He Intercedes in the Presence of God, Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. In Revelation 5.6, John saw that in the midst of the throne of God stood a lamb as though it had been slain. That lamb is Jesus. He went to the cross so he could bring us with him into the presence of God. Even now, Jesus, our high priest, stands in the presence of the Father and speaks on our behalf, having already taken the punishment of our every sin. In today's message, Pastor Rich pulls from Hebrews 8, 1-5 and Hebrews 9, 1-11 to show the beautiful duty Christ performs on our behalf. Interceding for us in the presence of God. Let's listen in. This is the second segment of a message titled, He Intercedes in the Presence of God. It was first preached on August 26, 2012.

So in the Old Testament then you have contrast of the absolute holiness and perfection of God with the sinfulness of man and the necessary separation. We all know what it's like to have a nice clean sparkling kitchen floor, right? And that's the job that comes on Saturday, right? So you have a sparkling clean kitchen floor and if you've got kids in the house, guess what? They walk in the house, they've got their shoes on and they walk all over the floor. They walk on my floor!

You know how that is, right? And so we have a rule in our house, you take your shoes off where? At the door. That way you're not going to track all that dirt in the house and get all over the nice clean kitchen floor. I will not confess to being the best at that rule, but anyway, there it is. Now that's the point, alright? Because you don't want to get spots or dirt on the nice sparkling clean kitchen floor. There is a necessary separation.

Take your shoes off. And so this is what is emphasized in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the emphasis is separation. God is holy.

You and I are not. There is a necessary separation there and the worship of God always reminded mankind of his sinfulness and his need for rescue. And it always reminded man that God was the one who would rescue man. But in the Old Testament, the emphasis was separation. And then you have in chapter 9 verse 11, but Christ came as a high priest of the good things to come with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is not of this creation. But Christ came as the way into the holiest of all.

Christ came as a means for me to be ushered into the presence of God. And so in the Old Testament, the emphasis was separation, sinful man separated from holy God. Then Christ came and in the New Testament, the emphasis is what? Reconciliation. To be brought back together.

We can be brought back to God. As he says in chapter 9 and verse 8, the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. So what you had then in the temple. What separated the holy place from the holiest of all was this big veil, this big, huge, heavy curtain that only the high priest could go behind that curtain because sinful man was separated from holy God. When Christ died on the cross and he cried out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? What happened in the temple? Torn from top to bottom.

What does that mean? No more separation. No more separation. It's like God was saying, I'm all done with this. And so then our interaction with God in Christ is emphasized with prepositions like with, to, in. And we are defined as being accepted in the beloved. This comes down then to the main point and this is what he's teaching.

We have those very words in the beginning of chapter 8. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying. We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens. A high priest.

Now this is the main point. What does my high priest do? He intercedes for me in the presence of God.

Three things here. Posture, place and performance. Posture, what is his posture? He is seated. The fact that he is seated means his work is done. It's a posture of acceptance and authority.

A posture of acceptance and authority. Where is he seated? What is his place? This is the throne of the majesty on high. He is seated on the right hand, right next to the father whose holiness is a consuming fire. At the right hand of the throne of majesty.

The very presence of God in his throne room right next to the consuming fire. What is his performance in that place? What does he do? He is a minister of the sanctuary. Always making intercession for me as chapter 7 verse 25 says.

That's what he does for me. So he is seated right next to the throne of the majesty on high. And he makes intercession for me.

He is pleading for me. That word minister, that means it means an official specific duty kind of in a public sense. And so the fact that Jesus is seated right next to the throne of the consuming fire. His presence there says something. It makes a statement. That's what he is doing for me.

What is that statement that he is making? You can go through this line by line because this is what I really want you to understand about what your high priest does for you and what my high priest does for me. His presence next to the father says something very, very significant upon which you and I need to meditate. Remember that I said that my life is replete with things that are contrary to the character and purpose of God. I have news for you.

So is yours. That's what Jesus died for. You see, that sin is what separates me from God, the one who made me for himself. There's no way I can go to God. There's no way I can have fellowship with him. There's no way I can find my satisfaction in him. The only place I'll ever find it. Unless Jesus does what he does right there next to the father. But the problem is all that sin in my life.

We can get down to specifics. There's one of them in a song that we sing. In the song, The Power of the Cross. Oh, to see the dawn. Every bitter thought, every evil deed. Okay, so now I am in Christ and I know that.

And Christ is seated there as my high priest next to the father who is a consuming fire. And they are caring for me. But they see Rich Powell and they see a bitter thought. Or put your name in there and they see a bitter thought. You've had a bitter thought from time to time, haven't you? Say, mm-hmm.

They're lying if you didn't, right? The Lord Jesus looks at the father and he says, that bitter thought. You see that bitter thought? Father, your holiness would consume him for that.

Your holiness would consume him for that. Is he right? Yeah, he's right.

Do you know what? You have an adversary who wants you to stay right there. That's what he wants you to focus on. That all the things in your life that are contrary to the character and purpose of God, God ought to consume you for that. And therefore we live our Christianity with that thought. But enter the high priestly function of Christ. Jesus says, you see that bitter thought? Father, your holiness would consume him for that. But that's on my account. That's on my account.

Father, do you remember when you had to turn your back on me? It was for that. It was for that bitter thought. I did it for that.

You did it for that. But now I'm seated next to you. And he's with me. That's what your high priest does. Now understand this, the fact that he is seated there next to the throne of majesty, the God whose holiness is a consuming fire, the very fact of his presence there says all that. It says all of that. For you and me.

All the time. That's what your high priest does. The apostle Paul affirms this in Ephesians chapter 2.

What a profound statement this is. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 6. God raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So where Christ is seated next to the throne of the majesty on high, the God whose holiness is a consuming fire, where Christ is seated there, if I am in Christ, I'm there with him. And that's why Jesus says, he's with me.

Your high priest alone can usher you into the presence of God. Because he's the one that absorbed the blow of God's wrath. You know what's amazing is the Lord in his revelation gave us glimpses of the throne room of God. We go to the book of Revelation.

It gives us an idea of what is to come. And he takes us into the very throne room of God, the holiest of all. And where he mentions the throne, he says in the midst of the throne stood a lamb as though it had been slain.

Isn't that amazing? A lamb as though it had been slain right there with the throne. The throne of God represents his sovereign authority and holiness. All things are by him, all things are for him.

His is the only opinion that matters. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, 7 Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's Word the very purpose for which you were designed. 7 Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.