Sermon notes:    

“Who is Melchizedek?”  (The most important biblical character you                                                          know little or nothing about)

I.     Melchizedek:  what do we know?

A.  He was a Canaanite _________________/________________ (7:1; Genesis 14:18).

B.  In an increasingly polytheistic world, He preserved the original ______________________ of humanity.

C.  Why does he symbolize the eternal priesthood of Christ (7:3)?

II.    The Book of Hebrews argues for the superiority of Christ to:

A.  Angels;

B.  Moses;

C.  The Levitical priesthood;

D.  All of the above.

III.   A change in the priesthood was needed, based on the Melchizedekian model (7:11ff.)

A.  The _______________________ (Levitical) priesthood:

1.  was constantly interrupted by death;

2.  could not “______________________” or complete the worshipper (7:11,15; 10:4, 11);

3.  provided _____________________ access to the earthly tabernacle only (Hebrews 8:5).

B.  The ________________________ (Melchizedekian) priesthood of Christ:

1.  provides permanence and continuity in administration;

2.  provides a clean conscience and saves to the uttermost (7:25; 10:4,22);

3.  provides __________________________ access to God in heaven (7:25; 10:19, 22, 25);

4.  makes all of us _____________________________ through our Baptism into Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9).

Sermon notes:    

“Who is Melchizedek?”  (The most important biblical character you                                                          know little or nothing about)

I.     Psalm 110 is quoted or alluded to __________ times in the New Testament!

A.  Jesus quotes it to play “Stump the scribes” (Matthew 22:41-46). 

B.  Jesus affirms that although the Messiah comes from David, He further maintains that the Messiah _______________________ David (Psalm 110:1;           cf. Romans 1:3; 2Timothy 2:8; Revelation 22:16).

II.    Psalm 110:  David overhears a conversation between the LORD (Yahweh) and David’s Lord (Adonai).

A.  The LORD works through _________________________ (vv.1-7; Genesis 1:26-28;   Isaiah 52:13-53:12), but the battle is the LORD’s.

1.  “Sit” suggests a ____________________ task.

2.  “right hand” = the seat of _____________________ power.

3.  “scepter” = the gospel ministry.

B.  David’s Lord is also a __________________/___________________ (v.4).

1.  A Mediator ________________________ those previously estranged (2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 Timothy 2:5).

2.  His priesthood is not that of Aaron (limited by death), but that of Melchizedek (____________________).  Why does this matter?  (e.g. John 14:1-3.)

C.  For David, Psalm 110 is like Saul’s armor (1 Samuel 17:38-39).

1.  The combined office (Priest-King) is too big for any mere __________________ to fill.

2.  The Messiah has a higher status than some Jews were prepared to  admit (Matthew 22:41-46). 

Sermon notes:

The believer’s guide to everyday etiquette  (Mark 1:1-8)

I.     Etiquette is simply ___________________ behavior. 

A.  It is thinking of and __________________________ others (Genesis 18:1-5; Luke 15:2). 

B.  Why is it necessary? 

1.  All relationships are governed by rules.

2.  Relationships require _________________.

II.    [You all] “Prepare the way of the Lord,” (v.3).

A.  The Lord comes to us not because we are ready.  Because He comes, we must _______________ ready. 

B.  The Lord _______________________ us for His coming (v.4).

1.  We all come to Jesus through John (John 1:7).

2.  John proclaimed ______________________ (vv. 4,5,8)!

C.  The ______________________ of those in Jerusalem and in all Judea:

1.  They were baptized and confessed their sins (v.5);

2.  To confess (homologeo) means to speak the same as someone else.

D.  The etiquette of John:

1.  He ______________________ attention away from self and toward Christ (v.7).

2.  He rightly ___________________________, not Christian baptism, but his preparatory baptism to Christian baptism (v.8).

III.   Etiquette for believers today:

A.  [You all] “make His paths straight” (v.3c);

B.  _____________________ yourself before the Lord (v.7; James 4:10).

1.  Baptism.

2.  Confession of sin. 

Sermon notes:    

“Who is Melchizedek?”  (The most important biblical character you                                                          know little or nothing about)

I.     Will the real Melchizedek please stand up?  Circle the best answer(s).

A.  An angelic redeemer, judge and warrior (Dead Sea Scrolls).

B.  One of several Messiahs (various rabbinic sources).

C.  The pre-incarnate Christ (some early Christians).

D.  A manifestation of the Holy Spirit (some early Christians).

E.  A Canaanite King/Priest (Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 110; Hebrews 7).

II.    The significance of Melchizedek in Genesis 14.

A.  In a polytheistic world, he was one of the few who preserved the original ______________________ of the human race. 

B.  Even _________________was an idolator until God “took” him from his family (Joshua 24:2-3).

C.  His name means “King of _________________________.”

D.  Contrast his character with that of the King of Sodom:

1.  The first word from Melchizedek’s mouth is “_________________” (v.19);

2.  The first word from the King of Sodom’s mouth is “______________” (v.21).

E.  Melchizedek appears in the context of the __________________________ of captives (vv. 13-16).  Abram’s rescue of his nephew becomes the pattern for God’s ___________________________ throughout history (Exodus 6:6-8; Ruth 2:20; 3:9; Isaiah 43:1; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:17-19).

F.  Melchizedek is a _________________________ of the coming Christ (Hebrews 7:3; cf. John 5:39).

Sermon notes:

The cross:  a victimless murder (Mark 11:1-11)

I.     “No one takes it [My life] from Me” (John 10:18).   

A.  _____________________ are those forcibly deprived of their rights, their possessions, or their lives. 

B.  _____________________ are those who voluntarily relinquish their rights, possessions, or lives for the good of others (John 10:17-18). 

1.  Jesus exercises ______________________________ in the face of  hostility. 

a.  He is in control (vv.2-6).

b.  For the first time, He “comes out” publicly as ____________________ (vv.7-10). 

c.  He engineers His own ____________________ (vv.11, 15-18;         Luke 22:69; John 18:4-9).

2.  He transforms tragedy into _______________________ (Luke 23:34, 42-43; Ephesians 2:13; Revelation 5:9-10). 

II.    The ________________________ of victimhood.     

III.   Living and leading like Jesus. 

A.  Christ gives ______________________ to us (Matthew 28:18-20).

B.  When we voluntarily relinquish our rights, possessions, or lives for the good of others, we reject _________________________ (Matthew 5:38-48).

C.  ____________________ transforms our tragedies into triumphs (Matthew 5:16).

Sermon notes:

Sheep, Goats and the Brothers of Jesus:  where are you in this picture? 

I.     The brothers of Jesus:  Who are they? 

A.  The social ministry interpretation.

1.  Jesus’ “brothers” are __________________.

2.  A 20th century phenomenon (Mother Teresa, etc.).

B.  The contextual (Matthean) interpretation.

1.  Jesus’ “brothers” are __________________.  

2.  The dominant interpretation throughout history.

C.  The evidence: 

1.  “Brothers” is a termed reserved for ___________________________ (12:48-50; 28:10), and especially His _____________________________________________. 

a.  Indeed, they are the audience to whom He is speaking throughout Matthew 24-25! 

b.  They are the ones who will experience hunger, thirst, imprisonment, etc. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). 

c.  Jesus identifies with them (Acts 9:4-5) rather than with ___________________ or with men in general.

d.  “Whoever receives you receives Me.  The one who receives a prophet because He is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward…And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because He is my disciple, he will by no means lose his reward.”  (Matthew 10:40-42, the missionary discourse of Jesus.)

2.  Jesus calls us to ________________ all nations rather than to ______________________ them (Matthew 28:19-20). 

3.  The social ministry interpretation focuses on who are the least in your community and encourages you to serve them, while Christ’s concern in this passage is not for the least per se, but for His brothers, even those who are least among them.   

4.  The social ministry interpretation assumes that we, the church, will be judged on how we respond to the world’s physical needs.  The contextual interpretation assumes that the world will be judged on how it responds to the church’s ___________________ and therefore to the church’s __________________.

II.    Christ’s comfort for you!

A.  To welcome the messenger is to welcome ____________________________ (Matthew 10:11-13a). 

B.  To refuse the messenger is to refuse ____________________________ (Matthew 10:13b-15). 

C.  Christ’s comfort for His messengers:  Christ thinks so highly of you that He will judge the world by _________________________________ (v.40)!

D.  Christ’s comfort for His sheep:  Christ thinks so highly of you that your welcome of His messengers and, therefore, of Him and His message, testifies to your _____________________ and blessedness (vv.34-40).

Sermon notes:

“Created to praise”  (Luke 17:11-19) 

I.     An almost thankless job (vv.17-18). 

A.  Nine people of God (cleansed).

B.  A foreigner (cleansed + “he saw” (v.15); he “turned back” (v.15), he is “praising God” (v.15),  he is “giving thanks” (v.16), he is “found” (v.18), he is “saved” (v.19)).

C.  Why the difference?

1.  Nine are likely looking ______________.

2.  One is definitely looking ______________ (vv.15, 18).

II.    The goal of God’s grace is ____________________ (vv.15-16).   

A.  God loves to give.  He has created us to _________________ (Psalm 51:2; 145:15-16; John 13:8; 1 Corinthians 10:31) and to _____________________ (Isaiah 43:21; Psalm 66:2; 83:18) .

B.  Gratitude toward God is _________________________ (v.16; Colossians 3:17; 1 Peter 4:11). 

C.  God does not need our praise, but ________________!

D.  We experience gratitude by _________________________ what Jesus has done (vv.15-16).