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“Approach God’s Throne with Confidence” Hebrews 4:14-16 *Click for Audio* Pastor Kevin Vogts Trinity Lutheran Church Paola, Kansas Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost—October 21, 2018 In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Our text is from today’s Epistle Reading in the fourth chapter of Hebrews. First, let’s look at the historical background, the reason why this letter to Hebrew Christians, Christians of Jewish descent, was written. You’ve heard the phrase, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned”? That’s the historical background of the book of Hebrews. There was a terrible fire that destroyed most of Rome in 64 A.D. A big scandal followed over the lack of proper fire protection. The rumor spread that while Rome burned the insane Emperor Nero nonchalantly stood on the balcony of his palace overlooking the city, playing his violin and commenting how pretty the flames looked. Many Romans concluded—probably correctly—that Nero purposely arranged for inadequate fire protection and then had the city set afire so that he could carry out a pet project that he had been trying to push through for years, a complete redevelopment and rebuilding of Rome. Everyone suspected Nero; his emperorship itself was in trouble; he needed a scapegoat, and he found it in a new religion that had recently gained much popularity in Rome: Christianity. The official report on the fire blamed Christians for setting the city ablaze. The motive was unknown but somehow related to the dangerous doctrines of this strange cult. Christianity was declared a religo ilicita, an illegal religion, and a terrible persecution followed. The Apostles Peter and Paul were executed. Many Christians were crucified, or thrown to the vicious dogs in the arena, or covered with tar, tied to stakes and burned to death as human torches in Emperor Nero’s gardens. The people of Rome bought Nero’s story that those vile Christians were to blame for the fire, so Christians who weren’t put to death were hated and harassed and outcast. It was dangerous to be a Christian, a follower of this religio illicita. But, the large number of Christians in Rome who were of JEWISH descent had what seemed to be an easy way out. Judaism had long ago received special dispensation as a religio licita, a legal religion. So, all Jewish Christians had to do was retract, or at least tone down, their confession of Jesus as the Messiah; then they would be safe from persecution. That is the situation for which the book of Hebrews was written, to ENCOURAGE these Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Jesus, and to IMPRESS on them that even if remaining faithful would mean earthly suffering, it was nothing compared to the incomparable SPIRITUAL advantage of being a Christian. You are invited to follow along in the bulletin the last paragraph of the Epistle Reading: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” That is the incomparable spiritual advantage of being a Christian: You can APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE. In the past year or two there have been many embarrassing revelations about the conduct of some politicians and government officials. What they thought was secret has been broadcast for all the world to see, especially embarrassing emails and text messages, about immoral and possibly criminal activities. They thought it would all stay hidden, from the public, their co-workers, and their spouses. But, now that it has come out, a number of prominent people have been demoted, fired, and divorced. And there’s probably more to come, and a lot of nervous people in Washington, D.C. right now. Though I don’t have any sympathy for the wrongs they may have done, you can appreciate how devastating it must be to have what you thought were your carefully hidden secret sins suddenly splashed on the front page of the papers and leading every newscast. And you may even be forced to testify about all the embarrassing details on national TV. The verses just before our text say, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” The bad news is, your life is an open book before God. Your sins will probably never make the national news, but God already knows even your secret sins. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” But, our text continues with the Good News: “We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” The high priests of the Old Testament offered animal sacrifices, and once a year, on the Day of Atonement, they passed through the outer courts of the Tabernacle or Temple and entered the holy of holies. But those high priests and those animal sacrifices were only pre-figurements of the REAL THING, picture prophecies pointing forward to the great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God. Elsewhere Hebrews says, “Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. . . he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” There is a phrase in one of our communion hymn that always sticks in my mind: “Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest.” Jesus says it this way in today’s Gospel Reading: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give HIS LIFE as a ransom for many.” “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” Trust in Jesus Christ and APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE, confidence, first of all, that your SINS are all FORGIVEN because Jesus gave himself as an atoning sacrifice for you. “Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest”—for you! Secondly, approach God’s throne with confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you, and HE understands your situation. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” In his earthly life, Jesus endured the pains and sufferings and struggles that you face in this world, as the old spiritual says, “Jesus walked this lonesome valley.” Approach God’s throne with confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you, and he understands your situation, because he went through it himself. Finally, approach God’s throne with confidence that he will always favorably receive your prayers, that he will hear you and help. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Did you know that traditionally only two people on earth have direct access to the President, the privilege of just showing up at the Oval Office, uninvited and without an appointment: the First Lady, and the White House Chief of Staff? Everyone else, even the current President’s daughter and son-in-law who are actually advisers working in the White House, has to first go through the White House Chief of Staff before seeing the President. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” As a Christian you have the blessed privilege of direct access to a much higher authority than even the President. As Paul says in Ephesians, “In him and through faith in him we may approach GOD with freedom and confidence.” The Lord Almighty will not turn you away; he will not spurn your plea as unworthy or unimportant. Jesus promises, “I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name,” and John says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Approach God’s throne with confidence that he will always favorably receive your prayer, that he will hear you and help. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” That is the incomparable SPIRITUAL advantage of being a Christian: You can APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE. Confidence that your SINS ARE FORGIVEN: “we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” Confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you and HE UNDERSTANDS your situation: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Confidence that through Christ you have DIRECT ACCESS to God, he will always favorably receive your prayer, he will hear you and help: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

“Approach God’s Throne with Confidence”
Hebrews 4:14-16

Pastor Kevin Vogts
Trinity Lutheran Church
Paola, Kansas
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost—October 21, 2018

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our text is from today’s Epistle Reading in the fourth chapter of Hebrews. First, let’s look at the historical background, the reason why this letter to Hebrew Christians, Christians of Jewish descent, was written.

You’ve heard the phrase, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned”? That’s the historical background of the book of Hebrews. There was a terrible fire that destroyed most of Rome in 64 A.D. A big scandal followed over the lack of proper fire protection. The rumor spread that while Rome burned the insane Emperor Nero nonchalantly stood on the balcony of his palace overlooking the city, playing his violin and commenting how pretty the flames looked. Many Romans concluded—probably correctly—that Nero purposely arranged for inadequate fire protection and then had the city set afire so that he could carry out a pet project that he had been trying to push through for years, a complete redevelopment and rebuilding of Rome.

Everyone suspected Nero; his emperorship itself was in trouble; he needed a scapegoat, and he found it in a new religion that had recently gained much popularity in Rome: Christianity. The official report on the fire blamed Christians for setting the city ablaze. The motive was unknown but somehow related to the dangerous doctrines of this strange cult. Christianity was declared a religo ilicita, an illegal religion, and a terrible persecution followed. The Apostles Peter and Paul were executed. Many Christians were crucified, or thrown to the vicious dogs in the arena, or covered with tar, tied to stakes and burned to death as human torches in Emperor Nero’s gardens. The people of Rome bought Nero’s story that those vile Christians were to blame for the fire, so Christians who weren’t put to death were hated and harassed and outcast. It was dangerous to be a Christian, a follower of this religio illicita.

But, the large number of Christians in Rome who were of JEWISH descent had what seemed to be an easy way out. Judaism had long ago received special dispensation as a religio licita, a legal religion. So, all Jewish Christians had to do was retract, or at least tone down, their confession of Jesus as the Messiah; then they would be safe from persecution.

That is the situation for which the book of Hebrews was written, to ENCOURAGE these Jewish Christians to remain faithful to Jesus, and to IMPRESS on them that even if remaining faithful would mean earthly suffering, it was nothing compared to the incomparable SPIRITUAL advantage of being a Christian.

You are invited to follow along in the bulletin the last paragraph of the Epistle Reading: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” That is the incomparable spiritual advantage of being a Christian: You can APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE.

In the past year or two there have been many embarrassing revelations about the conduct of some politicians and government officials. What they thought was secret has been broadcast for all the world to see, especially embarrassing emails and text messages, about immoral and possibly criminal activities. They thought it would all stay hidden, from the public, their co-workers, and their spouses. But, now that it has come out, a number of prominent people have been demoted, fired, and divorced. And there’s probably more to come, and a lot of nervous people in Washington, D.C. right now. Though I don’t have any sympathy for the wrongs they may have done, you can appreciate how devastating it must be to have what you thought were your carefully hidden secret sins suddenly splashed on the front page of the papers and leading every newscast. And you may even be forced to testify about all the embarrassing details on national TV.

The verses just before our text say, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” The bad news is, your life is an open book before God. Your sins will probably never make the national news, but God already knows even your secret sins. “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

But, our text continues with the Good News: “We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” The high priests of the Old Testament offered animal sacrifices, and once a year, on the Day of Atonement, they passed through the outer courts of the Tabernacle or Temple and entered the holy of holies. But those high priests and those animal sacrifices were only pre-figurements of the REAL THING, picture prophecies pointing forward to the great high priest, Jesus, the Son of God. Elsewhere Hebrews says, “Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. . . he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” There is a phrase in one of our communion hymn that always sticks in my mind: “Offered was He for greatest and for least, Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest.” Jesus says it this way in today’s Gospel Reading: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give HIS LIFE as a ransom for many.”

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” Trust in Jesus Christ and APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE, confidence, first of all, that your SINS are all FORGIVEN because Jesus gave himself as an atoning sacrifice for you. “Himself the Victim, and Himself the Priest”—for you!

Secondly, approach God’s throne with confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you, and HE understands your situation. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” In his earthly life, Jesus endured the pains and sufferings and struggles that you face in this world, as the old spiritual says, “Jesus walked this lonesome valley.” Approach God’s throne with confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you, and he understands your situation, because he went through it himself.

Finally, approach God’s throne with confidence that he will always favorably receive your prayers, that he will hear you and help. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Did you know that traditionally only two people on earth have direct access to the President, the privilege of just showing up at the Oval Office, uninvited and without an appointment: the First Lady, and the White House Chief of Staff? Everyone else, even the current President’s daughter and son-in-law who are actually advisers working in the White House, has to first go through the White House Chief of Staff before seeing the President.

Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” As a Christian you have the blessed privilege of direct access to a much higher authority than even the President. As Paul says in Ephesians, “In him and through faith in him we may approach GOD with freedom and confidence.” The Lord Almighty will not turn you away; he will not spurn your plea as unworthy or unimportant. Jesus promises, “I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name,” and John says, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” Approach God’s throne with confidence that he will always favorably receive your prayer, that he will hear you and help.

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

That is the incomparable SPIRITUAL advantage of being a Christian: You can APPROACH GOD’S THRONE WITH CONFIDENCE. Confidence that your SINS ARE FORGIVEN: “we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” Confidence that he SYMPATHIZES with you and HE UNDERSTANDS your situation: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” Confidence that through Christ you have DIRECT ACCESS to God, he will always favorably receive your prayer, he will hear you and help: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Amen.

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