The Promise of an Unshakable Kingdom

Transition: When public figures such as Bible scholars and pastors renounce their faith in Christ, in can and does disturb other believers. If someone who has that much knowledge and experience can fall away, why can’t it happen to me? And as the cultural attacks on Christianity escalate and the price of being faithful increases, there will be others who fall away.

The central message of the Book of Hebrews is that believers can persevere in spite of persecution. We can do so because Christ is superior to any other system of living life, and Christianity is a relationship between Christ and the individual believer. We CAN remain faithful - not due to the strength of our will or determination, but because of Jesus Himself. He is the One who is holding on to us, and keeping us from falling.

The text we are looking at tonight is located near the end of the book. Hebrews has 13 chapters, and the passage of 12:18-29 is the final section of exhortation and warning before the author finishes the book. Hebrews is the written account of a sermon that was preached primarily to a group of Christian Jews. I say primarily because the congregation contained Jews who had not yet embraced Christianity, and, like a lot of churches in our time, had Jewish converts who thought they were Christ-followers.

During the period the book was written, the persecution by the Roman authorities was on the near horizon, (they had not shed blood for their faith, cf. ), but the signs were evident. In addition, they had been enduring the periodic attacks by those Jews who remained firmly committed to the Old Covenant - those who rejected Christ as their Messiah.

In short, it was a time when many were publically questioning the reasons to maintain the Christian faith. The author of Hebrews has been teaching on the superiority of Christ in all measures against the old ways, and as he ends his sermon, he is pointing them to see the promise of the unshakeable kingdom that awaits the faithful.

READ THE TEXT:

A Reminder of the Unapproachable nature of the Old Covenant ()

Explanation: The author is reminding his audience of their ancestors’ encounter with God at Mount Sinai (). In His Holiness God had commanded the people to keep their distance from the mountain. As Moses told the people the limits they could not pass, and when they heard the thunder of His voice, and saw the smoke and darkness, and the lightning flashes, they became very fearful. They did not even want to hear God’s voice () because they were afraid of being killed in their sinfulness.

Argument: The nature of the sacrificial system was designed to show the inability of humans to measure up to God’s standards. Every time a worshiper brought an animal to the priest to be killed, he or she was reminded of the cost of sin, and how sin separated. Even the High Priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year, and even then, he had to go in with the blood of a sacrifice for his own sins along with the sins of the people.

A Glimpse of the Glorious Nature of the New Covenant ()

Explanation: The nature of the Old Covenant is contrasted with the New. After highlighting the spiritual distance imposed in the first, the author shows the glorious, festive intimacy found in the second and better covenant. The great thing is part of this Kingdom is in the present - the worshipers were already living some aspects of the Kingdom. The text declares that you have come … which is in the present tense.

Argument: Believers in Christ were already present in the city of the Living God, they were already entering into the festive celebration with the angelic hosts, and they were members of the church of the Firstborn. This is the present reality of the believer. There remains a future aspect of the Kingdom when we pass from this life, and then a further reality when Christ sets up His Kingdom in the eschaton, but make no mistake, believers can and do experience a spiritual reality under the New Covenant that was not possible for believers under the Old Covenant.

Some among them were wavering and talking about going back to the sacrificial system. They were discouraged by what was taking place around them, and questioning whether Christianity was really worth it. Failing to fully live out their hope in the better Covenant was not helping the doubts and uncertainty of those who were not fully committed to Christ

Application: We live under the tension of the already / not yet, but we should not push off all aspects of Christianity into the future. Believers are privileged to live as citizens of the heavenly Kingdom now. It is our birthright as believers in Christ, and it give us the ability to navigate life in the present. We CAN enjoy some of the present realities of the Kingdom now. When we are faithful and rejoicing in our status as the Redeemed, when we praise God and honor Him, we will be an encouragement to others!

A Final Exhortation to remain faithful ()

Explanation: The Book of Hebrews contains a unique feature in that it contains five warning passages. These passages function as alerts that are designed to keep believers focused on finishing well. They act as guard rails, and they keep believers from taking a hum-drum, so-what? approach to the faith. The first warning passage is found in the second chapter of the book () and it warns about drifting away - it is a warning to stay alert and remain focused on Jesus!

The fifth and final warning passage is located in our text: . Again the warning is about disregarding the Truth that has been revealed to them. The author reminds them of the penalties of those who took lightly the warnings under the first covenant () [violators were killed], and then warns of greater punishment for those who disregard the Voice of the second covenant [they would be consigned to Eternal Death]

Application: We design warnings for those we love. We teach our children by setting up boundaries, and we warn against dangers so they won’t be hurt. We tell them about the dead end destructiveness of things like alcohol and other drugs. We don’t do it so they can’t have fun; we do it because we know it leads to despair and heartache and potentially physical death.

God’s warnings are for our benefit. He wants us to enjoy life in the present so that we can enjoy it forever with Him. But we have to observe His limits of love.

Our Response of Worship to the God who is Faithful ()

Explanation: In the warning passage, the author describes a future event which will take place at the Eschaton. When Christ sets up His glorious Kingdom on earth it will be on the heels of great upheaval. All those things in this world that are opposed to Christ will be removed, obliterated, or consigned to the depths of darkness. Those are the “things that can be shaken” which will be removed to make way for “those things that cannot be shaken”

Because of this coming reality, because we are serving the King who cannot lose, because we know the One who will establish His dominion forever (), believers are to serve Him with gratitude. Jesus gives His followers the privilege of serving in this Kingdom under His Righteous Rule. While that reality is still in the future for us, it is real and it will happen. Because of this, our present worship is to be acceptable with reverence and awe as befits such a Glorious King!

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