'THE
THRONE OF GRACE'
Hebrews
4:11 Let us therefore strive to enter that
rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of
disobedience.
Hebrews
4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let
us hold fast our confession.
15
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.
16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Do
you remember sitting in your Dad's car in the driving seat? You took
the wheel and imagined that you were driving along the road. You were
in control!
Maybe
when you were a little older going on a tour of a ship or aircraft,
and sitting in the Captains seat. Now you were not only in control,
you had authority over others to issue them orders to do what you
wanted.
The
writer to the Hebrews invites us to look at a throne. not just any
throne - but THE THRONE. The throne of God. The throne from
which God rules the universe. The throne the Psalms sing about:
Ps
11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s
throne is in heaven;
Ps
45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
Ps
47:8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on
his holy throne.
Ps
97:2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around
him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Ps
103:19 The LORD has established his throne in
the heavens, and his kingdom rules over
all.
Last
week he took us to that throne and we saw it as the GREAT WHITE
THRONE OF JUDGEMENT.
v13
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and
exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
He
had us stand there in our minds eye so that we would live our lives
in the light of that day. Knowing one day it will be for real
and we shall give an account to him. This is the second motive he
gives us to keep going, to endure, to persevere in the faith: to
strive to enter that rest.
The
first motive and resource for persevering in the fiath was the word
of God. The word that knows us, searches us, goes deep into
our hearts, and is a vital means which God has given to enable his
people to keep going to that eternal city whose designer and builder
is God.
Now
he gives us a third reason and motive why we can and why we ought to
persevere: OUR HIGH PRIEST.
Here
the writer is completing his second warning that begun in chapter 3
and goes through most of chapter 4 about failing to enter that rest
that God promises to all who believe the gospel and trust in Christ -
and he comes to his main theme.
What
is the book of Hebrews about:
Heb
13:22 I appeal to you, brothers, bear with my word of exhortation,
for I have written to you briefly.
It
is a short word of exhortation.
He
also tells us what his main point is:
Heb
8:1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high
priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the
Majesty in heaven,
WE
HAVE SUCH A HIGH PRIEST - that is his main point. He writes about
this in more detail than anywhere else in the bible. It fills
4:14-10:18 maybe beyond that.
He
has earlier introduced the thought of Jesus as High Priest:
Heb
2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect,
so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the
service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Heb
3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling,
consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
Now
he begins to unpack what this means.
A.
CONSIDER OUR HIGH PRIEST:
Hebrews
4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let
us hold fast our confession.
[1]
We have a great high priest
Who
is your Doctor?
Who
is your MP?
Who
is your Mayor?
Who
is your EMP?
Who
is your PM?
Who
is your Monarch?
Bristol
East: Kerry MaCarthy;
Bristol
North West Charlotte
Leslie
Bristol
South Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo
Bristol
West Stephen Williams
EMP's
- we have six of them! Cornwall to Gloucester - 2 UKIP; 2
Conservatives; 1 Labour; 1 Green Party.
Each
one of these people are linked to you and you to them. They hold
these offices, and carry out their functions, for you, on your
behalf.
Her
Majesty when she goes abroad represents you. Your Doctor holds your
medical records and has a duty of care for you.
Who
is your high priest? Jesus the Son of God. He, if you are a
Christian, is your high priest.
[2]
The same Jesus we read of in the gospels -
Hebrews
4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who
has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God,
Where
is Jesus now?
He
has passed through the heavens.
Ascension
day - Thursday 29th May!
Jesus,
the name given to the incarnate Son of God. One who is fully God and
fully man. (Hebrews 2 that he was made like us, 'flesh and blood'!)
He
has gone through the heavens!
That
doesn't mean he came out the other side, but he has gone right the
way through to the very throne of God - Hebrews
1:8-9; v13.
Talk
about friends in high places! They do not come any higher than this!
Nor is anyone a better friend than Jesus
Prov
18:24 A man of many companions may come to
ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
John
15:14 You are my friends if you do what I
command you.
Since
our friend is our high priest let us hold fast our confession!
Bible:
1 Cor 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of
the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I
preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
For
I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that
Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
that
he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with
the Scriptures,
Php
2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Rom
10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
Properly
the writer is referring to something more detailed than these
confessions;
Heb
3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in
a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of
our confession,
It
included belief in Jesus as high priest.
Confession
of faith - 1689 Baptist Confession of faith - on my phone. Example.
A.
CONSIDER OUR HIGH PRIEST
B.
SEE HOW PERFECTLY EQUIPPED HE IS TO BE OUR HIGH PRIEST:
You
want to hold fast to your confession - but how? The temptation to
give up or go back is so strong!
(We
have seen that they had suffered considerable persecution,
confiscation of belongings, some were in prison, and the dark clouds
of further and fiercer persecution were coming up.)
Hebrews
4:15 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.
Jesus
knows, he understands, he fully sympathizes with our weakness.
He
knows what it is to live in a family, he had brothers and sisters,
cousins.
He
knows what it is to work, to deal with customers, difficult tasks -
he is called the Carpenter (small builder)
He
knows what it is to be oppressed by a foreign government - the
Romans!
He
knows what it is to be tired, bruised and battered. To have people
constantly making demands. To be the object of gossip, lies, plots
and persecution.
He
knows what it is to say: Mt 26:39
And
going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless,
not as I will, but as you will.”
He
knows what it is to be tempted. We are given an insight into some of
his temptations: Matthew 4:1-11
The
nature of the temptation is seen by Jesus' answer.
BUT
Jesus doesn't know what it's like to have a telephone constantly
ringing; or the neighbours noisy radio; or waiting in an airport for
24 hours;
He
doesn't know what it is like to be a woman, a mother, a wife.
So
he hasn't been tempted in every way as we are!
Yes
he has in that behind every temptation there is a common root - that
would touches different aspects of what it is to be a human being.
Our pride, our hopes, our fears, our needs, our emotions, our status,
our ambitions, our longings, our trust, our dependence on God.
The
outward details of the temptations may vary from place to place, from
generation to generation, from men to women, but the core aspects of
the temptations remain the same. Jesus was tempted in every one of
these that anyone can be tempted in.
The
devil tried everything! All his schemes, his wiles, his traps
that he had used on men and women since Adam and Eve.
Jesus
never gave way once. He was without sin. ...but one who in
every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
When
you go to him and tell him that you are finding it hard to keep going
he does not condemn you; he knows our weakness, he has experienced it
all, he sympathises.
His
heart is moved - AV we have not a high priest who cannot be touched.
He is not unable to sympathize.
A.
CONSIDER OUR HIGH PRIEST
B.
SEE HOW PERFECTLY EQUIPPED HE IS TO BE OUR HIGH PRIEST
C.
SO GO TO HIM AND RECEIVE HELP AND GRACE
He
does more than sympathise. He helps!
v16
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
That
magnificent throne from which he rules the universe; he
governs the nations, from where he reigns, is for the child of God,
the believer, also a throne of grace.
From
this throne he dispenses justice. He rules in righteousness. AND it
is from this throne, for the believer who comes in his weakness, he
gives grace.
That
means he does not give us what we deserve!
He
does not give us what we have earned - TESCO points, money of
petrol/diesel.
He
deals with us in grace.
That
means [1] we may receive MERCY AND FIND GRACE.
We
do so before it's to late. Before we have let go of our confession,
before we fail to enter the rest,
We
receive mercy and find grace in OUR TIME OF NEED.
What
is this grace that helps us and keeps us going?
Jeremy
Treat: "The great American theologian Al
Pacino once said, “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't
work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.”
He
comments: Pacino’s statement taps into a tension that we all
sense intuitively but maybe have not expressed explicitly. If God is
forgiving, then why strive for a holy life? If the penalty has been
paid, then why must progress be made?
I
believe the tension felt here ultimately comes from a confused view
of grace.
What Is Grace?
I
used to think of grace as a spiritual substance that God stores in
piles behind his heavenly throne and dispenses to his people below.
In other words, grace is stuff that God gives apart from himself.
How
wrong I was! Grace is not a thing. Grace is not stuf
that
God gives us apart from himself. He doesn’t run out of it. God
gives us himself
when
we don’t deserve it; that is grace. The oft-repeated definition of
grace as an undeserved gift is right but does not go far enough when
referring to the grace of God. Grace is a gift, but God is not only
the giver, he himself is the gift. God graces us with himself."
What
do we need to keep going? God doesn't give us
grace like a duracell battery it runs and runs out and we need a
replacement. He gives us himself.
Isn't
that what Joshua needed. Joshua 1v9 Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do
not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
The
Lord in his grace forgives and transforms us. With him we can keep
going.
The
writer is teaching us that not only the word of God; and the thought
of giving an account to the Lord, but also prayer plays a vital part
in our perseverance.
The
devil will tell you: You are a weak and miserable Christian,
what ever makes you think that God is going to hear your prayers?
OR:
You have just sinned he is not going to listen to you now for
a long time, if ever (as if only time will wipe away sin!)
OR:
How can you go to God when you are so depressed and miserable!
A Christian is meant to me full of joy, rejoice in the Lord always!
God loves a cheerful prayer, not a miserable one!
How
does Satan get to you? What does he say to you to keep you from
praying when you feel that you want and need to do so?
He
has many strategies to keep us from praying by tempting us to the
computer, newspaper, TV, extra sleep, other things so we forget to
pray. But here the writer is concentrating on when we feel it's all
getting too much - and we think about praying and he jumps in to
tempt us not to do so.
What
is his go to temptation for you? The one that most knocks you
down?
Do
not let even that temptation keep you from the throne of grace.
If you have just fallen to it you will receive mercy and find grace.
Better next time to go whilst you are being tempted, before you fall
and receive mercy and grace to resist that temptation.
What
was that temptation for? What was Satan's purpose in it? Maybe
several reasons - to bring dishonour to the name of the Lord, cause
others to stumble, be a means of tempting others, and many more
reasons - but always one reason present in every temptation, is to
keep you from the throne of grace.
If
Satan can keep you from praying then he has you! The
lion has his pray between his teeth ready to devour. You will
not hold on to your confession, you will not enter that rest, you
will not be saved. If you do not pray you will be lost.
Children
of God pray to their heavenly Father. Prayer is the Christians vital
breath.
Since
we have such a high priest we can draw near with confidence to the
throne of grace. We will not be turned away. There is one on the
throne who understands, who sympathises, and who can give mercy and
grace in our time of need.
There
is nothing to keep you from him! Your sin? He already knows, go and
confess it. your weakness? He understands - so why are you waiting?
Go and get help, receive mercy and grace.
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