WEBVTT 00:00:01.490 --> 00:00:07.379 Amen, and if you would take your Bibles now and 00:00:07.379 --> 00:00:26.100 Open them to Hebrews chapter 4 Hebrews 4 Just 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:30.839 looking at three verses today verses 14 through 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:36.109 16 as we press on in our study of this wonderful 00:00:36.109 --> 00:00:41.429 book and So would you hear these words? Hebrews 00:00:41.429 --> 00:00:46.500 4 14 through 16 Since then we have a great high 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:51.829 priest who has passed through Jesus, the Son 00:00:51.829 --> 00:00:57.359 of God, let us hold fast our confession. For 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:00.880 we do not have a high priest who is unable to 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:04.480 sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:09.120 every respect has been tempted as we are, yet 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:13.769 without sin. Let us then with confidence draw 00:01:13.769 --> 00:01:18.319 near to the throne of grace. that we may receive 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:23.439 mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 00:01:24.920 --> 00:01:29.480 This is God's word. Let's pray again. Father 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:32.319 in heaven, we give you thanks for your word. 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:35.920 We give you thanks for what it tells us about 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:39.579 how we can approach you. But we understand this, 00:01:39.579 --> 00:01:43.609 we can only approach you if we have been cleansed 00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:48.010 of sin. We can only approach you with faith in 00:01:48.010 --> 00:01:51.629 Christ. And so Father, I pray that you would 00:01:51.629 --> 00:01:54.129 cleanse our hearts now, and if there be any in 00:01:54.129 --> 00:01:58.510 this sanctuary who are not in Christ, that you 00:01:58.510 --> 00:02:01.469 would work faith into their hearts now as you 00:02:01.469 --> 00:02:04.629 grant us all understanding these things we ask 00:02:04.629 --> 00:02:16.280 in Christ's name. Amen. When you are in need, 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:20.439 when you're going through something difficult, 00:02:21.590 --> 00:02:25.870 perhaps traumatic, maybe even heartbreaking, 00:02:26.919 --> 00:02:32.650 Is there something about your Savior that you 00:02:32.650 --> 00:02:36.610 love to meditate upon that gets you through the 00:02:36.610 --> 00:02:40.389 really difficult times? Maybe it's the incarnation 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:45.780 that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises 00:02:45.780 --> 00:02:48.139 of Scripture to take on flesh and dwell among 00:02:48.139 --> 00:02:51.020 us. And you love dwelling upon that fact that 00:02:51.020 --> 00:02:54.500 Jesus understands what you're going through because 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:59.219 He did take on flesh. Or maybe you meditate upon 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:02.780 some particular teaching of Jesus. Maybe a parable. 00:03:02.860 --> 00:03:04.960 Maybe the Sermon on the Mount. Maybe that gets 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:09.800 you through. Maybe you meditate upon the sufferings 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:12.879 of Jesus. How Jesus went all the way to the cross 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:16.659 to save you from your sins. Certainly all of 00:03:16.659 --> 00:03:19.800 these things are comforting and they are encouraging. 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:25.419 But if I can give you a few of them this morning. 00:03:25.849 --> 00:03:30.189 You can see these from our text and so what I 00:03:30.189 --> 00:03:32.810 want to talk about this morning is how Jesus 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:39.150 ascends for us. Jesus sympathizes with us and 00:03:39.150 --> 00:03:44.090 Jesus intercedes for us. These truths are given 00:03:44.379 --> 00:03:48.219 that we would draw near to the throne of grace 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:52.539 and know that we have the help we need in Christ. 00:03:52.939 --> 00:03:57.259 who is our great high priest. And so let's look 00:03:57.259 --> 00:04:01.240 firstly at the ascension, but let's do so remembering 00:04:01.240 --> 00:04:06.669 the problem, the problem that these Christians, 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:09.639 That the writer is addressing the problems they 00:04:09.639 --> 00:04:12.080 were facing for we've talked about this several 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:14.580 times now that there was some sort of threat 00:04:14.580 --> 00:04:19.120 of persecution upon these Christians and within 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:22.480 that persecution or their threat thereof they 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:26.399 were being tempted to Flee from Jesus and return 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:30.000 to the Old Covenant But the writer of Hebrews 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:33.759 acts as a good biblical counselor because he 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:37.939 directs his audience back to Jesus, and specifically 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:42.060 that Jesus is their great high priest. But notice 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:46.660 how he does this in verse 14. Since then, we 00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:49.480 have a great high priest. And he's done this 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.740 many times before. He lumps himself in with this 00:04:52.740 --> 00:04:57.000 crowd, needing to be reminded of the great high 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.879 priest. But at this point, you may be asking 00:04:59.879 --> 00:05:04.939 yourself, what's so great about this great high 00:05:04.939 --> 00:05:08.139 priest? Well, for one thing, you can see it in 00:05:08.139 --> 00:05:12.800 verse 14. He has passed through the heavens. 00:05:14.810 --> 00:05:19.209 He has passed through the heavens. And so naturally, 00:05:19.610 --> 00:05:22.149 we are to think of the ascension of Jesus. Let 00:05:22.149 --> 00:05:25.910 me read to you Acts chapter one, six through 00:05:25.910 --> 00:05:30.240 11. So when they had come together, they asked 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:34.920 him Lord Will you at this time restore the kingdom 00:05:34.920 --> 00:05:38.600 to Israel? He said to them it is not for you 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.300 to know times or seasons that the father has 00:05:41.300 --> 00:05:45.310 fixed by his own authority But you will receive 00:05:45.310 --> 00:05:48.579 power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you 00:05:48.769 --> 00:05:52.430 and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and 00:05:52.430 --> 00:05:55.689 all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth 00:05:55.689 --> 00:05:59.449 and when he had said these things As they were 00:05:59.449 --> 00:06:02.949 looking on, he was lifted up and a cloud took 00:06:02.949 --> 00:06:05.930 him out of their sight. And while they were gazing 00:06:05.930 --> 00:06:09.709 into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood 00:06:09.709 --> 00:06:14.290 by them in white robes and said, men of Galilee, 00:06:14.569 --> 00:06:18.750 why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus 00:06:18.750 --> 00:06:21.550 who has taken up from you into heaven will come 00:06:21.550 --> 00:06:26.149 in the same way as you saw him go into heaven. 00:06:27.410 --> 00:06:32.100 Friends, let me ask you this. Is the ministry 00:06:32.100 --> 00:06:38.939 of Jesus complete without the ascension? Good, 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.560 I see heads doing this, right? But at the same 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:46.920 time, and it is right that we do this, we emphasize 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:51.699 the incarnation as we should. We emphasize the 00:06:51.699 --> 00:06:54.800 teaching as we should and the miracles and all 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:57.839 of the things that Jesus does. We rightly emphasize 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:02.639 the cross. We rightly emphasize the resurrection, 00:07:03.139 --> 00:07:07.339 but we must also understand the critical importance 00:07:07.339 --> 00:07:11.279 of the ascension. The ascension is not simply 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:15.100 an add -on, as if to say Jesus needed somewhere 00:07:15.100 --> 00:07:19.680 to go. The ascension is absolutely critical in 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:22.500 our understanding of the work that Christ does 00:07:22.500 --> 00:07:29.269 for us. For one, Christ ascends to heaven. is 00:07:29.269 --> 00:07:33.170 Jesus' home. And in ascending to heaven to sit 00:07:33.170 --> 00:07:36.029 at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, 00:07:37.300 --> 00:07:41.019 he shows that he is fully victorious. The mission 00:07:41.019 --> 00:07:45.220 is complete. He is now beside the Father. But 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:49.420 secondly though, Jesus promised before he ascended 00:07:49.779 --> 00:07:54.399 that he would go and make a place for us. Now 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.399 how can Jesus go make a place for us if he himself 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:00.339 is not there? No doubt. I think when he says 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:02.540 this he's talking about the new heavens and the 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:05.800 new earth But by ascending he shows us where 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:12.399 he is The preacher Derek Thomas says here Jesus 00:08:12.399 --> 00:08:19.300 has a zip code Jesus is there He's making a place 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:24.180 for us thirdly though Jesus said as we have seen 00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:26.939 from Acts, that he would send the helper, that 00:08:26.939 --> 00:08:29.839 he would send the comforter. Jesus even said 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.940 to his disciples for this reason, it is good 00:08:32.940 --> 00:08:38.120 that I go away. Can you imagine being one of 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.620 the disciples and Jesus telling you, it's good 00:08:41.620 --> 00:08:44.480 that I leave you? And I'm sure the disciples 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:49.049 were thinking, in what world is it good for you 00:08:49.049 --> 00:08:54.830 to leave us? It's good. And as Charles Hodge 00:08:54.830 --> 00:08:58.850 says, it is necessary, he says, it was necessary 00:08:58.850 --> 00:09:03.149 that redemption should not only be acquired but 00:09:03.149 --> 00:09:07.230 applied. To secure that blessing for the church, 00:09:07.710 --> 00:09:11.470 his ascension was necessary. He was exalted to 00:09:11.470 --> 00:09:14.190 give repentance and the remission of sins, to 00:09:14.190 --> 00:09:17.169 gather his people from all nations and during 00:09:17.169 --> 00:09:21.230 all ages until the work was accomplished. His 00:09:21.230 --> 00:09:24.210 throne in the heavens was the proper place whence 00:09:24.210 --> 00:09:27.440 the work of saving men through the merits of 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:33.009 his death was to be carried on. Friends, we know 00:09:33.009 --> 00:09:35.970 this about the resurrection that Jesus was resurrected 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:39.409 so that we will be. He also ascended that we 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:43.009 also will be. He does this for us. And if he 00:09:43.009 --> 00:09:46.909 never ascends, he does not fulfill his role as 00:09:46.909 --> 00:09:49.389 our great high priest. And he doesn't then send 00:09:49.389 --> 00:09:52.940 the spirit to indwell. empower his disciples 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:57.559 for ministry and so yes it's critical that Jesus 00:09:57.559 --> 00:10:02.320 ascends and it's critical for the sending of 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.399 the Holy Spirit and we can actually see I don't 00:10:05.399 --> 00:10:08.480 believe that the disciples stay in that place 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:12.159 of confusion or sorrow regarding Jesus leaving 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:18.259 them because Luke chapter 24 Luke 24 50 through 00:10:18.259 --> 00:10:25.090 53 says this to show us where they were when 00:10:25.090 --> 00:10:31.649 he ascended and he led them out as far as Bethany 00:10:31.649 --> 00:10:35.409 and lifting up his hands he blessed them while 00:10:35.409 --> 00:10:38.750 he blessed them he parted from them and was carried 00:10:38.750 --> 00:10:42.590 up into heaven and they worshiped him and returned 00:10:42.590 --> 00:10:46.850 to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually 00:10:46.850 --> 00:10:51.379 in the temple blessing God. And so what was met 00:10:51.379 --> 00:10:55.820 initially with confusion and perhaps sorrow is 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:59.600 now met with great joy and we should have the 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:04.669 same joy regarding the ascension of Jesus as 00:11:04.669 --> 00:11:08.620 he passed through the heavens. And yet still 00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:11.240 in verse 14, there could be something else going 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:15.620 on here. I believe that it's true that actually 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:19.519 the writer of Hebrews is making an allusion to 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:23.600 the Old Testament high priestly activity on the 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.730 day of atonement. Do you remember how in the 00:11:26.730 --> 00:11:30.070 tabernacle and then the temple there was kind 00:11:30.070 --> 00:11:32.710 of different divisions of it? There was an outer 00:11:32.710 --> 00:11:35.090 court for the Gentiles and then there was the 00:11:35.090 --> 00:11:37.809 inner court and then there was the holy place 00:11:37.809 --> 00:11:40.789 and that which is called the most holy place 00:11:40.789 --> 00:11:45.129 according to Leviticus 16 or the holy of holies. 00:11:45.210 --> 00:11:48.730 You see when animal sacrifice was offered, God 00:11:48.730 --> 00:11:52.970 came down Above the mercy seat above the place 00:11:52.970 --> 00:11:57.129 of propitiation and the high priest would go 00:11:57.129 --> 00:12:01.240 behind the veil and Sprinkle the blood there 00:12:01.240 --> 00:12:06.399 on the place of propitiation Sacrifice was offered 00:12:06.399 --> 00:12:10.860 for sin But you'll remember only the high priest 00:12:10.860 --> 00:12:14.240 could do that Only the high priest could be there 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.679 and only on that one day of the year that veil 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:23.009 served to tell everybody you do not have complete 00:12:23.009 --> 00:12:29.720 direct access to God but do you remember what 00:12:29.720 --> 00:12:34.830 happened after Jesus said it is finished the 00:12:34.830 --> 00:12:39.289 veil was torn from top to bottom and the earth 00:12:39.289 --> 00:12:43.250 shook and rocks were broken and tombs were opened 00:12:43.250 --> 00:12:47.049 and indeed all of heaven was open that you might 00:12:47.049 --> 00:12:56.389 follow Jesus in we are no longer prevented from 00:12:56.389 --> 00:13:00.049 having that direct access to God because it comes 00:13:00.049 --> 00:13:06.059 through Jesus Christ alone and you can actually 00:13:06.059 --> 00:13:09.879 see this very well in Hebrews if you will just 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:17.259 turn ahead to chapter 6 verses 19 through 20 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:23.720 Hebrews 6 19 through 20 says we have this as 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:28.419 a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul a hope 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:32.220 that enters into the inner place behind the curtain 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:37.940 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:41.299 It is true, friends, Jesus passed through the 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:45.279 heavens not needing the blood of bulls or goats, 00:13:45.419 --> 00:13:50.500 for he has shed his own blood to atone for our 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:55.990 sins. He is our great high priest and through 00:13:55.990 --> 00:14:03.100 Jesus. we can now come to God. Now at the same 00:14:03.100 --> 00:14:07.000 time as I say this, I want to caution us because 00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:10.419 some have manipulated this, some have misunderstood 00:14:10.419 --> 00:14:14.320 this just this past week. I was talking to someone 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:19.840 at physical therapy, you don't know them, and 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:25.259 this man said to me, I have Jesus in my heart 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:28.659 and therefore I believe that I don't have to 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:34.139 go to church. I said to him, I have a different 00:14:34.139 --> 00:14:39.639 opinion on that. Friends, yes, we have direct 00:14:39.639 --> 00:14:43.279 access to God through Jesus, but that doesn't 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:47.740 mean that we disobey God's word. And actually, 00:14:47.960 --> 00:14:51.240 knowing Jesus and having the indwelling of the 00:14:51.240 --> 00:14:53.659 Spirit in our hearts should lead us to worship 00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:57.580 Him more, not less. Additionally, what I did 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:01.519 indeed do with this man was to share Again from 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.519 Hebrews, it's so applicable. Hebrews chapter 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:09.200 10, 24 through 25 that says, let us consider 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.659 how to stir one another up to love and good works, 00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:17.139 not neglecting to meet together as is the habit 00:15:17.139 --> 00:15:20.740 of some, but encouraging one another and all 00:15:20.740 --> 00:15:26.870 the more as you see the day drawing near. Yes, 00:15:27.070 --> 00:15:31.600 friends, we have access. But because of Jesus 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.659 now, we have affection for God and so we should 00:15:34.659 --> 00:15:39.429 desire to be together in corporate worship. And 00:15:39.429 --> 00:15:43.090 so that's my encouragement for you today as Christians 00:15:43.090 --> 00:15:46.409 to worship God and to serve alongside of each 00:15:46.409 --> 00:15:49.110 other. But I also want to give you encouragement 00:15:49.110 --> 00:15:53.389 when you go through the difficulties of this 00:15:53.389 --> 00:15:57.600 life. Because friends, what comes next? And verse 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:02.200 15 is so incredibly comforting to us. Look there. 00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:06.279 For we do not have a high priest who is unable 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:10.259 to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who 00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:13.360 in every respect has been tempted as we are, 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:18.480 yet without sin. Friends, Jesus took on flesh 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:21.820 and with it all of the difficulties of this life. 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:25.740 And as the God man, he can sympathize with your 00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:29.690 weaknesses. And if you were look up this word 00:16:29.690 --> 00:16:32.490 for weakness within the Greek you would actually 00:16:32.490 --> 00:16:35.230 see this is talking about all kinds of weaknesses. 00:16:36.429 --> 00:16:43.419 He understands it all. He does. He understands 00:16:43.419 --> 00:16:47.309 what you're going through. Have you ever had 00:16:47.309 --> 00:16:50.309 either the positive or negative experience of 00:16:50.309 --> 00:16:52.669 going through something that maybe other people 00:16:52.669 --> 00:16:56.399 haven't gone through? Mission trips are notorious 00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:58.600 for this. If you've ever been on a mission trip 00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:02.039 and you go and it's a wonderful experience and 00:17:02.039 --> 00:17:04.259 you see God moving in all of these wonderful 00:17:04.259 --> 00:17:07.299 ways and you get back and you want to tell everybody 00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:08.759 about it and then what do they say? They say, 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:12.970 that's cool. They say, I'm really glad that you 00:17:12.970 --> 00:17:16.009 went on that. Sometimes we just don't understand 00:17:16.009 --> 00:17:19.789 what each one of us is going through, but I want 00:17:19.789 --> 00:17:26.519 you to know that Jesus understands. Jesus understands 00:17:26.779 --> 00:17:30.319 when you lose a loved one and it hurts so bad. 00:17:30.730 --> 00:17:34.849 He gets you because he wept over his friend Lazarus. 00:17:34.990 --> 00:17:40.180 Jesus understands when people betray you because 00:17:40.180 --> 00:17:44.150 one of his disciples turned him in. Jesus understands 00:17:44.150 --> 00:17:47.430 the way you feel when you face various ailments 00:17:47.430 --> 00:17:49.990 or when you feel as though you are near death. 00:17:50.009 --> 00:17:56.099 He gets you because Jesus died for you. He sympathizes 00:17:56.099 --> 00:17:59.000 with you more than anyone else because he was 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:03.400 tempted as we are, and yet he never once gave 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:06.400 into it. Now, sometimes people will say here, 00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:10.839 how can Jesus sympathize with me in my temptations 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:14.279 if he himself never sinned? Well, friends, do 00:18:14.279 --> 00:18:19.819 you have to sin in order to sympathize? No, not 00:18:19.819 --> 00:18:25.549 at all. And actually, Jesus' sympathy does more 00:18:25.549 --> 00:18:30.890 than you think. C .S. Lewis in Mere Christianity 00:18:30.890 --> 00:18:34.730 says that Jesus actually knows more about temptation 00:18:34.730 --> 00:18:39.660 than you do because we give in and sometimes 00:18:39.660 --> 00:18:43.859 we give in very quickly to temptation but not 00:18:43.859 --> 00:18:47.839 so with Jesus. He never once did. Jesus in this 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:51.859 way is like a war veteran who has fought in combat 00:18:51.859 --> 00:18:55.220 and he survived to tell the tale. Jesus has he 00:18:55.220 --> 00:18:57.940 has been there. He has done that. He has died. 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:01.519 He rose again. He ascended and he lives to tell 00:19:01.519 --> 00:19:07.460 the tale to the father. And I think this is a 00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:11.920 glorious truth. Thinking about Jesus sympathizing 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:14.000 with our weaknesses. Somebody brought this up 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:16.180 this week. I was listening to. and I've never 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:20.710 thought about it before, Jesus has not forgotten 00:19:20.970 --> 00:19:25.630 what it's like to suffer. That has not been erased 00:19:25.630 --> 00:19:29.450 from his memory. That's what this is getting 00:19:29.450 --> 00:19:32.750 at. He remembers his suffering and he knows your 00:19:32.750 --> 00:19:36.369 suffering and as our great high priest, he tells 00:19:36.369 --> 00:19:41.309 it to God the Father. And so this is getting 00:19:41.309 --> 00:19:43.750 at prayer then. This is getting at intercession. 00:19:43.849 --> 00:19:47.640 My final point this morning. What does a high 00:19:47.640 --> 00:19:52.349 priest do? Short of Catechism 25, Christ executes 00:19:52.349 --> 00:19:56.150 the office of a priest and is once offering up 00:19:56.150 --> 00:20:00.529 of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice 00:20:00.529 --> 00:20:06.190 and reconcile us to God and in making continual 00:20:06.190 --> 00:20:09.490 intercession for us. Friends, Jesus is at the 00:20:09.490 --> 00:20:11.869 right hand of the Father not to put his feet 00:20:11.869 --> 00:20:16.640 up. He is there to make intercession. And we're 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:19.839 gonna see this more as we go along through Hebrews, 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:23.859 but how many times do we say to one another, 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.750 I'm praying for you? It's the response we give 00:20:28.750 --> 00:20:30.549 when someone's going through something difficult. 00:20:30.890 --> 00:20:33.450 Now, are there any times, have we at any times 00:20:33.450 --> 00:20:35.450 neglected to pray for people that we said we 00:20:35.450 --> 00:20:38.789 would pray for? If we're honest, I think we all 00:20:38.789 --> 00:20:41.940 probably have done that. Jesus never does that. 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:46.589 Because later in Hebrews, It says, Jesus lives 00:20:46.589 --> 00:20:51.650 to intercede. Jesus lives to pray for you. And 00:20:51.650 --> 00:20:54.910 not just him, but the Spirit. Because Romans 00:20:54.910 --> 00:20:58.009 chapter eight says the Spirit intercedes for 00:20:58.009 --> 00:21:01.849 you with groanings too deep for words. How about 00:21:01.849 --> 00:21:05.970 that for encouragement? That you are prayed for. 00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:09.880 by Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.920 and by the third person of the Trinity, the Holy 00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:20.130 Spirit, you are prayed for. And the application 00:21:20.130 --> 00:21:24.450 of this might be for us to press on with prayer, 00:21:24.789 --> 00:21:27.390 shouldn't it? The book of Hebrews uses the word 00:21:27.390 --> 00:21:31.690 thrown four times, and you see one right here 00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:36.720 in our text in verse 16. Each usage of this word 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:39.200 throughout the book refers to the same thing, 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:45.430 God's throne in heaven. But consider this, friends, 00:21:46.069 --> 00:21:50.880 the throne of grace is rightly named. It is. 00:21:52.250 --> 00:21:56.950 But if the confession of your hearts is not Jesus, 00:21:57.410 --> 00:22:00.890 you're my savior, you are the son of God, then 00:22:00.890 --> 00:22:03.390 the throne of grace is actually the throne of 00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:07.819 judgment. If you are not in Christ, You are facing 00:22:07.819 --> 00:22:10.380 judgment. Let me share this with you as I begin 00:22:10.380 --> 00:22:17.180 to wrap up from Revelation chapter 20. Revelation 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:21.880 20 11 through 15 reads in this way. Then I saw 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.940 a great white throne and him who is seated on 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:30.339 it from his presence. Earth and sky fled away 00:22:30.339 --> 00:22:34.460 and no place was found for them. And I saw the 00:22:34.460 --> 00:22:38.259 dead great and small standing before the throne. 00:22:38.569 --> 00:22:42.009 and books were opened. Then another book was 00:22:42.009 --> 00:22:45.589 opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead 00:22:45.589 --> 00:22:48.190 were judged by what was written in the books, 00:22:48.630 --> 00:22:51.069 according to what they had done. And the sea 00:22:51.069 --> 00:22:54.759 gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades 00:22:54.759 --> 00:22:57.000 gave up the dead who were in them, and they were 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:59.440 judged, each one of them according to what they 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:03.099 had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into 00:23:03.099 --> 00:23:06.529 the lake of fire. This is the second death. the 00:23:06.529 --> 00:23:09.650 lake of fire, and if anyone's name was not found 00:23:09.650 --> 00:23:12.630 written in the book of life, he was thrown into 00:23:12.630 --> 00:23:16.269 the lake of fire. Friends, I do not share that 00:23:16.269 --> 00:23:22.039 with you to take away from the comforting nature 00:23:22.039 --> 00:23:26.660 of this passage, but I do so because Jesus must 00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:30.369 be the confession of your heart. Jesus must be 00:23:30.369 --> 00:23:34.589 the confession of your heart. And if he is, then, 00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:39.480 look again verse 16 then and then alone may you 00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:44.400 draw near to him and you may do so not timidly 00:23:44.430 --> 00:23:49.210 not apprehensively but you may do so boldly and 00:23:49.210 --> 00:23:53.210 with incredible confidence right that you may 00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:57.250 receive mercy and find grace to help in time 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:06.000 of need friends take it to God in prayer and 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:09.759 be encouraged that Jesus lives to intercede for 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:14.000 you. And also receive these words, just some 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:18.759 song lyrics as we close. Come boldly to the throne 00:24:18.759 --> 00:24:23.420 of grace, ye wretched sinners come, and lay your 00:24:23.420 --> 00:24:27.420 load at Jesus' feet and plead what he has done. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:31.500 Poor bankrupt souls who feel and know the hell 00:24:31.500 --> 00:24:35.819 of sin within, come boldly to the throne of grace. 00:24:36.059 --> 00:24:40.160 the Lord will take you in. Amen.