>> Today we are blessed
with a wonderful gift
from God: the Bible.
This book is God's living word.
In its pages we are told
for the word of God is living
and powerful and sharper
than any two-edged sword.
It is in this book of books
that we find the answers to all
of men's questions and needs.
This morning your area
Churches of Christ welcome you
to a program committed to that perfect law of liberty...
[ Choir singing ]
...as we present
The Living Word.
[ Singing continues ]
Now here is your host,
Ray Sullins.
>> Christ is the head
of the church and the savior
of the body.
And what a privilege it is this
morning to assemble together
before our God and Savior
and to do those things that are
according to his perfect will
and the will of the Father.
We are happy that you
have chosen to be with us today,
and are excited
about this opportunity
that we together are gathering
to glorify our king
of kings and lord of lords.
And therefore may we each
do our own part
to make those things we do now
acceptable in the sight of God.
As we enter into our worship,
it is always our privilege
to talk first with our father
in prayer.
So bow with me at this time.
Our God and Father in Heaven,
we are so thankful for this,
another day of life.
The great privilege that we
have to be called your children
and to be workers and servants
in your kingdom.
And Father, help us always
to give you the very best
that we might be found pleasing
before you
and ultimately might be
recipients
of those better promises
and rewards in the end.
Father, we know that all that
we have is only from you
and only possible
through the gift of Jesus.
And we thank you, Father,
for the love that you had
and that Jesus had
and that the will of the Spirit
as is revealed to us in the Word
that all these things
have been accomplished exactly
as you have desired.
And, Father, we thank you
for being again your children.
And in Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
It is now time
to start our songs of praise.
So won't you join in with
the congregation this morning
as we sing together
"Zion's Call."
>>  Zion's call sweetly rings
over land and sea 
 Bidding us look
to realms above 
 While the light from the
throne shines for you and me 
 Let us list to the call
of love 
 Zion's call is ringing,
Zion's call 
 Coming from the throne above,
in heav'n above 
 While we hear it ringing,
clearly ringing 
 Let us heed the call of love,
perfect love 
 On the road to the goal,
burdens we must bear 
 But we have help
from realms above 
 We receive courage new
when we kneel in pray'r 
 Let us list to the call
of love 
 Zion's call is ringing,
Zion's call 
 Coming from the throne above,
in heav'n above 
 While we hear it ringing,
clearly ringing 
 Let us heed the call of love,
perfect love 
 While we tarry below,
there is work to do 
 And our strength cometh
from above 
 As we labor and wait,
we must all be true 
 Let us list to the call
of love 
 Zion's call is ringing,
Zion's call 
 Coming from the throne above,
heav'n above 
 While we hear it ringing,
clearly ringing 
 Let us heed the call of love,
perfect love 
>> In the Bible,
we often read about the family
of God
as compared
to the physical body.
In Romans, Chapter 12,
beginning in Verse 4, we read,
"For as we have many members
and one body,
but all the members do
not have the same function,
so we being many are one body
in Christ
and individual members
of one another."
Paul said as Christians
we are all a part
of that one body
of Christ Jesus, our lord.
And we all have
different functions.
Isn't that
how our own body works?
Many parts all working together
yet serving different functions
so that the body might be
able to fulfill
all the work that is needed.
Furthermore as we talk
about fulfilling our part
in the body of Christ we need
to consider a few questions.
What part of the body are you?
Have you found your talents?
And are you using those talents
for the Lord?
Probably many of us are not.
When was the last time
you considered
what your special talent is?
When was the last time that you
put that talent to work for God
and that you were busy
in the body of Christ?
You see the Bible is full
of examples that teach us
that we must all do our own part
as we labor for Jesus.
We all remember the story even
of the talents in Matthew 25.
The master here gives each
of his servants talents
which are actually a sum
of money,
but yet interestingly enough
in English we see the idea
of maybe something that someone
does, the talent that they have.
But here one was given
5 talents.
Another was given 2.
And another 1. Each servant
later returned to the master.
The 5 and the 2 talent men
were doubled
in their talents
and had pleased the master
in doing what they had done,
but the one talent man came back
and he came back
with only the single talent
that the master had given him.
I want us to see together
the response
of the master beginning
in Verse 26.
"You wicked and lazy servant."
The master was what?
Upset that this servant
had done nothing
with what he had been given.
Also notice the outcome
of this unprofitable servant.
In Verse 28 we find that his
talent was taken away from him
and actually given to the one
who had done well
with his talents.
Then as we go on down
to Verse 20, it says,
"And cast the unprofitable
servant into outer darkness.
There will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth."
You see, it's important.
Now we consider the fact of
whether we are using our talents
to the glory of God.
Whenever those opportunities,
whether it be money or skill--
are we doing with what
God has blessed us
with the very most we can do
to see that there's benefit
for him and glory in his name?
You see as servants
of the Kingdom of the Lord we must choose today
to be a healthy part
of the body of Christ
so that we might
not only receive the blessings
of God in this life,
but also the great blessings
of God in the life to come.
Today we will again consider
a lesson from our series
which is entitled
"The better things
from the Book of Hebrews."
Our specific topic this morning
is the better priesthood.
So stay with us and in
just a few minutes our speaker
of the day will return
with this study from God's Word.
As far as our speaker
this morning,
we are again happy to have
Brother Cory Orr with us.
Brother Cory is the minister
for the Bona Church of Christ
in Bona, Missouri.
He's also an instructor at
the Bible Institute of Missouri.
And we thank him for being
with us this morning
to lead us in these main
thoughts from God's Word.
Now it's time to join
in our second song or hymn
of the morning.
The name of the song?
"I Bring My Sins to Thee."
>>  I bring my sins to Thee,
the sins I cannot count 
 That all may cleansed be
in Thy once opened Fount 
 I bring them, Savior,
all to Thee 
 The burden is too great
for me 
 The burden is
too great for me 
 I bring my grief to Thee,
the grief I cannot tell 
 No words shall needed be 
 Thou knowest all so well 
 I bring the sorrow
laid on me 
 O suffering Savior,
all to Thee 
 O suffering Savior,
all to Thee 
 My life I bring to Thee 
 I would not be my own 
 O Savior, let me be 
 Thine ever, Thine alone 
 My heart, my life,
my all I bring to Thee 
 My savior and my King 
 To Thee,
my Savior and my King 
>> We thank you so much
for joining us today.
And we think about our study
and the studies
that we've been going through here from the Book of Hebrews
that we get to take a look today again at that better.
Not just better promises.
Today we get to look at
the better priesthood.
The priesthood that we have.
And we think about that word
better for just a moment.
You know, we often think
about the new things.
Right? Those new things
that have come out.
People are always telling us,
"Well, this is better.
That's better." I've got
a better way to do things.
It's not just products.
Often it's ideas
and so many other things
that we find
that this is better.
That's better.
And oftentimes unfortunately
when it comes
to worldly things
they're opinionated.
Right? Well,
there's not a standard there.
Today we're going to be studying
from the standard,
looking at the Word of God.
Helping us to understand
the responsibility that we have,
God has already come up
with a better way.
In fact,
in Isaiah Chapter 55,
Verses 8 and 9,
God there speaking
through Isaiah says that,
"Your thoughts are
not my thoughts,
nor your ways my ways
for as my ways," God says,
"are above your ways just
like the heavens are
above the earth."
God's ways are always better.
When we think about
that better priesthood
that we now get to take
a look at,
I would invite you
and I hope that you have
your Bibles with you today,
open your Bible with me
to Hebrews Chapter 6.
In Hebrews Chapter 6
we took a--
take a look today
at that better priesthood.
We're going to begin in Verse
number 13 of Hebrews Chapter 6.
And here the Hebrew
writer writes,
"For when God made a promise
to Abraham,
because he could swear
by no one greater,
he swore by himself saying,
'Surely blessing,
I will bless you and multiplying
I will multiply you.'"
And so
after he had patiently endured,
he obtained the promise.
For men indeed swear
by the greater
and an oath for confirmation is
for them an end of all dispute.
Thus God,
determining to show
more abundantly to the heirs
of promise the immutability
of his counsel,
confirmed by an oath
that by two immutable things
in which it is impossible
for God to lie we might
have strong consolation
who have fled for refuge to lay
hold of the hope set before us.
This hope we have
as an anchor of the soul,
both sure and steadfast,
and which enters the presence
behind the veil
where the forerunner has entered
for us even Jesus having become
high priest forever according
to the order of Melchizedek.
We look at that better
priesthood today,
and we could have no one
greater,
no one better,
as far as our priest goes
than to have Jesus himself.
And that's what we are going
to look at here this morning.
Taking a look at Jesus,
that better priest.
When we think back
to the Old Testament
and we think back to the Book
of Deuteronomy and Leviticus
and we take a look at
the high priest
and everything that they were
to be doing,
we're going to take a look today
to see why Jesus is better.
Here in Verse number 20
of Hebrews Chapter 6
what we see is Melchizedek.
That name Melchizedek,
in Genesis Chapter 14
this is the first place
that we are introduced to him.
Genesis Chapter 14.
And there we see in Verses 18
through 20 who Melchizedek is.
Genesis Chapter 14,
18 through 20,
"Then Melchizedek,
king of Salem,
brought out bread and wine.
He was the priest
of God most high
and he blessed him and said,
'Blessed be Abram of God most
high, professor of heaven and--
possessor of heaven and earth.
And blessed be God
most high who has delivered
your enemies into your hand.'
And he gave him a tithe of all."
Melchizedek. Notice here
a few things that he is.
Look back with me, if you would,
at Hebrews Chapter 7 and
in fact the Hebrew writer
will go into
a little bit more depth
even than what we see here
in Genesis Chapter 14.
The Hebrew writer in Hebrews
Chapter 7 beginning there
in Verse number 1,
notice what he has to say.
"For this Melchizedek,
king of Salem,
priest of the most high god,
met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the kings
and blessed him to whom also
Abraham gave a 10th part of all,
first being translated king
of righteousness
and then also king
of Salem meaning king of peace.
Without father. Without mother.
Without genealogy.
Having neither beginning
of days nor end of life,
but made like the Son of God,
remains a priest continually."
Think about that order
of Melchizedek there
in Hebrews 6 in Verse--
in Verse number 20.
That root word
of the name Melchizedek, melek,
beginning of his name,
means king.
Then we see that zedek,
the last part of his name,
which means righteousness.
Here as we have translated
for us in Verse number 2
of Hebrews 7, we see king
of righteousness.
That's who Melchizedek was.
He was a king of righteousness.
He was also, as we see,
a priest of the most high God.
No one higher.
No one greater.
He was a priest of God,
a king and a priest,
king of Salem,
Salem meaning peace.
And so therefore also we see
that he has a peaceful kingdom
or that king of peace is also
we see in Hebrews Chapter 7
in Verse number 2 that order
and that line of Melchizedek we
think about righteousness there
and peacefulness as well.
These are two qualities
that Jesus showed in his life.
In his life he showed
what it was to be righteous.
He was right.
By the standard of God first
and foremost,
but he was also right according
to man.
He was just in his ways.
And he is the one
who brings peace.
That Prince of Peace,
as he would be called.
When we think about Jesus
and the fact that those
characteristics again showing
in his life,
we think today about us.
We should be seekers
of the same.
Too oftentimes people
that we come into contact
with are not seekers of peace.
They're not trying
to be righteous
or live in a manner that is by
the standard of the Word of God.
They don't look to be right
with God.
Instead they just want to do
what's right in their own eyes.
So many times we see that
throughout scripture
including a couple of times
in the Book of Judges
where they had no king.
Everyone did what was right
in their own eyes.
Unfortunately they didn't live
by the standard
of the Word of God.
We think about that priesthood
of Melchizedek.
He is made like.
Notice there
in Verse number 3
of Hebrews 7 he is made
like the Son of God.
Not the other way around.
Jesus was not made
in the likeness of Melchizedek.
Melchizedek was made in
the likeness of the Son of God.
And we do not know
his genealogy.
We do not know his parents.
We do not know, in fact,
when he was born.
And we don't read anywhere
of when he died.
But we read of his priesthood
that it is continually.
The point is that Christ shows
his priesthood is everlasting.
You see, that's what we see
in the priesthood of Jesus.
It is everlasting.
And today that's what
we really take a look at.
I would invite you to look
with me at Psalm 110.
Psalm 110.
Notice with me these words.
This is a messianic prophecy
and this is a prophecy that
is written about the Messiah.
Psalm 110.
Beginning there
in Verse number 1,
"The lord said to my lord,
'Sit at my right hand
'til I make your enemies
your footstool.'
The lord shall send the rod
of your strength out of Zion,
rule in the midst
of your enemies.
Your people shall be volunteers
in the day of your power.
In the beauties of holiness
from the womb of the morning,
you have the dew of your youth.
The lord has sworn
and will not relent.
You are a priest
forever according to the order
of Melchizedek."
You see that you are
a priest forever.
I love that when we think
about that priesthood
of Jesus in first Peter
Chapter 2, Verse number 9,
when we think about
a high priest
which is what Jesus is for us,
the high priest
that we have today,
in first Peter Chapter 2
in Verse number 9 just
as the high priest
in the days
of those Levitical priests,
they had priests who were
under them,
notice here in first Peter 2
in Verse number 9,
"But you are a chosen
generation,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation.
His own special people
that you may proclaim the
praises of him who called you
out of darkness
into his marvelous light."
We follow our high priest.
We are that priesthood.
And as we see here
in Psalm 110, Verse number 3,
do you see the volunteer?
It's an incredible thing
to think about.
You see, under the old law
you have the Jews.
They were--
that was a birthright.
It was not a free will choice.
What was going to take place
as David wrote here in Psalm 110
in Verse number 3,
what would happen
under that priesthood
of the high priest
we have today?
They would volunteer
to follow after him.
You see, that's the free
will choice that we have.
Special. Peculiar. We stand
out from the world around us.
We are not like everybody else
that we come into contact with.
We are to be different.
We are called to be different.
You see, we are following
after our great high priest.
The one that we are
to be following after
at all times is Jesus.
We follow his will
and his commands.
His priesthood is continual.
It is everlasting.
Never ending.
So why is this so much better?
Look with me again
at Hebrews Chapter 7.
This time we go to Verses--
Verse 25 down through Verse 27.
It says this.
"Therefore he is also able
to save
to the uttermost those who come
to God through him
since he always lives
to make intercession for them.
For such a high priest
was fitting for us who is holy,
harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners,
has become higher
than the heavens.
Who does not need daily
as those high priests to offer
up sacrifices first for his own
sins and then for the people's,
for this he did once for all
when he offered up himself."
That's the high priest
that we have and serve today.
It's why he's better.
When we think about Jesus,
he did not have to offer up sins
or sacrifice for his own sins.
The Old Testament priests
had to do that.
First they offered up for
themselves, then for the people.
They were the ones who were able
to go into the most holy place,
but no one was able
to follow them there.
When we think about Jesus, he
did all of this on our behalf.
In fact, in Hebrews Chapter
9 beginning there in Verse 23,
"Therefore it was necessary
that the copies
of the things in the heavens
should be purified with these,
but the heavenly things
themselves
with better sacrifices
than these
for Christ does not enter
the holy place made with hands
which are copies of the true,
but into heaven itself,
not to appear
in the presence of God for us.
Not that he should offer
himself often
as the high priest enters
the most holy place every year
with blood of another.
He then would have to
have suffered often
since the foundation
of the world,
but now once at the end
of the ages he has appeared
to put away sin
by the sacrifice of himself."
You see, he offered himself
on our behalf.
And he has entered
into the most holy place.
If you look back
at Hebrews Chapter 6,
there in Verse number 20 we see
that he is our forerunner,
meaning that he paved the way
for us.
He is the one who went
into heaven on our behalf.
And, as we saw there
in Hebrews 9,
Jesus is seated
at the right hand of God.
The same thing we can
look at Hebrews Chapter 1
in Verse number 3.
Jesus seated at the right hand
of God.
He is gone on behalf of us.
He did it for us.
He is sinless,
as we saw there in Hebrews 9.
He did not commit a single sin.
Yet he understands what it is
to be tempted.
He understands what it is
to be tested.
Jesus went through all
of these things on our behalf.
In Hebrews Chapter 4 there
in Verses 14
through 16 notice then
here the Hebrew writer writes,
"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
for we do not have a high priest
who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses,
but was in all points tempted
as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne
of grace
that we may obtain mercy
and find grace to help
in time of need."
That's why Jesus is that
better high priest.
He can absolutely
understand everything that
we go through in this life.
He knows what it is
to be tempted.
He knows what it is
to be tested.
He knows exactly what you
and I go through,
and yet he did all of that
without sin.
Yet he offered and sacrificed
himself for you and I.
He was willing
to go to the cross.
We have that high priest who
sits at the right hand of God,
who makes intercession
for you and I,
and it's what he wants to do
for us.
It is what he desires to do.
He stands before God
and he says, "He is one of ours.
This person is one of ours,
and he's doing his best
and he's striving
to live that godly life."
A question for us today.
When we think about better
in Hebrews,
as we have been looking at,
do you look forward to
those better promises?
Do you look forward
because Jesus is that
better high priest?
Do you serve him every day?
>>  How shall the young
secure their hearts 
 And guard their lives
from sin? 
 Thy word the choicest rules
imparts 
 To keep the conscience clean 
 To keep the conscience clean,
the conscience clean 
 To keep the conscience clean 
 'Tis like the sun
a heav'nly light 
 That guides us all the day 
 And through the dangers
of the night 
 A lamp to lead our way 
 A lamp to lead our way,
a lamp to lead our way 
 Thy Word is
everlasting truth 
 How pure is every page! 
 That holy Book shall guide
our youth 
 And well support our age 
 And well support our age 
 And well support our age 
>> Let me thank you again
for choosing to be
with us today
for The Living Word program.
I hope and trust that together
our time has benefited us all
and that certainly we would like
to remind you
that we gather every first day
of the week at 7:30
to give this time
to our creator.
But for now let me ask you
if you have any questions or
comments about today's lesson.
Maybe you'd like
a free transcript
or free cassette tape
or CD or DVD
of the program
or possibly we could assist you
with free Bible materials
or free Bible correspondence
courses.
No matter what your need is,
please feel free to contact us
at the following address.
Many of these items are
also available on our website.
That address,
TheLivingWordProgram.com.
Or if you prefer you may call us
at 417-869-2284.
Thanks be to God for our high
priest, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
And furthermore, thank God
that we are all priests
in his kingdom, the church.
May we therefore strive
to be the priests of God
that he is proud of
as those who are faithful
to his Word and obedient
to all his precepts.
>> Our prayer is
to help the world know more
about God
through this television program.
The Living Word has been brought
to you
under the oversight
of the elders
of the Kansas Expressway Church
of Christ in Springfield,
Missouri, with the assistance
of the following area
Churches of Christ.
[ Choir singing in background ]