Do not rush thru this!
Heb 8:1-2
Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
NKJV
The Book of Hebrews is a declaration of the Supremacy of Christ in all things.
He is better than the Prophets, Angels, Moses, Joshua, Aaron, and much more is identified in the letter.
In our context He is demonstrating the Supremacy of the Priesthood of Christ over the Aaronic Priesthood. There is much that I could say about the far exceeding greatness of His priesthood (you can get that info. thru the Hebrews sermon series available on our website), but I want to glory in one stated in our verse above.
The Writer(believed to be Paul) goes back to his main point in this section on the Supremacy of the Priesthood of Christ and He tells them that they(Believers in Palestine) now have a Great High Priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the Heavens. What Priest had they ever known from Aaron's seed that could sit down in the Heavenly Sanctuary and specifically at the Right Hand of the Throne! If a sinful priest had tried to do that they would have been killed on the spot. They couldn't even go into the Holiest of All in the tabernacle on earth without offering blood for their ownselves and even then they had to hope the sacrifice would be acceptable and they would not die in the presence of God. But This Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins sat down forever at the right hand of God.
Which priest, which Mediator, would you choose? One who has to offer sins for himself, one who has to offer sacrifices over and over again, one whose work was never done, or one whose work is finished and is approved of Jehovah to sit at His right hand. I choose that Priest! Everytime...with Joy...I choose Jesus by the Grace of God. (Which was His exhortation and point) BUT WAIT! There's more.
I asked the question who in the world have you ever known who could sit down at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens? Nobody, right? Nobody but Jesus! Look again. The New Testament says that you and I are sitting at the right hand of the throne of God in Christ.
Eph 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, NKJV
Eph 1:3-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," NKJV
Col 3:1-4 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Listen, We are in Him, and He is where? Seated at the right hand of the Throne of God.
That's where we are seated and accepted by God thru Him. Hard to believe?
Check this out...
Rev. 1:4 To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. NKJV
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, NKJV
The scripture declares that you and I are priests. We are allowed access to God to offer sacrifices (Heb. 13:15; I Peter 2:5)
However, we are not only priests (which is amazing in itself) we are called a Royal Priesthood, we are said to be Kings and Priests. We are Kings and Priests because we sit at the Right hand of the throne of the Majesty on High in the King of Kings. This is the Truth! This is what makes Grace so Amazing and the Gospel so Glorious!
But that's not all...Right now this is our Position and we abide their by faith...But one day faith will become sight and Position will become Practice. Here it is described.
Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. NKJV
One day we shall sit with the Master in the Heavens at the Right hand of God, to the praise of the glory of His grace, with the greatest Joy any world has ever known, and we shall sing a new song, Worthy! Worthy! Worthy! is the Lamb that was Slain who has redeemed us out of every kindred, tongue, and nation. Amen and Amen.
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible Study. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
God is in control
Luke 22:7-12
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."
9 So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"
10 And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready." NKJV
I was listening to a message yesterday and was really blessed by the glimpse of Sovereignty revealed in this passage.
In this passage Jesus sends Peter and John ahead to prepare for the Passover Meal; (what would become known as "The Last Supper" Jesus would share with His disciples.)
He tells Peter and John that when they come to the city a man will meet them carrying a pitcher of water. He then tells them to Follow him into the house, find the master of the house, tell him "The Teacher" asks for the Guest room, and there prepare the supper.
Additional Note: Why didn't Jesus just tell Peter and John where the house was since he already knew? Perhaps because Judas Iscariot was with them and this would have enabled him to betray Jesus, and the Soldiers/Chief Priests would have sought to arrest Him before the appointed time. Therefore Jesus knowing this ordained that things should be done in this way though it may have been confusing to Peter and John.
So, Jesus sends Peter and John to do something and He is absolutely in control of everything. He knows who they need to run into, where they need to go, and why it needs to happen in this specific way.
The lesson in this passage is that when God asks you to do something, when God sends you on a mission, or when God sends you thru something; He may not tell you why He's doing what He's doing, but you can be absolutely sure that He is working all things according to the good pleasure of His will, according to His Father's perfect timing, and out in your future he knows every person you need to meet and every resource you need provided.
O that God would reveal to each of us that He is just as in control of our lives today and how they relate to His plans and purposes as He was in the lives of Peter and John.
Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed.8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat."
9 So they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare?"
10 And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.11 Then you shall say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'12 Then he will show you a large, furnished upper room; there make ready." NKJV
I was listening to a message yesterday and was really blessed by the glimpse of Sovereignty revealed in this passage.
In this passage Jesus sends Peter and John ahead to prepare for the Passover Meal; (what would become known as "The Last Supper" Jesus would share with His disciples.)
He tells Peter and John that when they come to the city a man will meet them carrying a pitcher of water. He then tells them to Follow him into the house, find the master of the house, tell him "The Teacher" asks for the Guest room, and there prepare the supper.
Additional Note: Why didn't Jesus just tell Peter and John where the house was since he already knew? Perhaps because Judas Iscariot was with them and this would have enabled him to betray Jesus, and the Soldiers/Chief Priests would have sought to arrest Him before the appointed time. Therefore Jesus knowing this ordained that things should be done in this way though it may have been confusing to Peter and John.
So, Jesus sends Peter and John to do something and He is absolutely in control of everything. He knows who they need to run into, where they need to go, and why it needs to happen in this specific way.
The lesson in this passage is that when God asks you to do something, when God sends you on a mission, or when God sends you thru something; He may not tell you why He's doing what He's doing, but you can be absolutely sure that He is working all things according to the good pleasure of His will, according to His Father's perfect timing, and out in your future he knows every person you need to meet and every resource you need provided.
O that God would reveal to each of us that He is just as in control of our lives today and how they relate to His plans and purposes as He was in the lives of Peter and John.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Is my life to be Pitied?
The Apostle Paul writes in I Cor. 15:19 "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable"
If you are familiar with this text then you know that I Cor. 15 is hailed by many as the greatest discourse on the doctrine of "The Resurrection" in all of scripture.
In the text above Paul is saying that if the resurrection of Christ did not happen, and in this life your only hope is Christ, then you are to be pitied.
Hang in here with me...
Why would I be pitied? Why would you be pitied? Why does Paul draw the conclusion that if there is no resurrection then Christians are to be most pitied?
Don't Miss This!
"Because in this life they had lost everything!"
Matt 10:39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."
Paul was saying, If there was no resurrection it would be of unspeakable consequence that we would still be in our sins, we would not be reunited with loved ones, and most of all we would not be with our God and Savior.
But there is an added misery to the Christian if there is no resurrection in that he not only would miss eternal life, but he wasted this one as well. (Read I Cor. 15:30-32 for additional note)
My question to you today is: Would this be true of many Christians today?
If there were no resurrection (speaking hypothetically as did Paul), would most "Christians" lives today be described as... "to be pitied" because they lost their lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel? Would they be considered by many the "most pitiable" because they were not lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 tim. 3:2); they did not love the world and the things of the world (I Jn 2:15); they laid down their lives and took up the cross daily(Mt. 16:24); they loved the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength,(Mt. 22:37); and were stedfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord? (I Cor. 15:58)
Or
Would most "Christians" lives be described as "not too bad". Hypothetically, If it didn't work out in the end, they didn't miss out on anything, they pretty much lived like everyone else. Nothing lost.
If this is true, I believe this is an indictment against Christianity.
Paul expresses that the natural conclusion for a Christian is that they were to be most pitied because of the Heavenly minded, God Centered, Christ centered, Gospel centered, self-sacrificing, others serving, life that they would live.
Consider: If there were no resurrection, would my life be pitied? What about yours?
In conclusion, Paul goes on to say, "But now Christ is risen", and we know there is a resurrection, and there is forgiveness for sins, and the hope of reunion, and glorified bodies, and the eternal presence of the Lord!
But what about our lives here? What about our window of preparation for eternity?
Luke 12:16-21
"The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.19 And I will say to my soul,"Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
NKJV
May we all live in the light of the resurrection and the eternal and be found rich toward God on that Day.
If you are familiar with this text then you know that I Cor. 15 is hailed by many as the greatest discourse on the doctrine of "The Resurrection" in all of scripture.
In the text above Paul is saying that if the resurrection of Christ did not happen, and in this life your only hope is Christ, then you are to be pitied.
Hang in here with me...
Why would I be pitied? Why would you be pitied? Why does Paul draw the conclusion that if there is no resurrection then Christians are to be most pitied?
Don't Miss This!
"Because in this life they had lost everything!"
Matt 10:39 "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it."
Paul was saying, If there was no resurrection it would be of unspeakable consequence that we would still be in our sins, we would not be reunited with loved ones, and most of all we would not be with our God and Savior.
But there is an added misery to the Christian if there is no resurrection in that he not only would miss eternal life, but he wasted this one as well. (Read I Cor. 15:30-32 for additional note)
My question to you today is: Would this be true of many Christians today?
If there were no resurrection (speaking hypothetically as did Paul), would most "Christians" lives today be described as... "to be pitied" because they lost their lives for the sake of Christ and the gospel? Would they be considered by many the "most pitiable" because they were not lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (2 tim. 3:2); they did not love the world and the things of the world (I Jn 2:15); they laid down their lives and took up the cross daily(Mt. 16:24); they loved the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength,(Mt. 22:37); and were stedfast, unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord? (I Cor. 15:58)
Or
Would most "Christians" lives be described as "not too bad". Hypothetically, If it didn't work out in the end, they didn't miss out on anything, they pretty much lived like everyone else. Nothing lost.
If this is true, I believe this is an indictment against Christianity.
Paul expresses that the natural conclusion for a Christian is that they were to be most pitied because of the Heavenly minded, God Centered, Christ centered, Gospel centered, self-sacrificing, others serving, life that they would live.
Consider: If there were no resurrection, would my life be pitied? What about yours?
In conclusion, Paul goes on to say, "But now Christ is risen", and we know there is a resurrection, and there is forgiveness for sins, and the hope of reunion, and glorified bodies, and the eternal presence of the Lord!
But what about our lives here? What about our window of preparation for eternity?
Luke 12:16-21
"The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.17 And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'18 So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.19 And I will say to my soul,"Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."'20 But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'
21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."
NKJV
May we all live in the light of the resurrection and the eternal and be found rich toward God on that Day.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Seeing People
How will you see the people you come in contact with today, tomorrow, or next week? How do you currently view the people who you are in contact with at work, at the ball field, at church, closest friends and family members? Thru what lens do you view them?
*Please slow down and contemplate the question and answer which I set before you today, as it is one of staggering reality and essential to our Biblical worldview.
The following is a quote taken from a message on the life of C.S. Lewis.
May God open our eyes to properly see people.
"Finally, Lewis’s conception of our final and eternal Joy in the presence of God, and what an unspeakable wonder that will be, enables him to stand in God-exalting awe of what it means to be human. He has helped me rise above my petty complaints and see people—at least from time to time—as the staggering wonders that they are in the image of God.
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. . . . There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors." 51
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Anyone up for a Bible Study?
How about Hebrews 6:4-6? "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame."
Many of you may be familiar with this passage, but have you ever studied it for yourself.
This is one of the most intriguing passages in all of scripture. Those who hold to the belief that a true believer may ultimately fall away (i.e. Lose their salvation), use this as one of their main proof texts. How would you respond?
After you've taken time to study I would love to hear a brief summary of your interpretation of the text. Or if you are not sure and would like to ask questions, submit them as well.
I recently studied this and preached it to our body...I will go ahead and post the link.
I fielded Questions from the floor at the close of the message. You may be interested in hearing that as well.
"Moving Forward or Falling Away?"
http://fbclakebutler.com/content.cfm?id=213&content_id=65
*For those of you who disagree with my interpretation, I will provide you with resources that help support your view. Unless your view is "losing your salvation"...don't think I can give you anything to support that.
Many of you may be familiar with this passage, but have you ever studied it for yourself.
This is one of the most intriguing passages in all of scripture. Those who hold to the belief that a true believer may ultimately fall away (i.e. Lose their salvation), use this as one of their main proof texts. How would you respond?
After you've taken time to study I would love to hear a brief summary of your interpretation of the text. Or if you are not sure and would like to ask questions, submit them as well.
I recently studied this and preached it to our body...I will go ahead and post the link.
I fielded Questions from the floor at the close of the message. You may be interested in hearing that as well.
"Moving Forward or Falling Away?"
http://fbclakebutler.com/content.cfm?id=213&content_id=65
*For those of you who disagree with my interpretation, I will provide you with resources that help support your view. Unless your view is "losing your salvation"...don't think I can give you anything to support that.
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