Lord, You've given us such wonderful songs to sing. You've given us such wonderful fellowship with a people that You've called the Majestic Ones. You've given us such holy precepts and statutes. You've given us so much to talk about. You've given us so much, a new heart, a new spirit, your own presence within. You've given us such a high calling to walk the world in light, to be your ambassadors, to spread the glorious gospel far and wide. You've given us so much to proclaim. We wish we could stand on the housetops tonight and shout it. Lord, we conclude again. You're a wonderful Savior. What a blessed hope. You've destined us for glory and not for wrath. You've destined us for salvation and not destruction. You've destined us, Lord, for joy unspeakable and not for weeping and gnashing of teeth. You've destined us, Lord, for immortality to take and to partake of the tree of life, the paradise of God. So we're here, Lord, tonight. We ask you, Lord, that you'd help us to fight the good fight. You'd arm us with jealous cares in your sight to live. Teach us your ways. Turn to us and be gracious to us after your manner with those who love your name. We pray, Lord, that You'd revive us, quicken us, breathe upon us, brighten our eyes, show us anything that we need. We have no idea really of what all we do need. But we're asking, Lord, that You'd meet that need according to Your riches and glory in Christ. Here we are, Lord. We wait upon You. Our eyes are upon You. And we ask for Your blessing yet this evening. Amen. You all can be very thankful to have good men as your leaders. There's a lot of churches in the nation A lot of churches in this nation, the pulpits are filled with foolish men. The pulpits are filled with evil men, evil workers. And to have good shepherds, faithful men, knowledgeable men, what a blessing you have. It says in 1 Thessalonians 5 that we should know those or appreciate those who labor among us, who have charge over us in the Lord and give us instruction And then it says, esteem them. Is that all? Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And the thought occurred to me that normally we think that the pastor, he's the one that ought to be looking out and looking up the saints. It says in Proverbs that the shepherd should know the face of the flock. And so it is indeed a responsibility of the shepherd to pursue the sheep to take care of them, to know about them. How are you doing? What's been happening? Have you heard this CD? Have you read this book? And so on. But on the other hand, it's also a responsibility and a ministry of the congregant to know the pastor, the elder, to know them. It says know them or appreciate them, but literally know them and then esteem them very highly in love. You know, what I'm saying to you is you just think about it. It's an obligation before you to look up your pastor and say, how are you doing? What's been happening in your life? And to be in touch with them. That's just a separate thought from what I believe the Lord would have us to look at here tonight. Hebrews chapter 4. I'm going to do something that's kind of risky tonight in this day of computer and internet, and that is speak on a passage that I've spoken on before in a different form in a different place. But if you have heard it before, I hope it's the case of Psalm 62. God has spoken once, twice have I heard it. And there's some new illustrations in here. Some old ones. I'm doing the best I can. But God does give new illustrations. Tom Rayburn and I were coming back up the driveway there this afternoon, and Mack was walking into the building, and he raised both hands. We could see him shouting hallelujah. And the next moment, his foot went off in a hole. He went down like fallen beef. But he popped up again and raised both hands and kept on coming. And he came over to the window and we said, thank you. Mac, you've just given us a fresh sermon illustration. So, I am standing down here because I want to be near to you. And I agree with the other preachers, there's too much light up there, but I got to thinking. You've got to watch out for those preachers that want less light. Anyway, Hebrews chapter 4, here is a theme that has been frequently referred to in our meetings. And rightly so. And I'm going to try to enlarge on it and just underline it kind of word by word that we might be able to just Enjoy the good Word of God together. The throne of grace. Let's read it in 14, 15, and 16 of Hebrews 4. And we'll be, of course, centering in on verse 16. 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. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence or boldly to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in a time of need." What do you think of when you think of the throne of grace? Isn't it a unique designation? I don't know of any other place in the Scripture where it's called that. It could be, I think, the mercy seat as we're talking here about finding mercy and grace. But what a unique designation. What does it do? What do you think of when you read this? When you read this figure of speech, it ought to encourage you. It ought to thrill you. It ought to call you, invite you and warm your heart to come right on in to meet with God who is enthroned on this throne of grace. And the call is to come. The call is, in the New American Standard, to draw near. We're already near, but we're called to draw nearer, still nearer to Him. And so, let's think, first of all, about these two words, let us. Therefore, let us. It speaks of the privilege that we have in having access to the living God, to this holy God. It says, let us. That is, we are permitted, we have permission to do that. We are the priests in all the earth. It's not those with the backward collar or the black robe. We are the priests of God. Think of it. I mean, it's like we are some sort of a cult. We are the ones that have access to God. It's not the truck drivers out there. It's not the electricians out there. It's not the school teachers out there. They are not the ones who have access to God, but it's us. It's us Christians who have access to God. We are the priests. What a privilege is ours. It says in Revelation 1.5 that He loved us and He washed us from our sins and made us kings and priests unto God. We are the ones that can talk to God. We are the ones that have access to Him and our prayers are heard. Our words are real. His eyes were upon the righteous and His ears were open to their cry. Our words are real. It says in Isaiah 37 to Hezekiah, Because you have prayed to Me about Sennacherib. His words were real. I mean, just think of it. Because you have prayed to Me, therefore, And so our prayers are real and God delights to hear our prayers. It says the prayer of the upright is His delight, but the prayer of the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. I mean, I've had people here, especially with my sickness, come to me and say, well, we're praying for you. And you knew good and well they weren't Christians at all. And you feel grieved about it, don't you? You feel grieved at the insult to God and you feel grieved deception that they are under, thinking that they are praying to God when you know good and well their prayers and abomination, it stinks in His nostrils. But for us, we have access to God. We are made near by the blood of Christ. We were formerly far off, but the price has been paid, the veil has been torn, and here we are able to come right before the throne of grace to meet with the Holy God, made near by the blood of Christ. What a thing! And so now that we are near, now that we are in the holiest, now that we are in with God, here is again, I say, this invitation to draw near. And it's not just morning, noon and night, but in a way, you know, it's a lifetime of coming to Him. It's a lifetime of perpetually coming back to Him and again and again and again. And so that's the life of a Christian. It's our native breath. It's our natural air. It's our life. It's not something we do. It's just who we are. And so we're that poor and needy. You know, one time I was with a brother talking to a non-Christian that had lost a loved one, lost his wife. And this other fellow said to this man, that had lost his wife, he says, may this hardship bring you nearer to God. Well, that was a false prophet at work. I mean, it was at least a false word. I mean, a man didn't need to be brought nearer to God. He needed to come to God, period. And so, you know, it's a temptation to kind of smooth it over and not be so blunt. But here we are. We are in with the Lord. What a privilege, what a blessing is ours. Now, I would like to underline another word, and that is the last word in this text, and that is the word need. The help in our time of need. I believe that so much of what God brings into our life, so much of the needs that are brought into our life is to teach us to pray. Mike was bringing that out this afternoon. The reason for this forum was to bring on prayer. So much of what happens in our life is to bring us right back to Him again and again. And the more we go on with God, the more we realize how needy we are, how dependent we are. We start out thinking that we're dependent on the Lord, but we don't realize really all of it, not at all. how dependent we are, how needy we are, how poor we are, the psalmist says, bow down your ear for I am poor and needy. And so the Lord graciously brings afflictions, graciously brings need into our life, obstacles, adversities and so on to bring us right back to Him. Where would we be? How proud would we be? How loose would we be if it weren't for the needs to keep us humble, to keep us on our knees? I mean, it's a humble truth, but that's true. These Hebrews, what was their need? Why did He tell them this? The immediate need perhaps was verse 12. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, exposing the very innermost being of our soul. You know, everything is open and naked before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. You know, sometimes the preaching is that way. It's very searching. Very, very devastating. One old disciple, he told me, he says, I like to get under preaching that makes me scratch, makes me scramble. And I remember one time when I was playing softball for the town, and I struck out. They called me out. And I was so frustrated, I threw the bat down and walked back. Well, when we got home, my father reproved me severely. And not just because I struck out. That wasn't it. Because I threw the bat down. He said, you sure look like a weak sister out there. And I mean, I went to bed that night feeling about one inch tall. Well, if a word from our earthly fathers can reduce us like that, how much more a word from God can reduce us and make us feel our need? And so, he says, come on to the throne of grace. to find grace to help in your time of need. You think of these Hebrews. Chapter 2, it says they were drifting. They were neglecting. Neglect can be as destructive as some outright committal. I destroyed a car because I neglected to check the oil. Of course, the guy that borrowed it went over 100 miles an hour to take his date home too. So, neglect. And then chapter 3, it says they were getting hardened. The other day I had to change the windshield wipers because they were getting hard and weren't doing the job. We don't want our hearts to be hard. That's the woe of all woes. In chapter 5 it says they were immature. When for the time you should be teachers, you have need someone teach you again. You know, James, it says don't let many of you become teachers. But here it says when for the time you ought to be teachers. And so they were becoming immature. They weren't progressing on, going on. They were behind in their sanctification. And so, come on to the throne of grace to find more grace. In chapter 12 it says they were fainting. They were fainting under the chastisement. They were failing in the battle against sin. They were getting weary and getting tolerant and loose. And so, he says, come on to the throne of grace. In chapter 10 it says they were fainting, failing, They were tempted to cast away their confidence and apostatize and go back to old Judaism. Oh, he says, come on to the throne of grace. Find more grace to help in time of need, to clear your eyes, to revive your heart. And that was some of the needs that were there. And so, what are our needs? Spurgeon tells about one fellow that had a very contentious wife and Spurgeon tried to sympathize with him and the man said, don't do it. He says, what a blessing she is. She's taught me to pray ten times a day. To help in our time of need. Now let's look at another word here, and that is this word, therefore. Therefore, let us. Therefore. Why is the therefore, therefore? What's he talking about? Surely it refers back to the previous two verses that we just read. And so, we have here in these previous two verses about ten reasons, ten reasons, ten encouragements why we can, why we should come to the throne of grace. First of all, he says, we have a priest. Verse 14, we have a great high priest. We have a priest. Even the heathen know that they have never been instructed from the Word of God. Even they know innately that they need a priest, they need a witch doctor, they need a mediator, they need somebody between them and the God who is there. Even they know that. And so it's true. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. We have the only true priest. And what a confidence it ought to be to us. One time in the jail ministry, I was talking with a fellow through the bars and he was telling me all the trouble he was in and listed off several things. It would be enough to just sink you down. But he said, it's alright, no problem. He says, I've got a good lawyer. And that's what we ought to think. We've got a good lawyer. We've got the Lord Jesus Christ. We have a priest. A true priest. Not only that, but let's look at another adjective here. We have a high priest. It says a high priest. And when I think of that, it must refer back to the fact that only the high priest, you know, could enter the holiest once a year. It had to be the high priest. And so, the Lord Jesus, He is the high priest. served notice in the mail that we were involved in a class action lawsuit because a nearby factory had sprung a leak. And they said, if you don't want to be involved in that, you can call such and such number and talk to the law office. So we called and said we'd like to be out of it. And she said, well, you've called this office, but you have to talk to this other lawyer. He's the one in charge here. And so, you know, a lot of priests but we have the high priest. He's the one in charge. He's the one who has the authority. Not only a high priest, but it says we have a great, a great high priest. Great in what way? Great because, well, the book of Hebrews explains it so well as no other book does, because of a greater sacrifice. Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars, slain, could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away its stain. A greater priest because of a greater sacrifice. I believe there's power in the blood. Don't you? He took away that stain. It says in John 1, He takes away the sins of the world. Hebrews 9, it says He put away our sins. Peter says He bore our sins. In Hebrews 2, it says He destroyed death by His death. And it says that He destroyed him who had the power of death by His death. He abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the Gospel. It says in Revelation 5, He purchased men for God with His own blood. It doesn't say that He tried to take away our sins. It doesn't say He tried to do it or He made it possible, but He did. He got the job done. made atonement between reconciliation between heaven and earth. He did do the job. And there's power in the blood. We ought to come with that confidence to the throne of grace because of a greater sacrifice. Not only a greater sacrifice, but also a greater sanctuary, right? A greater sanctuary. The book of Hebrews brings out over and over those two things. Greater sacrifice, greater sanctuary. exposing the inferiority of old Judaism. A greater sanctuary. Where's that sanctuary? It's in heaven. It's in the very presence of God, right? And you know, a mark of false religion is they've got their sanctuaries on earth. They've got their headquarters on earth. I mean, you've got Jerusalem and you've got Mecca and you've got Rome and you've got Salt Lake City. They've got their headquarters here on earth, but for Christianity, for Christians, we've got no headquarters on earth. It's up there in the presence of God. And Jesus, as our forerunner, He's entered in. He's entered in within the veil, right into the very presence of God. So, we've got a great high priest because it's a greater and more perfect sanctuary in heaven above. You know, If you're going to pull somebody out of the mud, you've got to get on solid ground yourself. If you're going to help somebody that fell through the ice, you've got to get your feet on solid ground yourself. And so our Lord Jesus Christ, it says He has a greater sanctuary in heaven above. And that brings us to the next phrase right here. It says He's passed through the heavens. He's passed through the heavens right into the presence of God. I like that. You know, here's a student, you know, going through some difficult courses in college, and you meet up with him and you say, well, how did it go? Did you pass? Yes, I passed. And so, the Lord Jesus, He passed right on through. Passed through the heavens. One time, Scott and Mack and Mike Morrow, we were over there going from Romania into the Ukraine. Do you remember that? It was late at night. But it was dark and it was cold. And it was kind of scary. I mean, this one border guard, he came up to me and he said, you beat us at the Olympics. I wonder if we're going to get through here or not, you know. And time went by and time went by. Eventually, the first vehicle went through. And when we saw that first vehicle go through, we had great confidence that we were going through too. They pass through, we're going to pass through. And so it says Jesus passed through the heavens and is in the presence of God for us. One time, Terry and I were invited over to the Whiteman Air Force Base by the commander of the hospital. He was a Christian. He invited us to come over to his house on base and have supper with him. And we got there. to the guard station. And he said, what are you doing here? And we told him. And he gave the commander a call. And he hung the phone up and says, come on through. I mean, I had no doubt we were going to get in because we had a man in authority that was on the inside that had bid us come. And so here we are. Come on to the throne of grace. Look at what we've got. Look what confidence we have in the Lord Jesus. The gate is open. He's accepted. We're accepted in Him. Why Terry? Why do we not bring all our cares to Him so soon, so quickly? And then next, let's go on. Verse 14, Jesus. Passed through the heavens, Jesus. His name is Jesus. It speaks of His humanity, right? It speaks of His manhood. We have a man there that will represent us, a man who can identify with us. If you were a schoolteacher, who would you want to represent you in Washington, D.C.? A schoolteacher or a farmer? And so here the Lord Jesus, He is a man just like us and can well identify with us. One time I had an infection on the inside of my nose. I called this and that fellow, even a specialist, They did me no good, but rather I suffered loss. Two hundred dollars there. He sent me to university. Another two hundred dollars. They did me no good. And finally I called old Dr. Cook, a family doctor down in Louisiana. He said, oh yeah, he said I had that one time. And he said, Bactriban, that's the thing that will help you. Bactriban? I've got that right in my medicine cabinet. In two days it was gone. What I'm saying is that man, he could identify with me because he had been there. And so the Lord Jesus, His name is Jesus, a man, and He can sympathize. And that's what we have down here. It says, Jesus the Son of God, verse 15, we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but He was tempted in all points just like we are. He can sympathize. He does know our cares and trials and tribulations and can have compassion on us. He was tempted like we are. He went through it all. He went through it all tempted like we are. He felt it. It was real. And we find the Lord sweating blood. We find Him praying with strong cryings and tears. And He went through it as a man and overcame as a man. And that's the glorious Gospel that we have a man representing us who did overcome the lion from the tribe of Judah. We skipped a phrase here. It says, Jesus, the Son of God. Not only a man, but also deity. The Son of God. And we need someone of infinite virtue, right? To represent us. Someone of infinite virtue to pay for our infinite death. Someone of infinite merit to pay off our infinite sin death. My stepmother up there in Iowa, she is in a nursing home, and she was telling me that they started to build an Alzheimer's unit on that. And they got it partway built, and the fellow who was sponsoring it died before he got the paperwork done. And so I believe they went bankrupt there, at least for a while. And so, you know, you wonder if a project's going to be completed. Somebody says, don't worry. It's well-sponsored. It's well-financed. And so here we are, Jesus the Son of God backing us up with infinite merit and virtue. Ever-living. All the other priests, they died. Aaron died. Eleazar died. Nadab and Abihu, they died. Eli died. Annas died. Caiaphas died. Phineas died. They all died. But our High Priest, He ever lives to make intercession for us. What good is a man if he dies, you know? He might be in with a banker and he back you up with high finance, but if he dies, he's no good to you. But our Lord, He ever lives. Let's go on to the next phrase. It says, He was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin. Yes, without sin. I don't believe in the doctrine of impeccability. I believe it was I believe the Lord could have sinned, but He didn't sin. He could have sinned as a man, but He couldn't have sinned as deity. Both are true 100%. As a man, He overcame. He passed the test. He conquered. And so, He came through it without any sin. And what a worthy, wonderful Savior. You want somebody who can handle it. You want somebody who passed the test. You want somebody who is capable, right? One time we hired a carpenter. And he hooked the water faucets up backward, hot and cold, you know. And then we turned around and he put the stairway in backwards. And then again, he put the kitchen sink faucet in so it was pointing backwards instead of forward. And you wonder, what have we got here? And you appreciate competence. And we're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ who was sinless. He did pass the test. and is so able. And so, the invitation is, come boldly. A spotless lamb. You might have somebody who would like to pay your debt, but he says, no, I can't do it. I've got enough debt on my own. No, Lord Jesus, He paid our debt. He was able. He paid it all. Do you believe it? Then come on. Another reason we're invited to come is because it's called a throne of grace. A throne of grace. It's called a throne. A place where grace rules. A place where it reigns. A place where it's sovereign. A place where it conquers. And so we're talking about sovereign grace here. You know, sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under sovereign grace, conquering grace. I mean, what sin is too big for almighty grace? What sin is too big? This grace that we're talking about, it goes deeper than the stain is gone. It reaches to the highest heaven. And it's so wide, it takes in every tongue and tribe and people and nation for all eternity. It's a throne of grace, marvelous, matchless, infinite grace. And then it's called a throne of grace. I'm underlining the word grace here. I mean, most thrones down through the history of humanity, they have not been gracious rulers sitting on those thrones. They've been mean men, murderers, greedy men, selfish men, ruthless. We're talking about a throne of grace. A place where grace is dispensed. Not a throne where tribute is taken in, but a throne where riches are dispensed. That's why we ought to come. Another reason why we should come is because it says that we can find mercy and grace to help in our time of need. It's pretty frustrating when you can't find something. It can be very frustrating. I mean, how many people took off for California in the 1800s looking for gold and they didn't find any? They didn't find it. But we have a promise right here. It doesn't indicate that you might find it. But this is an exceedingly great and precious promise. that we can find grace, we will find grace and mercy. The promise is, draw near to God and He'll draw near to you. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. How often my soul has found relief. You know, people have asked me, if you're going to die, what would you have done differently as a Christian? I suppose I just should write down some things. It might be a book in itself. But here's one thing that I would do differently, and that is keep a journal. Keep an account. If not everything, then keep a record of answered prayer. You know, it says in Deuteronomy 8, remember all the way the Lord led you. How many answers to prayer, I wonder, have I forgotten? How many very kind answers to prayer that the Lord has shown me that I have forgotten? And the Lord doesn't want us to forget, right? I mean, the Lord reproved the disciples. He said, have you forgotten the five loaves? Have you forgotten the fish? How they fed the multitude? Did you forget that already? The Lord does not want us to forget. He wants us to be good stewards of the manifold grace of God and remember these things for our own encouragement and for our children that we might tell them and tell others what the Lord has done for us. And so, I'm saying it does say we will find. Find mercy. You know, we're always going to be poor and needy that way. We're always going to be saying, God, be merciful to me. Now, son of David, we're always going to be in need of mercy. We tend to think that we're tough, that we're self-sufficient. But it's not true, is it? The more we go on, the more we realize again how desperately needy and poor we are. And it says we can find grace. Do you believe that it's possible to get more grace than you've already got? I believe so. Yes, it's possible to grow in grace. It's possible to find yet more grace than we've ever had before. Moses says, Lord, if I've found grace in Your sight, and He had, then show me Your way that I may know You and find grace in Your sight. It's possible to find more grace than we've ever had before. Be encouraged to come to the throne of grace. It's possible to find more. It's possible to find more grace than somebody else has found. It's possible for one brother to have more grace than another. Do you know that? That doesn't bother you, does it? Your eye isn't evil because he is generous. Gracious, is it? You can be sure if somebody else has more grace than you, it's not going to hurt you a bit. It's going to only help you and be a furtherance to the Kingdom of God. Well, no need to worry about that if somebody gets more than you. But the invitation is for you to come right on in and find more yourself. The Bible is full of examples of those who found grace to help in their time of need. It says Noah found grace in the sight of the Lord, right? There was Hezekiah up against impossible odds, and he came to the throne and found grace to help. One angel destroyed 185,000. of the enemy. Elijah was in a showdown on Mount Carmel. He called on the Lord and he found great grace to help in his time of need. Daniel was in need of wisdom. He cried out to God. He found grace to help in his time of need. The apostles were under threat. They lifted up their voice to God. They found grace to help in their time of need. The Lord Jesus, being in agony, He prayed all the more fervently. And then we find angels ministering to Him. So there is grace, a greater grace to subdue all that sin, to subdue all, to take care of all that adversity, and to meet our need and make us more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Finally, it says we should come confidently. We should come boldly. That's how we ought to come. I've given you about ten reasons why you should come, and now how do you come? It says we ought to come confidently and boldly. right on in to the throne of grace. That means this for sure. It means you've got to come with a true heart. You can't come confidently. You can't come boldly with a divided heart. You can't do business with God if there's some sin fluttering around in your conscience. It says in Hebrews 10, let us draw near with a true heart. A true heart. Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? He who has clean hands and a pure heart." James says, draw near to God and He'll draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Don't expect you'll get anything from God if you've got a double mind and a double heart. I mean, it's just basic Christianity. You've got to have a true heart. God is looking for honesty down deep in the innermost person. That is one thing you've got to have. You can have all sorts of sin problems, but you come and say, here I am, Lord. Honestly, here's my condition. Here I am. I don't want to get rid of this sin. I love this sin, but yet I hate this sin and I know You do too. And you're just being honest with God. You've got to draw near with a true heart. You know of one fellow back there? He's been out on the mission field. And he knows the gospel. He knows all this stuff. But he admits he's got trouble with pornography. And he hates it, but he loves it. And he's admitting that he's not a Christian and he's just not willing to break on it. His heart is divided. That's what's holding him back. If he'd just settled that thing in his heart, he'd come right on through. Our own daughter, Evangeline, was saved at the Heart Guide Conference about three or four years ago. And, you know, we had difficulty with her. I mean, she was the last one to come to Christ, and it was perplexing. I mean, she'd call Terry and I up to talk with her, and it almost seemed like a case of demonic bondage to us. I mean, she would confess this and that and that she wanted to become a Christian. Well, why don't you tell God this? And so she would say, God, I believe You died for me. And we'd say, no, you've got to get that right. It was Jesus. God sent Jesus to die for you. And then she'd say, well, Jesus, I believe You died. Well, do you believe that Jesus died for you? Well, God, I believe You died for me. And it's just back and forth. And it was just a blockage there. And then at the HeartCry conference, God did break through and saved her. And she confessed. It wasn't anything complicated. She was just still had some stubbornness that she was retaining, hiding in her heart. She wasn't really yet willing to dethrone self. So, if we're going to come confidently and boldly, it must be with a true and an honest heart. If we are a Christian, make sure you're not toying with some sin, you're not entertaining some sin down deep in your heart. If I entertain, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. No need trying to approach to the throne that way. But come rather with a whole heart. How blessed are those who seek Him with all their heart. You know, we shouldn't be surprised that God has set it up that way, that it's all of our heart. We shouldn't be surprised. A lot of things are that way. A lot of times you can't crack the nut loose on a bolt unless you give it all you've got. A lot of things are that way. You don't win the ball game a lot of times unless you give it everything you've got. And so the Lord has set it up that way. The lukewarm, the pinstraddler, He's in the worst position of all. Woe to the man who's got a divided heart. You've got to come with a non-optional attitude and a desperate attitude as we've been hearing already today. I know of one fellow. He had a long-standing besetting sin and finally got so sick of it, cried out to God, Lord, if You can't, if You won't deliver me from this sin, put me in hell right now. The story is that he never had trouble with that again. He had substantial victory from that sin from there on. No vacillation, no hesitation, no moderation, no toleration. Well, that's not the name of the game anymore in the USA and the pulpits too. But we come with absolute resolution before God. You know, I've felt this. I know every Christian knows these things about the brevity of life. the weakness and the frailty of the flesh, the certainty of death, the judgment to come, the length of eternity. Every Christian knows that. I was well aware of those things all my Christian life. But now with this pancreatic cancer, and they're saying there's nothing they can do basically for that. It's a death sentence. And it is different being tied to the track and hearing the train coming. It is different. You feel it more. And, you know, I really felt it last summer. I mean, I thought I was going to die right then. Like, I didn't have days or weeks to live. And here, by the grace of God, I've had some months. I don't have any doubt that I'd be dead right now if it weren't for the prayers of the saints like you. But what I'm saying is, The thing that just came upon me so powerfully more than ever, and that is when you are facing death, the one thing you do not want is any sin in your heart. I mean, we're not talking about a perfection, but we are talking about direction and intention. That is the contraband you do not want when you're facing death and thinking about meeting the living God. And so, anyway, what do we have in the final analysis when we're facing death? You know, you don't have anything but the Lord. Everything's going to be stripped away. The wife, the children, the friends, whatever wealth you've got, it's all going to be stripped right away. And all you have is whatever you've got with the Lord. Do I really love the Lord or not? Do I really know Him? Why have I been doing what I've been doing? Do I really love the Lord or not? Or have I just been fooling myself? And the thing you want, more than ever, is to be near to the heart of God. Just right up close. Right up close to Him. And the invitation here in this text tonight is to come to draw near to the throne of grace, to draw near to God, to draw near with all your heart, confidently, boldly, boldly approach the eternal throne. Come confidently holding up the promises. You know, I'm exhorting you Here's another thing that I feel facing death, and that is if I could do something over again, I'd like to be mightier in the Scriptures. I would like to know the book better than I do. I would like to know something in every chapter. I wish I'd memorized more Scripture. Why not? Why do we allow Why do we not choose the good part more than we do? Some things have got to be done. But you know, the older you get, and then especially face and death, you realize right here, boy, you want to know the book of God. And be mighty in the Scriptures like Apollos. Be rich in the Scriptures, Colossians 3. And the more you know the Bible, the better you're able to do business with God in prayer. Holding up before Him the promises of God. I think one of the most powerful things that my children would ever say when they wanted something was when they said, Dad, you told us. And you just hold up the promises before God and that's your ammunition. That's your leverage. The great and precious promises of God. Come confident in His willingness. A throne of grace. Confident in His ability. It is a mighty throne. Large petitions. Paul Washer called me last day of the year. No, it was the first day of the year. He said, Brother Bob, what day is this? I said, I believe it's the first day of the year. And he just started squealing like a little kid for joy. He says we were in need of a quarter million dollars right down to the deadline. And in one day, this day, yesterday, came in a third of a million dollars. Large petitions. His grace and power are such that one can never ask too much. The nearness of God is our good, right? Draw near to this mighty throne of grace.