Hebrews 12:14-29: Don't Allow Yourself To Be Trivialized In My Sight

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:14-29

"Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord" The first part of that sentence seems harmless: "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone..." If it says "make every effort" and I tried really hard to get along with people, then haven't I met my obligations? And if they are still mad at me, what can I do? I mean, I tried hard right and they didn't respond so if we aren't at peace, it isn't my fault. Right?

Even the second part of the sentence seems pretty tame: "be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." It is easy to read holiness as being a good person and we know that God requires that we are holy to be close to him. We know that we are supposed to follow the rules and act like God would expect of us.

So what's the big deal?

Holiness isn't just a warm and fuzzy. It actually can be scary. The author goes back to Old Testament, when Moses and the people of Israel were learning about God and he said they need to treat him differently. Getting close to God was like getting close to fire. That's why they had to be careful getting close to the mountain of the presence of God, so they wouldn't die.

Fire heats and it purifies, it also consumes and scorches. You have to respect it or you get burned. While we don't come to a literal mountain where God is dwelling, we are still trying to come close to God through Jesus. Treating God like he is our buddy is to relate to him unrealistically. It is unrealistic to treat God like our peer. He is not our buddy. It is foolish to treat God like someone we bargain with. He needs nothing from us and we have no leverage. It is foolish to treat God like a person. He is not at risk of dying nor is he confined to the limits of a physical body. When we say God is holy, we are saying that he is fundamentally different from us, in being and in character. Assumptions about him can lead us fatally astray. We have to respect God the way we respect fire: good, powerful and at the same time dangerous to be on the wrong side of. 

This very fire that we rely on and are grateful for cannot be underestimated and trivialized like a Christmas card or an Easter basket. It cannot be ignored or set aside. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”" Lord, don't allow yourself to be trivialized in my sight. 

Psalm 30: The Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? W ill it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.  - Psalm 30

"When I felt secure, I said, 'I will never be shaken'...but when you hid your face, I was dismayed." Our sense of stability should come from God and not our circumstances. There are still tears. The psalmist talks about "weeping may stay for the night." and being in mourning when God "removed my sackcloth." He talks about waiting, "being in the depths" and fearing that his enemies having a chance to gloat over his weakness. But the one thing that he counts on is the solidity and immovability of God. If the relationship with God is good,  then the rest will be good. If that is not good, then nothing is good. 

As it says in Hebrews, "...but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" (Heb 12:26b-29) God allows "shaking" and the years and the waiting because he wants us to see what is really solid. No relationship, no position, no bank account, no skill or talent lasts. That is scary in some ways because I want good things to continue. I don't want them to be taken away just for God to prove his point. But I think that sometimes we don't realize how much we aren't depending on God until those things are taken away--at least temporarily.  

What I get from this psalm is: fight the good fight, keep on fighting and rely on God's stable character .

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12: Why Family?

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. - Hebrews 1:1-4

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” - Hebrews 2:5-12

 "So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters." It seems like an extraordinary statement. Jesus, who is "crowned with glory and honor" is "of the same family" as we are. Seems like a bit of a come down. He is God. He has done all this marvelous stuff like miracles and coming back from the dead. Then there is us. As much as I like a number of the humans around me and love some of them, I don't normally think of Jesus with the term 'family'. I certainly don't perceive him with the emotional warmth that comes with this term, partly because of the perceived distance in our relations but also because I have a sense that says, 'I'm not at the same level as him.' I am me. Just Tim. With limitations and sins. Why would Jesus decide that I am a good fit to call me 'brother'?

It reminds me a bit of Pride and Prejudice, when Mr Darcy must wrestle with the fact that he would be associated with a family such as the Bennetts. Their very name would bring questions about whether Mr. Darcy was the class of person he claimed to be. Likewise, by being associated with me, Jesus puts his name at risk. My background would bring questions about whether Jesus was the class of savior that he claimed to be. Why would he do that? Probably for the same reason that Mr. Darcy cast his doubts aside and assumed the task of helping Wickham and Liza Bennet and being around the utterly foolish Mrs. Bennett. Love--a sort of love that gives even at the sacrifice of reputation. Jesus has done some much for me, not just so he could tolerate my presence, but somehow so he could call me 'brother'. 

It is an extension of what he always did . As it says, 'For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.' (Hebrews 12:2) He didn't just love us. For him it was a joy. Whatever the shame, it is nothing compared to his love for me. I'll take it.

1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11: Past Performance, Future Returns

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. - 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

When the author of Hebrews wrote "For the joy set before him he [Jesus] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb. 12:2b-3), he could have been writing an outline for how Peter viewed the Christian life. Jesus had hope, joy, suffering, shame and victory. For Peter we also have hope, joy, suffering, shame and victory. Jesus himself said, "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also." (John 15:20)

We aren't the only ones with these worries: we're all struggling because we share the same enemy-the devil. We keep tossing these worries to God and the very act of tossing is an act of faith. It is really difficult to assume this. It seems so blind. However, unlike the promises of investment firms, past performance by God is a guarantee of future returns from God. Will we trust him?

Hebrews 12:14-29: Holiness is a today and tomorrow choice, not a fond recollection of yesterday

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:14-29

The holiness of God is always in front of us. There were people who look backwards for "the experience of God" and see that as the turning point in their lives. Indeed, many of the psalms and prophets recount how impressive God's actions in the lives of Israel were. But they also record how Israel is not acting like Israel. The impressive miracles of the past are just that: in the past.

But here, the author of Hebrews reminds us that what defines holiness is not reliance on what happened but on will happen. Holiness is a today and tomorrow choice, not a fond recollection of yesterday. And it is not an attribute of God that leads to diminishing returns, like a candy bar whose second bite is less tasty that the first. God increases with familiarity, unlike nearly all other stimuli that we experience, because he is a living God, a consuming fire.

Hebrews 11:32-12:2: Not Competitors But A Cheering Section.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets,  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 11:32-12:2

We are wimps. That's the impression I  get when I look at the men and women of faith. But they are not competition, they are the cheering section. There are two types of struggles: one of which we may never encounter, but one which we shared with them in full measure. Whether we encounter the great challenges is not our choice, but we can win that battle that we share. "...the sin that so easily entangles..." One type of struggle handicaps us in any attempt to overcome the second type of struggle.

Jesus chose to do only what the Father put in front of him. At each turning point, the thing which would trip him up was not the failure of God's power to see him through, but the temptation to take the detour of convenience and sin. 

Don't worry about the big challenges, Worry about the stumbling block of sin, and let God worry about whether you will overcome the big challenges.

Call to Worship: God is a Consuming Fire (Hebrews 12)

Leader: We have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them

Congregation #1: We have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.  We have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. 

Congregation #2: We have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Leader: See to it that we do not refuse him who speaks. 

All: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire. Amen.

Hebrews 12:29: The End Result of "On Fire" for God

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, for our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:28-29

When I was a young boy, my brother and I had a winter-time ritual. We would sit with our backs to the fire in the fireplace, warming ourselves until we could stand it no further and then we would run to the bathroom and lie down in the coolness of the bathtub. Then, when our backsides had recovered, we would go back and try it again. It was a silly game, but then again, brothers are competitive in a lot of ways.

How many times have I heard that people want to be on fire for God? To burn for Him because our God is a consuming fire. But they also want it to be painless. Like my fireplace, we want to stay close to God until we can't stand it and then go cool off. We want a campfire, marshmallow-roast, Ben-Gay warm spiritual experience, at our convenience.  We are fascinated by the finite and the futile and flammable.

...each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. - 1 Corinthian 3:14-15

The truth is, God's fire is painful because we are too invested in the chaff. Eugene Peterson says, "Chaff driven by the wind is the closest description of nothing that is available to the imagination. No weight, meaning or use....Does chaff exist? It is the dried-up husk of something that once bloomed, bore fruit, and brightened the landscape."[1]

We cling to chaff...to nothing. We have put so much of our heart into it that when it burns, we are seared. When the things that can be burned have been burned, what God has been forming in us remains.

In forest areas in the United States, forestry officials use controlled burns to reduce the impact of wildfires and prompt the natural cycle of regrowth. "Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some desirable forest trees, and reveals soil mineral layers which increases seedling vitality, thus renewing the forest. Some cones, such as those of Lodgepole Pine and Sequoia, are serotinous, as well as many chaparral shrubs, meaning they require heat from fire to open cones to disperse seeds."[2]

It is a dangerous prayer to tell God that you wish to be on fire for Jesus. God does not commit random acts, nor malicious arson, but rather uses controlled burns that leave the long-term growth potential placed in us by the life-giving Spirit unveiled. Are you willing to pray this serious prayer?

[1]Eugene Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire, "Psalm 1: Blessed"
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn, retrieved on 1 October 2017

Hebrews 12:27: "We Are Receiving A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken"

Big ventures collapse either because (a) the external forces arrayed against them are too powerful or (b) internal weaknesses sabotage their ability to function. Churches have been demolished, believers have been killed, missionaries expelled and the faith ridiculed. But just as often, followers of Jesus have been the worst enemy to the cause of Christ when, through in-fighting and the collapse of self-control, they inadvertently open the door for the devil.

 

The author of Hebrews confronts both of these issues in the church and God's people the 12th chapter: 

1. "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons." (Heb. 12:7) Pain without purpose is punishment. But pain with purpose and love is discipline, a tool used by God to sculpt our character. While the world tries to dismantle our lives by overwhelming us, God can take those same attacks and transform them into a means for inspired living.
2. "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." (Heb. 12:14) Sin and strife lead to self-destruct, for an individual and the communities to which he or she belongs.

I am not good with pain. The last time I had to endure any significant pain, I was fainting in the car on the way to the hospital. If given my choice, I would choose immaturity. But God is more interested in my character than my comfort. The truth I say I believe must be lived out to be real. So God will shake me, as he has promised to with the world at large, so that the temporary crumbles only the eternal reamins.

The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. - Heb. 12:27

So I commit to pushing on through, not because it is the way I want to go, but because I know who waits for me on the other side: "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (vs. 3)

 

Paul Baloche sets this idea beautifully to music in his song "Shaken", which he discusses here and which you can listen to here.