There was a gentleman named Sochi Yokoi who at the age of 26 was drafted into the Japanese military in 1941. So right there World War Two happening. And in 1944 on the small island of Guam, he was afraid of being captured. So it was presently occupied by the Japanese and then Americans invaded. And so this man uh Yokoi was afraid of being captured. So he ran into the jungle and he actually built a shelter next to a waterfall out of some bamboo and reeds and things. And he led a life of seclusion because he figured I would just outlast the war. But what he didn't realize because he was isolated in the jungle in Guam was that the World War World War Two ended just a year later in 1945. So this happened in, in 44 World War Two ends in 1945. But this gentleman has no idea. And so he's living off the land and he's barely making it, but he is making it. He's eating things like rats, frogs, eel, and he's isolated from the world to where finally on January 24th 1972 two hunters in the jungle come across this gentleman. He thinks we're still at war. So he tries to attack the hunters, but he's pretty frail and weak at this point. So they subdue him and bring him into the culture to where he realizes the war ended 27 years ago. Can you imagine living in a world where you are afraid for your life for a war that ended 2527 years ago? That's what I wonder how many Christians are operating that way today? No, you might not be eating rats and frogs and eels. But I wonder how many of us are afraid of God and afraid and afraid for our lives when Jesus has already won the war and when Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he ultimately won the war for eternity. Yes, you will face battles, day in day out, but you do not have to live a life afraid this morning's message is entitled is God approachable. And the simple answer to that is yes, but it's because of Jesus. You see the passage we're gonna look at today, we're gonna actually look at several chapters. But our starting passage in Hebrews chapter four is really a game changer when it comes to worldview and religion. In most cases, religions have some form of man's attempt to get to God. But what we're gonna see where Christianity is different, specifically, Jesus Christ is different that God came down to man and because of that, because of that, we now have direct access to him. So if you're taking notes, you can write this down. That God's grace gives us direct access. God's grace gives us direct access. Your relationship to an individual impacts your access to that person, right? My daughter woke up early this morning, big bedhead and all right, came, crawled on my lap, looked me in the eyes. I thought, oh, this is gonna be so tender. Leans in. I'm expecting, I love you. And she whispers, I want pancakes. You know why she can do that? She's my daughter, right? If Clark Lund here did the same this morning, it'd be a very different story. Clark and I go way back and really good buddies, but I don't think either one of us want us climbing on the other person's lap. We're asking for pancakes. Ok? It's not appropriate on so many levels. Why? Because Chloe can come to me, my daughter can come to me because she is my daughter. I won't have it on the screen, but there's a great image that circulates through our history where JF K's son, John Junior is in the oval office underneath the desk. Just plain. Can you imagine you got the leader of the free world, making world decisions and there's just a child playing right? You can do that. Why? Because of the access, the relationship that we have? And because of Jesus because he came down, we have direct access and relationship to him. Right. If you've ever gone to a sporting event or a concert and you go back and, right, and you got one of those VIP backstage passes, you feel pretty cool, don't you are like, uh, VIP baby, I'm allowed back here. I actually saw a video where a guy tested a theory. Apparently there's this theory out there that if you carry a ladder with you and you just look like, you know what you're doing, you can get into almost any venue. Have you seen this? This guy literally goes around, he's videoed himself totally illegal, by the way, don't do that. Um But he just carries a ladder and he goes into different sporting events and museums and activities and gets backstage. And so I don't know about you, but I'm not carrying a ladder with me everywhere I go. And so unless you have that VIP badge, you're not, you don't feel like you get backstage access. Maybe you feel like you're the top row attendant of the concert, right? Like, well, I can't go back there but with Jesus, you can because of Jesus, you get direct access to him because of the relationship. Now, today we're taking a look at our study of Hebrews and, and we're gonna make reference to this role that we're not super familiar with today, but it was very common back then. We ma we highlighted a few weeks ago. But this role of a high priest, so simply put a high priest is a representative from the people that is responsible for restoring the relationship between man and God. So in the Old Testament, there was a series of things where people would sin, they would fall short, they would make mistakes. But you have a just God. So you don't have a God that just says, OK, yeah, you're fine clean slate as a symbolic gesture of the sacrifice needed for the forgiveness of sins. They would sacrifice animals, but it was never sufficient. So it was a continued process. And so you had a very specific group of people from the tribe of Levi, ultimately descendants, even from Aaron uh Moses's brother. And so it would go through and there would be a representative selected from the tribe of, of the Levites who would then speak on behalf of man to God and then would speak to um from God to men. And so you'd have somebody interceding for you, somebody making reservations for you and having a conversation back and forth, right? If you wouldn't necessarily do this at home, right? If, if your spouse came up to you and said, hey, what do you want for dinner tonight? You don't respond and say, well, have your people call my people and maybe I can get, you know, maybe you can get on my calendar like that would not go over Well, again, relationship impacts access. I mean, maybe you experienced that with teenagers. I don't know, but where they feel like they don't necessarily want you anymore. But you know, it, it, it's ok, it's a learning process, right? And so you have this relationship back and forth. Now, with the high priest of the Jewish people would then represent, take on the sins of the people and then offer a sacrifice to God. But they had to continually go back and the high priest would get replaced and it will continue on this continued process. Now, why share that? Because Jesus is the great high priest. That's what we're going to read today. That after Jesus, you don't see this, these high priests. And this practice continue. In fact, when Jesus died on the cross, the veil, the actual physical curtain that separated in the temple in the Tabernacle from the holy of Holies, where the high priest would only go once a year, literally torn into giving believers access to God. And then the temple would ultimately get destroyed around 70 ad and really not get rebuilt as it was in previous times. And for Ch for Christians, that is because you became the temple that if you believe in Jesus Christ, as Lord and as Savior, that the Holy Spirit comes into your life. And now you are the temple and that you can go directly to God himself because he is the great high priest. Now what does a high priest do? We're gonna see three things here from Hebrews chapter four verses 14 to 16. Let's read this together. Since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast to our confession for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us then with confidence, draw near to the throne of Grace. This is a life altering religious altering verse that just shakes the foundation of religion as we know it. It's almost borderline blasphemous to say this before Jesus, that we could actually go with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Because Jesus is the high priest because Jesus is the one who sacrificed not animals but himself. That is payment that now gives us access to grace. Grace is receiving something that you don't deserve. Mercy is not receiving something that you do reserve in a negative sense. So when you receive the grace and mercy from Jesus, you are not receiving the punishment, but rather you're receiving forgiveness and blessing. It says in second Corinthians chapter five that he who knew no sin became sin so that we could become his righteousness. So this blessing and freedom that comes from Jesus as the high priest. From this passage, we see three things in Jesus or three roles of Jesus as a high priest. Number one, in verse 14, Jesus offers salvation. That when you believe that Jesus is Lord and Jesus is savior, it says that you will be saved. So not Jesus is a way, but Jesus is the way and that he offers salvation. But secondly, in verse 15, Jesus also offers sympathy that he cares for you. My youngest, she loves animals. You know, kittens puppies, right. It's, oh, it's cute. I remember we were walking along sidewalk one night and she goes, oh, a bug. I was like, oh, man, that turned quickly. Why Richard? Because it's a bug, sorry for, if there's any bug lovers out there. But if you see a mosquito or a fly or something, it's common for us to smack it if, for nothing else than to get away from the TV. When you're trying to watch that sporting event or movie, you know what I'm talking about? The one bug that hovers in front of the screen and as soon as you get up and then it disappears and you sit back down and then it comes back on the screen. You know what I'm talking about? It's like, uh, or you're trying to have a conversation with somebody and you got one fly that just circles your head, you know, you know what I'm talking about? If not, maybe you are the fly. No, just kidding. Um, annoying someone. And so why, why do we experience that with bugs? It was like, oh, it's so annoying because they're tiny and in our minds they're insignificant. Why doesn't God smash us? Like the insignificant little bugs that we are in reality? God created the universe spoke it into existence, sustaining every moment across the galaxy and then we're just like God. God. God. God. God, can you do this for me? God, can I have this? God? Can I have this like He should smack us down like the little mosquitoes that we are. But he doesn't why? Because we are his Children and we are loved and he came down to earth live the life that we've lived, experienced every trial and temptation did not sin and died on the cross and rose again. So that when He looks at you, he actually looks at you with sympathy. He loves us. So when you hurt God hurts, when you struggle, God can go, I know I get it. I get it. So Jesus offers salvation. Secondly, Jesus offers sympathy. But then third, he offers strength. We have this divine invitation to go directly to the throne of grace in our time of need. What does that mean for us? It means that the grace of Jesus is greater than every trial and temptation you might face this week. Are you battling a health issue? Do you have a financial scare? Do you have this sin or this addiction, the shame, this guilt weighing you down, whether it's the worries of the world or a loved one, or the self doubt, or the pain and the struggle that you're dealing with, whatever it is that you are walking through. God's grace is available to you and is bigger and greater than your struggle. We continue on reading Hebrews chapter five says, for every high priest chosen from among men, is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. So he's describing this picture of what a high priest is supposed to do. Now, for time's sake, we're not gonna read all of chapter five. But in verse eight talks about how Jesus was obedient through suffering that he gives us eternal salvation in verse nine. And then I love verse 11, though I will read you verse 11, it says I have much to say to this. But it's hard to explain because you've become dull of hearing. That's such a pastoral thing to say, hey, I wanna go deeper but you're not gonna listen to me anyway. And then he continues on and he says, look, I wanna give you like mature foods, adult foods, right? And you're sitting here with milk, right? And the reason for that is that you've not embraced this truth of grace and faith and matured in your obedience. And he challenges people in, in verses 11 through uh chapter six, verse 12 to grow in your faith and to stop eating baby food. And I want you to be strong. I want you to grow. I want you to fight, but we got to grow up. But it starts with this idea of grace and understanding what it really means. Can you imagine if you show up to work tomorrow and it's lunch time and in the work conference room, everyone pulls out their meals and you pull out a little baby food jar, you get some looks, you know, like you're sitting here with like little vegetable puree just like, oh, it's lunch. And if you have littles at home, you know, that, that food tastes awful. The apple sauce ones are delicious. But anyway, uh but the fruit veggies ones are just like, oh, why do we feed them to babies well? Because they need it and they can't handle, they can't chew yet, they can't handle bigger things. And so the writer is like, look, I know these are difficult concepts, but I want you to get it and it starts with the grace of God. And then in verses 13 to 20 he shares where that grace of God really comes from. That it's anchored in the promise of God and he actually gives us an anchor for our soul. And so next week, next Sunday, we're gonna come back and take a look specifically at that promise found in chapter six. So I invite you to join us. But right now, just know that we have an anchor for our soul found in the promises of God. And so then we get to this chapter seven and I, if I was writing commentary, I would entitle it simply what the mech iseq because there's this guy who's seemingly out of nowhere. All of a sudden the writer says, oh yeah. Remember this guy? Now, Meek doesn't really get talked about in church and it's probably for good reason. He's only mentioned three times in the Bible. Like you're not gonna see that in a trending name for baby names, right? Like if, if my wife and I ended up with 1/4 child, I don't think we'd have like Jackson Carter Chloe and Mechs, right? Like it's not a very common name and it wasn't even a common name back then. But this mysterious character was highlighted in scripture because Melchizedek is seen as a type of Christ. He's a type of Christ. So a type of Christ is a character that foreshadows the meaning and the power of who Jesus is in the New Testament. Similar to if you think about a movie that puts in little bread crumbs of little hints of things that don't make sense. But then when the big reveal happens, you can look back and see, oh, that was the plan the whole time. That's what Jesus is doing in the Old Testament. So sometimes there are characters, for example. Uh Joseph in Genesis is a type of Jesus. He is betrayed by his own. He's thrown into slavery, experiences persecution, but through obedience eventually rises up and God places him in a position that he saves the very people that betrayed him. Joseph is a type Joshua whose name Yeshua is the same Hebrew name for that where we also get Jesus is a person who leads the people of God into the promised land. Joshua is a type. David. David is a shepherd boy who becomes a king who ultimately writes about a king who is the good shepherd. David is a type. Jonah was thrown into the belly of a whale thrown into the ocean and then was in the belly for three days. Him being away for three days was a type or foreshadow that Jesus would be in the grave there for three days and come back for Easter but not just people and situations, but certain objects can even be a type. There's this unique story found in numbers 21 where their God sends a plague because it's judging the people of God. They're disobeying him, they're being pagan. And so these venomous snakes are taking people out and they're dying and so they repent and they, and they go back, God save us. God, save us. And so God tells Moses to construct a serpent out of bronze and this, this stick that if you hold up this bronze serpent. Everyone who looks to that because of their faith will be healed and will be saved. Fast forward to John chapter three verse 14, we always quote verse 16, John 316. But in 14, Jesus speaking with Nicodemus actually says, just as Moses raised the serpent or the the servant must be lifted up. So too must the son of man be or son of God be lifted up. And so as people looked to this image to look to something constructed by God, to be saved or to be healed. So Jesus was lifted up and on the cross for those who look to him will be saved because of their faith, not because of anything that they do. And so these are types, these are bread crumbs in the Old Testament. That point to that Jesus was there the whole time. And so what we're gonna see here is that mech is one of those types. Now, he's only mentioned three times in scripture. He's mentioned in Genesis chapter 14, he's mentioned then in Psalm 110 and then here in Hebrews, he's seen here in Hebrews chapter five, chapter six. And then mainly all of chapter seven. Now, if you're not familiar with church, you'll be like me. Who what? I, I don't know, just hang with me for a minute and I want to give you a little bit of background on this guy because it's actually really cool when you understand his story. You see me, Chizek comes from two Hebrew words that means the king of righteousness. And then he is the king of Salem. And Salem comes from the root word Salom meaning peace. So he is the king of righteousness and he is the king of peace reigning over a town called Salem which becomes Jerusalem here for Jesus. And so you got a king of peace king of righteousness in Jerusalem who's also a king and a high priest Abraham. If you're not familiar with the story here, Abraham is we sing in kids growing up in church. Father Abraham had made any sense, ok? And so God kind of burst the the nation of Israel from this gentleman Abraham, this first promise of God, this, this covenant to him. Well, he comes back from this intense battle and there's this high priest Mechs. Now Mechs has no genealogy. He has, this happens well, before Moses and Aaron and the whole prophets and uh priests of the Levites and things from this nature. And so this high priest Mechs actually for the first time in the Bible blesses somebody with bread and wine. So foreshadows to the Passover and to communion first time in scripture, it's used, then receives a tithe from Abraham. So again, this is before Moses. So the first time the tithe is used and generosity is used in that way and then blesses him from being the high priest of the most high God. So it's kind of this crazy story that the people that he was writing to in Hebrews were Jewish Christians that really looked to the order of religion. You have order, you have rules, you have these checklists, you have these priests, you have to go through all these things. And it's based on Moses. It's based on the Levites. It's based on this process. It is religion. The writer comes in and says there is something greater than religion. It's a relationship with God directly and to prove it to you, I'm gonna mention and bring up this meek, this mysterious figure that you've talked about for years but never knew why he was included in the Old Testament. See, genealogy was a big deal for priests. You had to be born in the tribe of the Levites and if they couldn't prove it, you couldn't be a priest. There's actually a story in Nehemiah and Ezra and specifically Ezra chapter two verse 62 where they come back from captivity. They lost some of the family documents and they couldn't prove certain people that and what tribe they belong to. So they said, well, you can't be a priest. You can be a lot of things, but you can't be a priest because you have to follow this line. You have to follow these boxes and these rules and regulations to be one. Well, mech, we have nothing recorded for him. So he's before Moses in a sense, he's even greater than Abraham because if you're tithing to the levites, levites are tithing in the order of Abraham. Now Abraham is tithing to this guy. OK, what's going on here? And so the writer is gonna come in and say, hey, the whole reason that God did this is this guy is pointing to Jesus says this here in Hebrews chapter seven verse one for this is me Melchizedek king of Salem priest of the most high God met Abraham returning home from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him and to him, Abraham apportion 1/10 part of everything. He is first by translation of his name, King of righteousness. And then he is also of Salem that is king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy. So we don't have record of it having neither beginning of days nor end of life but resembling the Son of God. He continues a priest forever. Few verses down in verse 15. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek who has become a priest. I love this verse. I love it here at the end. Not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. That's just a cool phrase. Come on now that the reason Jesus has the power to save is because he has an indestructible life. It's not from a list. It's not from a genealogy. It's because it's who he is and what he's done, he is indestructible. And if Jesus is indestructible, your faith can be indestructible. And we are based of him, not on us. I love that. Verse 17. For it is witness of him. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. And in verse 19, it talks about how we then because of Jesus have a better hope. Verse 22 that says that this makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy innocent, unstained, separated from sinners and exalted from above the heavens. He has no need like those high priests who offer sacrifices daily first for their own sins. And then for those of the people since he did did this once and for all, when he offered up himself for the law appoints men in their weakness as high priest. But the word of the oath which came later than the law appoints the son who has been made perfect forever. He's saying we don't practice this anymore, sacrificing animals anymore. Praise God for this Jesus was the perfect, the indestructible, the ultimate sacrifice that He is our priest and king. That he is the king of righteousness, that he is the king of peace that he sits at the right hand of God interceding, interceding for you. And for me, Romans 834 says that who is to condemn Christ, Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us. And then first John 21, my little Children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with their father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. I love that. The goal is not to sin, right? We're not just running around sinning and doing whatever we want. Why? Because we want relationship. We wanna be with God. We, we wanna be like God. But if you do sin and you will, that sacrifice has already been paid that because of God's grace, we have direct access to him. Now, there's a lot of churchy terms and words thrown around this morning. But why does that matter to us? It matters because wherever you find yourself today, you can go to God, whatever struggle, whatever storm you're in, whatever worry is weighing you down, go to God, whatever addiction, shame or guilt or doubt is holding you back. Go to God. Yes, I will pray for you. But I also can't do anything with it. They said point to the one that I want you to go to directly, I will come alongside. I will love, I will serve. That's the role of a pastor is to be a servant. I will encourage, but I cannot just intercede for you. But Jesus can and he is perfect. He's indestructible. Like you don't have to live isolated and spiritually in a jungle living off rats and frogs like Yokoi. From the beginning of the message, the war has been won. Jesus conquered death. Yes, you're gonna face battles, but you can go to someone greater than Melchizedek. Jesus, our high priest. I wanna end this morning by reading a hymn that's 100 and 60 years old. It's written by a lady named Charity Lee Smith in 1863 and written specifically tied to this passage and she wrote before the throne of God above. I have a strong and perfect plea. A great high priest whose name is love who lives and ple uh whoever lives and pleads for me. My name is Graven on his hands. My name is written on his heart. I know that while in heaven, he stands no tongue can bid me thence depart. When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within a word. I look and see him there who made an end to all my sin because the sinless savior died, my sinful soul is counted free for God. The just is satisfied to look on him. And pardon? I don't know what you're walking through, but I want you to know that God's grace is good and it's here. And Christianity is not just a religion where you're following a list of rules, but a relationship with a God who offers salvation and sympathy and strength. Will you approach that throne of grace with me right now? Will you pray with me? Dear God? We love you? Yeah, we should be squished like bugs. You're so big. We're so small and so disobedient, but yet you love us so much so that you came to this earth experience the trials and temptations of being human and yet you did so without sin and you died on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice and payment for our sins. And because you rose again, you tore the curtain, you tore the veil and you've given us direct access to you that in all of our mess and all, all our Brokenness and our sin and our battles and our struggles. We can just confidently and humbly approach you and say, Lord, I need you. We trust in you as Lord and savior and we receive your grace today and your son sent me praying.