Change of Priesthood, change of Law

Dennis Tuuri

Outline: Hebrews 7:11-19 Change of Priesthood, Change of Law Sermon Outline for August 7, 2005 by Pastor Dennis R. Tuuri Structure and Context Whole Book I. 1:1-4 The Father’s Final Word - The Bright and Shining Son LINK TO II. – 1:4 “having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. II. 1:5-2:18 A Better Name Than Angels - Son of God and Son of Man LINK TO III. – 2:17 “that He might be  a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God” III. 3:1-5:10 A Better High-Priest: Source of Faithfulness, Rest, Compassion LINK TO IV. – 5:9,10 “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,  ” IV. 5:11-10:39 Christ, A Priest Like Melchizedek , High Priest of GoodThings  to Come Link to V – 10: 10:36 -39 “You have need of endurance …,the just shall live by faith ” V. 11:1-12:13 We should live with faith and endurance. Link to VI – 12:13 “Make Straight Paths” VI. 12:14-13:19 Strong Hands, Straight Paths - Living in Heavenly Community on Earth VII. 13:20-25 Benediction: Completeness Unto Every Good Work Section IV 5:1-6:20 Introductory Exhortation - Shema! 7:1-28 Jesus is High Priest of the Superior Order of Melchizedek 8:1-6 Heavenly Patterns for Earthly Work 8:7-13 The Old Covenant Was Provisional and Imperfect 9:1-10 The Weakness of the Old Covenant 9:11 High Priest of Good Things to Come 9:11-14 The Power of the New Covenant 9:15-23 The New Covenant Is Established 9:24-28 Access to Heaven, Closer Relationship to God 10:1-18 The Offering of Jesus Accomplished What the Old Offerings Could Not 10:19 -39 Concluding Exhortations – Live By Faith, Assembling and Encouraging Subsection 7:1-28 Jesus is High Priest of the Superior Order of Melchizedek 7:1-10 Melchizedekian Priesthood Is Superior to Levitical Priesthood (Gen. 14) 7:11-19 Priesthood Being Changed, The Worship-Law Is Changed (Ps. 110) 7:20-28 The New Priesthood Saves Us to Perfection (Ps. 110) Hebrews 7:11-19 11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law ), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek , and not be called according to the order of Aaron ? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah , of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek , there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life . 17 For He testifies: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. Application: How do we draw near to God? 1. By not making more than we ought about the Melchizedekian references. Heb. 10:1-25; Hdb. 4; 1 Cor. 9:13,14; Isa. 66:21; Acts 15:16 Garry Vanderveen – “abrogation and radical discontinuity and disjunction … OR Christological transformation and glorification“ 2. By appreciating the prefiguring of Christ’s work and our drawing near in the whole of the biblical history of worship, including Levitical worship. Proposed CREC Memorial on Lord’s Day Worship (Attached) 3. By properly prioritizing our response to God’s command to draw near in Lord’s Day worship. Lame Excuses Abound! 4. By preparing ourselves properly for drawing near to God, in the special Lord’s Day sense of that phrase. The Day of Preparation – Either Way! 5. By exercising proper decorum in the presence of God and His saints. RCC Usher Guidelines (Attached) Children in the Worship Service (In the Pews) – What’s Your Plan? Proposed CREC Memorial on Lord’s Day Worship, August, 2005 Draft 1. We believe that Lord’s Day worship is our highest privilege, our greatest duty, and our deepest joy. God has created us for just this purpose: to worship Him, and to be transformed by that worship. 2. We believe that in worship the people of God are engaged by the Spirit and drawn into the Father's presence as living sacrifices in union with [add - "the Risen"] Christ. In Lord’s Day worship, God renews His relationship with His people by serving them and them serving Him; He draws near to us to draw us near to Him. 3. We believe that in Lord’s Day worship, we are gathered together in a glorious assembly of angels, the church militant on earth, and the church triumphant in heaven. 4. We believe that each week in worship, through the divine service, our Creator and Redeemer gives us the covenant gifts of glory, knowledge, and life, in and through the assurance of our forgiveness, the preaching of the Word, and the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. At the same time, He graciously accepts our praise and thanksgiving of Him. In re-orienting us in terms of His covenant, He empowers and calls us to live in terms of the new creation. 5. We believe that worship changes us and the world. We are transformed by the grace of God’s presence, and leave with a renewed sense of, and commitment to, mission, discipleship, and community. Biblical worship results in changed lives, Spirit-empowerment, and impacts the world for Christ. Further, God is pleased to hear and answer our prayers, particularly those that ascend in the Lord’s Day worship of the Church. He hears our prayers for the nations and makes manifest His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 6. We believe that worship should be informed and governed by the Bible in its entirety. In constructing our liturgies, we are to pay particular attention to those portions of God’s Word that are specifically given to inform us of what God desires in worship. These portions include [perhaps add "but are not limited to"] descriptions of patriarchal worship, Levitical worship, and Tabernacle of David worship, all pointing towards the glorious advent of Jesus Christ, whose self-offering accomplished our salvation. This final work of our Savior provides the basis for the resultant transformation of worship spoken of by the Apostles in the New Covenant. 7. We believe that these portions of the Bible give us a divinely ordained sequence of worship, and provide us a detailed understanding of the benefits of Christ, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. These benefits include purification from our sins, transformation of our persons, acceptance of our work and tribute, and peace with God and men. Biblical worship assures us of the forgiveness of our sins, the ongoing work of renewal in our lives by the Holy Spirit, the requirement and acceptability of vocation, and the promise of the maturation and growth of Christian community. 8. We believe that these portions of the Bible also teach us that each of these glorious aspects of worship are to be set in the beautiful context of music that is maturing in both voice and instrument, to the praise of Christ the King. 9. We believe that the proper implementation in love of the above statements requires a practical understanding of all that Scripture teaches, including an understanding of lesser and greater matters, Christian forbearance with weaker brothers, liberty in worship which is not self-willed, an avoidance of an over scrupulous zeal, and a desire to maintain a Biblical catholicity as we build on the work of the historic church. RCC Usher Guidelines April 14, 2005 DRAFT Purposes To show the love of Christ to those entering into our worship. To remind worshippers of the holiness of the God we are meeting with, and to keep the worship service quiet and respectful, minimizing disruptions and distractions from our worship. Usher Dress Code We encourage ties, dress shirts, dress pants, and dress shoes. No shorts, blue jeans, or tennis shoes. Before Worship Be at church 20 minutes before the service begins. During rainy days, assist women and children with umbrellas. Stand near the entrance doors to the sanctuary. Greet worshippers warmly, pass out visitor booklets to new folks, and direct them to the orders of worship and outlines. When the prelude music begins, encourage worshippers to be seated and prepare quietly for worship. Escort handicapped or disabled worshippers to their seats (the wheel chair access ramp is around the side of the building). Monitor the seating and help worshipers, especially visitors, find available seating. If the sanctuary is filled, direct worshippers to the balcony. Set up extra chairs if needed in the balcony. During the processional, after the Pastors enter the sanctuary, close the sanctuary doors. The doors should remain closed during most of the service. [However, on hot days, the doors may need to be left open for ventilation.] During Worship Try to discourage movement into and out of the sanctuary, except during the singing of songs. Sit in one of the back pews or in the foyer, so that you will be alert to special needs during the service. Direct worshippers to the nursery and bathrooms as needed. While we want to be careful, please let parents with noisy children know that they can hear the sermon and worship service over the speakers in the fellowship hall, and direct them to that location. The foyer is not the place for crying children, since the noise from the foyer travels easily into the sanctuary. During the offering and communion, open the doors so that worshippers may go up the side aisles and return down the center aisle. If you encounter problems with noise or disruptions that you cannot resolve, please report them to the Deacons. After Worship When the discussion of the sermon starts, close the doors again and encourage congregants to take their conversations to the Fellowship Hall. Accept communication cards (prayer requests/visitors) as they are offered. After the service, please place the cards in the Administrative Assistant’s mailbox. Notes: Check with the Deacons if you have questions. Fire extinguishers are located by the lights switches in the foyer and by the side entrance door. First Aid Kits are located in the Foyer, hall Kitchenette, and in the Fellowship Hall Kitchen. Umbrellas are located by the coat rack in the foyer. Questions from Hebrews 7:11-19 for Young Hearers 1. Today’s text points us back to ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 2. Name the priest that Jesus is compared to in Hebrews 7. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 3. Psalm 110 told everyone that the priesthood from ___ ___ ___ ___ would be replaced by Jesus. 4. Jesus was from the tribe of ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ , not the tribe of Levi. 5. “The law” in today’s text means the way people ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 6. The book of Leviticus was written because the old family ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ were replaced by the tribe of Levi, so new rules of worship were needed. 7. Since Jesus has come to replace Levitical priests, the way we ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ has changed. 8. Worship is ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 9. Jesus has brought ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 10. Through Jesus we can ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to God. 11. We should ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ on Saturday to worship God. 12. We should ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ try very hard to go to church on Sunday. 13. We should get a good night’s ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ before we go. 14. We should ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ in worship. 15. We should try hard to ___ ___ ___ ___ others worship.