Hebrews
Encouragement for a life of faith
Part 14
“ Whole lot of shakin goin on”
Hebrews 12:26-29
Play song- 45 seconds
Today we are continue our study of Hebrews
In the past few weeks
We have looked at God’s discipline
And
Last week we saw how we are to strive to live at peace with everyone
Our friends
Families
Church members
Believers
And unbelievers
Alike
We know that peace is not always possible
But it is our responsibility as believers to do what we can to maintain peace
As we move on in our study
Our writer today
Makes some references to the Old Testament
In Chapter 12
Verses
18-25
He writes about the differences between the relationship people had with God under the Old Covenant
And The New and improved relationship under the New Covenant
Jesus Christ
Through his sacrifice, death and resurrection
Made it possible for us to have direct access to God
He is our High Priest
No longer do we need anyone else to give us access to God
Let me read for you verses 18-25 first
Then we will dig into today’s message
Hebrews 12:18-25
You have not come to a physical mountain,[a] to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[b] 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”[c]
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven!
In real simple terms
Under the Old Covenant
God was feared
The sound of his voice shook the earth
The people in their fear begged him to stop speaking
Even Moses himself said he was terrified and trembling when God spoke
But
Under the New Covenant
Jesus Christ
Gave us a new access
No longer was God to be feared in the same way
We still need to fear God
But this fear
Is reverence
Respect
Awe
And praise
Not terror and trembling
We have come to God
Who speaks forgiveness
Though Jesus
He goes onto to tell us
To be sure and listen to Jesus
Listen to his teaching
Feel his love
He says that if the nation of Israel did not listen to Moses
Or the other Prophets, Men of God
That it would be much worse for those who not listen to the one who speaks from Heaven
Jesus Christ
Fully Man
And Fully God
And our Savior
Let me read for you verses 26-28 for you
When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”[d] 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.
Our writer is quoting from Exodus 19 here in this verse
The Israelites had been delivered from Bondage
They had crossed the Red Sea
They had been fed and had their thirst quenched in the dessert by God
And no they were waiting on the Law at Mount Sinai
And Exodus says
When he spoke
The mountain shook
Thunder roared
Lightning flashed
And a dense cloud like smoke covered the mountain
God shook the world
And he promises he will shake it again
Many times we try and attribute this verse and many others that talk of the shaking of the heavens and the earth
In the end times context
And
Make no mistake
In the end
The Earth and the Heavens will be shaken
And a new heaven and a new earth will one day take their place
I can tell you when Jesus sets up his kingdom here on Earth
It will be magnificent
Beyond our ability to fully comprehend now
But as I study this passage
And as I strive to give you tools you can use on Monday
Tools you can use when things don’t go right
Tools you can use when Old Slick starts mashing on you
I feel we need to first look at what things are shakable now--- in this world
And what things are not
Elvis says in his song
That there is a whole lot of shakin goin on
And he is right
God is shaking the world as we speak
So
What is shakable and what is not
Let’s go back to verse 26 and 27 again
“Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”[d] 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed,
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:19-20
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.
So what is shakable in this life?
Relationships
Many of you sitting here this morning have been affected by broken marriages and failed relationships
A marriage you thought would last forever ended
Someone you thought you would share your life with forever died
Many of you have strained relations with your children
Or grandchildren
Brothers- sisters- friends
Worldly relationships are shakable
Because worldly relationship depend on people
Religion
Many of you have been taught concepts and ideas
That now you are questioning
Some of you are struggling with finding the truth or accepting the truth
Struggling with going against your family
Against your denominational teachings
Things you once believed now seem to go against God’s word
The old teaching is misunderstood
Or even manipulated and taken out of context to promote a certain view
A certain line of thinking
Notice
I said
Religion is shakable
Not relationship with Jesus
Man made religion is Shakable
The Pharisees added to God’s word
And Jesus shook their world
Many today are attempting to add to
Or alter
Or take out parts of God’s word
And theses too
Will be shaken
Governments are shakable
Many nations and governments have fallen throughout history
People have placed their hope
Their faith
Their trust
In Governments
And in politicians
Then they have been disappointed
They have been let down
Many countries have fallen
Many dynasties have been overturned
And I suspect that many more will before Jesus returns
Money and possessions are shakable
When we place our trust in Money
When we place our trust in things
Those things will fade
Those things will rust
Those things will rot
Moths will eat them
The stock market can crash
Jobs can be eliminated
The dollar devalued
Whole financial systems are crumbling all over the world
Why
Because
These things are of this world
And God says he will shake this world
You see when we place our faith
And our trust
And our hope in
Relationships
In
Man made religions
In
Governments and politicians
In
Money and possessions
We will see a whole lot of shakin goin on
One last shakable thing
Then we will look at the unshakable things
The Last shakable thing we will look at today
Is
Our Health
Sometimes in times of crisis
Well meaning people may tell you
At least you have your health
Your husband or wife left you
Well at least you have your health
Your Religion disappointed you
Well at least you have your health
Your Government betrayed or forgot about you
At least you have your health
Your house burned down
You lost your retirement
Well at least you have your health
I don’t know about you
But this is not real comforting
Why
Because
I have sat beside the bed of those who don’t still have their health
I have stood in the pulpit and preached too many funerals of those
Who died
Often too young
And I know
Because
I have experienced it first hand
Our health
May be more shakable that any of the others
So if
Our Health is shakable
And our relationships are shakable
And our Governments are shakable
And our Religion is shakable
And our wealth is shakable
And putting our trust in them is an effort in futility
What are these things that Our God
Says will remain
What are these unshakable things?
God’s word
God’s love
God’s promises
God’s faithfulness
God’s word
Isaiah 40:7-8
“The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the LORD.
And so it is with people.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
The word of our God
Stands forever
It is unshakable
When this world ceases to exist
The word will remain
When the wheels fall off your life
The word will remain
John 1 says in the beginning was the word
And the word was with God
And the word was God
Jesus Christ
The living word
Is unshakable
He does not change
He is the same
Today
Yesterday
Tomorrow
And forever
Peter repeats this in his book
1 Peter 1:25
As the Scriptures say,
“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.”[a]
And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.
The Word
Jesus Christ
The good news of salvation
Is unshakeable
God’s love is unshakeable
God’s love endure forever
Psalm 136 says 26 times in 26 versus
that the love of God
Is eternal
That it endures—FORVER
God’s love is unshakeable
God loves you
Nothing you can do will make him love you less
Nothing you can do will make him love you more
He loves you with a burning love
An unconditional love
He desires a relationship with you
So He gave his only Son Jesus as a sacrifice to show his love
To forgive us
To redeem us
God’s love is unshakeable
God’s promises are unshakable
God makes us many promises
And he will keep his promises
He promises us salvation in many places in his word
John 3:16 is the most well known of theses
All who believe will be saved
That’s a promise
In Colossians 3:14
He promises us victory over death when we accept Christ
In 2 Corinthians 12:9
He promises that his grace is all you need
In Philippians 4:19
He promises he will provide all your needs
He promises that He will finish the good work he started in your when you accepted Christ
Again in Philippians
Chapter 1:6
He promises that all things will come together for good for those who he has called and those who love him and follow him
In Romans 8:28
He promises love
He promises forgiveness
He promises redemption
He promises peace
Joy
Assurance of salvation
He promises so many things
And
He will keep ALL of his promises
His promises are unshakeable
God’s faithfulness is unshakeable
Psalm 100
Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Worship the LORD with gladness.
Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
He made us, and we are his.[a]
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good.
His unfailing love continues forever,
and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Let me close with a verse that I believe encompasses all of the unshakeable things of God
1 John 1:9
“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
The world is shakable and it will fade away
But God’s word
God’s love
God’s promises and God’s faithfulness
Endures forever
These things are absolutely unshakeable
And it is these things in which we need to place our hope and our trust
Hebrews 12:28
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.
Close from the heart
Pray
