The Firstborn Citizens of Heaven (Hebrews 12:23) | Worshp Service

Good morning, and we welcome you all to Kootenai Church. Would you please stand this morning? We're going to open up with the reading from Psalm 145. In verses 1 to 8 it says I will exalt you my God O King and I will bless your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is Yahweh and highly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another and shall declare your mighty deeds on the glorious splendor of your majesty.

And on the words of your wondrous deeds, I will muse. Men shall speak of the strength of your fearsome acts, and I will recount your greatness. They shall pour forth the memory of your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of your righteousness.

Yahweh is gracious and compassionate slow to anger and great and loving kindness. We're going to sing a new song this morning called how great psalm 145.

Wrong one. I'll bless your name.

From God to setting Sun your greatness.

Far exceeds.

All human. So with each breath, I'll bless your name.

Reach orcs of wicked men you finally destroy.

Fall fast approaching there are a number of events coming up as the Church season begins to get more busy. And I just want to draw your attention to a couple of them that you will find in your bulletin.

We have week of adventure coming up two weeks a week from tomorrow. Sorry one week from tomorrow we have a baptism class and a baptism service as well as a membership class the starting of youth group and Guys and girls Bible studies also on Wednesday nights men's Bible study women's Bible studies two of those so just check your bulletin for those activities and make sure that you are signed up and planning to participate in whatever way that You are needing to to let everybody know that you are planning to attend those.

The Majesty and Goodness of God in Worship

Turn if you will, please to Psalm 65. Psalm 65 we're gonna read together the entire psalm. It is only 13 verses. Psalm 65 for the choir director a psalm of David a song. There will be silence before you and praise in Zion.

Oh God and to you the vow will be performed. Oh you who hear prayer to you all men come. Iniquities prevail against me as for our transgressions you've forgiven them. How blessed is the one whom you choose and bring near to you to dwell in your courts?

We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house your holy temple. By awesome deeds you answer us in righteousness. Oh God of our salvation. You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea who establishes the mountains by his strength?

Being girded with might who stills the roaring of the seas the roaring of their waves and the tumult of the peoples. They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of your signs. You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

You visit the earth and cause it to overflow you greatly enrich it. The stream of God is full of water you prepare their grain for thus you prepare the earth. You water its furrows abundantly you settle its ridges you soften it with showers you bless its growth.

You have crowned the year with your bounty and your paths drip with fatness. The pastures of the wilderness drip and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain.

They shout for joy. Yes, they sing. You stand with me as we pray bow our heads. Our father we give you our praise. And our and all of our glory and our words and our efforts and our minds to honor you today.

We give to you praise that you are due for you are an infinite and glorious and gracious kind and loving God it is true that you will destroy the works of the wicked and That you will establish the works of the righteous.

It is true that you judge sin wherever it is found. And you call men to account for you are the judge of all. And you are coming again to judge the living and the dead. And it is equally true that you are gracious and kind and compassionate.

We thank you for your goodness and love which you have lavished upon us and bestowed upon us in your son the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that in your justice and in your righteousness that you have Provided a sacrifice by which we may be included in your church among your people a sacrifice which is sufficient to pay the price for all the sins of all who will believe through all of time an infinite and glorious sacrifice.

Able to pay the great debt for our sin. So we rejoice in that and thank you for that. Thank you for the abundance of the life that we enjoy the abundance of your grace to us. The glories of your goodness that are manifested around us at all times.

We pray that as we gather here together as your people united in Doctrine and in your word and in your spirit by one confession. That you would be honored and glorified through the praises of your people.

Through the words of our mouth the meditation of our hearts and that you would be pleased with all that we do here today. As we focus upon your word and upon your great grace. We ask this and your blessing upon our time here in the name of Christ and all God's people said.

The Sufficiency and Delightfulness of God's Law

Psalm 19 verses 7 to 14. It says the law of Yahweh is perfect. Restoring the soul the testimony of Yahweh is sure making wise the simple. The precepts of Yahweh are right rejoicing the heart the commandment of Yahweh is pure enlightening the eyes.

The fear of Yahweh is clean enduring forever. The judgments of Yahweh are true. They are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold even more than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them your slave is warned and keeping them. There is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also, keep back your slave from presumptuous sins. Let them not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. But the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh Yahweh My rock and my Redeemer. Let's enter a music service this morning and sing.

Oh Lord my rock and my Redeemer.

The Church of the Firstborn in Hebrews 12

Now you'll need your Bibles open to the book of Hebrews in chapter 12. The book of Hebrews chapter 12.

When you found your place, let's pray together before we begin. My father we have just sung to you the sentiments the desires the affections of our own hearts that we desire that in all we do and all we think and all we say that We might be pleasing in your sight and bring glory to your name and that is our desire here as well.

We pray that in the meditation on your word and in all that is said from this pulpit In all the thoughts of our minds that we may give them holy and solely to you during this time. And that you would be honored and glorified that you would speak to us through your word Grant to us wisdom and insight and understanding.

And we pray that you would shine the light of truth upon our hearts so that we may Experience joy and no joy and rejoice in your word and in your truth. Those who have been purchased and bought by the blood of your son.

We thank you for these things and to ask these things in the name of Christ our Lord, amen. Hebrews 12 we're going to begin reading at verse 18 and read through the end of verse 24. And a couple of weeks since we were here.

So I just wanted to remind you again of the context and the comparison. Verse 18 for you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind. And to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was 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 To myriads of angels 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 to the sprinkled blood which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

There are a lot of descriptions in terms in your New Testament that describe the people of God the church. The gathering out of the called-out ones of God's people. For instance we are familiar with the analogy or the phrase the picture of the body of Christ that you find in 1st Corinthians 12 of the called-out ones the very the very idea of church or the very word church itself speaks of a Gathering of people called out of a larger assembly for a special purpose.

The Bride of Christ in Ephesians chapter 5 we are called a living temple in 1st Peter chapter 2. We're called a holy nation in 1st Peter chapter 2 and a royal priesthood in 1st Peter 2. We're called the children of God in Ephesians 1 we are adopted.

We are called the elect in Romans 8 and in Ephesians 1 in each one of those phrases the body of Christ the The Bride of Christ the living temple a holy nation children of God the elect all of them. Tell us something different something unique each one of them about the people of God that Constitute this age or around which this age is unfolding.

Each one identifies the reality of the church and points to something important. The body speaks of the interconnectedness of of all of us. The bride speaks to the love relationship and the submission that we render to the Lord for all of His protection and provision.

And the children of God tells us something of our adoption and our special status. The elect tells us something about God's choice of us and and why he has chosen us and of whom we are and how special we are in his in his Loving plan, but now we come to another description of the church of God.

It's in Hebrews chapter 12 and it is in verse 23 We are called the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. Now the author here is listing the blessings that we have been brought to as a result of the New Covenant that are part of the New Covenant and he Contrasting here the the state that we occupy or the place that we have in contrast with Old Testament Israel.

So there is the the contrast between the two mountains Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. There is the contrast between these two peoples the children of Israel and the church and there's the contrast between the blessings and the experiences of that Old Covenant and that which is remarkably better for us the New Covenant.

And now we have this list of blessings to which we have been brought the Mount Zion the City of the Living God the myriad of angels in festal assembly in festive garb the Celebration that is ours in heaven and then this phrase the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.

That is only used one time in the New Testament and it is used here. It is an entirely unique phrase and one that I thought was going to be rather Simple to explain and decide to sort of dive into and plumb the depths of but one that once I jumped into it I realized the uniqueness of this phrase particularly with this context is incredibly significant and just the title firstborn reminds us of a number of significant truths and and things about us special blessings that we enjoy and Given its context.

It's interesting and Understandable how the author uses it here. So that's what we're going to look at today five precious and significant truths that are at play here in this word Firstborn and there is significance to to the fact that we are said to have been enrolled in heaven that we are enrolled in heaven.

And we're going to cover all five of these profound and spiritual truths though. Each one could be its own sermon. I'm not going to do that to you, but there are five of them. We're going to cover today.

Then we're going to look at what it means to be enrolled in heaven and then I want to connect all five of these to the context to show you why it is significant that the author in this context describes us as the church of the firstborn and an entirely unique phrase in the New Testament.

Though the concept of being firstborn is not so here is the first thing the first. Precious truth that the word firstborn reminds us of firstborn describes a preeminent position. It describes the preeminent position.

It does not always mean first one born though. You're gonna see in a moment that it can refer to the first one who was born it can describe birth order. But it doesn't always describe birth order and that is obviously not its meaning here since he is not writing to a church that is Comprised of people who were the first ones born in their family.

Does that make sense? You're not writing you this is not the church of the firstborn in that sense. Not everybody here is the first one born. Some of you are the last ones born in your family. Some of you are in the middle and fortunate enough to be plugged into the middle and some of you are firstborn Children, so it is obviously not church of the first ones who were born in their family that is meant here.

He is describing something else. He is describing a position of preeminence or prominence a position that entailed certain rights and responsibilities a position that entailed a certain degree of Preeminence among others that's the nature of this word firstborn.

It is used that way for instance to describe prominence or preeminence in Exodus 4 verse 22 Where the Lord said to Moses then you shall say to Pharaoh thus says the Lord Israel is my son my firstborn now Israel was the name that God changed Jacob's name to he was called Israel, but was Jacob the first one born.

He was not the first one born but in terms of God's prominence and the God's purpose and the prominence of Jacob in God's redemptive plans and purposes because of his position of preeminence. He is regarded as the firstborn even though he is not the first one born.

But scripture can describe him as the firstborn because often when it uses this word it's describing a position of preeminence or prominence having a Position of being the head or the first one is the idea even even if has nothing to do with birth order.

Now it can describe both. It can describe somebody who was the first one born and also has the position of preeminence but that is not how it is sometimes not how it's often used in scripture and it's certainly not how it is used of Jesus when that word is used to describe him for instance in Colossians chapter 1 verses 15 and following.

It says that he that is Christ is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation. That phrase doesn't mean that he is the first one born. It doesn't mean that he is the first one created.

In fact, it has nothing to do with it being born or being created or being first in that sense at all. But it does describe his preeminence his position as being head over all things. Which the author continues to explain in the following verses.

For by him all things were created both in the heavens and on earth. Visible and invisible where the thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Everything continues as it is because Jesus Christ Exercises power and authority and will to hold the very atoms in the orbits in which they are.

He holds it all together. Guiding all of it as it were to its appointed end. He is the position he is the one who has preeminence over all created things for by him Colossians says all Things were created visible invisible heaven earth everything.

So he is the firstborn. He is the preeminent one the head one prominent one over all of creation because it is all his by virtue of the fact that he has created it and by virtue of The fact that he upholds it and he maintains it.

And so the next phrase says. And he is the head of the body The church and he is the beginning of the firstborn from the dead. He is the first one resurrected so that he himself will come to have first place preeminence in everything.

He is the firstborn like that's how the word is used to describe Christ in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 6. And when he that is the father again brings the firstborn into the world, that's Christ. He says let all the angels of God worship him.

He is the preeminent or the prominent one. He is the head of all and so when that divine Son is incarnated It comes into the world the command of the father to all of the angelic realm is worship him.

Because he is the preeminent one or the prominent one. So it's not describing one who is the first one born. Now you and I are treated and regarded as firstborn because we have been brought into the church of the firstborn.

So what does this mean for us? It means that Christ acts as our representative and He lives on our behalf and he dies on our behalf and he rises again on our behalf and he ascends to the right hand of the father on our behalf where he has taken a position of preeminence and prominence where he is the head over all things and Ephesians 1 2 3 says that you and I by virtue of faith are in him.

That is we are in him we are seen in the eyes of the father as if we had lived his life died his death and buried in with him and raised again to newness of life and Ascended again and seated at the father's right hand so that being in him we now are regarded as and seen in the eyes of the father as having Positionally a position of preeminence and prominence with him because we're in Christ.

So everything he did he did on our behalf. We receive his righteousness. He acts as our Representative before the father and now we are the church of those who are regarded in the eyes of God like firstborn sons.

Preeminent and prominent. That's what we enjoy. In Christ you and I are given Everything that the father gives to the son we don't enjoy all of that now, but we are promised all of that and outside of Christ.

No, good thing is given. Even an unbeliever if you're sitting here and you are not clothed in the righteousness of Christ and you have never trusted Christ for salvation being under the wrath of God the very grace that God has granted to you to come here and to hear a message of Salvation and to hear this is a gift of God's grace that is provided to you because of what Christ has done.

Every good thing that is purchased for the elect and for the non elect that they have ever enjoyed is purchased through Jesus Christ. And outside of him no good thing comes to anybody but in him all good things come to those who repent and believe.

We have a position of prominence and preeminence. Second firstborn describes a position that is acquired by birth. They say this seems to contradict what you just told us. Which is that preeminence or firstborn does not necessarily refer to birth order.

It doesn't necessarily refer to birth order. It can be used to describe prominence or preeminence, but it can also be used to describe one who received the rights and privileges of The firstborn by virtue of their birth order the fact that they were born first now.

We covered this a little bit when we looked at Esau back in verses 18. When was that verses 16 and following we talked about Esau and what he forfeited there was this practice in ancient cultures called the law or it was the practice of Primogeniture and it was the it was the practice in ancient cultures to give to the firstborn son.

Either a double portion of the inheritance can compared to all of the other siblings in the family or to give to the firstborn child all of the blessings and the rights and the privileges of the entire estate.

Sometimes the entire estate would go to the firstborn child or the firstborn son and sometimes It would be distributed or sometimes they would get a double portion of that. Now. Here's what is key you and I are Called the Church of the firstborn we have our status of firstborn not because we are the first one born physically.

But we get that status because of a birth that has taken place. What birth is it? It's the new birth. Jesus said you must be born again. Now here's the here was if you were the firstborn this was a glorious thing in ancient cultures.

But here was the glorious thing about being firstborn in ancient cultures. That you would get the inheritance or the double portion of the inheritance and listen. It didn't matter how good-looking you were or not good-looking you were how smart you were or how not smart you were.

How tall how short how big how small how crippled or able-bodied? None of that meant anything you would get the right and the privileges of the firstborn just by virtue of the fact that you were born in that position it Had nothing to do with merit your righteousness your piousness your spiritual inclinations your wisdom your knowledge your ability to handle family affairs.

Had nothing to do with any of those things you got it simply by being born. You and I become part of the Church of the firstborn simply by virtue of the fact that we are born again. We are born into this position not physically but spiritually.

Jesus said you must be born again. This is the work of the Spirit. He goes where he wills he causes those who have been given by the Father to the Son in eternity past. To be regenerated and to come to repentance and faith in time.

That is all the work of the Spirit. You and I cannot merit that you and I cannot manipulate that we can't control that I can't make that happen for certain people. You can't make that happen for certain people.

None of it is our work. It is the result of the Holy Spirit not as the result of human merit or effort or will at all. Spurgeon said if you are born only once you must die twice. But if you are born twice we die but once and after that one death, which is not really death.

We enter into eternal life catch that if you are born once you will die twice. You will die in this world and then you will die forever in a lake of fire that that burns with the wrath of God. You die twice, but if you're born twice you die once physically in this life, that's really not death.

And after that you go to have life eternal. Born once you die twice born twice you die once you must be born again. In John chapter 1 John says as many as received him to them He gave the right to become children of God.

Even to those who believe in his name who are born not of blood nor the will of the flesh. Nor the will of man but of God. We are part of the church of the firstborn because we have been born again. So you are born into this and listen your spiritual birth has nothing to do with your merit your righteousness your inclination to believe your wisdom.

Your abilities your skill your knowledge your spiritual sensitivity or anything else? You have nothing to do with your new birth. You are regenerated by the sovereign spirit of God and that brings us to the third thing.

The firstborn reminds us of it is a reminder of our divine election our divine election. This is mentioned this this description of firstborn is mentioned in the context. Remember of the comparison with Mount Zion and Mount Sinai.

Now Mount Sinai was Connected in the minds of the Jewish people with their deliverance from Egypt and all that took place in Egypt their time of slavery there God bringing them out by the Passover and the death of the firstborn of Egypt and the sparing of the firstborn of Israel and then they are brought out of that bondage and slavery out into the desert where God brings them to the mount of The base of Mount Sinai and made a covenant with them and gave them the law.

So in the minds of the Jew when you had mentioned Mount Sinai and the giving of the law and the covenant that was made you could not disconnect that from the whole notion of the firstborn being spared and then being brought out of slavery as a Result of what God did in sparing the firstborn of Israel and in punishing and judging and killing the firstborn of Egypt.

Exodus chapter 11 verses 4 through 5. Moses said thus says the Lord about midnight I'm going out into the midst of Egypt and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. From the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne even to the firstborn of the slave girl who's behind the millstone all.

The firstborn of the cattle as well. Anything that was born first and this is not position of preeminence. This is order of birth when it's usually this way everyone who was born first is going to die as a judgment.

Everyone in the land of Egypt. Exodus chapter 12 verse 29 now It came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt for the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn.

Of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of cattle God fulfilled his word killed all the firstborn. Exodus chapter 13 says. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying Sanctify to me every firstborn the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel both the man and beast it belongs to me.

Now those firstborn were set apart to God and they belong specifically and specially to Yahweh. Why is that because God had had made a demonstration of something in Egypt by slaughtering all of the Egyptian firstborn and?

Preserving all of Israel's firstborn and because that was the object lesson. This whole thing becomes a picture of our salvation. Later on in the New Testament because that is the object lesson all of the firstborn were to be dedicated and given over to the Lord.

Exodus 22 verse 29. You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage the firstborn of your sons. You shall give to me. So herein lies the special significance of the firstborn. God Destroyed and killed all the firstborn of Egypt, but he spared all the firstborn of Israel.

He did this by the application of the blood to the doorpost and and over the top of the door of every Israeli home. We get to that in just a moment but why did God choose the firstborn to do this with he could have chosen to kill all the secondborn or the thirdborn or the shortest in the family or the tallest in the family or Everybody in the family who was the slowest or everybody in the family who was the fastest but God didn't do that.

He chose the firstborn why? Do you know why? Let's explain that that's why you don't know why you're sitting there wondering Why is that there's no explanation as to why he chose the firstborn not the secondborn or the thirdborn?

And it's even more significant that it becomes a picture of God's choice when Esau is the first one born but Jacob gets all of the blessings and the promises of the firstborn and It's even Equally as pronounced when Isaac who is not the first one born from Abraham.

But Ishmael is but yet God gives all of the blessings and the promises and the preeminence to Isaac and not to Ishmael. Why does God chose choose? Why did God choose Jacob over Esau? The only explanation that God gives is Jacob.

I have loved and Esau I have hated and in Romans chapter 9 He says I'll have mercy on whom I have mercy. Compassion on whom I have compassion and I will harden whom I will. So you oh man, do you have a problem with that that God would choose some and not others and then not explain himself to you?

Well, you're like a lump of clay arguing back to the Potter. And Paul's point in Romans 9 is you have no right to even question it. You certainly do not deserve an answer to it. Now you want something that offends people.

You just tell them that you are chosen by God to be in the church of the force Firstborn and it has nothing at all to do with the condition of your heart your wisdom your spiritual insight your inclination your lineage.

Your good looks your intellect. Nothing has nothing to do with you whatsoever. And in fact God has not even choked Revealed why it is that he chose you other than he has set his love on you ahead of time.

That's what it means to be the firstborn. Just like Jacob over Esau just like Isaac over Ishmael. Exodus chapter 4 verse 22 Israel is my son my firstborn, but he wasn't the first one born. But he was the one chosen by God to receive the blessings Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated.

Divine love obviously plays into this. Divine sovereignty plays into this. A For ordained loving relationship obviously plays into this. It must in fact, that's what the word for known means. You say doesn't it say that God has chosen us by the foreknowledge.

By his own foreknowledge it does. But you know what the word for knowledge means. It doesn't mean that God is a good prognosticator. And he can look down through time and somehow tell what you might do when presented with the gospel.

It means that God has decided ahead of time in eternity past to set his affections on you. Why you I don't know. Why me? I don't know. God knows he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.

Had somebody recently who said to me I that they were having a conversation. It was nobody here so don't worry about that who said they were having a conversation with somebody who raised this issue of God choosing us and not a Based upon anything that we would do and that this is what the word for knowledge meant and this Little lady said to me quite gently.

She said but I'm trying to explain to her that God knows our hearts. He knows our hearts and that's why he chose us and I said, how was your heart before you came to faith in Christ? Was it pure and simple and Inclined toward righteousness or were you a wicked sinner?

She was a wicked sinner. So I said so your heart was just as dark as the rest of ours, right? Which means that God didn't choose you because he saw something special in you. That is the point of Romans chapter 9.

That's the point of God's choosing had nothing to do with anything in you whatsoever. So if you ever ask yourself why me and not somebody else has nothing to do with you. There were probably a lot of other people whom God could have chosen, but he didn't who were smarter than you.

Prettier than you more able than you. In fact, God says that he's choose it choses. Try it again. God says that he chooses the weak and the foolish things so that he might confound the wise in the eyes of the world.

I Guess that's another explanation. Why you over somebody else because you're weak and foolish and stupid and simple and unable and uneducated little. North, Idaho. Rube. Ephraim was chosen over Manasseh by God's choice.

Manasseh was the firstborn one born yet Jeremiah 31 verse 9 calls Ephraim his firstborn. You are the church of the firstborn which describes your election. You were in this by God's sovereign choice. Chosen of God.

Ephesians 1 verse 4. He chose you in Christ before the foundation of the world that you would be holy and blameless before him in love. Second Thessalonians 2 verse 13, but we should always give thanks to God for you brethren beloved by the Lord.

There's the loved you are beloved by the Lord because he has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2nd Timothy 2 10 for this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus.

And with an eternal glory you say we are Undeserving children of wrath worthy of judgment. That's right and you're the church of the firstborn. God chooses undeserving children of wrath worthy of judgment and puts them into the church of the Preeminent ones because he loved you before time.

That's what his foreknowledge means. He loved you before time and he set his affections on you before he ever spoke an angel or an Adam into existence. He knew your name and every day you would live and when you would come to saving faith and That you would be here today and that you would be brought into the church of the firstborn.

He saved us and called us. 2nd Timothy 1 verse 9 of the holy calling not according to our works. But according to his own purposes. Listen to this and grace that was granted to us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

Grace granted to you from all eternity. Go back in the mind of purposes of God as far as you can go. Grace was granted to you back then from all eternity. That is how you were in the church of the firstborn.