Sermon Tone Analysis
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Opening prayer, dedication
Music ministry
The Blessing (short)
507 Through It All
How Marvelous
Word of God -
Hebrews 4:14-16
Sermon "At the Throne of Grace Together"
We finished last week talking about the rest we all need
We learned that when we Rest in Christ, then we have the other forms of rest all covered
We also learned that without Christ, there is no real rest
I want to begin with the last verse from our core text last week
It was not that many years ago that cameras were not EVERYWHERE
Some employees, including our own, really hated the idea that they might be watched
Of course everyone said “I have nothing to hide”
But the idea of being potentially watched all the time was stressful
All any employer can do is fire you
Of course, we all know that
“Character is what you demonstrate when you THINK no one is watching”
Just imagine the stress when we process that God IS always watching and we KNOW that we are doing things less than perfectly
How could we possibly “rest” like that, right?
The answer is found in God’s grace
God is not watching for us to fail
God is watching us out of love and wants us to trust His grace
That’s who our Jesus is!
That’s why we can gather and be at rest with Him
That’s why we can be confident as we continue our journey toward “The Throne of Grace Together”
Which is where the title for the message comes from today
We really are on a journey together
If I was telling you about this awesome trip, and I was trying to get you to join me
What would you want to know?
Where were we going
When were we going and for how long
How would we be traveling
How much would it cost
And what every kid, even the older ones, wants to know “Who is going “
Parents would also want to know who the chaperones were
Maybe for the adult too
We would want to know who was organizing AND who would be leading, right?
I wouldn’t want to go on a long trip with a person in charge who
I didn’t trust to be organized
or whose character was in conflict with biblical principles
Here, we are on a journey of faith until the day God calls each of us home
More specifically, we are on a part of that journey where we approach Easter 2022
Don’t worry about the character or pedigree of our ultimate trip organizer because His name is Jesus
And Jesus assigned the Holy Spirit as our tour guide
The Holy Spirit will guide us in the way to go
What to do and what not to do
And the Holy Spirit will work hard to keep you from missing the bus as it goes on its way
What exactly is the destination for this leg of our journey
It’s “The Throne of Grace” -
Let’s head there together, shall we?
Don’t take my word for it about pedigree, it was at the beginning of our core text today, Hebrews 4:14
This is a great confirmation of what we studied in Ephesians 4:10
Perfect for this season of preparation
As we get ready to celebrate resurrection Sunday
We get to talk about what Jesus went through before the crucifixion
It comes to us in this reference to “passing through the heavens”
In the Old Testament church, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would pass through three areas to make the atoning sacrifice
The Outer court
The Holy Place
and the Holy of Holies
Jesus passed through the three heavens after making the His sacrifice in atonement for ALL our sins
The atmospheric heaven, where birds fly and clouds are
The stellar heaven, where the planets and stars are
and God’s abode (where God is seated)
What exactly do we mean by “heaven”?
The word in Greek was “Ouranos”
(ouranos).
n. masc.
sky.
The portion of creation that is distinct from earth.
So, “heaven” is essentially everything created that isn’t on earth
And Scripture generally refers to the heavens as being in layers
In order to come alongside us and become our High Priest, Jesus journeyed through ALL three heavens
If you ever feel down and like you aren’t worth anything
Just remember that Jesus traveled a long way and endured tremendous troubles to save you
Even if you closed the door on Him at first, He still wants into your life
Knowing the long journey, and the power He holds
Surely we can agree that Jesus is worthy of more than an occasional tip of time or thought
This journey was for a purpose
That purpose was and is to show us the way to salvation
So, God in Heaven is not expecting Jesus to return from that journey empty-handed
Here’s the point of the heavenly comparison
When Jesus returned to the heavenly Holy of Holies, having completed our redemption
The theoretical or facsimile of heaven got replaced by the reality of heaven
What was only a dream, that we gentiles could spend all eternity with God in heave,
That became a very real option
Jesus demonstrated His desire for us to follow Him to heaven
and Jesus demonstrated His power through His resurrection
Therefore, we should be able to “hold fast” to our faith in Jesus
Takeaways
Hold Fast to Faith in Jesus
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