Sermon Notes on Hebrews 12-13 for Sunday October 9th 2011

Tuesday 11^th October Hebrews 12:18-13:6 Mount Sinai is the mountain that God’s people were not to touch. Mount Zion Above is the mountain that you should touch. It is only with Christ and His Gospel that all peoples will find God, will find their true home. Verses 12:28,29 are worthy of your deep thought.

Hebrews 12:18-13:6

Deuteronomy 4:20-31

Grow In Reverence And Awe Towards This God

The wars of religion – 20^th century wars of atheism. This time great fear – wars of Islam. So no-religion and religion cause wars. Where do we find the answer? In right religion, not wrong. Both atheism and Islam get God wrong – according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We look at the end product of religion to gauge its merit. What has been the product of Presbyterianism? – the Westminster parliamentary system of government, the world and life view that made modern science possible, the belief that ordinary people, not experts, should choose those who govern them in church and state, the belief that all authority should be limited, etc.

Consider the verse Hebrews 12:14 Make every effort to live at peace with all men and to be holy!

Does such teaching promote war or peace?

Get God right and grow in that knowledge – the fruit of this is your peace and happiness.

The Mountain That Can Be Touched

• The mountain that could be touched – Mount Sinai! But death to those - animal or human - who touched it. Judgment for touching.
• We have come to Jerusalem Above – the dwelling place of God and man - the place we touch by faith. We have come to the church of the first-born. We are all heirs – male and female! What liberating information!
• We have come to God and to Jesus Christ, our Rock, our mountain. He can be touched, be approached at any time by any believer – not just priests or the especially holy, or devout.
• We have come to the sprinkled blood of Jesus Christ – it speaks the word of redemption. Abel’s blood spoke the word of judgment on Cain. Jesus’ blood speaks to you and me the word of peace with God, or restoration, cleansing, renewal.

 

The Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

·        The future for this earth – to be shaken – to be removed! PCA can disappear! Australia might not be a nation in another century. We have no guarantee. All powers here are only for a time – they will disappear. Even our lives end with death. We too are only for a time. Good times don’t last!

·        The kingdom that cannot be shaken – the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ! The place Jesus has gone to prepare. You have a future beyond death that can never be taken away.

• The new creation! 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

The Helper Whose Exhortations I Must Listen To

The LORD is your Helper – you and I must listen to Him! Live confidently with Him! “The design of Christ in giving Himself for us, is, that He might redeem for Himself a special people eager to do what is good.” MH Titus 2:14

·        Keep on loving as brothers – live with each other as brethren – so others will say with esteem: “Behold how they love one another”.

·        Be sure to entertain strangers! Hospitality to strangers – different from friends who will reciprocate. God has a special blessing for such hospitality. Look around the congregation – many are strangers to you!

·        Remember those in prison for their faith. While we may be at liberty, many brethren face adversity, imprisonment and even death. Remember those such as young Pastor Joucef Nardakhani under sentence of death for converting from Islam to Christ in Iran.

·        Honour marriage – keep faithful to each other. Honour whether married or single!

·        Keep free from the love of money. Money is a resource to be used, not an idol to be worshipped. Fight covetousness!

·        Be content with what you have. Rejoice in His provision and delight in His gifts.