The Things That Cannot Be Shaken

Hebrews 12:18–24 “For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly 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 that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Hebrews 12:25–29 “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they 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. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Other Passages: Hebrews (many passages), Psalm 2; Haggai 2:6; Daniel 7:18; Colossians 3:3,

Words to listen for: Listen, Release, Cling

Introduction

On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in human history struck southern Chile near the city of Valdivia. Registering a staggering magnitude 9.5, it unleashed energy equivalent to tens of thousands of atomic bombs, with intense shaking lasting 10 full minutes—an eternity in seismic terms.

The ground rippled like water, tearing open massive fissures, triggering enormous landslides that buried entire villages, and causing widespread liquefaction that turned solid earth into a quaking slurry. Whole forests sank, lakes vanished, and volcanoes erupted in the aftermath.

The quake generated devastating tsunamis with waves up to 80 feet high that ravaged coastal towns in Chile, then raced across the Pacific Ocean—striking Hawaii 15 hours later and even reaching Japan 22 hours after the initial rupture, causing destruction thousands of miles away.

Nearly 2,000 people lost their lives, tens of thousands were injured, and over two million were left homeless. Entire towns like Valdivia and Puerto Montt were reduced to rubble, with countless homes, churches, factories, and bridges built on unstable soil or without adequate reinforcement collapsing completely.

Yet, even in this apocalyptic shaking, some things endured. A few well-constructed buildings on firm ground survived with minimal damage. Traditional Chilean homes—simple, flexible wooden structures tied together without rigid nails—often remained standing while modern concrete buildings nearby crumbled. In some areas, structures anchored to solid bedrock or designed with natural flexibility fared far better than those rigidly fixed to shifting ground. When the earth finally stilled and the waters receded, everything built on shaky foundations lay in ruins. But the things rooted deeply in what could not be shaken remained.

Friends, this is the vivid picture God gives us in Hebrews 12:25-29. He warns that a final, greater shaking is coming—one that will shake not only the earth, but the heavens themselves. Everything that can be shaken will be removed, so that only the things that cannot be shaken will remain forever.

As we stand here on January 4, 2026, the question echoes across the centuries: What is your life built upon? The shifting ground of this world—success, security, comfort—or the unshakable kingdom of God offered to us in Jesus Christ?

Let’s turn to our passage and discover the things that cannot be shaken.

As we examine our passage this morning we will consider three exhortations: 1) Listen to the Voice That Cannot Be Silenced, 2) Release the Things That Will Be Shaken, 3) Cling to the Things That Cannot Be Shaken.

I. Listen to the Voice That Cannot Be Silenced (v. 25)

Before we consider the specifics of verse 25 let’s take a few moments to orient ourselves within the book of Hebrews as a whole.

The author is placing his original audience, including us later readers as well, into the drama of redemption. We’ve seen this move from the author of Hebrews starting from verse one of this letter. Hebrews 1:1–2 “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,” The author tells his readers that they are current participants in a final epoch in the unfolding drama of God’s redemption.

All throughout the book of Hebrews the author has been highlighting the way that the place in which his readers exist in the history of redemption, is superior to all others because of the coming of Christ. We’ve seen the author explain the multitude of ways in which Christ is superior to the Old Testament priests, sacrifices, and figures.

In chapter 3-4 the author cautioned his readers that they face their own current Canaan crossroads. He made clear the stakes and urged his readers that the story of redemption never ended with Israel, but God’s rest is a present reality available to all who enter by faith. All throughout the book of Hebrews we’ve seen the theme that the previous history of God’s people is part of a larger story which is not yet complete.

This made his warnings more intense as the author reminded his readers that, if anything, the stakes have only gotten higher. The danger of ignoring, missing out, refusing, or walking away has only increased over time and at the present point of the drama of biblical history it has reached a fever pitch.

But then we noticed the last two verses of Hebrews 11:39–40 “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

While the danger is greater, so are the blessings, and instead of us having to look back longingly to the good old days when God was invested in history, the story is not finished. The hall of faith is not merely a record of historical admiration and exemplary interest. It is held out as an unfinished story of which we too are a part. We are involved in the continuation of which they started.

God never finished the story because it involves you and I. We are not mere spectators of these bygone multitude of faithful saints, but we are the continuation of the grand story of God, the drama of redemption, which has climaxed in the death of Christ, but not yet concluded in the heavenly Jerusalem.

God’s story in redemption is not merely in the past it remains present and future. We rightly place our hope and security in Christ and what he has done in the past, but we’re not meant to run the race of faith facing backwards. Faith is inherently forward looking, as we saw in all the patriarchs who (Hebrews 11:15)“If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.” For us to have faith it will require us too to look ahead and forward.

It is quite possible to believe that God has provided for the saints in the past while remaining doubtful he will be able to help you today or tomorrow. You need faith that believes God will help you now, that he’ll still have everything you need tomorrow.

Chapter 12 started out telling us to run forward looking at Jesus and throwing off anything that would keep us from completely trusting God, and it is ending with a reminder that the gaze of faith is forward, not backward. Last week we saw we have not come to look back at Mt Sinai, but have come instead to look forward to Mt Zion.

Which brings us up to verse 25: Hebrews 12:25 “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they 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.”

Our passage is a continuation of the contrast between the threatening, terrestrial Mt Sinai and the celebratory, celestial Mt Zion, that was set up in the previous verses which we looked at last Sunday night. The author painted vivid pictures of these contrasting mountains which represented the distance which existed in the old covenant despite the sacrifices and ceremonies, versus the accessibility and intimacy available in the new covenant because of Jesus.

But immediately after describing festal Mt Zion he returns to a theme that he has been focused on ever since Hebrews 2:2–3 “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

The superiority of the new covenant brings with it a greater severity for ignoring, despising, or rejecting it. We saw this laid out most clearly in Hebrews 10:28–29 “Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

Recall that within the heavenly Jerusalem resides “God, the judge of all.” Sinai was terrifying, but Zion will be worse for those who refuse to listen. With greater privilege comes greater responsibility. There is no option of going back to Sinai, we have come to Zion whether we like it or not.

Mt Sinai is irreversibly in the past, “you have not come” to tangible Mt Sinai. Mt Zion is the present reality, God has spoken his final word in Jesus Christ, and this means that the rewards are much greater but the stakes are higher.

Imagine the difference between ignoring a beeping smoke detector (which may or may not be legitimate) and ignoring air traffic control while landing a plane.

The people of Israel had Moses, the 10 Commandments written by the finger of God, the tabernacle, and the pillar of cloud & fire dwelling in the midst of their camp. Yet, that whole generation failed to enter the promised land, and even after entering the nation was eventually exiled for persistent disobedience and unbelief. Despite its tangibility the old covenant was unable to bring about intimacy with God, instead it pointed ahead to the realities which Jesus fulfills.

This is why it is all the more important to listen to the voice that cannot be silenced, the voice of God’s final revelation speaking from heaven, which is Jesus. Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard,” The Israelites tried to turn down the volume on God’s voice on Sinai asking Moses to be their go between. In Heb 12:19 where is says “the hearers begged” the Greek word is actually the same root word translated as “refuse” in verse 25.

Israel refused to listen to God, asking Moses to become a mediator between and the God of Sinai. Yet Moses pointed ahead to the ultimate mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. But now that Jesus has come there is no mediator between him and human, he is the mediator. He is also the final authoritative word of God. It was dangerous to refuse the thunder from Sinai, but that was given locally to Israel.

Zion is far more dangerous, as Psalm 2 makes clear: Psalm 2:5–6 “Then [God] will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”” Psalm 2:10–12 “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

When it comes to Christ there are two choices, refuse or take refuge. The author of Hebrews is urging his readers to not choose to refuse.

Sinai was terrifying, but local, it was God’s voice on earth, Zion, on the other hand, is global, it is God’s voice from heaven. Which brings us to the call to…

II. Release the Things That Will Be Shaken (vv. 26-27)

Hebrews 12:26–27 “At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.”

As he makes his point the author brings in a quote from Haggai 2:6 which we read earlier in the service, “For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.”

The author breaks it down for us. This is a reference to the final judgement that is coming. “Yet once more” means it is still in the future. There is a final once and for all shaking that will take place. This shaking is not merely a disruption, but a removal, a sweeping away. Think of a sieve or strainer which is shaken until all the smaller particles fall through and only the bigger particles remain. This is the picture of the final judgment we have in our passage.

If you recall from chapter 1 of Hebrews, quoting Psalm 102, the author uses the imagery of changing the created order out like old clothing. Hebrews 1:10–12 “And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.””

What we see here explicitly is that God is the one constant, he remains no matter what happens to everything else.

This presents us with two categories: things that are shaken and removed and things which cannot be shaken and remain.

There is coming a day when this distinction will be utterly unmistakeable and inescapable, but for now the distinction is muted, it is discerned by faith. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” and 3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” Faith acts like night vision googles helping us see things we couldn’t otherwise see. It orients our hearts and minds so that we gain clarity on reality and can properly perceive and value what is permanent from what is transient.

In this world around us so many things feel so solid and permanent. We build houses on concrete slabs, we build sky scrapers on foundations of bedrock, the earth under our feet feels stabile. But in an earthquake we suddenly see things very differently. What we can see with our eyes right in front of often us feels the more solid and stabile than morality and eternity. Faith is the only way to gain an eternal perspective ahead of time, on this side of judgment, before it is too late.

So often our problem is that we obsess over things that inconsequential.

We obsess over temporary success and status. We pour endless energy into climbing ladders that will one day collapse—promotions, titles, follower counts, net worth, the approval of people whose opinions will not outlast this age.

We obsess over physical appearance and comfort. Hours in the gym, diets, fashion, anti-aging routines, the perfect home décor—all focused on a body and a world that are wearing out like a garment (Hebrews 1:11–12). Our bodies and homes are gifts to steward, but obsessing over them as if they are eternal is to mistake the shadow for the substance.

We obsess over control and security in a shakeable world. Stockpiling money, insurance policies, political solutions, or even prepping for every possible crisis—as if we could make this present order permanent. Jesus warned against storing up treasures where moth and rust destroy (Matthew 6:19–20). The final shaking will make every earthly safety net irrelevant.

We obsess over grievances and minor conflicts. We nurse grudges, replay arguments, cancel people over disagreements, lose peace over slights that, in eternity’s light, will seem absurdly small.

We obsess over fleeting pleasures. Binge-watching, scrolling, shopping, food, sex, entertainment—anything to numb the ache or fill the moment. These are not wrong in themselves, but when they become our functional heaven, we are clinging to things which will be shaken, not what is real and stabile. 

The tragedy is not just that these things are temporary; it’s that obsessing over them crowds out the things that cannot be shaken. Every hour spent frantically grasping shadows is an hour not spent listening to the voice from heaven or clinging to Christ and His kingdom.

The picture is of all creation melting away under our feet, falling through a sieve, with God being the only thing that remains. God, and those who are connected to him by faith. Our passage portrays a divine judgment by which some will be proven to be eternally established in God’s presence, while others will not.

The final shaking will also sift the church. The writer of Hebrews is not giving this warning to those who are out there, he is speaking to the community of faith. This is a judgment that cuts through the church as well as the world.

Just being a member of the covenant community does not exclude you from the shaking, and if you are not anchored, if your soul is not clinging to Christ, you will be swept away.

So our final exhortation is to…

III. Cling to the Things That Cannot Be Shaken (vv. 28-29)

Hebrews 12:28–29 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

We might expect a final exhortation to shape up, obey, pay attention. Instead we’re told to be grateful. How does gratitude fit in?

Well, gratitude is a response that fits in between two wrong responses. One wrong response would be to refuse: “I don’t need your help. I don’t need an unshakeable kingdom. Thank you very much!” Another response would be to say, “Well I deserve your help, I deserve nothing less than an unshakeable kingdom.” But gratitude accepts the help it knows it needs, but doesn’t deserve. That’s why gratitude is such an appropriate response to this astounding gift of an unshakeable kingdom.

One of the ways you show your appreciation is to hold on to it. If I give you a gift for Christmas and find it in the give-away pile the next day, I might be a little offended, and I’m definitely not thinking that you’re grateful for my gift. Sometimes there are some gifts that might warrant that, but the point is, it doesn’t appear grateful. The same is true with God’s unshakeable kingdom. If you ignore it, pretend it doesn’t exist or doesn’t matter to your life that’s the opposite of being grateful.

We are told we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The language echoes that of Daniel 7:18 “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’” The unshakable kingdom is not something we build—it is a gift we receive. Therefore, an unshakable soul is not achieved by human effort, but by being firmly anchored to the unshakable realities God gives us in Christ.

Here’s how your soul becomes unshakable:

Hear and Receive the Voice from Heaven (v. 25) The process begins with listening. God is speaking today through His Son (Hebrews 1:2) in the gospel. To refuse or ignore that voice is to remain rooted in the shakeable, what will be removed.

Repent and trust Christ alone for forgiveness and righteousness. Faith is the open hand that receives the kingdom. The moment you believe, you are transferred from the domain of darkness into Christ’s eternal kingdom.

Let the Coming Shaking Do Its Work Now (vv. 26–27) God’s final shaking will remove everything temporary so that only the eternal remains. Allow that future reality to shape your present priorities.

Regularly examine your life: What am I obsessing over that belongs only to this passing world? Release your tight grip on inconsequential things—status, comfort, control, grudges, pleasures. The more you loosen your hold on the shakeable, the less future shaking will unsettle you.

Cling to Christ, the Unshakable Foundation Jesus is the “founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He endured the ultimate shaking on the cross, was raised imperishable, and now sits enthroned forever. Union with Him makes your soul bedrock-steady. 

Abide in Him daily through Scripture, prayer, and the Lord’s Supper. Remind yourself constantly: “My life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). When trials come, preach to your soul: “Christ cannot be shaken; therefore I cannot ultimately be shaken.”

Cultivate Grateful, Reverent Worship (vv. 28–29) Gratitude anchors you in grace received; reverence and awe anchor you in God’s holiness (“our God is a consuming fire”). Worship reorients your heart toward what is eternal. 

Make thankful, God-centered worship a daily habit. In every circumstance—joy or pain—say, “I have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Therefore I will give thanks and draw near with holy fear.”

In short: Your soul becomes unshakable not by becoming stronger in yourself, but by being united to the One who is eternally unshakable—Jesus Christ—and by living increasingly for the kingdom you have already begun to receive.

The shaking is coming. But if your life is hidden in Christ, when everything around you falls, you will stand—unshaken—because He holds you fast.

Therefore, dear friends, as we conclude this morning, hear the urgent plea of Hebrews 12: the final shaking is coming—"yet once more" God will shake not only the earth but the heavens themselves, removing everything that can be shaken so that only His eternal kingdom remains.

What will be left standing in your life on that day? The fleeting pursuits of this fading world—its successes, comforts, and securities—or the unshakable realities of Mount Zion?

Do not refuse Him who speaks from heaven today. Release your grip on the things destined to fall. Instead, with grateful hearts, cling tightly to Christ and His kingdom—the gift you are even now receiving, a realm that no earthquake, no judgment, no power in heaven or on earth can ever overthrow.

Let gratitude fuel your worship, reverence temper your joy, and awe remind you that our God is a consuming fire—holy, yet welcoming all who take refuge in His Son.

So run the race looking to Jesus. Live today in light of eternity. And when the final shaking comes, you will not be moved—for you are anchored to the Rock that cannot be shaken. Amen