Sermon #90 Hebrews Notes


Title: Things Shaken and Things Unshaken

Text: Hebrews 12:25-29

Subject: Perseverance

Date: Tuesday Evening—August 6, 2002

Tape # X-15b

Introduction:
Have you ever paused to consider how fragile this world is?—How easily things here are shaken, and shaken to utter ruin? We work hard to secure things, as if we really can? Our efforts are futile. It’s like trying to anchor a real ship in the midst of a real storm on an imaginary rock!

Let’s take just a small frame of time with which most of us are familiar—Your own lifetime. Squeeze into that short space of time (let’s say 60 years) some of the things we have seen that make this earth and all things in it look pretty fragile.

  • World War Ii

  • The Korean War

  • The Cuban Missile Crisis

  • The Vietnam War

  • The Cold War

  • The Arab-Israeli Wars

  • The Upheavals In Eastern Europe

  • Multiplied Civil Wars In The Balkans And Throughout The African Continent

  • The Devastating Earthquakes In South America, India, China, And San Francisco

  • Hurricanes Betsy, Camille, Frederick, Hugo, And Andrew

  • The Typhoons In The Philippines, Japan, And Bangladesh,

  • Floods And Tornadoes.

  • Famines In Asia And Africa

  • The Global Outbreak Of Diseases

  • Political Instability Of Untold Horror In More Countries Than Any Of Us Can Name

  • Terrorism

  • The Rape And Murder of Children

  • The World’s Economy


One thing after another has shaken our world. The fact is, this world is shaky because it is cursed. What we are witnessing every day foreshadows another day, a cataclysmic shaking of creation that will ultimately leave only one thing standing, only one thing that cannot be shaken—the Kingdom of God.

We will be wise to order and define our lives by our interest in and relationship to the unshakeable kingdom of God. If we are part of this unshakeable kingdom we will endure everything that threatens, shakes, and destroys all others; and remain unshaken.

Tonight, I want to talk to you about Things Shaken And Things Unshaken. Our text will be Hebrews 12:25-29

(Hebrews 12:25-29) "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (26) Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. (27) And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. (28) Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (29) For our God is a consuming fire."


In these five short verses we have words of grace, words of hope, words of warning and words of promise.

A Word of Warning


(Hebrews 12:25) "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:"


Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant, is the one spoken of here. He is the one who "speaketh." See that you refuse him not!

1. He spoke for his elect in the council and covenant of eternal grace (Heb. 8:6).

(Hebrews 8:6) "But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises."


2. He spoke in the creation of all things out of nothing (Heb. 11:3; John 1:1-4).

(John 1:1-4) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men."

(Hebrews 11:1-3) "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (2) For by it the elders obtained a good report. (3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."


3. He spoke from Sinai in giving the law.

4. He spoke as Prophet of the church in the days of his flesh.

5. He spoke through his servants in giving the Scriptures.

But the text is not talking about these things. The text speaks of our Lord as "Him that speaketh!" It is in the present tense. It must be talking about something else.


6. He speaks now in heaven, interceding for believers (Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2).

(Hebrews 7:25) "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

(1 John 2:1-2) "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (2) And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."


 

7. He speaks through the lips of his servants by the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:17; 2 Cor. 5:20-6:1).

(Romans 10:17) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(2 Corinthians 5:20-21) "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (21) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

(2 Corinthians 6:1) "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain."


  • How foolish to refuse to hear him, but many do (John 1:11; 3:19; 5:43).


(John 1:11) "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

(John 3:19) "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

(John 5:43) "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."


O how foolishly men and women refuse to hear the Son of God speak! How foolish we are when we stop our ears and refuse to hear him!

  • By Neglect to Hear the Gospel!

  • By Hardening our Hearts Against the Gospel!

  • By Refusing to Believe the Gospel!

  • By Weighing The Word of God with The Opinions of Men!

  • By Setting In Judgment Over The Word of God!


"Him that spoke on earth" may mean God, who spoke on Mt Sinai in giving his law, or Moses, who was on the earth and of the earth, who spoke for God to the people as a mediator whom they promised to hear and heed, but did not (Acts 7:37-39.)

(Acts 7:37-39) "This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. (38) This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (39) To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,"


If they, who refused to hear the words of Moses, did not escape the wrath and judgment of God, how shall we escape if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven (Heb. 1:1,2; 2:1-3)?

(Hebrews 1:1-2) "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;"

(Hebrews 2:1-3) "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. (2) For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; (3) How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;"


"Him that spoke on earth" may refer to our Lord Jesus Christ who came from heaven is the Lord of heaven.

  • His doctrine is from heaven.

  • Having finished the work, he is seated in heaven.

  • He now speaks from heaven.

  • He shall soon come from heaven to judge or reward all men (John 12:47-50).


(John 12:47-50) "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. (48) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (49) For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. (50) And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak."


The Shaking of Heaven and Earth


When our Lord speaks, he shakes both heaven and earth!

(Hebrews 12:26) "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven."

At Sinai the earth was shaken by his voice, which voice was the voice of thunder, the voice of trumpets and the voice of words (Ex. 19:18,19; Ps. 68:7,8).

(Exodus 19:18-19) "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. (19) And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice."

(Psalms 68:7-8) "O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: (8) The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel."

"Once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven." (Hag. 2:6,7).

(Haggai 2:6-7) "For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts."

This refers to the coming of the Messiah -- the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Redeemer. His coming not only shook the earth, but all of heaven also!

Another Shaking


(Hebrews 12:27) "And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."

"And this word, yet once more" indicates the final removal of all that can be shaken, such as Sinai and its law, the Jewish state (both political and ecclesiastical), the whole Mosaic economy, the tabernacle and its ceremonies and sacrifices, and all things pertaining to divine worship which are made with hands and which are made to be shaken and removed (Heb. 10:8-10).

(Hebrews 10:8-10) "Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; (9) Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. (10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."


"That those things which cannot be shaken or moved may remain." This is the kingdom and priesthood of Christ, which is forever, and all the good things that come through him.

  • Redemption

  • Justification

  • Adoption

  • Sanctification

  • Our Heavenly Inheritance

  • The Doctrines And Ordinances Of The Gospel—Baptism, The Lord's Supper And The Church!


An Unshakeable Kingdom


(Hebrews 12:28) "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:"

We have been born and received into his kingdom and we, by faith, have received the scepter of King Jesus. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. His kingdom and reign shall know no end (Phil. 2:9-11).—"He must reign!"

(Philippians 2:9-11) "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Let us therefore offer to our Savior and King pleasing service, acceptable worship and praise with reverence and godly fear. He is Almighty God and worthy of all praise and worship. The statement, "Let us have grace," means, "Let us hold the gospel of the grace of God and continue in it" (Heb. 13:15).

(Hebrews 13:15) "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

A Consuming Fire


(Hebrews 12:29) "For our God is a consuming fire."

There are two points to be dealt with here.

1. This may be understood of his jealousy (Deut. 4:24) in matters of worship and approach to him.

(Deuteronomy 4:24) "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God."

God alone is to be worshipped, and he is to be approached in the manner and way suitable to him and fixed by him. He is to have all the glory, and to come any other way than that which he has appointed is to be rejected utterly and consumed in the fire of his wrath (John 14:6; Heb. 10:19-22).

(John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

(Hebrews 10:19-22) "Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (21) And having an high priest over the house of God; (22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

2. Our God is a consuming fire in this sense, too.—He is a wall of fire about us.

  • He is a fire in his providence to protect and provide for us.

  • He is a fire to warm and guide us.

  • He is a fire to consume our enemies

  • And he is a fire to purify us and our eternal dwelling.


(Zechariah 2) "I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. (2) Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof. (3) And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, (4) And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: (5) For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her. (6) Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD. (7) Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. (8) For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. (9) For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me. (10) Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. (11) And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. (12) And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. (13) Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation."
Don Fortner