January 25, 2009
Morning Service

Hebrews 5

Review:

1.       In chapter two the writer gives us our first warning, and that is of neglect.  “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

2.      Our second warning came in chapter 3.  The danger of hardening our hearts.  When I first started my walk with the Lord people were saying then, “the United States is gospel hardened.”  1969.

3.      Last week we received the warning of;  Heb 4:1  Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

4.      This letter is full of these types of warnings.  God wants His people to know “ God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”  There was an O.T., and there is a N.T. 

5.      We are N.T. Christians, serving God Almighty, through the revelation of His will, given to us in the Bible.

In chapter 4 the writer tells us that this Jesus of Nazareth, the very Son of God, is our great High Priest, and that we should feel comfortable coming before the very throne of God, boldly.  That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Oh, what  a wonderful, powerful, word of instruction for us.  You want a Word?  Come boldly before the throne of grace, and let God know your hearts desire this morning.  In the song, ( Heaven came down.)  “Oh what a standing is mine.”  Born of the Spirit with life from above; Into God's family divine, Justified fully through Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!

 

Chapter 5;

 

Heb 5:1-14  For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:  (2)  Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.  (3)  And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. 

• God told Moses;  Exo 29:4-9  And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.  (5)  And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:  (6)  And thou shalt put the miter upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the miter.  (7)  Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.  (8)  And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.  (9)  And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

• While under the O.T. covenant the office of Priesthood was that of the Levitical tribe as long as they were under this covenant.
• NOTICE; 

1.      His duties were to offer gifts, and sacrifices for sins;

2.     He was to have compassion on the people he was representing, because of his own infirmities.  When we open our eyes to reality, and recognize our own shortcomings, we should have compassion on people, and their shortcomings.  Jesus put it like this, “forgive men their trespasses, as you would have your Heavenly Father forgive you of your trespasses.”  AND AGAIN,  Mat 7:1-5  Judge not, that ye be not judged.  (2)  For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  (3)  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  (4)  Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  (5)  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

3.     Christian, we should never be critical, or judgmental on anyone.  The Gospel we have been given to share is that of love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  NO PLACE FOR US BEING A JUDGE. 

4.     And then the High Priest had to offer gifts, and sacrifices for his own sins. 

5.      Since you and I are called ( Kings, and Priests );  Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Since we have this royal position in Christ, we should come boldly before the throne of grace, and offer up gifts, and sacrifices, ( prayers, and supplications ) for all men.  We should not criticize, or be judgmental toward anyone, but recognize that we are sinners saved by grace of Almighty God.  Jesus said, Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

NOW NOTICE:

(4)  And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 

• Here is a principle of serving God all through the Bible, Old, and New Testament.
• There is the example of Korah rising up in rebellion against Moses, God’s man.
• Then James tells us this;  Jam 3:1  My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.   James is referring to teachers here.
• This is why when we ask for teachers, we want you to feel the calling from God.  No matter what gift God gives you, you need to be sure it is from God, and that you want it for the right purposes.  To edify the body of Christ, the church.  
• This is one of the things that hurts the church today, people sitting in the seats of authority that have not been called of God for that purpose.
• You’ve got to feel like the Apostle felt when he said, “1Co 9:16  For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
• You will feel it!  You will know when God has given you a special gift to edify the church.              USE IT.

(5)  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest;

• Simply stated.  Jesus did not come to sit in the temple as High Priest.  Even though He was the greatest, purest, teacher they will have ever seen, He did not try to usurp authority in this position.

but he ( meaning God the Father ) that said unto him ( meaning Jesus Christ ), Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee.  (6)  As he ( God the Father ) saith also in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. 

• We will find the order that Melchizedek was ordained a Priest is different than that of Aaron.

(7)  Who in the days of his flesh ( Jesus Christ ), when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 

• “Father, If it be Thy will, let this cup pass from Me.”
• The seriousness of His prayer, with strong crying, and tears. 
• He knew God could deliver Him. 
• He was heard, because He feared. 
• These are requisites for successful prayer.   Seriousness, faith, and fear of Almighty God.

(8)  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;  (9)  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

• We will find that this is expected of us also.  That is, learning obedience, by the things we suffer.

(10)  Called of God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.  (11)  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  (12)  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 

• We don’t want to be found in this category, dull of hearing.
• This is kind of a reprimand.  You ought to be teaching, however, you still need to be taught.
• In the next chapter we will see the things that the writer states as the principles, or first things in the doctrine of Christ.

(13)  For every one that useth milk is unskillfull in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  (14)  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

• Paul uses this illustration in the Corinthian letter.  1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT GOD IS CONCERNED WITH OUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH!  IT IS THE MINISTRIES RESPONSIBILITY TO POINT YOU TO THE WORD OF GOD, WHO WILL TEACH YOU THE THINGS THAT GOD WOULD HAVE YOU TO KNOW, AND UNDERSTAND.  

 

MAY WE NOT BE DULL OF HEARING, AND HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT IS SAYING UNTO THE CHURCHES.