Honor Jesus by Cherishing His Church

0:19 I know an old man who wrote a book one time called Why I Love the Apostle Paul. And maybe Jared and I could co-author a book on why we love Hebrews. Even though we're not even sure who wrote it. It was not Paul. But we love Hebrews because we love Jesus. Hebrews so manifestly exalts Jesus. And in this final chapel, we come to Hebrews chapter 12, verses 18 to 24. And in it, we have the final use of the word better. Kraton. Verse 24. Jesus' sprinkled blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. So what word did Abel's blood speak?

1:11 Well, in Genesis 4, God comes to Cain and says, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are accursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. so I take it that Abel's blood cries out for justice for righteous retribution for a curse on the one who murdered him and Jesus blood Hebrew says speaks a better word not curse but blessing not condemnation but sanctification not justice but divine mercy before getting into the rest of the passage uh it's an important reminder about the repeated line of comparison in the epistle to the hebrews that it's not bad versus good but it's good and then better.

2:28 Is that right? Good then better. Hebrews is not saying the old was bad, the new is good. Abel's blood speaks a bad word. Jesus' blood speaks a good word. Zion was bad. Sinai was bad Zion is good the line of comparison is good and then better that's the repeated thing Jesus is better Abel's blood speaks a good just reasonable word Abel didn't do anything wrong his blood didn't do anything wrong by crying out for justice and Jesus' blood says something better the old was holy and righteous and good and the new covenant is better even far better mount sinai compared to egypt is good and zion the heavenly city and people is far better so the paradigm of the epistle and of our passage is not bad versus good, but good than better.

3:48 Brothers and sisters, to belong to the first covenant was better than unbelief. And to belong to the new covenant is better by far than the old. Another feature of our passage is the Hebrews quintessential glorious list. I just love this Hebrews is a preacher he is such a preacher and preachers want to make use of the piling on of terms in these glorious lists so that your heart begins to feel like it's supposed to feel about the wonders or the terrors that are being preached so you remember some of these lists I'm sure chapter one verses two to four the sevenfold cascading glory of Jesus just right out of the gate in the book of Hebrews. And then chapter one, sevenfold Old Testament quotations comparing the angels and the sun, exalting the glory of the sun.

4:53 Chapter 11, what a list. The sermonic climax of the book of Hebrews in this great list of the men of faith and now we come to the last two lists in hebrews and they're together to make the same point in chapter 12 so first is the sevenfold frightful greatness of sinai and that sets up the magnificent list of the sevenfold thrill of zion's glory in verses 22 to 24 one last feature here to mention before reading the I'm going to read the passage sometimes it's good to have some things front-loaded when you go through it one last feature here at the outset Hebrews loves to argue from the lesser to the greater which helps put our passage in context and this relates to the four at the beginning of verse 18 I take it that the four grounds the imperatives of verses 12 to 15 so let me remind you what the imperatives are in 12 to 15 he said at the beginning of chapter 12 run run the race and apparently some aren't running they're slowing down they're walking maybe they stopped and he talks about the Lord's discipline and he wants them to get running again.

6:28 So he says, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees so you can run. Make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather healed. Strive, there's another running word, strive for peace with everyone and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God just a side note here I think the first time this week was me the first time I realized in verse 15 he doesn't say see to it that you don't obtain the grace of God see to it that you don't fail to obtain it he says see to it that no one This is like chapter three. You're looking out for others that they would not fail to obtain the grace.

7:22 See to it that no one, so you yourself, you don't fail to obtain the grace. But just keeping your own nose clean isn't enough for Hebrews. Yeah, you don't fail to obtain the grace and look out for others, bring them in. You don't want them to fail to obtain the grace. All right, so back to the context here. the intended effect of verses 18 to 24 is to astound you to overwhelm you to thrill you to awaken you to the fearsome privilege and joy that you already have in being included in Christ new and better people called the church and in that joy we gladly obey the commands of verses 12 to 15 and a bunch of other commands besides that how could you run toward Jesus and love others and have company like this and not fulfill the commands of 12 to 15 so simply put what this passage is trying to do is make you marvel.

8:42 Hebrews wants you to stand in awe of being part of the church, the heavenly assembly, the new and better people. He wants us to be overcome with the joy of having Jesus and having his people. So my hope here in this final chapel is that you might freshly marvel to be part of the new and better people of God. This is especially relevant for those who are graduating because we commission you out. And one of the main things we want to say is remember God's people, be a part of his people, be enrolled, be a member somewhere else, have that safety net as you go. Don't go out on your own.

9:28 And so as distant as these verses might sound in Hebrews 12, this vision does not only anticipate a great future that awaits us, but it shows us what is already. If you are in Christ, these are right now verses for you. This is a glimpse in what it means to right now be seated with Christ in the heavenly places. I wonder how many of us are awake to this like we might be maybe Hebrews 12 would help us here at the end of the semester so how might we freshly marvel to be part of the new covenant people of God I have three wonders that I want to draw your attention to in these verses the first one's the longest the last two were short and each of them is I want to put it in terms of an exhortation to you in this final chapter final chapel of the school year as you go into the summer or seniors fourth year sim guys as you're commissioned out to your next calling number one realize the far greater majesty of your people realize the far greater majesty of your people this is the main thrust of the passage it's in two parts verses 18 to 21 verses 22 to 24 the main verb have come or draw near leads both parts so first we get what we have not drawn near to picture of sinai and then we get what we have come to have drawn near to and in the comparison we're supposed to increase our marveling at that second one so here's verses 18 to 22 four you have not come and here's the first list seven items here you have not come to what may be touched a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest storm and the sound of a trumpet

11:44 and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them for they could not endure the order that was given if even a beast touches the mountain it shall be stoned. Indeed, so terrifying, frightful, there's a key word here, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, even Moses, I tremble with fear, but, verse 22, you have come to Mount Zion, into the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. I will pick it up there in a minute what about Zion we saw it in Psalm 20 right here Zion Zion was the hill on which the Jebusites had a stronghold David conquered them took the stronghold 2nd Samuel chapter 5 and over time Zion became this poetic name this term of endearment that was symbolic for the whole of Jerusalem as God's chosen city. And now Hebrews reaches for this term, I think uniquely in the New Testament, reaches for this term, this exalted term, and makes it Christian. In contrast to the earthly place of the past, Mount Sinai, where God gave the first covenant to his people, Mount Zion now takes on Christian significance and not only is the great city to come but even as the heavenly assembly of the angels now and the people of Christ right now both those who have departed and those who still live and when Hebrews says city don't think buildings, infrastructure, roads, walls think persons what's definitive definitive of the city is not its geography what's clear is the very

13:59 personal glories that follow in verses 23 and 24 we'll come to those in just a minute so the reason that i say here for number one realize realize the far greater majesty of your people is that this vision is already true of those who are in Christ. The perfect verb is significant. We have come. It's not will come. Have come. but you might say, how is it that we have come? Do I have this experience? Have I? Have we? Our bodies are down here on earth. We're not in heaven. Last time I checked. How can we have already come to the city that's above? well you are spatially bound but the holy spirit is not spatially bound and our union with jesus by faith is not restricted by our finitude but it is real and he is near by the trans spatial power of the holy spirit so even with christ in heaven and with us down here we truly are united to him by faith and in the holy spirit faith we might say it's kind of way of our spirit extending itself christward but that only goes so far most significant is that jesus extends his spirit to us who is the holy spirit who awakens faith and indwells us and upholds spiritual life and faith in our lives and gives us an ear for God's word and prompts us in prayer and draws us toward his people.

16:06 So by faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit, there is a profound sense of already that we have come through our union with Christ to this assembly to be seated with Christ in the heavenlies. And when we pray, and when we gather in worship, and when we hear God's word preached, and when we come to the Lord's table, we do so as those who by faith have come already to the city of the living God. We are already part of the assembly. Already our spirits have set their feet in heaven. we stand by faith around the throne we hear from our king through his word and he hears us and he delights in our prayers and in our praises there's a day that's coming when in our resurrection bodies we'll be present in body with the lord but right now by faith in the holy spirit we already are enrolled and present in spirit as we draw near and most of us don't realize this in our secular age and we need to newly realize it or be reminded of it.

17:32 And the reason I say far greater majesty here under number one, I told you number one is long. I say far greater majesty because that goes back to the paradigm of good then better. The sevenfold description of Mount Sinai is not bad. It's awe-inspiring. It's intentionally frightful. blazing fire darkness gloom a storm the sound of a trumpet the voice whose words made the hearers beg for no further messages so hebrews here he's drawing on exodus 19 and 20 drawing on deuteronomy 4 to paint this fearsome picture of god's people receiving the first covenant and it's intimidating It's supposed to be. They're seeking to draw near to God in covenant relationship with the living God. And there are sinful people.

18:28 This should be frightful. So we might wonder if the people and Moses himself were terrified and trembled at the first covenant, does that mean then that the contrast for the new covenant is no fear? you're free from fear all fear just casual flip it comfortable new covenant well it's not that simple zion is still the city of the living god who is the judge of all verse 23 And verse 31 says, we worship with reverence and awe for our God is a consuming fire. That's new covenant too.

19:22 So the contrast here is not between fear in the old, no fear in the new, but between frightful majesty at Sinai and thrilling majesty in Zion. or between dreadful greatness in the old and delightful greatness in the new. It's not that all fear is dispelled from Sinai to Zion, but that grace upon grace in Christ streams in and turns terror into thrill. God is no less awesome in the new covenant. We worship the consuming fire with reverence and awe. But now he has shown us his grace and mercy in Jesus and in his redeeming blood. And a very good way to describe that would be serious joy.

20:21 What we have in the new covenant and at BCS. The far greater majesty of Zion is what we now know in Jesus. in what has been revealed to us in his life, in his death, in his resurrection. Now we know ourselves in Christ, in his blood to be safe with the living God. And we can marvel with joy at him in Zion in a way that was not yet available in Sinai. So in this first point, exhortation at the end of the semester, end of the school year, Whether you're staying in the Twin Cities this summer, heading home, or being commissioned out, I want to exhort you, in light of Hebrews 12, do not think small thoughts about the assembling together with God's people to worship the Son.

21:24 Have a big church theology. You might call it a big God ecclesiology. yes have a modest view of your own little local church especially as you compare it to others but get a grand majestic hebrews 12 vista of the church into which your little local church is drawn up as you assemble together each sunday and worship in reverence and awe so number one realize the greater majesty of your people number two know yourself personally loved and registered now let's pick up on the list of seven in verse 23 and let's locate where we are where are the readers of hebrews and where do we get connected in this picture of the mount zion so we've already seen that we've come to mount zion the city of the living god the heavenly jerusalem to innumerable angels in festal gathering that word festal is important that's a gathering of joy that's a contrast with the frightful sinai the festal zion now verse 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven that's where we are that assembly as some of you know i'm sure is the same word we translate church typically ecclesia and the firstborn here is plural plural firstborn Jesus is the singular firstborn and in him his people by faith are plural firstborns so we his church share in the rights and the privileges of firstborn sonship by our union with him and in this grand vision of God's new and better people in mass, this big group, countless myriads of angels, countless people.

23:24 There's enrollment. Names are enrolled, he says. It's like Luke chapter 2. Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem to be registered, to be documented. a remarkable theme in the scriptures of God documenting his people Exodus 32 that's the first mention of God having a registry Moses talks about his name appearing in your book that you have written and in Psalm 69 David prays that those who hate him would be blotted out of the book let them not be enrolled among the righteous in Daniel chapter 12 verse 1 foretells that a time of trouble will come and that your people shall be delivered everyone whose name shall be found written in the book so God only not God not not only has a great people but he knows them He enrolls them all by name.

24:31 Do you remember the words of Jesus in Luke 10, 20 to his disciples when they come back after a fruitful training mission? He says, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you. Don't rejoice in your ministry fruitfulness, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. You're enrolled. brothers and sisters if you are in christ if the spirit is in work is at work in you to give you love for and delight in jesus know yourself enrolled in the book your name is written down it wasn't just thought it wasn't just said captured in writing written down objectively to be remembered to be registered god's sovereign specific electing love has personally accounted for you you've not just wandered into this massive assembly in heaven but you are specifically enrolled in the assembly you belong to a great people but you are not lost in the crowd of his great people he has registered your name in writing you are welcomed specifically not just as part of the people but as a dearly loved son or daughter so brothers and sisters as you head into this summer and exam week know yourself to be specifically enrolled just as you are personally enrolled at BCS with all the rights and privileges and responsibilities it entails.

26:27 So far more, your name is known and recorded and accounted for in the book of heaven. So realize the greater majesty of your people. know yourself to be known and enrolled third finally enjoy the one at the center of it all enjoy the one at the center of it all so the glorious list culminates with jesus and his blood and all comes down to the person and work of jesus so hebrews opened with the throne vision in chapter one he sat down at the right hand of majesty on high and now let's read one last time through verses 22 to 24 I want you to hear the mounting force of the series as it comes to its high point in Jesus and brothers and sisters if you are in Christ hear this directly to you you don't need to think about Hebrew Christians 2,000 years ago hear this to you This is for you.

27:33 This is to you. Verse 22. You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly 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 that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. the sinai vision ended with an ominous voice thundering from above and now the zion vision ends in heaven with the specific voice of god incarnate the word of god capital w who has now revealed the mystery of God's purposes and his grace for all those enrolled in heaven.

28:39 So the star of verses 22 to 24 is not the buildings or infrastructure or streets of Zion and it's not the angels innumerable as they are in Zion and it's not the church of the privileged sons nor the spirits of the righteous made perfect those who have died before us nor even God himself functioning as judge the star the grand finale is the person of Jesus and his achievement his spilled blood to redeem his people and like like Hebrews does somewhere else there's another Hebrews feature he treats the name of Jesus with a special reverence he holds it back for effect I count at least nine of these in the book of Hebrews maybe we can compare notes sometime so here's how it works this one sentence is all one sentence in 22 to 24 it begins in verse 22 continues into verse 23 through this series on into verse 24 and then 35 words into this one glorious sentence comes the name that is above every name and then with the mention of Jesus eight more words about his atoning blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel let me close with this final exhortation and our final hymn the exhortation is to those who love Jesus and who live in a world that often veils its hate for him by channeling it as spoken hate or criticism of his church that's how it often works my exhortation to you is don't insult your savior's bride

30:48 one way to honor a groom is to admire and honor his bride even with her flaws Jesus himself is the zenith of this list in 22 to 24 he's the final treasure in this vision of heaven and the groom is not honored when we tear asunder what God put together by pretending to admire Jesus and being relentlessly cynical about his church I know, I grant Too many pastors and ministers and individual congregations have besmirched his name and are justly deserving of criticism. And none of us have ever attended or been members of a perfect church.

31:45 Jesus is still working on his church. He's building her, beautifying her. She's emphatically not perfect yet. and despite that he's given us this stunning vision in hebrews 12 which is already true of the church gathered right now by faith and through his spirit brothers and sisters in christ it is an awesome privilege it is a fearsome delight to be enrolled in his assembly to be part of his people celebrating Jesus and celebrating his church belong together and so I would have us end this school year by doing just that John Newton wrote a hymn inspired by Psalm 87 informed by Hebrews 12 called glorious things of thee are spoken.

32:53 And it both honors the church and at the same time, it honors the one who formed her and founded her and keeps her and speaks well of her. In the second verse, he quenches her thirst with streams of living water. In the third verse, like Hebrews, he holds back the name above all names and handles it with care in the third verse. And finally, in the fourth verse, he makes it personal, like being enrolled. And he ends with the solid joys and lasting treasure that I pray you'll know this summer and that those who graduate will know and share wherever God sends you. So I'll pray for us. The team will come and we'll sing together this final hymn. father in heaven thank you for the star of heaven thank you for your son thank you for the locale and people he welcomes us to individually specifically the great zion the new and better people and i pray father as this semester wraps up in the finals in the going that you would be pleased first and foremost to send us out with a deep in love for Jesus that you would uphold these students and these graduates and make them great ambassadors of the name of Jesus in the church that you founded, that you established, that you beautify, that you speak well of despite her many flaws.

34:40 Give us a heart like Jesus for the church. And so would he be praised as we sing in honor of the church and in honor of the drugs 1999