Better Worship

Mark Dell

Better Than • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Better Worship

Can you believe this winter we are having? Man it has been cold. It is so tough because when you look at the temp and you see numbers like 1 you know you are in trouble!

I don’t know about you but on days like today I like to try to remember what it was like 2 or 3 months ago. Remember that? Remember 90+ degrees? Some of you are saying, NO! I don’t remember 90 degrees but I will take it.

What we are experiencing today is such a contrast to what we experienced just a couple of months ago. It seemed like the winter would never get here this year and now we are feeling like the summer will never get here.

We live in a world of contrasts don’t we? Sometimes its 90, sometimes its 1. Sometimes we are happy and sometimes we are sad, sometimes we feel confident and other times we feel insecure. These contrasts fill our lives.

The passage we read today will contrast what used to be and what is now. It’s the difference between the old and the new. To give you a little bit of history and background; the law was given by God to the Jews in the desert after they were freed from slavery in Egypt. And God met Moses on Mount Sinai.

The story is told in Exodus where God comes down to earth and actually is on the mountain, covered in smoke and gives the people the famous 10 commandments.

You may have even seen this scene played in the old movie the ten commandments. I am not sure that the movie does justice to what actually happened but that is okay. But what that story tells us is that God wants us to win. God wants us to succeed in our relationship with Him.

From what we see in the Bible and the stories of God, we know that God wants His people to know Him, we know God wants his people to do what is right in His eyes BECAUSE He is merciful, BECAUSE He is loving and BECAUSE of His Grace. He wants people to have access to Him.

But God’s complete Holiness doesn’t allow us to physically be with Him. We are separated from Him. But none-the-less He provides a way for us to be with Him.

Before we get to what I want to talk about today in Hebrews, I want to read quickly through this story in Exodus so that it will be fresh in your minds when we read the Hebrews reference. Because what the writer of Hebrews talks about in chapter 12:18-29 is all about the different type of access we have had with God.

We haven’t always had the type of access to God that we have now. It used to be different and the writer wants to remind these Hebrews of their heritage and of the limits that existed when it came to their relationship to God.

We will look at Exodus again, when God was preparing the people to meet Him.

He does that. He tells them that they are to prepare for worshipping Him.

Exodus 19:10–20:3 ESV

the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.” On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.” And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ” And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them. And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 19:10-20:

WOW! That is awesome. I think that it is awesome. GOD is coming and we have to be ready! He is coming and He has a message for us. God is coming! Just let that sink in for a minute… God is coming and we have to be ready. How did they get ready?

Because they needed to be ready. Listen, when we come into the presence of the Lord, especially here on Sundays we need to take a couple of minutes to prepare for that meeting. Because we really are meeting with God and we need to be prepared.

That is why we have that slide up there that says, Welcome to Legacy Bible Church, Prepare your hearts for worship. We need to prepare. That is why sometimes I ask folks to flick the lights because it really is important to be a part of worship. And you have to prepare your hearts to be able to do that.

The Israelites were given instructions from the Lord. How did they prepare?

Well, they respected the instructions of the Lord. And don’t ask why God had them do the things they did (the washing of their clothes) and Why weren’t husbands and wives allowed to be together? I don’t really know. All I know is that God has his reasons and his thoughts are higher than my thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways.

It doesn’t have to make any sense to us. There is the Holy God who created me and if He tells me that I have to jump on one foot it doesn’t matter what it sounds like to me, I need to follow His commands. It’s not up to us to completely figure God out, we do desire to know Him and to follow Him yes, but my obedience to God does not depend on me understanding everything about Him.

I don’t have to understand God in order to obey God. Sometimes we just have to trust Him.

Home Group will resume in January.

Men’s Group – Second Saturday of each month

Saturday, January 13th, 7:30 am at Bob Evans.

Legacy Bible Church Yearly Meeting

January 28th immediately following the service.

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I don’t have to understand God in order to obey God. Sometimes we just have to trust Him.

Sometimes I think that we feel like we have to figure God out when the reality of it is that we don’t have to figure Him out, we can’t figure Him out we just have to trust Him and act on what He tells us to do. For the Jews in the desert with Moses, God told them to stay away from the mountain, don’t even touch it, don’t let an animal touch it or they will have to be destroyed because of the holiness/ the complete otherness of God.

As a matter of fact, if someone did touch the mountain they would have to be executed by a method where the executioner couldn’t even touch them, they had to shoot arrows or throw stones.

And so when we read this section of Hebrews you will see the contrast of what worship looked like in the Old Testament verses the New Testament. The old way: Deut recounts the scene too.

Deuteronomy 4:11 ESV

And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.

God was not approachable. God was not accessible. Can I tell you that because of Jesus God IS now accessible? That’s what the writer of Hebrews is trying to say

Hebrews 12:18–29 ESV

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 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 was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But 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. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Hebrews 12:18-

The Bible Guide Living in Sight of Heaven (12:14–29)

The writer gives examples of Christian behaviour. Be forgiving, pure, harmonious—and serious about God.

What is heaven like? Is it ominous and scary, like Mount Sinai? No! Heaven is like a perfect Jerusalem—teeming with life, justice and joy. Don’t miss this amazing offer!

We have an access to God that we are supposed to enjoy. And this access is not supposed to be frightening, it is to be grateful, and it is to be reverent and full of awe. Different than scary God.

And the writer references the time when the Jews were with Moses in the desert and God was about to be in their midst and God was so Holy (so completely other than us) that the people could not even touch the mountain that God was standing on.

God was so Holy that they even had to worship Him from a distance.

This was the separation that people had from God. It was a difficult way to live, a difficult way to worship, yet God still had them worship Him.

But then an amazing thing happens. Jesus Christ comes to the world and changes everything about the way that the people of God worship.

God is still a majestic God, He is still a God that requires worship from us. But he is loving, He is merciful and again, full of grace.

And God has something for us, those who call Him God... and live lives that represent our dedication to Him; we have stuff that awaits us. We have glories that await us, that have our names on them.

in v21 the writer talks about Moses being so full of fear and then you see in verse 22 a “but” but it is contrasted with verse 21 that says:

Hebrews 12:22 ESV

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,

When God stood on Mount Sinai He was not approachable. But, you, Christian, you Christ follower, you apart from works and the law but through grace, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God.

What is Mount Zion? It symbolizes something different than mount Sinai. Mount Sinai represents God’s judgement, his fury, His absoluteness and it is terrifying.

Mount Zion represents humility, and peace and grace and love. As a matter of fact, Mount Zion in reality isn’t all that impressive as a mountain. It’s elevation isn’t really that high. It is more of a hill than a mountain.

And you would see that it is approachable. It was easy to climb. Actually there would be no climbing at all, you could just stroll up mount Zion.

Mount Z

So the contrast would be there. And what do we find on mount Zion? We are actually talking about Heaven here.

So understand this Christian; God went to great lengths to bring you to a place where you can enjoy Him.

We worship God with fear and reverence allowing nothing to get in the way of that relationship between us and God. We worship God or else we find that finally He is a consuming God.

So the language that the writer is using contrasts the old and the new. Mount Sinai was the old, unapproachable place of God. The people in Exodus begged Moses to talk with God because they could not bear to hear God’s voice from .

But because of the Gospel, because of the good news of Jesus we have an access to God that we have never known.

Exodus 19:10–15 ESV

We belong to a spiritual kingdom.

The old covenant had to do with physical sacrifices, it had to do with God showing up in physical ways. Verses 18 and 19 talk about God showing up in blazing fire, and darkness and gloom and with audible trumpet blasts and angels showing up in physical form.

The new is a spiritual kingdom where believers approach God to life. Approaching God in the spiritual kingdom we live in now means life for the believer. Approaching God under the law would bring death. Do you see the contrast there?

So we belong to a spiritual kingdom, and

We belong to an eternal kingdom. Under the old covenant the time spent with God was temporal, it was temporary, the sacrifices paid for sins temporarily. The relationship we have with God because of the Gospel, because of Jesus coming means that we are part of something that is eternal! Verses 22-24 talk about how we have come to mount zion and the city of the living God and the heavenly jerusalem and the innumerable angels worshiping, and of course to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant.

We enter in the presence of God the judge but not just in front of the judge but with our mediator, Jesus Christ who stands in our place.

Finally we belong to an unshakeable kingdom. Verse 28 says, let us be grateful for the kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Hebrews 12:28–29 ESV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

The old law, the old covenant would end with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The old covenant is gone and it was replaced with something better! Something that is worlds better, completely perfect. There are no flaws, people won’t mess this up.

So what do we do with that? What do we, as Christians do with the fact that we are part of an unshakeable kingdom that has better worship? What do we do?

Because we are indebted to Jesus because of what He did. We should feel that way. If you don’t feel indebted to Him then you may want to consider that. Do you really understand what He did? Do you really understand the implications? And Because we are so indebted to Jesus.

1. We must be obedient

Hebrews 12:25 ESV

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

When we are in Christ we are members of the body. That comes with benefits. We get Heaven, we get the Holy Spirit living in our lives, we get all the blessings of the confidence of having Jesus Lord of our lives.

Do you even understand the power that you have available to you because of what Jesus did for you? Charles Spurgeon talks about this in his morning and evening devotional:

Morning and Evening Morning, January 3

Our blessed Jesus, as God, is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. Will it not console you to know that all these great and glorious attributes are altogether yours? Has he power? That power is yours to support and strengthen you, to overcome your enemies, and to preserve you even to the end. Has he love? Well, there is not a drop of love in his heart which is not yours; you may dive into the immense ocean of his love, and you may say of it all, “It is mine.” Hath he justice? It may seem a stern attribute, but even that is yours, for he will by his justice see to it that all which is promised to you in the covenant of grace shall be most certainly secured to you.

We have incredible resources and benefits because of the work of Christ. Not to do our will but to do the will of our Father in Heaven.

But with those blessings comes responsibility. The responsibility to be what we are, Christ followers.

When you become a member of a family—whether you were born into that family or whether you were adopted—you have responsibilities—not to keep you in the family, not to earn your way into the family.

But, as part of the family, as a member of the family, having responsibility. You can look at it like getting a job. You get hired and you are part of the company, part of the organization. Hopefully it is a good organization and they treat you well but you don’t get the benefits unless you do the job.

You are obedient because of your love for Christ. That means that you read your bible, you do spend time in prayer. Sometimes it means you hold your tongue and you let the Holy Spirit train you to think like Jesus thinks, so that you can act like Jesus acts. So you must be obedient and:

We must be confident

Since we are in Christ we believe what God says and we have confidence that we having nothing else to put our trust in.

Hebrews 12:26–27 ESV

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

Hebrews 12:26-

Listen, as a Christ follower, you are part of that thing that cannot be shaken. You have an anchor to hold onto, you have a footing in Christ and in Christ only. Nothing else.

Not like the people who have a cross dangling from their rear view mirror along with a dream catcher and a crystal trying to hedge their bets. No, you are confident in Jesus that he is all you need and that this kingdom will never end. We are obedient, we are confident, finally...

We must be reverent

Hebrews 12:28–29 ESV

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

We are confident which doesn’t mean cocky or arrogant. We are confident.

R Brown says:

Believers are often in danger either of taking these great things for granted, or of trivializing them by flippant attitudes or inappropriate language. In the teaching of this passage, the Christian should live in the spirit of adoring gratitude, for he of all people has received a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

It is important for us to revisit time to time how big of a deal it is that we have this confidence, that we are part of this kingdom. We begin to take it for granted if we don’t remind ourselves over and over again of how important the work of Jesus was.

And that we have this living access to God! To God! The God of the universe! He opened Himself up for us to worship him. That is truly amazing.

Do you see the contrast that has been described to us here between the dealings God had with people in the Old Testament verses what we see in Jesus Christ?

There are no excuses. We can approach the Throne of God with confidence, as little children.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Listen, God has made a way for you to come to Him and we don’t need priests, or pastors, or others to make that happen. God sent His Son, Jesus so that we can be who we were created to be, worshippers of God.

Hold on to that relationship. It starts with you surrendering. You can do that now. You can surrender your life to Jesus right now if you have never done that before.

If you have already done that you can surrender that area of your life that you struggle in. No matter what it is. God I surrender my insecurity to you. God I surrender my foul mouth to you. God I surrender my addictions to you. I know you paid for them at the cross and there is no need for me to hang onto them.

God I surrender my marriage to you, my future spouse to you. God I surrender my entertainment to you, I surrender the way I spend my money to you.

See if He doesn’t begin to change those attitudes in your heart. See if He isn’t faithful to help you in those areas where you need help.

Brown, R. (1988). The message of Hebrews: Christ above all (pp. 246–247). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

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