A Throne of Grace

Speaker 1: Relationship that exists between. Those two different priests. So we're going to start in verse number 14. I do have slides up there. See, you

Speaker 2: guys are busy doing something, but, uh. And get that first, the next one,

Speaker 1: there we go. All right, so first number 14, the Bible tells us that Jesus is greater than the high priests of old times. The first point under this one is that the presentation of Jesus as the great high priest is meant to draw comparisons to the high priest of the Old Testament. Now, you've probably been to enough church services, Sunday school classes to know that the position of the high priest was one of the highest religious offices in Judaism. It was a privileged position, but it was also a limited position. You see, the high priest had to follow strict protocols in order to intercede on behalf of the people. Even when they followed these strict rules, there were only certain times that they were able to come before the Lord. And so it's that specially established moments under strict parameters, the high priest could come before God. And so if you look at verse number 14, we see that Jesus is not just referred to as another high priest, but as a great high priest. Jesus does not have the limitations that the high priests of the Old Testament had because No. One, he has a closer proximity to the father. The high priests in the Old Testament were essentially this little bat. But then here comes Jesus. And he doesn't have the limitations of that one. Jesus is superior in every way. The Bible says he is a great high priest and he has, what does it say passed into the heavens? Is he Jesus does not dwell on earth where he must enter into the presence of God. God doesn't descend to commune with Jesus. Jesus dwells in heaven on an equal plane with the father. Jesus has twenty four seven if he lived according to time twenty four, seven, three hundred and sixty five access to the father. The high priest of old did not have this level of access, whereas Jesus enjoys unbroken access to the father. And so Jesus is superior because of his location, his proximity to the father. But Jesus is also the superior high priest because of his relationship to the father. Look again at version fourteen. It says that our high priest is passed into the heavens. Jesus, what the son of God. You see, the high priest could never enjoy the same level of connection that Jesus does. Jesus is the son of God and we understand that he is one with the father. And so there is a much closer connection between Jesus and God, the father, than there ever could have been between the high priests and God, the father. Now, for all the privilege and uniqueness of the high priesthood, it could never compare to the intimacy of sonship enjoyed by Jesus. And so because of the superiority of Jesus, the author of the book of Hebrews says at the end of or 14, let us hold fast our profession. He commands the readers to hold fast their profession. Now, I know different people from time to time will get tattoos on their body. I will never get a tattoo, mainly because I don't like needles. I don't even want to get a shot. I can never let somebody take a needle and put it into my body. I was just I just thinking about that. I couldn't do it. Too much of a chicken. Too big of a wimp. But Hold Fast was a nautical term all the way back in Paul's day. And what they would do is they would tattoo on their knuckles. These sailors hold fast. You can look down at your fingers and as long as you've got all of your fingers, you'll see that you've got just the right digits to put hold fast across your knuckles. And they thought that if they had that on their knuckles, spirits would come down and strengthen their hands to hold the ropes tighter. Now, a lot of times there were men on the other end of those ropes and if they let go of the ropes, they're their buddies, they're sailing buddies would die. And so it was very important to them to be able to hold on so that they could secure whoever it was they were that was trusting in them. Now, it's interesting that the author here says, hold fast our profession. There is a couple of ways you could read this. It could be that the author is trying to say that it is the individual's responsibility to secure their salvation. Hold fast. Don't lose your salvation. If you don't hold on tight, it could slip and you could be damned. How does that fit with the rest of scripture? Did you did you acquire your salvation through your own strength? Then how are you going to maintain your salvation through your own strength? You're not like, well, says hold fast. What does it mean then? Well, if it's not that the individual has a responsibility to secure their salvation, then it must be that this phrase is saying that they would find security in the fact that their salvation is secured by someone greater than they. You see, holdfast doesn't mean they're the ones holding on and staying secure, but that somebody else is keeping them secure. And so they are supposed to rest in that, to rest in the fact that someone else has secured their salvation. You know, the priests in the Old Testament could not save anyone. The priests were as helpless to offer salvation as you and I are to gain salvation on our own. They were an example that human effort could never save. What does he say to hold fast to. Our profession. What did you profess when you got saved? Jesus Christ, that he did something that you couldn't do. You see, the profession of the believer is that salvation must proceed from Jesus, not ourselves. And so he is the great high priest who enjoys a better location than the old high priests. He enjoys a better relationship than the old high priests, and he offers a salvation which the old high priests can never do. So we find security in the one to whom we

Speaker 2: have professed our need for salvation,

Speaker 1: no to conversion or 15. Not only is Jesus greater than the high price of gold, but number two, Jesus is also more accessible than the high priests of old person or 15 says for we have not and high priest, which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Jesus is not like the high priest of the Old Testament who lacked the ability to relate to the concerns of the everyday Israelite. The high priests in the Old Testament were the one percenters you've heard that that that phrase, the one percent, OK, they were members of the societal elite. They lived pampered lives that were totally removed and disconnected from the realities of the common person. Have you ever tried to visit with someone who was so obviously more wealthy than you? It just you couldn't escape it. Have you ever been around people like that? And that people OK, well, I'm not, but I've been around people who just lived a totally different life than I will probably ever experience. I'm thinking of a family that invited us over to their house when we were just newly come to Virginia and we just didn't know what we were getting into. They were they were not born in America. They were born in another country. They had different culture, but they had done very well in the United States. So we went over there for a meal. And let me tell you, it was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I mean, you could have picked out on the appetizer tray that they brought out, but that was just the beginning. Then you transitioned into the formal dining room and they brought out another spread of food that was the main course. And it was enough to stuff a horse. Then you go to desert and, you know, it's not one desert or two deserts, there's like six deserts. I mean, it was just incredible. Their house was ginormous. I mean, their windows were probably as high as the ceiling of our of our auditorium here. It was just incredible the amount of wealth that this one family had. And I just like. This is foreign to me, I don't know how we can relate to one another, because your living experience is nothing like my living experience. Well, that's kind of the way the high priests were. They were privileged. The common person could not hope to have access or any kind of relationship with their high priest because they were so far removed from the common Israelite. And even if they could get close to that person, it is doubtful that a high priest would have been able to understand the struggle of a normal person. I see some of these celebrity pastors, you probably know some of them, if I mention their names, they're getting up to preach at their church on Sunday and there are Instagram accounts that you can follow that that highlight the different clothing items that that celebrity pastor wore and how much each piece cost. And there are guys getting up with tennis shoes on that are like three thousand dollar tennis shoes. Every suit in my closet doesn't amount to three thousand dollars, you ask my wife, I have a lot of suits, but anyways.

Speaker 2: I mean, there's just there's another world that some of us will never, ever know,

Speaker 1: and it makes it hard to connect with a person like that, doesn't it? Well, that's kind of the way the high priests work, they live a privileged life, a life that even if the common Joe Blow Israelite couldn't get close to that person enough to start a relationship, they wouldn't have been able to relate to each other because their lives were so different. But, you know. Jesus is not like this, Jesus has a superior ability to connect with humans. The author of Hebrews states that our high priest is different, he is greater and higher than the old priests, but he is also, according to my 15, more relatable than the priests of the Old Testament. Now, if anybody had a reason to be distant and cold and removed from the everyday human, don't you think it would be Jesus? I mean, you talk about the disparity between the the normal everyday person and the richest person, I mean, that that disparity looks like nothing compared to the richest human that ever lived and the glory of Jesus Christ, the son of God. And yet Jesus is more relatable than any of the old high priests. Jesus understands every emotion and every temptation that we as humans face. The Bible says we have not in high priests, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are yet without sin. This sounds like a completely ridiculous thing to say that Jesus understands every emotion and every temptation that you and I face. I mean, just on the face of it, it sounds like something you should immediately toss out as just baloney. But it's true. The son of God, the one that lives in heaven as God's equal, understands what it's like to be a human. You see, our high priest did not live this fantastical life where he was protected from any sadness, any pain or any death. That's not the life that Jesus lived. You realize that is the life that Buddha lived. He was the one raised in a palace as a prince whose every want and need and desire was was catered to and any pain or sickness or death was kept from him. How is that individual supposed to relate to the average person, but no, Jesus was born, we make a big deal out of it, born in a in a stable. His his earthly father was a carpenter. Don't you think Jesus was out there working with Joseph as long as Joseph was alive? You think they've developed a pretty close relationship and loved one another? Absolutely. But guess what? Joseph died. Jesus knew what it was like to work hard, to be sweating, to have limited funds, to lose someone he loved. Jesus lived a regular human life. Thirty three years, he was poor, he was often alone. He felt pain, weariness, hunger. Jesus got angry, he cried, he laughed, he was tempted the same as any one of us. The only difference was that he did all of this. With what? No sin. So he got angry. Isn't that a sin? The Bible says be angry and said not. So Jesus is great, Jesus is high above us, and yet at the same time, he is also accessible and relatable, trying to compare Jesus as a high priest to the Old Testament. High priests is like trying to compare these two acts. This one is. An embarrassing. Mimic of this one. This one doesn't get you anywhere, you go up to bat with this, people are going to laugh at you. This one is superior in every way. Now we say all this. To get the first number 16. Because verse number 16 only means something to us if we understand verses 14 and 15. You say it's because of who Jesus is, that we can enjoy a special relationship with our high priest because he is so great and at the same time so accessible and relatable, the author of Hebrews says, Let us therefore, because of what we just read, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace.

Speaker 2: That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help

Speaker 1: in time of need. See, right off the bat. We notice that Jesus. Character, Jesus demeanor, Jesus position. Creates a difference in this this matter of a throng. Is see, normally throne's are scary. Drones are scary, think of Esther when Esther had to go before Xerxes without being summoned. What did she think was going to happen to her? She was going to die. I've not been called to the throne room if he doesn't extend that scepter and I'm a dead person. I've been doing the life of David in my devotions and David, you know, when God said, David, you can't build the temple, you're a bloody man. He really was. You know, Guy comes up to David, hey, David, I got great news for you, Saul is dead. David looks at one of the guys like this guy's dead. Well, that's all right. Well, I saw him out on the battlefield and he was wounded and so he told me to come kill him. And so I did. I killed TSOL for you. He said he killed Sol, yes, sir, he did go kill him. It's not the only time that that happened. Or as many times throughout David's life, somebody comes to them thinking they've got good news for him. And David says, kill that dude. They thought they were going to promote it. They thought they were going to get a reward, instead they got a sword to the neck. Drones are normally

Speaker 2: places of judgment, there are normally places of power and

Speaker 1: declarations of war. But what does the author of Hebrews say about the throne in verse number 16? It's a throne of. Grace. Gray's punishment, are those the same I don't think so. I love the definition of boldly in this context, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace. We had a friend that you could just you could tell them anything. You're at something like that, or maybe you've been around somebody that just being in their presence made you want it to just like spill all your guts to them. Maybe it was even a stranger, but something about them just made you trust them. You had confidence in their ability to to keep what you said, what's the word secret? That's not what I wanted to say, but secret. I mean, just something about them. You just opened up immediately. That's this idea of boldly as it means that we can approach the throne of Grace, the throne of God with Frank, not Frank the person, but Frank confidence. It's open confidence in God. Kind of confidence that enables us to say everything to God, not just anything, but everything, the Greek root word that this word comes from has that idea of non talking. I'm not just going to tell you anything. I'm going to tell you everything. You ever known somebody who didn't just tell you the story. They had to tell you every detail of the story. If you don't know somebody like that, you're probably that person. But based on who Jesus is, one commentator said this, he said, we can engage in unembarrassed, unrestrained, full outpouring of our hearts to him. Now, would you do that to just anybody? He's checking out at the at the grocery store and again, teenagers ringing you up and you just start telling them everything about your life. Probably not. If that is what you do, talk to one of us, I mean,

Speaker 2: might be better to talk to one of us

Speaker 1: instead of them, but but that's what we can do with God. We can pour out our hearts to God, boldly telling him everything and has Jesus respond. I mean, you pour out your heart to a stranger they might call protective services on you or something. But Jesus, when we pour our hearts out to him, when we have frank confidence in him, the Bible says that we obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Is he in response to our communication, our bold communication to him, Jesus shows us mercy and grace and we're familiar with the terms, mercy and grace. But I want to share again with you what one author said to this to illustrate what this looks like. He says Mercy and grace. Our expressions of God's heart and hand in response to our need. Mercy means that I can stand before God in my weakness with conscience gnawing at me in the sense of many infirmities, many a sin and shortcoming and omission. And on the throne, Jesus does not discount me. I can find mercy when I come to God, I'm in a tight spot. I've made a mess of my life. I can come to God, tell him everything and receive mercy from him. For the person who's messed up their life, that's really good news. To the self-righteous hypocrite that's got a whole lot of hidden vices. That's good news for you. He said, does he know about something? Oh, but be honest, we're all hypocrites. We all got a lot of vices. We all need God's help. When I go to God, I come boldly before his throne, I can obtain mercy. In all of my faults and all of my sins and insecurities and the omissions of my life, of things that I should be doing when I come to Jesus. Grants me mercy. Not only mercy, but also Grace. So, Grace, is the dispensation, the dispensing of the needed blessings in response to our stated needs? How many of you

Speaker 2: order things from Amazon? The rest of your life.

Speaker 1: Lots of people order things from Amazon. We're getting another Amazon warehouse here in the Tulsa area, which means faster delivery times

Speaker 2: for those of us that use it. I love it. I can order something on one day. It's here the next day before we know it's going to be like same day one one day. I'm not proud of this, but Mother's Day was coming and I had done nothing to shop. So I did the same day delivery. And sure enough, in two hours I had all my Mother's Day presents and

Speaker 1: just having delivered to the church and brought them home, it was like a. Have you ever ordered something from Amazon and it got delivered to someone else? Don't you hate that? I spent twenty five cents on that iPhone case, somebody else has my iPhone case.

Speaker 2: I've lost I've had cases, I've lost all kinds of stuff. FedEx delivered my iPhone to the wrong house one time. It was a heart wrenching moment for me. There's there's a special thing that we need to see here when it says we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in

Speaker 1: time of need. There's a lot of good things you can get in life. But sometimes timing matters, like when you get those things. Jesus, when he dispenses grace. He gives you the grace you need for that time of need in your life. And he doesn't give you what was meant for someone else. There's no mix up in the shipping when it comes to grace. God gives you the grace that you need, the grace that you came to him for when you need it. You don't get somebody else's grace.

Speaker 2: Yours, that's why it's important for us not to compare ourselves with each other.

Speaker 1: Because you're over here discontent with the grace you receive, you're you're you're lusting after the grace they've received and God says that wasn't the grace you needed. This is the grace you needed. That doesn't that doesn't make mistakes when it comes to shipping. You don't get what I need, I don't get your grace, we each get exactly the grace

Speaker 2: that was intended for us. Now, you may think. Verse 14 and 15 seem to go together and verse 16 just kind of seems to stand on its own. But I think all three and I think I know these three verses

Speaker 1: go together, this forms a complete thought for us in verse 16 makes the most sense

Speaker 2: when we have seen it in light of verses 14, 15.

Speaker 1: What we're trying to see here tonight, what we're trying to encourage ourselves in here tonight is this. You have a high priest. That you can go to. With boldness, frank confidence, and he is high enough to do something about what you come to him for. But he's also relatable enough. To feel your hurt and why you came to him in the first place. So go to him. And tell them everything. He is higher than any man, he is closer to God than any other being, he is fully aware of everything you are feeling and everything you are facing. If you need a supply of grace, he has exactly what you need. So I don't feel worthy of coming into his presence. It's all right. He has an abundance of mercy to show you. We can come to Jesus with boldness and trust that he can do something

Speaker 2: to help us because he is our great high priest and I'm so grateful for him, aren't you? The only father we thank you for this day, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross, for our sins, to purchase

Speaker 1: our salvation, to make way for this special relationship to belong to each and every one of us. God, I pray that if there is someone here tonight that is going through a difficult time in their life, they're facing some hurts and pains or dilemmas. They just don't know what to do about them. Lord, I pray that they tonight would be convinced of their high priest, his ability to not only do something for them, but also to feel their pain, to walk that road with them. Lord, help us all

Speaker 2: to have the same confidence that we've read about here from the Book of Hebrews that we would come to you with everything that is going on in our life. Lord, we love you. Thank you for all you do for us. It's in Jesus name. Amen. If you did not receive a prayer sheet when you came in, if you would slip your hand up, really, Carol has those in the

Speaker 1: back real quick, we're going to give those out

Speaker 2: and want to get done here. The good times that you can get to the other camp meeting. This afternoon, Brother Mike Smos texted me. He asked if we would add his dad, Edwin, to the prayer list. He's been in the hospital with stroke like symptoms, but no stroke. They found a tumor in his ear canal that is causing him problems walking. And so hopefully he's getting released and then we'll await surgery. So please add brother Mike's dad, Edwin, to the prayer list tonight. We had several updates last week and. Debbie Smith had good and bad news from her latest doctor appointment. She has another appointment in July, so please pray for her in prayer for Mrs. Lightbody as she is up in Michigan helping his body's daughter move down here. She did make it safely today. That's good. And so they'll enjoy some time together and be back next week and then pray also for Miss Laurel Hill. Her husband passed away on Sunday. Is that correct? Sunday he passed away. Whatever she called you. OK, so just pray for her. She deals with the arrangements for his passing and then there were several. New requests for friends and family, one that lets you know about, as Jack Webster, his father, passed away. This is Miss Nicole Brewer's grandfather and he was ninety two years old. And so please pray for them. Are there any new or updated requests that we can be aware of tonight? I'll start in this section here and then work my way across Donna. So this is Debbie. So Debbie is on the bottom of the family and friends column. She was at the hospital. Heart issues. She had a pacemaker put in back near Christmas time and they found a clot. And so she has been sent to a nursing home for a few weeks for treatment. So please pray for her. OK. Who was that? What was it?

Unidentified: Watch. Carol. Terrell.

Speaker 2: For Butch Terrell. His wife passed away today. Do that anybody else in this section here? Here.

Unidentified: Asman. That's Paula.

Speaker 2: Preference, Paula, not feeling well, I think there's a few others that are out today not feeling well, probably going to going around. So perfect time to have VBS and bring all the here. Lucy. You gauge is in Virginia. Good. Yes, I hope you do get to see him.

Unidentified: As Barbara. OK. OK.

Speaker 2: Continue to pray for mercy and also her family situation.

Unidentified: Mm hmm. OK.

Speaker 2: Continue to pray for Heather, who is expecting a baby. She's meeting with the doctor on Friday.

Unidentified: Pray for that. Yes, sir. Um. Mm hmm.

Speaker 2: What are their names? Right, for Lindsay and read Sylvia Sereni, um, both of them expressing doubts as to whether or not God is real and then read dealing with some behavioral things that are alarming and just pray that God will get a hold of both of them. Show himself to be real in their lives. Somebody else in this section here is Kim. Mm hmm. So Keun, who have been praying for for a while, is in remission, so that's good, but there are opinions, chemo. So pray for him that he does not get sick from the effects that they'll have on his immune system. Crystal. Continue to pray for Miss Crystal and her baby. Um, the baby's still measuring small, so she'll be going to weekly appointments to keep an eye on things and may have to take the baby early. So please pray for her. As Donna. Yes, do be in prayer for the Thompson family. Many of the folks in our church would know that situation, but their son passed away last Thursday, Friday, Friday. So please keep them in your prayers. Local family. Somebody else in the section here. Mr.. Who is that again? I'm sorry, but was grandpa. Pray for Bo and his family, his grandpa's funeral will be tomorrow. Anybody else in the section?

Unidentified: Over here. Right over here. All right,

Speaker 2: well, let's all stand we'll be dismissed in order to prayer. Appreciate you being here tonight. Don't forget about the team meeting, you can head straight back there and. That'll be good information for you. Appreciate you being here for that. Let's pray and then we dismiss. Lord, we thank you for tonight for the opportunity to be here. Lord, we ask that you would be with each one of these requests had been mentioned tonight. Many health needs, spiritual needs or we asked you would be active in each situation. That you would watch over the different loved ones, children, friends that are that are dealing with health situations that you use, each scenario that has been mentioned here tonight to draw people closer to you, Lord, that you would get the glory from whatever it is that you decide to do and that you would comfort and strengthen those that are facing loss. Uh, law or health emergencies and God, we just ask for your mercy and your grace to be shown to us in Jesus name, that I ask these things

Unidentified: and you meant.

‍