Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Hebrews 12:25-29. Theme: How may we live in an uncertain world?

Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ.

10 July 2022.

In 2018, villagers on the Island of Sulawesi were astonished when the solid ground under them turned to mud. It is called liquefaction, a rare effect during earthquakes. Villages watched in horror as their whole valley became a sea of mud - their houses were swept away in a river that had not existed, the ground split open and people were sucked down.[i]

What do you hope in? Even things that seem rock solid can suddenly disappear. An unseen tsunami or virus can wipe out populations. How can we live in a world when evil people have so much power? Putin, unseen scammers; extremists who in a few years can overturn traditions of order and morality that have been hammered out over centuries. How may we live in an uncertain world? Hebrews 12 addresses this.

A Kingdom that is unshakeable

The Hebrews saw their property stolen and their world shaken. But the letter reminds them and us not to fear. For we belong to an unshakeable kingdom. As people who belong to such a kingdom, what should our response be? Instead of fear, we hear, hope and serve.

a. Hear his word 12:25

b. Hope in his unshakeable kingdom 12:26-27

c. Serve in awe 12:28-29

1 Hear his word 12:25

This word is God’s word!

The letter to Hebrews opens with the Word of God. The Word of God is one of the central themes of this letter. Indeed, the Word of God should be a central theme of our lives. Is it for you? Hebrews begins:

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

God’s son is called the Word of God by John – the Word who became flesh (Jn 1:1-3, 14). The Bible is the living Word. It is God’s Word about his Son. The Bible is God’s main way of telling us what he is thinking, who he is, and what he has done for us.

Warnings!

So, we neglect the Word of God at our peril! This is God’s message to humanity. Sadly, many Christians, not just secular people, but Christians turn to all sorts of places hoping for a special spiritual message, some insight from God – a prophecy, a dream, a ritual, a mystical experience – yet they are neglecting this clear Word spoken by God to us. Spoken by God’s Spirit. Do you want to get in touch with the Spirit? You need to start with the Spirit’s own Word. It is so foolish when we first look for God in other places. It is like a man who tries to gather enough due from his lawn to moisten his parched lips when there is a water tap sitting in the middle of it. Today’s passage is one of five stern warnings throughout Hebrews. They warn …

1. Of indifference – by ignoring the Word spoken by God’s Son 2:1-4

2. Of unbelief - refusing to believe the Word 3:7-19

3. Of immaturity 5:11-6:12

4. Of disloyalty 10:19-39

5. Of rejecting God’s Word 12:25-29

Did you notice, three of these warnings are about God’s word. The first warns against ignoring the word spoken by God’s Son:

2 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard

…3This salvation, first spoken by the Lord

A spoken word that we can hear. This 1st warning is echoed in today’s reading – the final warning:

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking

Both warnings focus on God speaking and our response of listening. Both warnings stress the danger of neglecting his Word. The 1st warning speaks of the word declared by angels. This word was the Law, delivered through God’s angels to Moses.

2 For since the word declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every violation … received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation, first spoken by the Lord?

Word of Law declared by angels

Word of salvation spoken by the Lord

1st warning: No escape!

Do you see the comparison? If we ignore the Word of Law we are punished, but if we ignore the Word of Salvation, how shall we escape punishment? The Law brought punishment on sinners. Yet the Word declared by the Son brought forgiveness and salvation. How shall we escape then if we neglect such a great salvation? The 5th warning makes a similar comparison about refusing God’s Word.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

Warning from earth

Warning from heaven

5th warning: No escape!

God spoke to Israel at Mt Sinai with a terrifying Word – even Moses trembled. But now we hear the Word of grace through his Son – the risen Christ who sits in heaven. Yes, it is a word of grace – of love and forgiveness. Yet woe to us if we reject that word. If Israel did not escape the Word of the Law spoken at Sinai, how much less will we escape if we reject him, and his Word of Grace – the Son who warns us from heaven. Woe to us if we reject the Word of God! God won’t force his salvation on anyone. If his forgiveness is rejected, then there is no salvation.

The last three warnings in Hebrews are about rejecting God’s new covenant - deliberately rejecting his grace and forgiveness. Terrible consequences face those who turn their backs on God’s free offer of grace. Remember – this grace came at a terrible cost – the death of his beloved Son. It is no light thing to dismiss this gift.

We take so much for granted, do we not? Think of how things could have been:

· No word God might not have spoken to us at all. We could have remained forever in the dark as to who he is and how we may be reconciled to him.

· Obscure word He could have spoken – but in such a vague and difficult way that only an elite bunch of priests and theologians could make sense of it. Theologians can be extremely helpful – but they can also be extremely wrong. A little child may have a better grasp of God’s grace than popes and professors of theology. Don’t ever believe something because a famous professor said it, believe it because it is written in his Word.

· Word of Law His word may have stopped with the old covenant. We might still be living under law, sacrificing animals in the hope that maybe some of our sins might be covered, and know little of the gracious promises that we now know and enjoy in Christ.

· Foreign word His word may be locked up in a foreign tongue that we have great difficulty in understanding. So many still do not have complete access to God’s word in their own language.

But this is not our situation. We have excellent translations and in hundreds of languages. We have the good news of salvation clearly explained in its pages. Yes, parts are difficult and need careful study, yet even a little child can know that Jesus is his or her Saviour (Mt 18:2-5; 2 Pet 3:16). We have this treasure. Yet are we guilty of indifference? Are we guilty of neglect? Are we guilty even of rejecting it?

a. Do we treasure it and study it?

Imagine that the Queen took out ten sheets of monogrammed paper and wrote letters to ten people – and you were one of those selected. Would you put it aside and read it sometime when you felt in the mood? You have a personal letter written by the King of Heaven. A letter the explains who you are, why you are here and what you must do. Will you put it aside with a vague idea of picking it up sometime when you are in the mood?

Whatever is on your to do list each day, there is nothing more important than spending time with God in his word. How are you to serve God each day if you do not feed on his word? Imagine an ambassador – he gets daily briefings from his government. Sometimes these come through every hour in times of crisis. But he figures he will fly by the seat of his pants instead. Maybe once in six months he might glance at a few briefings. How long would he last in his job? Yet we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). That is our job description. How can we be ambassadors without our daily briefing from the King? Do we treasure it? Do we study it?

b. Do we believe it?

That is, do you believe all of it. If we only believe the bits that suit us, are we guilty - like the Jews - of rejecting it? I’m not asking, “Do you believe that Jesus lived?” – but rather “Do you believe why he came to die?” Do you truly believe he died in your place, for your sins? Do you believe that he bore the full brunt of God’s wrath against your sin? Do you believe that he rescued you from hell? Some parts of the Bible are very inconvenient. We wish they were not there. Perhaps we wish that the Bible did not warn us so much about the love of money. Perhaps we wish the Bible had never condemned homosexual sex, or adultery, or gluttony. Do we believe it?

c. Do we obey it?

Do we read the word prayerfully? Do we read it expectantly – expecting God to reveal himself and his purposes to us? Do we read the word humbly? Do you come expecting and ready to repent, to seek his forgiveness and to change our lives to his will? If we do not come to his Word prayerfully, expectantly, humbly, and willingly, why are we bothering? Why are we coming at all?

2. Hope in his unshakeable kingdom 12:26-27

Earthquake

26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth …

At the giving of the law, God’s voice thundered and Mt Sinai quaked. This was a solemn moment for the people of God. The Law judged them to be guilty and needy sinners before their God. This law and this mountain shaking should have shaken them to the core of their being – so they should have thrown themselves on his mercy. Yet they turned instead to flagrant idolatry.

Heavenquake

Something greater than Mt Sinai and the Law was needed. As so often happens in Hebrews, a contrast is made. An earthquake was not enough. So, God will send a heavenquake. A time will come when the very heavens will be shaken.

26 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.”

God’s purposes go far beyond saving you and me. God’s rule is over the principalities and powers, all things visible and invisible (Eph 3:10, 6:12; Col 1:16; Heb 11:3). God is renewing creation and defeating the evil one and all his works (Col 1:20). All of this is captured by this idea of shaking the heavens (cf., Isa 13:13).

The removal of evil

This heavenquake began with the coming of Jesus (Hag 2:6). His Kingdom was ushered in as people accepted his promise of grace. It will conclude with his second coming, when a new heaven and earth will be revealed. All that does not belong in his kingdom will be removed (Eph 1:10; Heb 1:11-12, Rev 21:1).

27 This means that all that can be shaken—that is, created things - will be removed, so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

The created things include Satan, his demons and all the works of sin and evil. These will be shaken and removed – totally obliterated in the new heaven and earth. Powerful evil forces are at work – Putin, criminals on the internet – yet we have a certain and secure hope because evil itself will be no more. We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

3 Serve in awe 12:28-29

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace.

When all the world is changing and unreliable, we have one whose authority can never be threatened. He has a kingdom that can never be shaken. We are invited to share in it – and not sometime in the future. No, for we are receiving it now! Even now, we are in the process of receiving it. God’s kingdom reigns wherever his grace has broken into people’s lives. We see his kingdom breaking out in us and around us.

What response can we make? After all, this incredible gift is given to us who were rebels. We did nothing whatever to deserve it. Indeed, the only reason we can receive this gift is because of grace – for the giver sent his only Son to die for our sins. How then do we respond? In three ways

Hold on to grace

let us hold on to grace.

Hang onto grace for dear life. For it is life. When all else is failing us, hang on to the promise of grace. When the enemy accuses, remember his grace. When you have again broken his law, turn in repentance and faith to his refreshing grace. When you despair, remember the hope of his grace. Let us hold on to grace.

Worship/Service

let us offer to God acceptable worship [service]

The word for worship can be translated as service to God. Worship in a way means Worth-ship. What is it that you really value? What is most important in your life? A clue to what you worship is what you serve. What do you serve? What would you give in exchange for it? Romans gives a clue as to what we should exchange.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship, Rom 12:1.

God has given beyond all price, all expectation, lavishly to those who were his enemies. How can we withhold anything from our God – even our own lives belong to him – take me Lord, use me, I am yours!

Reverence and awe

The God we worship is a living God – unlike the tin and stone gods of the pagans, and the many fake gods that our culture finds security in. Our God is God of gods, King of kings. So

let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

The firies know that intense fires leave nothing behind. Nothing is safe before an all-consuming fire. Bushfires can reach temperatures of 1600°C.[ii] That is above the melting point of iron and glass.

Our God will one day destroy all that does not belong in his kingdom. All those who do evil and all their works. All pollution. All suffering. All will be overturned when he brings about a new heaven and earth. Our God is a consuming fire and he will stop at nothing until all has been put to right.

People joke about meeting all their mates in hell around a rather warm barby. But Our God is a consuming fire. You do not want to be standing before his fire – hell will be nothing to joke about. If today, you are outside his kingdom, turn around while you still can.

Who can dwell with a consuming fire? As Isaiah wrote,

trembling seizes the ungodly:
“Who among us can dwell with a consuming fire?” Isa 33:14.

But by God’s grace, we can do so. For the love of God is a consuming fire. “It destroys what it cannot purify but purifies what it cannot destroy”.[iii] God will never destroy his own, those bought with the blood of his son.

How do we live in an uncertain world?

Brothers and sisters,

1. let us be diligent listeners and faithful servants of his word,

2. let us hope in his kingdom that cannot be shaken, and

3. let us serve our God who is a consuming fire – serving him with reverence and awe.

Sources:

- Brown, R. E. (2021). The message of Hebrews: Christ above all. IVP.

- Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews. Leicester: InterVarsity Press.

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[i] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_egBKj1W08

[ii] https://ecos.csiro.au/bushfire-in-australia-understanding-hell-on-earth/

[iii] Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews. Leicester: InterVarsity Press.

Series: Hebrews

Topics: #Hebrews , #Word , #Warning