My Melchizedek Sermon
Genesis 14:17-24 (NIV)
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.
13 One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed be God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.”
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share.”
1. THE STORY OF ABRAM, LOT AND MELCHIZEDEK
THIS STORY BEGINS WITH 9 KINGS. THERE ARE FIVE KINGS ALIGNED AGAINST FOUR KINGS.
THIS SOUNDS LIKE A HUGE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN MANY NATIONS.
BUT THE TRUTH IS, EACH KING IS ONLY KING OVER ONE CITY, OR ONE TOWN.
THE NUMBER OF MEN THAT ONE CITY CAN MUSTER FOR AN ARMY MIGHT BE AS MUCH AS A FEW HUNDRED,
TO POSSIBILY A THOUSAND OR SO.
MULTIPLY THAT BY NINE CITY STATES, AND YOU HAVE SOMEWHERE AROUND THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND MEN FIGHTING ON EACH SIDE.
THE CITY OF SODOM AND THE CITY OF GOMORRAH
LOST THE BATTLE
AND ALL THEIR PEOPLE AND STUFF WERE CARRIED AWAY BY THEIR ENEMIES.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING IN SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE NOT MORALLY UPRIGHT PEOPLE.
EVENTUALLY THEY WERE DESTROYED BY GOD
BECAUSE OF THEIR IMMORALITY.
I'M WONDERING IF GOD WASN'T USING THIS DEFEAT TO TRY TO GET THEIR ATTENTION.
GOD DOES THAT YOU KNOW. HE LETS THINGS HAPPEN TO US AS A KIND OF WARNING.
GOD WANTS US TO LIVE CLEAN MORALLY PURE LIVES.
AS SODOM AND GOMORRAH WERE CARRIED INTO CAPTIVITY,
LOT, HIS FAMILY AND ALL HIS GOODS WERE CARRIED AWAY TOO.
I’M NOT SURE IF ABRAM WOULD HAVE INTERFERED IN THE LOCAL POLITICAL CLIMATE IF HIS NEPHEW LOT HADN’T BEEN INVOLVED.
BUT WHEN ABRAM HEARD THAT LOT WAS IN TROUBLE, HE CALLED OUT THE 318 TRAINED MEN WHO WERE BORN IN HIS HOUSEHOLD AND TOOK OFF AFTER THEM.
ABRAM AND HIS MEN PERSUED THEIR ENEMIES UNTIL THEY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM.
THEY ROUTED THEM WITH A SURPRISE NIGHTTIME ATTACK.
ABRAM WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH 318 MEN WHAT FIVE CITIES OF MEN COULDN’T DO.
ACTUALLY I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT ABRAM ACCOMPLISHED WITH 318 MEN AND GOD ALMIGHTY,
WHAT FIVE CITIES OF MEN COULDN'T DO
THAT’S A PRINCIPLE THAT STILL APPLIES TODAY.
WITH GOD HELPING US, WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH
THE MOST UNLIKELY,
THE MOST IMPROBABLE,
AND THE MOST IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS THAT CAN COME OUR WAY.
AFTER ABRAM DEFEATED THE INVADING ARMY, HE CAME BACK HOME WITH ALL THE PEOPLE, AND ALL THE GOODS.
THEN HE'S MET BY THE KING OF SODOM,
AND THEN, ANOTHER KING. -- THE KING OF SALEM.
THIS KING OF SALEM HASN’T LOST ANYTHING. HE WASN’T INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE FIGHTING,
BUT HE COMES TO ABRAM, BRINGING WINE AND BREAD.
NOURISHMENT FOR ABRAM AND HIS MEN.
THIS KING OF SALEM IS ALSO A PRIEST OF GOD MOST HIGH.
HE BLESSES ABRAM, AND PRAISES GOD MOST HIGH FOR HELPING ABRAM TO GAIN THE VICTORY OVER HIS ENEMIES.
THIS IS WHAT MELCHIZEDEK SAID:
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20 And blessed (OR PRAISE) be (TO) God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
ABRAM RECOGNIZED THAT THIS PRIEST/KING
WAS THE REAL THING
AND SO HE GAVE HIM A TENTH OR A TITHE OF EVERYTHING.
2. LETS LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER AT THIS MELCHIZEDEK
MELCHIZEDEK WAS A PRIEST/KING
OVER THE CITY OF SALEM.
THE NAME MELCHIZEDEK MEANS RIGHTEOUSNESS,
(SO THIS MAN (MELCHIZEDEK) WAS THE RIGHTEOUS KING.)
SALEM MEANS PEACE.
AND MELCHIZEDEK WAS THE KING OF SALEM.
(SO HE WAS THE KING OF PEACE)
THE CITY OF SALEM WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME CITY THAT WOULD LATER BE CALLED JERU-SALEM.
MELCHIZEDEK LIVED MANY YEARS BEFORE THERE EVER WAS A LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD.
SO THERE IS NO WAY THAT HE COULD BE PART OF THE LEVITICAL PRIESTHOOD.
LEVI WOULDN’T EVEN BE BORN FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS OR SO.
THEREFORE MELCHIZEDEK STANDS ALONE
AS A PRIEST OF GOD
WITHOUT PREDECESSOR OR SUCCESSOR.
HE WAS PRIEST, OF THE GOD MOST HIGH
IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRIEST
HE BLESSED ABRAM BY GOD MOST HIGH
IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRIEST
HE PRAISED GOD MOST HIGH FOR DELIVERING THEIR ENEMIES INTO ABRAM’S HANDS.
IN HIS CAPACITY AS PRIEST HE ACCEPTED ABRAM’S TITHE.
ABRAM WAS FAITHFUL TO GIVE GOD ONE TENTH OF HIS INCREASE TO GOD.
AND BECAUSE OF THIS
GOD CONTINUED TO BLESS ABRAM BEYOND MEASURE.
I NEED TO STOP HERE FOR A SECOND AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT TITHING. (WE GOT OFF ONTO THIS SIDE ROAD AT THE BIBLE STUDY, LAST WEDNESDAY)
TELL STORY ABOUT TRUCK DRIVER TITHE.
THERE WAS A MAN I USED TO KNOW QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.
ONE DAY WHEN PAT & I WERE OVER AT THEIR HOUSE, FELLOWSHIPING WITH THEM.
I ASKED HIM THE QUESTION THAT IS PROBABLY ASKED MORE THAN ANY OTHER.
I ASKED IF HE PAID 10% TITHE OF HIS NET INCOME OR OF HIS GROSS INCOME.
HE TOLD ME THAT HE DIDN’T PAY A 10% TITHE
ANY MORE.
SINCE HE STARTED DRIVING TRUCK AND MAKING SO MUCH MORE MONEY, HIS TITHE WOULD HAVE BEEN SO HIGH THAT IT WAS TOO MUCH TO GIVE TO THE CHURCH.
IN TIME HE ENDED LEAVING THE CHURCH
HE WENT THROUGH A DIVORCE,
HIS FAMILY WAS SCATTERED
AND I DON’T THINK HE MAKES THAT MUCH MONEY ANYMORE.
I’VE LOST TRACK OF WHERE HE IS TODAY.
WHAT I’M SAYING, IS THAT
GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL
GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO PUT HIM FIRST WITH THEIR MONEY.
GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO PUT HIM FIRST
IN EVERY PART OF THEIR LIVES.
I’M NOT SAYING THAT IF YOU GIVE GOD TEN DOLLARS THEN HE WILL GIVE YOU A HUNDRED BACK.
YOUR BLESSING COULD COME IN THE FORM OF MONEY,
OR IT COULD COME IN THE FORM OF A HAPPY MARRIAGE, OR IT COULD COME IN THE FORM OF A HAPPY FAMILY.
THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT GOD CAN BLESS YOU, AND MOST OF THEM ARE WORTH A LOT MORE THAN MONEY.
ABRAM WAS BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE
IN THE BIBLE,
MELCHIZEDEK, KIND OF APPEARED OUT OF NO WHERE
AND THEN DISAPPEARED, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN.
THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO PLACES IN THE BIBLE WHERE
THE SCRIPTURES REFER BACK TO HIM.
A THOUSAND YEARS AFTER MELCHIZEDEK LIVED,
KING DAVID WROTE ABOUT MELCHIZEDEK
IN PSALM 110:4 WHEN HE WAS PROPHESYING ABOUT THE MESSIAH DAVID WROTE;
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
WHAT IS THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK?
WHAT IS AN ORDER?
ONE DEFINITION FOR ORDER IS:
1 a : a group of people united in a formal way:
a community under a religious rule
esp : one requiring members to take solemn vows
THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF A NON-ORDER.
BECAUSE MELCHIZEDEK UNIQUE
HE WAS A LONE RANGER, PRIEST/KING COMBINATION,
WITH NO ONE ELSE IN HIS ORDER.
THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK WAS AN ORDER WITHOUT BEGINNING -- OR ENDING.
THEN IT WAS ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS,
BEFORE THE WRITER OF HEBREWS
CONNECTED JESUS CHRIST WITH MELCHIZEDEK.
THE WRITER OF HEBREWS HELPS US SEE JESUS AS OUR HIGH PRIEST IN GREATER DETAIL THAN WE'VE SEEN BEFORE.
HEBREWS 6:19-20 SAYS
19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
JESUS IS OUR HIGH PRIEST.
AS HIGH PRIEST HE HAS THE AUTHORITY
TO GO BEHIND THE TEMPLE CURTAIN
INTO THE HOLY OF HOLIES.
BECAUSE JESUS WENT TO THE CROSS AND GAVE HIS SINLESS LIFE AS A SUBSTITUTE
FOR OUR SORRY SINFUL SELVES,
THAT CURTAIN WAS TORN IN TWO.
IN FACT THIS 40 FOOT TALL, HEAVY MATERIAL CURTAIN
WAS TORN IN TWO FROM THE TOP DOWN.
TO SHOW THAT IT WAS GOD OPENING UP
THE HOLY OF HOLIES FOR ANYONE
WHO HAD ACCEPTED JESUS' OFFER OF FORGIVENESS.
JESUS IS THE SINLESS ONE WHO CAN APPROACH THE FATHER AND INTERCEED FOR US.
JESUS IS OUR ADVOCATE, OR LAWYER
THAT CAN GO TO GOD THE FATHER AND SAY,
THIS ONE HAS ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS.
SO I'VE ALREADY PAID THE PRICE FOR THEIR SINS.
a. GOD MADE JESUS CHRIST A HIGH PRIEST FOR MAN.
A HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK
b. GOD MADE JESUS CHRIST THE AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION. (WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO HELL)
c. GOD MADE JESUS CHRIST MAN’S FORERUNNER INTO HEAVEN,
HE'S THE HIGH PRIEST WHO PAVED THE WAY INTO HEAVEN FOR MAN.
d. WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT
GOD MADE JESUS CHRIST HIGH PRIEST FOREVER
AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.
IT MEANS THAT MELCHIZEDEK HAD NO GENEALOGY, NOT SO FAR AS WE KNOW.
THERE IS NO RECORD OF HIS ROOTS.
NOTHING IS SAID ABOUT HIS ORIGIN, HIS PARENTS, OR HIS FOREFATHERS.
THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL, BECAUSE IN THAT DAY AND TIME IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR A PRIEST TO HAVE A RECORD OF HIS GENEALOGY.
IF HE HAD NO GENEALOGY, HE COULD NOT SERVE AS A PRIEST.
e. THE POINT HERE IS THAT THERE'S NO RECORD IN SCRIPTURE OF MELCHIZEDEK’S ROOTS OR HIS DEATH.
THEREFORE, HE STANDS AS A PERFECT TYPE
OF THE ETERNAL PRIEST WHO WAS TO BE SENT INTO THE WORLD BY GOD HIMSELF,
THAT ETERNAL PRIEST IS OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
f. MELCHIZEDEK’S NAME MEANS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND SALEM MEANS PEACE.
IT CAN BE SAID THAT MELCHIZEDEK WAS THE KING OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
AND THAT HE WAS THE KING OF PEACE.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE KING WHO BROUGHT RIGHTEOUSNESS AND PEACE TO THE EARTH.
g. MELCHIZEDEK WAS PRIEST AND KING OF THE MOST HIGH GOD;
HE FORSHADOWED THE ROYAL POSITION OF CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH PRIEST AND KING,
HE'S THE ETERNAL PRIEST AND KING
FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.
HE WAS SENT TO THE EARTH TO GIVE ALL BELIEVERS THE HOPE OF BECOMING PRIESTS AND KINGS BEFORE GOD,
PRIESTS AND KINGS WHO WILL LIVE AND SERVE FOREVER IN HIS NEW HEAVENS AND HIS NEW EARTH.
MELCHIZEDEK BROUGHT OUT BREAD AND WINE.
JESUS INSTITUTED THE LAST SUPPER,
WITH BREAD AND WINE REPRESENTING HIS BROKEN BODY AND HIS REDEEMING BLOOD.
APPLICATION:
SO WHERE DO YOU STAND? HAVE YOU ACCEPTED JESUS' OFFER OF SALVATION.
HAVE YOU ASKED HIM TO ADD YOUR SINS TO THE SINS THAT HE PAID THE PRICE FOR?
THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU WILL EVER DO WHILE HERE ON EARTH.
IF WE WERE TO GO TO Hebrews 7:11-28 (NIV)
WE WOULD FIND THAT THE WRITER OF HEBREWS
IS EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THE OLD COVENANT AND THE NEW COVENANT.
THE OLD COVENANT, OR THE LAW DIDN'T WORK WELL AT PREVENTING SIN.
IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO, THE MORE WE WANT TO DO IT.
WE SEEMS THAT JUST REALIZING WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING CREATES TEMPTATION INSIDE US.
I THINK EVERYONE OF US KNOWS ABOUT THAT.
IT'S THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT THAT WE WANT THE MOST.
BUT THE NEW COVENANT IS AN INTERNAL THING.
GOD HAS WRITTEN HIS LAW ON OUR HEARTS, AND NOW OUR FIRST THOUGHT IS TO DO THE RIGHT AND NOT THE WRONG.
WE NO LONGER HAVE TO ALWAYS BE ON OUR GUARD AGAINST BREAKING SOME LAW.
IT'S THIS ALWAYS BEING ON GUARD THAT MESSES US UP.
IT MAKES US ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE WRONG THINGS AND THEN THEY GAIN DOMINANCE OVER US.
WHEN WE'RE SANCTIFIED AND FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THEN HE'S LIVING IN US AND WE'RE ONE WITH HIM.
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPING US LIVE PURE,
WE BECOME ALIVE TO GOD, AND DEAD TO SIN.