BOLDNESS AT THE THRONE
Heb. 4:14-16
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: TYPES OF PRAYERS
1. The "Call 9-1-1 Prayer." You make this call when you have an emergency. You don't want to trouble God normally. God is your divine spare tire with your life goes flat.
2. The "Jiminy Cricket" prayer. "When you wish upon a star; makes no difference who you are; anything your hearts desire will come to you." God is viewed like a cosmic grandpa.
3. The "Monty Hall" Prayer. It begins like this: "God, let's make a deal." You will do something for God if He comes through for you first.
4. The "Aladdin's Lamp" Prayer. It's based on the deep belief that if you just "rub" God the right way, He will magically be at your service. God is treated as a cosmic bellhop.
5. The "Lottery" Prayer. It can't hurt to try, and you just might hit the jackpot.
6. The last is the "Guinness" Prayer. This person thinks it's a matter of how long and how loud they pray that gets a response on God.
B. TEXT
“14 Seeing then that 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 cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb 4:14-16, NKJV.
C. THESIS
1. Prayer is vital to the life of the Christian. “Behold, he prays,” was the first and surest indication of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
2. No one begins the life of faith without prayer, nor can they continue a Christian without prayer. A Christian’s vigor, happiness, growth and usefulness all depend on prayer.
3. It’s likely we will still depend on prayer in heaven, for the souls under the altar prayed to Christ there (Rev. 6:10).
4. We’re going to look at this THRONE, who invites us, the BOLDNESS we’re told to have, and the REASONS for our boldness.
5. The title of this message is “Boldness at the Throne.”
I. THE THRONE OF GRACE
A. THRONE = MERCY SEAT
1. This “throne” is the heavenly fulfillment of the earthy Mercy Seat/ Ark of the Covenant, which resided in the Holy of Holies, and over which God’s presence manifested.
2. Under the law of Moses, there was to be an ark overlaid inside and outside with pure gold. And above the ark was to be the mercy seat (atonement cover) of pure gold with the golden cherubim extending their wings up and over.
3. This mysterious emblem no one ever saw except the high priest—and he saw it only once a year—and then but dimly, for he saw it through the smoke of the incense which he presented before the Lord.
4. The High Priest had to go through extensive preparations to enter this area. (The legend of the rope around the ankle is not true; it’s a myth). The Holiest was a forbidding place; No priest felt worthy to enter it.
B. OUR UNWORTHINESS
1. I was in Mexico City as a teen ager and visited the Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest cathedral in the Americas. It was built between 1573-1813. It has incredibly beautiful stain glass windows and murals.
2. One thing that always sticks out in my mind were the 10-20 people who were approaching the cathedral, crawling on their knees! I’m sure they meant it as respect, but also as not realizing that Jesus had made them worthy, if they’d received forgiveness of sins from Him.
3. “There is no one righteous, not even one….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Rom. 3:10,23.
C. WHAT JESUS DID IN DEATH/RESURRECTION
1. The mercy seat, then, is where the high priest typically came once each year. But our great High Priest, “by His own blood entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Heb. 9:12).
2. He tore down the separating veil and threw the holiest of all open to all who believe in Him! And He’s made us kings and priests unto God, so that where the high priest stood, that’s where we may stand in Christ Jesus!
3. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace.” Why? “For [God] hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” 2 Cor. 5:21.
4. So Christians aren’t intended to go crawling around the outer court and keeping far from the Holy Place.
D. WHY CALLED A “THRONE”
1. Our mercy seat is called “a throne” because we come to God as our King. He’s our Father and our friend, but He’s also “the King eternal, immortal, invisible.” So we approach even the throne of grace with the deepest awe and reverence.
2. Since God is a King we won’t offend Him by asking large requests! John Newton caught the very spirit of this verse when he wrote— “You are coming to a King, Large petitions with you bring! For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much.”
3. We might well trembled if we were coming to a throne of JUSTICE! Or been afraid if we were coming to a throne of POWER. But we’re coming to the throne of GRACE where God’s purpose is to dispense divine grace!
4. How much better is it to view God from Mt. Calvary than from Mt. Sinai! Thank God for the grace that Jesus Christ won us!
5. Come then, all who need grace! Don’t be afraid to approach this throne where pardons, regeneration, adoption, preservation, & sanctification are freely given.
II. WHO INVITES US TO COME?
A. IDENTITY OF THE WRITER
1. Who is this human who urges us to go with him? Paul? Yes, his name was Saul of Tarsus. He was the man who persecuted the saints of God, putting them to death and trying to get them to blaspheme Christ!
2. How can this man dare to approach the throne of grace, where Jesus Himself sits?
3. Ah, “there is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose ALL their guilty stains!”
B. IF THAT MAN CAN, WE ALL CAN
1. If that man can come to that throne, then you too can come. If He can feel safe there, then you too can! If he can come boldly, then you too can come boldly.
2. Paul, who had been forgiven so much guilt, shows us the way to our healing; “Let US therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace!”
3. So prodigal sons and daughters, who’ve left their God and soiled their garments with sin, don’t have to feel unwelcome. 4. We don’t have to be like the tax collector who couldn’t lift his eyes to heaven. You can be washed whiter than snow and be as if you’d never sinned at all! Come and be forgiven!
III. COME “BOLDLY” TO THE THRONE
Let’s not mistake the meaning of this word, “boldly.”
A. NOT PROUDLY
1. Paul doesn’t say, “Let us come proudly unto the throne of grace.” God forbid that we should do that!
2. Abraham’s prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah is an admirable model of how we are to come boldly unto the throne of grace, for although he pleaded again and again for the guilty cities of the plain, he said, “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes.”
3. The greatest boldness in prayer is perfectly consistent with the lowest self-humiliation.
B. NOT PRESUMPTUOUSLY
1. Neither must we ever think of coming before the Lord arrogantly or presumptuously, for it is to a “Throne” that we are bid to come, although that throne is “the throne of grace.”
2. I have heard prayers that have seemed to me like dictating to God rather than the humble, reverent petitions which should be presented by the creature to the Creator, or by the children of God to their loving Father in heaven.
3. We are to come boldly to the throne of grace, yet always with submission in our hearts, even as our Lord, Himself, prayed, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
C. WHAT DOES “BOLDLY” MEAN?
1. CONSTANTLY, AT ALL TIMES.
a. Eastern potentates would only admit petitioners to their presence when they pleased. Though Esther was made queen by Ahasuerus, she was not allowed to go near him unless she was especially called.
b. But it is not so with us! The path to the throne of grace is always open, there are no set times for prayer. Whenever the Spirit of God inclines the heart to pray, the ear of God is open to hear our supplications—and the mouth of God is open to grant us gracious answers of peace!
2. UNRESERVEDLY.
a. Every sorts of petition is welcome by God. Do you need some great thing? Then come and ask for it! Or do you need some small thing? Then come and ask for it!
b. Do you have some care that is crushing you? Come and leave it at the mercy seat! Do you have some little worry plaguing you, some thorn in the flesh, some temptation, some dark emotion or unclean thoughts? Come and tell your God all about it!
c. He won’t be shocked by your sinfulness; He knows it already. But He’s there to unburden you and give you a new heart & a new spirit! Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
d. He won’t be angry with you for asking too much from Him, nor insulted you ask some small thing. If you’re a believer in Jesus, God is your Father, so speak to Him as you would to your earthly father—only have far more confidence than you would have in approaching your earthly parent.
3. BOLDLY = INFORMALLY.
a. Don’t say, “My words aren’t good enough to come to God. I don’t know how to pray good enough for God to listen to me.”
Your Father in heaven doesn’t want you to come to Him in a stiff, formal way, but to tell Him, as simply and naturally as possible, the desires of your heart.
b. If one of my children was out of money and in need, I wouldn’t want them to come with a written request, as if they were presenting a petition to congress! I would think they didn’t loved me very much or know me.
c. Parents, when your children first learn to talk, they say their words very imperfectly. They break all the rules of grammar and their prattle is often so hard to understand that other people don’t know what they’re saying. But you know, Mother; You know, Dads!
d. To you, it’s the natural speech for little children. You love the sound of it; it’s endearing to you. That’s the same way God sees your simple prayers.
e. So never mind about your words—use the language of your heart. And when you find that you cannot pray, say to Him, “Lord, I don’t know how to say what I’m needing, but You know my heart. Please help me in this situation!”
4. BOLDLY = CONFIDENTLY.
a. There’s no doubt that God hears and answers prayer. As the Psalmist said, “O You who hear prayer, To You all men come” Ps. 65:2, NASB. Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” Mt. 7:7.
b. James reminds us that we must “ask in faith, nothing wavering” (1:6). We must believe that God hears us and will answer, and it will be ours.
5. BOLDLY = PERSISTENTLY.
a. God wants us to come respectfully, but firmly, with determination that we will not be denied our request. We will persevere until we receive it.
b. Like Elijah who knew that it was time for God to send rain. He prayed 7 times, each time expecting it to begin to rain. When it didn’t, he wasn’t daunted, but with faith/ expectancy prayed again. That was praying boldly. He wouldn’t take no for an answer because he was praying in God’s will!
c. That’s how we should boldly approach the throne of grace, holding on to God until our petition is met.
IV. REASON FOR OUR BOLDNESS
A. PRAYER IS GOD’S IDEA, NOT OURS
1. First, we are invited to pray. God would never have invited us to pray if He had not intended to hear and answer us. God doesn’t invite you to dinner and then have no food for you. The invitation implies there’s blessings to receive.
2. Jesus said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” Mt. 9:13. Jesus didn’t come for righteous people, but for us sinners, so we can feel welcome coming to Him.
3. It’s only on terms of God’s grace that we can expect to obtain the blessings that we need. Jesus paid it all!
B. OUR GOD’S CHARACTER
1. Remember the character of the King who sits upon the throne of grace. He is infinite in mercy and love and He delights to bless His creatures. He is infinite in power and is, therefore, “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
2. He’s unlimited in His resources, so we can’t exceed His ability to help us. Your requests can be as large as they must be!
C. YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
1. Remember, Christian, your relationship to the King who sits upon the throne of grace! You aren’t merely His servant—you’re His child—an heir of God, and joint heir with Jesus Christ!
2. All that you ask for is already yours by right of inheritance and shall be in your possession in due time. Shall a child tremble in his loving Father’s presence? Perfect love casts out all fear.
3. ”We have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Heb. 4:15.
D. CLAIM GOD’S PROMISES TO YOU
1. We have “exceedingly great and precious promises” in the Scriptures. If we were uncertain, we might ask tremblingly. But since there are promises in God’s word, we are bold.
2. When we address our prayers in Jesus’ name, our requests come before the Father signed in the name of His well-beloved Son. Those requests will prevail!
3. God is faithful! The same God who answered your prayers last year will answer them this year! He’s the “same, yesterday, today, and forever!”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: Backseat Instructions
1. Not long ago, I was driving in heavy traffic on 285, the perimeter road in Atlanta. Cars were moving at a fast rate of speed on all six lanes.
2. I was in the far left lane when I realized my exit was just one away, and I needed to cross over many lanes to exit the freeway.
3. My daughter was in the back seat and I asked her to look out the back window, telling me when I could move over, lane by lane.
4. She gave me specific directions: “O.K., mom” ,or, “After this red car”, or, “Not now!” I listened to her with complete confidence that she knew what she was talking about and I never turned my own head to make sure she was correct.
5. I followed her directions and made it to the exit lane with plenty of time to spare.
6. Oh that I would listen to God that way. He does tell me how to maneuver from one lane of life to another, and He is always ready, willing and able to give me those directions.
B. THE CALL
1. Call to prayer.
2. Call to salvation.
[This is a rewrite of Charles Spurgeon’s sermon of the same title.]
