No Pastor, Priest, Pope or King - Part 2 (Hebrews 4:14-16)

It's been a while since we've been here, but I'm hoping the last time we studied part one, you forgot everything I said because it was quite a wild study together. But, um, Hebrews tonight, chapter 4, verses 14 to 16. Uh, let's do this, what we normally do. I'll read the even numbered or Yeah, the even numbered verses. If you read the one odd numbered verse, nice and loud, we'll get this done.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Wow. Father, bless our time together. We pray that tonight eyes would be opened. Lord, that you'd stir hearts and minds to not only consider Jesus, but to come to the understanding that he is our great high priest as we look to this word, Father, speak to us, we pray, in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, Amen. Amen. You may be seated.

So, we started last time in this study, and now being in part two, we're looking at a message titled no pastor, priest, pope, or king can be your deliverer. There is no king on earth that can be your deliverer. There is no king on earth. There is no ruler. There's no politician that can, uh, absolve you of your sins or have your sins forgiven. You understand that? There's According to the Bible, there is no king that can deliver you from the dilemmas that this world throws at us. And there is no pope that can deliver you. There is no oracle. There is no sea that has the ability to produce for you here on earth the answer to all of your religious drama. And we certainly know that there's no, uh, priest or priesthood of any type. There's no enlightened one. There is no guru or any type of uh, sage that can bring you into some sort of a nirvana type of experience of of deliverance. It's not going to happen.

THE BIBLE ADDRESSES ALL OF THESE broken powers that come from this world and its resources. It cannot produce salvation for you. And And listen, uh, and no pastor can be your answer to your problems. Uh, it's it's Oh, I FOLLOW THIS. REMEMBER PAUL THE APOSTLE WARNED THE CHURCH AT CORINTH, GREECE. He said, "You guys ARE MESSED UP. SOME OF YOU SAY, 'OH, I follow Peter.' AND SOME OF YOU SAY, 'I follow Apollos.' AND AND ONE GROUP OVER HERE SAYS, 'I FOLLOW PAUL.'" Which he was probably very offended at that. And then the real spiritual snobs were the ones that said, 'We follow Christ.' And they thought that they were the only ones, but each group thought they were the only ones, and the church in Corinth, Greece was so factioned and broken up THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY A MESS. SO, THERE'S NO PASTOR, THERE'S NO PRIEST, POPE, or king, but Jesus Christ only. The one and only.

And so, when we look at Hebrews 4:14-16, it's absolutely essential that we understand that we are now getting into the deep theology of the book of Hebrews, powerfully so. And we talked about last time that God has reserved for himself the ability to reveal his very nature to you. It's It's the God of the Bible who sovereignly moves in the life of any individual who he's revealing himself to. God does this. God reveals himself. God speaks.

AND WE BROUGHT UP SOME EXAMPLES ABOUT how the the Gentile Abram, remember Abram, who we know as Abraham? He was a Gentile before he ever became a Jew. Wasn't he? And how did that happen? God spoke to him. And we see the life of Moses, and God spoke to Moses, revealed himself to Moses. We talked about JOSHUA THAT GOD REVEALED himself to Joshua. And we talked about Manoah. Nobody really talks about Manoah, but we all know who Manoah's son is, and that is Samson. But that whole revelation, you ought to read it sometimes, where where that God speaks to Manoah and, uh, his wife and and says, "Listen, there's going to be a deliverer that's going to come from you." AND MANOAH FREAKS OUT AND SAYS, "OH my goodness, honey, prepare to die. We just saw God, and nobody can see God and live, so we're going to die any moment." And so, the wife, speaking wisdom, of course, says, "I don't think God's going to kill us if he just said that he's got a plan. Uh, why would he tell us that he's got a plan and then kills us? I don't think so." And of course, you know, the husband came around eventually, and like we sometimes do. Daniel. God revealed himself to Daniel powerfully. The great, wonderful man. I can't wait to meet Daniel. Precious man. Seems to be a man of a of a very, very tender spirit. Uh, but a man that was, uh, A TENDER SPIRIT, BUT ABSOLUTE RESOLVE TO follow God uh, to the point of death, Daniel. And God God revealed himself to Daniel in very powerful ways. And if you remember our study together, we went from Daniel into, uh, the angelic realm and the powers of the spirit realm, and that's where I lost control of the Bible study, and we never got it back. It was just went down a path. Isaiah, chapter 6, great revelation of God to the prophet Isaiah. Ezekiel saw things that God revealed to him that even to this moment, if you read the book of Ezekiel, will blow your mind. Um, absolutely freakish revelations that God gave to Ezekiel of the nature and of the appearance of heaven. And then we mentioned if I think we might have mentioned Mary herself. That the Lord revealed himself to Mary in what would become, no doubt, the greatest revelation of God to man that has ever happened nor ever shall happen. And we learned that in Galatians chapter 4:4-5, that when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. That is the revelation of Jesus Christ. That's what the book of Hebrews is all about.

And so, moving ahead, some of this we've covered, some not. Exodus chapter 3:1. Exodus 3:1 says, "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the desert or the backside of the desert, and he came to Horeb, uh, the mountain of God where the pope has been this week and others. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And so, he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, and it's kind of cute because he wrote this. Moses wrote Exodus. So, he's writing the He's recounting what happened. So, Moses said to himself, 'I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.' So, when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses.' And he said, 'Here I am.' And then he said, 'Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.'" Awesome revelation.

We recount Joshua chapter 5:13, remarkable encounter. This is known as a theophanies. When God Listen, friends, when when God in the Old Testament reveals himself tangibly, physically, in some form, human form. Sometimes God is revealed in scripture where Abraham didn't realize it was the Lord talking to him at that moment. In a moment, we're going to read right here where Joshua is talking to someone, AND HE DOESN'T REALIZE WHO IT IS. SO, GOD'S GOT THE ability to perform what is called a theophanies or christophanies. SO, WHEN GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TANGIBLY in scripture, it's not the Holy Spirit. It's not the Father. But from Genesis to Revelation, when he does that, it's none other than you know who. Jesus Christ manifesting to man the very person of God. Watch this. Joshua 5:13. And it came to pass that when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. So, here's Joshua, the commander, the general. Think of an Israeli commando. Joshua is the warrior of Israel. And he's standing there and he sees an he sees someone that's not wearing their uniform. And he's wondering, "Who is this? This is really weird. WHERE'D THIS GUY COME FROM?" AND A MAN STOOD OPPOSITE HIM WITH THE SWORD DRAWN and Joshua went to him and said, and look how natural this is. "Are you for us or for our adversaries? What team are you on?" And he said, "No." What kind of answer is that? "Are you for us or for THE BAD GUYS?" "NOPE." "But as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come." And that would Joshua being a Jew, hearing that statement, which we don't get as Gentiles, the statement means this, "I am the one who leads the armies of heaven. I'm the commander of the armies of heaven." And Joshua knew exactly what that meant. And Joshua FELL ON HIS FACE TO THE earth and worshipped and said to him, "What does my Lord say to his servant?" Verse 15, then the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, by the way, this is kind of cool because if you know the Greek and the Hebrew, Joshua uh Joshua and Jesus share the exact same name. Yahushua The Lord is my salvation or God saves, the Lord saves. "Take your sandal off your foot for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so.

This is who Jesus Christ is. In 1 Timothy chapter 2 verse 5, the Bible says, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." Friends, listen. There's one go-between. There's one go-between between us and God himself and eternity, and it's not a pastor, it's not a priest, it's not a pope, it's not a king. It's Jesus CHRIST ONLY. THE BIBLE REPEATS THIS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. And I know for some of you that ARE HERE, SOME OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING, YOU'RE THINKING, "WAIT, THAT'S RADICAL. I MEAN, I DON'T I DON'T I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE I'VE NOT BEEN SCHOOLED IN THAT AREA." BUT YOU JUST READ WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THERE'S ONE GOD AND ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, and that is the man Christ Jesus. I mean, that's pretty rock solid clear. But you're YOU MIGHT BE SAYING TO ME, "JACK, I'VE NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE." WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE. THAT'S WHY MAYBE YOU'RE TUNING IN RIGHT NOW. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS. THIS IS THE SAME ONE THAT MOSES MET WITH IN THE BURNING BUSH. IT'S THE SAME ONE THAT JOSHUA met up with and Abraham and the others. IT'S THE SAME ONE. IT'S THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD TO MAN. THAT'S WHY JESUS CAME. AND IT'S ABSOLUTELY AWESOME for us to remember this and to consider this.

Write these verses down. We have a lot of verses. I'm going to try to go fast tonight. Acts chapter 4 verse 10. This is awesome. Acts 4 verse 10 and Philippians chapter 2 verse 9. "Let it be known to all of you," says Peter. Peter's the one preaching. "TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL THAT BY THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, WHOM GOD RAISED FROM THE DEAD, BY HIM THIS MAN STANDS HERE BEFORE YOU WHOLE." A healing had taken place in the name of Jesus. Verse 11, "This is the stone which was rejected by you builders." He would have refer You could just see Peter There might have been a crowd of people gathered around, but over to one side cuz they always stood together were the professional religionists. Are you with me? So, imagine this crowd right here, but over here in this group back over there somewhere there's about maybe 10, 15, 20 guys all in their robes with their all with all of their uh Judaism and all of their gown, their garb, WHAT THEY'RE WEARING. THEY'RE OBVIOUS PRIESTS or Pharisees or Sadducees. Are you with me? You could almost see Peter at this moment saying, "THIS IS THE STONE." Referring to the work of Jesus THAT YOU BUILDERS REJECTED. HE WOULD HAVE POINTED TO THEM. ABSOLUTELY POWERFUL, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. Now he's quoting, you know, an Old Testament reference. "NOR IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER." THIS IS PETER SPEAKING. LISTEN TO THIS. "FOR THERE IS ONE THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG men whereby we must be saved." That's what Peter said. THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD.

Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 through 11. "THEREFORE GOD HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM AND GIVEN HIM the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, that is the spirit realm, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." That means saying that Jesus Christ is Lord and you mean it. Absolutely awesome.

So, church, here's where we dive in. This is where we never got to last time. It's our first argument is this, no pastor, priest, pope, or king can compare to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Bible says in verse 14, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our con- our confession." This is important. Mark this down, please. He is the totality of God revealed. Jesus Christ is. No pastor, no priest, no pope, no king. One is the manifestation of God revealed in totality.

Seeing then Some of your Bibles, for example, uh uh take uh notice of this. Some of you have the ESV version, English Standard Version, translates the word, which is by the way very accurate in this. When it says in verse 14, "Seeing then," some of it translation say, "Since then." That's good. The New Living Translation was which is not uh technically a Bible. You may own an NLT, New Living Translation. It's a translation. You just need to know that. It's for conversational reading. You would you would never use it as a study Bible. But it says this in a very beautiful but casual way. It says, "So then." The NIV translates the word therefore since, more formal. And the Darby translation puts it this way, "Having therefore." See, Jack, what are you saying? This word then, seeing then, is very important because it means wherefore or therefore or however or now. It means that what has always been known, you can take this and run with it. He's saying in verse 14, what you're about to hear about Jesus is something that you can We would say today, take to the bank. All right, I don't know if that's a good thing to do now or not, but you know what I'm you know what I mean by that.

So, here's what I want you to write down. Again, for those of you who are not familiar with who Jesus Christ is, I hope you have your heart blown tonight uh to fall in love with him. Colossians 2 verse 8 and 9 says, "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy Wow. and empty deceit." That just seems to fill our world right now, does it not? I don't want to hear people talking anymore. I'm sure they say the same thing about me, but it's like What? Why the Bible warns us about philosophy, that's the wisdom of man, empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. Why? Verse 9, "For in him," that's Christ, "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." You got to mark that verse down. Are you GUYS AWAKE? YOU GOT TO MARK THAT VERSE DOWN BECAUSE if anybody ever tells you that Jesus Christ is not God, number one, tell them prove it in the Bible. TURN IN THE BIBLE. SHOW ME WHERE the Bible says he's not God cuz I can show I can turn to over 300 verses to show you that he is God. But this one is huge. Where that announcement is exactly what we've been talking about, that Jesus Christ physically manifested the Godhead in bodily form. Somebody might say, "Well, that just means that he was a really good man who was able to do miracles CUZ GOD WAS WITH HIM and he wore the team jersey of God." Nope. Nope. No, he physically, all scriptures put together he physically represented you and I in human skin but he was God manifested to us. That God WOULD LOVE YOU SO MUCH THAT GOD WOULD SPEAK TO YOU AND COME to you and reveal himself to you in the person of Jesus Christ the son of God savior of the world is is amazing.

John chapter 1 verse 1 beginning there that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Ponder that for a moment. The logos was the word of God and the word was God. Verse 2 he was in the beginning with God all things were made through him did YOU EVER THINK OF THAT? THE BIBLE SAYS EVERYTHING THAT WAS PHYSICALLY created including another portion of scripture will tell us even angels were created by Jesus himself. And without him nothing was made that was made verse 14 John 1:14 and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. That is who our Jesus is John 14 verse 8 Philip said to him we're so glad Philip asked this question Lord show us the father and it is sufficient for us. And Jesus answered him and said have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me Philip? Think about that moment right there. Philip's show us the father and the answer is absolutely profound. Jesus is answering Philip saying if you if you've listened to me if you've walked with me you've seen the father. Look at that. So how CAN YOU SAY SHOW US THE FATHER? Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father in me? What the words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own AUTHORITY BUT THE FATHER WHO DWELLS listen the father who dwells in me does the works. Do you know this Jesus? This is absolutely essential that this Christ of the Bible BE THE CHRIST THAT YOU UNDERSTAND. YES. THAT YOU DON'T ASSOCIATE WITH SOME JESUS BUT THAT YOU ACTUALLY KNOW THE JESUS WILL ACTUALLY DETERMINE your eternal destination. Remarkable.

Hebrews chapter 1 Hebrews chapter 1 God who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by his son. Okay pause right there at that comment. You don't have to worry about anybody coming on the scene with some new revelation from God that's never been known before God spoke God told them they went they went out in the desert they fasted they ran around and came back with this message. Listen. And um it's not in the Bible God gave it to me but here it is. Excuse me the Bible says right here God's all done giving biblical revelation and the last one was through his son himself. That's a by the way I know the women's ministry studying the seven letters of the seven churches that's exactly what we're talking about here. What was Jesus' last comment to us? Well you need to read the book of Revelation. After that no more. Yeah but I know this guy he said that he saw. Oh yeah listen you're going to hear a lot about that as time goes on because the Bible says there's going to be a lot of cooks and nuts coming out of the woodwork every which way saying all kinds of things. Jesus said it's going to get so intense that they're going to be able to do miracles and he said the miracles are going to be so fantastic that if it were possible even the very elect would be deceived. You ain't seen nothing yet people. Imagine think about this right now. Think about this right now we're here right now in this in in a sense allow me to put it this way in this gathering like a classroom it's pretty boring. No but listen. Let's say you have let's say you have a child that's sick and you hear down the street there's some really incredible guy preaching at in a park and he's preaching and he's really charismatic and really really stimulating and wow wow wow and he's saying things that you know it's a little I never heard that before but okay you know Jesus he's just fascinating and you're listening and then the guy you you he says if anyone's sick bring them to me right now. And you and your kid's sick let's say your kid's got leukemia. And you hear this guy preaching and he's saying that this I mean there's he's saying stuff that's off. You know it's not exactly biblically accurate which by the way you'd have to know Bible to know that hello. So it's like BUT MY SON'S DYING. OH I'M JUST GOING TO TRY IT. AND YOU take your son and this guy lays hands on your sick boy and some in in the name in the name of the gods and the things and the whatevers or some Scooby-Doo deal whatever it is that's off but guess what happens your son's healed of leukemia. Jesus said there's times coming like that. Will you follow God's spoken word that may not give you any goosebumps or any feelings versus a devil as it were in flesh speaking lies and hypocrisy but having the power of Satan to even do signs and wonders. It's coming. And if you don't know your Bible you'll fall for it. The desperation of your life and your emotions will override your theology and you'll cash it in for the immediate passionate need and the Bible says you'll be deceived. Wow this is tough stuff think about it.

Now we're living in an age right now people all around the world. There's stuff going on and it's just I I it's hard to find in this day and age what I would call the New Testament church. And it's getting harder every month it seems. I'm reading a book right now I'm going to I'm not going to tell you the title till I'm done with it. So far it has turned my guts inside out because it is so powerful it's so accurate and it's almost I mean it's just absolutely powerful. You know who the author is when I finish it it'll be a it'll be a a book of the month. But I just want to finish it. But it's it's addressing so many issues about what is not a New Testament church in the world today and it's terrifying cuz it's like yep check the box there check the box there. Wow. Where was I anybody remember? Hebrews chapter 1? Uh has in these last days spoken to us by his son whom he has appointed heir of all things through whom also he made the worlds. See the word worlds? It's hard to that word is easier than this word coming up. It's cosmoses. Nobody says you say cosmos you get that cosmoses. The universes. The things that have yet BEEN DISCOVERED HE MADE THEM. Is this the Jesus you know? This is the Jesus of the Bible. Who being the brightness of his glory and the expressed image of his person AND UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY LISTEN BY THE WORD of his power when he had by himself purged our sins listen everybody JESUS CHRIST THE CREATOR of the universes the son of God purged mankind of their sins himself. No pastor no priest no pope no king can do that. PERIOD. BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS and look what he did WHEN HE FINISHED THAT HE SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH. THAT'S WHAT HE did that's the Jesus of the Bible. DO YOU KNOW THIS JESUS?

LOOK AT VERSES 12 TO 13 Hebrews chapter 3. Actually Hebrews 3 verse 1 we'll start there. Therefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling consider the Apostle that's an interesting word. Uh Apostle is messenger or one who brings the message to you or uh, the announcement to you. The Apostle and high priest OF OUR CONFESSION, CHRIST JESUS, WHO WAS FAITHFUL to him who appointed him. That's the Father. As Moses also was faithful in all his house. For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. We studied this a couple months ago. Inasmuch as he who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but he who built all things is God. VERSE 12, "BEWARE, BRETHREN, lest there be in any of you an evil heart OF UNBELIEF IN DEPARTING FROM THE LIVING GOD." BUT EXHORT one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Notice the priority of Jesus. Moses technically built nothing. Jesus is the builder. He's preeminent.

Hebrews chapter 9 verse 13. Hebrews 9:13 begins by saying, "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh." He's talking about all these things that the Jewish procedures and requirements of purification at the temple required. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit, offered himself without spot to God? There's the Trinity. Cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Verse 15, "And for this reason he is the mediator of the new covenant." This is the Jesus of the Bible. We learn this also in verse 14, that he is the absolute of God provided, the absolute. It says there that in verse 14, can you continues, that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

So, I I want you to look at these, uh, what one slide at a time, but we have three of them. What is a priest or high priest? It's a good question to ask at this moment. A priesthood is a supposed order or group of individuals who have who have dedicated themselves to a twofold mission that represents the worshiper to the worshipped. No-brainer, right? We got that. A high priest is one that has absolute authority over the priesthood and is the one who qualifies the ministry of the priests. The high priest is the sole representative of mediation between the two separate or separated parties. No pastor can do that. Do you understand that? No pastor can do something for you like, "Pastor, will you please pray for me because, um, because, uh, the situation in in my life?" Of course, we're all to pray for one another, but if you're approaching me or any pastor, priest, pope, or king to be your mediator to God, that's wrong. Are you hearing me? You say, "Man, you're blowing my mind because THAT'S HOW I'VE BEEN RAISED. I'VE BEEN RAISED THAT I CAN'T TALK TO GOD DIRECTLY." THE BIBLE SAYS THE EXACT OPPOSITE. The Bible says THAT YOU GO DIRECTLY TO GOD THE FATHER in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the great mediator. Well, what about Saint THIS AND SAINT THAT? NOPE, THAT'S TRADITIONS OF MEN CREATED BY A CHURCH OR A GROUP OR an order of a priesthood. Not in the Bible. It's not in the Bible. I'm not here to insult you or hurt you. I'm telling you that you have been brought into a system of men that HAVE HELD YOU CAPTIVE AND BOUND. AND YOU CAN PICK WHATEVER RELIGION THAT IS. IT'S TRUE IN JUDAISM, IT'S TRUE IN ISLAM, it's true in Catholicism, it's true in OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHES, BE IT Armenian or Russian or Greek. You're not YOU'RE NOT ENCOURAGED TO GO DIRECTLY TO JESUS. AND IF THERE'S ANY PASTOR, PRIEST, POPE, OR KING that says, "TALK TO US AND we'll talk to God for you." Jesus called that the deeds of the Nicolaitans in the book of Revelation and he said, "Get away from it." It's dangerous. No, Jesus Christ is the absolute of God.

The next thing is the question asked is, "Why would we need a high priest? Why would we need a high priest?" Because a priesthood isn't enough. Think of this. A priesthood presupposes someone who is greater than a priest because all priests are taken out from among mankind, right? Think about it. You say, "Well, I I'm a priest of of this particular order of this group or from this church or whatever." Well, who who made you a priest? See? Man. The priest and the priesthood by nature is to be someone just like us, sins and all. Think about this. Well, I can I make my confession to this spiritual leader. Why Can I ask you why are you doing that? The Bible says don't do that. No, but No, BUT THIS IS HOW I WAS RAISED. TRADITIONS OF MEN. LISTEN. How can a How can a man who's just like you and I deal with our sins? When he himself is a sinner? Priesthood's not enough. Because you have to have priests to have a priesthood. But a priesthood and priest come from among men. We need one who is greater than all earthly priests and mediators. There must be one high priest who is enough even for the priest. You say, "Jack, you're you're confusing me." NOT AT ALL, JUST WAIT.

Next question, final question, but who determines the qualifications of a high priest? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO, PASTOR, YOU'RE ASKING ME TO GET RELIGION, is that what you're saying? No. I'm asking you to get Jesus. Why should I do that? Because you NEED A HIGH PRIEST. WELL, I CAN GO DOWN THE STREET. NO, YOU CAN'T. I MEAN, you can, but you're not going to get anything. With all due respect, no religious order uh, pastor, priest, pope, or king can help you in this area. It's impossible. So, who determines the qualifications of a high priest? A high priest can only be appointed by one greater than the priesthood, GREATER THAN THE PRIEST, GREATER THAN THE HIGH PRIEST. IT'S WHY JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF AND became a man. There's only one high priest and it's Jesus Christ. He's the only one THAT WAS NOT APPOINTED BY MAN. He was APPOINTED BY, LISTEN, BY HIS Father to come to this world to be our actual mediator, to be our skin, BUT THE VERY PERSON OF GOD. YOU'VE GOT NO BETTER REPRESENTATION THAN TO KNOW Jesus Christ. THERE'S THERE'S WITH WITH HIM AS YOUR HIGH PRIEST, MY DEAR FRIEND, the heavens as it were, the wisdom of God is unlocked to you because of who your great high priest is. And the Bible tells us that he has passed into the heavens. Uh, uh, Hebrews chapter 9 verse 22, "According to the law, almost all things are purified with blood." Again, he's talking about Old Testament. Everything had to be cleansed at the temple with uh, purified water and then sanctified by the sprinkling of blood. And without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or there's no covering or taking or dealing with sin. Therefore, it was necessary that the copies Oh my goodness, everybody You guys awake? I know it's late. Watch this. Get your pen out. This is amazing. Verse 23 says, "Therefore, it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these." Wait, wait, wait. Copies. What are you talking about copies? Ark of the Covenant? You know, Spielberg, Indiana Jones? That was a copy. You know the Ark of the Covenant in the temple in Solomon's day? Remember? Remember David's Remember WITH THE TABERNACLE IN the wilderness, Moses, taking it out, David in the with the Then they built A TEMPLE AND PARKED IT IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES? It was a copy. It was a knockoff. But Jack, I saw the movie when they lifted the lid, their faces melted. What God told Moses to build, the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, remember? The menorah, the showbread, all of that stuff was a copy of something. God told Moses, I want YOU TO MAKE ALL THIS STUFF EXACTLY AS I SHOWED YOU. Write it down. And duplicate it. The copies. It's a copy. What do you What do you mean? In heaven, in heaven is the real thing. This is going to rock some people's worlds right now. You know how we have a tendency to grab onto icons and statues and trinkets and things? Why would you do that? Why would you do it when it can be stolen? It can be melted down and turned into a ashtray. Right? Think about that for a minute. Can that thing really protect YOU? JUST HOLD IT UP. HOLD IT HIGHER. REALLY? YOU THINK YOU THINK A CROSS can protect you against the invisible demonic forces of Satan? No, my dear friend. Back on that Back up on that screen there. But the heavenly things themselves with a better sacrifice than these. Watch this. For Christ has not entered the holy place made with hands. I almost said holy cow, but that would have been inappropriate. Look at that, verse 24. Jesus Christ, the Jesus we're talking about tonight, the Jesus of the Bible, never went into the holy place and made any offerings. Isn't it Don't you find it fascinating, my dear friends? If things of this earth and an earthly priesthood can rescue you, then why didn't Jesus go into the temple in Jerusalem when he was alive there in in the flesh and go into the Holy of Holies? In fact, why is it Why didn't Jesus, after his resurrection, take his blood and present it to the Holy of Holies on the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem? Why didn't he do that? I'll give you a hint. In the year 70 AD, the whole thing was torn down by the Roman army. So look, if Jesus would have put his blood in on any earthly thing for your salvation, and that stuff gets carted off, stolen, taken away, or destroyed, where's your salvation? No wonder why he said, "Store up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth and rust and thief cannot break in and steal." I thank God that he never went into the temple in Jerusalem. If he would have done that, we'd had no security tonight, my friends. So he talks about the holy place made with hands, which are copies of the true. BUT INTO HEAVEN ITSELF, meaning he went into heaven itself. Watch this. Now to appear in the presence of God for us. Jesus is right now You know the sins that you sinned today? So I can't believe you said that to me. The sins I sinned today? Yeah, yeah. He said, "I didn't do anything wrong today." Well, if you think you didn't do anything wrong today, what What good were you supposed to do and you didn't do? You know, there's sins of commission and omission. There's sins that you didn't do. Good for you. But there's the sins OF STUFF THAT YOU were supposed to do and you didn't do. We're busted coming and going. We need him. AND THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS SPEAKS to his father continually for us. And oh, by the way, when you and I, in 1 John chapter 1, constantly confess our sins to him to keep fellowship intact, fellowship, not salvation, fellowship, he draws Listen, as it were, he draws from the bank of his blood. And the Father says, "That's good enough. That's it. That That That'll do it." I find it awesomely fascinating that the Bible says Satan is right there, too, constantly accusing the brethren before God. He's talking about you all the time. Did you see that? Did you see that? And you In my mind, I see I see the Father. He's at the bench, like a courtroom. And Satan's like Gloria Allred, just I saw that. I saw that. He did that. I saw that. He did this. He's He thought that. And then the Father goes, "What What What do you have to say about Jack?" And my advocate says, "Uh Father, I've got I've got him covered." That's good ENOUGH FOR ME. HE'S MY MEDIATOR. HE'S your mediator. And he's all that we need.

Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2. Look Look into Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him Can you imagine? Can you imagine? Can you imagine Jesus taking willfully spitting, beating, cursings, mockery, and he took it, and then obviously crucified and raised up on that cross, and he took it, never once complained about it, could have, should have, but wouldn't, for one reason, and that's the salvation of your soul. So much so THAT FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM YOU OBSERVE, YOU STUDY THE DYNAMICS OF HIS TRIAL and beating and crucifixion, and you try to tell me WHAT WHERE'S THE JOY in that? Where is it? It's nowhere to be found but in one, and that is him, the one looking at us. How is it that any one of us could have been a lying, cheating, uh uh adulterous, uh homosexual, BANK-ROBBING, MURDEROUS, FILL IN THE BLANKS OF ANYTHING. LIAR, CHEAT, IT DOESN'T MATTER, WHATEVER. And he took IT ALL TO PURCHASE your ticket out of your mess. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. Love kept him on the cross. Love kept him there.

We're out of time. We We There's so much more. I have so much more. There's just Let's just go a little bit more. Can you write fast? I'll feel better if you can write. Okay, Mark 16, verse 19. So then after the Lord had spoken to them, he was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Why? Cuz Jesus finished the work for you. NO PRIEST ON EARTH CAN FINISH the work for you and I. Not a one. He did. So who's your priest? Think about it. Who's your great high priest?

Romans 8:34. Who is he who condemns? IT IS CHRIST who died and furthermore is also risen, WHO IS EVEN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, WHO ALSO MAKES INTERCESSION for the saints. That means he talks, as I said earlier, good for your behalf.

Ephesians 4:10. Ephesians 4:8-10, I should say. Therefore, he says, "When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive." That means that all those who died previously to the crucifixion and resurrection resided in the place called Hades or Abraham's bosom. It was a place where Daniel went and Noah went. It wasn't torment, but it wasn't heaven, either. So when it says that he led captivity captive, imagine this. When Jesus died on the cross, he went and he took Abraham and Noah and all of them and said, said, "It's time to go to heaven. I'm I just I just bought your ticket out." And gave gifts to men. Think that Think of this Holy Spirit. Verse 9. Now, this he ascended. What does it mean but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? That's what I just mentioned to you a moment ago. Verse 10. He also descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens that he might fill all things. You just SAW YOU JUST READ THAT A MOMENT AGO IN MARK'S GOSPEL, Mark 16. He ascended. He left. After all of that ministry work, think about that. When Jesus ascended back into heaven, in fact, the in the book of Acts, they said two angels appeared and said, "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING UP INTO HEAVEN FOR? What are you What are you doing? THAT SAME JESUS YOU SAW ASCEND INTO HEAVEN will come AGAIN IN LIKE MANNER." HE'S GOING TO COME BACK, BUT FOR NOW, get to Jerusalem.

Proverbs 30:4. WHO HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN OR DESCENDED? WHO HAS GATHERED THE WIND IN HIS FISTS? WHO HAS BOUND THE WATERS IN A GARMENT? WHO HAS ESTABLISHED ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH? WHAT IS HIS NAME AND WHAT IS HIS SON'S name if you know? Say Say his name. Jesus.

Isaiah 52:13. Isaiah 52:13. Behold, by the way, this is written 750 years before Jesus was born. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently or wisely. He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. God is speaking. Just as many were astonished at you, so his visage, his physical appearance, was marred more than any man. And his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle many nations. King shall shut their mouths at him in shock. For what had not been told them, they shall see, and what they had not heard, they shall consider. Who has believed our report and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant. Think of Jesus' humanity for 30 years. He grew up a little guy, a baby, a teenager, a young adult. As the Father looked on, he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness, and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. That's a statement that means Jesus had no beautiful physical structures. He didn't look like Who's the guy I saw yesterday in the magazine? The sexiest man alive. And the at the checkout stand. I can't even think of the guy's name. I'm looking at the guy. I don't know. I mean, I'm not gay or anything, but I'm thinking, "That's not so hot to me." The sexiest MAN ALIVE. WHO SAYS SO? WHAT A WEIRD THING. Jesus came, the Bible says, and he had no physical attributes that made you go, "Wasn't he handsome?" He was no He He didn't look like David, apparently. Okay, David, Solomon, Absalom. These guys were so handsome, women went nuts. Not Jesus. He looked so common, just like us or just like me. Just like right? us. Doesn't that make you feel good? You know, if you're just south of beautiful, you're like, "This is awesome." NOW THE BIBLE STUDY'S GETTING STARTED, right when IT'S COMING TO AN END. HE IS DESPISED and rejected by men. Did that happen? A man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him. He was despised and we did not esteem him. This is written 743 years before Jesus was born. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. We thought God was rejecting him. That's what we thought. Boy, did we have it wrong. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, AND THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM, AND BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED. ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY. WE HAVE TURNED EVERYONE TO HIS own way, AND THE LORD LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY of us all. HE WAS OPPRESSED AND HE WAS AFFLICTED, YET HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH. I WAS READING THIS TO A JEW, AND HE SAID, "STOP. YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN'T READ TO ME OUT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. I WON'T HEAR THE NEW TESTAMENT." AND I SAID, "I'M READING OUT of your Isaiah." He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from the prison and from judgment, and who will declare his generation? For he was cut off from the land of the living. That That's Daniel 9:24-27. For the transgressions of my people, he was stricken. And they made his grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death. Isn't that interesting? Joseph of Arimathea. He was laid in the richest man's tomb. It was only for the weekend, though, so Joseph got it back. Because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. And he was put when he put him to grief. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed and shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the labor of his soul and be satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. My goodness. Therefore, I will divide him A PORTION WITH THE GREAT, AND HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL with the strong, BECAUSE HE POURED OUT HIS SOUL UNTO DEATH AND HE WAS NUMBERED with the transgressors. That's the thieves on either side of him. AND HE BORE THE SIN OF MANY and made intercession for the transgressors, for us. THIS IS THE OLD TESTAMENT TALKING ABOUT JESUS. NO PASTOR, NO PRIEST, NO POPE, NO king can do this.

And then the final statement of that verse, let us hold fast our confession. This word hold fast means arrest it. Grab it. It's a very violent, beautiful term. Get the truth and grab onto it and SINK YOUR NAILS INTO IT AND DON'T LET GO. You grab on. And the confession, that word means to enter into the same agreement, to confess the same thing, to acknowledge the same thing, to do the same thing, to be of the same kind, to agree with God. I'm a sinner, and you save sinners. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO died and rose again from the dead.

I'll end with this. We can all stand. You're standing to remind me that we're ending. Listen to this. Listen to this. On the screens, guys. Now, when these things had been thus prepared, talking about the priesthood and all the stuff about the temple, the priest always went into the first part of the tabernacle performing the services. But into the second part of the the high priest went in went alone once a year, not without blood. The priest had to have blood on on earth. Which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance. If you go to an earthly priest and confess, you got a problem because that priest he needs someone to forgive him. He can't forgive you. You You didn't sin against that priest. When we sin, we sin against the high priest. Verse 8. The Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience. Priesthood can't do it. Concerned with only foods and drinks and various washings and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. But Christ came as high priest of the good things to come with a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands. That's human hands. That is not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and of calves, but with his OWN BLOOD. HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION. FOR IF THE BLOOD of bulls and goats and the ashes of the of a heifer sprinkled the unclean sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, he's talking about all the stuff of the earthly temple, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason, he is the mediator of the new covenant BY MEANS OF DEATH FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THE transgressions under the first covenant, that's the Old Testament, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Verse 16. FOR WHERE THERE IS A TESTAMENT, you Do you have a last will and testament? THERE MUST ALSO OF NECESSITY BE THE DEATH OF THE TESTATOR. Your testament is worthless until you die. But once you die, it goes into power. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Our Our Jesus wrote that wrote to us as it were his last will and testament. Then he dies in our place. It Soon as he dies, he empowers all the promises of God. And then 3 days later is resurrected from the dead to make sure every single word that he's promised is fulfilled in your life. That's who he is.

Father, we praise you tonight by song, by worship, by love. And if anyone here, near, or far has never made you the Lord and savior of their life, but have gotten men in the way may you speak to them this day and deliver them from traditions and bring them into eternal life. In Jesus Christ's name we pray and worship. And all God's people said, "Amen." God bless you.