Things That Cannot Be Shaken

THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN

Hebrews 12:18-29

INTRODUCTION

We live in a world where everything changes – don’t we? Just ponder in your minds recent world events!

I’m reminded of this story: Mrs goes to the police station along with Samantha her neighbour to report her husband as missing. The policeman says, ‘Now Mrs, give me a full description of your husband.’ ‘Well’, replies Mrs, ‘he’s 35 years old, has beautiful wavy hair, a deep olive complexion, crystal clear blue eyes, an athletic build, he’s softly spoken and is ever so romantic’. ‘Hang on a minute’, says Samantha, ‘Your husband’s 48 years old, fat, bald, a big mouth and doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body!’ ‘Ok OK but who wants him back!’, came the reply.

Mrs was looking for a change – poor ole hubby didn’t know it but he was on shaky ground!

And we live in shaky times – don’t we!

We live in an unstable world and guess what it is a world that is coming to an end. 2nd Peter 3:10 says, ‘But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.’

Now that’s a bit of a worry isn’t it! We think it’s bad now but there’s coming a day when the very elements of everything as we know it will be destroyed.

But do you know what, it’s not all bad news – look at Heb 12:26&27, ‘At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain.’

The things that can be shaken will be removed to reveal the things that cannot be shaken! And the things that cannot be shaken are the non-created things.

It’s a very comforting thought that in a world of change and decay, where it seems the only thing that is sure, is that nothing is sure – there are some things that cannot be shaken – there are some things that will remain.

Today we are going to consider some of those things, let’s look at four of them:-

Firstly,

1. THE THRONE OF GOD CANNOT BE SHAKEN

Psalm 45:6 says, ‘Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever…’ and Lamentations 5:19 says, ‘You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.’ We can praise God that no matter what else happens – His throne remain secure!

But what does the Bible mean when it talks about God’s throne?

· THE THRONE REPRESENTS GOD’S KINGSHIP. It means His rule. His rule will last forever and ever. Or as that verse from Lamentations puts it, ‘You, O LORD, reign forever.’

· THE THRONE ALSO REPRESENTS GOD HIMSELF. The throne will never be shaken because God will never be shaken. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the one and only true God will not be moved. Hebrews 1:10-12 says this, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end." God is eternal and unchangeable – nothing can shake or change Him.

· IN GOD’S KINGLY RULE THE THRONE ALSO REPRESENTS BOTH GRACE AND JUDGEMENT. As His children - As those who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ, we may freely come to the throne of grace and into the presence of God. But if we are not His children – if we have rejected or neglected the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will one day stand before the Judgement throne of God.

The throne cannot be shaken! – are we loyal subjects to the King who sits on the throne? Do we willingly bow and confess Jesus Christ as Lord of lords and King of kings?

Secondly,

2. THE WORD OF GOD CANNOT BE SHAKEN

Mark 13:31 quotes Jesus as saying, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.’ And Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:25 that ‘… the word of the Lord stands forever.’

God’s Word, like Himself is not created. It will remain forever. It is unchangeable. We may try to change and manipulate it – but in the end we will discover that our efforts were in vain. It cannot be shaken!

The Bible is living and powerful and eternal.