Hebrews 12:11-29 - A Call to Christ

We're looking at Hebrews chapter 12 today and as we do so we're continuing to live as price Falls in light of our current reality chapter 19. I will be going back there as well acknowledge. What's new for rotavirus as a many ways. I shake it U manatees coronavirus and and the subsequent add on the top of that fears about the economy questions about media and government and we have to say sorry. You know a lot of things that we kind of took for granted has been shaken in recent days even something as simple as the toilet paper. We are no longer.

And when we come to the moment like this where things have shaken and things that we took for granted are no longer that we thought they were recognized as price Falls.

Right on what we are being asked to do by our Lord. Who by the way. What is this called in punctuation Verizon? And what is most important for I would be stretching it to say that this is an opportunity for the wake-up call.

We get so used to just moving through life. We get so used to just doing things that are normal. And I don't know if you've had this experience like I have where's your own place and about to drive from where you were to where you just arrived and you hope that you didn't get anybody run anybody off the road. I ignore the lights flashing in your rearview mirror right now has no memory of the journey. Well moments. Are we paying attention? Would God be able to get our attention in any other way has God been speaking very clearly through centuries. But more particularly in recent days in the 2010s and now the 2020s has he been trying to say something with the church was just missing until finally he's got our attention and now we need to see and hear and respond this call that I think has come the call for us as price call to return, two routes to be reminded why this morning I want us to look at Hebrews chapter 12, and we're going to be walking through quite a lot of texts this morning. I don't want us to Miss out on what God is doing here. But if you found like you to read with me I starting in verse well. UniFirst of that For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by there for your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knee and make straight paths for your feet in for the Holiness without which no one has teeth that no one is sexually immoral or Unholy by Keystone who sold his Birthright or you know that afterward when he desire to redownload PS4 V

We have not seen the contacts that came before and Sophie really want to talk about all of the promises of the Old Testament. So how Jesus is a better mood and so is Christ in our ability to rigorously look at priced consider this Messiah. Look at this and understand that he is your only hope He is the only one who can bring Salvation and the book takes a turn there after that. How does that impact the lives that we live as Christ followers about Jesus in the life. We live in response to he's talking about discipline from the fruit of righteousness. No, I am not saying the coronavirus is an active specific discipline against one person or against you working this cycling his people Pushing us towards price license through it does not seem flip it. It seems painful the lack of social interaction.

Others if you are rejoicing at that lack, but other things are telling me about worried and concerned about how to discern truth from falsehood and who's right and who's wrong. We've got the size that are being taken on this issue and it's become politicized. And you're not sure it seems discipline can yield righteousness? If we see it as an opportunity to be framed. What's the prize for literature?

The coronavirus is revealed in me and in front of people particularly United States during areas of weakness places where we have not been able to do what we were meant to do because something was out of June and this is an opportunity for that. I have seen the church not striving for peace with being a place of division in bitterness and yet the call in Christ.

Striving for peace with others but has asked us to do but instead Holdings.

And 2 in all of this we see the author saying because of who Jesus is because of what he has done. This is the life that we ought to live at this morning. Inverse 18in I'd ask you to read along with me. For you have not come to what may be touched a blazing fire and darkness and blue minutes in a voice whose were they could not endure the order that was given if even a beast touches the mountain now, if you're like me and you did not grow up in a Jewish household. Then this seems like a sudden shift how I live in response surprised. What is all this?

What the author is referring to here is what we have written for us. The Lord said to Moses go to the people.

Now, what would the author of Hebrews is wanting it back to him? What s this is related is this moment in the history of they are preparing to meet with the Lord. The Lord is going to give to them his law he's going to reveal his Covenant with them and so they are tools you need to get ready for you to be consecrated for this because the Lord is actually going to come down. This was Israel's moment Israel moment of social distancing. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to put aside the things of this world the distractions of the moment and it said it themselves.

Have we seen social distance to reconnect with the Lord?

He said to the people consecrate first weapon. You just set limits with people all around the mouth or to test the engine. Whoever touches the weather beat man. He shall not.

I should have got to saying this is why you need to be consecrated because I am a holy God. I am so holy.

Distance or with an arrow and you cannot approach me like God reveals himself to the people of Israel.

So we carry on so be ready for the Thunders and lightning did Moses meet.

In under the Lord came down to the top of the Lord Called Moses to the top.

Not read that love or sex in the back to this because of what he was talking about. We meet God on the mountain. We there's no mountain where we have to be careful not to touch it because we have not come to that that seems like really good news. And this is why he was all wrapped and smoke and fire in the god of the New Testament is, you know, Jesus love race, Versi.

Something today and she will display the Holiness of God. We need to understand that in context.

Be glad you've got Jesus now.

But you have come to Mount Zion into the city of the Living God in heaven and to God the judge of all and sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of a sphere that would like, okay. I'm so glad that we have not come to the smoking Mountain. I'm so glad at least come to this Mount Zion surrounded by thunder and lightning and I'm so glad instead be surrounded by people. If we put One Toke Over The Line we're surrounded. I think we're going to pick up stones or bows and arrows to shoot us.

surrounded by and instead of being held by the voice that Thunders from the mountain now, we have Jesus speaking me and Milds come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you And if that point in the passage, this is so much better. This is so much better. We are glad that Grace as this verse 24 sent to us and cry because of the blood you die from Death that we could not die and live again and he lives again.

He gives great. Amen, we are under grace discipline in a context of being called to Holiness in the context of being called by that three two piece and two righteous. You being strengthened?

We forget the context of race and the call of Grace the call to Christ.

But we're not under the law or under grace so I can go ahead and do it and don't forget me. I'm just really hard to live the Christian Life.

that's not What the author of Hebrews come to Mount Zion? It is so much better for you to be at Zion housing. It's time. I saw a shirt into the presence of God through Christ rather than through this is so much better, but it does not mean Grace does not mean If we ought to excuse for it, if we reject him from Heaven at that time his voice shook the Earth, but now he has to be shaken.

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we are under grace. $0.01 that is a more terrible reality to live in. Why do you think it is that one of the primary Temptations for Christians is to go back under the law and to Define our relationship in terms of what we do for God what he said or what we don't do. Why do you think it is that we want to go back there? Because even though that's the smoking Mountain.

We can see it. It's more understandable if we just have a list of check checkboxes this all right my relationship with God.

I don't have to worry about. Anything because I'm under grace is the opposite concern instead of falling back into legalism. Do ourselves over to send all the wild presuming that God is duty-bound to forgive us because of race of enigmatic undefined.

More is it better than the law gets better than license? It's more serious than the Loft and it's definitely not. Grace does not mean the God is now or lenient towards. Grace proves to us just how seriously God takes them instead of threatening death on the front with disobedient hard-headed stiff-necked people in Greece.

Job kills his son. regrets

As long as death is something that just happens if I touch a mountain.

But when you see that God did not withhold his own son. The scene was so serious and required the death of Christ the death of God in car.

I got to wait.

God at Sinai reveals himself in direct God and Christ reveals himself so directly the actual blood is spilled the actual body is broken. Raymond far from being an excuse It's something that should make God seems infinitely more awesome infinitely more wonderful.

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how in the world that we got it in her head to Grace and simply an excuse for us to make God small breasts to make light of we find this light at the races cheap. The grace is free and easy. We bought into this live it because of Grace We're free know the author of The Bible.

Because of Grace we are called to reject selfish ambition because of Gracie or call to reject fried because of race your call to reject greed and Injustice. Because of Grace are called and we are given the power to live. because we've seen Christ revealed to we're not having to guess what kind of God we serve when I happened to guess what he would want from us because Jesus came and he revealed. And he revealed the standard of God. He calls us to follow and praise God for Grace. You can't you can't.

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recognition a clear Revelation this situation. Today has been revealed and it showed me this.

Jamaica got smaller to make mice and insignificant. Because I realize that I wanted a guy who was small enough that he would just ask for one day a week. And now that that day has been taken away. I'm forced to confront my relationship with God Monday through Sunday.

Just being prevented from gathering on Sunday. Just not mean to my obligation to the Christian are somehow it's gone instead. I recognize now that Sunday like Monday like Tuesday. The great God is calling me to honor him with my life. today Lisa

We have a tendency to set aside Sunday and so kids.

This is Benson Scott time. I give him these two hours.

And I can do what I want. We shrink back from a god. Who would make an imposition on every day of army?

We want a guy who stays where we left him last Sunday so that next Sunday to come and we can meet with him. We can sing some songs get some Goosebumps breeds of people. We like leave before anything major is asked of us.

And put our God aside. What is Coronavirus has taught us anything? It's hot that God is not done working just because the church is not meeting in a bit. God God is being good enough to continue to use his people like in loving on babies.

You still at work? He's not confined to this space and when we come back. remember

is God's presence in the world?

huge you can't be confined to one place as work goes out to all creation. We wants a doll.

We want a job and a small enough to all the actors in Grace. We wanted on Spotify can find you a building, but he's not. We have to be careful because left to our own devices and if we're just on autopilot cruising through life that what will be will be asleep in Christ seeking God returning to him on a daily basis if we're just autopilot postings in life. We will inevitably imagine a smaller guy.

When will imagine that because of Grace God is small enough to let us live life on our own turn? But there's a problem. If God is small enough. For us to live life on our own terms, and he's too small thing. It if it's God is not calling us. By his grace to a radical life transformation, then he's not God enough. Your salvation is dependent on Grace being serious and God being holy your salvation is dependent on Christ doing what you could not do your salvation is dependent on him being crushed for saying instead of you being present for sin. We need to understand.

How much more serious should we take?

We should take it very seriously never been comfortable with it should never dismiss the opportunity to gather the church and then to be scattered still as the church. We should not miss.

but in the midst of that We need to understand that God is the one. Bookmarks in Chrome are self-sufficient convinced of our ability to do what needs to be done on our own strength. He is the one who gives us a wake up call. Sure. Would you see on our world today as a wake-up call. Would you receive it as a gift of God away from minimization of God's holiness calling you to a life of holiness. Would you see this is a call away from minimizing. And a call to glorifying him. If everything would you see this at the call to ignore the things that can be shaken and that's the the last thing I want us to see here. He said that in verse 26 you talk about shaking the Earth and Heaven the things that are shaking but look at verse 28 and offered to God acceptable worship with reverence and offer. Our God is a consuming fire.

When the world has been shaken. And when everything that we thought was reliable is proved unreliable. And when our inability to control in the most minoot circumstances of Our Lives is laid bare by God is a season out of control when that is laid bare. We have nothing but praise. because if he were to strip away from us our health if he were to strip away from us are well if he were to strip away from us the ability to If you were to take away all the things that we associate with. What remains is what matters? And what remains is this? We are not in control. What remains is the things of this world will never satisfy us nor can they be our security only God can satisfy.

We're reminded that humans are faulty. They were broken that were sinful that were selfish that were frightful and instead were pointed to Christ who was Andrew gave himself up, right? In our present moment church, or you're being called to force a car idles of comfort and wealth and Safety and Security and we are being called and said back to a full heart.

Kingdom And when we receive that kind of call when we are brought face-to-face with the greatness of God who from before the foundations of the Earth.

When we didn't know it was coming 6 months ago. When we are fraught face-to-face with that gun, we can be grateful.

To see. Brateman in to see our need for change. race nothing

To go back in to put our hope in things that can be shaken right now that we've been stripped of all of that. Maybe not when this is over go back to that may instead we see this is God the wake-up call to us holding out to a things that cannot be shaken crisis King. Salvation is by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.

These things don't change. new Coronavirus

For the sake of calling these people.

Those who have been given his kingdom.

Reference and how God

the fire that hit Mount Sinai fire the fire that came down from heaven to consume the offering in the confrontation with the prophets of Baal and what's being reference there. That's still Our God in church. We have an opportunity to show that God is still there and he will burn away those things that we

in order to prove to us.

We've been called. with all our machine We've been called to put aside our items. We've been called to put a sign or cultural expressions of Christianity the things that we made it and instead.

What matters is? We proceed let us receive this Kingdom.

on unshakable focus on