The One Who Speaks
Rev. Sean Lester
October 26, 2003
Text: Hebrews 12:18-29
Introduction
A. See to it that no one is godless or immoral like Esau was, is how the passage ended last week. Godly discipline in the members of the church makes for a powerful church that produces a harvest of righteousness and peace. The church can do this because its members are committed to the work, they are considerate of each other, and they are concerned about each other’s spiritual well-being.
B. The church that does these things is given authority in this world to call people to repentance from sin and to faith in Jesus Christ.
1. The church is not calling for sinful people to be judged. We are not trying to scare people into behaving like the Israelites were when God gave them the law. The church is not preaching that salvation is beyond their reach, and that if they even try to get close to God they will be killed.
2. The church is saying that there is a heavenly place where the angels are dressed in their Sunday best. We are inviting people to the assembly of the born-again, whose names are written down in a place beyond the sky. We are inviting people to a God who is willing to make imperfect people perfect. We are inviting people to accept the offering of the blood of Jesus Christ, who clears the conscience of sin and removes the penalty of sin.
Proposition: Your mandate is to call people to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.
Interrogative: How do we do that?
Transition: The text tells us how we are to address the people in our communities in calling them to worship the Lord.
I. A warning not to refuse Christ.
A. When Jesus was on earth, he warned the people that God’s kingdom was near. He told them that the axe was already at the root of the trees ready to burn up every tree that did not produce fruit. Even now, the Lord cries out through the preaching of His Word for people to repent and obey the Lord God.
B. When God warns people to repent, it is with urgency and sincerity. Adam and Eve were warned, and their refusal to obey cost them their lives. Noah warned his people to repent. They refused and lost their lives in a flood. Lot’s family was warned not to look back when fleeing Sodom. His wife did, and she was killed. The Israelites were warned to repent from sinful activities. They refused and lost their nation. Won’t God, who has always made good on his warnings keep his word with anyone who refuses to obey his commands?
All who refuse to follow Jesus Christ are destined for eternal ruin. Whenever there is a change in government, there is an expectation of allegiance to the king. All who refuse allegiance are killed. There is a kingdom coming, and all who are loyal to Christ alone will be a part of it. All who have refused him will be cast into hell until the Day of Judgment.
C. You have the authority to issue the warning to those you know. It isn’t an act of meanness to tell people that all who refuse to follow Christ will go to hell. The very idea of going to hell is terrifying. I have been at the bedside of sinners going to hell, and I have been at the bedside of saints going to heaven. The sight of a sinner descending into hell is horrifying. There is terror in their eyes. There is no peace in their soul. No one who has seen it will ever remain silent about hell’s reality. It is real, and will be the temporary habitat of all demons and lost souls.
Transition: The warning is for those who are hard hearted, but for those who are willing to hear, there is a promise.
II. The promise of a better world.
A. The day will come when the earth and the heavens will be shaken away and replaced by a new heavens and a new earth. Even if medical science were to come up with a way to extend life on earth forever, there would be no way to escape the ultimate end for the planet God has declared will come. The heavens and the earth and everything in them corrupts and is corrupting. The moon slowly descends toward the earth. The sun gradually cools. The mantel of the earth hardens. The stars pull away from each other. Nothing is permanent in all of creation. But the day will come when all of this will be replaced by what will never wear out.
B. The promise is this: all who follow Christ are given an eternal soul by the Holy Spirit that is eternal. Upon death or the Lord’s return, that soul is kept in heaven until the time of the new cosmos and the new earth. Then, a new, incorruptible body will be given. You will live forever in a world that will last forever.
C. Just as much as the warning, you should tell everyone about the promise of salvation because of Jesus Christ. Tell them that there is no pain in heaven. Tell them that there is no death or parting in heaven. Tell them that there are no tears in heaven. Tell them that there are no nightmares, sleepless nights or haunting memories in heaven.
Transition: All who listen to your message and accept it are invited to join the company of the saints.
III. The invitation to become a member of the assembly of the redeemed.
A. Gratitude is the immediate response from people who know they are in trouble with God and want to be saved. People who want to be saved will not respond with anger to what you say. They will be thankful that someone cared enough to tell them the way to salvation. When they come, they will have the right attitude for approaching God. They will be humble, and they will have a holy fear of God.
B. The Ethiopian eunuch was grateful for hearing the gospel to the extent that he insisted on being baptized on the spot. The woman at the well told everyone in her town about Jesus. The Philippian jailor brought Paul into his home. Gratitude leads to salvation, like the tax-collector.
C. Don’t play down the seriousness of God’s nature. He is a consuming fire that burns up sin and refines the saint. There should never be a casual or flippant attitude toward worship. We assemble because we are grateful for our salvation. Those who are indifferent to the presence of God do so to their own soul’s destruction. God is to be reverenced; his name should be used with respect. Our approach must be in humility.
Transition: The invitation is to salvation in Christ and to the assembly of the saints.
Conclusion
A. The Lord wants all people to be saved, and has given the church the responsibility of preaching the message that saves.
B. The message of the gospel is a stern warning of what is to come for all who refuse Christ, it is a promise of eternal life for all who accept His ways, and it is an invitation to join the assembly of people who are destined for eternal life.
C. This is your calling; this is why God disciplines you and puts you to work in the church. It is why He will send His Holy Spirit to dwell in you and empower you to preach the Gospel.
Do you accept the calling?
