 So allow me to begin reading to you at verse 1. I'll read to verse 3, give an introduction and get into our study. Hebrews chapter 7, beginning at verse 1 and reading to verse 3. The writer of Hebrews writes, for this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, meaning king of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Now allow me to give you a brief introduction by saying that as we go into this particular portion of Scripture, even as we've been looking at the book of Hebrews, Hebrews contains some pretty heavy theology, very heavy doctrine. And something the Lord just put on my heart just before I came out was a reminder, a reminder of a conversation that the Lord Jesus Christ had with a woman that is recorded in the Gospel of John chapter 4. In that particular portion of Scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ is ministering to a woman at a well in an area of Israel that is called Samaria. And as he's been ministering to this woman, and I'm going to turn there to read something to you, it's found in John 4 if you'd like to join me, if not then I'll be back here in Hebrews in a moment. But in John chapter 4, the Lord Jesus Christ is there ministering to a woman. And as he's ministering to this particular woman, he's already elicited from her drink. They've already begun having a conversation. She's spoken to him already, you know, asking him things like, how is it that you being a Jew ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman? John tells us Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. And the Lord Jesus is speaking to her. And as he speaks to her, he says to her in verse 10, if you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, give me a drink, you should have asked him and he would have given you living water. And so as the Lord is beginning to minister to this woman, it's obvious that what he wants to do is he wants to bring her to faith in him. One of the things about this passage that really speaks to my heart, something that you note in the beginning of the passage is found in verse 4, when it simply states here in John 4, verse 4, that he needed to go through Samaria. He needed to go through Samaria because he had an appointment. He had an appointment with a woman at the well. And this is the whole meaning of what's taking place in John chapter 4. Now as he begins to speak to her, he begins to elicit from her certain things because she notes that when he says to her, you would have asked and I would have given you living water, that she begins at that point to notice the material and begin to discuss certain things with him. As that is taking place, ultimately Jesus Christ has been promising her something, living water. And so she says in verse 15, sir, give me this water that I may not thirst nor come here again. And that's when Jesus said, go call your husband and come here. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said to her, you have well said, I have no husband. For you've had five husbands and the one with whom you now have is not your husband in that you've spoken truly. So at verse 19, the woman said to him, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Now notice she becomes religious at that point. She says, our fathers worshiped on this mountain. And you Jews say that in Jerusalem is a place where one ought to worship. Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. You worship what you do not know. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. One of the things that I want to emphasize, even as we begin our study and you can turn on back to Hebrews chapter 7, those of you who turned to John 4, one of the things that the Lord was ministering to me just a moment ago is how some people worship what they do not know. In other words, they worship in ignorance. As we're going through the book of Hebrews, Hebrews contains a lot of information that is really meaty in many ways. It requires a disciplined listenership. It requires an openness to being taught. And that's what we're going to see take place here as we look at a man in Scripture by the name of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is mentioned here in verse 1. Notice with me, Hebrews chapter 7. It says this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him. This Melchizedek is a very mysterious figure that you find in the old as well as the New Testament. See, what I want to do is I want us to know who we worship. What I want is us to, as a church, grow in our understanding of theology, of doctrine, of the Bible. And so I know that sometimes as we go into some of these passages, it may become kind of weighty. It may become something that might even be boring in some ways. But if you're going to have a thorough understanding and worship what you know, you need to study Scripture. And so Melchizedek is being introduced to us, but this isn't the first time. Now, as we look at this passage, so let me begin by reminding you of something that will lead into chapter 7. Let me remind you that the writer of Hebrews has already spoken concerning Jesus in various ways. But one of the ways that he has just spoken of him is found in chapter 6, verse 19. He has just said that Jesus Christ is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the presence behind the veil. So he's already anchoring us to Jesus Christ. He points out that Jesus Christ is sure and steadfast. When he speaks of Jesus as being an anchor that is sure, that word sure is secure. Jesus Christ is secure because he is unbending and unbreakable. In other words, Jesus Christ is our anchor because we can rely on him completely. He is also steadfast. That word steadfast means stable or firm. It speaks of being sure or trustworthy. In other words, you can rely on him and completely trust in him, because this anchor of hope will not slip, nor will it lose its grip. Jesus Christ is the one that we anchor our hope on, because he is the anchor of hope. And he is also our forerunner. Notice verse 20, chapter 6. The forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become high priest forever, according to the order of Malchizedek. Jesus is in the actual presence of God is the point that he's making. He's not in some earthly temple. You see, the high priest on earth would minister in the earthly temple. But Jesus Christ is in heaven. He is the forerunner because he's preparing a way for us. The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 8 verse 34, who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. In Colossians 3 verse 1, Paul said, if then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. And so the writer here in Hebrews is simply reminding us that Jesus Christ our forerunner has already entered into heaven. And so he's gone on to heaven before us. He's already there. So we cling to the promise that where he is, there we shall be also. Remember when Jesus was speaking to his disciples in John chapter 14? In John 14, he was speaking to them concerning them not having fear and not having concern, not having anxiety. You see, when you look at John's gospel chapters 13, 14, 15, 16 and into 17, all are being dealt with or taught on the night that Jesus is betrayed, the night just prior to his crucifixion. And so when Jesus is speaking to his disciples, he wants to give them hope. In chapter 13, he had just told them that they would forsake him. He'd already stated he would be betrayed. The apostle Peter has already stated though all will forsake you, yet I will never forsake you, I would even die for you. I've already made it very clear to him that before the rooster crows three times you will deny that you know me. You're going to do so three times, Peter. Peter didn't want to believe that. He thought others would do that, but surely not him. And so that's why he says, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go and prepare a place for you to come again and receive you unto myself that where I am, there you may be also. That where I am, there you may be also. So the promise for us, Jesus our forerunner who's gone behind the veil has already stated to us that because he is the anchor of our soul sure and steadfast, that we can have hope because we know that where he is we shall be also. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God. And so we have this promise. That's why Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 8 could say we are confident, yes well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So when I close my eyes here on earth it's only to behold him in heaven. He is our forerunner. He has entered for us according to verse 20. He is our high priest forever. Now notice again according to the order of Melchizedek. And so he is the high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. As we've been going through the book of Hebrews Melchizedek has already been mentioned a few times. We saw him mentioned in chapter 5 verse 6. We saw him mentioned also in chapter 5 verse 10. You see him even as I just read chapter 6 verse 20 and now he again speaks of him in chapter 7 verse 1 and actually begins to give us more information concerning this one named Melchizedek in the passage before us. So notice again as we look at this passage verse 1 this Melchizedek, king of Salem priest of the most high God who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all first being translated king of righteousness and also king of Salem meaning king of peace without father without mother without genealogy having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like the son of God remains a priest continually. And so that's who we're looking at this evening we're looking at Melchizedek. Melchizedek is mentioned in the Old Testament in two passages. If you take notes you'll notice him in Psalm 110 verses 1 through 4. In Psalm 110 the scripture says the Lord says to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet the Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion you will rule in the midst of your enemies your troops will be willing on the day of battle arrayed in holy majesty from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek so you see Melchizedek mentioned in Psalm 110 forever after the order of Melchizedek but he's introduced to us in the book of Genesis in the book of Genesis the first book of the Bible in chapter 14 Melchizedek is mentioned and it says in verses 18 through 20 Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine he was priest of God most high and he blessed Abram saying blessed be Abram by God most high creator of heaven and earth and blessed be God most high he delivered your enemies into your hand Abram gave him a tenth of everything that's basically what's being referred to here in chapter 7 that meeting that Abram who is later his name was later changed to Abraham that meeting that Abram had initially with this one who in scripture is a mysterious figure a man by the name of Melchizedek now Melchizedek according to chapter 14 here in Genesis met Abram after Abraham had defeated the coalition of the five kings Melchizedek is king of Salem king of Salem Salem is the name for ancient Jerusalem and so he was the king of Salem as well as a priest so as a priest he was pronouncing a blessing on Abraham you need to understand that Abraham in the life of the Jewish individual was the father of the nation of Israel and so God has made a promise to Abraham that he's going to be blessing him but now he begins to speak of this one who was blessed by God with remarkable promises promise that God would give a nation from his loins and yet this one who was great Abraham who at that time was called Abram Abram meeting Melchizedek actually gives to Melchizedek an offering so what he's doing here is he's beginning to define for the Jews and remember this is the book of Hebrews this was written to Jewish people he's beginning to discuss for them how it's possible for Jesus Christ to be high priest who is not after the Aaronic lineage he's not from the Levites and the Levitical priesthood is where you get the high priest from so naturally Jews would say how can you say that Jesus Christ from the tribe of Judah can be the high priest when he is not descended from the Aaronic line how does that work well he's beginning to answer that for us by predating the Aaronic priesthood and pointing to somebody who was previous to that a man by the name of Melchizedek somebody who was so great that he actually blessed the father of the Jewish nation and that's how he's beginning to unfold this before us Melchizedek is spoken of in Hebrews to answer the question how can Jesus be the high priest of Jerusalem the first thing he points out is that he's the king of Jerusalem or king of Salem or Salem being the ancient name of later on the city of Jerusalem the first thing he points out he's a king in other words he's royal and as a royal individual he also has a priesthood which gives him a royal priesthood and so that likens him unto Jesus Christ Melchizedek is a king so he has royalty but he's also the priest which gives to him a royal priesthood so Jesus is king as well as priest in Zechariah 613 it says it is he who will build the temple of the Lord he will be clothed with majesty will sit and rule on his throne he will be a priest on his throne and there will be harmony between the two so Melchizedek is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who is both a king as well as a priest the second thing he's a priest of the most high God I want you to notice how he says that he says priest of the most high God the term most high God is the Hebrew word Al Elion it speaks of the possessor of all the earth he owns everything now in the ancient time people would worship their gods of territories they had national gods and so if you belong to the hittites or you belong to the parasites or you belong to the hivites or the cellulites or the autocytes and uptites whatever tribe you belong to if you are part of a tribe you would have a national deity you would have a god that you worshiped and often when you went into battle you would battle in the name of your god and so if you are victorious in battle the god that you worship now gains new territory and so that's how that would work and you see this in the old testament but in the old testament it is revealed to us that god is god not just over the nation of Israel but god is a god over the whole created order because god created all things and therefore everything belongs to him and so when he speaks of him as being the priest of the most high god it's another way of saying true god the god who created all things he is the one who is called El Elion the possessor of all the earth so Jesus Christ is a priest over every believer Jew or Gentile and not just over the nation of Israel now as I mentioned earlier Melchizedek predated the Aaronic priesthood which was the system of selecting the high priest he lived a few hundred years five or six hundred years before Moses and so by order of creation his priesthood is superior and so he points them out this way he says Melchizedek king of Salem priest of the most high god who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all first being translated king of righteousness and then also king of Salem meaning king of peace so he points out that Melchizedek is the king of righteousness and the king of peace Melchizedek means king of righteousness that's what it means and also is the king of Salem Salem is the the transliteration of the Hebrew word Shalom and so Jerusalem is really the city of peace because the word Salem is Shalom and so the point he's making very simply is he's a righteous king as well as being a holy priest a priest who brings peace once again that's true of Jesus's rule and reign because he's the righteous prince of peace the bible tells us in Psalm 8510 mercy and truth have met together righteousness and peace have kissed and Romans chapter 5 one and two it says being justified by faith we have peace with God through our lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God we have access to God and in our access to God we have peace with God one of the services or maybe more than one of the services today perhaps two of them that my wife Marie and I yesterday were in the Brea Mall and while we were there we were walking up some stairs and as we were walking up the stairs you could see off to the right on the top of the stairway by the rail a woman and the woman was kneeling and her face was being planted on the concrete and she was wearing a veil she was a Muslim woman and as we were walking up the stairway I turned to Marie and I said to her look at the lady there right up there and while everybody was hustling and bustling by this woman had taken some time to kneel down and to pray as is the practice of devout Muslims to face Mecca five times a day and pray and it was her time I guess of prayer and as I saw her doing that I talked to Marie a bit about that but one of the things that I was caused to think about was that she can do that five times a day every day of her life but that's not going to produce peace in her heart it doesn't bring you to peace guys religious ritualism never does now you're tempted to want to speak to her of course I wasn't going to interrupt her and perhaps I would have had an opportunity but you're tempted to ask her after your prayers do you have a sense of peace with God do you have peace with God because the answer will be no they don't really have a personal knowledge and relationship with God I don't know if you realize that or not but they really don't they're obedient to certain things because they believe that through the obedience they're going to enter into some kind of bliss with the Lord but they don't have a sense of peace you see peace with God comes through Jesus Christ that's why Malchizedek is referred to as the one who brings peace he's the king of righteousness as well as the king of peace Malchizedek is a type or a picture of Jesus Christ who is the righteous one who imputes gifts to us what doesn't belong to us his own righteousness God's standard of entrance into the kingdom of God is not human effort God's standard is perfection I cannot enter into the presence of God based on my own efforts or through my own name or through my own will I have to enter in through the one who makes it possible to enter in as I've mentioned to you before when I've been invited to White House Briefings and we're going to be going into a certain room and the president is going to come out and he's going to address us we have to go through all kinds of hoops to get in there I had to send my social security number I had to give to them driver's license information I had to send that to the authorities there in Washington DC they review everything then you arrive they tell you to go in at a certain gate when you go to this particular gate you pull out your license you show it to them they look at the list to see if your name is there then they usher you through you walk through that one security gate you go to a second when you go into the second gate once again they're asking to see identification they want to make sure that you're safe to enter in and then you go through all of those hoops when you exit that elevator you enter into the room you've got agents all around that room because as you enter into the room in a few minutes the president's going to walk out they want to make sure that you're not a threat to him you have to jump all kinds of hoops just to get into a room so that the president of the United States walks out and shares with you for a few minutes and leaves now if I had to jump through all of those hoops what makes me think that I could just barge into heaven what gives to me the idea that I can just do it in my own righteousness or well I just want to see him just you know he's you know this is David don't you know who I am I mean I want to talk to God it doesn't work that way I actually come to God through the one who makes it possible and the one who makes it possible is Jesus Christ and the way that I enter into relationship with God is by having the righteousness of Christ imputed or given to me when I receive his righteousness Jesus Christ being the king of righteousness now I'm able to enter in and as I enter in I have access to God the throne of grace I obtain mercy in my time of need and grace in time of need and in doing so because I have a relationship with him I can walk in the peace of God that guards my heart and my mind because I've been reconciled to him and the way to be reconciled is by receiving the sacrifice of Christ in a personal level not because I'm trying hard or not because I'm religious not because I pick up a Bible and occasionally read it not because I was raised going to church and anything like that not because I enjoy religious liturgy or ritual not because I receive water baptism as a child anything like that I can enter into the presence of God because Jesus the forerunner has entered in on my behalf and makes it possible to usher me in now because he is the one who has is my mediator it's possible for me to have relationship with God he said I'm the way the truth in the life no man comes to the father but by me and so in relationship with him I've received his righteousness I also have peace and that peace comes from him he goes on in verse 3 and he says this without father without mother without genealogy having neither beginning of days nor end of life and he says this continually you know one of the things about Malkizidek is he just kind of basically explodes on the page of your Bible and disappears when he says he doesn't have these things father mother genealogy etc the point he's making is when you're introduced to him in Genesis 14 it doesn't give you that information it simply speaks concerning him and so he's speaking in that fashion and he's making it very clear that this is one who doesn't have a priesthood and he's being traced back genealogically and you see the Levitical priesthood could the high priest is supposed to be able to trace his lineage back to Aaron the first high priest and that was part of the Old Testament law you see that in the book of Exodus in chapters 28 and chapter 29 in Numbers chapter 18 verse 7 it says only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain I'm giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift and one else who comes near the sanctuary must be put to death and so the Aaronic priesthood could go all the way back to Aaron and yet Jesus again is like Malchizedek who doesn't have a genealogical priesthood and that's the point he's making he didn't have an Aaronic priesthood yet he is still recognized as a priest to God Jesus is not from Aaron's line but is still a priest in Israel there's no record of his birth and death he's recognized as never ending his priesthood so Malchizedek continues if you will in the biblical record in similar fashion Jesus also has a continuing priesthood verse 4 gives us something else now consider how great this man was to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils and and indeed those who are of the sons of Levi who received the priesthood a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law that is from their brethren though they have come from the loins of Abraham but he whose genealogies not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better here mortal men receive tithes but there he receives them of whom it is witnessed that he lives even Levi who receives tithes paid tithes through Abraham so to speak for he was still in the loins of his father when Malchizedek met him so he's pointing out that Abraham paid tithes to him because he recognized him as a faithful high priest of God there was no commandment for Abraham to give a tithe to Malchizedek he freely and willingly gave him a tenth of the plunder as an offering to God when you look at Genesis chapter 14 you will see that there was no commandment for him to do that what he did is he recognized him for who he was and what he did is he gave him the spoils when it says in verse 4 that he gave the spoils the word spoils speaks of the top of the heap it speaks of the first fruits it speaks of the best of the crops so Abraham is actually being used as an example of giving to the Lord he was under no obligation to give but he did so from a willing heart and so his giving is an example of giving out of love devotion and gratitude because God had given to him a victory over these kings and Abraham being so grateful actually gave part of the spoils the top of the heap the best that he had to Malchizedek it wasn't demanded of him it doesn't say anywhere there that that Malchizedek walked up and said hey man give me ten percent or anything like that what it does though is it gives us an example an example of devotion an example of giving an example of thankfulness it shows us in essence what we are like with our own high priest we give gifts to the Lord Jesus Christ because we recognize him for what he's done for us you know we give to God because God first gave to us and sometimes people get all uptight about these kinds of subjects you know giving and tithing and all of that and all but the Bible is very clear about that the reason of giving and forgiving is simply because he first gave to us we give to the Lord not to get from him we give to the Lord because we already have received from him he already has blessed me everything that I have the ability to go to work the ability to have money in my wallet everything that I have I recognize as being a result of a blessing from God God first gave to me who here first gave to him that God owes you something you know it's the last time in other words God called you up and said do you have a few bucks I need I'm a little short for the week and when's the last time that happens I have a kid who does that but does the Lord do that does God call you up and say you know what I'm just you know I just a little bit short if you can give me a few bucks I can go to in and out and you know I'll be okay you know he doesn't do that and so why do we give to the Lord well Abraham's a great example of this he gave to the Lord because the Lord had delivered him he gave to the Lord because God had given to him blessing that's why you give to the Lord now the Bible in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 3 says this that according to their ability and beyond their ability they were freely willing you see Abraham known in chapter 14 is Abraham which is another insight I should probably give to you very briefly Abram was his original name his original name Abram is ultimately changed to Abraham but when he gives his gift to Melchizedek his name is very clearly Abram the name Abram literally means high father exalted father but God says to him that he's going to give him a new name and the new name that God gives to him is Abraham now when God originally begins to minister to Abram Abram has yet to have any children but God speaking to Abram says to him if you can number the sands the grains of sand if you can count the stars then you're going to be able to number the amount of people that will come from you people of faith it was a promise to a man who was already in his 70s who had no child and so ultimately what the Lord does is the Lord begins to minister to Abram and says to him that his name will be changed now his name was Abram but it becomes Abraham father of many nations and originally is Sarai and Sarai literally means dominative and her name is changed to Sarah Sarah means princess and so from high father and dominative the names were changed to father of many nations and princess his wife and so the Lord ministered these wonderful promises though when Abram receives the promises he has yet to he is going to take many years for him to actually see them realized and so his life is an example of faith so when he encounters Malchizedek it's a picture of faith it's a picture of a relationship that he has with God it's a picture of him knowing that God is working in his life even though he has yet to receive the promises that God has already given to him and it's a demonstration of a man who understands that you give to the Lord freely even as the New Testament teaches as well as the old in Exodus chapter 35 verse 5 the Lord said take from among you an offering to the Lord whoever is of a willing heart let him bring it as an offering to the Lord in 2 Corinthians in chapter 9 verse 7 Paul said let each one give as he purposes in his heart not grudgingly or of necessity for God loves a cheerful giver God loves a cheerful giver if my kids approach me and they say oh God I have to get you something I probably don't want to receive from them whatever it is that they're going to give to me because if they give it in a grudging fashion if they kind of like hurt as they're giving it to me because they'd rather get something for themselves I'm the kind of person who will just easily without any problem at all say listen keep it for yourself if it hurts that bad to get me something I don't need it I don't need it but if they say you know dad I wish that I could give you more I probably would be very blessed because of their heart it's involved in it and can they out give me not at this point they can't because you know they just can't they haven't the ability to but one day I hope they can but they can't right now but if they get to that point you know may their hearts always be that they give freely and willingly listen when that bucket comes past you get to the person next to you if it bugs you because you don't give that way that's not the way to give to the Lord that's certainly not the way to do that we give to the Lord because Abram is a great example of that because we have received his righteousness we give to the Lord because we've received his peace we give to the Lord because he is our peace and he is our righteousness and all that we have comes from him and we have received his devotion now in verse 5 remember the Levitical tribe received no portion of land in Israel the Levitical or the priesthood was actually supported by the people of Israel in Numbers chapter 18 verses 20 and 21 the Lord said to Aaron you will have no inheritance in their land nor will you have any share among them I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites I give to the Levites as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving the tent of meeting in Numbers 18 verse 24 I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the Lord that is why I said concerning them they will have no inheritance among the Israelites so the Levitical tribe received no portion of land but they were supported now in verse 5 continuing he says that is from their brethren though they have come from the loins of Abraham though they are Jewish they still give tithes that support the Levites so the Jewish nation actually paid tithes and the point he is making is they paid tithes in advance through Abraham because the Jewish nation coming from Abraham was actually in a figure paying their tithes even before that nation sprang into existence in verse 6 but he who is genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him with the promises now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better the lesser is blessed by the better in that context he is pointing out that Melchizedek was greater than Abraham remember that the whole point and I pointed this out to you as we are introducing Hebrews is that Jesus is better so the picture he wants to draw for them now as our high priest after the order of Melchizedek is better even than the father of the nation of Israel because the greater is blessing the lesser Melchizedek is pronouncing a blessing on Abraham though Abraham is the greatest person in terms of the Jewish history Melchizedek is actually greater than him because he gives him a blessing here mortal men receive tithes but there he receives them the witness that he lives even Levi who receives tithes paid tithes through Abraham so to speak for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him and so the Jews paid tithes to priests all of whom eventually died Abraham gave tithes to the one who is never recorded as dying so as such Jesus is demonstrated as greater he is greater than Melchizedek because though Melchizedek's death is not recorded as a man Jesus Christ ever lives and because Jesus Christ ever lives that makes him greater than Melchizedek and so we too even as Abraham gave his gifts we too give our offerings it's been said giving is not God's way of raising money giving is God's way of raising children one of the things and we'll see this taking place in the next few weeks guys it's Christmas season right when I was a parent began to recognize was when my children actually began to look at birthdays and seasons like Christmas as an opportunity to be generous when I saw that take place I knew they were beginning to grow up because up to that point it was all about them they treated Christmas as if it was their own birthday you know they got gifts and it was like they would open one gift and they would yell out oh this is the greatest thing that I've ever seen oh just what I wanted and then they'd find another box and then they'd say oh this is great oh this is wonderful then they'd find another box pajamas is there anything else that's kind of how they were after that was done and we didn't have the wherewithal to get them very much at the beginning we had a house and we had this big oh nine passenger station wagon and we'd put the seats down in the back and we would come home loaded with goodies for the kids because they were the only grandkids on Marie's side and I'm telling you she has six brothers and sisters and her mom and her dad and those kids man like let's get out of here let's go to grandma's house yay because when we come home I couldn't even look through the rear view mirror because that's just the way it was and they continued that way for several years so they were always excited there was always excited about Christmas because Christmas means it's when I get what I want I was talking to my grandson Josiah today he's only three years old but he speaks very clearly he speaks very clearly and he was telling me I want and I forget what it was I want a Buzz Lightyear this or that something like that he likes Buzz Lightyear and I said oh really and when are you going to get it and he looks at me and he says I'm getting it for Christmas and Marie looks at me and she says he's telling you what he's going to get and I said yeah and he's going to get it because Grandpa hears what he wants and Grandpa kisses me that's just the way it is but you know one of these that's the truth I want a Corvette but anyway like his mom Josiah will begin to realize that the season of the birth of Messiah is the opportunity to be givers the way that God came I mean the first Christmas present isn't the magi giving gifts to Jesus sometimes we think oh those are the first Christmas gifts you know gold, frankincense and myrrh no the first Christmas present and God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son the first Christmas present is God's son to us and when we receive what God has given to us in response we give back to him and so as my kids grew older they actually began to enjoy going shopping finding a gift the right one for them asking questions what size they wear finding those things out and then spending the time to purchase it from their own wallets with a blessing and then wrapping it and then watching to see the response of the individual that they purchased the gift for to see if it caused them to be happy and that is when I began to see my kids were growing up because it was more blessed to give than to receive the way Jesus has taught us and so when I give to the Lord you know the scripture says God loves a hilarious giver he loves somebody who is cheerful in the giving he doesn't want me to give in a grudging fashion like oh I have to give no who wants to receive gifts like that no he loves it when there is hilarity involved the word cheerful there he loves the person who enjoys giving why because that reveals that they know that they only give because they first received and so Abraham is a great example of somebody who gave and was blessed because of it and even as we give God blesses us