Jesus is Enough to Know God Personally

God is true God has no capacity to live when he swears by himself.

It's the truth and he keeps his covenant, Jesus is enough to know God personally is the theme and the title of today's message here I'm living in the light with Bible teacher and grandma and introduces today's teaching with the story from a very familiar pastime baseball hears and I come from a long line of baseball fans. My grandfather had found the Baltimore Orioles and then they let him out of his contract he could go to medical school. He went to the mission field in China where he was for 25 years and my father when he was a teenager wanted desperately to be a baseball player like Babe Ruth that was his goal in life and one of my sons in law is a scholarship baseball player at the University of Baylor in Texas and we love baseball and I when I say we that's generic because for myself. I think watching baseball's are like watching grass grow. Anyway, baseball is a great game and you know there's a principal in baseball every ending, you have three opportunities as a batter to get up to bat and three strikes and you're out, that's what I want to pull from that because in Genesis 1 to 11. We found the entire human race up to bat. They have an opportunity to have a personal relationship with God, and they strike out three times the first time was in Genesis chapter 3 the entire world of humanity, represented by Adam and Eve had opportunity to come into right personal relationship with God and Adam believes that God, no thank you. We don't want it they disobeyed. They rebelled against him. As a result, they were separated from them and strike one strike two is in Genesis 6 entire world of humanity in Noah's day basically said God, you know, we know your offering us the right personal relationship or we don't care about you in fact were so busy eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, we don't even notice that you than you know anything.

The flood swept them away. That was strike to then in chapter 11 of Genesis you have strike three. When the entire world of humanity at the Tower of Babel basically defied God and said God we don't need you to come to you in the way that you prescribed were just going to build our own Tower of Babel and will get to heaven all right will get into your presence by throwing works on religiosity. The system that will building and you know the story were God confuse their language and scattered them all over the world, where they still are today in the rebellion against their creator. But that was strike three and entire human race was out of the game. They had totally lost their opportunity for personal right relationship with God. They were totally hopeless, totally helpless to ever come back into his presence. That's why God reached down and picked up Abraham and through Abraham's family.

He began to work in Abraham's family so that he would provide a way for the entire world of humanity to come back into his presence have a personal right relationship with him and to read you something from my heart scratch something I wrote. But it's easier to read it to you than to tell it to you but in olden days entering into the presence of God would've been an unattainable privilege for a Gentile woman like myself if I'd stood on a desert sand you and that overlooked the Israelite camp in the wilderness following the exodus from Egypt, I would've seen a sea of tents that stretched out the horizon of my vision in the midst of the encampment. I would've noticed a much larger tent surrounded by a dazzling wall of linen that shimmered right in the scorching desert sun. If I'd like my vantage point on the sand you and slip closer, I might have found a bystander who would've been willing to answer my question most obvious question would've been what is that big tents if there'd been someone.

Patient enough to explain. I expect he or she would've replied with as widened by surprise. Don't you know we are God's children, and that 10 is the tabernacle were God is said to dwell in our midst cannot go in.

I would've naïvely asked go we go inside the tabernacle.

You must be out of your mind. It's obvious you're not Israelite in your woman. You could never go inside, surely there must be some way I could enter. I would've persisted. I would like to draw near to God. I want a personal relationship with God along to be in his presence where help.

Let me tell you something lady. The only way you could ever enter into the presence of God as if you were truly totally born again looking over his shoulder.

I might've inquired what he said those linen walls. On the other side of the walls of the altar, the laver and the tabernacle itself would've been the blunt direct reply and put these out the tabernacle, the tabernacle is divided into two rooms that are separated by heavy curtain or veil. I'm told in the first room there's a lamp table with a loaf of bread on it and altar of incense beyond the veil in the second room is the most holy place of God's presence were the ark of the covenant rest always only I had been born a man I would've longingly cried. If only I had been born in Israelite, then I would go into the most holy place of God's presence five times a day lady, you still don't get it. My informal would've said with a tone of exasperation. Israelite men cannot go inside the tabernacle either. Only the priests are allowed inside and even the priest can't go inside the most holy place of God's presence. Only the high priest can go beyond the veil.

How I wish I was Israelite man who was also the high priest, then I would go into God's presence every day. In fact, I would just stay there.

I would live in God's presence perhaps of the sympathetic softening to is the bystander would reply gently but with finality, but the high priest himself can only enter within the veil once a year and I would be turned away with no hope of ever entering into the most holy place of God's breath until Jesus came, Jesus is enough to take you and me right into God's presence through Jesus Christ we can have a personal right relationship with the living God. Open your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 6 were going to look at the fact that this personal relationship with God was promised in the Old Testament, but it's something that you and I possess today in this look at the promises in the Old Testament relationship was promised in the Old Testament, shadows and the writer to the Hebrews begins on beginning in chapter 6, verse 13 when the right of the Hebrews begins talking about Abraham and I'll just tell you the Abraham story briefly and that in Genesis chapter 12 God just leaned out of heaven and invaded Abraham's life he was living in the Chaldees. Very impressive city and God just leaned down and said Abraham I want you to belong to me. If you'll follow me in a life of faith. I'm going to pour out my blessing on I'll bless you. I'll give you many descendents ousting the seed through all the nations of the earth would be blessed through you and Abraham packed up his bags put 1 foot in front of the other and he left her of the Chaldees and began a life of faith following God and the one promise he was clinging to. According to Galatians was that God promised that he would send decedent and the right of the Galatians says not see as in plural. Like many descendents, but one seed I'm going to send through you is seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed and Jesus said that Abraham is seen mate and rejoiced the sun out by faith Abraham look through the centuries and he could say something of the Redeemer who would come to take away our sin and bring us back under right relationship with God and it was just a shadow. We promise that was given in the Old Testament in verse 13 when God made his promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater friend us whereby he swore by himself saying I will surely bless you and give you many descendents and God swore by himself. He was swearing by his own character to Abraham they would keep his promise and God's character you know God's truth. God has no capacity to law, so when he swears by himself. It's the truth and he keeps his covenant he keeps his promise and down in verse 17 he said he promised because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an all and God swore by himself.

Meaning that the promise. Not only was backed by his character, but backed by his own oath meeting was unalterable. Even the he couldn't change his promise even if he wanted to know was a promising Abraham many descendents, but this one particular descendent this seed the nations of the earth would be blessed and it was a shadowy promise of Jesus to come with me to send a personal relationship with God. There were other promises, of course, in the Old Testament.

I shared with you. Genesis 3 verse 15. Remember what Adam and Eve send and they were separated from God. And when God closed them in the skins of those wild animals.

He gave them a promise and he said there will come a seed of a woman who will in essence take away your sin and bring you back under right relationship with me and then you membership Deuteronomy. When God told Moses I'm going to raise up a deliverer like you who will not deliver my children from bondage to slavery, but bondage.

This it was a shadowy promise of Jesus to come and you know Isaiah when it says that God says I'm going to send someone by whose stripes you will be healed. A wonderful, counselor, Almighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace, and those were promises in the shadows of the Old Testament. Looking forward to Jesus who would come. Who would take away our sin and bring us back under right relationship with himself and so we see this promise of a personal relationship with God in the shadows of the Old Testament, the promises that were given to Abraham and others, and secondly the precedent that was sent by Melchizedek and Melchizedek is an interesting person and explain. First of all, that the priesthood in Israel was essential.

Obedience was necessary, but the priesthood was essential because when you send in and were all sinners and everybody sin.

And even though they were God's children, and they had descended from Abraham. They were sinners and they had to come to the temple and they had to sacrifice for their sin and therefore they had never priest because priests were the only ones who could sacrifice so the priests were absolutely essential in the purpose of the priesthood was to make the people right with God to bring them into God's presence by atoning for their sin. And so to say that Jesus is someone who could take away our sin and bring us in the presence of God, a Jew is going to say wait a minute, that can't be because he's not a Levite, only the Levites were priest you had to be a descendent of Levi in order to be a priest and Jesus was a descendent of Judah, and so Israelite would say Jesus can't be the Messiah. He can't be someone who would bring us intrapersonal right relationship with God but because is not a priest. He didn't descend from Levi as of the writer of Hebrews makes a most interesting argument by going back to Genesis 14 and he pulled out a shadowy figure from history and let me tell you the story because Abraham was sitting under the trees that he bridges modeling his business, and these four kings swept in from the Babylonian area and Canaan. At that time was like a satellite nation to the Babylonian Empire and the Canaanites had refused to pay their taxes, and they thought while babbling so far away you know they won't come and get us and so we get by without paying our taxes and the Babylonians didn't let them get by with at least four kings sweeping from the east, and they sweep down through Canaan. They go to the Transjordan area, they sweep up to the Dead Sea area and absolutely destroy everything in their path. They defeat all the kings of Canaan.

They take all the plunder they take all the loot and absolutely completely victorious and they sweep through Sodom and Gomorrah and they go back up and they're going back to Bible and totally victorious effect. History records at one of those kings, possibly with Hammurabi and so there totally victorious going back Abraham still sitting on the Hebron minding his own business.

This is just the sojourner pilgrim passing through and what the kings want to do the canines of their business and then somebody escapes who was captured by these gangs and runs back and uses Abraham these gangs that swept through and taken everything.

Yes, I've heard that in Abraham that taken your nephew locked in. Abraham just came to attention and you the keys could have everything else, but he couldn't have his nephew, and Abraham called together the men in his household. He had 300 arm servants in his own household. Because household was like a private militia and then he called his two neighbors and they had a little private army. They combined in they went after these four kings have been totally victorious in Abraham and his two neighbors defeated these four kings from the East and they got all the loot back all the plunder back and they got lot back as he hears Abraham coming back to Sodom where lot lives is going to send lot back to his home to bed.

Lot went but anyway he goes back to Sodom and when they approach the king of Sodom slithers up out of a tar pits were he's been quivering in fear and he mumbles under his breath. Something like will Abraham you can keep some of the plunder for yourself and it was all Abraham's argument he had captured he had defeated the Kings, but he tells the king of Sodom.

I don't want any of it.

You can have it all, except I want my two neighbors to have first pick.

They can have their share in and out of the shadows steps this man named milk is and the Bible tells us that he is a priest of the most high God. Isn't that interesting. You would think if he didn't ascend from Abraham. He wouldn't even know God, much less be a priest but is the king of Salem is the king of Jerusalem, and he's a priest of the most God. And when he comes out of the shadows. Abraham gives Melchizedek 1/10 of all that plunder and other ritzy ties to Melchizedek and then Melchizedek blesses Abraham and it's the greater person that blesses the lesser as Abraham is acknowledging Melchizedek's greatness by talking to him and receiving his blessing and then the right of the Hebrews goes a step farther and says because Levi who is all the priest come from Levi because Levi was a descendent of Abraham.

In a sense, he was in Abraham's body at that time, and Levi indirectly through Abraham was having to Melchizedek and acknowledging that he was greater, and so the right of the Hebrews. This thing does better precedent set for another priestly line.

Other than that of the Levites until let's pick up in maybe they'll help you understand chapter 7 verse one. This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the most high God. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him 1/10 of everything. First, his name means king of righteousness then king of Salem means king of peace without father or mother without genealogy, without beginning of days or end-of-life net Melchizedek have all those things are just not recorded in Scripture. So we don't know them like the son of God, he remains a priest forever drop down to verse 15 and what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears one who has become a priest, not on the basis of regulation is to his ancestry, but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life or is declared. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. So do you see in this shadowy precedent that was settled Melchizedek a priest. Abraham gave tiles and accepted his blessing.

There was a precedent set for another priest, another priestly line in the right of the Hebrews, this thing that Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not a descendent of Levi by someone who is a priest based on his own character and based on the power of his birth, and we see in that shadowy figure Jesus who would be our high priest, taking away our sin, bringing us into a personal relationship with God. We see the promise of a personal relationship in the shadows. The promise given to Abraham. The president's outbound Melchizedek. Thirdly, the perfection that was demanded by the law and you know the law was given and it was summed up in the 10 Commandments was given to the people and they were to keep the law and the law demanded that you keep it perfectly and yet no one could.

The law demanded perfection, but the law was totally inadequate and unable to make the people perfect and so the long really what it revealed was that the people couldn't keep it. The law was like a plumb line. It was like a yardstick just shown you that you don't measure up that you fall short of the glory of God or you fall short of God's perfection in chapter 7 verse 11. If perfection could've been attained to the Levitical priesthood for on the basis of it.

The law was given to the people. Why was there still need for another priest to come and converse 19 it says for the law made nothing perfect and you just think of all those sacrifices all those preemies, all of them seeking to bring the people in your personal right relationship with God and none of them were able to do it in the law was totally incapable of making people perfect and yet demanded perfection and so we see in the perfection that was demanded by the law.

We see a shadow of Jesus, because chapter 7 verse 26 such a high priest meets our need one who is holy and blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens Jesus is perfect, and he met the demands of the law. So even in the demands of the law. The perfection of the law demanded we see a shadow of Jesus that we because he is the only one that perfectly kept the law.

From the moment he was born.

The moment he stepped back into heaven. He was perfect and so when the perfection demanded by the law. We see a shadow of Jesus we see him in the prophecies.

And I'm not going to turn to Jeremiah but is quoted in chapter 8, and Jeremiah is prophesying with her desperately needs to be a new covenant, or New Testament because the old covenant the old testament wasn't working.

It wasn't bringing people draw personal right relationship with God.

So in verse eight of chapter 8 this is Jeremiah prophesying the time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. He will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt because they did not remain faithful to my covenant turned away from them, declares the Lord.

This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor or man as brothers. I know the Lord because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest trouble, forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more, and that prophecy hundreds of years before Christ, we see the shadow of Jesus to come. Who would take away our sin bring us into a personal relationship with God that Jesus is enough in himself for you and me to know God is. So we see these shadows in the Old Testament that Jesus was just a promise. A personal relationship they would offer us through faith in himself personal relationship with his father was just a promise.

In the Old Testament we see that promise in the Old Testament shadows we see in the Old Testament symbols the symbols of service in the tabernacle the priest's performance to sacrifice to take away sin to bring the people in your personal right relationship with God never stopped, and there were hundreds of descendents of Levites and all the descendents were divided up into 12 orders and to priest for each order could serve in the temple at one time or 24 priest on duty at any one time within the tabernacle within the temple and they're always sacrificing sacrificing trimming the works on the lands changing the shewbread offering the incense making the sacrifices their job never stopped.

They never stop and never sleep there was work to be done 24 hours a day looking chapter 7 verse 27 it says unlike the other half priest. He doesn't need to offer sacrifices day after day, speaking of Jesus, first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.

Remember when Jesus was on the cross and is he gave his life as that ultimate sacrifice for our sin to take away our sin and ushers in your personal right relationship with God. What did he shout out it's finished the job is done need to be one of our sacrifice of pain at all with my blood. We see it in the symbol not only the priest performance, but in their position. The priests were never seated on the tabernacle and temple. There was no bench. There was no chair because he never sat down, always working, always sacrificing, always doing something because the job was never finished, they were never seated. Chapter 8 verse 1.0. What we're saying is this, we do have such a high priest to set down because they finish the work that doesn't need to be anymore sacrifices we see the symbols of service in the priest performance or predisposition the priest purpose. All of the sacrificing all of this effort, all of his work and they were never successful, never able to bring people into your personal right relationship with God. Chapter 8 verse seven says. First, there been nothing wrong with that first covenant.

No place would been sought for another, but something was wrong with it because even though they kept all the law that they could and they made all of the sacrifices they went to all the rituals they went to all the ceremonies not was enough to take away their sin and bring them into right relationship with God and chapter 7 verse 25 says therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. We have a high pre-and we can see through the symbols of the service in the Old Testament priest performance or predisposition the priest purpose. We see Jesus a high priest who was able to bring us into the presence of God.

Having finished his father's work sitting having finished completing what his father had set up for as a requirement for us to come into his presence. Sins are cleansed and forgiven and atoned for and were made right with God through the blood of Jesus and in Jesus we can go right into God's presence. Now here's and with this final word. What an astounding truth. What a life-changing message. Our sins are forgiven, and because he emptied himself of all but law you can be filled because his body was broken. Your life can be whole because his blood was shed your sin can be forgiven because he submitted to injustice.

You can forgive because he finished his father's work. Your life is worth because he was forsaken he will never be alone because he was buried, you can be raised because he was raised. You can be strong because he reached down to you. You don't have to work your way up to him because his promises are always true.

You can have hope. God has become your Redeemer, through his son Jesus Christ. You can hear living in the light with and Graham wants weekly and for ways to experience the God filled life as you pursue your personal Bible study go to and Graham lots.org to help you get started with free resources you can use and share with others join us here each week for living in the life