Transcript: God's Unshakeable Kingdom: Belonging to Christ's Majestic Realm

Music Music Apostle Paul's epistle in Hebrews 12 beginning in verse 18 gives a contrast between two kingdoms. These kingdoms are also referred to as two mountains. One is a fearful place to be and is described as a place of darkness and gloominess. The other is defined as an unshakable kingdom and described as a heavenly place. Let's pick this up in verse 18. The contrast between the two mountains. For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched, and to a blazing fire, and a darkness and gloom, and a whirlwind. Verse 19. And to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was as such, that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. for they could not bear the command that said, Even if a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I am fearful and trembling, but you have come to a mountain and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to its myriad of angels for the general assembly and the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus Christ the mediator of the new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Verse 25 defines the unshakable kingdom. This verse begins with a warning. It declares, see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. And his voice shook the earth then, but now he is promised, saying, Yet once more will I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. Verse 27, this expression yet once more denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Verse 28, therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Here we read about two mountains which are compared with one another. We also read in verse 25 that there was a warning that the reader or listener would not refuse or ignore the one who speaks to us regarding the wonderful and priceless gift of salvation that the almighty creator God wishes and desires to bestow upon all those who have ears to hear. Mount Sinai, in verse 18, is described as the very place where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. But in verse 22, Paul says, But you have not come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriad of angels. This is in effect saying, This is the place where all believers throughout all the ages since the time of Christ's resurrection is the place where we will assemble. You see, Mount Sinai is figurative of the law which caused fear. Mount Zion, on the other hand, is synonymous with grace that brought fulfillment through Jesus Christ. There is a wonderful testimony of the door of God's grace opening to a woman who had a spiritual awakening by a simple happening in church one day. We could say that she had a Mount Zion experience of true freedom in Jesus Christ. It goes like this. One warm summer afternoon, a bird flew through the open door to a chapel where a service was being conducted. Full of fear, it flew back and forth, near the ceiling and against the windows, vainly seeking a way out into the sunshine. In one of the pews sat a lady, who observed the bird, thinking how foolish it was not to fly out through the open door into liberty. At last the bird's strength being gone, it rested a moment on one of the rafters. Then seeing the open door, it flew out into the sunshine, venting its joy in song. Then the lady who had been watching the little bird thought to herself, am I not acting as foolish as I thought the bird was? How long have I been struggling under the burden of my sin in the vain endeavor to get free and all while the door of God's grace has been wide open? Then and there the decision to enter into that gate by the words of Jesus which she recalled, I am the way, says Jesus, and no man comes into the Father but by me. John 14, verse 6. Jesus is the only way to true freedom for entrance into the Father's heart, his grace and his promises, which are yea and amen for those who live in Jesus Christ. You see, Mount Sinai had its accomplishments and triumphs. Beginning in verse 18 again, we read where Mount Sinai burned with fire and was surrounded by blackness. We also read in the same verse that a wild storm surrounded the mountain. In verse 19, we read that there was a sound of a trumpet that was preceded with announcements from the voice of God that frightened the people to where they begged that no more announcements be given. Verse 19, we'll read that again. And to the blast of the trumpet and the sound of words, which sound was such that those who heard begged no further word be spoken to them. Verse 20, for they could not bear the command, if even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned. Wow! Even if an animal touched the mountain, the word of God tells us that animal must die. Paul's reminiscent reiteration account of Hebrews 12 is found in Deuteronomy 4, beginning in verse 12. It declares, And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but you saw no form. There was only a voice. And he declared to you by his covenant which he spoke to you to perform the Ten Commandments, and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you the statutes and precepts that you might do them in the land which you are going to possess. Verse 15. Therefore take good heed to yourselves since you saw no form of him on the day the Lord spoke to you on Horeb out of the midst of the fire Beware lest you become corrupt by making for yourselves to worship a graven image in the form of any figure the likeness of male or female the likeness of any beast that is on earth, or any winged fowl that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth. And beware lest you lift up your eyes to the heaven. And when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, even all the hosts of heaven, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them things which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole heaven. 20. And the Lord has taken you, brought you forth from out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of his own possession as you are to this day. You see, they heard God's voice out of the fire which showed the people that it was indeed God himself who spoke to them because no one else could dwell within the devouring fire. They saw nothing of a form, but they did hear his awesome blooming voice. We remember the account where God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind, which indeed was a terrible account. But to Israel, hearing God's voice out of the fire, it was far more terrible to them to bear. And we certainly have reason to be grateful and thankful that God does not speak to us like this today, but instead speaks to us by the still small voice of precious Holy Spirit. The people at Mount Sinai heard God's voice and yet they lived. It was really a wonder of God's mercy that the fire did not consume them or they didn't die of heart attacks because of the fear when the scripture tells us that Moses himself trembled with fear. We read that Moses was a man of great faith, and yet he was filled with fear at the sight of all that he saw and heard on the mountain in Hebrews 12.21, which declares, and so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling. One of the things that we have to remember is that Mount Sinai, which represents the law, was not the goal or the end of God's objective for man. We catch this when we read in verse 18, when it begins with the comparison between the old covenant dispensation and the new covenant dispensation, which is brought to us through Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Verse 18 says, You have not come, as it did the Israelites in the wilderness, to a material mountain that can be touched, a mountain that is ablaze with fire, and to the doom and darkness and a raging storm. Apostle Paul's teaching here is to show them that the old dispensation, the law, would hinder them in their dedication to the new and guard them against apostasy. You have not come to Mount Sinai, is in effect saying that it was merely a stepping stone which Paul, in Galatians 3.24, describes as our schoolmaster to bring us unto Jesus Christ. Galatians 3.24 So that the law served to us Jews as our trainer, our guardian, our guide to Christ, to lead us until Christ came that we might be justified, declared righteous, put in right standing with God by and through faith. The law brought condemnation, not salvation. Listen to what Paul says in Galatians chapter 3 beginning in verse 12. But the law does not rest upon faith, does not require faith, has nothing to do with faith. For itself says, he who does them, the things prescribed by the law, shall live by them, not by faith. Verse 13. Christ purchased our freedom, redeeming us from the curse, doom of the law, and its condemnation by himself becoming a curse for us. For it is written in the scriptures, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree is crucified. So the law is not of faith, but man that does them shall live in them. The law is not a matter of faith. It does not relate to faith. It does not require faith, but it deals with other matters and pertains to another system other than that to faith. The law does not make any provisions for faith, but it does require unwavering, perpetual obedience to the do's and the don'ts of the law. In Romans chapter 10 verse 5, Apostle Paul explains, For Moses writes that the man who can practice the righteous, perfect conformity to God's will, which is based on the law, and all of its intricate demands, shall live by it. Again, the law was a stepping stone likened to our schoolmaster to bring us unto Jesus Christ. Mount Sinai, again, was a figurative imagery which represents a formal legal relationship with God Almighty Almighty under the old covenant dispensation. Now contrasting the other kingdom or mountain which is called Mount Zion, we see God's plan and his desire and will for his people. Let's pick that up again in Hebrews chapter 12 beginning in verse 22. But rather, you have come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gathering, and to the church, the assembly of the firstborn, who are registered as citizens in heaven, and to the God who is the judge of all, and to spirits of the righteous, the redeemed in heaven, who have been made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator, the go-between, the agent of the new covenant, and to sprinkle blood which speaks of mercy, a better and nobler, more gracious message than the blood of Abel, which cried out for vengeance. So we see Apostle Paul encouraging his readers to come to Mount Zion to join the fellowship of other saints and the worship of the living God. Verse 22 again. You've come to Mount Zion, even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in a festive gathering, and to the church, the assembly of the firstborn, who are registered as citizens in heaven, and to the God, who is the judge of all and the spirits of the righteous and redeemed in heaven, who have been made perfect. So Mount Zion is the highest mountain in Jerusalem, which represents a heavenly place. It is often used by the prophets when they oscillated quickly between references to the historical Zion under judgment and references to the glorified Zion in the last days. For instance, we see this usage in Isaiah chapter 2 beginning in verse 2. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mount of the Lord house shall be firmly established as the highest of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it Verse 3 And many people shall come and say Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and instruction, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, And he shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn of war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. And also, let us look at Micah chapter 4, beginning in verse 1. But in the latter days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and the people shall flow to it. And many nations shall come and say, Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God, the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, that we may walk in his paths. For the law shall go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge many people, and shall decide for strong nations afar, that they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nations, neither shall they learn of war anymore. You see, Mount Zion is pictured as the seat of God's world government, where peace will triumph and prevail. God's word will come forth from it and all the unsaved will stream to it. God will reign from there and it will be a city of the great King, our Lord Jesus Christ. Psalms 48 beginning in verse 1. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Fair and beautiful in elevation is the joy of all the earth. Mount Zion, the city of David to the north side. Mount Moriah and the temple, the whole city of the great king. God has made himself known in her palaces as a refuge, a high tower, a stronghold. For behold, the kings assembled, they came onward, and they passed away together. They looked, they were amazed, they were stricken with terror, and took flight, affrightened and dismayed. Verse 6. Trembling took a hold of them there. In pain as a woman in birth, in childbirth. With the east wind you shall shatter the ships of Tarshish. Verse 8. As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. God will establish it forever. Selah. Mount Zion does not represent the earthly church as we know it. Mount Zion is the pathway to the heavenly Jerusalem, which is our ultimate destination. Let's read in Hebrews 11 verse 8. Urged on by faith, Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went forth to a place which he was destined to receive as an inheritance. And he went, although he did not know or trouble his mind about where he was to go, Verse 9, prompted by faith, he dwelt as a temporary resident in a land which was designated in the promise of God, though he was like a stranger in a strange country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs with him in the same promise. Verse 10, for he was waiting expectantly and confidently, looking forward to the city, which has fixed and firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. And skipping down to verse 16, But the truth is that they were yearning for, aspiring a better and more desirable country that is a heavenly one. For that reason God is not ashamed to be called their God, even to be surnamed their God, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, for he has prepared a city for them. In Hebrews chapter 13 verses 12 through 14, Paul tells us, Jesus also suffered and died outside the city's gates in order that he might purify and consecrate the people through the shedding of his own blood and set them apart as holy for God. Let us then go forth from all that would prevent us to him outside the camp at Calvary, bearing the contempt and abuse and shame with him. Verse 14, For here we have no permanent city, but we are looking for the one which is yet to come. And John the Beloved, in Revelation chapter 21, verses 1 and 2, declares, Then I saw a new sky, a heaven, and a new earth. For the former sky and the former earth had passed away, vanished, and there no longer existed any sea. Verse 2, And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride, beautiful and adorned for her husband. And lastly, of these scriptures which clarify that Mount Zion does not represent the earthly church as we know it, but rather it is a pathway to the heavenly Jerusalem, which is our ultimate destination. We will look at Revelation chapter 21, verses 10 and 11. Then in the spirit he conveyed me away to a vast and lofty mountain and exhibited to me the holy, hallowed, consecrated city of Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God, clothed in God's glory in all splendor and radiance. The luster of it resembled a rare and precious jewel-like jasper, shining clear as crystal. so you can clearly see as God's people who are called the church of the living God we all look forward to the promise of the joyful gathering of the great multitude before the throne of our heavenly father and our precious savior Jesus Christ who made eternal life possible for each and every one of us who have chosen to live righteous lives on this earth while we have breath Hebrews 12.22 again Rather you've come to Mount Zion even to the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem countless multitudes of angels in a festive gathering and to the church assembly the firstborn who are registered as citizens in heaven and to God who is the judge of all and to the spirits of the righteous redeemed in heaven who have been made perfect Revelation chapter 20 Verse 11 through 15 declares, by what they had done and their whole way of feeling and acting and their sins and endeavors in accordance with what was recorded in the books Verse 13 And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it Death and Hades the state of the dead or disembodied existence surrendered the dead in them and all were tried and their cases determined by what they had done according to their motive, aims and works. Verse 14, then death in Hades, the state of the dead or disembodied existence, were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And anyone's name was not found and recorded in the book of life, was hurled into the lake of fire. But until that time, we must face the reality as God's people called the church. We will have tribulation in this world until the time that our beloved Christ comes for us. In John 16, verse 33, Jesus said, I have told you these things so that in me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustrations, but be of good cheer. Take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted, for I have overcome the world. I have the private power to harm you and have conquered it for you. The day will come when each one of us will stand before our Maker and Lord Jesus Christ. Each one of us will be judged to give account of our lives in what we said, what we did, and how we spent our time. Romans 14 declares, Why do you criticize and pass judgment on your brother? Why do you look down upon or despise your brother? For we all stand before the judgment seat. For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God, acknowledge him to his honor and to his praise. Verse 12, and so each of us shall give an account of himself, give an answer in reference to judgment of God. Verse 13, then let us no more criticize and blame and pass judgment on one another, but rather to decide and endeavor never to put a stumbling block or an obstacle or hindrance in the way of a brother. Each one will give account of him or herself. All the spirits of the righteous, the redeemed in heaven, will be made perfect and shall dwell with God forever. Jesus Christ determines the outcome as our great judge and the Lion of Judah. The warning that we have previously read in Hebrews 24, that we do not refuse or reject him who speak to us now while we have breath. And this is saying that while the message of truth hits our ears, let us not reject this precious life-saving gospel, which points the way into the celestial city, Mount Zion, the new Jerusalem called the eternal city of our God. This tells us as well that we must put our faith and trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 16.24 declares, And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Give yourself up to him. Take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into his keeping, and you shall be saved. And this applies both to you and to your household as well. This Mount Zion represents the new covenant of grace, which is found only in Jesus Christ and which he alone mediates. Mount Zion, I, represents the law and leads to death. But only by faith will we go on to Mount Zion. It is the only way possible through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and total trust in him while we have breath while we live on this earth. Hebrews 9 verse 14 declares, of an entirely new agreement, testament, a covenant, so that those who are called and offered may receive the fulfillment of the promise, the everlasting inheritance, since a death has taken place which rescues and delivers and redeems them from the transgressions committed under the old first agreement. We have seen the comparisons of the two mountains, Mount Sinai, which represents the law and strict obedience to it. And we see also that Mount Zion represents the new covenant of grace through our Lord Jesus Christ shed blood, which cleanses our consciences from dead works, which means all sinful practices which we inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve, and our own sinful lifestyles. these works of the flesh can only be removed as we labor by faith with the helper called precious Holy Spirit who is given to us to lead us to the top of Mount Zion the new Jerusalem by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and faith in him alone where we will rejoice with all the righteous children of God who went before us and all the spirits of the righteous the redeemed in heaven who will be made perfect and shall dwell with God forever, as stated in Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22. But you have come to Mount Zion, a heavenly Jerusalem, a city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven. And you have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect. verse 24 and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Dear church, in parting apostle Paul leaves us with a warning in regards to this promise as we journey on our path to the eternal majestic kingdom in eternity and I remind you again that it declares see to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. You see, our great God and Lord speaks to us from the book of life. This message is his word to mankind, and it is a mystery hidden from the world, but it is revealed by the Holy Spirit to the hearts of sincere believers who seek him with all that is within them. Most who hear the word of God do not regard it, but rather, unfortunately, they reject it to their everlasting woe, regret, and their grief. Hold fast to Jesus Christ, dear listener. Keep your eyes fixed on the author and finisher of your faith, because the days are evil. But remember, your Heavenly Father is ever-present and real, and His kingdom is an unshakable, majestic one, and He has given promises which are yes and amen in Jesus Christ for those who live by faith and believe and hold fast to the truths found in the book of life called the Bible. Hallelujah