Mount Pleasant Baptist Church

Daily Nugget: For the early Hebrews, and those that still do not understand what Paul had said about the practice of the Mosiac law in earlier times is a glimpse of futuristic better worship, one more word was used to describe that time. Paul describes that practice as a “shadow” of good things to come (vs. 10). When a person approaches you in the dusk of a fall evening and is several hundred feet away, he is but a shadow. One can see that it is a person approaching, but the details of what the person looks like, and what he is wearing cannot be made out. This is how those practicing the Mosaic laws saw the future worship, as a distant shadow. They could see the furniture of the temple worship, the priest, and all the sacrifices. They knew they stood for something and were somehow prophetic, but they did not grasp their whole meaning until Christ came. Then many saw clearly what God had planned to show them for a long time. They knew their sacrifices were not enough to take aw...

Daily Nugget: In his further writings to the Hebrews, Paul continues to address the worship they were familiar with before their salvation. Although this chapter continues about the priesthood, he also delved into examining the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the first “church” the Jews built. When Moses was on the mountain with God and received the ten commandments, he also received instructions from God as to how to build the mobile center for worshipping God. The tent was only 45 feet long and 15 feet wide, but its furnishings pictured an one-day-to-come better worship. It pictured Christ. Paul made it clear that this early place of worship was a glimpse of future things. At least six times the preacher used terminology indicating that even their forefathers were taught that their tabernacle worship was only temporary and was illustrating another worship that would one day come. Paul used words such as: “signifying” (vs. 8), “was not yet made manifest” (vs. 8), “figure” (vs. 9),...

Daily Nugget: In this chapter, Paul gives the Hebrew believers five more reasons why Christ is the better High Priest: Christ, our High Priest is sitting. No Levitical priest ever sat, because their work was never done. There were no chairs in the tabernacle or temple. Here, our Priest’s one-time sacrifice is complete, and Jesus is seated (vs. 1). Jesus’ earthly ministry is finished! Christ, our High Priest is at the right hand of the Father (vs. 1). No Old Testament priest ever saw God, let alone sat next to Him, as does Jesus. Christ is the minister of the “sanctuary and of the true tabernacle” (vss. 2-4). All the Levitical priests ministered in a God-ordered, but man-made tabernacle, and later a man-made temple. The tabernacle was not perfect, although created as God relayed its design to Moses.  All the earlier Levitical priests ever did was present a “shadow”, or picture, of heavenly things to come (vs. 5). Christ’s ministry is not a picture of anything to come. It is t...

Daily Nugget: This chapter continues to explain why Jesus is the “better” high priest. This epistle (letter) was addressed to Hebrews who were quite familiar with the Old Testament priesthood. In language they could understand, Paul continues to compare (also in Heb. 5) the priesthood of a certain priest, Melchisedec, to the current High Priest, Jesus. Bible students would call this relationship of the priest in the past to Jesus, as a “type”. The earlier Melchisedec gave the Jews of his era an idea of who the upcoming Jesus would be, and what He would do. Melchisedec was a high priest before the Levitical priesthood was established. When Abraham was returning from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer (Gen. 14:17-19), Melchisedec met him and gave Abraham bread, wine, and blessed him. In return, Abraham gave the priest his tithes. Here are some of the similarities between Melchisedec and Jesus: Melchisedec was a high priest. Jesus is our high priest. Melchisedec means “king of ri...

Hear Pastor Rickey Lance's sermon on Romans 13  at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church of Murphy, NC. 

Daily Nugget: In understanding this difficult chapter, it is important to understand one thing. “Therefore” in the beginning of verse one tells us it is continuing what was discussed in Chapter 5. That chapter ended after discussing those that were not growing in the things of God. Those people discussed previously should have been teachers (5:12), but instead were in dire need of the basics. In this chapter, it is talking about those people that had spiritual- growth problems. The group of people this letter addresses were not growing in “perfection” (vs. 1). “Perfection” here is not saying that we can be perfect, as none can, we are just forgiven. However, these people were not moving on and understanding other spiritual things. They were not improving or “perfecting” themselves spiritually. They were “stuck” in some of the things they had learned in Judaism. They were: Not turning from their “dead works” (vs. 1) — the traditions and Levitical rites that were no longer f...

Daily Nugget: During Old Testament times, there were priests that served as mediators between God and man presenting their prayers and sacrifices to Him. Before Moses, the priests’ duties were often done by the head of a household as did Job, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During Moses’ day, God appointed priests from the Levite lineage, and this practice was intended to continue until the perfect priest came, Jesus Christ. The old testament priests were not perfect. Their limitations were because: They were ordained (“appointed by”) by men, although they were of an ancestry ordered by God (vs. 1). Not just any man could be a priest. They had to go to God with sacrifices and gifts (vss. 1, 3). The offerings were not a one-time gift. They had to be offered more than once. They were only temporary appeasements to a Holy God. The priests themselves were sinners. They also had to give an offering for themselves (vss. 2, 3). Soon the priesthood stopped. The sacrifices halted. Interces...

Daily Nugget: Most know what it is like not to have rest. The constant working and daily activity can leave us tattered, harried, nervous, and without the peace we normally would have. The nine “rest”s mentioned in this chapter (found in vss. 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11) are speaking of a similar feeling one can experience when one does without another type of rest. In most of the references it is referring to a spiritual rest one has when they have done what the Holy Spirit had shown them to do. They no longer feel convicted, guilty, or oppressed by their conscience. The rests referred to in this chapter are: the rest God took after He created all in our universe (vs. 4),  the rest one has when they are saved and have peace within their spiritual hearts,  and the eternal rest all believers will one day have when they spend eternity with Jesus (vs. 9, 10). Until a believer goes to his eternal rest, he is to work to please God. The “guidebook” to lead one through a li...