Fellowship Baptist Church Kilgore, Texas

Fellowship Baptist Church Senior Sunday School Class will be in Hebrews 9:11-15. Here is a preview of what we will discuss.
Think of the many kinds of agreements, or covenants, that people enter into. We make countless one-to-one verbal agreements. We express marriage vows in the presence of witnesses. We sign mortgage agreements that are spelled out in minute detail in written documents. We take oaths to tell the truth in court or to protect and defend our nation. As a nation, we enter into economic and political treaties with other nations. And the list goes on.
What is required to ratify an agreement-that is, to put it into effect? It might be something as simple as a nod or a handshake. Most legal agreements nowadays require the signatures of all parties involved, and some agreements require the added signature and seal of a notary. We speak of such agreements as being "signed, sealed, and delivered." Once in force, they govern the actions of the signers.
Covenants in Old Testament times were enacted in some interesting ways. The rainbow sealed a covenant between God and Noah (see Gen. 9:12-13). Male circumcision was the sign of God's
covenant with Abraham and his descendants (see Gen. 17:10-14). Jacob and his uncle, Laban, ratified an agreement by setting up a mound of stones (see Gen. 31:44-48). Jonathan, King Saul's son,
ratified a covenant of beloved friendship with David by giving David his personal robe and military attire, including his sword and bow (see 1 Sam. 18:3-4).
The writer of Hebrews urged his readers to realize that being a Christian meant being a "signer" to a covenant beyond compare. In the Bible passage for this session, we learn the nature of that new
covenant and how God put it into effect
UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT of Hebrews 8:11-15
The Old Testament tabernacle and the atonement sacrifice offered there served as starting points for the writer of Hebrews to explain the new covenant in Jesus Christ and His once-for-all sacrifice. Mentioning the tabernacle was helpful, because it was a respected place of worship in Israelite history. The readers of Hebrews, with their background in .Judaism (see p. 6 for dotted words), were intimately familiar with it. The writer showed that the animal sacrifices offered at the tabernacle never had the power in themselves break sin's curse or transform the human heart. Only the precious blood of Christ could make the removal of our sin possible (9:1-15).
Then the writer drew upon the analogy of a last will and testament show that Christ had to die in order for believers to receive the inheritance God promised them. The writer followed the same line of reasoning when he insisted that blood had to be shed in order for sins to be forgiven. That's why only the shed blood of Jesus can break sin's curse and restore the sinner to a right relationship with God. Christ's sacrifice has removed believers' sin-debt once and for all (9:16-28).
Pointing to the tabernacle once more, the writer of Hebrews warned again that animal sacrifices can never take away our sins. Christ's death on the cross was the only sufficient sacrifice. God's righteousness demanded a qualified sacrifice for mankind's sin, but animal sacrifices were unable to provide a changed heart. However, Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross accomplished God's will by making atonement for our sin. The writer went on to validate his assertion about Jesus with Scripture passages that clearly affirm God's way of forgiveness (10:1-18).
Come and join us and learn more about the Bible. There is always plenty of good coffee and wonderful fellowship. We begin each Sunday at 10:00 am.

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT of Hebrews 8:1-13 Jesus established a new covenant based upon God's good promises.

The writer of Hebrews spent a great deal of time in the middle section of his book explaining the ministry of Jesus as the believer's Great High Priest. In 8:1-6, the writer emphasized the main point of his effort. Jesus is now and forever seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven. He is in the true sanctuary of God, in the immediate presence of the Heavenly Father. His ministry of advocating for
believers is unending. For this reason, the new covenant in Christ is vastly better than the earthly priesthood and temple rituals. Those were never more than shadows of the salvation that comes in Christ.
In 8:7-13, the writer took his readers back into the Old Testament and to a Scripture in which God promised that a new covenant would one day be established. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God had declared that the old covenant made through Moses would one day pass off the scene. It had proved to be inadequate, not because of anything lacking in God but because of the Israelites' constant disobedience. The people needed more than rules to live by. They needed heart transformation. That trans-formation required a new and better covenant.
Come Sunday July 12th at 10:00 am, in Fellowship Baptist Church's fellowship hall and we will discuss this context in depth. Coffee and fellowship in abundance.

FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH SENIOR ADULT'S SUNDAY SCHOO LESSON ON UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT of Hebrews 7:23-28

For the writer of Hebrews, Abraham was a case study of one whose faith and actions in Old Testament times pointed to Jesus' superiority as the believer's High Priest. By reflecting on God's dealings with Abraham, the readers could gain fresh confidence that God always keeps His promises.
God made a promise of descendants to Abraham and guaranteed it with an oath. Abraham found that God kept His promise. Likewise, the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation in Christ gives hope to believers as they face tough times. God made a promise that Jesus' ministry as High Priest would be similar in type to that of the Old
Testament priest Melchizedek (see 6:13-20).
The writer went into rich detail as he explained the ways that the ministry of Melchizedek foreshadowed Jesus' ministry as High Priest for believers (see 7:1-10). Drawing from Genesis 14:18-20 and Psalm 110:4, the writer described Melchizedek as a priest of God Most High. He was also the king of Salem, a name meaning "peace."
The Scriptures provide no genealogy for Melchizedek, and for this reason he foreshadowed the eternal nature of Jesus the Son of God. In addition, Abraham gave a tithe offering to God through Melchizedek, an act that preceded the Levitical priesthood by hundreds of years. Thus Melchizedek represented a prior and superior priesthood to that represented in Judaism. He foreshadowed the ministry of Jesus as believers' Great High Priest. Thus for a believing Jew to return to Judaism was to go back to an inferior priesthood.
The writer then made a carefully reasoned argument concerning the uniqueness and superiority of Jesus' ministry as High Priest (see 7:11-28). He began by questioning why a new and greater High Priest would be needed if the Levitical priesthood established in the law provided eternal salvation. The fact that Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah and not of the tribe of Levi indicated that God was doing something new and better in Jesus. Similar to the ministry of Melchizedek, Jesus' ministry as High Priest wasn't based on the law of Moses but on the power of an indestructible life. Therefore, Jesus established in Himself a new and better covenant. He is the Great High Priest to which the law of Moses could only point.
Unlike the Levitical priests of Judaism, Jesus lives forever and is always able to save those who come to God through Him. Jesus doesn't have to offer sacrifices for Himself because He lived a sinless life. He doesn't have to offer sacrifices repeatedly because He gave Himself on the cross as the once-for-all sacrifice. This is the reason Christians proclaim that Jesus is the only One who can save us.
How is your life different because Jesus saved you? What would the world be like if Jesus didn't have the ability to save people who turned to Him in faith?
Join us next Sunday July 5 @ 10:00am for great fellowship and an in-depth discussion over Hebrews 7:23-28 written by Dr. David Jeremiah.