Sermons

The Letter to the Hebrews

Be Grateful For The Unshakeable Kingdom

Hebrews 12:25-29

When I was in junior high our church youth leader thought he saw evidence in the Bible and world events that Jesus would return in a couple years at most and bring world history to a close.  So our youth group spent a whole summer studying this and getting excited about how soon Jesus would be coming back.

 And that sort of thing has happened throughout church history.  Throughout church history groups of Christians have thought they have figured out exactly when Jesus will return.

And it’s true that Jesus will come back at the end of history, and bring the final judgment, and the new heavens and earth.  But Jesus taught clearly that none of his followers would know when he would come back.

 So our focus should not be on when he will return.  Our focus should be on what his return will mean.  And to see what his return will mean, turn to Hebrews 12:25-29.  If you need a Bible, go ahead and raise your hand and we will bring one to you.  Hebrews 12:25 is on page 1009 in the Bibles we are passing out.

So what will Jesus’ return mean?  The answer is in vv.25-29, but first let me give you some background.  In vv.18-21 the author told us about how God had wanted to show the nation of Israel what it would be like for sinful people to come before a perfectly holy and righteous God without forgiveness of sins and without a Savior.  And so he had them come to the edge of Mt. Sinai, and there was fire and smoke and they saw Mt. Sinai shaking and heard God warn that they needed to be forgiven.

So with that in mind, let’s read vv.25-29 --

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.

So in v.25 he says we must not refuse what God is speaking to us now.  So what is God speaking to us now?  On Mt. Sinai he had warned them from earth.  But now he is warning us from heaven.  So what is he saying to us now from heaven?

It’s right there in v.26 – read it again --

26            At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, [and here he quotes from the Old Testament prophet Haggai] "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens."

So now God is warning that in the future He is going to shake the heavens and the earth.  Think of the heavens shaking – the sun, the moon, Venus.  And think of the earth shaking.  How many of you remember the Loma Prieta earthquake?  But that’s nothing compared to what will happen when God shakes the entire earth.

And what does that mean?  He explains in v.27 --

27            This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken--that is, things that have been made [all of creation]-- in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

So when God shakes the heavens and the earth that means everything that can be shaken will be removed and gone.  So what will be left?  Read the first part of v.28 –

28            Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken…

So what is this kingdom?  The author describes it in vv.22-24.  It’s Jesus whose death has paid for all of our sin; it’s life forever in the city of the living God; it’s tens of thousands of angels celebrating our salvation in Christ.

So when God shakes the heavens and the earth all that will be left is the kingdom of God and those who have received this kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ.  Everyone else will face eternal punishment.  And everything else will be destroyed.

Now this does not mean there will be no heaven and earth.  The Bible teaches that the present heavens and earth will be removed – destroyed – and replaced with the new heaven and a new earth of the kingdom of God.

This is huge.  This changes everything.  Think of what a difference it makes to understand that the world as we know it will one day be gone and replaced by the new heavens and earth of the kingdom of God.  And that the way we live our lives now will give us even more joy forever in God’s kingdom.

This is what motivates us to do all we can to tell people about Jesus.  This is what strengthens us not to sin.  This is what enables us to love our enemies.  This is what helps us endure trials.  This is what frees us from loving money.  This is what makes us care about people groups around the world who have no Christian witness.  It’s because at the end of history God will shake and remove everything except his kingdom and those who have received his kingdom through faith in Christ.

So to help us see and feel this life-changing truth, let’s look at three other passages in the Bible which teach this.  So where else is this taught in God’s Word?  Start with 2 Peter 3:10-13 (page 1019) –

10            But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11            Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,

12            waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!

13            But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

So the earth and all its works will be dissolved, and all that will last will be the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells – which is another way to describe the kingdom of God.

Look also at Revelation 6:12-17 (page 1031) –

12            When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood,

13            and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale.

14            The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

15            Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,

16            calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb,

17            for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

So at the end of history, God the Father and Jesus the Lamb will pour out their wrath upon a sinful earth, and the universe will be changed.  And all who have not received God’s kingdom, all who are not trusting Jesus Christ – will try to hide.  But they won’t be able to hide.  They will face wrath – forever.

And look also at Revelation 21:1-4 (page 1041) --

1              Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2              And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3              And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4              He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

Questions?

Now with that in mind, let’s turn back to Hebrews 12, and ask one last question.  How should we respond to this?  The author gives us three commands.

First, don’t refuse him who is speaking.  Read v.25 again –

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 [in the Old Testament on Mt. Sinai], much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven [which is here and now through this prophecy of Haggai].

God has warned us about what is going to happen.  And this shows how much God loves us.  See, God cares about you.  God has compassion on you.  God has you here today reading this passage because he does not want you to be in the dark about where world history is headed.  He wants you to understand that everything depends on you receiving this kingdom through faith in Christ.

But you might be tempted to refuse and reject what God is saying.  You might think – why should I believe that?  And that’s a good question.  We love questions here.  And here’s one reason to think about.

It’s because this book is full of prophecies spoken by God hundred and thousands of years earlier -- which God fulfilled hundreds and even thousands of years later.  Here’s an example –

 700 years before Christ, God told a prophet Micah to prophesy that the Messiah would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.  So we have an historical document written by a real man, Micah.  It was written 700 years before Christ.  And God told him to write that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  So 700 years later, where was Jesus born?  In Bethlehem.

And there’s dozens of prophecies just like that, throughout the Bible, which God has fulfilled.  See, God does not ask us to believe without evidence.  God calls us believe because of evidence.  And God has given us lots of evidence.

So don’t refuse him who is speaking to you this morning.  Embrace the truth that one day God will shake and remove everything except his kingdom and those who have received his kingdom through faith in Christ.

And if you are already embracing this, then share it with someone this week.  Say – You know what we learned in church yesterday?  We learned that one day God is going to destroy everything in this universe, and replace it with the new heavens and earth.  And let that spark some discussion.

The second command is given in v.28 --  

28            Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken …

Through faith in Jesus Christ, you have received this kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Oh, we should be grateful to God for this!

But it’s easy to lose that sense of gratefulness – because of kids, bills, work, pressures.  So what can we do?

Take time to nurture gratefulness.  Ponder the kingdom as described in vv.22-24.  Ask the Lord to help you see again that you don’t deserve this – what God has done through Christ – and what you have.

Think about how at the end of history, when God’s power shakes the heavens and earth and people are running to the rocks to hide from God’s wrath – you will not be shaken.  Because you are part of the kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Oh, be grateful to God for what He has done!

And the third command is in the rest of v.28 and v.29 --

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.

The final command is – worship God with reverence and awe, because God is a consuming fire.

See, the point of the entire universe is – God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

And so at the end of history God’s fire is going to consume everything else, and replace it with the new heaven and new earth of His kingdom – and the whole point of this kingdom if worshiping God as revealed in Christ.

So – worship God!  Love God!  Revere God!  Be in awe of God!

Ask yourself – is your security more in your money, or in God? 

Is your satisfaction more in football – or in God?

Is your desire more for that new gadget – or for God?

Is your excitement more about entertainment – or about God?

Money, football, gadgets, entertainment are nothing compared to God.

Which is why one day God will consume them and all that will be left is God – God as revealed in Christ Jesus.

So worship God with reverence and awe, because God is a consuming fire.

So – embrace the truth that one day God’s power will destroy everything except His kingdom.  Be grateful that because of Jesus you are receiving this kingdom.  And worship the God whose mercy and power is giving you this kingdom.