Friday, August 23, 2013

What Does JOHN-JOHN Have That SCOTT-SCOTT Doesn't?


Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can, “Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  What a promise!  I’m just not sure we really understand its significance.  I think all too often we take these powerful words for granted. 

Perhaps a story from the political world can help us to wrap our minds around this great truth.  It's a story that takes place during the administration of President John F. Kennedy.  As you well likely now, the time of the JFK administration was often called Camelot.  One of the reasons for this was because it was the first time in many years that children ran and played through the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

The story is told of the day when President Kennedy was in the oval office and in a high level meeting with some of the greatest military minds in the world.  Those were tense and turbulent times for our country.  The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs had America on what seemed in the minds of many to be the brink of nuclear war.  Meetings such as these were certainly top priority. 

The story goes that as this meeting was taking place, a little boy called “John-John” came racing down the hall of the west wing.  He ran by armed security guards.  He ran by secret service agents.  He ran by administrative hierarchy, and he ran right in to the oval office where he leaped into the lap of President Kennedy.  You would think that little “John-John” was about ready to get into a whole lot of trouble for disturbing this high-level meeting of the President.  However, just the opposite happened.  President Kennedy stopped what he was doing, turned his attention away from the greatest military minds in the world, and focused his attention on little “John-John.”  How amazing. 

I have just one question.  Why was “John-John” able to do that?  How come “Scott-Scott” couldn't do that?  What makes “John-John” so different?  The answer is simple.  “John-John” had something true about him that will never be true of “Scott-Scott.”  “John-John” was the child of the President of the United States.  That's why “John-John” could do this and why “Scott-Scott” better never try such a bold move. 

But guess what?   Through faith in Christ I have become a child of the living God.  John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”  That makes me a child of Almighty God.  That means that any time I want, and as often as I want, I can run down the portals of heaven through prayer.  I can run past angelic honor guard.  I can run past the cherubim and the seraphim, and I can run right in to the throne room of God and I can leap into the lap of Almighty God.  And when I do, the very God of the universe will focus his attention on me.  Not because of anything I've done, but because of everything Jesus did for me on the cross. 

Because of the cross of Jesus, I can leap into my Heavenly Father's lap and talk to him.  Because of the cross of Jesus, I can leap into my Heavenly Father’s lap and sing to him.  Because of the cross of Jesus, I can leap into my Heavenly Father's lap and laugh with him.  Because of the cross of Jesus, I can leap into my Heavenly Father's lap and cry with him.  And because of the cross of Jesus, I can leap into my Heavenly Father's lap and sit there, simply being still and knowing that my Heavenly Father isn’t just the President of the United States – He is God. 


Folks, Listen, that's what Christianity is.  It's not a religion.  It's a relationship that allows us to come boldly into the presence of God.  That's what worship is.  I think sometimes we focus on the wrong things when it comes to our worship.  Worship isn't an hour-long church service.  Worship isn't a worship team.  It's not a song.  It's not an instrument.  It's not even a singer.  Worship is entering boldly into the presence of God through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ and finding His mercy, His grace, and His help in our time of need!

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