HEBREWS 12:18-29A New Kind of Community

November 23, 2014FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPIUSA

Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

We have a wonderful opportunity to

invite unchurched to Carols By

Candlelight December 12-14.

There is a “RESERVED TICKET” just for them.

62 tickets have been requested to

bring an “unchurched” person with

them.

BRING SOMEONE WHO CAN HEAR

THE GOSPEL SHARED THROUGH

MUSIC and PRAY that a life will be changed.

The order forms are in your classrooms.

500 decisions for Christ is our prayer.

Who’s your 1?

We ALL know someone who needs the

Lord!!!

Friday, December 05, 2014 –Sunday, December 07, 2014

Medical Missions Conference

Dr. Charles Murray

Saturday, December 6

9:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Cost $5.00

CLC Dining Room

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL RALLY

9:00 AND 10:30 A.M.

FELLOWSHIP HALL EAST

What’s the number one thing?

The Glory of God!

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1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Psalm 148:1, 3-4, 7 NKJVPraise to the LORD from Creation1 Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens;Praise Him in the heights!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon;Praise Him, all you stars of light!

4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,And you waters above the heavens!

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,You great sea creatures and all the depths;

Psalm 148:1, 3-4, 7 NKJV

Psalm 19:1-4 NKJV1 The heavens declare the glory of

God;And the firmament shows His handiwork.

2 Day unto day utters speech,And night unto night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech nor languageWhere their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,And their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 NKJV

Psalm 8:1, 3-4 NKJV1 O LORD, our Lord,

How excellent isYour name in all the earth,Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,And the son of man that You visit him?

Astronomy isn't only about what we can see.

Surprisingly stars make a lot of noise, and the Kepler spacecraft has recorded the sounds from over 500 sun-like stars so far.

Even more surprising is that we can determine the weight of stars based on the sounds they make!

The movement inside a star makes them vibrate like a musical instrument and so make sounds.

If you measure the pitch of the notes produced by an instrument it can tell you how big the instrument is.

The bigger the instrument is, the lower the pitch and deeper the sound.

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A big double bass makes a deeper sound than a cello which in turn is deeper than the much smaller violin.

Similarly a big star will make music with a deeper pitch than a small one and each star's sound is a regular repeating pattern, which indicates that the entire entity is pulsating. • The technology is called

“stellar seismology”.

Job 38:4-7 NKJV4 “Where were you when I laid the

foundations of the earth?Tell Me, if you have understanding.

5 Who determined its measurements?Surely you know!Or who stretched the line upon it?

6 To what were its foundations fastened?Or who laid its cornerstone,

7 When the morning stars sang together,And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Job 38:4-7 NKJV

Chris Tomlin - How Great is Our God (Live)

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Chris TomlinBorn May 4, 1972

From Grand Saline, Texas

Louie Giglio Mashup of Stars and Whales Singing God's Praise

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Louie Giglio, born June 30, 1958 is the pastor of Passion City Church, located in

Atlanta, Georgia.

In the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed.

In the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.

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Exodus 19:16-20

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Exodus 19:16-20 NKJV16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderingsand lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

20 Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

Exodus 19:16-20 NKJV

Hebrews 12:18-24The Glorious Company

Hebrews 12:18-24 NKJV18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.”

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21 And so terrifying was the sight thatMoses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

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22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,

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to an innumerable company of angels,

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23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

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24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.Hebrews 12:18-24

NKJV

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Hebrews 12:25-29 NKJVHear the Heavenly Voice25 See that you do not refuse Him Who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth (Moses), much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him Who speaks from heaven,

26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

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27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:25-29 NKJV

http://a5.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Podcasts6/v4/32/5f/79/325f79f3-a0f1-02e5-5382-d8d519585dbe/mza_8884854500008393311.255x255-75.jpg

J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

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Hebrews Chapter 12THEME: HopeWe are in the practical section of the Epistle to the Hebrews where we see that Christ brings better benefits and duties.

HEBREWS

Chapter 11 is the faith chapter; Chapter 12 is the hope chapter; and Chapter 13 is the love chapter.

1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV13 And now abide faith (Hebrews 11), hope (Hebrews 12), love (Hebrews 13), these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Hebrews 12:18-19 NKJV18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

Hebrews 12:18-19 NKJV

The writer is speaking here of the giving of the Law to Moses on top of Mount Sinai, and he is speaking of the old covenant. • The people to whom he was

writing were Hebrews who had turned to Christ.

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The early church – the three thousand who were saved on the Day of Pentecost –were not Gentiles but were Jews.

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Until Paul and Barnabas and the other missionaries began to move out, the early church for those first few years was 100 percent Jewish.

Now these Jews in Jerusalem who had turned to Christ find themselves at a great loss. • They had been accustomed to

going to the temple and they had been accustomed to hearing the Mosaic Law read.

But now they are shut away from the Law, and now they are shut out from the temple.

They are no longer a part of the system at all, and they feel very much on the outside.

Therefore, the writer of Hebrews is saying to them, "You come now to a mount that is different from Mount Sinai, and you do not want to go back to that."

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Mount Sinai was the place where the Law was given and three thousand people were slain (see Exodus 32):

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Exodus 32:26-28 NKJV26 Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

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27 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’”

28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

Exodus 32:26-28 NKJV

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But three thousand people were also saved on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:5 & 41 NKJV5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:5 & 41 NKJV

There was death at the giving of the Law; there was new life when the Gospel was preached on the Day of Pentecost.

The giving of the Law was by no means a delightful experience.

There were thunder and lightning, earthquake and storm, blazing fire and the blast of a trumpet that grew louder and louder and louder.

It was a terrifying experience -- so much so that the people said to Moses,

Exodus 20:19 NKJV19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

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Now the writer to the Hebrews says, “You don't want to go back to that system. We have left all that behind us.”

The giving of the Law is one of the most frightening scenes in the Bible!

These Hebrew Christians had been accustomed to going to the temple and going through that ritual.

Now there was nothing for them to go to, no ceremony, and no sacrifice to bring.

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So the writer tells them that they really do have something (see Hebrews 12:22)

Hebrews 12:22 NKJV22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

Mount Zion was David's place in Jerusalem, his palace was located there, and he was buried up there.

Zion was David's favorite spot.

Psalm 48:1-3 NKJVThe Glory of God in Zion1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be

praisedIn the city of our God,In His holy mountain.

2 Beautiful in elevation,The joy of the whole earth,Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,The city of the great King.

3 God is in her palaces;He is known as her refuge.

Psalm 48:1-3 NKJV

Many of the Jewish believers had still been going up to the feast in Jerusalem, but the persecution had broken out, and Christians had been driven out of Jerusalem. • So the writer assures them they

have a Jerusalem in heaven.

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The New Jerusalem

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Mount Zion is the heavenly city, the eternal city of the living God, the Book of Revelation calls it the New Jerusalem.

I cannot give you the number or the street name, but our future address is in the New Jerusalem. • This is what we have come to by

God's grace because we have something far better in Christ than the Jews ever had under the Law.

Hebrews 12:22 NKJV22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

We are going into the New Jerusalem some day, and the Book of Revelation shows us a huge worship scene there, a great scene which John saw and tells us about.

Revelation 5:1-14 NKJVThe Lamb Takes the Scroll1 And I saw in the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

6 And I looked, and behold, in the midstof the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him Who sat on the throne.

Worthy Is the Lamb8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9 And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll,And to open its seals;For You were slain,And have redeemed us to God by Your bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;And we shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

12 saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb Who was slainTo receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea (whales), and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and powerBe to Him Who sits on the throne,And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him Who lives forever and ever.

Revelation 5:1-14 NKJV

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John said in effect, "There is a company of created intelligences there, ten thousand times ten thousand of them."

We are going to come someday to the New Jerusalem and join in that great worship of the Lamb, and all these created intelligences will be there!• The time will come when we will go

to the place where they are.

Hebrews 12:23 NKJV23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

"The firstborn" does not refer to Christ here, although He is called that elsewhere in Scripture.

The writer is speaking of the ones who have been born again.

They are the only ones who are going to be there.

This is the church of firstborn ones (all Christians are first born children), those who at the Rapture will be caught up to this place.

Their names “who are registered in heaven, and to God the Judge of all." • I thank God that when I get into the

presence of "the Judge of all," there is One Who will already have paid the penalty for my sins, and my record will be clear. (we are registered)

"And to the spirits of just men made perfect."

"Perfect" does not mean complete or perfect as you and I think of it.

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It refers to Old Testament saints whose salvation has been made complete now that Christ has died as the Lamb of God Who took away the sin of the world.

Hebrews 12:24 NKJV24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

“to Jesus” -- now we are going to be brought into the presence of Jesus.

He is the Mediator of the new covenant -- He is not going to thunder from Mount Sinai.

Even when He was here, He sat down on a mountain and gave the law for His kingdom. • It is going to be lots sweeter when

we come into His presence someday and see Him as the Mediator of the new covenant.

“and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that ofAbel”

Abel's blood cried for vengeance, but the blood of Christ speaks of salvation, this is wonderful!

The writer is trying to get these Hebrew Christians to take their eyes off the temple, off a bloody sacrifice, off a ritual, and on to the person of Christ. (see Hebrews 12:2-3)

Hebrews 12:2-3 NKJV2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him Who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself…

Hebrews 12:2-3 NKJV

Today we need to get our eyes off a church, off religion, off an organization, and off a man.

No man down here should be the one to whom we are looking but “look to Jesus” -- look only to Him.

The temple with all its splendor and ritual was passing away and was to be destroyed -- now they are under a new economy.

Consider Him. Look to Jesus.

Hebrews 12:25 NKJV25 See that you do not refuse Him Who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth (Moses), much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him Who speaks from heaven,

It is a serious business not to listen to this warning.

Jesus said in John 7:1717 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

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If you do His will you will find out whether it is true or not, but if you refuse -- how will you escape if you neglect so great a salvation?

Hebrews 12:26 NKJV26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

At the giving of the Law there was an earthquake, and at the crucifixion of Christ there was an earthquake.

Now God is saying that the day is coming when He is going to shake everything.

God says He is going to shake the earth and heaven itself.

Do you know why He is going to do that?

God is going to shake everything to let all His created universe know that there are some things which are unshakeable, and one of those things is living faith in Jesus Christ.• He is the Rock that we rest upon,

and He cannot be shaken.

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Do you want a secure place today?

He is the place to go.

Run to Jesus and live!

Men want to make the world safe, but no man can make this world safe, nor can any world organization such as the United Nations make it safe. • It is not even safe for us to walk at

night down the streets on which we live.

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However, God is going to make it safe some day, and in order to do that, He is first going to shake everything.

Hebrews 12:27 NKJV27 Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

In other words, we had better be very careful that we build our lives on the right foundation.

Are we building on sinking sand or are we building upon the Rock which is Christ?

"That those things which cannot be shaken may remain."

God will remain, His word will remain, and the eternal kingdom to which believers belong will remain.

Hebrews 12:28 NKJV28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

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As believers we are moving toward a heavenly kingdom, but as we move toward the heavenly kingdom we need to recognize that we should be serving God down here.

But how are we to serve Him?

Well, we are to serve Him "acceptably."

How do we serve Him acceptably?

"With reverence and godly fear."

Christianity is not playing church and it is not assuming a pious attitude.

It is a living, vital, and real relationship with Jesus Christ that transforms your life and anchors you in the Word of God.

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Hebrews 12:29 NKJV29 For our God is a consuming fire.

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This is a solemn reminder that grace is available for you to serve God, but don't trifle with God, my friend.

Don't think you can play fast and loose with God and get by with it.

J. Vernon Magee recounts that when he first came to Pasadena, California as a pastor in 1940, he was asked by a lady to go see her husband.

In his words, “they were a lovely couple, but the husband was sick and in bed at home.

In fact, he never got out of that bed; he died there.

When I went to see him, I presented the Gospel to him.

He heard me courteously and then said this, "Dr. McGee, I would like to tell you right now that I accept Christ as my Savior, and I will do that, but I have trifled and played with God so often down through the years that I don't even know myself when I'm sincere and when I'm not sincere."

My friend, don't trifle with God.

That day may come when you won't even know where you stand with Him at all.

Our God is a consuming fire, but He is also a gracious, glorious, wonderful Savior.

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The Plan of Hope & Salvation

Romans 3:23 NKJV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a NKJV23a For the wages of sin is death,

• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death,

died in this life to pay the penalty for our sins. • The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second

death explained in Revelation 21:8.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Romans 6:23b NKJV23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept Jesus as our Savior.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

• If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-979-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/