HEBREWS 12: A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE // INTRO When I was coming up in Georgia, I went to Junior High school, not Middle school Come to think of it, I never liked the idea or the sound of “Middle” or “School” for that matter Up until that time, in the great state of Georgia, elementary school students graduated to Junior High School, and then went on to High School And I’ve never really thought about it until this week, but the only things that were “high” at school were some of the students, and one particular teacher who shall not be named (and this was in the late 80’s) But then, they changed it all the year I was moving to High school, and instead of Jr High, it became Middle School I just remember disliking that change, and that’s why I’m so glad to be able to get that off of my shoulders today, having carried that burden all these years…thank you for listening to my woes The old way of doing it was just fine (and now I’m sounding old and crotchety!) (in the old man voice) I LIKE IT THE WAY IT WAS…. And it’s funny, because so many things are changing so rapidly in our world and culture that I really do have some of that aversion to change in me But, as it turns out, change is inevitable in this world I was thinking earlier in the week about how the book of Hebrews is basically a refresher for New Testament saints - a primer, if you will, to give some of the highlights from the Old Covenant so that the saints who had come along since then, having faith in the Son, could experience solidarity together with one another Those Believers at that time had experienced a significant change with God and the way that He interacted with them And the reason for it was the changing of the Covenant with God after Jesus had gone to the Cross No longer would God require the flesh and blood of lambs and goats The ultimate sacrifice had been made, once and for all They had transitioned from the Old Covenant to the New, which is exceedingly better, but then, that was the point Something better was coming, and was now here, and His Name is Jesus So as we get started, keep in mind that the book of Hebrews draws a contrast in chapter 12, parsing out the OLD from the NEW, and making much of the grace in which we now stand! // TEXT & EXPOSITION [1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, [2] looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. When you read and study your Bible, always ask yourself the question: What’s the therefore there for? In this case, the “therefore” encompasses everything that came before, from Adam and Eve and the Fall of Humanity, to the ending of the Old Covenant And the text tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses! So who are they? These are those who died in faith, waiting for the consummation of all things, as we read in chapter 11 So the admonition here in the text is to set aside anything that would weigh you down or hinder you from following Jesus Christ, and especially to put away sin, because sin is something we should steer clear of and warn others about All of this comes to us through the metaphor of a foot race We are told to run with endurance, and to throw off anything that would hinder our running It’s not a exhibition or competition to lift the most weight - God holds the whole world in His hands It’s not a contest to see who is the smartest - God holds that position as well But it IS a form of motivation, to drive us forward, to love and good deeds, not because we are saved by those things, but because they are the natural overflow of a heart that is stayed on Jesus To do this well, we have to lay aside the weight, namely the weight of sin And someone will ask, “What sins?” I don’t know, and I can’t answer that for you But Jesus knows, and He’s standing at the Victor’s podium, waiting to crown each one of His blood-bought children who ran the race And in that context, we are told to look to Jesus because He is the Founder and the One who Perfects our faith And when we are finally with Him, our Faith will be Sight, for we will see Him face-to-face And I particularly love the phrase, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising it’s shame” He despised the shame of the beating and having His beard pulled out He despised the shame of hanging naked on a Roman cross He endured agony that no other human has endured, but do you know why? It’s right there in V2 - it was for the JOY that was set before Him The joy of saving men, women, boys, and girls from their sins, by His perfect atoning sacrifice, once and for all And now He is seated at the right hand of God, on His Throne Why would that be important for us? God’s right hand is the place of “highest favor with God the Father” So that phrase is used all throughout Scripture to indicate His power and sovereignty To say that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father is to say that Christ was invested with Lordship over all things And He entered into His possession of all Government and Rule, and continues forever When we talk about Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, He sits on the “throne of his father David” (Luke 1:26–33) He is the Messiah of Israel, “the highest of the kings of the earth” and the ultimate fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to keep the offspring of David on the throne forever That promise is in Psalm 89:19–37 (please allow me to read just an excerpt…) [19] Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. [20] I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, [21] so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. [22] The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. [23] I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. [24] My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. [25] I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. [26] He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ [27] And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. [28] My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. [29] I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. [30] If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, [31] if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, [32] then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, [33] but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. [34] I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. [35] Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. [36] His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. [37] Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah So we are not waiting for Jesus to enter into His messianic reign He is reigning now And all of His enemies are being put under His feet as His gospel is preached and His kingdom expands (1 Cor. 15:20–28) [3] Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. [4] In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. [5] And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. [6] For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” Consider Him who endured hostility from sinners even though He is God incarnate, the 2nd Person of the Trinity God is eternal and Omnipotent (all powerful), Omniscient (all knowing), and Omnipresent (in all places at all times) So the question inevitably comes to us, “Why endure that shame when He could have simply wiped them out with a word?” And the answer is: LOVE - AGAPE He loves all that He has made, so make sure that you apprehend this: God does not send people Hell, but rather, Hell is a natural consequence of sin Romans 3:21-26 - But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. So don’t forget the exhortation that reminds us that we are sons and daughters of God! Don’t let the world system confuse you and make you forget what you are, and whose you are We are the Sons and Daughters of God, having been adopted into His family by grace, and grace alone So why do we forget ourselves when it comes to being in Christ? It is only because we allow ourselves to be more IN this world and connected to it than is good for us And the world system starts to have a hold on Believers in Christ This is why does God sometimes chastises us He does it to get our attention, and get us back on track with His agenda And He does it lovingly, for our good, even though it may sting in the moment [7] It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8] If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9] Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10] For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11] 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 it. How many of you have been disciplined as a child? I was spanked, and then I graduated to the belt And then one day, I was too big to spank, and that’s when the restrictions became a reality Couldn’t go to my friend’s house to hang out, etc… And then a funny thing happened I grew up, got married, and had children of my own When I heard friends complaining about their kids, I used to say, “Write a book. Go on Oprah.” But discipline is completely necessary, especially in the Home Consider that when there is NO disciple in the home - that’s a bad situation! Discipline can be overdone, under-done, and sometimes completely neglected And I’m really trying to avoid getting into the weeds of HOW parents discipline today, which largely isn’t discipline, but something else But is discipline necessary for grown ups? For adults? Yes, some adults need to be disciplined (largely because they weren’t as children) “Spare the rod - Spoil the child” is a reality Why? Because we know that Christ disciplines us for our good So if there is no discipline or correction from the Lord, then that person is not a legitimate child of the King Besides, we’ve all been disciplined (whether rightly or wrongly), and it is painful But almost everybody ends up appreciating it later on (there are exceptions) But God disciplines because He wants us as His children to become as He is, in holiness and righteousness Thus, those things cannot be abstractions only They must be real and experiential in order to accomplish what is needed in God’s economy And we must pass them along to the next generation so that we might see and enjoy the “peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” [12] Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, [13] and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. [14] Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. This is an image of someone who is forlorn and down because of rebuke or correction God is saying, “Don’t sulk or pout about it…” It is meant for good from the Lord Therefore… (what’s the therefore there for?) - there is something that the Lord wants us to do, and that would be to lift our dragging hands (which is a way of saying “Woe is me!”) Rather, walk upright as you normally would To coin a phrase, “Take it like a Man!” So the warning is to stop what’s happening SO THAT what is already lame in you (not aligned correctly) may not get worse! (like being put out of joint to make a lesson about pouting and complaining and disregarding the Lord’s ways) God very much wants to heal us, and He will in glory, but He is very willing to discipline us in ways that are painful here and now This is one of the things that makes Him a good, good Father Ultimately the discipline of the Lord is a good thing, though it doesn't necessarily seem that way in the moment So instead, strive for peace with everyone That doesn’t mean that you compromise your convictions or God’s Word to be besties with sinners But there is a way to relate and love those who are not yet in the Kingdom And sometimes there are those in the Kingdom who seem like they’re more so in the world We can and should speak to that, but God will sort it out His discipline of us comes to realign our beliefs and actions when they go astray, and that’s a function of His great love for us [15] See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; [16] that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. [17] For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. How many of us have seen or experienced personally a “root of bitterness” either tearing apart a church body or a family? It’s horrible, and the enemy (Satan, not your in-laws or your children) loves to divide friends, families, and churches over silly, dumb things) That is not to say that all arguments or disagreements are silly or dumb But weigh them out in the grander scale, taking into consideration the long-term implications Do all in your power to avoid being entangled in a root of bitterness The worst of it is that if you are entangled, you probably wouldn't realize that you are, and therefore will be inclined to consider yourself in the right And this is why God call us to humility and humbleness Humility is freedom from pride or arrogance Humbleness is not being proud or haughty Humbleness is not arrogant or assertive over others, and like love, it does not insist on it’s own way So going back to v16, don’t be like Esau He was short-sighted, carless, imprudent, and foolish When he finally began to evaluate the stupid thing that he had done, it was too late to put it right, and his honest tears were not enough to remedy the situation And now the stakes go even higher! [18] For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest [19] and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. [20] For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” [21] Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” [22] 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, [23] 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, [24] and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. This is just a sampling of what’s waiting for us in Heaven with Jesus It will be AWESOME - we will literally be in awe The author of Hebrews is delineating what was in the past from what will be in the future In the OT, there was blazing fire and darkness and gloom and tempest But this scene is set on Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem The writer is very vividly describing the contrast between the scene at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites received the law with fear and trembling, versus the scene at Mount Zion, where believers have come to experience the presence of God and the assembly of angels in joy and celebration In this heavenly setting, we find a multitude of believers from all nations and different generations This list includes the patriarchs, among whom are Abraham, Moses, and David, as well as prophets and martyrs who have gone before us They have gathered in the presence of God, surrounded by the glory and splendor of the heavenly Jerusalem, as they wait for us to join them As the writer of Hebrews paints this picture, he emphasizes the unshakable nature of God’s kingdom and the need for believers to worship Him with reverence and awe It is a scene of worship, adoration, and gratitude as the redeemed of the Lord stand in the presence of the Almighty, giving thanks for His mercy and grace And it captures the essence of the unshakeable kingdom of God and the reverence we should give to Him It is an awe-inspiring scene, focused on the nature of God and His power The nation of Israel approached Mount Sinai, where they received the old covenant, which was accompanied by an overwhelming and fearsome display of God's power and authority (Exodus 19:9–20) And It also came with a dire warning! If anything touches this holy mountain, that thing or person must die And even Moses, who was chosen by God and allowed to approach the mountain, was afraid at the sight of these things The purpose of these signs, as with the old covenant itself, was to guide mankind's understanding By grasping the nature of our own sin, we would prepare to accept Christ and the new, superior covenant (Hebrews 9:8–12; Galatians 3:23–24). And here again, we have a juxtaposition In the OT, it was a HOLY GOD witnessed by a FALLEN people But in the NT, it is a HOLY GOD worshipped by HOLY people The purpose of this contrast is twofold: It is to show that the new covenant is superior to the old covenant, and to encourage Christians to "hold fast" to their faith despite hardship Through Christ, the barrier has been removed and we can have confidence in coming to God! Praise the Lord for His goodness and grace!! [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. [26] 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.” [27] 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. [28] 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, [29] for our God is a consuming fire. Do not refuse Him who speaks That one is God, and His message is speaking still today all over the planet There were those who refused Him who spoke, and some who listened In these last days, it is the same, though it feels as though there are more who are going away from Christ rather than towards Him, shutting their eyes and ears rather than rejoicing in what He has accomplished for us That may be a function of the Church abdicating in the area of evangelism But did you catch it? V26 is what I am pointing to Yet once more…God is going to shake everything God has shaken the world many times in an attempt to awaken men, women, boys, and girls to come to Him And He’s going it now, and the shaking is going to get worse than it’s ever been before One of the first things He’s going to do is to remove all His covenant people from the earth, so that He can fully bring His wrath the bear upon the earth, as it comes under the reign of Satan through his puppet, the Antichrist Are you ready? Whether we endure hardship or find ourselves going up in the Harpazo - the Rapture of the Church - are you ready? There’s one thing that we won’t be able to do ever again, once we’re in Heaven Never again will we have the opportunity to witness to a non-Believer So I urge you to take the opportunity now // APPLICATION The entire purpose laid out in the Bible is for mankind to take up the mantle of making God known We are IMAGE bearers, as we are made in the image and likeness of God Himself But we are also message bearers, tasked with taking the Good News of Jesus to everyone on earth He’s known through Creation, but Evolution puts the blinders back on He’s known through His Church, but so many local churches embrace false doctrine, and exchange the True Truth for a lie because the lie is more comforting to them So while it is still today, let us be good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted to us! And may we see Him soon! The question that I’ve wrestled with this week has been, “What does God want us to do in these days?” And this comes from my heart that in my son’s wedding this weekend It was a beautiful celebrate with family and friends But the answer to this question has been the same in every generation since Christ died and rose again What does God want us to do in these days? MAKE HIM KNOWN! Jesus was prominent in Noah and Alitza’s wedding, but the wedding that I’m especially excited about is the One still to come! And one day soon, we will see our Bridegroom face to face, and know Him even as we are fully known! What an incredible promise! // BENEDICTION May the grace of Jesus be with you, and may the Holy Spirit fill you so that He might use you for His purposes in the world! And may the Father be pleased with all that we do and say as we align with Him and His agenda! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! AMEN! Emmaus Road Church, You are sent!!