The Everyday Prayer

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day seven)
It is one of the characteristics of the book of Hebrews.  “Let us” statements.  Words that encourage group obedience.  Notice today’s reading.  “LET US hold fast our confession.” (v 14)  “LET US draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.”  (v 16)  Last week’s lesson has several others.  “LET US fear . . .(lest) any one of us. . . come short. (4:1)  “LET US be diligent to enter that rest.”  (v 4:11)  We learn two important things from these statements.  1) The Christian faith requires action.  2) We are to act together with others, as members of a team, body or family.  Neither solitary obedience or inactive membership is the will of God.  Find a church!  Join it!  Imagine it as a context for group obedience!  Encourage others!  “LET US consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling, as is the habit of some.”  (10:24-25)  May the Lord be pleased as we gather this morning!

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day six)  “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears.”  (5:7)  Did Jesus have hard days?  Not just circumstantially hard, but spiritually hard?  The Scripture says, “Yes”, without any hesitation.  In the garden of Gethsemene, the Lord wept out his frustration and burden.  Hours on His knees.  It was hard!  Which gives us a different perspective on suffering.  “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you. . .as though some strange thing were happening to you.”  (1 Peter 4:12)  “I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.”  (Ephesians 3:13)  At one level, no believer is glad to suffer.  At the deepest level, we know that God allows these moments to accomplish His will in us and in the world.  Hard days do not mean that we are forsaken.  They means that we are human, and that Christ understands.

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day five)
Verse 16 – Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, Let me make sure I read this correctly. We are encouraged to approach the Holy Throne of the Living God with “confidence”? How is that possible? Is there ever a time we could approach the throne and not have a need or issue of some sort? So the big question is… Where does confidence come from?

It comes from a heart that believes seated on the throne is someone much wiser and much bigger (full of infinite resources). Confidence comes from a heart convinced that seated on the Throne is someone who desires to engage and guide. Confidence comes from the promises at the end of verse 16: “discovery and take-a-way” (find grace, receive mercy). It comes from the testimony of others’ experiences with the same Good God (Psalm 118, 1 Timothy 1:12-16).

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day four)
Verse 14 – “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”  Confession…what exactly is this confession we are to hold to?  Our side notes reference us back to Hebrews 3:1 where the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to “consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.”  Let’s go back another layer…look at John 17:3.  In Jesus’ High Priestly prayer, He says, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”  This verse gives us the confession.  It answers the question of who Jesus is…He is sent from God.  He was sent from God as our High Priest.  After His death on the cross, the veil in the Temple was rent.  Jesus opened for us access to the Father!  We are to hold fast to the work of Christ that restored our standing before God!

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-5:10 (Day Three)
“He was heard because of his reverent submission.”  Until one fears God, prayer is a placebo.  It might be eloquent.  It might be solemn.  One might even really mean it.  But until one approaches God with the understanding that though he is love, he is also dangerous, prayer will accomplish nothing except to bring a little comfort to the mind—and that only temporarily.  Our Lord took God seriously.  And God heard him.

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-10 (day one)
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”  (v 4:14)   It would be hard to find a more universally respected figure in the ancient world than the Jewish High Priest.  White robes flowing.  Having gone through a process of purification.  He appeared in public every Passover to enter into the “Holy of Holies” and present the offering before God, symbolizing the promise of atonement.  There is One who deserves more respect.  Much more. When Jesus “disappeared” into heaven, as the High Priest disappeared by passing through the Temple veil, He did a similar and superior work.  He successfully represented the needs of sinful people before a Holy God.  Our study this week will make use of this powerful image.  Can you see (eyes of faith) the Lord still there before the throne of God  faithfully interceding for you?

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-13 (day seven)
“Take care, brothers, that there not be in any one of you an EVIL, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.”  (3:12)  Is unbelief evil?  Most don’t think so.  Part of sin’s deceptiveness.  ( See v 13.)  Sin whispers that we are morally free to say “yes” or “no” to God without liability.  We are victims, not rebels.  To believe this lie, rather than God, is to side with evil.  It is an insult to God.  He DESERVES to be trusted.  It is evil in essence AND outcome. Hebrews 3 tells how the children of Israel failed to enter God’s rest because of unbelief.  Warning!  It is no small matter to stop trusting God. Even after years of faithful obedience, the results are devastating. Christ is the “Alpha and the Omega”.  People who are in Christ both “start and finish” this race.  It is evil to never trust God. . .even worse to start and then stop.

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-13 (day six)
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in. . .the time of testing in the desert, when your fathers tested Me.  (3:8-9)  When we were in school, our teachers gave us tests.  Their purpose was not to cause stress or to make us fail.  They simply wanted us to learn and were willing to apply the threat of failure as a motivation.  Our Heavenly Teacher does the same.  To help us learn the lessons of life, He allows stress/challenge/danger in the hope that we will turn to Him and find Him sufficient for all things.  THE lesson!  Failure in this moment amounts to “hardening” of the heart.  An unwillingness to trust/obey, a stubborn self-sufficiency that just ” wants out” of the present pain.  These earn us a big “F”.  The danger is not that God puts us to the test.  The danger is that we, sometimes, return the favor.

Re: Verse reading–Hebrews 3:7-4:13 (day five)
Only twice in the entire book of Hebrews does the author use the verb, “to believe” (although he’ll use the noun, “faith” or “belief” thirty-two times). Like a carpenter driving in an extra nail to hold the board securely in place, the author slams home the point that it is those who believe the good news who find rest not just those who hear the good news (4:2). It‘s not enough to be around people of faith. We must become a person of faith. It’s not enough to inherit a tradition of faith. We must take hold of it ourselves. As Jacob grabbed the Angel of the Lord and demanded a blessing before he released him (Genesis 32:24-26), so we must grab hold of the claims of the gospel and not let go until our lives are utterly transformed. Transforming faith is an active faith. The bad news is some will miss the “rest” offered by the gospel because they simply stood still. The good news is the promise to “enter the rest” is secure for all who believe.