The Power Of An Indestructible Life Series

An old Disney film, called The Kid, is the story of a successful, high-powered image consultant named Russ (played by Bruce Willis). Russ lives an empty life, but one day, Rusty (played by Spencer Breslin) shows up at his home. Over time Russ comes to realize that this kid is actually Russ himself when he was eight-years-old.

While Russ struggles to figure out what is going on, Rusty begins to explore the house. Take a look (show video: I Grow Up to Be a Loser)

“Chester, Chester. Come here boy,” Rusty calls excitedly.

“Stop that yelling,” says Russ.

“Where's Chester?” Rusty asks.

“Who is Chester?”

“My dog,” Rusty replies. “The dog I'm going to get when I grow up. He's the world's greatest dog.”

“Sorry, no dog here,” answers Russ.

“No dog! I grow up to be a guy with no dog. Why?” the boy says in disgust.

“I don't have time to take care of a dog. I travel all the time for work.”

“I knew it,” says Rusty with renewed zeal. “I grow up to fly jets!”

“No, I'm not a pilot,” Russ answers sadly.

“Then what do you do?”

“I'm an image consultant.”

“Shouldn't there be a lady here,” asks Rusty.

“You mean my wife? No, I'm not married,” replies Russ.

“So, you're almost 40, and you have no dog, you don't fly jets, and you're not married.” The kid flops down on the couch, concluding, “I grow up to be a loser.” (The Kid, Disney, 2000, directed by Jon Turteltaub, written by Audrey Wells, 00:40:13 to 00:42:33; www.PreachingToday.com)

Some people grow old, but they don’t really grow up.

How about you? Do you want to grow up while you grow old? Do you want to go on to maturity? Do you want to become all that God has called you to become?

Well, the key is focusing on Jesus, whom the Bible describes as “a forerunner on our behalf.” That is to say: He goes before us with the expectation that we would follow, that we would become just like Him. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Hebrews 6, Hebrews 6, where the Bible describes Jesus as “a forerunner.”

Hebrews 6:20 Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (ESV)

Jesus was unlike any high priest with whom his readers were familiar, those in Aaron’s order. Their high priests were NOT forerunners. No one could follow them into the most holy place of the temple without being struck dead. Jesus, however, is a very different kind of High Priest. He is a forerunner with the expectation that others would follow Him not into an earthly temple, but into the most holy place of heaven itself, and into the very presence of God Himself!

But in order to do that, Jesus had to be a High Priest of a different order than the old priests – a priest “after the order of Melchizedek” it says here in verse 20. Now, some of you are saying, “What?” Mel Kissed Who? What is he talking about here? Let’s take a look at the next chapter: Hebrews 7, where the author describes who Melchizedek is and why He is necessary for us to “go on to maturity”, a discussion he began in Hebrews 6:1.

Hebrews 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him… (ESV)

Genesis 14 tells the story. Four kings and their armies swept into Sodom and Gomorrah to squash a rebellion and ended up capturing Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who had recently moved there. Well, Abraham gathers up 318 of his men and goes after those four armies and defeats them. He rescues Lot and is returning home when Melchizedek meets him and blesses him.

Hebrews 7:2 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. (ESV)

Melchizedek literally means “king of righteousness”, who at the time was “king of Shalom”, which is the Hebrew word for peace or wholeness. The city found peace and prosperity, because righteousness ruled. In the same way, you will never find peace or wholeness in your life until you submit to the King of Righteousness.

Hebrews 7:3 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. (ESV)

Nothing is said in the Old Testament about Melchizedek’s parents, his ancestors, his birth, or his death. He just appears on the scene like he never had a beginning or an end. Thus, Melchizedek is an Eternal High Priest, or “a priest forever”, like Jesus, the Son of God, Himself. The priests from Aaron’s order died, all of them. The one priest from Melchizedek’s order lives forever, and that priest is Jesus.