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December 26, 2004
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Hebrews
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Pastor Brian Shimer
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"Those beautiful Words of Grace"
Hebrews 12: 14-29
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses 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. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
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.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men 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.”NIV
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We have come to the last Sunday in 2004. This is the last Sunday to look at our theme from this year of Holiness and the last Sunday in the book of Hebrews. Well, actually, we will never be done with holiness. God will continue to work in our lives day by day to make us holy. The whole book of Hebrews has been about that theme. As God has spoken in the past in many ways and in recent Days through Jesus, so we can respond to Him and are made holy.
And if you really want to spend more time in the book of Hebrews that too is possible, for Karen and I will continue teaching our study on the book of Hebrews in Sunday school. We are sprinting through the book, as we are still in chapter 4 after four months of study!
So, there are many opportunities to continue growth.
Now, we are in chapter 12 of Hebrews where I feel we encounter such beautiful words of Grace from God.
In an older movie called "The Shawshank Redemption," prisoner Andy Dufrene pulls one over on the guards and manages to play a recording of a duet from "The Marriage of Figaro" over the loudspeaker. Every prisoner immediately stopped what he was doing and listened intently. The words were in Italian, but for prisoners who hear no music at all, they were beautiful. Andy's buddy Red, another prisoner, said, "It was like a beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away. And for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free." God's words of grace have that kind of effect. They can change everything. (- SCG, 10-25-98 http://pbc.org/old-pbc1/dp/grant/hebrews/heb24.html 12/25/04, ubp)
Have you encountered beautiful words that change everything? God's words of grace are that way where those in prison can feel free.
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This passage brings such words to us. First calling us in response to the Grace of God to pursue peace with all men.
Sometimes we can pursue but not attain that peace. I know I have been in situations and you have too where you have discord and not peace between yourself and others. Sometimes there is nothing you can do, and at other times you can take action to make a powerful difference in the lives of people. But we are called to pursue it, to "make every effort".
The idea of "peace" is the picture of wholeness in Biblical terminology. You see what God calls you and I into is a wholeness in our relationship with others. A peace that transcends the understanding.
Then we are told also to pursue holiness, or make every effort to have a holy character. We are called to become like Jesus. That is what holiness is all about. It is hearing and responding to God through the Word. IT is being changed into the likeness of Jesus. That is what we want.
Without holiness we will not see the Lord, this passage says. That is basic truth. You cannot experience something when you have not been changed to enter into it. We must be born again to enter or to see the Kingdom, Jesus told Nicodemus. The pure in heart will see God, Jesus also said. So, we have to have hearts changed by holiness in order to see what God has.
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Respond to grace yourself and see to it that no one else falls short of what God has for them - see to it that they do not miss God's grace, that no bitter root grows up to defile and cause trouble. You know how unforgiveness can bring on bitterness and keep others outside of God's grace.
So, God says help one another keep clear of bitterness. How bitterness can separate and hinder. And keep people from hearing the beautiful words of God's grace.
Esau was such a man. He entered into bitterness and missed the Grace of God for him. He was immoral, the Bible says, and godless. He was not one who sought God, but one who just grabbed for whatever was just right in front of him.
So, don't go that direction, the Bible says.
Instead listen to the beautiful words of grace.
The passage contrasts the word that came from Mt Sinai in the wilderness as Israel received the law and the words of God were so terrifying that the people begged that God would no longer speak to them. It is not a physical place we have come to today, no we have arrived at a spiritual reality of grace.
We are not at the foot of a mountain but in the city of God, in the presence of God and we have come to Jesus. The passage speaks this word of grace to us.
We have acceptance with God - we are not kept at a distance.
We have the love of God - he wants us in his presence, in his city.
We have the forgiveness of God - he has provided for us a better sacrifice so that we are made clean. Unlike Abel's blood which cried out for vengeance, Jesus' blood brings forgiveness.
What a word of grace.
We cannot earn this.
We cannot do anything so that we can "get" grace, we receive what is offered.
Hear the words of God's grace. Receive the words of God's grace. Respond to them with thankful hearts that know the only way to respond is to worship, and then God makes you into a word of his grace.
You are surrounded by people who are examples of his saving power.
You speak today with miracles of his purposes.
We become beautiful words of his grace to one another as we share, as we live as we are.
I have received such beautiful words - and you have too, in notes, in spoken messages, in the love from others. Each of those are incredible.
I have two sticky notes on my desk, one from Grace and one from Anna which are precious to me. They are simple messages. Each left at separate times. And all they each say is "I love you Dad" and their names. But what they have meant to me!
We give beautiful words.
We are beautiful words of God's grace.
As you step into the new year, I encourage you to remember to receive grace and to walk in the grace God has given you.
Now today, I want us to spend a few moments sharing what God has done by grace in your life this year through the focus we have had on the theme of holiness.
(testimonies)
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