Entering God's Presence

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:19-23 ESV)

(Sermon Text)

In the Old Testament when the people wanted to worship their God they would have to go to either the tabernacle or the temple. The tabernacle was the place of worship during the early parts of the Old Testament and the temple was the place of worship during the later parts of the Old Testament. And upon arriving there, they would find these places divided into different areas – or courts. There were the outer courts, and then the inner courts, and then there was a place all the way on the inside – a rather small place compared to the rest of the areas – called the Most Holy Place. It was in the Most Holy Place where the Ark of the Covenant was found. The Ark of the Covenant represented the very presence of God. But not everyone could enter into this place.

The only person who could enter into the Most Holy Place was the High Priest – and not every day and not whenever he wanted. The High Priest was only to enter into the very presence of God – once a year – on a day called the Day of Atonement.

Now imagine not being able to go into the very presence of God whenever we desired. Let’s put this into our context: imagine lying in a hospital bed, as many of us are familiar with, and not be able to go into the very presence of God. Imagine hearing an unfavorable diagnosis, which some of us have, and not being able to go into the very presence of God. Imagine suffering injuries and not be able to go into the very presence of God.

The writer of Hebrews talks about the confession of our hope. And the confession of our hope is that we can enter the very presence of God.

We can enter the very presence of God through Jesus. Hear these words again from our scripture reading:

“…since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by
the new and living way that he opened for us … let us draw near”

Did you hear that? We can have confidence to enter into the very presence of God because of Christ’s death on the cross.

How do we enter the very presence of God? Through prayer in the name of Jesus. Ephesians 2:18 tells us that through Jesus we have access to God. Through Jesus – through prayer in his name – we can go into the very presence of God.

The ability to go into the very presence of God gives us hope. Hope is comfort. Even the Old Testament people knew the comfort of prayer. The Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, 4:7, says that God is near us whenever we pray to him. Then in the New Testament we learn that through Jesus we can draw near to God and enter into his very presence whenever and wherever we pray.

With this knowledge, the writer of Hebrews tells us to “hold fast” to this confession of hope – without wavering.

The word that is used here in the original Greek is a word that was also used in the shipping industry. And what it meant was to hold the wheel steady so that the ship would stay on course.

I once read a story about a sea captain who was sailing with his crew on a very dark and stormy sea. Through the mist and the fog they saw what appeared to be a light. The sea captain’s first inclination was that it was another ship so he ordered his crew to send a signal to that ship to tell it to turn away. But the light flashed back a signal indicating that it was not able to turn away. The sea captain became furious and ordered his crew to send back another signal indicating to the approaching light that this was a battleship that they were messing with. But then the light signaled back a response that communicated this: “I am a lighthouse.”

That knowledge gave the captain confidence to grab the wheel, to hold it steady, and to forge forward towards that lighthouse.

We have confidence to keep forging forward with confidence and hope because, as the writer of Hebrews says, “for he who promised is faithful.” Author Barbara Johnson tells this story:

One night a little boy, frightened by the sound of the wind, toddled off to find
his parents, waking his father with his sobs. The father walked his son back to
his bedroom and promised he would lay with him until he feel asleep again. As
they were laying in the darkness, the little boy whispered, “Daddy, I can’t see
you. Are you still here?”
“Yes, son I’m here,” the father answered.
Not
quite sure, the boy said, “I can’t see you, Daddy. Is your face turned toward
me?”
“Yes, son, my face is turned toward you.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

(This message was preached on September 23, 2007 in two different hospital chapels.)

Mud and Mire

The other day as I was thinking about the task to which God has called me I was struck with how emotionally draining it is. And I wondered why this was. But then I realized that what I do is go from room to room and hear one painful story after another. Yet, I don't just hear the story -- I enter in and walk alongside -- along the bumpy road.

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As I was reflecting on why walking along the bumpy road is so emotionally draining I came to the realization that the bumpy road is rarely neat and clean. Instead, it is usually covered with mud. And when we walk on or even alongside of muddy roads, it takes a lot of energy. So the question is, from where do we get our strength to keep walking? The other day I was amazed by how God answered this question for me.

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Lately, I have been doing some reading in the book of Hebrews. The other day while I was reading, I found this in chapter 10:

"Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and
offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt
offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it
is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, O God.’
""(Hebrews 10:5-7, NIV)

As I was reading I saw that this is a quote of an Old Testament scripture passage. The footnotes in my Bible directed me to Psalm 40. So I turned there and this is what I found in the opening verses of Psalm 40:

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me
out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave
me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:1-2, NIV)

It was the words "out of the mud and mire" that struck me most. These words vividly describe the bumpy road -- full of mud and mire. I talk to people every day that are walking in mud and mire. I pray simple prayers for them, that God will lift them out, set their feet on a rock, and give them a firm place to stand. I also pray this prayer for myself.

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The rock that we have on which to stand is God himself. The psalmist here is recalling a past event in which he was walking the bumpy, muddy road. And he recalls God's faithfulness. God was faithful to lift him out. God was faithful to set his feet upon a rock. God was faithful to give him a firm place on which to stand.

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This same God is still faithful today. When we are on the bumpy road we can cry out to him and he will hear us. Or even if we are just walking alongside the bumpy road and we are emotionally drained, I know firsthand that we can cry out to God and he will hear us.

When Bridges Collapse (John Piper)

This is the link to article printed below. John Piper is one of my favorite pastors. He is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2278_Putting_My_Daughter_to_Bed_Two_Hours_After_the_Bridge_Collapsed/

August 1, 2007


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At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.

There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge.

Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.

All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.

The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.

We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said, “With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”

Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”

I sang to her the song I always sing,

Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep,
He never fails, nor does he sleep.

I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I love you.”

Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.

The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.

Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,

Pastor John

Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.


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Sharing in His Sufferings

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17 NIV)

As the father of a 3-year-old who loves to play with other children, I find myself saying quite often, "You have to share!" And when I say it, I notice myself emphasizing the "have to." I do this because sharing is expected. When a child goes to a public playground and there are various things to play on and there are other children present -- it is expected that all of the children will share with one another.

As I read Romans 8:17, and in the way that the NIV translates it, I wonder if that word "share" has the same meaning here as it does on a playground? Here, as I do on the playground with my daughter, there are words that are emphasized. In the original language of the New Testament, a word appears that tips us off to the emphasis of the translated words, "if indeed we share." The Bible is telling us here that we have to share. Then what do we have to share? We have to share in Christ's sufferings.

We share in Christ's sufferings because it is expected of us. In the Christian life, it is expected that we will suffer. Now sometimes this makes no sense because sometimes we, or others, are under the impression that we become Christians to lessen our suffering here on this earth. However, when we read the Bible, we find that this is not true. The Bible tells us that even as a Christian, we will suffer -- in fact, it's expected.

If suffering as a Christian is expected, then does that mean that my particular sufferings are sharing in the sufferings of Christ? For example, does this mean that my cancer is sharing in the sufferings of Christ? Does this mean that the injuries from my car accident are sharing in the sufferings of Christ? Does this mean that the things I am suffering because of my failed marriage is suffering with Christ? I believe that they are.

When Christ suffered he suffered a whole lot more than physical pain. One of the documents that I hold to and helps me summarize my beliefs tells me that Christ suffered during his whole life on earth -- especially at the end because it was at the end that he sustained, in body and soul, the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race (Heidelberg Catechism Answer 37). Christ suffered because this world is broken. God created it good. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and as a result, ever since, the world has not been God's good and perfect creation. And suffering is part of that broken world. But Christ suffered in order to bring healing to this broken world. Christ suffered in order to put this world back to the way that it is supposed to be (Plantinga). This means that Christ has already healed it, but he has not yet completely healed it. Thus, we continue to suffer in the midst of a broken world.

Christ suffered in a broken world. More accurately, Christ suffered because of a broken world. We suffer in the same broken world. But we suffer with hope. Because Christ has already suffered and taken upon himself God's judgment of a broken world, when we suffer in the same broken world, we are not suffering because of God's anger, instead, we are suffering in order to share in the sufferings of Christ. And when we share with the sufferings of Christ, then we will also share in his glory. This is what we look forward to -- when Christ will have complete victory and so will we. Why? Because we shared. After all, it is expected.

But don't miss something important. It's not just because we suffer that makes us entitled to future glory. It's because we suffered with Christ. The same Christ who suffered in this broken world is the same Christ who offers his nail-pierced hand to you. Reach out and grab hold. Walk with Christ. Hold his hand. He knows your pain. He knows that living in this world is tough. The Bible tells us that he was familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). Together you can walk. Together you can share. Together you can enjoy his glory -- his complete victory over a broken world.

28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 NIV)

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:3-4 NIV)

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Gazing Down the Road

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18 ESV)

Gazing down the road in the midst of suffering is not always the easiest thing to do. As was noted in the previous post, generally in the midst of suffering we keep our focus upon what we are experiencing right now. Sometimes, because of this, we are scared to look up and we are scared to look down the road. We wonder if the bumps that we are going to have to navigate are even larger and scarier than the ones we are navigating right now. We don't want to look, instead we want to take just one bump at a time.

Taking one bump at at time is a good way to navigate the bumps along the way. But in order to keep hope alive, we must take time to stop and gaze down the road. The Apostle Paul tells us that it is useless to compare the present bumps with what lies ahead. And what lies ahead? Glory.

Glory is the beauty of God. The beauty of God himself is not something that we can see right now with our human eyes. The psalmist says in Psalm 63 that he has seen the power and glory of God. But the place where he saw it was in the sanctuary. This is the place where God reveals his glory.

On the road of life, we are to do all things for God's glory. God created us to bring glory to him. This is why we live. This is why we sometimes suffer. Suffering prepares us for God's glory.

God's glory is both present and future. We can see glimpses of God's glory all around us. But these are just glimpses. We eagerly wait for the day when God's complete and total glory is revealed. As Paul says in the very next verse, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God" (ESV).

But in the meantime, as we wait, suffering is part of this life. However, we have the hope of God's glory being revealed. So we press on. We keep walking. We see his glory in some of the little things around us: the beauty of a sunrise, the flash of the lightning, the snow-covered mountains, the hand of a friend. These are all glimpses of God's glory, but as we stop and gaze down the road, even as we take one bump at a time, we know that there is so much more that lies ahead.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (Psalm 63:2-5 NIV)

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Lift Up Your Eyes

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 NIV)

Sometimes when we are on a path and it is a particularly bumpy path, we tend to keep our eyes down. We gingerly take each step as we carefully watch our feet as we put one foot in front of the other. We do this because we are watching each step.

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Walking the road of suffering can be the same way. We watch each step that we take and we are intently focused on our suffering. There is nothing wrong with this. It is to be expected. But as a result of this focus, all we see are the bumps on the path. Now there is no denying that the bumps are real. The bumps tell us that suffering is real. The Bible does not deny this. In fact, one of the things that Romans 8:18 tells us is that suffering is real. But that is not all that it tells us.

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The Apostle Paul calls these sufferings, "present" sufferings. This word, in the original language, means a momentary, limited duration of time. Yet, we must admit, that in the midst of walking the bumpy path of suffering, our sufferings feel anything but momentary.

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In the midst of suffering, our sufferings consume us and we think about them constantly. This is to be expected and we don't have to make any excuses for it. However, we sometimes do need to stop, and lift our eyes off of the path we are walking and gaze down the road. This is what the Apostle Paul tells us to do. He tells us, "Look at the path you are walking right now, see the bumps, but then lift your eyes and look down the road. Do you see where it is leading? These bumps are no comparison for what lies ahead. Yes, it's a tough road right now. But keep walking. For when the bumpy road ceases, you won't believe what you are going to see."

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1,2 NIV)

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Considering our sufferings

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time... (Romans 8:18a ESV)

Thinking about suffering. Doesn't sound like a very fun thing to think about. I'll have to admit that I would much rather think about enjoyment. After all, the Greek philosopher Epicurus taught that the goal of life was to minimize pain and maximize pleasure. To me, this means we are to think about how to get pleasure and skip thinking about pain.

The Apostle Paul writes to the Christians in Rome and says that he "considers" sufferings. This means that he thinks right now as he is writing and has, in the past, thought about suffering. I believe that we are to do the same. We are to think about it and consider suffering. We must ask the questions that need to be asked in the midst of suffering-- especially the "why" questions. "Why is there suffering?" "Why am I suffering?" "Why does a sovereign God allow suffering?" When we think about and then ask these questions, it doesn't mean that the pain of suffering will be lessened -- suffering is suffering and suffering is painful. But by thinking about suffering, I do believe that it does, in the very least, mean that our present sufferings might just begin to make a little sense.

I believe that God does some of his greatest work in the midst of suffering. We don't have to look far to prove it --we just need to look to the cross. For when we consider suffering we must also consider the one who suffered more than anyone else in all of history -- Jesus Christ.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-10 ESV)

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