Embracing Our Glorious Destiny

With everything that happens to us on a daily basis, and with everything we see happening in our culture and on the world’s stage, it is very easy for us to get discouraged and want to quit isn’t it.

Many times what we need to do in those situations is to take a step back and look at those situations from a different perspective.

For example, have you ever stopped long enough to consider what a great blessing we have as Christians, that because of the work of Jesus, we are able to approach God.

Think about this...

Oswana lives with her tribe in Africa. Her god is not approachable at all. Being an animist (one who believes that god is in everything), she spends the majority of her time appeasing the good and bad spirits. She fails most of the time.

Prima is a good Hindu. Her access to her god is framed by three ways to salvation: 1) the way of works, 2) the way of knowledge, and 3) the way of devotion. Just in case one god is unapproachable, there are a million others from which to choose. And if she does not like the way this life is going, her belief in reincarnation means she can always come back as something or someone else and start over.

If you are a Buddhist, your goal is not access to god but to a place called Nirvana to become a god. Your goal of life is the end of existence. The only “catch” to Nirvana is that it is impossible to get there from here.

Dali was convinced that “the eightfold path” would get him to Nirvana: simple for a god; impossible for a mortal man. In order to get to Nirvana and have access to the gods and become a god, he had to: 1) have right views, 2) have right aspirations, 3) have right speech, 4) have right conduct, 5) have the right livelihood, 6) have the right effort or endeavor, 7) have the right mindfulness, and 8) have the right meditation or concentration.

Christianity is the only faith where God came down to us and He alone makes us fit to dwell with him.

What a glorious privilege we have to know that our God lives with us, in us right now. And because of the presence of the Holy Spirit in us, He is our guarantee that we will see Jesus and our Heavenly Father forever!

That guarantee does not depend on how effectively we can work out the details, nor does it depend upon our becoming gods.

We have access to the Father as a result of one thing and one thing only: the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

With those thoughts in mind, please turn to Hebrews 12:18-24.

Hebrews 12 is about endurance…the Hebrews in this church were on the verge of quitting because intensifying persecution had made life difficult…so the writer exhorts his readers to gain a more theological perspective of their trials and to persevere through them without throwing away their faith.

He’s challenged them with the focus needed for endurance (1-3), the understanding the purpose of God’s discipline to help them endure (4-11), the essential elements required for endurance (12-17), and now he is going to challenge them with the reason they can endure.

Main Point: You Can Endure Today Because Your Tomorrow is Secure!

Read Hebrews 12:18-24.

Contrast v.18 with v.22

By using the word “for” he connects this text to what he just said...

Hebrews 12:18 “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched...

Although not named specifically here, it will become clear that the writer is thinking of Mount Sinai.

Hebrews 12:22 “But you have come to Mount Zion...

In both verses, the phrase “have come” is in the perfect tense indicating permanence.

You have not come to stay at Mt Sinai...

You have come to stay at Mt Zion...

Why would the writer use this imagery?

The danger we see being exhibited by these Hebrews is a partiality for Sinai…longing for the rituals of temple worship and strict adherence to the Law…they wanted to return to Judaism.

They would need this more than they knew at the time when it was given to them because in just a few short years from the writing of Hebrews, in AD 70, the temple was destroyed.

They were becoming less enamored with Zion and the truth of the gospel and obedience to Christ…they should have been wanting to press on in maturity.

By examining their journey of faith, he wants them to develop a better theological perspective that produces the confidence and security they need to endure.

What do we need to consider to help us develop that theological perspective needed for endurance?

Believers No Longer Live Under the Terror of the Law (18-21).

Read Heb 12:18-21…also turn to Exodus 19.

Mount Sinai represents...

The earthly nature of that which is external and temporary.

Hebrews 12:18 “For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched…

When he says “a mountain that can be touched” he is referring to the physical mountain of Sinai where the children of Israel first approached in the wilderness…when God led them out of Egypt…this is where God gave them the Law.

This covenant was a focus on externals and things that are visible.

The fear and dread that ought to come from sinners in the presence of the Most Holy God.

It was not a picture of singing birds, flowering meadows, calm and peace.

Look at the description here, what do you see?

blazing fire

darkness

gloom

whirlwind

Turn to Exodus 19.

Highlight the following verses...

Exodus 19:12 ““You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”

Exodus 19:16 “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.”

Exodus 19:18 “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently.”

Exodus 19:19 “When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder.”

Hebrews 12:19–21 “and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.””

They begged Moses to speak to them instead of God…they couldn’t handle everything that was happening...

They were stricken with terror in their hearts because they knew God was there

All of this demonstrated the presence of God on the mountain.

It represented his incomparable power and sheer holiness.

The distance sin creates between man and God.

God’s holiness permeated that mountain…no beast nor anyone could touch the mountain and if they did, no one could touch them…they were to be killed by stoning or arrow...

The severity of this command demonstrated how serious He is regarding His holiness.

God is so holy that you cannot approach Him in your uncleanness…

if even little Toto or fluffy Feefee touched the mountain they were to be put death.

God’s presence consecrated the place and set it apart from the sinful people.

Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”

His purpose in all this was to scare some sense into them to keep them from sinning.

Exodus 20:20 “Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.””

Pause for just a moment and consider our view of sin and God’s holiness…EXPLAIN

Far too often we take an oops view of sin instead of an oh no view of sin.

The view of God on Mount Sinai ought to bring us to the place where we quake in fear because God is so holy and we are not!

It was a huge display of condemnation and death.

The Israelites feared for their lives.

One of the important words in this section is that little word in verse 18…NOT… this is not the place God wants you to stay!

He wants them to see the radical difference between the believer’s experience with God and Israel’s experience with Him.

He wants them to see the difference between where they were under the Old Covenant and where they are now under the New Covenant…between Law and Grace…between Promise and Fulfillment.

Summary: Mount Sinai is a place of fear that reminds us that the Holiness of God is so majestic that sinners cannot approach Him, keeping us at a distance from Him.

Galatians 3:22–24 “But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”

The Law locks us up under sin…and what does sin do?...

Sin separates. Sin ruins. Sin comes between. Sin brings us under judgment.

The Law communicates how far we have fallen in our sin against his holiness…the penalty for that is death…

under the Law the sacrifices only held God’s wrath at bay for a brief time…nothing under the Law provided for permanent forgiveness…

We cannot have a greater appreciation for grace if we do not have a clearer understanding of God’s law given at Sinai.

Believers Now Live In the Triumph of Grace (22-24)

Hebrews 12:22–24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.”

In the OT, “Zion” occurs 152 times…93 of those being in the prophetic literature.

Zion was initially a pre-Davidic stronghold of the Jebusites (2 Sam 5:7).

It was renamed the “city of David” after David conquered it (2 Sam 5:9).

It became the center for a theological tradition that changed shape over time.

It is the place God chose for His holy dwelling place…

Psalm 132:13 (NASB95)

For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.

In the NT, it appears only seven times where its function is theological rather than geographical.

In a wider theological context, the early church viewed the future hope of Israel—a Zion where God and His people dwell in an eschatological sense—as already inaugurated in the person and work of Christ.

This can be seen in the fact that five of the New Testament’s seven usages are in quotes of Old Testament texts that are believed to be fulfilled in Christ (Isa 28:16; 59:20; Zech 9:9; compare Psa 14:7; Isa 40:9).

Paul allegorically reread the Ishmael and Isaac narratives (Gal 4:21–31), assigning Ishmael to the “present,” captive Jerusalem, and Isaac to the “free” Jerusalem, which is “above”; which can readily be taken as a synonym for Zion.

The writer of Hebrews wants his readers to clearly see the distinction drawn between Sinai and Zion shows us that Christ perfectly fulfilled what Sinai represented.

He fulfilled it in its letter and its spirit, which means that he obeyed it externally and internally, with his behavior and in his heart.

Because of Christ’s work, Sinai now stands as a mountain of fulfillment.

And this fulfillment, of course, occurred on Zion, in Jerusalem, for Jesus accomplished his saving work and resurrection from the dead in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

Here, however, the author is not connecting Zion with the earthly Jerusalem; he’s connecting it with the eschatological new Jerusalem.

We need to understand this through the lens of the “ALREADY-NOT YET” tension we find throughout the NT.

In other words, believers can experience, in part, the fulfillment of God’s promises even as we wait for the complete experience of those promises in the new creation.

Although coming to Zion hasn’t been fully actualized in our experience it is a certain and promised reality.

What should we expect when coming to Zion?

7 benefits of coming to Mount Zion...

Inherit heaven

The mount is identified as the city of the living God and as the heavenly Jerusalem.

Sinai is a literal mountain

Zion, although it is an actual physical mountain, the writer makes it clear he is talking about from a different perspective.

What a difference between the picture of Sinai and Zion.

The picture of Sinai is doom and dread

The picture of Zion is life and joy.

Remember the verb here in verse 22 is in the perfect tense…have come…you’ve arrived at a permanent place.

The temporary conditions of the Old Covenant have ended.

The everlasting conditions of the New Covenant prevail.

The New Jerusalem is the place where Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant dwells.

Revelation 14:1 “Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.”

Revelation 21:2 “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.”

By speaking of the city it reminds us that God promised a kingdom…God reigns in his kingdom from his city…Jerusalem.

We get to enjoy being citizens of that kingdom forever.

Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”

This all just shouts that God is now approachable…

Before you had to stay at the foot of the mountain and you had to refrain from touching it to keep from dying.

Now, because of Christ, we get to see Him, live with Him, touch Him, speak with Him face to face.

Join with the angels in glorious celebration.

General assembly = “in festal gathering”… a gathering for celebration.

We get to join with the angels in their celebration.

They are innumerable (myriads), having a constant festival in the presence of God.

The angels were present at Mount Sinai.

Psalm 68:17 “The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.”

Deuteronomy 33:2 “He said, “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; At His right hand there was flashing lightning for them.”

They were there to make sure nobody came near…but at Mount Zion, you join with them.

Fully united to other believers.

“church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven”

church = assembly

Scripture tells us that Jesus is truly the firstborn...

and by virtue of our union with him we are firstborn.

All the rights of inheritance go to the firstborn—to us who are “co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

There are no second or third or fourth sons and daughters in the church. We all get the big inheritance!

As firstborn, our names are written in Heaven along with the firstborn who are already there.

In other words, we are all the Body of Christ!

The family is never broken.

It simply keeps growing and going on and on

Just think of all the people you know are believers who have gone on before you…you will be with them.

Enter the presence of God.

to God the judge of all

The day is coming when all humanity will be judged.

When God judges it is always a righteous judgment.

When He judges those who rejected Christ that day of judgment will be a day of extreme horror as they hear “depart from me I never knew you” and are cast into the fires of hell reserved for Satan and his followers.

When those who by faith and repentance turned to Christ stand before Him trusting in the truth that Jesus took their condemnation for them.

It will be a day of glorious celebration.

We will be with the only infinitely righteous, gracious, and merciful God who welcomes us with open arms.

The author of Hebrews talks about this day as if we’re already there.

We’re already standing before God, the Judge of all, declared righteous because of the work of Christ that has been imputed to our account.

We are already justified…not yet perfected.

Fully united with Old Testament saints

“the spirits of righteous people made perfect.”

When were their spirits made perfect?”

On the cross.

Just like New Testament believers who have died already, these OT saints are still waiting for their resurrection bodies which they receive at the Second Coming of Christ....until then, they are with God now and have been perfected in their spirits.

we will meet with them and be with them and we will be one.

Just go back through Heb 11…you will see all those characters.

You’ll be able to converse forever with Abraham, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Isaiah (which Hebrew tradition says he was sawn in two…won’t that be an interesting conversation)

I can just envision what some of you ladies will have to say to Eve.

Because of Christ’s work we are all equal in righteousness!

See Jesus, who mediates the new covenant, face to face.

to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 ““Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.””

The writer reminds them of Hebrews 8:8-12.

The writer specifically uses the name Jesus because that is his redemptive name...

He will save his people from their sins.

Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, but as great as he was, he trembled fearfully at Mount Sinai (cf. v. 21).

But through Jesus, the mediator of the New Covenant, we draw near with confidence.

He removes our guilt

He cleanses our conscience

He grants eternal life

He intercedes on behalf of his people.

If Jesus did not do what he did, none of us could ever come to Mount Zion!

Experience total and forever forgiveness.

to the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

Abel’s blood cried from the ground for vengeance and judgment, but Christ’s blood shouts that we are forgiven and have peace with God

Abel made a blood sacrifice of animals that could never take away sin…it could only cover them...

The blood of Christ, however, brings complete and permanent forgiveness.

His blood is sufficient to turn away God’s wrath forever, forgive sin completely, and to save us from the judgment that sin deserves.

Therefore, Jesus is the mediator of a new and better covenant.

Jesus’ sprinkled blood says better things than Abel’s because Jesus’ blood saves.

Summary: Mount Zion reminds us that Jesus mediates the wonders of God’s grace to us, allowing us to forever approach Him and remain near to Him.

Lesson for Life: Stay Strong Knowing You’re Already Home!

No matter how dark this world gets, and regardless of how difficult our present circumstances may be, we can find hope and endurance in the promise of our secure future in Christ.

If you are in Christ, you’re already a citizen of heaven…knowing that our place in heaven is guaranteed in Christ provides us with a greater perspective of life on this side of heaven.

Nothing can change your citizenship...

John 10:28 “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”

You can endure because you know God is not done with you yet, and that He is working now to perfect you for heaven.

Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

When our eyes are fixed on Jesus, our Mediator, we rest in His presence and we rejoice in God’s completed forgiveness and redemption…

nothing can take that away and nothing can take you away from Him.