Positional Power
(Its Who You Know That Really Counts)
Hebrews 4:14-16
A pastor in a small Midwestern city sat reading the Saturday newspaper. He turned to the religion section and was surprised to see a full-page article on a sister church in the community. That following week he called the pastor and asked how he managed to get such fantastic coverage. His colleague answered, “Oh, that’s easy to explain. We have the managing editor in our congregation!”
In other words, he had a contact on the inside—someone with clout, with leverage, with pull. As the old worldly expression goes, “It ain’t what you know, so much as WHO you know!”
Have you ever had an experience where it paid to know the right person? Perhaps you had a relative or friend in just the right position to assist you. It pays to have someone you know in high places—like the young man who landed a position with a reputable firm because his mother-in-law was an executive there—or the instance when two tickets to the world series were received by two brothers from their best friend who was with the Yankees.
Our Scripture in Hebrews 4 tells us that believers have “positional advantage.” They have a high priest who goes to the Father on their behalf. They have spiritual clout, leverage—Someone on the inside!
If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you have found your way into the kingdom of God, which means:
Forgiveness
Salvation
Eternal life
Heaven
Peace within
Joy unspeakable
Contentment
Adoption
And if we’ve found our way into God’s family, its not because we DESERVE to be there, or because we worked your way in, but because Jesus set His love upon us and opened the way by giving His very life for us.
If we’ve been born-again, we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses.
If we’re walking in fellowship with God, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.
If we truly know the Lord, we can find grace to help in time of need!
GIDEON defeated the Amalakites because he knew Somebody.
DANIEL survived dinner at the Lions Club because he knew Somebody.
DAVID was able to defeat the giant because he knew Somebody.
MOSES was able to lead Israel out of bondage because he knew Somebody.
PETER and JOHN were delivered from prison because they knew Somebody.
And if you and I are experiencing the power of God in our lives today, its because we know Somebody. And that Somebody is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ! So rejoice in Him and the fact that He died to redeem and sustain you.
As we come to the Throne Room, we do so with a certain attitude:
1. Reverence—we tiptoe in; we are in the presence of the Almighty, the Holy One.
2. Humility—it is only by His grace that we are afforded entrance
3. Thanksgiving
4. Faith—quoting Hebrews 11:6, all the way: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
5. Confidence—in His love for us and His desire that we approach Him.
6. Boldness (Hebrews 4:16)
Illus.: “Strange Boy Gets Ticket”
A father took his children to the county fair one day. Since they were obviously not interested in the animals, the father bought a whole roll of tickets for the various rides. As each of the children approached a ride, they would hold out their hand to get a ticket from their father. At one ride, after all his children had received tickets, a strange boy held out his hand, expecting a ticket. Well, he wasn’t about to give this boy a ticket, so he drew his hand back. Upon seeing this, his son Stephen turned and said to his dad, “Its ok, dad. This is my friend. I told him you would give him a ticket.” Do you know what the father did? He gave the boy a ticket in Steven’s name. You see, that boy got a ride not because of what he knew, but because of WHO he knew!
And that’s calleD POSITIONAL ADVANTAGE!
Illus.: “Praise the Lord for Two Oranges”
While crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner, F.B. Meyer was asked to speak to the first class passengers. At the captain’s request he spoke on “Answered Prayer.” An agnostic who was present at the service was asked by his friends, “What did you think of Dr. Meyer’s sermon?” “I didn’t believe a word of it,” he answered. That afternoon Meyer went to speak to the fourth-class passengers. Many of the listeners at his morning address went along, including the agnostic, who claimed he just wanted to hear “What the babbler had to say.” Before starting for the service, the agnostic put two oranges in his pocket. On his way he passed an elderly woman sitting in her deck chair fast asleep. Her hands were open. In the spirit of fun, the agnostic put the two oranges in her open hand. After the meeting, he saw the old lady happily eating one of the oranges. “You seem to be enjoying that orange,” he said with a smile. “Yes, sir,” she replied, “My Father is very good to me.” “Your father? Surely your father can’t still be alive!” “Praise God,” she replied, “He is very much alive. I’ve been seasick for days. I was asking God somehow to send me an orange. I suppose I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had not only sent me one orange, but two!” The agnostic was speechless.
You see what advantages there are to knowing the right Person?
WE HAVE ACCESS
The word access is found only 3 times in the New Testament—Romans 5:1-2; Ephesians 2:18 and 3:12. These 3 passages teach us four things about access.
1. We have access into grace (Rom.5:2). God’s throne is the throne of grace (undeserved favor).
2. We have access to the Father (Eph.2:18). Though He is Sovereign, we can still approach Him as a child does a father.
3. We have access through Jesus Christ (I Tim.2:5). The blood gives us a certain boldness (Heb.10:19).
4. We have access by our faith (Rom.5:2; Ephe.3:12). The essential ingredient is prayer (Heb.10:22).
Privilege always carries with it RESPONSIBILITY! We MUST pray. Why?
1. Because of what prayer does to us. Someone once asked George McDonald, “Why pray if God loves us and knows everything we need before we ask?” McDonald answered, “What if He knows that prayer is the one thing we need first and most? What if the main object in God’s idea of prayer is the supplying of our greatest need—the need of God Himself?”
2. Because of what it does in the church. V Raymond Edman, past president of Wheaton College, when he was a missionary in Ecuador, lay so near death that his wife actually dyed her wedding dress black for his funeral. But thousands of miles away in Boston, Dr. Joseph Evans, unaware of Edman’s plight, responded to the Spirit’s direction to have his prayer group pray for Edman. They prayed desperately until Evans concluded, “Praise the Lord! The victory is won!” Edman was healed and served the Lord for 40 more years.
3. Because Jesus prayed. He prayed because of the demands of the people. Their needs were so great. He became exhausted in prayer, physically and emotionally. Also, His enemies were closing in on Him. Even though He was God and also man, He nevertheless felt the pressure. So He got away—alone with His Father. That’s what we need on occasion. It might be a parked car, a church sanctuary, a public park, a bedroom, a bathroom—even a cemetery! The point is we need a place and a time where we can hear God—and where He can hear from us. It will take sacrifice, discipline, and planning We will have to make room for it
Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter struggled with making time for prayer. He realized that there was a part of him that wanted to pray and a part that didn’t. That part that didn’t was his emotions, and the part that did was his intellect and will. Here’s what he wrote in his diary as he struggled his way to victory:
As never before, my will and I stood face to face.
I asked my will the straight question: “Will, are you
ready for an hour of prayer?” Will answered, “Here
I am, and I’m quite ready if you are.” So Will and I
linked arms and turned to go for our time of prayer.
At once all the emotions began pulling the other way
and protesting, “We’re not coming.” I saw Will stagger
just a bit, so I asked, “Can you stick it out, Will?” Will
replied, “I can if you can.” So Will went and we got down
to pray, dragging those wriggling emotions with us.
When you pray, remember 3 important things:
1. The love of God wants the best for you.
2. The wisdom of God knows what’s best for you.
3. The power of God can accomplish it.
Thomas Watson: “The angel fetched Peter out of prison, but it was prayer that fetched the angel!”
Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge you to be people of prayer. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that we can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray—to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight—all through the day. Let us pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word “concern” out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those whl have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice.
Robert E. Lee
