Preparing for the Lord's Day
Jesus is Better
Christian writer, Steven Lawson, shares the following illustration to explain how Christians are prone to live apart from the power of God:
We are like the man who went into a hardware store one Saturday morning to buy a saw. Seeing an easy mark, the salesman showed him a fancy chainsaw. He commented that it was their best seller with the latest in technology, and guaranteed it to cut ten cords of firewood a day.
The inexperienced customer was impressed with the sales hype and bought the chain saw on the spot.
Later that day, this same man returned to the store, chainsaw in hand, looking somewhat haggard, exhausted, and exasperated. “Something is wrong with this saw,” he moaned. “I worked as hard as I could and only managed to cut three cords of wood. I could do four cords with my old-fashioned saw.” Looking confused, the salesman said, “Here, let me try it on some wood we keep out back.” They went to the woodpile, the salesman pulled the cord, and the motor roared to life.”
The customer leaped back and exclaimed, “What is that noise?” (Lawson, In It to Win It)
Do you ever feel as though you are like this man? You have been told of the power of God to transform lives, but you feel as though you are working ever harder to see real change and growth.
In our passage for this Sunday, the author to the Hebrews is explaining why there must be a change in the priesthood. The main point is that the Levitical priesthood had no power to bring each believer into the presence of God. The old priesthood was a sign of reconciliation but with the sign came no power. Yet in Christ, the weakness of the Levitical priesthood passed away and the power of his own ministry arrived. The priesthood of Christ accomplished what the priesthood of Levi promised. It is this power of Christ that now enlivens Christians to grow in holiness, to overcome sin, and to draw near to God. And what we will see is that if we would draw near to God we must experience the power of Christ’s perfect priesthood.
To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Hebrews 7:11-19, Psalm 110, Jeremiah 31:31-32, Matthew 5:48, Romans 1:16, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, 2 Timothy 3:1-5, and the Westminster Confession of Faith 13.
This week we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. For as we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits. Our hymns for this week include “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul,” “He Will Hold Me Fast” and “And Can It Be That I Should Gain.”
Sermon Information:
Text: Hebrews 7:11-19
Title: The Power of Perfection
Outline:
- Every Christian Must Recognize the Weakness of the Law
- Every Christian Must Trust the Power of Christ
- Every Christian Must Experience the Power of Christ