Richvale Community Church
Sunday, July 19, 2026
- Song
- Good morning. We are continuing our sermon series “Anchored” we are working through the book of Hebrews.Today we are looking at A Fresh Vision of Jesus.A few years ago, a man in Michigan had a strange-looking rock sitting on his property.It was heavy, unusual, and honestly did not look like anything special.To him, it was just a rock.In fact, for years, he used it as a doorstop — and it sat there for 30 years!He had no idea that the thing he was using to hold a door open was actually a meteorite— a piece of material that had traveled through space before landing on his property.When scientists examined it, they discovered that this ordinary-looking rock was worth around $100,000.Think about that.Something incredibly valuable had been sitting right in front of him all along, but he did not recognize what he had.here is the thing.. The meteorite did not become valuable the day it was discovered.The discovery simply revealed the value that was already there.And that is exactly what the writer has been telling us throughout the book of Hebrews.He is pointing us to Jesus..He is not making Jesus more valuable—Jesus has always been glorious.Jesus has always been worthy.But he gives a fresh vision of Jesus.…It wasn’t because these Hebrew Christians had rejected Jesus.They still believed in Jesus.They knew Jesus as Savior.They knew He died for their sins.The problem is they had mastered the ABCs of faith and never developed maturity..they got stuck on liquids (milk of the word) instead of moving to solids (meat of scripture).. they were drifting back into Judaism..The issue was not a lack of information— they had knowledge —But. they HAD knowledge without transformation—And KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT TRANSFORMATION leads to stagnation..A Transformed life means life that something has changed…OUR SPEACH CHANGES.our behavior changes - our attitude changes..Our prayers change ..Our worship changes..David Garland says.When one is hooked by Jesus, one’s whole life and purpose in life are transformed.David E. GarlandThis what Hebrews is about…It is about TRANSFORMATION THROUGH A fresh vision of Jesus..The Writer opens our eyes to see Jesus for who He truly is.We learn ..Jesus is our Prophet —That God spoke in the past through prophets and priestS, but today HE HAS SPOKEN to us through the son…We interpret everything in scripture through this lense..The way we learn the heart of God is through the life and ministry of Jesus..Jesus is our King — As King Jesus reigns - —-..this means he reigns in every season of our lives. In the good days the difficult days and when we are out of control.He is in control —Why becausenot only does he reigns over our lives he reigns over all creation..And Jesus is our Priest — he is our mediator the - the One who brings us into the very presence of God…He is not just our priest.. he is our Eternal High Priest…who went into the very presence of God is heaven and laid down his once for all..And we see Jesus clearly, it transforms us..it changes us from the inside out ..A fresh vision of Jesus..I. Brings a New Appreciation of Worship.One of the simplest definitions of worship ISTO GIVE honor to God.The English word worship comes from the old word "worth-ship."It means to ascribe worth or value to someone.At its heart, worship is about about giving… God praise…That doesn't come naturally to us because we live in a culture that is oriented towards self.Everything around us appeals to our desires, our comfort, our preferences, and our consumption.But biblical worship asks .Not, "What can I receive?"But, "What can I bring to the Lord?"Throughout the Old Testament, no one came before God empty-handed.They brought an offering. They brought a sacrifice.Not because God needed their gifts, but because their gifts acknowledged God's worth.That helps us understand the difference between ministry and worship.Ministry is what God does for us.He speaks to us.He forgives us.He strengthens us.He comforts us.He blesses us.Scripture says ..Everything good good and perfect I flows down from the father with whom there in no variance..Ministry comes down and worship goes up..Worship is our response back to God.That's exactly what Hebrews 7 is about.Let's read Hebrews 7:1–10
Hebrews 7:1–10 ESV 1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 and to him Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything. He is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace. 3 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. 4 See how great this man was to whom Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth of the spoils! 5 And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham. 6 But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior. 8 In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case, by one of whom it is testified that he lives. 9 One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, 10 for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him.C.S. Lewis tells story of one day when he walked into an old toolshed looking for something. It was dark inside, except for one narrow beam of sunlight shining through a crack in the roof.As he stood there, he looked at the beam. He noticed the dust particles floating through the light, almost dancing in the air. It was beautiful.But then he took one step.Instead of looking at the beam, he looked along the beam.And everything changed.That same shaft of light became a window.Looking through the opening above the door, he could see the green leaves moving on the trees, the blue sky beyond, and millions of miles away—the sun itself, the source of the light.He had this epiphany’…Lewis said there are two ways of seeing. You can look at something—examining the details in front of you—or you can look along it and discover what it is pointing toward.And that's exactly what the writer of Hebrews is inviting us to follow the beam…In Hebrews chapter 7, The writer becomes fascinated by a man named Melchizedek.It’s almost as if he says, “Let’s go back to Genesis and take another look.” Genesis 14.Abraham has just returned from rescuing his nephew Lot. Against all odds, he defeats a coalition of powerful kings and comes home victorious..But..He stops ame marvels about this King and Priest called Melchizadek…But He is not focused on what is in front of him.he isn’t interested in the military campaign.in Abraham’s battle strategy.in the spoils of war.His attention is fixed on one brief encounter.He spends an entire chapter 7 on 3 verses in Genesis.. he follows the beam..He focus on the encounter with Melchizakek.and a whole universe opens up.First, Melchizedek comes out to meet Abraham.Abraham wasn’t searching for him; Melchizedek took the initiative…He sees in MelchizedekA type a shadow of Jesus.. Jesus who took the initiative in Salvation… Jesus came on a mission…to seek and save the lost,our relationship with God begins because He first came to us.Second, Melchizedek blesses Abraham.He notices that..The greater blesses the lesser.Before Abraham gives anything, he first receives a blessing.He sees God Grace always comes before gratitude.Then comes the response that captures the his attention., Abraham worships.How?By giving a tenth of everything.The gift wasn’t payment. It wasn’t a tax.It was an act of worship flowing from a heart that had encountered someone greater than himself.That raises the obvious question:Who is this king of Salem?Melchizedek is both king and priest.Under the Old Testament, those two offices were kept separate. Kings came from Judah. Priests came from Levi.But Melchizedek combines both offices, pointing us to Jesus—the King who reigns and the Priest who brings us to God.We told..Melchizedek appears without any recorded genealogy.He noticed that Melchizedek had no parents. but…Rather that inGenesis there simply isn’t are a record of his ancestry, birth, or death..He just appears in the narative… no context.. before and after..Abraham, recognizes someone greater than himself.—Verse 7 says,"It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior."— — Abraham has an encounter and he Responds..with worship..ApplicationA fresh vision of Jesus changes our worship —Worship is not about obligation but about freedom.Abraham paid a tithe not because he had to. He gave because he wanted to.Worship is surrender.—We surrender our time.Our resources.Our plans.Our future.Abraham was concerned..he was concerned about a posture…..—This NT giving…… it is based on two Pillars —obedience and generosity..Stewardship is part of faith…Because when Jesus becomes greater in our eyes, everything else becomes smaller.He is our source…Some say tithing is OT law.. but Abraham teaches us that preceded the law.. according go Hebrews the whole levitical priesthood paid tithes to Melchizedek throughout the loins of Abraham..It as if the whole nation Honor this priestly king..A fresh vision of Jesus changes the question.Instead of asking:"What do I have to give?"We ask:"What response is worthy of the One who gave everything for me?"A FRESH VISION OF JESUS..2. Brings Us a New level of ConfidenceOne of the challenges of moving as a family was watching our children start over.Every move meant a new school.New teachers.New classmates.And perhaps the hardest part of all—making new friends.When we moved into the Steele Creek neighborhood in Charlotte, we had just driven into the neighborhood for the first time when Ryan spotted a young boy about his age standing on the sidewalk.He looked at me and said,"Dad, stop the car!"I pulled over.Ryan jumped out, walked right over to this complete stranger, stuck out his hand, and introduced himself.That boy's name was Jake, and before long they became the best friends…Don’t you love the confidence that kids have… not fearing rejection… but anticipating acceptance..Worship in the NT is about anticipating God acceptance..Under the Old Testament priesthood, people did not have that confidence.God was holy, and they were sinful.They could not simply walk into God's presence.The Holy of Holies was hidden behind a curtain.Only the high priest could enter—and only once a year—to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people.The message was clear: there was a distance between a holy God and sinful people.They needed a priest to represent them.They needed sacrifices to cover their sin.But Hebrews 7 announces that everything has changed.Jesus is our eternal High Priest.Unlike the priests of the Old Testament, His sacrifice was offered once for all, and His priesthood never ends.He doesn't keep us at a distance.He brings us into the very presence of God.Because of Jesus, we no longer approach God with fear or uncertainty.We draw near with confidence—not because of who we are, but because of who Jesus is.Let's read our text.Hebrews 7:11–22 ESV 11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.In our the textThe writer now explains why Jesus needed to come!If the old priesthood was enough, there would have been no need for another Priest.But the fact that God promised another priesthood tells us something was incomplete..The problem with Priesthood was not faithfulness.The Levitical priests served faithfully.they worked daily. But their work never finishedThey offered sacrifices repeatedly.They dealt with sin temporarily.Then Jesus came (in the order Melchizedek)And everything changed.Jesus was not a priest because of His family line.He was from Judah, not Levi.He became Priest of a different order…the question..is .. What was his claim to the priesthood?Look again at verse 16Hebrews 7:16 ESV 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.That’s a different kind of priest, isn’t it?Nothing to do with the physical body, but to do with eternal power.That’s the kind of priest Jesus wasJesus was not another temporary priest….But on based on an indestructible live..— What is this indestructible life..— this is what we celebrate at easter…During that final week of the passion.. Every human power came against Jesus… He was flogged, crucified and buried…but not even death could not hold him down..Nothing could destroy him…as the indestructible life.He conquered sin..death And the Grave…and he rose form the dead....because of thislHe gives us something the old system could never give.He gives us something much better…..A better hope.Access to God…Where we draw near ot him..Hebrews 7:19 ESV 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.ApplicationA fresh vision of Jesus gives us confidence. — to draw near to God..Many people still approach God like they are trying to earn their way back."I need to do better.""I need to clean myself up.""I need to prove myself."But Hebrews says:Jesus already opened the way.Religion says:"Work harder."Jesus says:"Come near."— Heb 4.16Hebrews 4:16 ESV 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.When we worship we come confidence..We gather because Christ has already made us accepted.When we fail...we don't run away.We draw near.When we struggle...we don't hide.We come to our Priest.Because our access to God is not based on our performance.It is based on Jesus the indestructible life…T/s Lastly, a fresh vision of Jesus…3. Brings Us a New place of RESTI recently learned about walking tours you can take in England, and other parts of the world.People will hike for several days, sometimes covering 10–12 miles a day through beautiful countryside..like the Cotswolds..They walk through villages, fields, and trails, enjoying the journey along the way.But what makes these hikes unique is that you don't have to carry everything on your back.The company takes your luggage from one destination to the next.You wake up in the morning, put on your hiking shoes, and walk the trail. You enjoy the scenery. You experience the journey. You stop along the way.And when you arrive at your next destination, your bags are already waiting for you.You still have a journey to walk, but you are not carrying a burden you were never meant to carry.And I think that is such a great picture of what Jesus does for us.So many of us are walking through life carrying things God never intended them to carry.We carry guilt from the past.We carry fear about the future.We carry the pressure to prove ourselves.We carry the weight of trying to be enough.But Jesus invite is simple says:“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)The message of Hebrews is the sameHebrews 4:9–11 ESV 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,A fresh vision of Jesus changes our understanding of rest.Rest is not quitting the journey.Rest is releasing the weight.It is trusting that Jesus has already carried what we could never carry ourselves…Hebrews 7 speaks of the difference between — the ministry (work) of the Priests and of Christ…The ministry of the priests never ended… but the ministry of Christ finished..lets read.Hebrews 7:23–28 ESV 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, 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. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.The writer ends with the greatest encouragement..about rest..Earthly priests came and went.They died.Their ministry ended…Why because they couldn’t keep it up…But Jesus the eternal kingly Priest. — ended but continues.."He always lives to make intercession."Jesus finished work and is seated at the right h and of the Father..Right now...He is praying for His people.Right now...He is representing us before the Father.Right now...He is our Advocate.Here is the thing…This permanence enables believers go experience real rest.Because he lives forever..He is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, always living to make intercession for them.Philip Hughes describes rest...Rest is not synonymous with inactivity. What God rested from was the work of creation. He continues constantly to be active, however, in providentially sustaining all that he has created and in the work both of righteous judgment and gracious salvation.What does this mean..A fresh vision of Jesus changes our vision of rest..Our Rest is not anchored in your ability to hold onto Jesus . but His ability to hold onto us…How many times do we live like everything depends on us.Hebrews reminds us:He never resigns.He never grows weary.He never forgets His people.He never stops praying.That means we can worship with confidence…. and enter to His rest..CONCLUSIONThink about Rock that was found in MichiganThat.. sat on a man's porch for 30 years.He used it as a doorstop.Every day he walked past it.Every day he leaned the door against it.Every day he saw it.But he never realized what he actually possessed.It wasn't that the rock lacked value.It was that he never recognized its worth.I wonder if that can happen to us?Not that we've stopped believing in Him.But perhaps we've become so familiar with Him that we've reduced Him to something ordinary.He's no longer the center of our worship.He's simply become part of our routine.Hebrews 7 calls us to look again.To see Jesus for who He truly is—our eternal High Priest...our perfect sacrifice...our constant intercessor...the One who always lives to make intercession for us.When we truly see Him, everything changes.Obligation becomes gratitude.Distance becomes confidence.Fear becomes rest.This morning my prayer is that we get fresh vision of Jesus..We don't let Jesus become like that rock on the porch—Rather…let’s worship.. give God glory…let’s draw to him save us fully..Let’s be anchored Jesus the indestructible life..Amen. Hebrews 7:1–10ESV
Hebrews 7:7ESV
2 Corinthians 9:7ESV
Hebrews 7:11–22ESV
Hebrews 7:16ESV
Hebrews 7:19ESV
Hebrews 4:16ESV
Hebrews 4:9–11ESV
Hebrews 7:23–28ESV
- Song
- My God Is Still The Same
Richvale Community Church
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