Approaching the Throne

The last couple of weeks we have seen a couple exhortations in the book of Hebrews, to listen to Jesus and to encourage each other daily… Hebrews 4:16 brings us our next exhortation in the book of Hebrews: “Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.”

However many people want to approach God on their terms, not His. We may approach the throne of grace with boldness if we’re followers of Jesus because He has already shown us the way (the Way). But, we still must remember it’s the throne of God we’re approaching, not ours.

The reality is, we often try to do more for God than He asks, though He wants to do more
through us than we can possibly imagine.

We must ask ourselves these questions:

• Are you doing what you know He wants you to do? 
• Great! Do it boldly, with confidence.
• Are you doing the things you think He wants you to do? 
• If so, do it boldly, continually seeking where He is leading.
• Are you doing what you hope He wants you to do? 
• Proceed cautiously. Ask Him for clarity. Seek the counsel of others who are boldly living out their faith.
• Are you doing what you want Him to allow you to do? 
• Stop! Don't be like Nadab and Abihu who tried to misuse God's power for their benefit (Leviticus 10:1-2). Ask God for a fresh start and prepare yourself to follow.

We must approach the throne of grace with boldness, yet also with a sincere humility knowing that it is on God’s terms we have received grace in the first place…

See ya Sunday! 

God in Nature

As I have been studying in Hebrews 3 preparing for this week I have come across many great stories and quotes far to many to ever use in a single sermon.

One story stood out more than the others of the ones that didn't make the cut and it is based off Hebrews 3:4

 Now every house is built by someone, but the One who built everything is God.

The story goes like this:

You see this Bible I hold in my hand? 

You see the cover, the pages, the letters, and words, 

but you do not see the writers, or the printer, the letter founder, 

the ink-maker, the paper-maker, or the binder. 

You never did see them, you never will see them,
and yet there is not one of you who will think of disputing or denying
the existence of these individuals. 

I go further; I affirm that you see the very souls of these men
in seeing this book, and you feel yourselves obliged to allow that,
by their skill, design, memory, fancy, reason, and so on, the book was made.

In the same manner, if you see a picture, you judge there was a painter;
if you see a house, you judge there was a builder of it;
and if you see one room contrived for this purpose and another for that,
a door to enter, a window to admit light, and a chimney to hold fire,
you conclude that the builder was a person of skill and forecast,
who formed the house with a view to the accommodation of its inhabitants. 

In this manner examine the world, and pity the man who,
when he sees the sign of a wheat-sheaf, hath sense enough to know that there is a joiner,
 and somewhere a painter, but who, when he sees the wheat-sheaf itself
is so stupid as not to say to himself, "This had a wise and good Creator"

--R. Robinson

There is a Creator and He is good, He is the One who built everything.

Have a blessed week!   

A GREAT Salvation

This week in our study of the book of Hebrews we are looking at Hebrews 2:1-4, in which we receive a warning against neglect. What are we warned against neglecting? Good question!

Hebrews 2:1-4 ^“We must, therefore, pay even more attention to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. ² For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding^[a] and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, ³ how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him. ⁴ At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to His will.”

Is there a sense of greatness in your mind about your salvation? I mean think about it… When something truly great is happening, there is an expected response towards that greatness.

Do you respond to the greatness of your salvation? Or do you neglect it?

I mean do you treat your salvation the way you treat the title to your car or the deed on your house? You signed it once and it is in a file drawer somewhere, but it is not a really great thing. It has no daily effect on you....

(In all honesty I’m not even sure where the title to our car is I’ve neglected it that much… It’s in there somewhere and I’m sure I could find it if I looked hard enough but does it really matter?)

You know you have it… You aren’t going to go to hell… Add to the file and search it out when you need it right? Essentially you neglect it. 

So this message to the church and the world should serve as a wake-up call. To neglect our great salvation is to come into a judgment to which there will be no escape. Why? Because being a Christian is serious business. Not sour business, but serious, very serious.

Now listen to what the author is saying here…

“…how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

It's not as if they are saying:

•  don't neglect your arthritis, or…
• don't neglect your allergies, or…
• don't neglect your cranky coworker….

These can all be negatives… He is saying don't neglect your salvation. Your GREAT salvation.

So it's about something GREAT! 

It’s more like:

• Don't neglect your steak dinners…
• Don't neglect your cancer-healing therapy...
• Don’t neglect your safe warm bed…
• Don't neglect your sunrises and sunsets…

This is more in line with what the author is trying to get across only in the terms of salvation... 

In reality what the author is telling us is this:

• Don't neglect being loved by God.
• Don't neglect being forgiven, protected, strengthened, and guided by Almighty God.
• Don't neglect the sacrifice of Christ's life on the cross.
• Don't neglect the free gift of righteousness imputed by faith.
• Don't neglect the removal of God's wrath and the reconciled smile of God.
• Don't neglect the indwelling Holy Spirit
• Don’t neglect the fellowship and friendship of the living Christ.
• Don't neglect the radiance of God's glory in the face of Jesus. 
• Don't neglect the free access to the throne of grace. 
• Don't neglect the inexhaustible treasure of God's promises.

This is a GREAT salvation!

Don't neglect so great a salvation. Else you will perish…

Let us not neglect our eternal joy in God—which is what salvation is.

Faith Comes By Hearing

Have you ever found yourself asking God to speak to you? Asking in a moment of desperation to hear His voice? I know I have - I have also found God to be faithful and patient with me during those times. Hebrews 1:1-4 teaches a lesson we all need to hear. It teaches us that God is not silent,

Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son. God has appointed Him heir of all things and made the universe through Him. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became higher in rank than the angels, just as the name He inherited is superior to theirs.

Hebrews 1 shows us that God spoke at different times and in different ways through the prophets, and now He speaks to us by His Son who after making purification for sin sits at the right hand of the Father.

One final though look at the word radiance in verse 3 that word is significant. "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory" (apaúgasma) is only found in Heb 1:3 where it is referring to the effulgent glory of the Godhead. This is more than just a reflection but literally a ray from an original light body. Thus Christ isn’t merely a reflection of the Godhead He is a part of the Godhead. Hence the next line "the exact expression of His nature." 

What a reassurance God is not silent nor is Christ merely a reflection of the Godhead but a ray of light from it.

See you Sunday!