Overcome with Prayer: Accessing God's Throne of Grace
Notes
Transcript
Today we will see the importance of prayer as a means of accessing God's grace and strength, especially during struggles or trials. As we approach the 4th of July or Independence Day we understand the view that many of us have. We must be independent. I know as a Father a lot of my paretnting time is spent teaching my kids how to do things on their own so that when they are older they will not fail in life. We must undo this mindset though when it comes to our relationship with God. In our relationship with God it is one of complete dependence. We rely on our Father to assist us in our lives. The problem for us is first that we must over come the idea that we cannot approach our Father. Second we must overcome the idea that our problems are too small for God. Lastly must utilize prayer confidently to overcome. Turn with me in your Bible to Hebrews 4:14-16. Today we will look in Scripture and we will unlock the power of prayer in our lives. Im convinced that we do not adequatley utilize prayer in our lives. Prayer is the power for the believer. Have you ever tried to utilize the wrong tool for the job? Almost every Christian does this on a daily basis. We get to a point where we are not sure what to do and so most of us pick up a hammer and try to force things to happen. The problem with that is that a hammer is not always the right tool to use.
My wife will tell you that I am not a mechanic. The reason that she will tell you this is not because I have not fixed things on our vehicles. It is because I often times break something else before fixing the original issue and I end up taking twice as much time fixing both things. The original issue and the secondary issue. I had this happen when I was attempting to replace the radiator on our Blazer when we had one. I had to change the radiator out because it had a leak . I knew that this particular car had a pulley that had to be held still so the fan bolt could be turned and removed. They make a part that will hold the pulley still so you can remove the fan. The problem for me, the part was at Auto zone and would require me to stop what I was doing and go get the part. That would take far too much time. So instead I spent over an hour trying to work a monkey wrench to the inside of the pulley and holding it still while at the same time trying to remove the bolt holding the fan on. Second problem, I forgot the bolt was reverse threaded and before the Bolt moved the pulley broke, not only that but when the pulley broke all of it broke except for the part holding the fan bolt on… Yeah utilizing the wrong tool cost me more time more problems that it was worth.
A little time on our knees will save us a lot of time falling on our rears. Turn with me in your bible to Hebrews 4: 14-16.
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.
1. Jesus: Our High Priest
1. Jesus: Our High Priest
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.
Jesus is the key to our ability to enter the Fathers presnce. Jesus is like our shield.
I recently watched a documentary on Chernobyl and during the documentary I was intrigued because the workers took lead and encased a truck in lead to get a meter close enough to the reactor to see if in fact the core of the reactor was exposed. They then after realizing that they could not get all of the radioactive material covered in the setting they were in created a dome of lead sheets over the entire reactor building. This lead protects from the radiation because of its density. Without lead casing or lead protection exposure to the levels of radiation still to this day at Chernoybl can be and are deadly.
Jesus is like our lead apron.
To understand how to utilize prayer to overcome in our lives we must first understand the concept of going to God. In the beginning things started with man talking directly with God.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
We see here that God had a physical presence with Adam and Eve and they knew when God was in the Garden to walk and talk with them. It did not take long though for man to mess things up and ruin this relationship up. So then God leaves and He speaks to specific people but not in a physical presence with man like He once did.
5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
There are more examples such as Abraham and Moses. The point is that God was speaking directly with men at one point but not all men and only in specific scenarios. When God was speaking with Moses He instituted the High Priest. With the High Priest, God would speak with the High Priest one time a year in the Holy of Holies and so God’s communication became even more limited to man. Our sin had driven a wedge between us and God. This wrecked relationship that God continually tried to overcome was simply made worse by us, the human race. So we had limited access to the throne of God and to His speaking to us. But God knew the importance of His people hearing His voice and seeking time with Him.
3 the Lord appeared to him from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
God wanted to make a way where we could have daily conversations with Him. The High Priest though could only enter once a year after offering a sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of himself and the people and after following specific guidelines. Because of our sin we could not stand in the presence of God and live.
5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
So if the High priest could only enter in one time a year and we were too sinfull to enter. How could God restore this relationship? It would be though Jesus. Jesus would become our new High Priest and His sacrifice would continually cover our sins and remove the separation from us and God.
51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.
his sacrifices had to be made every dayGod would utlize Jesus sacrifice as a means to cover our sins. He would establish Jesus as our High Priest. You see the difference for us is that the Levitical High Priest was temporary, his sacrifices we made by someone who had to offer sacrifices for his own sin, his sacrifices had to be made every day.
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
His blood covered our sins once and forever. Jesus though would overcome all of these. Jesus would be the final High Priest, holding the position for all eternity. Jesus did not sin so His sacrifice was for us completely. Jesus sacrifice was a forever sacrifice. With Jesus as our High Priest the throne of God is no longer limited and no longer does one man have to go speak to God, we are all welcome at the throne of our Father because of Jesus. Jesus is our High priest. He is the one who stands and opens the throne room doors and allows us to enter to have a relationship with God.
Jesus is also a High Priest that understnds our struggles and empathizes with our struggles on earth.
2. Jesus: Empathy in Temptation
2. Jesus: Empathy in Temptation
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.
We often do not utilize prayer becuase we believe that we are too dirty, or not worthy enough to enter in prayer. You know what I am talking about? You know you should pray, you know it is the answer but that voice inside your head says, if you go to God He is just going to tell you to get away from Him. Jesus thinks you are a failure and He does not want you around. So you slip into the scilence and move on, but you still know in your hear the answer is prayer. The fact is that your mess up’s and your struggles are no stranger to Jesus. See again what Hebrews 4:15 says.
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 went through every temptation we go through. Notice though that this scripture is not used as a comparrison.
I have a twin brother and when we were growing up we would often compare our behavior to the other. If we got in trouble we would say but look at what Brandon did or look at what Ryan did. We would deflect our own issues onto the other person. There were times where one or the others behavior was bad when the other was good and our parents would say look at your brother see how good he is being? You should be that way too! This did not happen often becuase normally we were both getting in trouble at the same time.
This scripture does not do that. We read it that way at times when we are feeling guilty or in our own heads. What this scripture is saying is that when you are down on yourself and you don’t feel worthy, remember Jesus knows the struggle you are facing. Jesus knows how difficult it is to overcome sin in this world and the struggle of the flesh. Jesus overcame it becuase He sought the Fathers will for His life, but we have not overcome it. The powers of evil around us want to take those failures and use them to drive a wedge between us and God. God says look Jesus knows exactly how difficult it was to overcome that and so Jesus and I have compassion on you and emphathize with your struggle as humans in a sinful world. Please do not let your failures keep you away.
Jesus is empathetic to our struggles.
British statesman and financier Cecil Rhodes, whose fortune was used to endow the world-famous Rhodes Scholarships, was a stickler for correct dress--but apparently not at the expense of someone else's feelings. A young man invited to dine with Rhodes arrived by train and had to go directly to Rhodes's home in his travel-stained clothes. Once there he was appalled to find the other guests already assembled, wearing full evening dress. After what seemed a long time Rhodes appeared, in a shabby old blue suit. Later the young man learned that his host had been dressed in evening clothes, but put on the old suit when he heard of his young guest's dilemma.
Jesus put on our same clothing and walked more than a mile in our shoes. He wants us to know that He loves us right where we are at and that His sacrifice is enough to open the doors to the throne.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Jesus has face our struggles, walked in our shoes, and He is not prideful. Jesus does not look at us and turn us away, He did what He did so we could be accepted. Jesus gave up everything for us to have access once again to the Father, to restore the relationship.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
To overcome with prayer we must understand that we have a permanent High Priest who offered a permanent Sacrifice. We must not allow the enemy to use our failures to drive us away from the one who can sacntify. Lastly we should approach the throne with confidence because of who and what Jesus did.
3. Approach with Confidence
3. Approach with Confidence
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.
My confidence in prayer is not becuase I feel as though I deserve to be there. My confidence in approaching the throne of God is in Christ and Christ alone. God sent Jesus and Jesus obeyed God. God elevated Jesus to His right hand and gave him to us as our permanent High Priest. Through Jesus God restored the daily relationship we can have with Him. I trust that God did what He did because He is God and knew what needed to be done. I am confident that nothing I do or say would have ever gotten me to this place. I am not confident in my abilities but I am fully persuaded in the power of the blood of Jesus. Are you ready to start approaching the Throne room and restoring the daily walk with God? Not becuase you have earned it, not because you deserve it, but because God loves you and He knew what He was doing when He sent Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for us. We can approach with confidence because of Jesus.
John McKay, of the NFL, tells a story illustrating the supreme confidence of University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant: "We were out shooting ducks, and finally, after about three hours, here comes one lonely duck. The Bear fires. And that duck is still flying today. But Bear watched the duck flap away, looked at me and said, 'John, you are witnessing a genuine miracle. There flies a dead duck!'"
I do not approach the Throne with confidence because of me. I approach with confidence becasue of Jesus.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
10 fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Prayer has the power to free us from the weigh of this world and to provide to us the power of God. Are you ready to pray daily and to walk with God daily and restore what sin destroyed? The blood of Jesus gives us that ability. What are you waiting for?
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
