HOLDING ON TO OUR FAITH
Hebrews 4:14-5:10
JESUS, OUR HIGH PRIEST
V:14. " Therefore, since we have a great high priest
who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to
the faith we profess."
A. Jesus, our High Priest
is the one who has made atonement for our sins for
all times with His
shed blood on the cross.
1. Before Jesus
death on the cross, Jews were required to present an unblemished
animal to the
High Priest to be sacrificed on the altar.
2. The blood of
the unblemished animal was the payment (atonement) for
their sins.
3. The problem was
that since their sins were continuous, the sacrifice of animals
was also continuous.
4. Jesus death on
the cross was the one payment for all sins, past, present and
future.
B. Jesus death on the cross was accepted by the Father for all
the sins of mankind.
1. Jesus death on
the cross finished His work on earth.
John 19:30
2. Jesus was resurrect
after His death and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
C. It is our confession of faith in Him as Lord and Savior
that guarantees us a place
in heaven.
1. Jesus is the author and finisher of our
faith. Hebrew 12:2
2. Faith in the
Lord is not in our natural nature.
3.We had to be
transformed to accept Christ.
4. Any man in
Christ is a new creation.
5. The world
cannot receive Christ. John 14:17
6. God decided
before the foundation of the earth who would be saved. Eph 4:1
7. Are you glad He
decided on you?
JESUS KNOWS OUR TROUBLES
V:15. " For we
do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but
we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without
sin.
A. Jesus came down from heaven and took on human flesh.
1. He was both
man and God.
2. He had a human
nature and a Godly nature.
3. He was fully
man and fully God.
B. Since Jesus was clothed in flesh, he new our weakness and
strength.
1. Jesus had all
the emotions of man.
2. He got hungry, He
got sleepy, He got tired, He grieved for
the lost,
He got angry
and He showed compassion.
C. He was temped by the Devil as soon as He was baptized and
anointed for
ministry of the Gospel.
1. Unlike us, He
never sinned.
2. He knew the
devil and all his devises.
GOD'S GRACE AND MERCY
V:16. " Let us then approach the throne of grace with
confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time
of need."
A. We can come to Jesus in prayer anytime with confidence
that He hears our prayers
and will answer
them in His time according to His will.
1. Grace is God's
favor. God sits on His throne ready to give us favor.
2. Mercy is God's
kindness or compassion.
3. God favors those
who believe in Him with kindness.
B. God is always available to help with our needs.
1. We can enjoy
heaven on earth through the favors of God who shows us unlimited
kindness.
2. This confirms
our hope that He will never leave us or forsake us. I Kings 8:57
JESUS OUR REPRESENTATIVE AT THE THRONE OF GRACE
V:5:1-2. " Every
high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in
matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to
deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself
is subject to weakness."
A. God selected the tribe of the Levites to be priests of
the Nation of Israel.
1. Aaron, the
first High Priest was chosen to offer sacrifices for the Israelites
when they came
out of Egypt .
2. God set up an
order of priests.
There were
priests who burnt the offering and there were High priests
who entered
the Holy of Holies inside the Tabernacle to make atonement
for sins.
3. The High priests
had to sanctify themselves before entering the Holy of Holies.
to be in the
presence of God, or they would die in his presence.
B. All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.
1. Therefore no
priest could consider himself above those he served.
2. It was the job
of the priests to bring the sins of the people including their own
sins before
the Lord for forgiveness.
C. Jesus, our high priest represents us before the Father.
1. There was no
sin in Jesus, so His shed blood was accepted by the Father
for atonement
of all our sins.
2. He continuously
makes intercession for us before the
Father.
THE CALL OF GOD
V: 3-4. " This is why he has to offer sacrifices for
his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 4 No one takes this honor
upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was."
A, None of us are worthy of the call of God.
1. None of us are
worthy of the forgiveness of God.
2. None of us can
claim the righteousness of God.
3. All of us
depend on the Love of God for salvation
B. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
son, so that whoever
believes on Him
will not parish, but have eternal life.
1. While we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans
5:8
2. Therefore, we
cannot claim that our good works or general goodness earns us
the grace of
God,
C. God called us out of the world because of His grace and
mercy.
1. In fact our
predestination to be called was before we were born.
2. Since no one
deserves salvation, it is by God's Sovereign design that
we are the elect of God. 1 Peter 1:1
3. God said He
will curse who He wants to curse and bless who He wants to bless.
4. All we can do
is be grateful and thankful that we are His chosen.
JESUS IS CHRIST, SON AND HIGH PRIEST
V: 5-6. " So Christ also did not take upon himself the
glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father." 6 And he says in another place,
"You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
A. Jesus said that I and the Father are one. John 10:30
1. Jesus did not
consider it robbery to submit Himself to the will of the Father. Php 2:6
2. He was elected
High priest for His obedience to the Father , even unto His
own death on
the Cross.
B. Jesus is the
person of the Son in the Holy Trinity
1. He is the only
person who could be sinless to hold the position of High Priest
forever.
2. He is the
unblemished sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.
C. The Word does not
record the birth or the physical death of Melchizedek.
1. However
Melchizedek would not have existed if Adam and Eve had not birth
children.
2. Melchizedek
is recorded as High priest who Abraham paid tithes .
D. Unlike
Melchizedek, Christ has no beginning or
ending.
1. Christ is
Alpha and Omega.
2. He is the
beginning and the ending.
3. Christ is
eternal, therefore High Priest forever.
4. Melchizedek
had to be declared righteous by his faith and obedience to God.
5. The
righteousness of Christ has no beginning or ending.
6. Christ is our
eternal righteousness.
THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, OUR ROLE MODEL
V:7-8. " During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he
offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could
save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered"
A. Jesus set the
perfect example for life on earth.
1. He prayed to the
Father.
2. His prayers were sincere.
a. He prayed
petitions.
b. He prayed from His heart with tears.
c. He was vocal
in His prayers crying out to the Father.
B. He reverenced the Father
1. He listen to
the voice of the Father.
2. He committed
Himself to the will of the Father.
C. He was the perfect Son
1. He only did
what He was directed to do.
2. Although He had
all power, He used it to draw men to Himself.
He uplifted
and encouraged those who came in contact with Him.
3. Christ hears the
prayers of the righteous.
a. He answers them according to the will of the
Father.
PERFECTION IN JESUS CHRIST
V: 9-10. " And, once made perfect, he became the source
of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be
high priest in the order of Melchizedek."
A. Christ perfection in the eyes of the Father was made
complete with
His death and
resurrection.
1. All power over
heaven and earth was given to Him upon His resurrection.
2. Jesus is now
seated at the right hand of the Father and is High priest
forever.
B. Jesus is the reason for our salvation.
1. Eternal life can
only be obtained by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, as our
Lord and savior.
2. Salvation is a
free gift from the Father.
3. Salvation for
all who believe in Jesus Christ, was ordained before the foundation of
the earth.
C. Our personal Salvation is based on our obedience to the
Word of God.
1. I am not
talking about works.
2. Obedience
requires three things:
a. Hearing
b. Listening
c. Conforming
3. Consider John
3:16.
a. For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that hat who
ever believes in Him shall not perish but have
eternal life.
b. The first
part of the verse is God's commitment to Us; The life of His son.
c. The second
part of the verse is our commitment to Him;
our belief.
d. The third part of the verse, is God's
promise to us; eternal life.
4. Believe is an
action word.
a. It is a
conscience action on our part to trust the Gospel.
b. Trust is
not an option, it is a requirement.
c. The first
act of obedience is to believe that Jesus died for your sins.
5. The evidence of obedience is in the keeping
of God's commands.
a. The act of belief transforms the whole
body.
(1). There is an immediate indwelling of
the Holy Spirit.
(2). There
is an immediate sealing of the believer until the day of redemption.
b. Any man/woman in Christ is a new creation.
(1). The
old man (old self) has died. Romans 6:6
(2). A new
man in Christ has come alive. Romans
6:11
Praise God For Jesus
Christ.
Rev. M. Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia
Baptist Church
For more lessons, visit my blogs and follow me on Facebook
"www.revmmitchell.com" and
goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com
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