Midweek University

And this month we have uh we are studying about the altar of incense. And um as you know, we have already covered the last few services about how it's made and then where it's located in the tabernacle and and what it's used for. And and as many of you already have uh discovered, uh this is a place where incense was burned. Uh and it was it was the fire of God that actually burned in there, but the incense was burned to him. And uh you know I like to take uh the scripture from Psalms. The psalmist said he said that my prayers would be as sweet incense. And uh I I think it we it's safe to say that this is a place where there's commune with you and God.

And so I I want to talk to you today and um share with you uh on this thought and that is our approach that we make to God. you know, um I think it's safe to say that that there are times when uh even in our in our everyday life when we are going to approach someone about something, whether it be business or whatever it may be, we kind of rehearse ourselves and try to see how that we need to approach uh the situation or approach uh what we're going to be doing. And uh and so I I want to share with you uh some things that is from the word of God about how we approach God. And and we know that this piece of furniture was actually in the uh in the holy place. And and uh this is where the priest would come and we have said it time and time again. He is alone with God in this place and he is burning sweet incense to God which represents prayers being prayed and and talking and communing with God.

Um you know um the book of Hebrews and we'll go to the word of God here. The book of Hebrews the uh 4th chapter verse 16. It says this. It says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace and help in time of need." You know, uh the scripture mentions a word boldly. Now to you and I in our common day and everyday um living when we hear boldly uh I don't know about you but it kind of gives me a sense of you know uh you know we're bold and we're strutting our stuff so to speak but the truth is um if we look in other versions like the uh ESV and NIV most of those will record it this way let us come confident drawing together to God. Let us come with confidence. Let us be confident in what we're doing. Um and and I think it'd be uh safe to say this that there are some of us and I I want to and again I'm going to challenge you through everything that I'm talking about today. But uh I I think it's safe to say this that there are times when we don't know how to approach God in situations. We don't know how to approach him. Um and it may be that you have yet to learn how to approach God. Maybe that be the case, you know. Um, but here here here's what I want to try and strive to talk to you today about is is that we need to understand that God is not a God that is standing there with a rod in his hand and wrath trying to uh to to uh hoard over you and and beat you down. He is not a god that is going to uh as a matter of fact we know from the writings in the word of God that he became our high priest. He came to earth. He came and this is Hebrews 4:14 and 15 for all of you that are taking notes. Um but he became the high priest and and he is the one that uh came and become weak like you and I would approach him. Uh we are all sinners, right? We're all we're all sinners and we're lost and uh you know we need God. Um but I I think sometimes the the ideal would be in many heads today is that when I approach God, I have I have failed him so many times. I have failed him in so many areas of my life that that I am beat down when I come to him. And so I approach him with that same feeling. Well, he won't listen to me. He He doesn't care about me or if he does I am going to be I am gonna be stricken with with all kinds of of penalties and all kinds.

God loves us. He loves us. He loves us so much that he came to earth. He became flesh. A man that knew nothing about sin and he took on sin for you and I. And so, you know, when we talk about it, we God knows he he he knows more about sin than we do. He He knows what sin is. He knows exactly what sin is all about. And so, he took those sins upon himself so that you and I could have that eternal life. And so, it's not about us praying little prayers of saying, "God, you know, here's pitiful little me." The boldness that the scripture talks about confidence knowing that God that he is there for us and that he understands every situation about our life. Jesus Christ became the ultimate sacrifice for whatever you are dealing with, whatever you're struggling with, whatever you're going through. I I want to make a mention of this scripture here and and this scripture is found in 2 Corinthians the 5th chapter verse 21 for our sakes he made him himself talking about the Lord he made himself sin who knew no sin that we might become his righteousness. So, so I want you to absorb that scripture real quick. I want you to to realize that that he became sin who knew no sin that we might become his righteousness. every bit that we do, everything that we're involved in, everything that we when we come to him, he is waiting with open arms, wanting to to commune with you and wanting to to uh love you and and and he, you know, I I do understand that we would call oursel unrighteous. Yeah. Yes, we are. But but we are saved by the grace of God. He his grace covers it all. He He loves us so much that he wants to commune with you. He wants you to come and be a part of him and he wants you in his life. He wants you to to to share time with him. He longs for that. It's not that that you are bothering him. You know, we would we would approach him and say, "Lord, I I don't seem to bother you. I don't want to bother you today, but I really need your help. He says, "Come in. Come in. I want to talk to you." Uh, so our approach to God should be that God, I know you love me, and I I know that there's been some things that I have done that has not been pleasing to you, but I I I want you to I want to spend some time with you. And you know what he says? He says, "Come on in." He says, "I've been waiting on this opportunity. I've been waiting on you to come in and and and set with me.

There there there's four things that I want to I want to leave with you today. These four things on your approach to God. Understand this. Number one, we have access. We have access. We have a VIP pass. We have access to get to him. He he he it's it's like u you know I I read the the article some years ago uh where they were talking about how that JFK um how that he was alone or he was with a press conference in in his office and and all of the things that was going on and they were asking him all kinds of questions and and and they said that um his son comes running in his son comes running in and he stops everything that he is doing. Everything that he is doing. He stops the questions and he reaches down and grabs that boy and picks him up. That's the way the Lord is. That that is the way the Lord sees you. He sees us as that that child that that comes running in in a busy busy day and he stops and says, "Time out. My son needs me. My daughter needs me." You have a VIP. Number one, you have a VIP pass to him.

Number two, this is this is very important that we understand this. Understand that God's heart is all about you. understand that his heart is all about you. There is therefore now no condemnation unto them which are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8 and1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. He loves you. He loves you and he he longs for you to come in and s with him. He longs for you to come in and visit with him. He wants to hear your voice. You know, there's something about uh in in our lives, there's something about when people that we care about, when you hear their voice, you stop what you're doing and you listen. um you know um and I'll say this because I am a I I am a grandparent and uh I listen to what these what these boys and my my granddaughter I have one granddaughter but all the others are boys and so I listen to them and all that they're playing and going on and doing and and uh and and then you will hear a certain tone in their voice and you know that either something's getting heated and somebody's getting upset about something or you hear that someone one of them's gotten hurt, there's a tone. And so as someone who really loves that child, you stop. You listen and then you react accordingly. Now, now that may be very simple and it may be insignificant to some people, but that is the way the Lord is is he cares about us. When we call on him, he hears us. When we call on the name of Jesus, he will turn his ear toward us. He knows that we are there for he is there for us and he knows that we're there calling on his name. You have access to him. He loves you.

Here's here's another thought. We must realize that God is in control and we must release that control to him. You know, we we like to control things in our life and I and I hope that each of you understand this, but there are some things that gets out of control. There are some things that we cannot control in our life. Amen. And amen. Because there there are things that that God is doing in in our life and he knows what's best for us. I I heard some weeks ago I heard a message from one of the one of the elders in my life and just kind of replayed that that message and he was talking about the times that that things were were rough. And he was talking about that in his own personal life. things got rough and things there was things that got out of line and and and and he he would even stop and pause and say, "Uh, you know, God, do you do you see what's going on? Do you realize what's happening?" And and the tr and the Lord begins to speak to him in that what we would call still small voice. God begins to speak to him and say, "I have it all in control." Even though we can't control it, even though we can not seem to get a get a grip on it and handle that situation, God already understands it. And we may see it as being harmful. But the truth is, it's not. It is for our good that that we're going through those things and we're facing those things because God says, "I want you to trust me. I want you to trust me."

The fourth thing that I want to leave you with is this is that we must pray the will of God. When we approach him, we know that God has all power. He understands everything. And and we would like to be that child that walks in and says says, "Lord, I want this." And we get that, right? But the truth is, if he gave us everything that we asked for, just like your natural children that are around you, if we He gave us everything that we asked for, uh we would be called and labeled as what we used to call spoiled brats. The truth is, God knows what's best for us. And so when we pray, we say, "God, I have this, this, and this." or God, I I I thank you for the things that you've done. But I I am really struggling with this right now. And if that continues and we have to endure that, so be it. That's the way we pray is, God, whatever it is, I I bring this to you. I bring it to you because I want you to understand my situation, but so be it. I I I I totally understand. It is not my will but thine be done.

Jesus gives us that example when he was in the garden of Gethsemane. He gave us the prime example of that. He takes his disciples with him and then he leaves his disciples outside of the the place where he was worshiping. He was to go and pray. And he brings three other disciples with him, Peter, James, and John. He brings them in a little further and he says, "Guys, I want you to pray with me because uh that there there is there is temptation there. I want you to pray with me." And then the scripture says that Jesus goes into the garden of Gethsemane himself by himself alone. This is where we are alone with God. And he begins to pray. And he begins to pray that this cup would pass for him. God, this cup, let it pass. Let it let it let it I wish that it would not be in my hands. And he prays about that that that torment that he feels. There's some of you that probably feel the same way. You've got there's things in life that just torment you. There there are things that you struggle with. There are things that you want God to fix right now. And the the truth is that that we cannot always expect God to fix everything. Why? Because God knows what's best for me. Jesus goes on to pray and the last portion of that scripture says this, "Not my will but thine be done." Not my will but yours be done. And and so so God gives us that prime example of how we are to pray. God, I've got this this this and this. I want this cup to pass from me. I I I I you know, I I don't need this in my life. I I And and we think we know best, right? But but we want all this to go away. And then we turn around and we say, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done." Not my will. Not the things that I would have in my own personal life but the things that you have.

So with confidence we approach him. With confidence we approach the Lord. We ask him to touch us. We ask him to do we we we bring our petition to him. God, I I I'm struggling with this this and this right now. But when we get to the end of that prayer, God, not my will but thine be done. Let's pray together. God, we love you today. We thank you for your many blessings. We thank you, Lord, for the things that you have provided in our lives. And God, there if there is someone here today that is struggling with some things in their life, I ask you, Lord, to comfort them. Help them to understand that you love them and that you are looking out about their best interests. That you are looking out about the things that they're they're faced with. But God, help us to understand that this this is not what we will, but it's what you will. It's not about what our will is, but about your will, God. God, I ask you today that you would reach down and God that you would leave that word and that seed that is there that we have planted today that it would flourish that there would be someone that takes this and they realize God that you are truly you truly love them that you are truly the God that is in control of everything. You know everything. You're there for everything. And God, we ask you, Lord Jesus, once again, as we come before you and we come before you with thanksgiving, God, you understand us and we give you the praise for that, God. We give you the glory for it, Lord, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

So glad that you were with us today. And I hope that something that we have shared in this uh broadcast that that it will help you. It will help you to understand that that that how I approach God, he's he's closer than a brother. He is he is my best friend. And I challenge you today, work on that. Approaching him with thanksgiving, approaching him with that type of spirit, understanding that God is is truly in control of everything. So glad you're here. Look forward to seeing you next week. I I I hope that you understand our where we are and you may see more of this because we we love we love people here at Chattanooga and CAC. God bless you. Come be a part of us in the name of Jesus. We love you.