Friday’s Featured Sermon: “The Benefits of Knowing Christ”

I once heard the story of a man who spent his entire life in abject poverty. Soon after his death, a massive deposit of gold was discovered just beneath the surface of his small plot of land. I found it staggering to contemplate the vast resources that poor man had right under his feet his whole, wretched life—without ever knowing about it.

Sadly, many Christians live their lives in a similar kind of oblivious ignorance. And while the poor man’s ignorance was largely excusable, the clueless believer has no such defense. As John MacArthur points out, we must not be so foolish as to overlook the immense resources we enjoy as the Body of Christ:    

Discontent, dissatisfaction, unfulfillment, and disillusionment all have a way of spilling into the church. And we pick up the kind of jaded emptiness of the world around us, and we too try to fill our life with passing things and creature comforts. And when we do reach those inevitable hours of life that are filled with pain, hurt, confusion, and trouble, we listen to the siren calls of the world and pursue solutions that have been concocted by men—somehow losing focus on the One who alone is the source of all of our sufficiency, namely Jesus Christ.

John’s sermon “The Benefits of Knowing Christ” examines Christ’s ongoing priestly work on our behalf. It is a message that expounds Hebrews 4:14–16 to reveal what Christ has been doing for His people ever since He purchased redemption through His life, death, and resurrection.

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 to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14–16)

As Christians, we have the ultimate defense lawyer working full-time on our behalf in the heavenly courts of God.

Such ongoing intercession for us is what yields eternal life. He ever lives to make that ongoing intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). He has entered into heaven and there He is ever living, seated at the right hand of the throne making this ongoing intercession on our behalf. . . .

If you have trials in life, struggles, difficulty, and pain, where are you going to go? If you want direct access to God you go to the One who sits at His right hand interceding on your behalf, the One who makes ceaseless intercession for you, the One who knows God perfectly, who knows God’s will exactly, the One who knows you, the One who knows you perfectly, who knows what is best for you.

What could be more profitable for a believer than to be reminded of our sufficient resources that can be freely accessed in Christ.