WEBVTT 00:00:00.719 --> 00:00:01.760 Good morning. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.200 Today's reading is from Genesis fourteen, verses seventeen to twenty-four. 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:17.600 After his return from the defeat of Chador Laamar, and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shava, that is, the king's valley. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:21.679 And Melchizedek, king of Sodom, brought out bread and wine. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:35.200 He was priest of God most high, and he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram by God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:39.280 And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:44.399 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:57.920 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted my hand to the Lord God, most high, possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:03.439 I will take nothing but what young but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:06.640 Let Ainer, Eshkel, and Marm take their share. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:07.840 This is the word of the Lord. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:09.040 Please be seated. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:11.280 Thanks for joining us this morning. 00:01:11.439 --> 00:01:13.439 A couple of announcements before we get started. 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:23.359 We've uh uh got membership that's open, and uh to reach out and inquire about membership in our church is a great way to just kind of get the ball rolling on getting connected. 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:24.879 And so I encourage you to do that. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:30.400 Just send an email to infotredemptiondenver.com and uh we'd love to connect with you. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:39.280 Likewise, uh a month, almost exactly a month from today, is uh uh March 7th. 00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:40.640 That's good math. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:49.519 And we are uh that's that's the to the week, the anniversary of our first day in the building here. 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:50.719 Yeah. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:52.959 Pretty cool. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.359 So we're having a celebration on the Sunday of March 7th. 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:07.840 Uh we're having a celebration here, and uh it'll just be normal uh uh service hours, but we're asking you to bring a picnic for yourself and your family. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:22.319 Uh as a church, we'll provide some drinks, and we're depending on the weather, uh we'll either be like outside in the front and side yards, or we've got a big garage back where they used to park the hearses. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:32.240 And we are uh there's big heaters and stuff that we're gonna put out there, and we'll just kind of uh huddle up in the in the garages. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.800 You can bring your hearse if you have one and park it in there as well with your lunch. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:38.080 So we're thrilled to celebrate. 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:53.280 Do you guys remember we all moved from the elementary school right next door and we brought all the stuff over here and we had a wonderful Sunday morning, it was packed in here, and then the next week we had to shut down because of COVID. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:55.599 What a what a weird year. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:03:01.680 Um yeah, so anyway, happily happy Super Bowl Sunday. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:08.479 Thanks for coming to church and uh slaying the idol uh of the National Football League in your hearts this morning. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:11.759 Uh thanks for joining us. 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:15.360 All right, let's pray, and then we'll get into today's text. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:17.280 Who is Melchizedek? 00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.000 Has anybody wondered that in their lives? 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:20.719 Yeah. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:21.199 Okay. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:23.680 Well, we're gonna do some work there this morning. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:25.280 Would you pray with me? 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:37.599 Father, we pray that you would attend us this morning, Lord, that your spirit, just as we uh all read the Apostles' Creed together, that uh we might experience that joy of unity in your word, Lord. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:55.199 Father, I pray that you would open up our hearts to see what you've accomplished through Abram and what that means for our lives, and to see the glorious true priest king in your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:56.960 Lord, give us eyes to see it. 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:58.879 In Jesus' name, amen. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:03.840 So last week we were examining two different choices. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.280 One choice made by Lot and one choice made by Abram. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:15.199 Lot decided to go where the land looked best, which is near Sodom and Gomorrah. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:17.920 And the eyes of the flesh, it was a fertile land. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:19.439 It looked like a good place to go. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:22.480 It looked like there would be a land of plenty. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:32.800 And Abram decided to remain faithful to the promise of the Lord and remain in the land of Canaan, which so far has been a pretty disappointing place. 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:39.519 There's a famine where they had to flee to Egypt, and then the land wasn't even able to support him and Lot living together. 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:50.560 But God lifted up Abram's eyes, and he showed him that by the eyes of faith you could see something more beautiful and more glorious here in the land of the promise. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:56.160 Today, we see how those two decisions play out in history. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:05.839 Lot immediately finds himself caught up in the warring factions of the tribes that he moved closest to. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:12.480 And Lot ends up becoming captured, and Abram hears of it and goes and rescues Lot. 00:05:12.959 --> 00:05:25.519 So there's a lot of international intrigue and empires rising and falling, and kings and warlords duking it out at the beginning of uh the uh chapter 14 in Genesis. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:33.920 But the heart of the story is what happens after Abram is rescued, excuse me, after Lot is rescued by Abram. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:47.040 Abram is brought to a valley, the Valley of Kings, and he's made different offers by two different kings, one Melchizedek, and the other the king of Sodom. 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:55.519 And the choice, the moment of this text hinges on this one choice of this one man, Abram. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:06:01.519 Is he going to go with Melchizedek or is he going to go with the king of Sodom? 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.839 Now, this is a choice that we face over and over again in our lives. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:11.839 And so we're going to look at what is it that's really being offered to Abram by Sodom? 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:17.680 And what is it that's being required of Abram by Melchizedek? 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:27.040 And we'll see that the sacrifice that he is called to by Melchizedek is of a greater value and a greater worth than all that Sodom had to offer him. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:29.279 That's what we're going to see this morning. 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:33.680 All right, ready for some stories about ancient Near Eastern wars? 00:06:34.639 --> 00:06:35.279 Yeah, that's right. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.120 That gets the people that turns the people out. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:40.240 All right, Genesis 14, 11 through 12. 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:42.079 This is we'll summarize from here. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:48.160 So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions and went their way. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:54.480 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions and went their way. 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:56.720 Okay, so here's the landscape. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:59.839 There's uh nine kingdoms. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:07.120 And when we say kingdoms, uh don't picture like, I don't know, like a Disney movie type of kingdom. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:09.600 This isn't like, what's the place in Frozen? 00:07:09.920 --> 00:07:10.399 Arendale. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.079 This isn't like Arendale. 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:18.480 This is uh for a kingdom, this is more like uh picture like just warlords. 00:07:18.639 --> 00:07:22.959 That's probably a better uh captures a more accurate image for what we have. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:30.560 And these kings, they're it's more like a mob boss, uh, is more the dynamic of the way these things would play out. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:40.480 So there's nine kingdoms, uh, five of them unite under uh this one kingdom called Chedor Laamar, unfortunately. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:45.199 And the uh other four end up uniting under there as well. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:49.120 They're all conquered by this one kingdom united under Chedor Laamar. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.120 Now, five of the kingdoms get the idea, let's throw off this oppressive Chedor Laamar. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.759 We don't need to pay taxes uh or live under this king's rule. 00:07:59.920 --> 00:08:04.319 Let's the five of us throw them off, and then we'll be a kingdom to ourselves. 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:28.800 Well, Chador Laamar just immediately squashes the uprising and ends up reconquering and retaking the people and the possessions of the other five kingdoms, among whom were the king of Sodom, and because of where Lot was living geographically, he is captured and his possessions and people of his household are taken as well. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:30.639 Does that make sense where we are? 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:34.159 So Abram gets news that Lot is taken. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:47.519 And Abram, uh, so we've got this kingdom that uh is made up of uh four other nations, really strong, able to conquer these other five nations. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:58.240 Abram hears that Lot is captured by them, and he takes the 318 men of his household, and they go on a rescue mission to recapture Lot. 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:02.320 Now, let's just say the odds are not in their favor. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:10.320 This is one small household against an empire that has already conquered five other nations. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:13.279 Okay, their strength in this region is immense. 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:22.559 But Abram hears of his nephew being captured, and so he takes his 318 men and they go and they rescue Lot. 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:25.519 It is a miraculous victory. 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:28.799 Um, this is the way it's summed up in verse 16. 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:36.799 Then he brought back all the possessions and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions and the women and the people. 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:58.720 Now, this move by Abram, it took courage, it demonstrates his camaraderie with Lot, it demonstrates his loyalty to the people and his family, but it also shows that Abram is beginning to understand and step into the kingly role that he is called into for this land. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:03.279 See, he sees this un this injustice happening. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:18.879 And instead of saying, that's not, that doesn't belong to me, he steps into it for the sake of his brother, rescues them, and it as part of that, he ends up rescuing the kings of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and all of their possessions. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.000 It's called a collateral rescue. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:27.279 And they end up being uh indebted in this way to Abram. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:37.600 Abram's fame in the region just starts to explode in this area because he takes 318 men and all of a sudden is able to defeat this empire. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:49.279 So what happens next at the end of this battle, they're all, you know, like at the end of an action movie when they're sitting on an ambulance and talking about how cool it was. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:54.799 That scene is uh Abram is met with two kings. 00:10:55.200 --> 00:11:05.039 He's met by the king of Sodom who makes him an offer, and then he's met by this extremely mysterious, never before introduced person named Melchizedek. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:11.679 So first we're going to look at the interaction with the king of Sodom. 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:21.279 In Genesis 14, 7, it says, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shava, that is the King's Valley. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:27.759 So this is likely a place where kings went to meet and to negotiate terms. 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:29.200 This is Geneva. 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.000 And they go to the King's Valley. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:41.120 And what happens at the King's Valley is something that many of you have likely experienced, perhaps might be in the midst of now in some way. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:49.840 But this is where you are made an offer for your life to change if you will just make a little compromise. 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:53.919 That's what's offered at the King's Valley. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:59.120 Made an offer for your life to change just for a little compromise. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:02.159 Many of us face decisions like that all the time. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:07.919 And that's the tension that we see taking place with Abram at the King's Valley. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:16.480 So a way that I that I want us to understand this place and just the danger of the moment. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.519 Because if you read through the text, it's it's such a simple story. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:25.440 It's easy to just miss the tension of it, especially when we're pretty far removed from it. 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:28.159 Uh, I've never had an experience like this. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:33.360 But uh, the none of you are laughing, so maybe you have. 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:35.919 Or you just don't find it funny. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.759 Like obviously, we haven't been involved in ancient Near Eastern wars. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:44.879 Um, but this is the way I want us to understand kind of the spiritual dynamic. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:55.360 When Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the parable of the soils, he describes this one soil in particular, this one particular type of temptation. 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.080 And I think this is what Abram is up against. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:10.960 He says in Mark 4:19, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:16.240 Abram has been given this promise from the Lord. 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:20.960 I will give you this land, I will make you the father of many nations. 00:13:21.200 --> 00:13:24.720 This is the promise that the Lord has given Abram. 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:42.559 Now, it's possible that for each of us, when we're given this promise from the Lord, that we fall into this danger of the deceitfulness of riches that can just be offered right there. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:48.000 The cares of the world, whatever those might be in your life. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:56.480 Or the desire just this catch all phrase that Jesus uses, the desires for other things enter in. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:03.679 Desires for something other than what the Lord has promised, or other than what the Lord has called us to, enter in. 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:09.519 And that's the danger of the offer that Abram is about to receive. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:20.879 That if he takes the offer from Sodom, it's just as likely to come in with the deceitfulness of riches and choke the word that Abram has been given. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:27.600 And we've seen that all the hope of Abraham rests on the promise of God. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:37.039 So if that is choked, then it that far back in the lineage, even our lives are at stake. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:39.759 You feel how we're in this story? 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.879 We need a faithful representative in Abram at this moment. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:56.639 So Abram gets an offer from the king of Sodom, and it's it's generous, and it's it's shrewd, and it even makes sense considering the conditions. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:14:59.919 And here's what he says: Genesis 14, 21. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:05.519 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:06.240 That's it. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.639 That's the that's the dangerous offer. 00:15:08.879 --> 00:15:12.879 Give me the persons, you know, like all those people that you rescued, give those back to me. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.399 They're my subjects. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:25.679 Uh but all the possessions that you gained in uh this rescue of Lot and subsequently rescue of me, you just get to keep. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:27.600 Those will be yours. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:33.600 Now, at face value, this doesn't seem like that dangerous of an offer. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:38.159 This doesn't feel like the deceitfulness of riches, or in fact, it even seems just. 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:42.320 Abram was the one who accomplished that rescue, right? 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:52.480 Abram is the guy who really stuck his neck out there and rescued the king of Sodom, and the king of Sodom gave him nothing, no reason to rescue him. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:16:04.080 Uh, so the offer feels like look, just take the things that you justly gain from your own efforts, keep those as a token of my gratitude. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:08.159 But look at what this transforms the war into. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:13.360 It was actually uh John Calvin, I was reading his commentary on this, and he pointed this out. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:15.200 He's really good at this. 00:16:17.440 --> 00:16:23.440 Uh he he says, if, excuse me, I get choked up thinking about Calvin. 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:40.240 If Abram had taken the money, then the just war to rescue his friend or his nephew becomes a mercenary endeavor. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:59.360 All of a sudden, he is a soldier of fortune, and he's just like the other kings warring against each other so that they can take each other's stuff, waging these unjust wars of theft. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:04.160 If he takes it, it's no longer a just war. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:10.559 It's no longer an act of a j uh it's no longer an act of justice and righteousness and rescue. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:13.519 All of a sudden it becomes a mercenary effort. 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:26.079 Likewise, if Abram receives this benefit from the king of Sodom, then there is a binding that takes place between them. 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:32.000 And it's as though Sodom is able to say, Hey, Abram, welcome to the King's Valley. 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:40.160 I know you're new here, but I can make you a permanent resident of the King's Valley. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:43.759 Look at all of the possessions that I can give you. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:46.720 Now, uh imagine being Abram. 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:50.319 We can imagine rationalizing the decision. 00:17:50.640 --> 00:17:53.279 God promised I'd be a king. 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:57.519 God is the one who granted me this victory here. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:06.880 Perhaps the way, uh perhaps the way that God will fulfill this promise to me is uh he's giving it to me right now. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:10.160 I can just receive it from the king of Sodom. 00:18:10.559 --> 00:18:17.759 Receive being a king, being a part of that King's Valley, that world of kings. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:25.200 See how in this battle he steps onto the world stage and then he's offered, you can be a permanent resident here. 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:29.519 You can be a king like me and like those other kings. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:49.680 Now, if Abram is to do that, he's receiving an immediate gain, but he's also walking away from the promise of God to make him the father of many nations, for God to be the one who gives him this land as a possession. 00:18:50.400 --> 00:19:12.240 You see, Abram is called by God to be a different type of king, and we get a picture of this different type of king in the person who uh Abram actually meets with first in the Valley of the Kings, and that's with Melchizedek. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:25.839 In Melchizedek, instead of offering a way of immediate gain for a little compromise, Melchizedek offers an opportunity for worship and sacrifice. 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:28.880 And we'll see how that plays out here. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.480 So that's the interaction with Sodom, and then let's look at Melchizedek. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.559 Genesis 14, 18. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:38.799 And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. 00:19:39.119 --> 00:19:41.759 He was priest of God most high. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:46.799 Melchizedek, king of Salem. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:50.480 All right, so there's a there's a lot just already in that. 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:55.119 Melchizedek, his name means king of righteousness. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:56.880 It's a good name. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:58.400 King of righteousness. 00:19:58.480 --> 00:20:04.400 And this king of righteousness is functionally in his life the king of Salem. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:10.960 Salem means peace, but it's also a shorthand for the city of Jerusalem. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:18.480 And so uh in in reality, Melchizedek is the current king of Jerusalem. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:20.400 That's what that means. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:25.440 Now, he's not the uh it's not Jerusalem as we understand it. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:27.599 Okay, this isn't under Israel yet. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.880 There is no Israel yet. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.240 He hasn't been born. 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.480 Uh, and that gets to be an issue here in the next couple of chapters. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:48.079 But the um uh what we'll see with Melchizedek is that he is in function the king of peace. 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:56.640 You know, he's actually the king of Jerusalem, but also he fulfills this role as a prince of peace. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:04.799 Now Melchizedek brings out bread and wine, he lays a feast before Abram when he returns from this battle. 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:14.720 And Abram partakes in the feast, and he is described in the text, Melchizedek is a priest of God most high. 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:24.400 Melchizedek is a priest king of God most high. 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:45.519 Now if this king of righteousness, prince of peace, priest of God most high, uh seems like a mysterious figure to you to just kind of all of a sudden be introduced in the text with no real explanation, then you're reading the text correctly. 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:52.400 Uh this should seem a bit strange and a bit like okay, what is God doing in the background here? 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:59.759 God just has other priests that work with him that are kind of tangentially associated with this main thread of. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.440 The story of Abram that's taking place throughout scripture. 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:07.039 And yeah, that's a good way to put it. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:29.759 So here's what this mysterious king with no introduction, who we haven't heard about before, who we're given no lineage of, who we receive no information about their life or their death or how he knows the Lord. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:36.799 But this priest of God most high offers a blessing to Abram with the feast that he provides. 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:38.079 Here's that blessing. 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:40.240 Genesis 14, 19 through 20. 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:48.799 Blessed be Abram by God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, and blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hands. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.799 Now listen to that blessing that he gives to Abram. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:57.519 It's all about the blesser. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:04.640 The blessing that he gives to Abraham, Abram isn't about Abram. 00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:08.240 It isn't even about what Abram will get from the Lord. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:14.480 It's about the beauty and the glory of the Lord himself. 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:21.599 What is the most incredible thing that Abram is able to receive in faithfulness to his promises? 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:30.079 It's it's fellowship with the Lord Himself, the ability to see and savor the glory of who God is. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.640 Blessed be Abram by God most high. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:38.480 And then we get a thing about God most high, possessor of heaven and earth. 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:45.920 And he just switches blessed be God most high, who has delivered your enemies into your hand. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:50.799 It is God who did the deliverance, and Melchizedek knows it. 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.480 This is no incredible act of Abram. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:24:01.680 This is an incredible act of the Lord that Abram is able to receive by faith. 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:08.640 The blessing is directly regarding Abram's victory, but it's about the blesser. 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:10.160 It's about God. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:19.119 And Abram responds, seeing this, with an act of sacrificial worship. 00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:27.119 It says Genesis 14, 20, second part of that verse, and Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 00:24:28.319 --> 00:24:43.440 Abram responds to this blessing about God, not by receiving something, as the king of Sodom will offer, but by laying down something for God as a sacrifice. 00:24:43.599 --> 00:24:47.599 And Melchizedek is able to receive it as priest of the Lord. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:51.519 What he gives to him is a tithe, which means tenth. 00:24:52.079 --> 00:25:03.440 And here we begin to see this introduction into Scripture of this principle of our giving as an act of worship to the Lord. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:10.799 Now that principle is enshrined into the law in Leviticus and in Deuteronomy. 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:13.920 And so the tenth is given to the priesthood. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:18.559 It's given to the Levites so that they're able to operate as priests. 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:25.599 And this line of Aaron, the ironic priesthood, here's my joke about that, isn't it ironic? 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:27.519 Don't you think? 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:31.359 A little too ironic. 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:33.839 I really do think. 00:25:36.079 --> 00:25:40.400 In this ironic priesthood, uh my professors love me. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:54.160 And what we see, what we see is that they the act of worship that's required of God's people is an act of sacrifice and of sacrificial giving. 00:25:54.880 --> 00:26:22.880 And what's amazing, and what's so central to our faith in this principle, is that because God is the possessor of everything, the possessor of heaven and earth, as Melchizedek says, because he is the one who is responsible for justice, for delivering our enemies into our hands, as Melchizedek prays for Abram. 00:26:23.279 --> 00:26:37.039 Because God is the one who holds all things and gives us all things, when we give to him, it is it, it's we always receive more than we give. 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:47.519 To give in sacrifice to the Lord is better than to receive plenty from what the world offers. 00:26:47.920 --> 00:26:51.519 Do you see this counterintuitive principle in the world? 00:26:51.680 --> 00:27:02.799 And it makes sense because God is personal, he sees us in our worship towards him, and he has everything in his hands. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:06.240 This principle remains today. 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:13.920 Consider is the tithe an act of your worship. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:26.799 My wife and I have committed since we were first married, uh, in the summer of 2014, on Flag Day, June 14th. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:29.039 Mark your calendars. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:33.440 We uh we said we're gonna we're gonna tithe. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:36.240 And we had we had no money. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:42.400 Oh, but we experienced these incredible acts of provision. 00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:46.319 We'd become involved with a small group at this church. 00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:54.880 And while we were uh we had one month and I was selling cars, and so it's really month to month, and I had a bad month. 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:57.839 We were like, how are we gonna afford to pay rent? 00:27:58.160 --> 00:28:00.400 We hadn't talked about it with anybody. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:08.240 And we received$500 from our, I'm sure from our small group, and no one ever owned up to it. 00:28:09.200 --> 00:28:13.119 Uh, but just in our mailbox, and so we were able to cover rent. 00:28:14.559 --> 00:28:29.039 You know, I a lot of times we don't lean into the promises of God where they're most tangible. 00:28:30.480 --> 00:28:34.480 Because we're afraid, what if he isn't really real? 00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:40.480 What if he isn't actually faithful in these places like he says he will be? 00:28:41.359 --> 00:28:58.240 But I want to call you as our church into the tithe as an act of worship to the Lord, as a way of saying to the world, giving to the Lord is better than receiving from you. 00:29:01.279 --> 00:29:13.920 Now, this act that takes place, that Abram performs, uh it comes just before the king of Sodom makes his offer. 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:27.920 And I wonder, if it had taken place afterwards, would Abram have had the heart disposition to be able to resist the offer of the king of Sodom? 00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:44.799 But what the tithe does that Abram gives is in a tangible way, he cements in his heart, God is the possessor of all things, and I am in his hands. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.920 Therefore, I can open them up in worship to the Lord. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:56.400 Listen to the way that Abram tells the king of Sodom, no. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:11.920 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lifted my hand to the Lord God most high, possessor of heaven and earth, that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, I have made Abram rich. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:15.599 Look at the words. 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:18.960 He borrows precisely from Melchizedek's blessing. 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:27.599 I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God most high, possessor of heaven and earth. 00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:46.160 Do you see how it's his understanding of who God is, his ability to freely open his hand in sacrificial worship to the Lord that steals his heart against the deceitfulness of riches, the encroachment of the pleasures of other things. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:55.839 Because he's able to say, look, I know who I'm loyal to, and I know the one who owns everything and has committed to take care of me. 00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:15.039 That type of joyful giving, or that type of resistance to the temptations of greed or whatever it may be, it's a fruit of making tangible our faith by giving that God is the possessor of all things. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:16.720 We aren't. 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:31.440 He honors with a sacrifice Melchizedek, and he resists the temptation of Sodom. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:35.359 But I know you've still got questions. 00:31:35.599 --> 00:31:37.119 Who is Melchizedek? 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:39.440 Like, come on, what happened there? 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:41.519 Who is this guy? 00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:45.519 The most quoted psalm in the New Testament is Psalm 110. 00:31:45.680 --> 00:31:48.559 And Melchizedek is mentioned in Psalm 110. 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:50.000 Verse 4. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:58.640 Speaking of Jesus, the Psalm says, You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek. 00:32:00.319 --> 00:32:08.799 So Jesus is in this order of the priesthood of Melchizedek. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:11.279 Now, what does that mean? 00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:30.000 Well, the writer of Hebrews brings us into this understanding of why the spare details about who Melchizedek is are meant to be read as pointers towards the transcendent mystery of the ultimate priest king who was to come. 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:37.519 In Hebrews 7, verse 3, he says, He is without father or mother. 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:39.200 This is speaking of Melchizedek. 00:32:39.440 --> 00:32:51.119 He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he continues a priest forever. 00:32:51.759 --> 00:33:12.640 Now you see how the mystery of who Melchizedek is becomes to the writer of Hebrews an understanding of this is Melchizedek is pointing towards a mystery that is far deeper and far more transcendent than where the king of Salem was born. 00:33:13.119 --> 00:33:30.799 These details of who this priest is are withheld because this office is being established in the imagination of God's people, of a priest king who will one day be able to receive a sacrifice on behalf of us all. 00:33:31.359 --> 00:33:42.480 And in receiving that sacrifice, be able to offer a blessing to Abram, to all who are in Abram's loins, which is all of us. 00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:45.759 And we can learn a song about it. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:48.720 Father Abraham had many sons is the hook. 00:33:50.960 --> 00:34:06.079 And in this mystery, the mysterious transcendence of Melchizedek, we are shown this clear pointer towards Christ, the true priest king who is to come. 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:22.960 All those mysteries are intentional so that we might be able to see there was somebody who was even more mysterious, but mysterious in his transcendence as the Son of God who reveals himself to us. 00:34:23.440 --> 00:34:28.719 Now, what does it mean that Jesus is in the order of Melchizedek? 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:37.199 It means that he lives forever, that he intercedes for us forever, that he is a priest who can receive the true sacrifice. 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:40.320 And when he receives it, he blesses it. 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:42.800 This is what it says in Hebrews 7, 25. 00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:57.519 Consequently, he is able, this is speaking of Jesus now, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 00:34:58.480 --> 00:35:31.679 This is the priest that we come to as the church, not Melchizedek, who's just a mere shadow of the true priest who is to come, but Christ Himself, who lives and intercedes forever on our behalf, who delivers us not just from the uh not just from Chador Laamar and their temporary kingdom or enemies of that nature, but who delivers us from the enemies of sin and death, so that those no longer reign in the world. 00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:48.000 And we have a high priest in Jesus who is better than Melchizedek, because he doesn't only receive the offering from us, he gives himself as the offering for us. 00:35:50.480 --> 00:36:15.679 So that in the sight of God we might be perfectly justified, so that in the sight of God we might approach him fearlessly, that all of our sins might be washed away, that we might be made cling clean, and that we might be brought in to share into this priest, this kingdom of priests, of which we are a part. 00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:36.079 In this story, we are taught, we see the faithfulness of Abraham moving in sacrifice to honor the Lord. 00:36:36.639 --> 00:36:49.119 How much more, how much more can we joyfully offer our lives to Christ, who offered himself for us. 00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:58.880 How much more worthy of our worship is Christ the Lord than Melchizedek? 00:37:00.880 --> 00:37:02.800 It's an amazing picture. 00:37:03.599 --> 00:37:05.679 Pray that we might be drawn into that. 00:37:07.119 --> 00:37:25.440 If you find yourself in the Valley of Kings and you're being offered, you know, our whole lives in a way can be considered in terms of the Valley of Kings, all that the world offers, or the sacrifice of faith that rescues us in Christ Jesus. 00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:27.119 I call you to that. 00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:29.679 Let's praise Jesus for that. 00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:31.440 Any questions? 00:37:33.360 --> 00:37:37.920 How can we trust that our tithes are being put towards God's work in this city? 00:37:38.800 --> 00:37:42.960 So part of our membership covenant is tithing. 00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:59.760 And so the folks that we ask to commit to uh giving in that way, or at least working towards structuring their lives to being able to give in that way, are folks that have made a formal commitment with us as the church. 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:18.719 So the tithes in our church now, they most immediately go to funding our existence, funding my paycheck, Zach's, Krista's, my wife's, our the rent of the building, the existence and the operations of the church. 00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:22.960 Currently, we're running at a considerable deficit this year. 00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:25.920 Uh, 2020 was a little rough. 00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:33.440 And we're working at prying out of that hole, running at a loss uh throughout the year. 00:38:34.159 --> 00:38:43.920 Uh the way that you take confidence that it's working in the city is you become a part of our community. 00:38:44.559 --> 00:38:54.559 And in being a part of the community, uh you're giving to the operation of the church and all that that means for the good of our city. 00:38:55.360 --> 00:39:18.480 So the tithe is part of an act that says, you know, we're one thing to understand is we're oh we're not a charity. 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:20.960 We're a church. 00:39:22.079 --> 00:39:28.800 And the church is worth being tithed to for the continuation of the church itself. 00:39:29.360 --> 00:39:40.079 Now our hope is that we can operate in a place of blessing well beyond uh just just supporting ourselves. 00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:45.280 But currently at the place where we are, that's the majority of what it looks like. 00:39:46.079 --> 00:40:01.119 And so uh, how can you know uh give in a place of real commitment to the body and become a participant in the goodness of what takes place in the city? 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:02.800 Good question. 00:40:03.119 --> 00:40:04.719 Thanks for asking that. 00:40:05.360 --> 00:40:07.199 No further questions, Your Honor. 00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:10.159 Let's take communion. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.960 First I'll pray and then let us take communion. 00:40:13.280 --> 00:40:23.360 Father, we thank you, Lord, for the sacrifice that you've made on our behalf. 00:40:24.719 --> 00:40:54.159 Lord, we pray that we would rest our hearts in the sacrifice that you've made, and that from a place of knowing you are possessor of heaven and earth, you've shown the depth of your love towards us, that we might be able to worship you in all the ways that you've called us to, with our song, with our work, with our obedience, and with our money. 00:40:55.679 --> 00:40:59.039 Father, we praise you for your love towards us. 00:40:59.440 --> 00:41:02.559 And we ask that you would work these things out in our heart in Jesus' name. 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:03.440 Amen.