Our High Priest Forever (Part A)

Compassion is from the Latin to suffer with someone, to enter into their struggle with them. Sometimes the danger is you want to say something profound to somebody who's suffering. I don't want to hear anything profound when I'm suffering.

I want relief. And so the temptation is to say something when we should just be quiet and sit in their presence and sort of just allow the company between us to soothe as much as it can. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Now here's Pastor Rick with a brand new study called Our High Priest Forever in Hebrews chapter 5. If you have your Bibles please open to Hebrews chapter 5 verse 1 Hebrews chapter 5. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in all things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray since he himself is also subject to weakness. Because of this he is required as for the people so also for himself to offer sacrifices for sins. No man takes this honor to himself but he who is called by God just as Aaron was so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priests but it was he who said to him you are my son today I've begotten you. As he also says in another place you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek who in the days of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death and was heard because of his godly fear. Though he was a son yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered and having been perfected he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him called by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek of whom we have much to say and hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing though by this time you ought to be teachers you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God and you have come to need milk and not solid food for everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness for he is a babe but solid food belongs to those who are full of age that is those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil as we are here this morning think of how many people on the earth are missing out on God's Word are missing out on the things that we have just read and so many other things that other pastors in pulpits are reading this morning to their congregations likewise may we not ever lose our sense of burden for lost souls well we turn right to the first verse and we reread for every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins well before Christ the high priest in Israel amongst the Hebrews he was the leader the spiritual leader of the nation among men but he was chosen by God where it says again verse 1 for every high priest taken from among men God harvested his spiritual leaders from the flock of the Levites and then the children of Aaron according to the Jewish law but in the church he still harvesters his spiritual leaders from the flock among men among sinners and that would be the pastors he continues is appointed for men in all things pertaining to God appointed means he's ordained ordination is something that men do not do but men recognize has been done God is the one that sets aside the ones that will be his leaders in the flock and the flock recognizes it there are certainly features that would disqualify a man from being ordained a man that had criminal qualities for example there are other things of immorality of course would be a indication that God has not called a person to enter the pulpit you know you would think that that would be common sense but unfortunately it is not many many unscrupulous individuals have sought and gained the position of pastor over the centuries but the righteous are able to discern they're able to pick them out and say this man's not preaching the Word of God he certainly is or is not listening to God and living the word so this is serious stuff we're kind of passing over it because we've covered it so often but scripture does warn against self-appointed leadership it was not to be the case in Israel it was not the case with the Son of God Jesus Christ of course amongst the Godhead it was already foreordained from the foundations of the world but the writer is telling his audience that God has everything in control he knows exactly what he is doing is precise in this and when he singled out the one whom we know as Jesus to be Messiah it was something that it was it's something for the people to submit to and not resist he of total authority and again they were in this position these Hebrews of drifting away from the faith of forfeiting salvation that Christ offers because they wanted to go back to Judaism at least they were flirting with the idea and he's as you when we stood and read the word moments ago we got to the end where there's this abrupt rebuke that he launches on them and we'll get to that momentarily and so this priestly authority from God now there are examples in scriptures of those who have overstepped who've gone beyond the boundaries set by the Lord when it comes to ministry they have taken it upon themselves to take what God has appointed to others and again direct redirecting it to themselves the first one would be Korah Korah was a Levite and he was quite irritated that God had singled out Moses and Aaron to be the spiritual leaders of the nation and in so doing he lost his life God struck him dead and not only him all those who sided with him he was not alone the ground opened up and swallowed them up Saul King Saul Israel's first King consummate self-impressed selfish homicidal individual that he was he attempted to invade the priesthood also not willing to wait for Samuel the man of God and in so doing doing Saul lost his kingdom God told him through the sample through Samuel the Prophet as Samuel was walking away irritated by Saul Saul grabs his garment and it tears and the Prophet turns and says God will rip the kingdom from you also and that is what happened and of course David was his replacement we all should have a fear of being replaced we're all disposable expendable but to be replaced by God I'm not talking when we've served our time and or something has happened to health issues or something that has redirected our energies I mean as a rebuke we should all have that fear I don't want to fail in my ministry so that God would have to raise up someone to fill my spot that would be shameful and so these lessons are beneficial they're not something to panic in the face of but they are lessons to embrace then there was King Uzziah he was a good king compared to so many of the others of course he was exceptional but it went to his head and he decided that he too would overrun the priesthood he didn't lose his life he didn't lose his kingdom but he lost his health God smote him with leprosy on the spot so we have this message from Scripture saying know your boundaries self appointed leadership is not leadership leaders have to learn to be led and it should not really go to their head because they should be so preoccupied with other business they won't have time to let it go to their head too busy trying to stay a step ahead of themselves he mentions here that these leaders are appointed in matters pertaining to God not self-help not pampering not harboring sin not reducing or withholding what God has said through his word he is to deal with things pertaining to God and that would be the ones that God loves and who would that be that would be sinners the sinners are we sinners are damaged we're defective God has made a way to embrace us nonetheless but there is a system involved there are other things that must be taken care of to get here he continues in verse 1 that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins the priest was to represent sinners which he was one of to God and it is a high and holy position to have it was a role made in heaven to address sin on earth and so verse 2 he can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray since he himself is also subject to weakness well he knows firsthand what it's like when someone says listen I struggle with this thing well the priest could say well I've got mine too I understand that it doesn't make it acceptable permissible but it certainly does shave off the arrogance and self-righteousness that would interfere with making us strong making each other strong you know robots you you give man enough time they'll they'll create artificial life to to be an alpole pits and people will like it oh he was so gentle and kind and compassion he's a fraud he's fake he's not official you need it from a sinner not from something that came out of a box and so this is serious business now it's also a little tricky because some folks have a way of dictating to other folks how they need to be compassionate and that's really not not for us to do everybody handles things different but that compassion compassionate from the Latin to suffer with someone to enter into their struggle with them and sometimes the danger is you want to say something profound to somebody who's suffering I don't want to hear anything profound when I'm suffering I want relief and so the temptation is to say something when we should just be quiet and sit in their presence and sort of just allow the company between us to to soothe as much as it can job job when his friends showed up the best thing they did was sit before him silent for seven days then they blew it they opened their mouths and they began to attack job and you must really be messed up before God to suffer like this we've been looking at you and Yeesh what is wrong with you that's not how you handle it that's not compassion and so he's saying he that the priest the leaders the spiritual leaders are to be compassionate now oftentimes you know you the flock does not know how much the pastor is praying for them is taking their name in this situation before the Lord they want him to show up with flowers and chocolates I guess and and if he doesn't do that it doesn't follow the script he doesn't care and all that don't don't fall for that don't fall for that at all well he can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray well ignorance is not an asset when it comes to things about God and that's what is pertaining to things about God there are many people that claim that I love the Lord but there's been completely ignorant about what God wants from them and it really don't seem to be too interested in finding out perhaps they are afraid that they're going to have to sacrifice something to the cross speaks of sacrifice it's not should be not not be something foreign to us but there are those that are ignorant now there are those that are ignorant and indecent indignant at the same time that should never be and but it is in the church and amongst Christians they don't know what they're talking about that doesn't stop them from talking about what they don't know and being quite nasty in the process but then there are those that are ignorant the city don't know and they're not they don't have the this foul attitude they're willing to be pliable in the presence of God's Word they will submit to the authority of Scripture so it's up to each individual to figure out how they're going to handle this now when he says there are those that are going astray they know better and well ignorance can lead you astray too don't want to rule that out but then there's another group that just is going astray they're not ignorant they're willful Peter was warned by Christ that there would be a lot of work in working with his people so he says in John's Gospel feed my lambs tend my sheep feed my sheep keep a watch on them work with them make them strong don't starve them don't abandon them the words feed and tend they are critical to the words of Christ Paul put it this way all scripture is breathed by God and is profitable for doctrine that is right thinking for reproof that is the correction of wrong thinking for the instruction in righteousness that is how to not get in trouble to stay out of trouble for correction for those who have gone into trouble for reproof oh I forgot that one that is going up to the one that you know is wrong and saying hey this has got to be dealt with it will not be excused we were willing to work with you but you've got to fix it and then he goes on to say that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped who wants to not be ready who wants to not have the right gear well then just be negligent well this was happening to these these Christians they've been Christians a long time I should add that we're going to come to that if I ever get off the second verse we'll come to it he says since he himself also is also subject to weakness everyone everyone who is a sinner has reason to be gentle with one who is with another one who is a sinner and that is where he is going with that that he is to have compassion since he too has this weakness of the flesh called sin verse 3 because of this he is required as for the people so also for himself to offer sacrifices for sins so the writer is just bringing everything into view in front of his audience he is saying we're sinners that we have spiritual leaders to deal with this sin for the leaders and ourselves never trivialize that it's amazing as much attention as scripture gives to dealing with sin how many churches give energy into ignoring it thank God thank you Lord that that's not nearly I don't know how many there are but I know there are many that that do the right thing but I also know there's an ever-increasing number of churches and people who call themselves Christians that just don't want to hear it don't want to deal with it but that's contrary to scripture and that's why we're going through it to expose us to as much of the scripture as we can be exposed to and so again verse 3 because of this he is required as for the people so also for himself he is not above sin to offer sacrifices for sins no approach to God without dealing with sin if you if you are in sin and you just not even gonna deal with it not gonna bring it up to God do you expect you gonna listen to you that has to be dealt with I'm not saying it it's going to be defeated but I am saying it has to be dealt with in this life whatever you struggle with in the way of sin is a good possibility we'll take you we'll go with you all the way to your grave but you'll be fighting it every step of the way in your heart in your spirit and that's what separates the Saints from the ain'ts verse 4 and no man takes this honor to himself but he who is called by God just as Aaron was well it's the honor of dealing with the sin on behalf of the people no man takes this honor of being the high priest or a spiritual leader as the case may be today on themselves this is a God appointed position in verse 5 so also Christ did not glorify himself to become high priest but it was he who said to him you are my son today I have begotten you well Aaron's appointment to high priest was by God so is Christ if the Son of God subjects himself to this system then we better do it too which is part of the message we have this pattern where he says today I have begotten you he's quoting Psalm 2 this is the second time he's quoted this verse in Hebrews 1 he also quotes Psalm 2 verse 7 now it does have to do the only begotten Son means the the deity become taking on humanity son of God being born of a virgin and walking amongst us and going through this life with us it's this Psalm 2 verse 7 has that meaning in it but it goes further than that it goes all the way to the resurrection and we know that because in the book of Acts the Apostles apply it that way in Acts 13 verse 33 and 34 he has raised up Jesus as it is also written in the second Psalm you are my son today I begotten you and that he raised him from the dead no more to return to corruption Jesus will not suffer and die again we'll get a lot of that at the end of Hebrews which is contrary to to some that behave as though it's not in the scripture well anyway that's verse 5 that Christ submitted to the processes of the Godhead verse 6 and he who says he also says in another place you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek well now it's heating up now he's quoting Psalm 110 and you know Jesus there were three four witnesses to Christ being the Messiah there was John the Baptist there was the scripture the Old Testament scripture I mean that he fulfilled the prophecies pointing to him as the son of David and entering in this ministry there were the miracles that he did accompanied by the teachings his teachings and then finally there was the father this is my beloved son hear him and so the all of this Christianity that we embrace is mapped out for us by God we haven't stumbled into it it is not something that we are chiseling to perfection it is something that is handed to us through God's Word and so he's quoting the Old Testament pointing the Jews back to their authority which they would you would think submit to you would think they would say oh that's right this is in Scripture and we obey Scripture and you've pointed it out and there is no way to refute what you've said we're going to stop this nonsense of trying to go back to Judaism or blend it with Christianity to somehow make Christianity better we're going to abandon that we're going to build up in the faith well maybe they did come to that conclusion the writer doesn't know at what point they will or will not but he is not going to take any chances and so he is going to slaughter any thoughts against Christ throughout this this Hebrew letter slash theses he says you are a priest forever that cannot be said about any other certainly none in the Levitical line now as I've been speaking some of you are very familiar with the word you're up on that when I say Levitical you know what I'm talking about when I mentioned the Aaronic line you know the line of Aaron that could be priest in the priesthood others of you may say huh I don't have it but you get you get enough of it and another thing you may get out of it is you may have to study some more Paul said to Timothy be diligent study to show yourself approved a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Timothy was a pastor but those words are for all Christians not just for the pastor well you are a priest forever again a distinction that is forever significant it's it's singles out Christ it makes him exclusive superior to everyone else no one is a priest forever except Christ even we we're a part of a royal priesthood we serve a priest who is a king Jesus Christ but our priesthood ends when we leave this world but he represents us forever now he mentions this order of Melchizedek this is the first well let me go do it this way the priesthood gets its first mention in the scripture not on the Levitical line the airline of Aaron and his descendants according to the Mosaic law but Melchizedek a Gentile he is the first one that is associated with the priesthood directly so as priest this order of Melchizedek you've been listening to cross-reference radio the daily radio ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in mechanics Ville Virginia as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast today's teaching is available free of charge at our website simply log on to cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com we'd also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from pastor Rick you can subscribe at cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast app tune in next time as pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of Hebrews right here on cross reference radio.