Melchizedek Series

MELCHIZEDEK

(Internet links are to images which were later used in a PowerPoint presentation)

•OK, let’s start off with a little Bible Pop Quiz this morning

•Let’s find out who the Bible Geniuses are!

Q: Who is Melchizedek? (Fade in 1 at a time)

A.) Another name for the devil

B.) An Old Testament King

C.) Roman Emperor who reigned from 48 AD to 59 AD

D.) Gesundheit!

•Well, the answer is . . . B.) An Old Testament King

•And obviously Melchizedek is a name that’s not very familiar to us

•But, believe it or not, Melchizedek is one of http://walkingterrachrista.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/melchizedek.jpg

•the most interesting AND important figures in all of the Bible

•AND . . . as unknown as he may be, there’s actually enough

•information and theory about him to fill a couple of sermons

•so I’m going to have to work hard to cover as much as I can

•in the time I have this morning

•Now, let me start by explaining why http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLahN-FPn_o/UT1f7ubd_rI/AAAAAAAAbdM/VAV7ib1APvM/s320/4706-san-vitale-basilica-ravenna-offering-melchizedek.jpg

• I even chose to talk about Melchizedek today.

• First, because in a personal study I’m doing,

• and in my Community Group, AND on Wednesday nights,

• we’ve recently been covering this part of the OT –

• The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/nes263/student2007/smh72/pictures/26-%2520THE%2520THREE%2520PATRIARCHS%2520ABRAHAM%2520%2520ISAAC%2520%2520AND%2520JACOB.jpg

• And in one of those studies, we came across the story of Melchizedek,

• and it was pretty clear that this was unfamiliar territory for a lot of people.

• Well, part of my job is to help you learn and understand

• the parts of the Bible you’ve never studied before. OK?

• So that’s reason number one

• Reason number two, is that this particular Bible Study group

• then challenged me to preach a sermon on M

• and made it clear that they didn’t think I could really do it!

• So OBVIOUSLY, I had to preach on Melchizedek today, right?

• OK, so you know that I’m always up for a challenge,

• BUT, the real reason I want to talk about M today

• is that there is something so amazing, so mind-blowing in his story,

• that it could change the way you look at Scripture for the rest of your life!

• And that’s an opportunity I just couldn’t pass up on!

• SO . . . let’s take a look at the Scripture that is related to M,

• and see if we can really confuse you

• and then I’ll do my best to unconfused you. Sound good?

• The story of M begins in Genesis 14

• and centers around the first Patriarch, Abraham,

• or Abram as he’s called at this point.

• Now, just a little bit of review: After Noah’s flood,

• God is searching for a man to build a nation from.

• He chooses Abram and his wife Sarah http://tcjewfolk.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/03/hagar_ismael.jpg

• and sends them on a journey to find a new land

• where God will give them their first son,

• that son will become a family

• and that family will eventually become the nation of Israel.

• But first, Abraham has to settle in the land of Canaan,

• also known as the Promised Land

• because God had promised it to him

• But in this Promised Land are already http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2xtjBP5oGLk/UfloUL_WdYI/AAAAAAAADTI/mfMuZnEisGM/s400/molech_02.jpg

• other cities and nations and people groups,

• many of whom are at war with one another

• and all of whom worship other gods

• So part of Abram’s story is his struggle to live in the land

• without becoming like the people of the land

• Well, in Genesis 14, Abram gets caught up in a war

• between several of the kings in the land. http://www.scienceofcorrespondences.com/assets/images/autogen/a_Melchi7_500_396.jpg

• His nephew Lot is taken captive by one of the kings who is at war,

• so Abram gathers up his men, joins the opposing kings

• and goes to battle, basically to rescue Lot.

• And, because God is on his side,

• Abram and his allies are victorious.

• Where we’re going to begin reading in Genesis 14:17

• tells the story of what happened just after this victory.

• Here’s what it says:

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). Genesis 14:17 (NIV)

• So basically, what’s happening is that Abram

• has played an important role in this military victory

• and now the kings he fought beside are all coming out

• onto the battlefield to honor him for what he did.

• Now, the king of Sodom was one of Abram’s allies in this battle,

• but you MAY remember that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah