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and with steam not when Jesus completed his life's mission by becoming a guilt offering. According to the will of God.

He became the source of eternal salvation for every man who chooses to follow him and obey him. Fifth, Jesus is qualified to be our help race. This is the one that I really like the most is he identifies with us.

He sympathetic to our weaknesses termite Hebrews chapter 3 and out to read these three verses here.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who is going through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

For we do not have a high priest was unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who's been tempted in every way, just as we are yet was without what yet without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. At the beginning I said I want to consider who Jesus really is. This again is my favorite aspect of Jesus is sympathetic and merciful towards us to know why he loves us. He understands because he became a man with flesh and blood just like you and me and he experiences in every temptation that you and I have experienced. He was tempted beyond what any human being has ever been tempted and I will try to explain this with a balloon as you blow more and more air into the balloon it what it continues to expand to the pressure on the inside has become so great that what it pops to think of temptation is the air being blown into the balloon with most of us it only takes a little air a little pressure from some temptation get balloon to pop just a little look right here and you cut your snagged, but not so with Jesus. He felt all the pressure that Satan and all of his demonic's demons could muster as they assaulted him with wave after wave after wave of temptation. The pressure mounted in mounted particular after you been a desert for 40 days and had had no food and nothing to drink. And yet Jesus is balloon never popped but didn't take much for us to follow the temptation to sin. So he understands the pressures of life that you're dealing with. He understands the tall and pain of your labor in the midst of this dark and sin filled world is so full of temptation and listen when you given the temptation he actually understands. He remembers that you are made of dust.

He knows that your week no matter what you've done is always holding out his arms and said come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I'll give you what Restasis. Take my yoke upon you, and that means what it was a good day. You got one Auxier and you put another one here right so you got Jesus right here. He said come on get in the art with me. Take my yoke upon you and learn from us again to get with him. He's teaching as you go along you walk in with them step by step NEC will show you that a man I'm gentle and humble in heart, and I'll give you rest for yourselves. There's nothing better than being yoke to Jesus.

If I wasn't yoke to Jesus.

I probably dead or done something so foolish I be ashamed what is Russ Andrews do when he feels defeated and downcast and lonely and horny by the way those emotions rather after them. Some every month. This is part of our human condition. We live in a fallen world and were groaning the whole earth is growing in the selectivity temptation and sin, which often, sometimes ridiculous, and I found myself consumed with guilt. Approach the throne of grace with confidence and follow the feet of my merciful high priest. He lashes me again and again with waves of grace and mercy see forgiveness is the greatest aspect of Christianity hear Jesus say Russ understand and I forgive you see repentant heart and I will help you overcome this temptation that you been struggling with for so long I love you and I'll be faithful to complete the work that I began in you when you were just a little boy growing up in the town of Bethel cement is the truth.

There is no sin so great that God cannot and will not forgive it. There's no place of darkness where God cannot and will not seek you out and rescue you. Market chapter 7 verse 18, 19, says who is a God like you who pardon sin and forgive the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance.

You not stay angry forever. God but you delight to show mercy you again have compassion on us your tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

That's the kind of high priest we have and that's why he's great.

The spray and the father Lord Jesus lucky that your merciful sympathetic high priest. Thank you for that we can come to you no matter what we've done about half are we falling about how dark life is become in our souls about how much pain because she you're waiting for us with open arms in company all who are weary, and I will give you rest. We love you Lord.

We ask you to draw us into yourself, help us to calamity that yoke and what with the what we have breath in our lungs bring us to the end of our days safe and secure and you Jesus name I pray, being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Andrews, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources@purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh.

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