Praying Together
Jeremy Bell
Hebrews 4:14-16
September 22, 2019
Sermon Audio
Main Point: Jesus our Savior invites us to draw near in prayer, that we may receive God’s help in every situation.
I. Jesus Is Our Perfect High Priest
- Overview of the role of the high priest in the Old Testament.
- How Jesus is superior to Old Testament high priests.
- Key Implication – We can hold fast
- The fact that the author mentions to hold fast our confession means that there’s going to be a need to hold fast. Our confession, our faith, will be tested.
- Because Jesus is our great high priest, we can hold fast our confession.
- Despite the testing that comes, despite the fact that we may not understand, we can hold fast.
- However, the truth remains — even when we hold fast, ultimately it is Christ who is holding us fast.
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold, through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold, He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so, He will hold me fast
II. Jesus Sympathizes With Our Weaknesses and Temptations
- Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief and suffering.
- He experienced temptation.
- Because He resisted the power of sin, He know the full throttle of temptation.
- “Only those who try to resist temptation knows how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by walking against it, not by lying down. A man who gives into temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means – the only complete realist.” — CS Lewis
- In light of this, our Savior can sympathize with us in the temptations we face.
- Key Implication: we can come to Him with everything
- There is no sin so you can’t run to Him today with, right now! He sympathizes with you! Come to Him with everything!
III. Jesus Invites Us To Draw Near in Confidence
- Draw near to the throne of grace!
- Our confidence isn’t in ourselves, but our confidence is in Him.
What Kind of Throne?
- This is a throne of grace.
- What do we receive when we draw near to this throne of grace? We find mercy. We find grace. We find a well-timed help in our hour of need!
- Our Lord holds all things in His hands, including His well-timed help, and therefore we pray with confidence that we will find grace in time of need
Key Implication: we will receive mercy and help in our time of need.
Conclusion
- God’s heart towards His children is that He wants us to experience His help, His grace. So He invites us to pray.
- The means of our prayer is that we come to the throne of grace together, now, corporately, to experience mercy and help in time of need.
Questions For Discussion / Application:
- Re-read the text, Hebrews 4:14-16 What initial observations and insights do you have from reading this text?
- What was the function and role of the High Priest in the Old Testament?
- How is Jesus similar to the Old Testament High Priests? How is He different and distinct?
- What implications come to mind regarding the fact that Jesus is our Great High Priest?
- What does it mean that Jesus sympathizes with us in our weaknesses and temptations? How is this a comfort and encouragement to us?
- What does it mean that Jesus’ throne is a throne of grace? How should this reality transform our prayer lives?
- What is one need/concern/burden that you are currently bringing before the throne of grace.
- Consider taking time to pray together, bringing specific requests and needs before the throne of grace.