(ME)
Good morning Odessa First – FIRST TIME VISITORS – Intro myself – thankfulness at their being with us.
Over the last few weeks we have been focusing in on Hebrews 12 and talking about the UNSHAKEABLE Kingdom of God and how we can be a part of it.
We have discovered that God’s Kingdom contains:
1. An Unstoppable Momentum: we come to Christ in faith and we begin to run the race of living for God. The Holy Spirit provides us the momentum to run with endurance.
2. An Unconditional Love: because we sometimes get sidetracked by the things of life and living, God, our Father, brings loving correction into our lives to help us stay focused.
3. An Unrestrained Pursuit: because God loves us as sons and daughters He wants us to pursue Him, but also, pursue PEACE with all men. Doing those things that make for peace gives us the freedom to run this race with others.
Today we are going to look at Hebrews 12:18-29 and learn some characteristics of this UNSHAKEABLE kingdom we have been called into.
My goal is to help you see that God’s plan for your life in Him is good – NO – IT IS GREAT.
God desires for you to be able to run the race of this life not only with perseverance BUT WITH CONFIDENCE that when everything else might be crumbling HIS KINGDOM OF PEACE STANDS STRONG!
LET’S READ HEBREWS 12:18-29 TOGETHER
(WE) – PAGE THROUGH SLIDES AS I TALK
Several years ago I had the privilege of taking my wife, an elephant fanatic, to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hartebeespoort, South Africa. This is a really cool place where rescued elephants are brought to be rehabilitated and then released back into the wild (if able).
It is actually a 5-Star resort and the hotel accommodations were awesome. Each day we had the great pleasure of working with the elephants: grooming, feeding, and learning about them. It was great fun for our whole family. Dylan and Logan actually even got a sloppy trunk kiss from one of the elephants!
But on our first night in the Sanctuary we were treated to a “sundowner.” Our guide for the weekend came to our room and led us through the forest to the top of a mountain.
At the top of the mountain the hotel had prepared the 1st course of what would eventually be a 5 course meal. We had soft-drinks, fruits and nuts, and other appetizers. The food, however, was not the best part of the evening.
As we sat on top the mountain we looked over a ravine and watched baboons play. We could see other animals meandering through the forest. Then something wonderful happened. The sun began to set and we watched as it slowly disappeared into the night.
It was one of the most peaceful evenings I have ever spent on this earth. No car noises, no phones ringing – nothing but the sound of the wind blowing and the animals playing. It was awesome!
We walked back down the mountain and enjoyed the rest of our meal in an outdoor setting complete with fire pit and lamps. We were drawn into the moment and will remember it forever.
COMPARE THE SCENE I HAVE JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT TO THIS ONE IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS
SHOW VIDEO (STOP AT 1:35)
(GOD)
VERSES 18-24
The passage we read earlier in Hebrews 12 can be a bit – well – hard to understand if we are not up on our Old Testament history. The writer is pointing backwards in time to an event that happened to Israel 3 months after being released from 400 years of slavery in Egypt.
1. They came into the Desert of Sinai and camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai.
2. God called Moses to the mountain and spoke to him. God reminded Moses of the great thing He did for them in Egypt and how, if the people would keep His commands, they would be His treasured possession.
3. Moses goes down from the Mountain and tells the people what God has said. They raise their voices in one accord and say, “We will do everything the Lord has said!” Moses goes back up the mountain to tell God their answer
4. The Lord then tells Moses that He will come to him in a dark/dense cloud around the mountain so that Israel will see that Moses is God’s choice as their leader. Moses was to set up boundaries that the people could not pass or they would die. They were to view God’s presence from a “safe” distance.
5. After 2 days of consecration the people went to the mountain. God’s presence came down in a dark/dense cloud. There was thunder and smoke and lightning. The noise was so loud the people covered their ears and cowered in fear.
a. God wanted them to know that Moses stood between Him and them…
b. He wanted them to see how breaking His covenant would bring terrible consequences on them
c. They were not allowed to approach God – had to have someone else do it for them..
The writer of Hebrews however contrasts this ominous scene of Mt. Sinai with that of Mt. Zion (the mountain on which Jerusalem stood).
Here is how one man described the contrasts….
• Mount Sinai was marked by fear and terror. Mount Zion is a place of love and forgiveness.
• Mount Sinai is in the desert. Mount Zion is the city of the Living God.
• Mount Sinai spoke of earthly things. Mount Zion speaks of heavenly things.
• At Mount Sinai, only Moses was allowed to draw near to God. At Mount Zion, an innumerable company, a general assembly is invited to draw near.
• Mount Sinai was characterized by guilty men in fear. Mount Zion features just men made perfect.
• At Mount Sinai, Moses was the mediator. At Mount Zion, Jesus is the mediator.
• Mount Sinai brings an Old Covenant, which was ratified by the blood of animals. Mount Zion brings a New Covenant, which is ratified by the blood of God's precious Son.
• Mount Sinai was all about exclusion, keeping people away from the mountain. Mount Zion is all about invitation.
• Mount Sinai is all about Law. Mount Zion is all about grace.
Let me take this sort of cryptic message of comparisons and contrasts and help you understand it.
Basically the writer is telling the reader – YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST HAS REMOVED THE WRATH OF GOD AND YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO A PLACE OF PEACE WITH GOD.
• That means you – HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS – can approach God with confidence NOT FEAR
• You no longer have to experience God from a DISTANCE – CHRIST HAS COME TO TEAR DOWN THE WALL THAT SEPERATED US FROM GOD.
• You were once far away from the things of God but because of Christ you can now come near
• SO DO NOT BE AFRAID TO COME INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD
• In the Old Testament people were required to bring animal sacrifices to the Tabernacle to pay for their sins. The priests did all the work and acted as mediator between the presence of God and the people – the people could only sit outside the Tabernacle and pray their sacrifice had been accepted.
• This is not where we are today. God changed mountains!
• Today you bring yourself to God in faith and repentance – BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST SHED AT CALVARY TO REDEEM YOU FROM SIN AND SAVE YOU FROM THE WRATH OF GOD.
• You need only to place your faith in Jesus Christ to receive salvation this very moment.
Verses 25-29
Now because of Christ – because we can now listen and obey God the writer warns us not to TURN A DEAF EAR TO THE WORDS OF GRACE GOD IS GIVING THEM IN THIS BOOK.
• Don’t turn a deaf ear to the grace of God calling you to salvation
• Don’t turn a deaf ear to the grace of God empowering you to be victorious
• Don’t turn a deaf ear to the grace of God that brings discipline to help us be FIT for the race God has marked out for us to run.
• Don’t turn a deaf ear to the grace of God that sent His Son to pay the price for our sin.
Now remember the people who are reading this book for the first time are being persecuted. They are being tempted to give up on Jesus and turn back to the OLD – LEGALISTIC system of religion and DISTANCE FROM GOD.
The writer speaks encouragement to them and says, “Hey, all this shaking you are experiencing – all this persecution – IT IS OF GOD!”
• God has brought them to a place of decision
• God is shaking up those who just want RELIGION. Those who just want to keep God in a box – distant –not personal. God is breaking up the boxes!!!
• God is separating the religious junk from the real thing…He is shaking all the religious clutter from hearts and calling people by His grace to a real and personal relationship with Him.
When the shaking ends and all the weights and sin and entanglements and restraints are shaken off – ONE THING WILL REMAIN
THE UNSHAKEABLE KINGDOM OF GOD
When the whole world falls apart and it feels like everything that can be shaken has been shaken (in our lives and in our church) we will be left with just 1 REAL CHOICE – TO PLACE OUR CONFIDENCE IN THE UNSHAKEABLE REIGN AND RULE OF JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.
(YOU)
• Do you see what God is telling us?
• Do you see how God is trying to instill confidence in us about His ability to handle anything that comes along?
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record the story of John the Baptizer’s preaching to the people telling of the Messiah. He told them that this Savior of the World would come with…
“…His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
A winnowing fork is basically a shovel. People would harvest grain and pile it up. But the wheat had to be separated from the chaff (the husk of the wheat and the broken stalks) before it could be made into good flour fit for use. The winnowing fork could be used to throw the wheat into the air. The wind would separate the chaff from the wheat.
Once the chaff was gathered they would use the winnowing shovel to pick it up and throw it into the fire and burn it up.
Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
When Jesus gets ready to do a POWERFUL WORK AMONG A PEOPLE THE FIRST THING HE DOES IS SEND A SHAKING. He sends circumstances into our life to shake us.
The goal of this disturbance is NOT TO MAKE US AFRAID – we have come to Mt. Zion. We have peace with God – a peace that helps us understand that the shaking is for our good and that the ultimate reality of His kingdom CANNOT BE SHAKEN.
God sends a purging fire to burn away the things that we have picked up to replace His working in our lives. HE IS A CONSUMING FIRE!!
His goal is to reveal the entanglements and weights we may have gotten caught up with – then shake them off - - - LEAVING JUST JESUS.
Folks, when all we have left is Jesus – WE ARE IN THE PERFECT PLACE FOR A REVIVAL!
God’s aim is to empower us to walk in freedom with our FAITH AND FEET PLANTED FIRMLY IN THE UNSHAKEABLE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• That means because God loves us and wants us to be successful in living for Him, He loves us enough to shake things up a bit so that we can ONCE AGAIN REALIZE HOW PERMANENT HIS KINGDOM IS AND HOW TEMPORAL THE KINGDOMS OF THIS EARTH ARE.
(WE)
Do you know Jesus this morning?
Have you repented of your sin and placed your faith in Jesus?
Do you feel like your life is being shaken – GOOD!
That means God is trying to reveal Himself to you!
If you have not ask for forgiveness of sin and placed your faith in Christ – what are you waiting for – you have an opportunity today to come into a kingdom that cannot be shaken – a kingdom and a king who will never lose – never go away – never leave you hanging!
Pray with me right now!
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.
