I know I went a little long last
Wednesday evening, so Lord willing, I won't do that tonight. Well,
let's begin in Hebrews chapter 8. Hebrews chapter 8 and the
first six verses. Now, of the things which we have
spoken, this is the psalm. We have such a high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which
the Lord pitched and not man. For every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifices. Wherefore, it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer. Or if he were on earth,
he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer
gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow
of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he
was about to make the tabernacle. For see, saith he, that they'll
make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in
the mount. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better promises. The title
of my message tonight is The Psalm. The Psalm, S-U-M, taken
from that word in verse one. Now of the things which we have
spoken, this is the Psalm. Another translation of this word,
instead of some, is the main point. This is the main point. This is the main point or principle
thing. The sum of what he had just written. One writer points out that when
the word is used as a sum, it refers to a sum of money. And then he suggested that it
may be here as a metaphor, signifying that what he now summarizes are
truths of surpassing value. Now this might not have been
in the writer's mind, but one thing is sure. Every child of
God tonight, every child of God in this building tonight, we
are rich beyond description by having such a great high priest
in heaven seated on the right hand of the majesty on high. I have two parts of the message.
First, the sum or summary in five points. This is the sum
or the summary in these five points. First, God's children
have such a great high priest. Notice that, if you will, in
verse one. We have such a high priest. So I looked at that word such
and high priest. I thought about the question
that is asked of the church in the Song of Solomon when she
had lost the presence of her beloved and she was asked by
the women who found her of the city, What is thy beloved more
than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? If you were
asked tonight, if I were asked tonight, what is thy high priest
more than another high priest? What is so special about your
high priest? What is so special about our
great high priest? Well, we have a twofold answer. What is so special about our
great high priest? First of all, unlike every other
high priest, our high priest is both God and man. Unlike every other priest, every
other high priest who ever served, our high priest is both God and
man. Our high priest tonight is the
son of God. He is the Son of God. And secondly,
unlike every other high priest, our high priest finished the
work of atonement for sinners. The other high priests, the men
who served as other high priests, they never finished their work.
They went into the most holy place on the day of atonement
and offered the blood and sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat and
before the mercy seat. They'd be back the next year
if they were still alive. He'd be back the next year offering
blood again. They never finished their work
of atonement. So first of all, this is the
psalm. God's children, we have such
a great high priest who is both God and man and who finished
the work of atonement. Second, God's children have such
a great high priest who has set Notice this also in verse one,
who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty
in the heavens. One of the lessons that we have
learned from him being a priest after the order of Melchizedek
is his kingly office. Remember Melchizedek was not
only a priest, but he was king of Salem, king of peace. The
Lord Jesus Christ is seated tonight on the right hand of the majesty
on high. And that to say that he's on
the right hand of the majesty on high, that's just to convey
to us that he is there in that place of a favor and that place
of privilege and that place of power. He's the king of kings,
even though he is our great high priest. You know, this is the
third time, if you begin in Hebrews 1, 1, this is the third time
in this letter that the writer, whoever he was, that he makes
mention of the fact that he is on the right hand of the majesty
on high. If you look back in chapter one,
the first time, is verse three, Hebrews chapter one and verse
three. Speaking of Christ who being
the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. Years ago, reading and studying
to preach from this passage of scripture, I read this illustration
and it stayed with me for many years, over 40 years, I guess. But remember years ago when a
king would write a letter or a commandment, he would seal
it. He would seal it. They'd put wax down and then
he had a ring. Was it Mordecai that the king
gave his, or the king gave Mordecai's ring, right? And with that ring,
he could command, send out a commandment and put that ring down in that
wax. And what happened, every line
on that ring, every indenture on that ring is on the wax. I mean, it's all there. And the
Lord Jesus Christ, when we think of him as the express image of
his person, he that has seen me has seen the Father. The express
image that is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the express
image of his person. And upholding all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, Where
did he sit? Sat down on the right hand of
the majesty on high. This is the first time in this
letter that the writer tells us where he is. And after he
finished the work, remember on the cross, he cried, it is finished. And after he finished the work,
in his prayer, he said, Father, I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. After he had finished the work,
We know He has ascended back to the Father and He sat down
on the right hand, the place of authority, place of privilege,
place of power and favor. The right hand, place of esteem
and love. That's where Christ is, our Lord.
And then in that same chapter, chapter one of Hebrews, down
in verse 13, we read, but to which of the angels said He at
any time? Showing, the writer here showing
how that Christ is above the angels. To which of the angels
said he at any time? And also showing that Christ
is his eternal son, the son of God. Because angels are sometimes
referred to as sons of God. But to which of the angels did
he ever say, set thou on my right hand? until I make thine enemies
thy footstool." Well, he never did, and he never will. Angels, as great and powerful
and holy as they are, they do not even begin to compare with
the Son, the eternal Son of God, our Savior, who by Himself purged
our sins, washed our sins. We didn't help in this at all.
Church doesn't help. Priests don't help. No, this
was his work. He did it. He accomplished it. He sat down on the right hand
of the majesty on high. And then the third time is in
our text tonight, and there are two other times, once in chapter
10. We won't turn there, but again
in chapter 12. So five times in this letter,
the writer points out tells us that he is set down on the right
hand of the majesty on high. And what I see, and I know that
you see this as well, what I see as especially important when
we read that he's set down on the right hand, the work is finished. The work is, that's what's so
important, isn't it? Because in that old tabernacle
and then in the temple that Solomon built, There was no place for
the priest to sit. He never sat down. Why? His work
was never finished. Never finished. As I said earlier,
he'd be back the next year. If it was on the Day of Atonement
and he was still alive, he'd be back the next year. But one
thing he would never do, either in the first part of the Tabernacle
are in the most holy place. You never sat down. There was
no piece of furniture. There was no seat there or throne
for a person to sit upon. So first of all, this is a sum
of it. God's children have such a great
high priest who's both God and man. Secondly, God's children
have such a great high priest who is set on the right hand
of the majesty on high. And third, God's children, we
have such a great high priest who ministers in the sanctuary
that is in heaven. We see that in verse two, a minister
of the sanctuary. He does not minister in an earthly
tabernacle. He never did. He did not minister
in a temple. That is, as a priest, being ever
ministered in a tabernacle, an earthly tabernacle or temple
like the Levitical priest, but he ministers in the presence,
the eternal presence of God. What is he doing now? Our great
high priest, what is he doing as we're sitting here tonight,
worshiping and hearing about him? What is he doing? He's ministering. He's ministering. That's what
He's always doing. He's ministering. You might say,
well, what is that? Now we know He's finished His
work of redemption. That was finished on the cross.
We know that. But still, He's ministering as
this passage tells us in the sanctuary, in the true sanctuary,
in the sanctuary in heaven. He's ministering. How does he minister? When we
think about the fact that he's ministering, what does that mean?
What does that mean to us tonight? Well, there's several things
that I want to mention. First of all, he's calling his
elect through the preaching of the gospel. He's ministering. What did he say? My sheep hear
whose voice? My voice. He's been ministering
ever since he sat down. He's ministering there in the
sanctuary. And by the power of His Spirit,
God the Holy Spirit, and the preaching of the gospel, this
is His ministry. He's calling His people. He's calling out His elect from
the four corners of the earth, from every tribe and every tongue
and every nation. Turn with me, if you will, to
this verse in Romans chapter 8. A couple of verses I want
us to look at, but Romans chapter 8 and verse 34. Well, let's read, let's read
verse 33 as well. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Does God have elect people? He
sure does. Yes. Blessed be the God and father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and heavenly places in Christ. according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children.
Election. I love the truth concerning election
because I know this concerning me and concerning you, we would
never have been saved if God had not chosen us. We love him
because, why? He first loved us. I love the
teaching of election. It gives glory to God, it's the
truth, and it gives hope in preaching. Why would Brother Lance and Robin
here tonight, why in the world would they go way over there
in New Guinea preaching if they thought man's salvation was up
to the will and whim of men? If they didn't know that salvation
is of the Lord, that yes, God has his chosen people scattered
all over this world, and he has purpose through the preaching
of the gospel to call and save his people. I love this truth
of election. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God. Now
notice, who also maketh intercession for us. He is ministering. I said, first of all, he is ministering
in calling out his people. Second, he is ministering not
in order of importance, just my order tonight. He's making
intercession. And we touched on this, I think
it was a week or two ago. How does he make intercession?
He's just there. Doesn't mean that he is praying
to the Father or anything like that. He's just there. And just
his presence there, he's making intercession for his people. Look in Romans chapter five. This is one way he ministers.
He calls out, he's calling out his people. He's making intercession
in Romans chapter 5 and verse 10. We read, for if, Romans 5
and verse 10, for if when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. What is he doing? Ministering.
He's saving us. He's saving us, my friends. He's
saving us tonight. He's saving us today. He'll save
us tomorrow. He ever lives. He's our great
high priest who ministers in the true sanctuary. And part
of his ministry is, if we're saved by his life, much more
by his death, he is saving us. He is keeping us. Why haven't
you turned back? Why haven't you quit? Since many
of us here tonight, since we first came to know the Lord,
how many people do you think have turned back since that time?
Well, I know of some, they've just given up and quit and gone
back to the world. And the only reason that you
haven't and I haven't, He's saving us. He's saving us day by day. He's not only saving us, keeping
us from falling, But He is preserving us. He's preserving us. We're in His hands, aren't we?
We're in His hands. And no man is able to take one
of His sheep out of His hands. He preserves us. Hebrews chapter
13. Here's another way that He ministers.
Hebrews chapter 13. Verse 15, by him, therefore,
let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That
is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Now, we were
offering the sacrifice of praise to the Lord a few minutes ago.
We were singing, come thou fount of every blessing. There's a
lot of good words in that hymn. It's a good prayer. Come thou
found, I mean, but our praise, he has to take it, to present it unto the Father.
There's sin mixed in everything that we do. No doubt, probably
when we were singing, some of us, our mind was thinking about
something somewhere else. Shouldn't be, but that's just
the facts, isn't it? But he's ministering. He takes
our praise, our sacrifice of praise, and he offers them unto
God. He takes our prayers, which is
represented in the scripture as incense, isn't it? He takes
our prayers and he offers them unto God. And look back to Hebrews
4. What's he doing? He's ministering.
Hebrews chapter 4. In verse 14 through 16, seeing
then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with
the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted
like as we are, yet without sin. Now notice this, let us therefore
Because we have such a great high priest who can be touched
with the feelings of our infirmities, our weaknesses. Let us, therefore,
come boldly unto the throne of grace. Now see, he's ministering
that we may obtain mercy. Obtain mercy from who? Who's
on that throne of grace? Our Savior. He's ministering. He ministers to us mercy. and grace to help in the time
of need. And how many times are we in
need? And yet he's there to minister.
So that's the third thing the apostle says, this is his psalm.
We have a great high priest who's ministering in the tabernacle. Now back to chapter eight, yes. Here's the fourth point in this
summary. God's children have such a great
high praise to his Mediator of a better covenant. That's down
in verse six, the first part of verse six. But now hath he
obtained a more excellent ministry by how much also he is a Mediator
of a better covenant. Now, if you look back into chapter
seven, we've seen this before, that he's a Mediator of a better
covenant. And back here in chapter seven,
we see what is written to show how the covenant, the covenant
of which Christ is a mediator is better. In verse 16 of chapter
seven, this covenant, this better covenant with better promises, it rests on the power of Christ
Endless life, verse 16, who is made not after the law of a carnal
commandment, but after the power of an endless life. That old
covenant was mediated by those priests. They didn't have an
endless life. One passed away, another took
his place. But this new covenant, the mediator
of this new covenant, our great high priest, This covenant is
based on the power of an endless life, His endless life. He ever
lives to make, and that's the second thing, if you look in
verse 25, it is able to save to the uttermost those who come
to God through Him. Verse 25, wherefore He is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth to make intercession for them. And number five, this is a psalm,
God's children have such a high praise to as a mediator of the
new covenant established on better promises. You see that in verse
six as well. Chapter eight, verse six. A better covenant which was established
upon better promises. The scriptures. You hear me and
you read in the word of God about covenants. In the scriptures,
there are two covenants that are revealed. Basically, there
are two covenants. One covenant is a covenant of
works. That covenant was made with our
father Adam in the garden, a covenant of works. And then there is a
covenant. It's called a new covenant. an everlasting covenant, and
of course we love to call it a covenant of grace because everything
about it speaks of grace. So basically there are these
two covenants. Now there's a covenant with Noah,
there's a covenant with Abraham, there's a covenant with David.
There are other covenants, but they're always typical of one
of these two major covenants. The covenant that we have such
a high priest who is a mediator of a better covenant, established
with better promises. The covenant of Sinai, what kind
of a covenant was it? Well, it was typical of the covenant
of works. The covenant that God made with
the nation of Israel. And remember, it was a covenant.
That's what the law was. There was the, Covenant, Ark
of the Covenant. Remember that? What was in the
Ark of the Covenant? The Ten Commandments. That was
a covenant that was made with the nation of Israel at Mount
Sinai, and it was typical, not of a covenant of grace, no, no,
but the covenant of works. It demanded obedience. It promised
blessings. They were earthly blessings,
that's true. But that covenant promised earthly blessings, but
it was based upon man's obedience. Do this and live. Do this and live in the land
and enjoy the benefits of the land of Canaan. It was a covenant
of works. The new covenant, now listen.
The new covenant that has Christ for its mediator. Christ for
its surety, Christ for its messenger, Christ for its guarantor. That's the surety, isn't it?
It guarantees blessings based on not your obedience,
but His obedience, Christ's obedience. Blessing, eternal blessing, forgiveness
of sins, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, glorification,
all these many, many blessings that are ours. Why? Because our
surety, he fulfilled the obligations of the covenant. It's a better
covenant. It has better promises. So that's
the sum. The writer said, here's the sum
of what I've said thus far. Now, he's not through. He's got
some more to go. But the second part of my message,
I just want to point out the shadows of heavenly things in
verses three through five. It says, for every high priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices, wherefore it is of
necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if
he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there
are priests that offer gifts according to the law who serve
unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As Moses was
admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle,
for see, saith he, that is God, that thou make all things according
to the pattern shown to thee in the mount. Our great high
priest is a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which
the Lord pitched. Now the sanctuary in the tabernacle,
that would be the most holy place, the holy of holies. Remember
what was in there? There was Ark of the Covenant.
the mercy seat, and upon the mercy seat was the cherubims,
one on each end, facing each other and looking down upon the
mercy seat. But remember, when they inaugurated
that tabernacle, the glory of God filled the tabernacle, and
between the mercy seat was the presence of God, the Shekinah
glory, light. That's what it was. It was light.
If you look that word up, Shekinah, glory, I don't know if anyone
really knows how to define that other than to say there was light.
And it was God. God is light. That was his throne. That was a picture. That was
a shadow. That high priest would go in
there once a year and minister. But our great high priest is
in the true tabernacle, that is, in heaven itself, in the
presence of God, who is light. The high priest who ministered
in the sanctuary, which was only a shadow of the real, also served
the high priests themselves. They served as shadows in the
tabernacle and they served as shadows of high priest. Let me just say this before I
stop. It was not accidental. It was
not accidental that the tabernacle, the priest, the altars, the sacrifices,
that they all in some way serve as perfect shadows and types
of Jesus Christ and the way, and to the presence of God, the
way of salvation. You say, well, that was just
lucky they turned, no, no. God told Moses, God gave him
a pattern of everything in that tabernacle, and then he told
him, see that you make it like each of these patterns, exact,
exact. He said, look, this is in Exodus
25, you can look at it when you go home, Exodus 25 and verse
40. Look, that thou make them after
their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. Why? Why is God so exact in these
shadows? Because these shadows are intended
to do what? To picture Christ. To bring us
to Christ. Those shadows couldn't save anybody.
The blood of those animals couldn't remove any sin. They only pictured
the blood of the Lamb of God. As I was preparing this, all
of that's beautiful types, right? But I couldn't help but think
of the priest, the high priest, and his garments. And on his
shoulder, you remember those two Onyx stones, on which there
were six names on one, six names on the other, of all the tribes,
the 12 tribes. And on his breast, there were
12 stones, and on each one of those stones, the name of one
of the tribes. How that pictured his shoulder,
strength, upon his breast, his love. Now that picture is our
great high priest who gives us strength. He is our strength,
I should say, day by day. And he always loves us, his eternal
love. Having loved his own which were
in the world, he loved them to the end. Oh, there is no end
to his love. Thank God. Well, I pray the Lord
would bless these words and thoughts to us here tonight. Bill, if
you will, lead us in a verse or two of a hymn.