Leading The Way

Dr. Michael Youssef: Today I want to tell you about the grace of God that can only be found in that converted throne of grace.

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef, teacher on Leading the Way.

Dr. Michael Youssef: When the Bible speaks about a throne, it is a figure of speech. It is a figurative language describing the awesome power of God.

Guest (Male): Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef is a worldwide media ministry wholly dedicated to sharing God’s grace in this community, the Middle East, and in remote villages far and wide. We’d encourage you to take a moment to visit LTW.org to learn more about Dr. Youssef and the global reach of Leading the Way. Wait, though, because right now, Dr. Youssef is ready to begin his powerful message: God’s Grace Gives Confidence. Let’s listen together.

Dr. Michael Youssef: Between the years 1889 and 1913, there was an emperor in the land of Ethiopia by the name of Menelik II. He’s the forebear of Emperor Haile Selassie that was deposed back in the 60s. One day, Emperor Menelik II heard that in the West, they have an instrument by which they punish criminals. And that instrument was called the electric chair.

He liked the idea so much, he asked his people to order one and buy it from the West. So they shipped one from Europe. And when the electric chair had arrived, nobody has ever bothered to tell the emperor that the electric chair would not have worked in Ethiopia in those days because, simply, they did not have electricity.

So after the chair had arrived, Menelik was determined that he’s not going to let his purchase go to waste, and he is going to make use of it. So he turned the electric chair into a throne for the emperor in which he ruled his nation, and thus converting the instrument of torture and death into a throne fit for the king.

Today, I want to tell you about another throne that was converted from a throne of judgment to becoming a throne of grace. I want to tell you about this converted throne from being an instrument of pain and condemnation to being the instrument of salvation eternally. But this conversion was no accident. This conversion was not by mistake. This conversion was planned before the world began.

I want to tell you, in all seriousness, this is probably the most serious message on the subject of grace that I’ve been preaching in this series of messages. Probably it’s the one thing that’s going to make your life either a joyful life or a miserable Christian life.

Because the truth be said, the vast majority of Christians become great prayer warriors when they are in trouble. The truth is this: the vast majority of Christians develop a wonderful prayer life when they are desperate. That is the fact. Now, you don’t believe me? Go to any church you like, anywhere in the world, and compare the percentage of those who turn up for prayer meeting with those who turn up for Sunday meetings. You will discover that those who turn up for prayer meeting are far less in number than those who turn up for Sunday worship.

Or ask the average Christian: how long do you spend in your personal prayer time when everything is going well in your life? Not how long do you spend in your prayer life when you’re in trouble. How long do you spend in your prayer life when everything is going just fine, no problems?

Someone may say, "Well, Dr. Youssef, we just don’t have time. We live busy lives." I tell you what, I want to make you a deal. Get a pad next to you on your living room and then mark down the number of hours that you watch television. I don’t care if it’s news or not news, just anything. Just mark those numbers. Mark those hours. Add them up.

Then add the hours and the moments, probably the seconds, in which you spend in intimacy with God. You’ll discover that you’ve got plenty of time. We all have time. Get up early. Go to bed late. Do whatever it takes to be in intimacy with God because that is going to make a difference between whether you live a joyful life or a tormented life.

Now I want to tell you something. There are several reasons that are working against us to stop us from developing that incredible power resurgence in our lives. Number one, we have an enemy. We have an enemy who knows more than you do. He knows more than I do what an incredible power, what an incredible strength that we get when we come to the throne of grace.

And he knows that. He knows it better than we do because it’s out in the supernatural realm, beyond this physical realm. He knows what God is doing. So what does he do? He does everything within his power to cut the source of the supply line by stopping you from praying.

There’s a second reason why this works against us. And the second reason is this: we genuinely, seriously, do not comprehend—we really do not understand, we do not comprehend—the awesome privilege of praying. We really don’t. We do not understand the unbelievable provisions that God made possible only in prayer. We do not understand the secret power that God has promised, that God has planned for every one of His children, but only in prayer. We do not understand that, and we do not appreciate it.

Then the third reason as to why we don’t pray when things are going well in our lives is because of our pride. Our pride. You say, "How does pride work here?" Well, listen carefully, please. Our pride tells us that we can solve any problem. Our pride tells us that there is nothing we could not achieve through hard work.

Our pride tells us that we can accomplish anything that we set our mind to accomplish. Isn’t that the gospel of the secular world? Our pride tells us that if we spend enough time, spend enough energy, and use our logic, we will do anything we can. We will do anything we want to do.

I want you to turn with me, please, to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16. I’m only going to focus on one verse. Hebrews 4:16 is an invitation to all those who put their trust in Jesus Christ, of all those who claim to be the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, to come and see, and experience, and know the awesome power of the grace of God that’s available to them when they come to the throne of grace.

Today, I want to tell you about the grace of God that can only be found—listen to me very carefully—that can only be found in that converted throne of grace. You see, when the Bible speaks about a throne, it does not speak of what most people imagine God being an old man like Old Saint Nick, sitting on a big chair and just laughing all the time and happy with whatever you do.

But when the Bible speaks about a throne, it is a figure of speech. It is a figurative language describing the awesome power of God. This is a figure of speech describing the awesomeness of the sovereignty of God, of the absolute control that God has over the whole universe.

How does the Bible describe the throne of God? Well, the Bible describes the throne of God as a throne of judgment. The Bible describes the throne of God as a throne of condemnation. The Bible describes that throne as the seat of judgment, on which God is sitting and judging the world. If you want to see some examples, turn to Revelation chapter 20 verse 11. There you’ll see what I mean by this throne being the throne of judgment.

Let me tell you something. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal savior, if you’ve never committed your life to Him, this ought to be a very frightening thing for you. But here’s the good news. The good news is today you can experience the conversion of the throne of judgment to becoming to you the throne of grace.

Because that’s exactly what the writer to the Hebrews is trying to tell us here. The Holy Spirit of God in Hebrews 4:16 is telling us that this throne of judgment to those who love God, to those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ, has been converted and became the throne of grace.

That’s what this verse in Hebrews 4:16 is saying. That the throne of condemnation to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, those who are committed their life to Jesus Christ, has now become the throne of mercy, the throne of grace, the throne of power, the throne of strength.

When Isaiah saw the throne of God, he could only say one thing. He just start muttering. He said, "Woe to me, I am ruined." But here in Hebrews 4:16, the Holy Spirit of God is telling us that that same throne to those who love the Lord Jesus Christ, this frightening, scary, terrifying throne has become to us a throne of grace. Amen.

To us, we have no fear anymore of judgment because we have escaped from judgment into life, eternal life. It is to us now a throne of grace. It is to us now a throne of receiving unmerited favor day after day after day. To us it has become a throne of great blessings from the hand of God. Today it has become a throne of unlimited forgiveness at the hand of God. Today it has become to us a throne of unlimited power and unlimited strength from the hand of God.

Why has this throne of judgment become to us the throne of grace? Three very good reasons: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Why is that throne converted from being the throne of judgment to those who love Jesus to becoming the throne of grace? First, God the Father. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:9, 10, and 11 that God the Father—listen carefully, please—that God the Father is anxious—just understand that for a minute, comprehend it, take it in—God the Father is anxious to give good gifts to His children.

Why has the throne of judgment become the throne of grace? God the Son, who sits on the right side of God. He is our great high priest, the Bible says. And the Bible tells us that our great high priest understands us. Our great high priest sympathizes with us. Our great high priest knows our weaknesses. As our great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ waits for us every single day to come to the throne of God, not for condemnation, but for a blessing. As our great high priest, He is waiting for us in order that we may receive victory over the trials of life.

Why has the throne of judgment been turned into a throne of grace for those who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ? God the Holy Spirit, as our advocate, our comforter, our counselor. He is full of grace, and He cannot wait for you to come so He may fill you with grace.

Why has the throne of judgment become the throne of grace? The Triune God. Because the God of grace, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each member of the Godhead has a part, plays a role in hearing and answering our prayers.

You want to know why? Because Jesus opened that door to us who have received Him into our lives. He has opened the door in order that we may receive the abundance of the awesome grace of God on a daily basis.

And that is why the writer to the epistle to the Hebrews is inviting all those who claim to have put their trust in Jesus Christ to draw near with confidence to that throne of grace. What does that mean? It means that if you try to come to the throne of grace based on your own merits, how good you are, how hard you have worked, you cannot have any confidence that your words are going to go above your nose.

It means that if you try to come to the throne of grace based on how good you are, the throne of grace becomes a throne of terror to you, becomes a throne of judgment to you. But if you come trusting only in what Jesus did for you, if you come confident only in Christ’s shed blood for you, then you’re going to find grace in the times of need.

Let me explain that verse very carefully. He’s not saying that only when you’re in times of need and in times of trouble, come to the throne of grace and you’ll receive it. That’s not really what he’s saying. He’s saying that when you come to the throne of grace regularly, when you come to the throne of grace daily, when you come to the throne of grace on a consistent basis, you already have power, you already have strength, you already have grace, so when the need arises, you’re already empowered. That’s what he’s saying here.

Now beloved friends, I want to tell you, there are some who are hearing me right now who are distraught and fearful. There are some who are hearing me right now who are in desperate need of wisdom and discernment. There is grace for you at the throne of grace.

There are some who are discouraged and about to give up. Let me tell you, there is grace for you at the throne of grace. Some of you are weak and feel defeated. Let me tell you today, there is victory for you in the throne of grace. Are you going through a trial in your life? Trials that are too hard to even verbalize or describe to somebody else? There is grace for you at the throne of grace. Are you trying to fight temptation with your own strength and you keep on failing and you keep on failing and you’re frustrated? I want to tell you, there is power in the blood when you come to the throne of grace.

Guest (Male): Listen to what James said. James said you do not have because you don’t ask. It’s that simple. But then for some, he said when they ask, they ask for the wrong things, they ask with the wrong motive, they ask the wrong way, and that’s why they don’t get. I want to tell you a story that summarizes what I’ve been trying to tell you in the past few minutes.

Dr. Michael Youssef: In the East, there is an ancient legend that tells of a king, a monarch, who had hired some people to make some tapestries for him, to make some garments for him. Among them, there was a young boy. This young boy seemed to everybody to be so skilled, so able, more than the people three times his age. He’s able to make beautiful tapestries. He was able to make beautiful robes, beautiful garments.

Now the king gave them all the same amount of silk. He gave them all the patterns that he wanted them to follow. He only made one request. And the request was this: "If you find yourself going the wrong way, making mistakes, don’t wait. Come to me immediately. Call me and I will show you how to correct it."

Well, this particular young man made really very quiet but fast and speedy progress in what he was doing. While all the others three times his age, they were distressed and they were constantly failing and constantly untangling and constantly redoing what they were doing.

And one day the other tapestry makers decided to go and talk to this young lad, and they gathered around him and they asked him and they said, "Why are you so happy? Why are you so successful in what you do? And you’re days ahead of us at work. Why are we always in trouble? Why are we always feeling that we’re not going anywhere? Why are we always frustrated and you seem to be doing all right? We find ourselves either getting the silk all entangled or the weaving vary from the pattern. And that causes a great deal of frustration. Something is always going wrong. Something is always wrong. Why? What’s going on here?"

The young lad thought for a minute and then he said to them, "Don’t you remember the words of the king when he told us to go to him whenever we needed help?" "Yeah, yes, yes. Well, we finally asked him for assistance. But by then things have become so snarled and things have become so confused and it’s taking us days to unravel our mistakes."

The boy said, "Well, did you notice me constantly going to him? Always going to him? Did you see how often I went to him for help?" They said, "Yes, but he’s a very busy king. And furthermore, we thought that you were arrogant in constantly disturbing his peace and constantly going to him."

The poor young man looked at them and said, "Well, all I did is I took him at his word. All I did is I took him at his word, and he was more than happy to help me." Now beloved friends, I want to tell you something. If an earthly king is glad to be taken at his word, how much more the King of Kings wants you to take Him at His word.

So I end my message where I have begun. Listen carefully. The reason we do not go to the throne of grace always, often, and regularly is because we do not comprehend the promise of the awesome power that’s reserved for us when we tarry in His presence. We do not understand the abundance of grace that can be poured upon us from the throne of grace when we approach Him in confidence. And the promise is this: let us approach the throne of grace regularly to help us when the time of need arises.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, heard in 28 of the world’s most spoken and most understood languages across six continents. You know, all of Dr. Youssef’s content is available online in podcast or through the Leading the Way app and more. We’ve got details to help you connect further with the ministry when you go to LTW.org. That’s LTW.org.

Introducing the Leading the Way mobile app, redesigned with a fresh look and powerful features to help you go deeper in God’s word. Easily connect with Dr. Youssef’s trusted Bible teaching anytime, anywhere. Write down what God is teaching you and return to your sermon notes whenever you need them.

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You know, during a recent staff meeting, a Leading the Way team member shared some testimonies from individuals and from families, people who’ve been impacted by Dr. Youssef. So we want to share some of that with you as well because we feel like they provide a glimpse into the spiritual hunger around the world today.

From the United States: "Thank you, Dr. Youssef, for your encouragement. I’ve been crying since I learned that God tells me that I can cast all of my cares on Him. Thank you for blessing my day, for changing my life through your teaching."

From Nigeria: "After listening to Leading the Way, I heard God’s call to make Jesus my Lord and Savior. I now know that He died so I can live."

Friends, if you would like to join with others impacting lives all around the world with the gospel, won’t you consider partnering with Dr. Youssef and Leading the Way? Call us to learn more. We’re at 866-626-4356. Or you can always use your computer or your mobile device to visit us online at LTW.org. That’s LTW.org.

You’re called to live out the truth of Christ, to grow in your faith, and spread the good news of God’s love. With Leading the Way’s website, we’re leveraging cutting-edge digital technologies to help you. That means more ways for you to access biblical teaching and share the gospel with the world.

At LTW.org, dive into powerful biblical teachings while reading or listening to the scripture, all from the same screen, enhancing both study and application. Need prayer or guidance? Our pastoral team is just a click away, ensuring you’re never walking this journey alone.

Since the launch of the new site, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in visitors from all over the world seeking truth and peace. Visit LTW.org today, bringing the uncompromising truth of God’s word to a world in need and walking boldly through every open door God provides. Check it out and share our website with a friend today. This program is brought to you by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.