The City of the Living God
Heb 12:18-29
18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."
22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 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." 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken — that is, created things — so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."
NIV
In keeping with our theme, “Cry out for the Living God,” I want to talk to you this morning about being the City of the Living God. You see the church is the City of the Living God. I believe that this “Crying out for the Living God,” means we have a passion for the presence of God. We have talking about being desperate for the presence of God. We have seen some amazing things in this church and yet God has promised us greater things to come. Yet we must be a people who seek after God for who He is, not for what He can do. In the Old Testament Book of Exodus we see the history of the children of Israel. How they were under great bondage and for hundreds of years weeping for God’s deliverance. God was faithful and provided for them Moses whom He had called to deliver the people of Israel.
When you read this story it is so amazing how the people time and time again turn on Moses when things don’t go just the way they desired. You see they were looking at God for what He could do for them. Yet over time God in His mercy delivers the people with many signs and wonders. They dance and praise God as they leave Egypt only to be down cast later when their backs are against the Red Sea. Again God delivers them as He opened the Sea and they walked across on dry land. They watched as the greatest army on the earth was destroyed by the walls of water and another praise service broke out as the children continued on their way. Again in three days they need water and they are crying about what has happened to them. Again God provides and they are on their way only to find a few days later they need food and bitterly complain. Church we must be careful that our motivation is not about our self-centeredness but about the glory of God. We must not be consumed with a love for our own desires, but let us be consumed by the fire of a living God. The children of Israel when God so desired to draw them close they chose to draw back instead of drawing near.
“For every Christian will become at last what his desires have made him. We are all the total sum of our hungers. The great saints have all had thirsting hearts. Their cry has been, “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Their longing after God all but consumed them!"
A.W. Tozer, “The Root of the Righteous pg. 55”
I know, what I am suggesting this morning is heavy stuff. I am asking you to put away your agenda and self-centeredness to draw close to the living God. Church, I believe this is where God is taking us in 2005.
I believe one of the saddest Scriptures in the Bible is:
Ex 20:18-19
18 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."
NIV
As Israel drew back, Moses drew near. He would have to tell God the very people He’d so powerfully and wonderfully delivered from bondage didn’t want to come any closer. Then God tells Moses a very surprising thing;
Deut 5:28-33
28 "I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. 29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
30 "Go, tell them to return to their tents. 31 But you stay here with me so that I may give you all the commands, decrees and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess."
32 So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess.
NIV
I believe what God was telling Moses was although the people said they were afraid; they lacked a holy fear of God which is seeking after what God desires not after what I desire. This holy fear will always be evident by our obedience to His commandments not because He makes us, but because we desire to please Him. God then tells Moses to tell the people go to their tents, but Moses you come close to Me so we can have a deeper walk, true intimacy with the living God.
We must not be like the children of Israel this morning church let us hear the writer of Hebrews as he tells us that we are the City of the Living God, we are called the general assembly, the church of the First born, we have been registered in heaven, God is our Judge, He makes us perfect and Jesus is our Mediator of the new covenant. Moses may have sprinkled the blood of a lamb on the children of Israel, but if we know Jesus then we have been washed in the Blood of the Lamb of glory.
I. Do Not Refuse Him.
The writer of Hebrews tells us all that we cannot refuse Him who speaks.
Do not turn away from him who has called you to obey and serve him. The meaning is that God had addressed "them" in the gospel as really as He had done the Hebrews on Mount Sinai, and that there was as much to be dreaded in disregarding His voice now as there was then. He does not speak, indeed, amidst lightnings, and thunders, and clouds, but He speaks by every message of mercy; by every invitation; by every tender appeal. He speaks by His Son He speaks by the Holy Spirit, and by all His calls and warnings in the gospel.
If the children of Israel were cut off for refusing to hear God, then you can be assured that if we refuse to hear the voice of God we too will be cut off. Listen God spoke through Moses then because the people refused to hear Him, today He speaks to us directly. Can you hear Him calling today?
II. I Shake Not Only The Earth, But The Heavens.
Jesus who came two thousands years ago will return soon and although the earth shook then, it will again someday shake again. And of this we can be sure that the things we have thought were very important to us we will see that they mean nothing or very little in the scope of things.
I believe we need a spiritual shaking not only in those who are lost, but we City of the Living God need to be shaken from the compliancy that so many have come to enjoy. Wake up church and let’s see the power of God change the world.
Have you noticed those things we put trust in that seem to shaken today;
• Families
• Marriages
• Churches
• Government Leaders
• Politicians
Then there are the things that shake us personally.
• Terrorism
• Crime Rate
• Death of a love one
• Betrayal of a friend or spouse
• Loss of a job
• Disease
Yes there is a whole lot of shaking going on and it seems things are falling all around us but let me share with you the things that can never be shaken.
III. The Things That Cannot Be Shaken.
a. The Throne of God Cannot Be Shaken!
Ps 45:6
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
NIV
Lam 5:19
19 You, O LORD, reign forever;
your throne endures from generation to generation.
NIV
I know that God’s kingdom, His rule will last forever and ever.
Heb 1:10-12
"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."
NIV
b. The Word Of God Cannot Be Shaken!
Mark 13:31
Jesus said;
31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
NIV
1 Peter 1:25
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever."
NIV
The Bible is living and powerful and eternal.
ITS POWER CANNOT BE SHAKEN
ITS PROMISES CANNOT BE SHAKEN
ITS PROPHECIES CANNOT BE SHAKEN
Church are you glad today that in a “shaky” world God’s Word remains secure?
c. The Church of God Cannot Be Shaken.
Matt 16:18-19
and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
NIV
Eph 1:19-23
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
NIV
The church of God, which Jesus Christ is building and is the Head of, has been given a mandate to win this world for Jesus Christ and has power it cannot even imagine. God has placed all rule, authority, power and dominion under the feet of the body of Christ. The City of the Living God cannot be shaken this morning church if we draw close to Him.
d. The Person Who Follows After The Will Of God Cannot Be Shaken.
It is thought by some that once you are saved you can never be shaken, but the truth of the matter is you can fall out of grace by following after the things of the world.
1 John 2:17
17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
NIV
I can tell you with all assurance that those who are drawing close to God will never have to worry about their salvations, but those who refuse to follow after the will of God risk losing the relationship God so desires to have with them.
Gal 5:1
5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
NIV
How do I know Pastor John if I have eternal life that Christ has promised for me?
1 John 5:11-12
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
NIV
Rom 10:9-13
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile — the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
NIV
The key here church is believing with all your heart that Jesus is Lord. Do you know Him today? You may be here this morning and ask, “How do I know that I have lost my relationship with the living God?” The answer to that question is this, when you do something that you know is wrong or goes against the Word of God does it convict your heart and send you to your knees in repentance and forgiveness. If you are no longer convicted by the Holy Spirit for those things you know are wrong, then my friend you should be the first one to this altar this morning repenting and asking for the forgiveness of God in your life.
Conclusion: The last verse of our text this morning talks about Our God is a consuming fire. Church I don’t know about you, but I desire that I have all of God and all the things I need to be an over comer in this present age. I believe God has the power to help me and to make me this over comer. We are the City of the Living God and we need to draw as close to Him as we can, never draw back but pursue Him with all our being and we will see great and mighty things.
2 Corinthians 6:16
16 I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
