Would you turn to your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 4.
! I'm going to read 414 through 510.
! It's on page of your pew Bible.
It's on page 1189, bottom right.
And on to page 1190.
Hear God's word.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God.
Let us hold fast our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace
that we may receive and may find help, find grace to help in time of need.
For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act
on behalf of men in relationship to God.
To offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward,
since he himself is beset with weakness.
Because of this, he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins,
just as he does for those of the people.
And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God,
just as Aaron was.
So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest,
but was appointed by him who said to him,
You are my son today, I have begotten you.
As he says also in another place,
You were a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications
with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death.
And he was heard because of his reverence.
Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal life
to all who obey him.
Being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
May God bless the hearing of his word.
Let me ask you,
what do you have a weakness for?
I have a weakness for chocolate.
Milk chocolate.
Not any of the dark chocolate business.
I have a weakness for something else.
This is going to be difficult to say.
I have a weakness for 1970 and 1980 soft rock.
Also known as yacht rock.
I'm a huge fan.
Do I have an amen?
It's more than I thought.
Okay.
I have a serious weakness
weakness for petite, curly-haired blondes
who are in their second year of teaching kindergarten
and have recently become a grandmother of a boy named Hudson
who has a preference for dark chocolate.
I have a serious weakness for her.
When we talk about weakness,
we're talking about a soft spot, right?
You've got a soft spot for something.
A desire for something.
A wanting of something.
What do you have a weakness for?
We all have a weakness
that's described in Hebrews 4 and 5
that is not talking about an emotional weakness.
It's not talking about a weakness for chocolate,
a physical weakness, a mental weakness.
It's a moral weakness.
We all have a soft spot to sin.
We all have this want
for things that grieve God.
We have a weakness called a sinful nature.
We see this in verse 15 and 5 too
that the Levitical priests were beset with weaknesses.
Therefore, they are obligated
to offer sacrifices for themselves.
Because we have this weakness,
do you know what this means?
We are in constant need of a certain kind of help.
When you're tempted to sin,
when there's this external temptation
that hooks this internal want to sin in you,
where do you turn?
Maybe you give yourself to the sin.
Or maybe you turn to lesser helps
in that time of need.
You reach for a bottle.
Or you reach for some chemicals.
Or you reach for a TV remote.
Or things like that.
Those are just distractions.
They're not true help.
They're false hopes.
When you are tempted to sin,
don't give yourself to it.
Don't settle for lesser helps
as if you're your own high priest.
Don't turn to yourself.
Draw near to your great high priest, Jesus.
When you become aware of your sin weakness,
don't shrink back from him.
Draw near to him, Christian.
And this morning,
we are given two reasons
why we must near to Jesus,
our great high priest,
in our weakness.
And all of us are weak.
Reason number one,
our great high priest
is both willing and able to help us.
And reason number two,
our great high priest
is better qualified
than anybody else to help us.
When you're tempted to sin,
don't shrink from Jesus.
Draw near to him.
So let's look at this first reason
that comes from
what John read
at the beginning of the service,
chapter 4, 14 through 16.
We draw near to him
because he's willing and able to help.
Last week,
I closed the sermon
by pointing you to 4, 12, and 13.
And in verse 12,
God's word is able to pierce
an open heart
and expose our sin weakness.
It cuts us.
It flays us.
It judges, discerns the thoughts
and intentions of the heart.
And when you get exposed
and pierced by the word,
what do you do?
Verse 13,
we have this picture of judgment.
Nothing's hidden from his sight.
There's nothing in your heart and life
that is hidden from his sight.
And when you become aware
of that weakness,
what must you do?
God is lovingly showing you
your need for help.
Where are you going to turn?
At this point in the book of Hebrews,
at 4, 14,
the author turns his attention
in earnest
to the high priesthood
of Jesus Christ.
The book of Hebrews
is one long exhortation
to hold fast to Christ
to the end.
And what takes center stage
in this book
is the high priesthood of Jesus.
We're to hold fast to Jesus
by fixing our eyes
drawing near to Jesus.
In our passage,
the word priest
shows up
a number of times
in 4, 14,
in 4, 15,
in 5, 1,
in 5, 5,
in 5, 6,
and even in 5,
5, 10.
When you hear the word priest,
I'm guessing
some of you in the room
have a visceral reaction.
That word priest
has a bad connotation
to you.
Others of you
in the room
don't have
a bad connotation.
Maybe you have
a fond recollection
of a priest.
Or maybe some of you
are just kind of like,
you know what,
I grew up in a,
we just didn't really talk
about any kind of priests.
A priest is basically
a go-between
between God
and man.
And you can see it
in the passage
in chapter 5,
verse 1.
For every high priest
chosen from among men
is appointed to act
on behalf of men
in relationship to God.
A priest
is a mediator
between God
and man,
especially when it comes
to our sin.
If we were Jews
in the Old Testament times
living under
the Old Covenant,
if you were to sin
or I were to sin,
we would have to find
a priest.
And what we would
bring to the priest
is an animal
to be sacrificed
to God
for our sins.
And that priest
would kill the animal,
shed its blood
in order to cover
your sin,
cover my sin.
But that
that blood
of bulls and goats,
just temporary.
It doesn't have
the power
to change your heart.
It's just temporary.
It temporarily
atones.
The point is
you would have
needed a priest
in your weakness.
But all that
changed with Jesus.
In verse 14,
we read
that this
Jesus,
we see two titles.
And it's the first time
in the book of Hebrews
that the author
brings these two titles
together.
Since then,
we have a great high priest
who has passed
through the heavens,
Jesus,
the Son of God.
Great high priest
is getting at Jesus
as the greatest
mediator
between God
and man
that there is.
And what we're
going to see
as the book
of Hebrews
unfolds
is just
how wonderful
and great
of a priest
he is
for us.
In fact,
he is so great
a priest,
he makes
the priesthood
of the old
covenant
out of date
and obsolete.
complete.
That title,
Son of God,
in chapters 1 and 2,
the author
of Hebrews
wants you
to believe
that Jesus
is
the
Son of God,
which means
he's fully God.
He's the creator
of all,
the sustainer
of all.
Do you remember
that from chapter 1?
He's superior
to the angels
and he
is at the right
hand of God.
You see that
in verse 14,
this idea
of passing
through the heavens.
Jesus
died,
was raised,
and ascended,
passing
through the heavens
to God's
right hand,
exalted
and throned
on high.
That's the passing
through the heavens.
It locates him
for us.
This high,
great high priest,
this mediator,
is also
our exalted
king.
And he is eager
to help you
in time of weakness.
That little phrase,
hold fast
the confession.
Let us hold fast
our confession.
A confession
is a,
is a statement
of truth.
When you think
of confession,
you probably think
about confessing
sin,
and what you're
doing is
you're,
you're confessing
the truth
about your sin.
There's also
another kind
of confession
where you're
confessing the truth
about who God
is.
And right here,
we're being told
of a confession.
Hold fast
to the confession
about Jesus,
that he is
our great high priest
and our king,
our son of,
the son of God
who reigns on high.
So I want you
to speak a confession
back to me.
I'm going to,
I'm going to feed
you some lines
and I want you
to speak it back.
You ready?
Christ is my,
risen and reigning,
priest and king.
Christ is my,
risen and reigning,
priest and king.
Let's do it one more time.
Christ is my,
risen and reigning,
priest and king.
Hold fast to that.
This week,
don't let go of that.
Hold fast to that truth.
It's true.
It's who he is.
Jesus,
speak that confession
to yourself.
Now you might be thinking,
okay,
that might be true,
but is Jesus
my priest and king?
Does he want to help me?
Is he willing to help me?
In verse 15,
we read,
for we do not have
a high priest
who is unable to
sympathize with our weakness,
weaknesses,
sin,
weaknesses,
but one who in every respect
has been tempted as we are,
yet without sin.
That word sympathize.
It's tenderhearted.
Even he has an affection
for us,
even in our sin weakness.
He's not fond of our sin.
He's fond of us
trying to deal with our sin.
He totally gets us.
He is both completely holy
and deeply compassionate
towards you.
Now you might be asking
this question,
well,
how can Jesus,
how can he sympathize
with our sin?
I mean,
did Jesus ever sin?
Well,
according to our New Testament
and the rest of the Bible,
the Christ never sinned once.
In fact,
in 2 Corinthians 5.21,
we read about this great thing
that God through Christ
has done for us.
And for us,
he made him.
God made Christ
who knew no sin
to be sin on our behalf
that we might become
the righteousness of God.
Jesus is utterly
without sin,
which raises another question.
Well,
then how does it work?
How can he be tempted
and yet without sin?
It's right there in the text.
Yet without sin.
How's that possible?
Well,
we in our weakness,
this internal sinful nature
that when there's
this external temptation,
our internal sinful desires
want it.
James 1 talks about
that we're carried away,
lured,
enticed
by the desires
inside of us.
Jesus
did not have
a sinful nature.
He didn't have
that internal craving
that we do
to grieve God.
It wasn't there.
He was fully God
and fully man,
sinless
to the core,
which means this.
Jesus experienced
external temptation.
Just think about him
in the wilderness
being tempted
by Satan
in Matthew chapter 4.
Those temptations
were real.
They affected him.
He was
yet he was
without sin
because there was
nothing in him
to grab hold of it.
What it means
is that
what he experienced,
this real
external temptation,
it makes him
sympathetic
to us
when we're
tempted.
And he's not
like this.
It's not like
that Jesus
is looking down
from his throne
on you
and say,
hey,
I handled
that temptation.
You gotta handle
it too.
It's more
like this.
I experienced
that temptation.
I know how hard
it is.
Let me help you.
You've got a priest king
who's willing
to help you.
Sympathetic.
He's experienced
the full gamut
of temptation
yet without sin.
And his posture
towards you
is,
I'm here to help.
But is he able?
In verse 16,
we read,
let us then
with confidence
draw near
to the throne
of grace
that we may
receive mercy
and find grace
to help in time
of need.
Oh, he is able.
Totally God.
Totally man.
He's the creator
of the universe
and sustainer
of the universe.
He gave himself
for us
bearing God's
wrath in full.
2.17,
this high priest
was our propitiation.
Oh, he's able
to help.
We draw near
in our weakness
to his throne
of grace
and there's the power.
power.
When you read grace
in your Bibles,
think of both
his power
and his posture
towards you.
His power
to change you,
to help you,
to transform you,
to supply
what you need.
and his posture
behind that power
is love.
Oh, he wants it
for you.
He wants to give
you what you need.
He wants you
to thrive
in godliness.
Anybody see the show?
Who wants to be
a millionaire?
It's kind of dated.
And that show
contestants are asked
multiple choice questions
and if they can't
answer the question,
they are given
some options.
50-50,
where two of the four
multiple choice
are removed
or poll the audience,
where the audience
chimes in
on what they think
the answer is
and then there's
phone a friend.
You phone like
your expert
in the field
to help you
with that information.
A million dollars
is nothing
when compared
to holding fast
to Jesus Christ
to the end.
Who in the room
wants to hold fast
to Jesus Christ
to the end?
I do.
And do you know what?
We've got something
that's better
than phone a friend.
It's not a phone.
It's a throne.
Authority,
power,
overall.
And on that throne
sits
your great high priest
who is wanting,
eager to help
in pouring out
this grace
to you.
What's keeping you back?
What's holding you back?
What's holding you back
from just making
a beeline to his throne?
Is it shame?
Is it fear?
Oh, don't be afraid.
We are to draw near
with confidence
to the throne.
Do you know why?
Do you know
what's the source
of this boldness?
It's not your performance.
It's what Christ
has done.
If you flip
in your Bibles
back to Hebrews
chapter 10
verses 19
through 23,
to just
here is
your
confidence,
your boldness
to enter
the throne
of the risen
and reigning
priest king.
Therefore,
brothers,
since we have confidence
to enter the holy places
by the blood
of Jesus,
Jesus,
the throne
is in the heavenly
sanctuary
by the new
and living way
that he opened
for us
through the curtain
that is through his flesh.
And since we have
a great high priest
over the house of God,
let us draw near
with a true heart
and full assurance
of faith
with our hearts
sprinkled clean
from an evil conscience
and our bodies
washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast
the confession
of our hope
without wavering
for he who promised
is faithful.
We draw near
to the throne of grace
in our sin weakness
because Jesus
has paid for our sin.
He's the propitiation
and his posture
towards you is love
and he's eager to help.
Do you know what?
His throne room
is open to you
anytime,
anywhere.
Let's say that you are being,
you're like,
I'm going to be tempted
to sin later today
because I know
that situation.
Go to the throne of grace.
Maybe you're in a situation
and you're being tempted
in that moment.
Make a beeline
to the throne of grace.
Maybe you're on the backside
of when you've sinned
and you're feeling shame
and guilty.
Make a beeline
to the throne of grace
at any time.
Before,
during,
after.
Let me ask you this question.
When tempted,
where do you turn?
When you become aware
of your sin weakness,
to whom do you look?
Don't shrink back.
Don't turn to yourself.
Draw near to the throne.
Draw near to Jesus.
Your great high priest
is both willing
and able to help.
Do I have an amen?
Amen.
The second reason
why we draw near
to our great high priest
and our weakness
is that he is better
qualified to help.
We see this in chapter 5,
verses 1 through 10.
Let's just pretend
for a second.
Let's just pretend
that we were all members
of the original church
that received
the letter of Hebrews.
More likely than not,
you would have come
to faith in Jesus
out of Judaism.
You would have been
a Jewish background believer.
And we know
from chapter 10,
verses 32 through 34,
that we would have suffered
greatly for Jesus.
But we also know
from this book,
we're going to see
this next week,
that we had become
dull in our hearing
and sluggish.
And we've been tempted
to drift from our confession,
to let it go
instead of holding fast.
Our temptation
in those moments
would be to go back
to that old, familiar,
culturally acceptable way
of Judaism.
To go back
to the old priesthood,
to go back
to the old
sacrificial system
of the old covenant.
But you've got to understand,
to go back to that
means you'd have to
reject Christ.
You can't have both
and you can't have
but let's be honest.
If we're granted
to suffer
or if we grow
sluggish
or dull of hearing,
I'm guessing
we're not going
to go back
to Judaism.
We weren't saved
out of Judaism.
No,
I think we'd be tempted
to go back
to a
Christ-less
hedonism
or a
Christ-less
materialism
or a
Christ-less
conservatism
or a
Christ-less
individualism.
And do you know
who the high priest
of individualism is?
you appoint yourself
high priest.
You mediate
what you want
in a
Christ-less
individualism.
Brothers and sisters,
we are not
to go back
to that.
It's
Christ-less.
We've been called
out of a
Christ-less
way of
thinking
and
living.
So if we're
called to share
in the suffering
of Jesus
and we find
ourselves
tempted
to become
dull and
sluggish,
we don't
go back
to individualism.
We draw
near to
Christ
Christ.
And there
are five
reasons
from
5.1
through 10
why
Jesus is
better
qualified.
It's like
the writer
saying,
don't
go back.
And here's
why.
Number one,
Jesus is
better qualified
in his
appointment.
5.1
says,
for every
high priest
chosen from
among men
is appointed
to act
on behalf
of men
in relationship
to God
to offer
gifts and
sacrifices
for sins.
4.
And no
one takes
this honor
for himself
but only
when called
by God
just as
Aaron was.
So the
similarities
between the
Levitical
priesthood,
the priesthood
that comes
from the
line of
Aaron,
and the
priesthood
of Jesus
who he
is in
line with
Melchizedek,
the similarity
is both
priests are
appointed by
God.
Verse 5,
Do you
know what
the difference
is?
The
difference
is that
the Levitical
priesthood,
well,
they were
appointed
according to
kind of
family lineage,
chosen from
among men,
one.
Jesus
was appointed
by prophetic
word of
God.
5.5,
quoting
Psalm 2.7,
we saw this
in chapter
one,
you are my
son,
this is
God the
father
speaking to
God the
son,
you are
my son,
today I
have begotten
you,
and when we
saw this
in chapter
one,
this is
about his
kingship,
this is
about his
deity,
this is
about him
being
enthroned
on high.
But it's
not just
his being
an exalted
king,
for the
first time
in Hebrews
we have
a quote
from Psalm
110,
verse 6,
as he says
also in
another place,
you are a
priest forever
after the
order of
Melchizedek,
this is
God speaking
to God
the son,
you are
a priest
forever
after the
order of
Melchizedek,
it's a
better
appointment,
prophetic
word
fulfilled
in Jesus
Christ,
because
Jesus is
at the
center
of God's
plan
of salvation,
in chapter
7 we're
going to
come back
to Melchizedek
where the
writer will
unpack more
of that
for us,
but let me
just tell you
this,
Melchizedek
first shows
up in
Genesis
chapter 14,
Abram has
just rescued
Lot,
he's coming
out with
all this
stuff,
Melchizedek
comes from
nowhere,
and what
his name
means is
king of
righteousness,
he's introduced
as both
the king
of Salem
and the
high priest
of God,
he's both
a high priest
and a
king,
and you
know what
Abram does?
He gives
him a tenth
of everything
he's got,
it's from
that priestly
order comes
Jesus,
the
appointment
of Jesus
as great
high priest
is the
fulfillment
of scripture,
it's a
better
appointment,
the second
way that
Jesus is
better
qualified
is in
his
nature,
both the
Levitical
priests
and Jesus
the
Melchizedekian
priest,
both
priests
are totally
human,
chosen from
among men,
5-1,
verse 7,
in the days
of his flesh,
speaking of
Jesus,
the difference
is that the
Aaronic
priesthood,
the Levitical
priesthood,
was in
verse 2,
they were
beset,
beset by
weakness,
the weakness
of indwelling
sin,
they were
sinful
human beings,
whereas in
5-5,
we read
about Jesus
being you
are my
son,
today I
have begotten
you,
he's fully
God,
we saw in
4-15,
yet without
sin,
he is a
sinless
human being,
by nature,
Jesus is
better qualified
to be a
high priest
because he's
sinless in
his humanity,
better in
nature,
third,
he's better
in relating,
both
priests,
both Levitical
priests and
Jesus,
our great
high priest,
they were
tender-hearted
to those
they cared
for,
in 5-2,
we see,
speaking of the
Levitical
priest,
he can
deal gently
with the
ignorant and
wayward since
he himself is
beset with
weakness,
Jesus,
we saw in
4-15,
he is
sympathetic,
he's been
tempted in
every way,
the difference
is that
Jesus
is not a
fellow
sinner,
he's a
fellow
sufferer,
Jesus
relates to
us,
he understands
our being
tempted to
sin,
but he
also
suffered,
and for
a church
that was
suffering,
this is
really helpful,
we see in
verses 7 and
8 that in
the days of
his flesh,
Jesus offered
up prayers and
supplications
without cries
and tears to
him who was
able to save
him from
death,
and he was
heard because
of his
reverence,
although he
was a son,
he learned
obedience through
what he
suffered,
Jesus learned
obedience,
not because he
was disobedient,
but he learned
true trust and
obeying of
God his
father through
hardship,
he learned
it as a
fellow human
being,
he went
before us,
and now he's
an example to
us of how
to endure
suffering,
he relates
to us that
way,
because he
himself suffered,
he relates
with us when
we suffer for
him,
he's tender
towards us,
he relates
to us better,
he understands
our temptation
to sin,
but he
absolutely
understands what
it's like to
suffer,
the Levitical
priesthood,
they didn't,
it's better in
his relating,
it's better in
his sacrifice,
this is the
fourth qualification
that separates
him from the
Levitical
priesthood,
you know
it's similar
between the
two,
Levitical
priests and
Jesus,
our great
high priest
from the
line of
Melchizedek,
both offered
sacrifices,
the difference
is that the
Levites had
to offer
animal sacrifices
for themselves
because they
themselves were
sinners and
that animal
sacrifice only
lasted for a
little while for
their sin,
just temporarily
atonement,
they had to
offer sacrifice
repeatedly
because they
were repeatedly
sinning,
Jesus who
learned obedience
through suffering
became the
source,
verse 9,
of eternal
life to all
who obey
him,
to all who
hold fast to
him to the
end,
he became the
source of our
eternal life,
he is the
greatest sacrifice
of all,
our high
priest is the
once and for
all sacrifice
for our sins,
and he sat
down at the
right hand of
God,
he's a better
sacrifice,
that in chapter
2,
verse 17,
the first time
high priest
shows up,
the author
connects him
as being our
propitiation,
the sacrifice
that satisfied
God's wrath
for our sins,
he paid it
all,
all of your
sin,
all of the
penalty of it,
paid in full
in that once
and for all
sacrifice by
your great
high priest
king,
he is
better qualified
because he
offers a
better sacrifice,
you need
help,
do you need
help,
he's addressed
your greatest
need,
what else
do you need
to see
that he
would give
his life
for you,
that he
would pay
the sin,
the wrath
your sin
deserved,
but I've
got one
more,
hang in
there with
me,
he's
better,
he's
better in
his living,
you know,
the similarities
between the
Levitical
priesthood and
the priesthood
of Jesus is
all of the
Levitical
priests,
as Jesus,
they lived
and they
died,
that's what
they have
in common,
the difference
is that
Jesus
was raised
from the
dead,
he's alive,
we have a
great high
priest and
king who
is exalted
at the right
hand of God
and he
is alive,
and that
quote in
verse 6,
as he also
says in
another place,
you are a
priest
forever
in the order
of Melchizedek,
did any
of you
get a little
confused
when you
were reading
verse 7,
in the days
of his flesh
Jesus offered
up prayers
and supplications
with loud
cries and
tears to
him who
was able
to save
him from
death,
and you're
thinking,
hold on a
second,
but he
died,
what do
you mean
saved from
death?
He died
on the
cross,
do you know
how God
answered
that prayer?
He raised
him from
the dead.
God heard
his prayer
and answered
it,
and so
now,
check it
out,
our great
high priest
and king
is victorious
over sin,
death,
and the
devil.
Oh,
he's better
qualified.
Draw near
to him,
he's better
qualified
than any
Levitical
priest,
even
yourself.
Stop
dealing
with your
own sin.
Go to
your great
high priest.
Now,
I don't know
about you,
but hey,
if I were
taking resumes
for who's
going to be
the great
high priest
of my
life,
and I'm
looking at
resumes
from
Levitical
priests,
and I'm
looking at
my own
resume,
and I'm
looking at
the resume
of Jesus,
do you
know who
I'm going
with?
Jesus.
Better
in his
appointment,
better in
his nature,
better in
his relating,
better in
his sacrifice,
better in
his living.
He is
alive today.
He is
uniquely
qualified to
help you
in your
weakness.
What's keeping
you from
his throne?
Is it
your shame?
Is it
you don't
want to
come to
terms with
your sin?
Are you
just trying
to avoid
him?
Are you
just trying
to handle
your sinfulness
on your
terms?
You make
for a
lousy
mediator.
He is
uniquely
qualified.
He's
willing and
able,
and he's
qualified like
no other.
draw near
to him.
Don't
shrink back.
Don't go
back to
your
Levitical
priests.
Don't go
back to
your
self-appointed
priesthood.
Draw near
to Jesus
in your
weakness
and you
will find
help.
God
will
we all
have a
weakness,
a soft
spot to
sin,
craving to
sin.
It's
internal.
You're
going to
face it
this
afternoon.
You're
going to
face it
tonight.
You're
going to
face it
this week.
All of
us in
the room,
our
internal
sinful
nature,
this
weakness
that we
carry around
with us,
it's
going to
get
tempted.
Where
are you
going to
turn?
don't
shrink back
from Christ
in your
weakness.
Draw
near.
Draw
near in
your
most
gross
weakness.
Draw
near to
him with
confidence.
And
he'll
give you
grace at
just the
right time.
He's
willing and
able to
help.
He's
better
qualified to
help.
Now
repeat
after me.
as you
get ready
to go,
repeat
after me.
I want
you
holding
fast to
this.
Christ
is
my
risen
and
reigning
priest
and
king.
Draw
near to
him
this
week.
Let's
pray.
Lord
Jesus,
we do
have a
soft
spot
for
sin,
but we
love
you.
I
pray,
Father,
that you'd
pour out
your
spirit
on this
people
in this
room
and that
you would
convince
them
that your
throne of
grace
is a
place
of
welcome
for the
weak,
for the
tempted,
for those
who blew
it,
that you
welcomed
them,
that you
have grace
for them,
that you
want to
strengthen
them,
that you
want to
help them
hold fast
to you
all the way
to the
end.
God,
I do
pray that
you would
help us
to
remember
our
priest and
king who's
gone through
the heavenlies
and is at
the right
hand of
you,
majesty on
high,
and that
you invite
us in
and it's
blood-bought.
We pray this
in the name
of Jesus.
Amen.