969. Two Mountains

There are some significant elements in the book of Hebrews that's actually shrouded in mystery. It's a mysterious book, but what it has to say to us is not only clear, but the value for the Christian today is significant because it was written especially for those who are struggling with their faith and are on the brink of giving up and turning away. The book of Hebrews was written for spiritual apathy and it is an antidote for those who are drifting.

So what does Hebrews do? It lifts us up to theological heights and then it hurls us down to practical depths. What we see is the privilege of being a Christian today and the fearful judgment of falling away. If you walk away from Jesus Christ with all that has been given to you, your judgment on the Judgment Day will be far greater than those who've never had the privilege to hear the gospel.

Today on The Daily Platform, Dr. Steve Pettit, longtime evangelist and now president of Bob Jones University, is continuing a study series entitled Run the Race, which is a study of the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Let's now listen to today's message where Steve will show us two mountains that are mentioned in Hebrews 12 18 through 24. Well, would you take your Bibles and turn with me please to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. As we begin, it came to my attention over the last week that I'd made a statement and a message a few weeks back that I would like to correct and clarify. It was a message concerning God's chastening and I dealt with how we can have a negative response to that chastening which we can despise it and we can faint and the idea of faint is losing your heart and in the statement I said that fear was a cause for depression and anxiety and I want to make it very clear that that fear can be a cause of anxiety and depression but obviously it's not the only cause for that.

There are many many reasons why we can be depressed and so I want that to be clear because I don't want to overburden you as an individual with a sense of guilt for something that that you take upon yourself that is unnecessary. For most of us we have to live our lives in such a way that we struggle we go through all kinds of issues and it's a part of our humanity our fallenness our proclivities and so the Lord gives us in the word that the way that we overcome those things are really by understanding who he is and what he's doing in our life and that God loves us and that whatever things we're having to endure it is a part of his process of changing us in strengthening us and so that we find strength and encouragement especially within the framework of our mind and our emotions through God's love his renewing power of love so I just want to make that very clear in case there was some misunderstanding. So this morning we're going to read in Hebrews chapter 12 verses 18 to 24 this is not in your book study but it is really the conclusion of the idea of running the race and so I wanted to set this before you and it can become a part of the life groups that will be meeting tomorrow so I hope that you'll listen carefully as we look at this passage of Scripture. Let me begin reading in verse 18 and the idea if you want to see the the outline of it is actually in a statement where it says for you are not come but you have come to so we'll see that as we read verse 18 for you have not come into the mount that might be touched and that burned with fire nor into blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet in the voice of words which voice that they that heard in treated that the word should not be spoken to them anymore for they could not endure that which was commanded and if so much as a beast touched the mountain it shall be stoned or thrust through with a dart and so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear in quake but you are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly in the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel the writer of Hebrews here has just the Lord bless you and the writer of Hebrews here has just finished a warning to runners to not miss God's grace for the race so what's the theme the themes run the race we've been seeing it all semester and there is grace that God gives for the race we're going to go through endurance that's part of our training and God says get in the race stay in the race he warns us and now he concludes with the ultimate focus of the race and that's the finish line that is what is the final destination of the race and to enhance his explanation of this destination the author uses what he has been emphasized throughout the entire letter and that is he's made a contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant between the law and the gospel between Jesus and Moses between one that is superior and the other that is inferior in here we come to the final contrast and that is the contrast between two mountains one is called Mount Sinai where the law was given and the other one which is Mount Zion where grace is manifested and in his use of his logic and I mentioned his logic is called a fortiori that is arguing from the lesser to the greater he makes in this point this morning the extreme of the of that logic and that is between an extreme negative and an extreme positive and so here is the contrast if the circumstances surrounding the giving of the law on Mount Sinai was so dreadful that it produced a terrifying fear of God in Moses then how much more awesome is the gospel of grace that gives us access to Mount Zion where we will live in the presence of God with joy forever we have the extreme negative with an extreme positive and so we as believers he is saying are running this race and we're not running to Mount Sinai we are running to Mount Zion and he uses the phrase twice that you have come and that word is in the perfect tense it describes something that has already occurred in the past you have come to Mount Zion in other words as a believer it is our final destiny we are running towards that city or to that mountain and this is what is impacting you now as you run you know where you're running to you know what the destiny is so this morning let's take a few moments to look at the incredible description of these two mountains and what should be the ultimate motivation in running the race so let's begin with the first mountain Mount Sinai that's found in verses 18 through 21 Mount Sinai was the place where the Israelites through Moses received the law of God the Israelites were guided to this location by God when they came out of Egypt and I want you to note the atmosphere surrounding the Israelites encounter with God at Mount Sinai I'd like to go back and reread the verses in this time I'll read out of the English Standard Version notice what it says for you have not come to what may be touched a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words may 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 was the site that Moses said I tremble with fear so let's try to get a sense of this the Israelites have come to the base of Mount Sinai they're commanded by God to consecrate themselves for the next three days that included things like washing their clothes and abstaining from sexual relations on the morning of the third day they come to the mountain but they are forbidden to touch the mountain and if they did touch it they would die you could call this Mount Doom and on that morning as the Israelites see the mountain they are accosted with a thick dark forbidding cloud that covers the entire top of the mountain suddenly numerous lightning bolts streak down from the heaven accompanied with thunderclaps so loud that it literally shakes their souls as the people approach the mountain the ground underneath them shakes with seismic tremors and from the top of Mount Sinai a fire blazes so much that is producing a thick black smoky cloud and Deuteronomy 33 verse 2 tells us that there are hundreds of thousands of angels that are hovering invisibly around Mount Sinai listen to what it says the Lord came from Sinai he shone forth from Mount Peron he came from the ten thousands of holy ones with flaming fire at his right hand these celestial beings are blasting shofar trumpets so loud it is deafening and when God begins to speak the people beg for God to stop talking and so as the Israelites stand before Mount Sinai what is it that is confronting them it is the awful holiness and great majesty of God and what is it that they intuitively learn and feel as they stand there it is this that God is unapproachable that God is untouchable that God is a consuming fire that God is deadly and the emotional result of standing at the foot of Sinai was fear in the extreme even Moses said I am filled with fear and trembling so here's the point the writer of Hebrews is trying to make and he's been making it throughout the entire book is this what you want to go back to do you really want to return to Sinai's law do you really want to go back to the place where there is no grace for sinners do you really want to return back to judgment and fear and condemnation that's the question you want to return and leave the grace that is in Jesus Christ and go back to the law and put yourself under the law that can only bring the ultimate judgment of God but here's what the writer says to all of us as Christians and he says it's the reality of the New Covenant for you are not come unto the mountain that cannot be touched but you have come to a better mountain and what is that mountain it is Mount Zion and that's the second mountain I want us to look at because this is the motivation for all of us as we are running this race and the writer of Hebrews opens up for us and shows us heaven and he says we are marching to Zion but you have come to Mount Zion do you remember the song we're marching to Zion beautiful beautiful Zion we're marching upward to Zion the beautiful city of God and so what is the writer do he gives us seven descriptive features of what this mountain is like and notice these features number one it is called the city of the Living God but you have come to Mount Zion into the city of the Living God the heavenly Jerusalem there is a city this is the city Abraham look for whose builder and makers God this is the city that John saw coming down out of heaven he saw this the new Jerusalem have you ever carefully done a study of the city the New Jerusalem you can read about it in Revelation chapters 21 22 let me first of all say it's a big city it's big it's 1,500 it's 1,500 miles square when we talk about square we're talking about 1,500 miles this way 1,500 miles this way and 1,500 miles straight up that's the distance by the way from Boston down to Miami that's the distance from Greenville to Denver Colorado let me tell you some folks that's a big city it's not only 1,500 miles square but it's 1,500 miles cubed it goes up 1,500 miles now think about it the space shuttle flies at 250 feet excuse me 250 miles above Earth's surface 250 miles this is five times more than that that's a big city and you know what it's a city where we're going to live in I've often wondered what is it gonna be like I mean is everybody gonna live on the floor or is there gonna be some penthouse views what's it gonna be like how are we gonna travel around are we gonna drive cars are we gonna fly in airplanes I don't think so because we're gonna have a body like Jesus and Jesus ascended and descended Jesus appeared and disappeared how many of you would like to be in a place where you'd like to disappear yeah that'd be cool wouldn't it boom I'm gone see you later how many of you have ever wanted to fly like a bird raise your hand come on now everybody yeah as far as I'm concerned we're gonna fly we're gonna peer appear and disappear we're gonna move around obviously it's gonna be plenty of room for all of us it is a big city it is a beautiful city it has walls of Jasper the word Jasper could not really be translated in a way that we can understand something that is actually a cubed diamond so not only is it a big city but it is an absolutely beautiful city and we are citizens of this city we have a required passport and we have a visa that is stamped with the righteousness of Jesus Christ this is the city where God dwells and this is the city where we're going and then notice number two there is an innumerable company of angels there one translation says it's a myriad of angels in festal array or festal gathering and the Bible gives us snapshots of the angels in heaven for example in the Old Testament Daniel 7 verse 10 it says a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him that's the Lord thousand thousands ministered unto him in 10,000 times 10,000 that's by the way a hundred million stood before him the judgment was set and the books were open Psalm 68 17 the chariots of God are twice 10,000 thousands upon thousands the Lord is among them Sinai is now in the set in the sanctuary at least a hundred million angels now think about that one angel was able to kill a hundred and eighty five thousand soldiers destroyed the army of Assyria in Sennacherib if one angel can do that what can a hundred million angels do major damage can you imagine what it's gonna be like these are mighty flaming spirits spoken of in Hebrews 1 they are moving over us and just like Jesus said when he spoke of Jacob in the ladder to heaven where angels ascended descend on the Son of God why showing us how great Jesus the Son is and these angels are gathered together in a huge festival three times a year the Jews were required to go to Jerusalem for these festivals what is heaven it's a permanent festival where we are worshiping God with the angels can you imagine what it's gonna be like I think of the opening year block party we have down on the fields where you join your society you know it's kind of pretty exciting and all kinds of things are happening going on it's it's just you know it's just a handful of students what is it going to be like when we get to heaven in glorified bodies and all of the saints of all the ages are there plus the angels it's going to be a festive gathering listen to what it says in Revelation chapter 5 and I beheld and heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beast and the elders and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice worthy is the lamb that was slain the angels sing with us but they've never experienced redemption like you and I because we can sing from our heart knowing that God has redeemed us and made us like his own son and so this is going to be a festive gathering and then notice number three it's called the church of the firstborn to the General Assembly and the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven the firstborn refers to the firstborn son who received the rights of inheritance by virtue of our union with Jesus we are all firstborn in him that means we are all joint and co-heirs with Jesus Christ and we all participate in his inheritance my dad my father passed away in 1997 when he did he left in his will an inheritance for his four children it was enough money for each of us to put a down payment for a house and so I bought a house many years ago up in the upper part of Wisconsin and every time I would drive into the home I would think of the fact that that I'm the benefactor of my father's generosity that I was able to purchase a home because of inheritance that he left me every one of us are children of the living God and we all are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ and a part of that is the blessing that we have of living with him forever in this great city we are connected down here with those that are in glory and there we are joint heirs with them and then notice number four there is God the judge of all the scene in heaven is joyful but it's not casual the god of Zion is still the god of Sinai his nature has not changed he is still the judge of all therefore all of us when we worship God we worship him with reverent joy not shallow joy but what we could say respectful or fearful joy our worship should be in humility and respect and it should be in submission even down here as we come to worship God on Sundays in the local church the worship atmosphere of a local church should be one of great reverence and respect it shouldn't be light or flippant or shallow it shouldn't be in a sense if we could say casual why because we are coming to God the maker of all things I love what Paul Q writes in his lyrics in his song Oh God my joy you reign above in radiant splendor and beauty your word has drawn my heart to love the awesome sight of your glory your blazing light and gospel grace shine brightly from the Savior's face no other wonder what I see than Christ enthroned in his glory there is God the judge of all and then number five there are spirits of just men made perfect these are Old Testament Saints who are now in glory they were not perfected until Christ died Old Testament Saints waited centuries for that perfecting day that now has come and for New Testament Saints the moment that we are saved we are perfected in Christ justified by his spirit and sanctified by his righteousness and sanctified by a spirit therefore we share down here the same spiritual life of those who are up there we are not inferior to them we are equal with them these are the spirits of just men made perfect and then notice number six there is Jesus the mediator the New Covenant it is significant that the human name of the Lord Jesus is used here why because Jesus pre-existed as God but he only became a man through his incarnation and when he died and rose from the dead he remained a man in his resurrection Jesus is one of us he is our older and bigger brother and he represents us and he is for us is our mediator before God under the Old Covenant Moses trembled before God but under the New Covenant you and I have through our mediator through our big brother Jesus we have access to the presence of God with boldness and with confidence you have come to this city where there is Jesus the mediator and then finally there is the sprinkle blood to the blood of sprinkling that speak of better things than that of Abel what does this mean well it could have two meetings number one when it speaks of the blood of sprinkling from Abel it could refer to the blood that cleanses Abel was the first Shepherd to offer sacrifices from his flock for his for his sin however his sacrifices like all animal sacrifices were not effective to wash away sin permanently so when Jesus died once for all his blood cleanses us from all sins so it could be read this way you have come to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel Abel's sacrifice could not fully cleanse Jesus's sacrifice does fully cleanse that's one way to look at it but there's a second way and that is it refers to the blood that judges that is this in the case it refers to Abel's own blood as he was murdered by his older brother Cain and when Abel's blood was poured out on the ground we know this we read it in the scripture that his blood cried out for vengeance and justice and wrath against his murder and here's what Hebrews says that Jesus's blood speaks better things that is Abel's blood cries out justice against the guilty and Jesus's blood shouts out mercy for the guilty Jesus satisfied Sinai's justice by keeping the law through his life and by paying the penalty through his death and the point is this that the law cries out judgment but Christ on the cross cries out mercy and that's the whole point and that's the position I take that we do not turn back to the old covenant the old way but we remain where we are and we stay focused looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and we see this Mount Zion for there we have the mercy of God that is found in the blood of sprinkling of Christ on the cross so run the race be faithful stay focused on Christ father we thank you for what you've given us and this new eternal heavenly city help us to be faithful as we run the race in Jesus name Amen you've been listening to a sermon from Hebrews 12 by dr. Steve Pettit president of Bob Jones University for more information on dr. Pettit series visit our website The Daily Platform comm where you can get a copy of Steve's study booklet entitled run the race a Kindle version is also available I'm Steve Pettit president of Bob Jones University and I invite you to join us at our beautiful campus in Greenville South Carolina to see how you can be prepared academically and spiritually to serve the Lord through one of our more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs for more information about Bob Jones University visit www.bju.edu or call 800 252 63 63 these daily programs are made possible by the many friends of Bob Jones University and this radio ministry if you appreciate these programs and benefit from the faithful preaching and teaching of God's Word would you consider sending us a special financial gift today you can easily do that through the website The Daily Platform comm and then click on the give button on the home page thanks again for listening join us again tomorrow as we study God's Word together on The Daily Platform