Hebrews 12: 28-29

         On this Mother’s Day let’s consider what it means to walk within our homes as we “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Specifically we want to follow-up last week’s message by making a family application from this passage. 

               That application is this: The fear of God is an essential characteristic for effective parenting.  A key aspect of offering to God “acceptable worship” is walking with Him in reverence and awe, and teaching our children (and grandchildren) to do the same. 

                  Today we look at what God says in His Word about the fear of God.  We will seek to further define the fear of God and see why it is so essential to the wellbeing of our families. 

Understanding the Fear of God:

Slave-fear or Son-fear?  Exodus 20:18-21

In his book Gospel Centered Parenting, William Farley makes a helpful distinction between “slave-fear” and “son-fear”.  Slave fear does not motivate obedience – it causes us to run away – to draw back.  There is no conviction that God is good.  On the other hand Son-fear motivates us to pursue God.  Moses went.  Son-fear comes with the new birth – and attracts us to God. 

Faith Motivated by Fear:

How ‘Son-Fear’ Approaches God.   (Hebrews 11:6)

Son-fear is motivated by the faith that pleases God; the faith that believes that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him and draw near to Him.  Scripture is full of examples of parents who were blessed by God because they feared Him in faith.

Fear of God Blessed by God:

Promises to Parents Who Fear God (Psalm 103:11-18)

This is not moralism – God blessing us because we are good.  God blesses faith, and faith is a key expression of the fear of God. “Throughout Scripture God makes lavish promises to the parents who learn to fear Him.  More than any other virtue, the fear of God attracts God’s favor to our parenting.  God blesses the children and grandchildren of the parents who learn and practice the fear of God.” (Gospel Centered Parenting by William Farley)

Word That Cannot Be Ignored and a Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

Hebrews 12: 25-29

            Kent Hughes says: “today’s church has shamefully trivialized worship, turning it into a self-assured farce.  God’s divine intention in creating Sinai is obvious because “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  Flaming Mount Sinai shows us God.”

           The other mountain of Hebrews 12, Mount Zion, also shows us God.  Here we see the joyful heavenly assembly that is the sure destination for those who finish the race of faith.   Here the message is not “stay away”, but “draw near”,  “come in!”  Come home with all the saints and celebrate together the great grace that has reconciled us to God.

        The writer of Hebrews understands our hearts.   He knows that as we run the race of faith we need to keep both mountains in view, the approachable Zion with its consuming love, and the unapproachable Sinai, with its consuming fire.  We need to be reminded we serve God who is a Holy consuming fire. He still speaks and His Word cannot be ignored without grave consequences.  To finish the race we must run with these truths guiding us.  Forgetting these truths means life is out of focus and in need of correction. That is what Hebrews 12: 25-29 does in the lives of God’s people.

This Text Confirms Truths About God:

He is Relational:  He speaks to us and expects obedience

He is Intentional: He is moving history toward final conclusion

He is Holy: a holy fire consuming his enemies and refining His people. 

This Text Confirms Truths About Us:

We need reminders – because we’re  prone to wander, grow dull & disobey

We need discipline – by it God loves and warns us

This Text Confirms Truths About This World:

It is temporary and scheduled for violent removal

What we build and invest here is temporary

What remains here is the unshakable kingdom God Builds here  

This Text Is Clear About How We Should Respond

Listen & Obey – it’s a matter of life & death. 

Be thankful for grace – by it we have a certain unshakable future

Be aware of the heat of His holiness and live  accordingly

Mt. Sinai, Mt. Calvary and Mt. Zion

Hebrews 12: 18-24

The Context: Faithfully Running the Race Of Faith Means

Diligently Pursuing What God Has Already Graciously Provided

Last week we were exhorted to run strong together, pursuing peace and holiness; running  confidently because of what God is doing for us and in us through his loving discipline.   We were warned to not be like Esau, who traded eternal blessings for temporary pleasure. Esau failed to persevere, did not obtain the grace of God, and could not undo the tragic consequences of his decisions.  

Chapter 12 is the climax of the Book of Hebrews.  This chapter encourages us to not quit, to not turn back, but to instead keep running toward our eternal destination.  We can confidently finish the race to Mount Zion because of what Jesus accomplished on Mount Calvary. 

Don’t Turn Back to the Earthly Mount Sinai’s

Terror, Tempest and Restriction (12:18-21)

At Mount Sinai the people were physically confronted with the holiness and majesty of God.  The physical sights and sounds declared in no uncertain terms the reality of the unapproachable God.  The Law given there was not intended to make a way for sinners to approach God. Instead it graciously revealed their desperate need for a perfect Mediator other than Moses to make a way for them. 

Keep Running to the Heavenly Mount Zion’s

Welcome, Celebration and Reconciliation (12:22-24)

When we come to God through Jesus we do not meet God at an earthly location.  Christianity has no geographic headquarters!  We come to the heavenly city where God lives, a heavenly assembly of those belonging to Him. We come to God the Holy Judge not fearing His condemning voice, but welcomed by Him through the reconciling blood of Jesus.  Because of what Christ did onMountCalvarywe can run with joyful confidence towardMountZion- our eternal destination. 

Hebrews 12: 12-17

      Runners call it “hitting the wall”.  Cyclists know it a “bonking” or “cracking”. Exactly what is it? According to Sara Latta of marathonandbeyond.com “it evades easy definition, but to borrow from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s famous definition of obscenity, you know it when you see it—or rather, hit it. Your pace slows, sometimes considerably. At around mile 20 to 23 you begin to feel like the anchor is out. One runner said, “It felt like an elephant had jumped out of a tree onto my shoulders and was making me carry it the rest of the way in.” Some can’t feel their feet at all. Thought processes become fuzzy. Muscle coordination goes out the window, and self-doubt casts a deep shadow over the soul.”

      The writer of Hebrews would say, “that’s what has happened to some of you!  Difficulty and doubt have cast a shadow over your soul.” According to the book of Hebrews our race of faith is a marathon, and faithful determination to finish is essential to completing the course. We run this race with our eyes on Jesus, who is both our Champion and the Prize. We run assured that the painful trials we face come from the loving hand of our heavenly Father who “disciplines us for our good” and “trains” us to finish well. In today’s passage the training continues with instructions on what to do and what to avoid to finish well. 

Finishing Well – Get Going and Do This  (vv12-14)

Run Tough – Don’t Give In to Discouragement

Run Tough Together – Help Each Other Finish

Run Diligently Together – Pursue Peace and Holiness

Finishing Well – Guard Against This  (vv15-17)

Watch Out – Don’t Allow Anyone to Miss Out On Grace

Watch Out – Don’t Allow Bitterness Corrupt You

Watch Out – Don’t Allow Godless Appetites to Undo You

Applications for Our Race of Faith

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hebrews 12: 3-11

The Christian life is a marathon race. Endurance is required. By ourselves we would never finish. But thanks be to God, He strengthens us, holds us up, and gives us examples to follow (Heb.11). Yet ultimately our faith looks to Jesus. He is both our perfect example and our ultimate prize. When we take our eyes off Him difficulties weigh us down, discouragement sets in, and we start to question God’s love and purposes for us.

This week’s text is critically important for our spiritual growth and perseverance.  It gives us a realistic perspective on life, our difficulties, our trials and suffering.  It gives us insight into why God is allowing them to take place and what He is accomplishing in the lives of His sons and daughters.  God’s discipline in the lives of His children comes from His loving hand and according to His good purposes. He is training us toward holiness and righteousness. These lessons aren’t easy, but they are essential. 

A Reminder:  The Believer’s Life as a Marathon Race of Faith

Hebrews 12 begins with a reminder that the Christian’s life is a race of faith that must be run with endurance, without hindrances that weigh us down and keep us from finishing, and with our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus who is the great Example, Originator and Giver of enduring faith. 

The Reality:  The Christian Life is Filled with Trials and Sufferings.

Jesus promised this and exemplified how we face it.  He suffered at the hands of hostile sinners because he stayed true to the course and didn’t quit the race.  As bad as things might be they could be worse.  We’ve not suffered in our fight against sin to the extent that he did. 

The Reason:  In Love God Disciplines and Trains His Children

The writer tells us “it is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating us as sons” (and daughters) whom He loves deeply.  (Heb 12:7) His discipline is a means of assurance, not a reason for discouragement and doubt.

The Results:  While Painful Now, God’s Discipline Benefits Us Later

While painful now, faithfully submitting to God’s discipline is ultimately for our good, makes us more holy, brings us peace, and grows us in righteousness.

Mark 15: 33-34

Penal substitution.  While this term may be unfamiliar to you, it is important that Christians understand its meaning and implications.  Penal substitution is the doctrine that on the cross Christ paid the penalty (penal) our sin deserved. The death, punishment and curse we deserve because of our sin He bore as our substitute.  All this He suffered under the hand of God the Father.   Some who deny this doctrine have described it as a form of “cosmic child abuse”? (Steve Chalke & Alan Mann, The Lost Message of Jesus) Is that what happened on the cross?  Is this what we hear from our Lord in today’s text? 

And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”  which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Concerning this text, one of the deepest and most mysterious in all of Scripture, Spurgeon said: “every word requires more emphasis than I can throw into it, and some part of the text would be quite sure to be left and not dealt with as it should be; therefore, we will not think of preaching upon it, but instead thereof we will sit down and commune with it.”   Today I do not attempt to explain this text, for I do not fully understand it.  Instead together we walk through it allowing the whole of scripture explain what is occurring and asking the Holy Spirit to give us understanding. 

The Reality:  On the Cross Jesus was Forsaken

Christ was forsaken by his nation, Israel; by the authorities, the Romans; and by his followers, the disciples.  But ultimately on the cross Jesus was forsaken by God, and there he endured the suffering our sin deserved not as the unwilling victim of cosmic child abuse, but as the willing and obedient Son of his Father. 

The Meaning:  What Does it Mean That Jesus was Forsaken?

While we can’t fully comprehend what it means for the second person of the Trinity to be forsaken by the First, the Bible helps us understand in part what it means for Jesus to be forsaken.  On the cross He endured the holy wrath and judgment of God that sin deserves. God made him who had no sin to be sin (2 Cor 5:21).  He endured a cursed death because God made him to be a curse (Gal 3:13).  Before he died physically Christ experienced spiritual death separated from and forsaken by God.   What his cry proclaimed the three hours of darkness confirmed.

The Motivation:  Why Was Jesus Forsaken

While the question on Jesus’ lips is unanswered in this passage, the message of the gospel makes the answer clear:  Christ was forsaken by God so that those who have put their faith in him never will be forsaken.   The punishment that brings us eternal peace was upon Him. (Isaiah 53:5)

The Application of These Truths:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mark 10:45

Christianity, the world’s largest religion, has at the center of its core beliefs an execution, specifically one of the worst forms of execution known to mankind, a crucifixion.  Yet do we who profess to be Christians understand the meaning of this torturous and humiliating means of death?  Do you understand what Jesus death on the cross is all about, what it means to God, to you and to the world? 

As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem for his final week, he makes three predictions about his own death. (Mark 8:311; 9:30-37; 10:32-45) In response to James and John’s request for places of privilege and power, Jesus summarizes in one sentence the central theological theme of Mark:  “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

While Jesus often spoke of his death, only in Mark 10:45 and at the Last Supper does He explain why he must die.  His death will not be the tragic outcome of a confrontation with the religious authorities gone awry. His death will not come about because the power of Rome is too much for him. No, Jesus is God’s servant, who will voluntarily lay down his life for our sins. His death, unlike that of any other person, is able to secure our release from that which enslaves us, namely, our sin. In this passage Jesus tells his disciples, and us, the purpose and meaning of his life and death.  (I’m indebted to Mark Dever for his outline of Mark 10 that I follow for this sermon)

“the Son of Man”:               Jesus is our FellowMan

“came not to be served”:    Jesus is our God

“but to serve”:                      Jesus is our Servant

“and to give his life”:          Jesus is our Sacrifice

“as a ranson”:                       Jesus is our Ransom

“for”:                                      Jesus is our Substitute

“many”:                                 Jesus is our Savior

“for even”:                            Jesus is our example

Applications for our lives today:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John 3: 14-18

        Last week the writer of Hebrews encouraged us to continue on in this race of faith “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.” (Heb 12:2)

       As we approach the events of Easter week, and in keeping with the command of Hebrews 12:2, we will take the next four weeks to look to Jesus and the cross.  We will examine four different gospel passages and hear Jesus speak to the purpose and meaning of His death on the cross.  Today we will look at John 3:16, certainly one of the most beloved verses in the Bible.  We will walk through this familiar passage we see what Jesus says about why He was sent from heaven to die on the cross and what it means to mankind. 

An Illustration of the Cross

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (Jn 3:14-15)

The need for atonement

The nature of atonement

An Explanation of the Cross

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)

God’s love is eternal

God’s love is limitless

God’s love is demonstrated

God’s love is dear

The Salvation of the Cross

“ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.     Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever

does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name

of the only Son of God. (Jn 3: 16-18)

On the cross Christ bears the wrath of God, so all who believe do not perish

On the cross Christ brings the life of God, so all who believe have eternal life

At the cross you stand today  – and Christ calls for a decision.