Perfect Forever
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Welcome/Opening Prayer
We are gathered here today on this seventh Sunday after Easter
A day we celebrate as Pentecost
This is the day that the Holy Spirit came into the church
This is the actual beginning of the church as we know it
The whole story is in Acts 2:2-4
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I doubt seriously that anyone complained that they room was too hot or too cold
Or that the chairs were uncomfortable
This was and remains an amazing time in all of history
When all could understand any language and the Holy Trinity became complete
Today is all about things getting better
As tough as it was for the Jesus followers to see Jesus die
Jesus DID rise from the grave
Then they saw Jesus in bodily form
They also saw Jesus ascend into Heaven
Yet Jesus left with the promise of the Holy Spirit to come , which is exactly what happened
So today we celebrate this great event as we study how things got better , closer to perfect, with each high priest and what that means to us today
First though, we lift our voices together
Music ministry
498 Peace Like A River
195 Nothing But the Blood (1,3,4)
Lord, I Need You
Word of God [Hebrews 7:11-19]
Message - “Perfect Forever”
It was only a couple of weeks ago that I started talking about this man named Melchizedek
God used Melchizedek to foreshadow the type of man Jesus would be
Just as Aaron was a High Priest, and good
Melchizedek was a High pries and “gooder”, okay better than Aaron
And Jesus was also a High Priest
In fact, Jesus was and is THE High Priest and Jesus is “most bestess” ever
All attempted humor aside,
Jesus is the best High Priest,
Jesus is the best of the Best
Jesus is now perfect in every way
All of this has come to us through a process
Much like how I stand here today - Kids, pay attention
I wasn’t always a pastor
I wasn’t always as godly as I am today
I am still a sinner and NOT perfect like Jesus is perfect
But I am better than I used to be
only because I quit being who I used to be
I had to STOP doing some things to make myself better, more perfect
And just as I need to always do what I can to make myself better in the eyes of God
We should each be better than our previous generation
So, the standard should always get better/higher
When we go back through our core text today, in Hebrews 7:11
11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?
This whole section is really a study on superiority and perfection
The Levitical priesthood was a perfect as could be at the time
Melchizedek set a new standard for perfection
But, it was Jesus who demonstrated true perfection
What is this word we call perfection?
Based on the Greek meaning in context
The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words tĕlĕiōsis τελείωσις
tĕlĕiōsis, tel-i´-o-sis; from 5448; (the act) completion, i.e. (of prophecy) verification
So, we could say that we are each on a journey
and that journey is for us to complete what God has set before us to complete
In the case of Melchizedek, he was perfecting or completing his role
But that did NOT mean that he himself was perfect
Even in his imperfection, Melchizedek completed his journey as God had planned for him
Kids & adults
Because Melchizedek did what God wanted at the time
Melchizedek was perfect, even though he was not a perfect person
Since the Greek word teleiōsis that we see as “perfection” in this context is referring to the qualifications required to draw near to God
Key point
You don’t have to to EVERYTHING perfectly to be loved by and useful to God
But you must complete what God has asked you to do
Think of it as being “perfect for where you are in that moment of life”
Indeed, we are called to draw nearer to God along our life’s journey
If you are doing that, then you are perfect and getting better
All praise to God, right!?!
I want to take a HUGE step back for a minute
Does the fact that there is a “New” Testament or new covenant mean there was a problem with the “Old” Testament or covenant?
NO! Galatians 3:24
24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
The law of the Old Testament had a role to play in preparing us for the New Testament
The person you USED to be helps to inform and form who you are today
The challenge is that we are supposed to continue to transform into who God wants us to be tomorrow
To always get closer to who God designed you to be
That’s our job
Just as the fact that Melchizedek was a great High Priest doesn’t mean that the priests in the Order of Aaron were bad
Also, when Jesus came to be the new High Priest, that didn’t make Melchizedek a “bad” High Priest
Every high school graduating class has a valedictorian, who has the highest grade point average
The 2022 valedictorian is no more valuable than the 1980 valedictorian
Each had a role to play at a time in history and they played that role well, right?
Our core text today says a great deal about change in life
There was a time when the high priest would be determined by family relationship
They would be in the family line of Levi
That’s where we get the term Levitical priest
That’s what all those references to “tribe” were in Hebrews 7:13-14
13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
Yet we know that Jesus was NOT in that tribe
Jesus, Our High Priest, the highest ever, was of the tribe of Judah
If the Old way was to be maintained, then Jesus couldn’t even be our high priest
This matters to us because the same is true for us
You can and should be whoever GOD calls you to be
If your parents were plumbers and bakers and God calls you to be a doctor
Then be a doctor
If your parents were lawyers, and God calls you to be a plumber
Then be a plumber
Remember what I said earlier about perfection
When you complete God’s will, that is perfection
Let’s look at how the Bible deals with this issue as we continue our text today in Hebrews 7:20-21
20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,
21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”
God created a new and much better level of priest, right?
God, as referenced in verse 17, gave us a High priest who would never leave His post due to death
His name is Jesus
Let’s continue in Hebrews 7:22-25
22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
From a temporary priest to a permanent High Priest
From a temporary helper to a permanent helper
From one who could instruct how to live a more godly life, to the One who could literally save us from our sins permanently
Yeah, that’s the upgrade from Melchizedek to Jesus in a nutshell
Hear this conclusion to our text today in Hebrews 7:26-28
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
We are so blessed by the fact that Jesus is our Savior
We are blessed that because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t have to offer daily sacrifices
We are blessed because we have a not just a perfect High priest, we have a perfect Savior
As we celebrate Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church
We realize that we are blessed because our perfect priest sent the Holy Spirit
Which makes the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Holy Spirit our Hope and peace forever
Because our God is indeed perfect Forever
AMEN
Call to Commitment/Invitation:
309 Pass It On (1,3)
Lord’s Supper
Apostle’s Creed
Communion
Pastoral prayer/Benediction