Our God Is A Consuming Fire

Hebrews 12: The Unshakeable Kingdom and Reverent Service

With me once again to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. We'll complete the chapter this evening, the Lord giving us guidance and direction, Hebrews chapter 12. Once again, let us ask the Lord's blessing upon our time.

Our gracious Heavenly Father, we come to the conclusion of this chapter and knowing that these are words of warning and exhortation once again, we ask that by your spirit you would be with us, that you would help us to hear, help us to weigh properly your truth and to make application for our lives.

We might be better servants of Jesus Christ. It is in his name that we pray, amen. We have been working through this 12th chapter for quite some time now and we come to its conclusion. This morning, if you were not with us, we began with verse 18 and in so doing, we noted something I think that's very important and that is that in verses 18 through 24, we have an exhortation, we have encouragement.

We are told in that section about the fact that we are not coming to the old mountain of Sinai where we have the thick cloud and the lightning and the sounds of trumpet where people wanted to run away.

They were filled with terror. Instead, we have come to the heavenly city, to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion and to the holy angels and to the church of the firstborn and to God the judge and to Jesus the mediator and we saw that encouragement, but we also saw at that time something I think is very important and that is that that encouragement of that section and then the section we'll look at this evening form a whole that help protect us from imbalance and imbalance that often people do encounter and so let's take a look at this text and in fact, having mentioned all of that, let's go ahead and read once again the context beginning at verse 18 through the end of the chapter.

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched into a blazing fire, into darkness and gloom and whirlwind, into the blast of the trumpet and the sound of words which sound with such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.

They could not bear the command if even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned. And so terrible was the sight that Moses said, I am full of fear and trembling. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and the myriads of angels and to the general assembly and 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, the mediator of a new covenant and the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you 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. We turn away from him who warns from heaven. And his voice shook the earth then but now he is promising yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.

This expression yet once more denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 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.

Now we see beginning of verse 25, this exhortation that's based upon the nature of the unshakeable kingdom that we are invited into. So while it is a warning passage, it is also still an encouraging passage in the sense that it reminds us of the great privilege that is ours to be called to worship God in his kingdom, a kingdom which cannot be shaken.

But it begins by saying, see to it that no, you do not refuse him who is speaking. Now of course, this takes us back to what we saw in the earlier section, that is God was speaking at the mount, but now obviously he is speaking in another way, and it really sort of reminds us of Hebrews chapter one, God who spoke to the prophets in the former times in this way, now in these last days has spoken in his son.

And so it's sort of like a wrapping up of these things that God has given a final revelation in Jesus Christ. And so once again, to the audience that he is seeking to warn against going back to the old ways, what he's saying is God spoke then, but if you listen carefully to what he said and what he has continued to say now in his son, you need to hear what the gospel is, recognize that Jesus Christ's fulfillment of all those Old Testament prophecies, and hence there is nothing to go back to.

If you go back and you offer sacrifice in the temple, you are literally refusing him who is speaking. You are joining in the rebellious ones, even though their Jewish opponents would say, well, you need to be like Moses.

We're actually following Moses. We're actually following him. What the author is saying, no, you're actually not. You're actually going against them. They listened to what God was saying. And if you will listen to what God is saying now, he is directing you to continue in steadfastness and following after Jesus Christ.

And so he says, 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 us from heaven. And so the difference here, again, the earthly mountain, they're not coming to the earthly, they're coming to the heavenly Jerusalem, same contrast that we've seen before in regards to the shadow on earth and the reality in heaven.

Christ has entered into that heavenly reality. When we are in him, we likewise have that same focus, that heavenly reality. And so if you had the earthly speaking of God from the mountain and you were to listen to that back then, now, if they could not escape when God warned them about things then, now, how will we escape?

Much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. And so there is very much here a statement that to turn away from the heavenly message is to turn away from God. It's not like so many people think in our day that it's just a matter of, well, you know, I feel this way, I feel that way.

That's your truth, this is my truth. No, if God has testified to his own nature and his own purposes in the person of Jesus Christ, then to reject that, to say, well, I don't believe God has given enough witness.

I don't believe that there's enough fulfilled prophecy. I don't believe that the empty tomb is enough. In essence, you are rejecting him and you're engaging in rebellion. I mean, is that not, again, what Romans 1 said?

I mean, God has made his existence very, very clear. They're without excuse. And now in light of that, you have the very clear revelation that God has given us in the person of Jesus Christ, in the gospel, in the fulfilled testimonies.

To turn away from that is not moral neutrality. That is rebellion. It is, for most people, a continuation of the rebellion that they're already in in rejecting God's witness within their own lives, but especially to these people who have now heard with such clarity the gospel.

To turn away from that, that is to very much reject the very speaking of God, the very testimony of God. But notice it says, and his voice shook the earth then, but now he is promising, yet once more, I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.

Now, once again, we always, you know, we have seen in studying Hebrews that when you, at least depending on how your translation of the Bible does this, when you have a quotation from the Old Testament, you better take a look at what's being said, because once again, there's something rather interesting that comes from this citation.

And this is from the book of Haggai chapter two. If you go back to Haggai chapter two, you'll notice what it says, beginning at verse one. On the 21st, the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehoshaddak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory?

And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now take courage, Zerubbabel, says the Lord. Take courage also, Joshua, son of Jehoshaddak, the high priest, and all you people of the land, take courage, declares the Lord.

And work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts. As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, my spirit is abiding in your midst. Do not fear, for thus says the Lord of hosts, once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea, and also the dry land.

I will shake all the nations, and it will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord. And so here you have this prophetic utterance quoted in part here in Hebrews chapter 12.

Now, there's two major understandings amongst scholars as to what's being referred to here. Notice 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.

So many people look at that, and they say, all right, this is an eschatological promise. This is speaking of the end times. This is speaking of that final age. And in fact, this is in reference to that final judgment and the ushering in of the eternal state, because it talks about removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things.

And so the final establishment of the final order. There are many people that have understood it in that way. But I've got to admit that I was convinced otherwise by certain arguments in my studies, and here's why.

Specifically, what's being spoken of here continues to be that contrast between the establishment of the old covenant and now the establishment of the new covenant. And you'll notice that it says, when it talks about created things which can be shaken, so those things which cannot be shaken may remain, what does the very next verse say?

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken. And it's talking about the kingdom that has already been received in the sense that God is ruling and reigning amongst his people. He rules and reigns in our hearts.

And so this kingdom has been established, and we receive that kingdom which cannot be shaken. And as a result of that, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service, reverence, and awe.

So it's considered to be the basis upon which the exhortation to us is made is that we have received this kingdom, and because we have, therefore, we should behave in this fashion. And so what that would mean is that what is being said here, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven, reminds us of something.

When God established that covenant relationship, and he gave the law, and he demonstrates his glory and his power in the cloud, and just this evening, we read of the fire of the Lord breaking forth among some people because of their deep lack of thankfulness for the provision that God had given them.

I hope you were listening to that section from Numbers 11. There's a lot to be learned there that sort of has come out of some of the sections in Hebrews. But when we see that activity of God physically in the establishment of that old covenant relationship and the giving of the law, from the world's perspective, that would have been a pretty amazing thing.

It would have been pretty impressive to stand at the foot of that mountain and to see the lightning and the thunder and hear the sound of the trumpet and the voice and the revelation that God was giving.

And that would have been a pretty impressive thing. And the peoples of the other religions of the world, if they had seen that, we'd sort of look at that. That would be a great apologetic tool, I mean, to have an MP4 of that.

It's just a shame someone didn't whip out their iPhone and, ooh, that probably wouldn't have been allowed. But the fire of the Lord would have broken out against iPhones at that particular point in time, I think.

But it certainly would have been an amazing apologetic tool, right? And yet, if we listen to what's being said here, what God is saying is in the establishment. And remember what the church looks like right now.

It looks a little bit like the real church is probably going to look like in our land in just a very short period of time. It talked about the remnant there in Haggai. And remember how the background there is they're looking at the temple going, yeah, it's really not as glorious as it used to be.

And so there would have been disappointment. There would have been discouragement. There would have been, is Yahweh still really with us? Because, I mean, remember the splendor of the former building.

But also keep something else in mind. That temple that they had rebuilt, yes, it would be modified. It would be added to. But that's the temple that's going to continue standing all the way to the days of Jesus.

And I think we see in this prophecy that yet once more, I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. And it's connected with that temple. And you think of Jesus's activity and ministry and what's going to happen in that very city and the establishment of the church in that very place.

The point is that from the world's perspective, the initial establishment of God's relation with his people, that's pretty impressive. But from God's perspective, that was nothing. Lightning bolts and clouds, oh, that's real tough for the God that created the whole universe.

But establishing a people that are now united together, first of all, by the fact that their hearts have been changed. Hearts of stone have been taken out. Hearts of flesh have been given. That are like the valley of dry bones in that the Spirit has come into them.

And what unites all Christians everywhere and in every age is the fact they've all been indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. And that this church is going to spread all over the earth, not just in one little section of the Middle East.

And it's going to exist in every language group. It's going to exist in every part of the world where it's cold and snowy or hot like it is here or in the high Himalayas or wherever it might be. God has his people there.

That church is going to go through all the world. And it's going to be hated. And it's going to be persecuted by the most powerful forces on the earth. And yet, through all of that, God's going to continue to build his church in a way that's not going to be based upon the wisdom of men.

And it's not going to be really fancy. I mean, that's why I took a lot of heat a number of years ago. Remember, what year was that? I think it was 2005 when I went to Italy, remember? And I wrote this blog article I was looking at just recently.

I was taking all these pictures inside Vatican City, inside St. Peter's Basilica. The works of Michelangelo and all these statues and marble and all this stuff. And in fact, I was reading it. I took this picture of this huge crypt of a pope.

It was so dark and creepy that I couldn't even read the guy's name because it's so dark. I couldn't make it out. I was taking this picture and stuff. And I'm sitting there looking. All of a sudden, the bottom of it slides open.

And out comes this little neat, neat electric cart with a bunch of boxes on it. And some guy goes, meeeeng. It goes off someplace else. And it's meeeeng. So I was like, wow. They're now using this guy's crypt to store stuff.

Wow, that's really impressive. But I'm looking at all this stuff. And the gold up in the rotunda where it has the Matthew 16 stuff. I'm looking at all this stuff. And all I can go is, oh, this is ugly.

You mean Michelangelo's stuff? Well, it's just the goddiness of it. It's just, this is not the church that Christ established. This was not. These folks have the idea that all this fancy stuff should be impressive.

And that's not what impresses God. That temple that wasn't nearly as fancy as the last one was still going to be the one that Jesus was going to minister in. They were going to fancy it up and stuff. And then 40 years after his ministry, it's gone.

The point is that from God's perspective, all the stuff that we found impressive in the original establishment of the Old Covenant, that's nothing. His perspective in establishing the church, it's shaking the very heaven.

Isn't that what we read? That in the church, that God is demonstrating his wisdom to all the heavenly powers? It's amazing how people are willing to despise the church because we look at it with human eyes.

We look at it with human eyes, but the reality is we have received, verse 28, a kingdom which cannot be shaken. We're going to have to really, if we're going to be tested as to how much we really believe this in the not-too-distant future, because the kingdoms that can be shaken, the kingdoms of men, are persecuting our brothers and sisters all around the world.

And it's coming our direction. And we're really going to have to ask ourselves the question, do we really believe that we have received a kingdom which cannot be shaken? And as such, our representatives of that king, and as such, should show gratitude, not to the powers of the world, but to the king who's given us that kingdom and called us to kingly service therein.

That's really going to be the question. And I think a lot of that's going to come down to how much do we really, really believe? I mean, you've got to see with spiritual eyes, brothers and sisters. As I'm looking around this room, and I understand from a human perspective, the world looks at us and goes, heavenly kingdom, huh?

Shaken the heavens, huh? From a human perspective, that makes absolutely no sense. It would have made sense to these people, because they already knew the Old Testament Scriptures. They knew about the remnant.

They knew about God's faithfulness over time. They knew about God's covenant faithfulness. They knew about all that. It would have made perfect sense. They weren't secular humanists. They weren't soaked in the world of unbelief like we are.

The reality is, we sitting here this evening are a gathering together of God's kingdom. We desire that He rule and reign over us. We pray toward that end. We want to learn to be better servants by opening His word and considering His truth and handling it right.

And so His kingship is established in our lives. That's what we want. And we are a small picture, not only of the heavenly worship that's going on, but the eternal worship that will always go on and of the establishment of Christ's kingdom in its fullness in that day when every knee bows and every tongue confesses.

And so in response to that, we are to show gratitude. We're not to be like those people that we read about in Numbers this evening, who are receiving manna from heaven, and yet they were sick and tired of it.

Oh, it was great back in Egypt. Wow, a lack of thanksgiving can be self-deceptive. These were slaves. They were having to work all day long and they had the whip to the back and they had no freedom. Oh, but it was so great because all we could eat was manna.

Wow, that doesn't show you that there's always been a remnant amongst the people of Israel. Nothing will. But let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.

Romans 12 and the Call to Grateful Worship

Now, what does that sound like to you? If it sounds a whole lot like what Paul said in Romans chapter 12, that we are to present our body as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service of worship, there's a reason.

It's the same term in Greek. And I think, I've shared with you the theory that Paul preached this as a sermon. Luke wrote it down for us in Greek. But man, it's really hard to avoid seeing such a deep connection here even in the terminology being used and the exhortation.

In Romans 12, wow, given everything God has done in light of this, then we are to live our lives this way. Here, look at the kingdom we receive. Therefore, show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.

You cannot show true reverence and awe to God. You cannot offer to God acceptable service if you are not thankful for what God has done for you. You can't do it. It's not possible. Discontentment is the battery acid of the Christian soul.

It'll eat away anything. We must be a people of thanksgiving. We must be a people of gratitude. And the easiest way to be a people of thanksgiving is simply to be constantly reflecting upon what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.

And by that gratitude, we may offer to God. And that term, again, is a term that's used of, it's Latruo, it's the highest form of worship in the temple itself. We offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe.

Thank God He hasn't changed. We're the ones who've changed. Our God is a consuming fire. His holiness has not been diminished one iota since the day He came to that mountain in the dark cloud. He has not changed.

What He has done, however, is amazing. For while there was a small remnant there, and even Moses trembled with fear, now this book has ushered us into the very presence of the Holy of Holies by explaining to us that God has opened that way through the work of Jesus Christ.

And so we serve God as a changed people. Our hearts have been changed. Our minds have been changed. We have been renewed in the image of Christ. We offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe because God's holiness has not changed.

We know our God is a consuming fire. Do not play with Him. Do not play with His warnings. But instead of that resulting in the craven fear of those who came to the mountain but wanted to leave, since God has changed our hearts, we do not want to leave.

We want to stay. We want to dwell. We want to be like Peter on the Mount of Fence figuration. Make some tabernacles, make some booths. Stay here. We want to be there. Peter didn't know, but we know what God has done for us.

And the greatest apologetic argument that this book presents to those who are under so much pressure to go back, yeah, there's nothing to go back to. But really, we would be completely missing the point of the book if we didn't see that, yes, He's demonstrated there's nothing to go back to.

It all pointed to this, but what God has done. What He has accomplished in Christ. What He has provided for us. The nature of this unshakable kingdom. Yes, the world despises it. The world despised these people back then.

They were a small little cult group. But when He opens your eyes to see what He's actually done, to see the full breadth and length of His purpose and His plan and the accomplishment, what an amazing thing it is.

How we have seen the martyrs down through the years who've been willing to give everything because they recognize we've received a kingdom. We cannot be shaken. We serve a God who is a consuming fire.

It is our privilege, truly, to be His servants. Let's pray together. Indeed, our holy God, we confess that You are a consuming fire. We confess with the angels, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. Lord, we are so thankful.

We recognize Your holiness. We recognize the justice that is Yours in how You dealt with Your people and You demonstrated the reality of who You are to them. And yet, we are so thankful that You did not stop there.

But in light of that needed demonstration, You have gone on and You have been, in the person of Your Son, provided perfect redemption. In the person of Your Spirit, drawn us unto Him in repentance and faith.

It is all of grace, all to Your honor and glory. We so thank You for the Gospel. We thank You for the unshakeable kingdom. And we thank You for the privilege that is ours of being Your servants. We would ask, as we seek to serve You in this coming week, that we will do so with reverence and awe in a way that is pleasing to You.

That You will be honored and glorified in all things. We pray in Christ's name, amen.