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.

*

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.

*

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.

*

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.

*

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.