“Access” - Pastor Manuel Saucedo

Paul writes to the church of Ephesus and tells them to remember where they came from. Ephesians 2:18 brings the heart of it: through Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles have access in one Spirit to the Father. Jesus filled the gap that sin had made. Jesus shed his blood for the sins of the nations, reconciled man back to God, and brought far away people close.

Access means admission, permission to enter, the price has been paid. The image of “access denied” makes the warning heavy, because some people will stand before God thinking they paid into the right account, only to find out they were banking in the wrong bank. The blood of Jesus gives total access, unhindered access, not because of good merit or religious labor, but because Jesus paid the bill. Believers do not labor to be loved. Believers labor because they are loved.

Christian freedom does not mean freedom to do whatever the flesh wants. God set people free from torment because heaven is real, purpose is real, and the will of God has to replace personal will. The old life has to show evidence that Jesus is working on the inside and showing up on the outside. A life of sin puts the barrier back up, and repentance tears that agreement down.

Hebrews 10 shows the new and living way opened through the curtain. The torn curtain declares that the debt has been paid and the separation between Creator and creation has been ripped in two. A true heart can draw near even while it still knows it has issues. The devil accuses and says, “Look at what happened yesterday,” but Jesus paid the price, and the way back to God is still open.

The throne of grace is not closed for maintenance, weekends, or holidays. Mercy and grace are available continuously, but access has a purpose: prayer. Prayer is communion with the Father. If Jesus prayed, then the church needs prayer all the more.

The Lord’s Prayer gives the skeleton of prayer, not a dead repetition. Prayer begins with desire, but desire has to become discipline. Discipline grows into persistence, persistence into dedication, and dedication into delight. The presence of God becomes the place where joy fills the heart, strength rises again, perspective changes, and the flesh loses its grip. No prayer leaves believers offended, depressed, confused, and asleep. The fire starts in prayer, and the altar is where God ignites the heart again.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus paid the access bill Access is not earned by good behavior, church activity, or religious effort. Access means admission has been granted because the price has already been paid by the blood of Jesus. That truth removes pride and despair at the same time, because no one can boast in deserving it, and no broken believer has to stay outside the door. [68:59]
• 2. A true heart still draws near A true heart is not pretending to be clean while hiding what is broken. A true heart knows the issues, the anger, the weakness, and the mess, but still comes toward God because Jesus made a way. The accuser uses shame to push people away from prayer, but the blood of Christ calls them into the throne room with honesty. [79:12]
• 3. Access is for prayerful communion Access to the Father is not just a doctrine to admire, it is a doorway into relationship. Prayer is where the believer actually uses what Jesus opened through his death and resurrection. A life that refuses prayer is treating the open door like it does not matter, while still claiming to want the house of God. [85:33]
• 4. Prayer grows into delight Prayer may begin as desire, but desire alone will not keep a person in the secret place. Discipline trains the flesh, persistence keeps going through resistance, and dedication makes prayer part of the life instead of a passing mood. Over time, the place that once felt hard becomes the place the soul craves most. [91:21]
• 5. The fire starts in prayer Spiritual fire does not stay alive by activity alone, because even ministry can become smoke without communion. Prayer is where the heart returns to first love, where the Spirit wakes the sleeping church, and where God begins to move through a life again. A prayerless house leaves old devils waiting at the door, but a praying life changes the atmosphere.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [23:51] - Worship and calling on Jesus
• [62:20] - Ephesians 2:18 and access
• [63:32] - Jews and Gentiles brought near
• [67:31] - Access denied and paid admission
• [70:08] - Laboring because God already loves
• [73:34] - Sin’s barrier removed by Jesus
• [77:04] - The torn curtain opens the way
• [79:12] - Drawing near with a true heart
• [82:03] - Boldness at the throne of grace
• [84:35] - Access leads into prayer
• [91:21] - Desire, discipline, and delight
• [95:19] - Joy and strength in prayer
• [99:01] - The fire starts in prayer
• [109:35] - Altar call for fresh fire

1. In Ephesians 2:18, who is included in the word “both,” and what do they now have through Jesus? [01:04:00]
2. According to Hebrews 10:19-22, what opened the new and living way into God’s presence, and what kind of heart is called to draw near?
3. What are some of the meanings of the word “access” that were brought out, and how do those meanings help explain what Jesus has given believers? [01:09:13]
4. What practical contrast was made between unintentional daily sin and a settled life of sin, and what warning was connected to that? [01:13:46]

1. If access to the Father has been given “through him,” what does that say about every other way people may try to approach God or secure heaven? [01:08:59]
2. Hebrews 10 says to draw near with a true heart. Why does a true heart matter so much, especially when a person knows there are still struggles, weakness, or unresolved issues? [01:19:12]
3. Hebrews 4:16 connects bold access to mercy, grace, and help in time of need. What does that suggest about the purpose of access, and why is prayer such a central part of it? [01:24:18]
4. If prayer often begins with desire but must grow into discipline, persistence, dedication, and delight, what does that reveal about why many believers struggle to build a steady prayer life? [01:31:52]

1. Where is there a temptation right now to trust in good behavior, church activity, or personal effort instead of the blood of Jesus? What would it look like to rest again in the truth that the bill has already been paid? [01:10:15]
2. Is there any area of ongoing compromise that is putting a barrier back up in daily fellowship with God? What would honest repentance look like this week? [01:14:28]
3. When shame, accusation, or memories of yesterday try to push a person away from God, what usually happens next? What would it look like to come anyway with a true heart instead of pulling back? [01:19:49]
4. If access has been given for communion with the Father, how has prayer actually been going lately? Is prayer being treated like an open door, or more like something that can always wait until later? [01:24:35]
5. Which stage best describes prayer life right now: desire, discipline, persistence, dedication, or delight? What is one simple next step that could help move forward from that stage? [01:32:47]
6. What tends to crowd prayer out most easily—fatigue, distractions, phone time, discouragement, anger, or something else? How could space be made this week to seek God first in a more intentional way? [01:28:27]
7. Where is fresh fire needed most right now—in personal holiness, the home, marriage, parenting, peace of mind, or strength to keep going? How could more consistent prayer begin to change the atmosphere in that area? [01:39:33]