A Consuming Fire

Notes
Transcript
Context: Heb 12.1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
And you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He flogs every son whom He receives.”
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share His holiness.
And all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;
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,
because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
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?
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.”
The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
Pursue Peace and Holiness
Pursue Peace and Holiness
LSB says sanctification. This is same word translated, holy, or holiness. For this passage I will be using these words interchangeably.
Pursue
Pursue
go after
most frequently translated persecute - to go after to harm
but in this and other contexts, to go after for good
Pursue Peace
Pursue Peace
Peace - what is beneficial, wholeness
Peace - as we see in verse 11 - peace comes with the fruit of righteousness… This should not surprise us. How does God bring us peace?
He dealt with our sin through Jesus
He convicts us of sin and brings discipline that we might recognize and repent of sin.
He provides righteousness through faith in Christ
We have peace
Pursuing peace, means we live righteously
We do not lash out at others when we are being disciplined
We do not try to tear others down.
We work for righteousness in ourselves and others. Mutual edification.
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Pursue Peace AND Holiness
Pursue Peace AND Holiness
to often people want to pursue peace, meaning avoid conflict, at the expense of holiness.
That is not peace. Because true peace involves righteousness, and will be achieved not through unrighteous, fleshly actions, Galatians 5:19–21 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Rather, true peace comes through righteous living, and the fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Holiness - Heb 10.14
For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
We have been made judicially holy. Declared holy and righteous. Now, he is working in us, using His discipline to train us in holiness.
And without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
seeing to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
that also there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
Seeing to it...
Seeing to it...
Giving oversight, giving attention to, and here the focus is on not just ourselves, but one another
Seeing to it… No root of bitterness
Seeing to it… No root of bitterness
Seeing to it… No one is sexually immoral
Seeing to it… No one is sexually immoral
Seeing to it… No one is godless like Esau
Seeing to it… No one is godless like Esau
Why?
Why?
You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;
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,
because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly,
to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Two Mountains
Two Mountains
Mountain of unapproachable holiness
Mountain of approachable holiness
Rev 14.10 - holy angels
Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.
Warning: Listen!! Do not Refuse Him who is speaking!
Warning: Listen!! Do not Refuse Him who is speaking!
And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”
Now this expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Our God is a consuming fire.
Our God is a consuming fire.