throne-room-y Bible stuff

youtube theologians this week concordia university in austin asked me to do a little video for their online chapel they're like half online half in person so uh they're and they're talking about this week this beautiful theme of how jesus prays for us and so i went through the five things that happened at the throne of god i thought you guys might enjoy that video and i'm working on something on the end times it's one of the things that lutherans don't talk about the end times that much and so i'm thinking about putting something together so if you have questions about end times and the lutheran view of the end times then post those in the comments anyway i hope you enjoyed chapel thanks god's peace be with you good morning concordia university family god be praised for another day in the lord's name i'm pastor brian welcome you're the pastor at st paul and jesus staff lutheran churches in austin texas and delighted to be with you for the online uh chapel this morning especially during this beautiful week where we're considering together how jesus prays for us the two chief verses for that romans 8 34 a little bit after our text how jesus always intercedes for us and then this beautiful verse in hebrews 7 verse 25 where it says that jesus lives to he ever lives to intercede for us and so this office of intercession that jesus is engaged in now that he right now is before the throne of god praying for us now in our gospel lesson john 17 we have this high priestly prayer of jesus where he prays for his disciples and for all who would believe because of the disciples work and their apostolic ministry that's us it's amazing that jesus is already praying for us and then this text in romans 8 is so packed full of beauty and wonder i heard someone once say that of all the beautiful books of the bible romans is the most beautiful and of all the beautiful chapters in romans chapter 8 is the most beautiful so we're at the sort of pinnacle of the wonder of god's mercy every verse could have a sermon on it but i think that to make it all make sense we want to dig into a biblical idea that it seems to me to be neglected or just sort of missed at least let me just say that i've i've missed it most of my life as i've studied the scripture and that is the importance of the throne room of god we see all through the old testament the idea that the lord sits on the throne that he rules and reigns and it goes into the new testament as well in fact we confess every day that jesus sits at the right hand of god the father in the book of revelation ends the bible with all the conversation of who's on the throne as the lamb who's there sitting on the throne and this idea of the throne of god is particularly important this throne room of god in our current situation our government is divided so making the laws enforcing the laws and judging the laws are all divided into three branches of government you have the judicial which makes judgments that's the courthouse and then you have the executive the president which enforces and then you have the legislative which crafts the law and so forth so you have these three you have this divided government but in the ancient world all of that was confined in the throne the king was the supreme court remember how solomon is there making judge court cases they the two women bring the baby and he says that that whole thing was because the throne was where the king set was also the judgment hall now i think there's probably five things when we study the scripture that happen at the throne room of god and and so whenever we i mean maybe this is for one other no other reason that whenever you're studying the scriptures on your own and you and you come across those verses that talk about the throne room of god that you pause and kind of take in the wonder of it i've got a list here the five things that happen at the throne room of god and the first one is perhaps the most important for the preaching of the gospel it's a court room god is hearing court cases and and the chief case that we're concerned with is our own case the the lord is hearing a case against us this is what satan the accuser does remember job for example brings the case against job and says that job shouldn't be righteous he's only righteous because of all this stuff or whatever and so the case is heard and jesus goes into that court case as our advocate we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous one jesus is our defense attorney he brings into the court case against us his blood and says because of this sins are forgiven and the god the father declares us to be innocent or righteous that's our doctrine of justification uh really beautiful the second thing that's happening there is that petitions are received you know we often think of our prayers simply as a person talking to a son talking to a father a daughter talking to a father but you know there's a sense of official petitions i know whenever i go downtown there's always the greenpeace guys are always trying to get me to sign the petition so that you can be officially heard in the in the legislature the state house or whatever well there's a sense that as our prayers ascend into heaven and the incense of our prayers rises into the throne room of god that they arrive there as official petitions as the church prays together this is the sense of it and this is the is where jesus is taking our prayers perfecting our prayers and presenting them to god the father so our text in romans talks about how the holy spirit inspires our prayers so our prayers begin in the in the word of god and the holy spirit in our own hearts and they're carried to heaven and jesus takes them and he in some ways it's sort of like he auto corrects them and he perfects them so that by time our petitions reach the ears of god the father they're completely pleasing in his sight really quite wonderful the third thing and we can't miss this is that there's conversation between the father and the son and the holy spirit in fact that there has been an eternal conversation of love and compassion between the three persons of the holy and blessed trinity is a way to understand how there's room in god for his for our own petitions is that the lord's this ongoing conversation a true conversation between the three persons of the godhead opens up a way for our own conversations to enter in there but there's these wonderful places in the bible where we hear about how god talks the father talks to the son or the son talks to the father you are my son today i have begotten you sit here at my right hand until i make your enemies your footstool my god my god why have you forsaken me places like this and so we get little glimpses of that conversation uh between the father son and holy spirit in fact jeremiah 23 tells us that the prophet's job was to listen to that conversation and report it so that in the scriptures we're hearing this conversation the declarations of of the of the lord father son and holy spirit and then there's praise and worship that happens there we see this picture in the book of revelation where the elders fall down before the throne of god and they they put their crowns before him and they worship and praise him forever and ever the angels fly around the throne isaiah 6 tells us saying holy holy holy and and we every sunday with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven lord and magnify your glorious name so when we praise the lord we join in this and then there's ascending that happens from that throne room who will go for us send me send me the lord sends the prophets the apostles are sent and so forth so that from the throne room of god there's uh there's messengers sent to the earth declarations sent to the earth and the holy scriptures are especially this now the the kind of fun thing to think about is that the five things that happened before the throne of god are really a reflection of what our worship should be uh when we gather together on sunday there's a little there's a little shadow on earth of the heavenly light and glory so that we also hear what god the father and son are thinking about we also hear that the declaration has happened and that we are justified in the absolution we hear the declaration the the legal declaration of our own innocence and in the preaching of the gospel and then there's petitions that are received we offer our prayers to the lord we praise and worship him for who he is and for what he's done and rather than sending i mean we there is a sending out from church but rather we should understand ourselves to be on the receiving end of what's sent from heaven that jesus himself comes down in his body and blood that the holy spirit is there so that so that what is sent from heaven is received by us on earth it's really a quite wonderful picture of what the liturgy is and this whole context of the throne room of god i think really helps us understand what it means that jesus is interceding and praying for us that number one he brings his death and resurrection for our righteousness and salvation number two he grabs up our prayers and presents them to god the father so that the father receives our prayers as a gift from his own son and number three this conversation of eternal love between the father son and holy spirit is also about us if you can believe it that he he has concern for us and his concern is that we would be blessed by faith and love in this life and that we would make it to the to the gift of eternal life and the resurrection where we also will stand in this throne room and join our voices to all those gathered there in praise and adoration to the father and of the son and of the holy spirit so i hope this is helpful this idea of the throne room not only for the conversation this week about how how jesus prays for us but in all of your study of the scriptures let's pray oh lord we give you thanks that you have made known to us on earth the glorious happenings of your throne room that we get to overhear the conversation that happens there the glorious and gracious declarations of of our own righteousness and innocence as we'll stand before you in judgment we thank you that you hear our prayers and receive them as requests from your people and your children and we pray that you would continue to send your holy spirit to us to keep us in the true faith and trusting in your mercy to life everlasting for we ask this all through jesus christ your son our lord who lives and reigns with you in the holy spirit one god world without end amen the lord bless you and keep you the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you the lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace amen thanks again for having me this morning god's peace be with you you

Channel: Bryan Wolfmueller

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Length: 10min 32sec (632 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 13 2020