The Privilege of Access

Hebrews 4:14-16 · 2026-04-13 · John Perez · When We Pray

Hebrews 4:14-16 · Intercessory Prayer, Prayer. The Privilege of Access — sermon from Cypress Bible Church on BibleSlides.

The Privilege of Access Hebrews 4:14-16 The Privilege of Access INTRODUCTION In the 1990s, a godly woman Linda Cantu, introduced me to a ministry which did outreach in McAllen, Texas in the Texas Rio Grande Valley. This outreach served as a recovery home for recovering addicts and parolees. The men in the home affectionately called each other “homeboys”. If you were to have asked one of them, why they were so joyful, you would likely hear them explain how through Jesus Christ they came to know true life and what true family was. That their former addiction and affiliations did not nor could they have satisfied them as the person of Jesus could. For many of the men in this home, a privilege beyond their wildest dreams came out of nowhere. They went from a culture of death and violence to a new life in Jesus Christ. Their joy and tears during their moments of praise and prayers were the only correct response. I mean what can a former gang banger give to God but his song after having received the privileges which come with a new life in Jesus Christ? However, there were those who, after knowing of this great privilege, left the ministry and returned to their old life. I know that for many the problem of returning to crime or addiction after having received the Gospel sounds extreme, but the heart problem is the same with everyone who is introduced to the saving power of the Gospel. No matter our education, our career, our home situation, if we are not careful, we too could neglect the privilege of having access to God through Christ Jesus. In fact, it is the problem which the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were wrestling with. From the internal evidence of the letter itself, we can deduce that the audience was most likely ethnic Jews who had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. It is likely that while they likely had not endured martyrdom, they were experiencing persecution for their belief in Jesus. This persecution had caused enough of them to contemplate leaving the Christian faith and returning to the Jewish Temple system. In other words, a profession of faith in Jesus had presented difficulties which in their previous life they would not have experienced had they remained in Judaism. They were remembering the “good days” in Judaism and it was appealing to them. This letter, then, is a passionate plea to these Jewish believers to remain steadfast in their faith in Jesus. And the passionate plea was simple but powerful: Jesus is better. (Slide 2) Why is it better? Well, Hebrews 4:14-16 is a point in the author’s plea which highlights how through Jesus one has the great privilege of accessing God. And this access is special because it’s an access which none could have earned. Access to God is conditioned on the redemptive work of Jesus…

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