Melchizedek, Jesus Christ and the New Covenant - Genesis Part 26

Will you know when I first came across in 1971. I walked around the country with my dog for a while. Noah and then we came to the Washington area. When we got here. I ran into some seminary students and I began telling them that I really believe God called me to spend my life full time serving Christ and so they said all face.

The woman you should go to seminary and I said what seminary and they said all it's a place where we learned Greek. We learn Hebrew. We learn theology that we learn the church history we learn how to preach, and I was like wow that's awesome where he is one of these places and so I did go to seminary for four years and though they said and if you go what will happen is your faithful deeper you'll get a fuller grass on what it is that you believe so that you can come out teacher bettered other people and everything they said about seminary was true and more. Well today I want to take God to seminary and what I want us to do is do some T-bone steak teaching and studying of the word of God aimed at helping us getting a deeper grasp and getting a fuller comprehension of God's plan of salvation that he's given us through Jesus Christ and there are three critical questions we want to answer today number one question number one is why is there a new covenant, a New Testament between God and mankind versus the old one. Question number two is what is Jesus's rollup in this new covenant. This New Testament and number three. How does all of this benefit you and me all the work and asked that question in only a couple words when we get there but you know what I mean. So will get there ever going to go back and start in Genesis 14 because remember we are in a verse by verse study of the book of Genesis organist start back there with one of the most intriguing people in all the Bible, a fellow named Melchizedek and never going to do some seminary level study about what the book of Hebrews says regarding this man.

Melchizedek and the new covenant and the Lord Jesus Christ. So are you ready all right here we go now going to put a lot of hay on the horses today so that you guys can handle it so here we go. First, a tiny bit of review Genesis 14 remember a lot on Abraham's nephew was living in Sodom and there was an invasion by a foreign army that conquered Sodom and Gomorrah took all the people captive took lot captive his family all their possessions of these two cities and when Abraham heard about it. He went and thought this army with his troops beat them. He recaptured the people of Sodom and lots and lots family and all the booty in the oil that this invading army had accumulated and he was heading back to Sodom and Gomorrah to return the people back to their homes when we pick up the story all right ready to go. Genesis 14 verse 18, then Melchizedek is our friend King of Salem brought out bread and wine that is to refresh the people that were with Abraham.

Now he Melchizedek was a priest of the most high God and the word to choose here in Hebrew. For the most high God is the word AOL Jonne not Jehovah but in verse 22 of this very same chapter Abraham uses that very same name for God AOL your own which tells us that Melchizedek knew and worship the very same God that Abraham did verse 19 and Melchizedek blessed Abraham, saying, blessed be Abraham by God most high Creator of heaven and earth and blessed be God most high will deliver your enemies, Abraham, into your hand that comes out and says Abraham I just need you to remember that God deserves the credit. God deserves the thanks for this great victory that you just had not you and then verse 20 that Abraham gave him up Melchizedek as a representative of God as a priest of God gave him a 10. The of everything all the booty all the spoil that he had captured the did this as a Thanksgiving offering as a way of thanking God and worshiping God for the great victory to God. It just given to Abraham now. What this tells us is that there were other people around in Abraham's time.

Who knew the Lord. People who are outside the family of Abraham you say Milan how many were there and in and where they live and what were they like and how exactly did they worship and who was their leader. We know anything about that, my friends, we only get a Tiny liver of a glimpse into this by meeting Melchizedek because there's a reason for this. The Bible was not written to tell us everything about everything the Bible was written to tell us about God's plan of salvation on through Jesus Christ for the human race. The Bible was written to tell you and me how to get into heaven and you and me how to get eternal life, and you and me how to get our sins forgiven and that plan of salvation through Jesus Christ is inextricably connected to the history of one man and his family through whom the Messiah was given to the earth. The man Abraham and because of this, even though Genesis 14 makes it clear that there were other believers around in Abraham's day, and maybe many other places in many other times.

The Bible never focuses on member tells us much about them because Abraham and his family are the central theme producing the Messiah, who produced the plan of salvation. We all understand that yes okay so let's go on now. Melchizedek's name appears one other time in the Old Testament in Psalm 110, which we call a messianic Psalm what we mean by that is it's a Psalm all about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ who was going to call him. It was written in 950 BC. And here's what verse four of that Psalm says God the father is speaking to God.

The song, the pre-incarnate Messiah and God the father has sworn the Bible says and will not change his mind you, God the son are a priest forever according to the order of what the next word kisses. That is our friend. Now is talk about this for second we know Melchizedek was a priest of God, that's exactly what Genesis 14 told us we know that right and double what is it mean for the Bible to say that Jesus is a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Well, this brings us back to our first two questions of the morning. Let me remind you what they are number one is why is there a new covenant, a New Testament between God and mankind versus an old one and what is Jesus's role in this new covenant and now I want you to do is put on your thinking caps game got them on and it's going to the New Testament to book of Hebrews and let's answer all these questions because the book of Hebrews answer them all for so here we go with starting with Hebrews chapter 6 verse 20 it says Jesus has a call, a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Now, Psalm 110 predicted that Jesus was going to become a high priest, and what Hebrews 620 is telling us is that this did take place. Not that it would, but that it has taken place. It is accomplished fact that it happened immediately following the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. But this fact that the risen Christ the risen Lord Jesus is now appraised a Jewish high priest, no less, raises a huge theological problem. You see, under the old covenant the Old Testament only members of the tribe of Levi could serve as priests. Now this was no problem for Melchizedek. Melchizedek live 600 years before the Old Testament covenant or law was ever given for him to be a priest was not a problem.

There were no restrictions on who could be a priest in the next day.

That was a problem but folks when the Bible declares that Jesus is a priest of God. There is a theological problem.

Here Jesus cannot be a priest of God, because he lived after 1500 years after the Old Testament law had been given by God, and Jesus was not from the tribe of Levi were all priest had to come from what tribe was he from Judah look.

Hebrews 7 verse 14 for it is clear that our Lord descended from the tribe of what Judah tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing about three. And yet, as we just saw. Hebrews 6 verse 20. The Bible declares that in spite of this, Jesus has become a high priest for ever. Just the way Psalm 110 set a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

What is that mean it means a priest. Don't miss this outside of the Old Testament covenant outside the Old Testament law outside of the rules and the regulations and the risk frictions that you must view from the tribe of Levi. Jesus became a priest outside of that right everybody together. We still together so you see the problem. How can this be God's holy God.

He's not going to violate his own law, so he gives the law that says only people from the tribe of Levi can be praised and then he makes someone appraised a high priest, no less. Who's not from that drive. How can this be seen. Problem yes yes yes yes yes okay all right so what's the answer will. There's only one explanation possible. Follow my logic here and if the Bible's logic. So it's correct okay go follow this logic is Jesus is now appraised, which the Bible says he is and is Jesus cannot be a priest as long as the Old Testament law and covenant is in force, which restricted all priest of the tribe of Levi.

Then the only conclusion possible is that the Old Testament law. The Old Testament covenant is no longer in force.

Does that make sense right now. Watch the book of Hebrews Telesis Hebrews 7 verse 12 for when there is a change in the priesthood of necessity. Hebrews says there must also be a change in the law in the covenant.

In other words, you can't change the priesthood without changing the covenant, and since God has changed the priesthood by appointing the risen Lord Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah as the breeze ready for this ipso facto, by definition, God must have changed the covenant by which he's dealing with mankind and you know the Old Testament said he was going to do this. He told people he was going to do this. Jeremiah 31 verse 31 says in the 600 years before Christ hears what God said.

He said to hold the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a what, what's the next word I knew, covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah and a new covenant means a new priesthood watch Hebrews 723 now the former priesthood from the tribe of Levi, the Levitical priest existed in great numbers because they were prevented by death from surviving in office, but he the risen Christ, but because he lives for ever holds his priesthood permanently and therefore, while why love this. Therefore, this priest, the Lord Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, why because he for ever live to intercede for them. Hey, this is an astounding truth in my only person you're excited about no Welsh only you're excited about.

What is this sounding truth. God has ear reversibly change the priesthood from a line of mortal priest from the tribe of Levi to a single permanent mortal priest, the Lord Jesus Christ who is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, so this is the answer to question number two. Question number two is what is Jesus's role in the new covenant.

The answer is he is the high priest of the new covenant who Hebrews 912 entered the true holy of holies in heaven, not the one in Jerusalem, the one in heaven, not with the blood of goats and calves like the Levitical priest said to do, but with his own blood, thereby obtaining eternal redemption for us while we still have question number one answer which is why did God have to do this in the first place.

Why did there need to be a new covenant in the first place. What was wrong with the old covenant that God couldn't work with that okay that's answer that, you know, a few years ago I was in New York City and I was out with Jews for Jesus handing out the tracks and when we go out we always wear T-shirts with Jews for Jesus emblazoned on the back and on the front New York City. That's like going out as you verbally say before with a big old bull's-eye painted right in the middle your chest. Well I was down in the subway.

One of the subway stations handing out tracts and this ultra-Orthodox young Jewish man you know with the black coat the black girls in the black hat comes up and stands.

I don't know a 10 feet from me and he starts handing out anti-Jesus literature, John Hannah, Jesus, or he's in a not anti-Jesus. We call these people anti-missionaries what we call him so I thought after while this is stupid. I should go over talk to the guy me. I can almost touching. So I went over and stood next to him and he turns to me and he goes are you Jewish and I said I don't know are you Jewish, he said look at me dry not look Jewish and I said okay looking me dry not look Jewish is what happens when you put two Jews together in a conversation so anyway I said yes I'm Jewish. He said okay he said I tell you what he said you give me 10 minutes and I can talk you out of believing in Jesus really is okay I like to see this is that our buddy but here it is. I'll give you 10 minutes and then I won't interrupt you but when you're done I get 10 minutes with you there enough it was okay I said okay deal look at my watch. As a go.

Any thoughts attendance when he was gone. He had taught me one iota closer and not believing in Jesus, so it is 10 minutes were about that. Okay, stop at the 10 minutes drop I get my 10 now and I said you know sir, you want your sincere God and I and I really appreciate that about, and you're working really hard to sell me your product which is Old Testament Judaism. I said but Sir the problem is that the product you're trying to sell me is defunct, it is obsolete. It has been decommissioned and then I took him to Jeremiah 31. In the Old Testament and I showed them the new covenant and I talked to him about the new covenant that was all centered in the work of the Messiah is they had that conversation all in not good pretty bad actually. He got angry and just frustrated and just walked away just yet.

I will be released. I got rid of them handed out anti-Jesus literature but but he just walked away.

But folks when he could not get over he just couldn't understand why there had to be a new covenant. What was so broken about the old covenant that God had to put a new covenant in place so let's answer that question book of Hebrews chapter 8 verse seven it says for if there had been nothing wrong with the first covenant, the old covenant, there would have been no need for another one. The new covenant logical okay what was wrong with the old covenant. Hebrews 7 verse 18 for the old covenant was set aside because it was weak and useless. Say we can use this to do what friends it was weak and useless to reconcile us to God. It was weak and useless to redeem us from our sins. It was weak and useless to give us eternal life. It was weak and useless to get us into heaven.

It was weak and useless to get our sins forgiven and the reason it was weak and useless is because it was based upon human performance, human works, human effort, a system, none of us could ever possibly live up to Romans chapter 3 verse 20 God says by human performance, human works, human effort, no one will ever be declared righteous in God's sight.

This is what was wrong with it. It depended on you and me and you and he cannot make it work you and me are sinners to the core and we can't make a human performance system work.

That's what was wrong with the old system. The new covenant in based on you and me. Praise God for that is not based on what you do what you say what you don't do and what you don't say it's based on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross for you and me. That never changes that what's needed now can we summarize okay summarize. This is the whole point that the writer of the book of Hebrews is trying to get across is trying to help Jewish people understand, just like I was trying to help this young man in the subway understand that God has abrogated God has nullified God has decommissioned the Old Testament the old covenant, and he has instituted a new covenant with mankind just as he promised he would do in Jeremiah 31 and the writer the book of Hebrews wants Jewish people to understand that they need to stop hanging onto a covenant that is null and void and obsolete instead day and all mankind need to embrace God's new covenant which has been inaugurated by an which is based on an which is anchored in the death the burial and the resurrection of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. You got it. Got it okay now we still have 1/3 question in our third question is okay so like how does all this benefit you and me today as followers of Christ sobbing here weekly Bible church.

We have a much simpler way to ask that question don't you know how we asked that question and so all of you. It at Prince William and all of you guys at the loud and all of you at Bethesda and in the edge and around the world and the Internet policy are Tysons.

Are we ready question number three. Are you ready, here we go on so they lawn.

So what Sam followed all that Melchizedek and the you know Lulu, I got all that, understand it, you know what you visiting this makes me well friends listen. Hebrews chapter 8 verse six is the covenant of which Jesus is the mediator, the high priest is better than the old, give you five reasons why it's better ready they were done. Number one reason number one is better is because first of all, it has a better high priest in charge. Hebrews 7 verse 26 for we have a high priest in the new covenant.

Who is holy, sinless and undefiled and exalted above the heavens.

Verse 28 for the old covenant appointed men as priests who were we in mortal, but the new covenant appointed the son of God himself who has been perfected forever. Hey we got a better deal with God because we got a better high priest leading our covenant number two.

The second reason we got a better deal with God a better covenant is because our covenant, the new covenant is based on a better offering for sale in Hebrews 10 verse for the old covenant offered lambs and bulls and goats and you know animal blood. But listen, it says in verse four, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Verse 10, but in the new covenant by the offering of his own body once for all. He, Jesus has perfected for all time those of us who believe in him.

Chapter 9 verse 12 for not by the blood of bulls and goats, but by his own blood. Jesus obtained eternal redemption for us, say, the next four words with me once and for all. Hey you don't have to take it offering to Jerusalem once a week or once a month or once a year or five times in your lifetime you never have to do it. Jesus has a better offering for sin. His own body broken on the cross, his own blood shed on the cross and that offering for sin brings eternal redemption wants and for all. Got it. Number three. Reason number three we got a better covenant is because it gives us better forgiveness. The new covenant. Hebrews 10 verse one the old covenant.

The Bible said relied on this name animal sacrifices offered repeatedly and endlessly year after year, which could never fully take away sins and God's side, but this is the new covenant I will make with them. God said, I will forgive their transgressions and their sins.

I will remember Watts no more villages means.

This means that God then forget about our sin for a day or for we perform on a fourth-quarter four year four decade. We come into this new covenant with Christ, he forgets about our sin in their covered by the blood of Christ forever once and for all it's done and I love it. Verse 18 says now where there is forgiveness like this, no further offerings for sin are ever needed. Our forgiveness is full and free and complete praise Lord for that, all right. Number four. Why is the new covenant better because number four gives us better assurance of eternal life. Hebrews 7 verse 24 says because Jesus lives forever. He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Listen to me. My friends went up or you are saved to the uttermost. You are as say that is saved can be done yet anymore the uttermost as uttermost. I mean, you can't get any more saved than that right it and that is how the eternal life, we, God comes to us that eternal life is to the uttermost praise God for that. Finally, number five why we got a better deal with God in the new covenant because fifth, the new covenant has a better way to appropriate to make our own its blessings. So we mean by that. When I mean the way the only way you could make the blessings of the old covenant. Yours is by human performance. Nobody could keep that standard. But hey, under the new covenant is not about human performance is about simple childlike trust and faith in Jesus, a two-year-old can do it a three-year-old can do it. Accessing all the blessings of the new covenant, a five-year-old can do it the teenagers down in Myrtle Beach can do it anybody can do nowhere.

It's easier to get in and praise God for that. It's like the old hymn says rock of ages. Nothing in my hands I bring.

I don't need to simply to thy cross I cling that's how you get in.

It's a better way. So let's summarize how does God's new covenant benefit us more. How is it better than the old covenant. Five ways number one we have a better high priest in charge the perfect, eternal, immortal reason son of God himself.

Number two, we have a better offering for sin. The blood of Jesus Christ himself. That gives us eternal redemption. Number three we have better forgiveness from God because our sins and our lawless deeds he remembers no more. Number four we have better assurance of eternal life because Jesus lives forever to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, and finally number five we have a better way to gain access into the blessings of this covenant, not by human effort, not by human works, not by human performance, but by childlike faith and reliance on the blood of Jesus Christ that if you follow all that today did you follow all that today. Yeah.

Five. If you did then write out in the lobby.

As soon as were done we have seminary degrees, diplomas for all of you. You go out there get one, bring it in here will fill you in a minute I'll sign it and you put on your wall. No, not really. I'm afraid it's a little more that, but but hey, I know we did. We covered a lot of ground the day, but this is ask hiding my friends if we understand this, we understand the very fabric the very foundation the very warp and wolf of our day. Why God replaced covenants how Jesus fits in why it's better for us men to get this whole thing makes sense. Yes, it makes perfect sense and praise God for the new covenant because the old one was a bad deal. But the new one is crazy and that leads me to say in closing, if you're here today and you've never accessed the new covenant for yourself if you're still like a man down in the subway that I talked to still trying to get into heaven using means that are defunct and decommissioned in obsolete than friend. We need to try to fix that today for you. You know, listen one of the Bible say Jesus is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Bhutto that was us know those who come to God through Confucius know those who come to God through Mohammed know those who come to God through Judaism. No, those who come to God to their own good works, no those who come to God through recycling.

No, it doesn't say any of that was a say.

Those who come to God through him strike any other way you're trying to get there, my friends, I'm here to tell you is your friend is decommissioned, nullified and null and void is not a work can't work.

God only accepts people one way and that's through the plan of salvation.

Jesus inaugurated for us on the cross. So if your trust in anything else I want to give you Hebrews chapter 2 verse three it says how shall we escape judgment. In eternity, the answer is we won't if we ignore such a great salvation if you've ignored it. Up to this point, will give you a chance to change that. Right now the star hits together what I have found in our eyes closed. If you're ready today. If you understand today under prepared to give up every other remedy you've ever trusted to try to get you to God because you understand their decommissioned and instead you're willing today to come to God through Christ. He will save you to the uttermost give you all the other blessings of the new covenant. So if you're ready to do that I'm going to lead us in a very short prayer and working to get this done, to pray out loud to pray silently with one phrase at a time. Here we go or Jesus, I come to you today because I want to get into the new covenant, I want eternal redemption. I want you to remember my sins no more.

I want you to save me to the uttermost and Lord Jesus, I want you to make my life here on earth were to live in. So today I reject every other way that I've ever tried to come to God and today I come to God through you trusting your blood shed on the cross to be all the payment for sin that I ever need come into my heart today and become my personal Lord and Savior in Jesus name I pray. Father, I want to pray for the folks to pray that prayer that you indeed if they're sincere in their heart would do exactly what you said you would do for them in the Bible not only save them to the uttermost.

But give them eternal redemption. Remember their sins no more.

Everything you said and more Lord.

For those of us here have already come to God for you. Remind us today of the incredible thing you did with the new covenant of the trouble and the pain it cost you to create this for us, so that people like us Lord who could never make the old covenant were have a way to get eternal life, and get to heaven and Lord help us walk out of here excited about our faith and excited about sharing it, and we pray this in Jesus name, amen