Sermon: You Have Come

And let me pray before we open God's word together. Let's pray together.

Our Father, we want to hear your voice this morning. We are thankful that you have given us your word word that is not like the words that we speak, that is not like the words that we hear on the radio or television or in our EarPods, but this is a true living word,

a word that is solid ground on which we may stand, a word that brings from death to life. A word that comforts, that rebukes, a word that encourages and exhorts word that shapes us into the likeness of you, our God. And so we pray this morning that you would help us to have ears to hear even more this morning. Father, I pray for every heart in this room this morning that we would have hearts to receive

that you work by your word, by the power of your spirit in our midst. We pray this in the strong name of Christ Jesus. Amen. This morning, Hebrews chapter 12, verses 18 through 24. This is the holy and errant sufficient word of God.

For you have come to what may be touched, not you have not come to what may be touched. A blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest, the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hears 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, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in al 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 to the sprinkle blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Though the grass withers and the flower fades, the word of God is forever.

Thanks. Speak to God. Amen.

Now, as a young boy, I would see my father about once a year he would come and he would pick up my sister and I and then he would take us to go and visit his side of the family. And I had a great-grandfather that was still alive until I was about seven or eight years old. And we would go to visit him. He was old. He was in his nineties and he was always sitting in the front room of his house and all of the curtains were drawn down

and there was very little light in that room. Hardly a light turned on and smoke filled the air in that room because he was a chain cigar smoker. That was the sight. It wasn't just the sight, it was also the sound. My great-grandfather, I think he only spoke Greek. I never heard him speak English. And he had a caretaker, a woman that lived with him and she only spoke Russian.

That was the sight and that was the sound. My dad would say that we were going to visit great grandpa. I was afraid, always afraid. Both the sight and the sounds struck fear to me. Great grandpapa was scary, scary, scary.

Have a different refrain in the scriptures that we see over and over. It's not scary, scary, scary, but it is holy, holy, holy.

And there is often fear that comes with that refrain. When people encounter God throughout the scriptures, you regularly see the angels saying, holy, holy, holy. We're told that they're angels before his throne. These seraphim angels that have six wings and with two wings, they fly and with two wings they cover their feet. And then with the other two wings, they cover their faces, their eyes. Why? Because he is holy, holy, holy.

They dare not look upon him in his glory. Even these angels where there is nothing sinful in them, there is nothing evil in them. God is light of light and his glory would blind them and dash them to pieces. So they cover their eyes.

He's pure, he's without blemish. He is unlike anything or anyone we would say in our day. He is in a class by himself. But even that doesn't work because he's not in anything. Nothing can define him. He defines everything he simply is.

He is holy other and this one that is holy. Other is holy, holy, holy.

The Israelites understood this. The writer of Hebrews, he, he's taken us back to, to Exodus 19 and that site before Mount Sinai, when the nation of Israel having been led out of Egypt, they are now before Mount Sinai and God descends upon Mount Sinai. And then immediately after Exodus 19, we have Exodus 20 and God is giving the 10 commandments to the nation of Israel. And they received this display in Exodus 19 of who God is, both by sight

and by sound. And he is holy. One, the sight he says in verse 18, it was a a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest. They were told as the writer says in verse 20, as he's looking back on Exodus 19, that even if a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stone. God was off limits.

You could not draw near to this God, fire, darkness, gloom, tempest. What they saw gave them evidence that he was unapproachable.

But it wasn't just what they saw, it was also what they heard. Sight and sound we're told. The Nexus 19, as the writer of Hebrews goes on here, that they heard a trumpet, but it wasn't just a trumpet. They they heard the, the sound of of God's voice. That's what rang in their ears. He says in verse 19 of our passage, and these Israelites says, Mount si, Mount Sinai. They begged quote that no further messages be spoken

to them by God. His voice struck fear.

Remember the one time I was in a zoo and there was a male lion that decided Toro? It was like nothing I'd heard before. It not only struck my ears, it it struck my innards. I felt like my heart was gripped just rumble.

The voice of a lion is like the squeak of a mouse cont compared to the voice of the Lord, the psalmist David. He, he will try and paint a picture of it and get his arms around it in Psalm 20. And he says this, the voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces. The cedars of Lebanon, the these trees of the ancient world that were the very image

of fixedness of stability. They would grow to 130 feet tall. They were immovable.

David says the voice of God can snap them like a twig. He uproot them. He says, the voice of God makes Lebanon skip like a calf and Syrian and like a young wild ox. Syrian was a name from Mount Herman. Lebanon was a name for a whole range of mountains. When he speaks mountains, leap

the earthquakes,

he says, the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. His voice strips the forest bear like a, a storm wrecking havoc and ripping every leaf from every tree he can lay an entire forest bear just with the sound of his voice.

This is the sight. And these are the sounds that the Israelites were gripped by. It is an absolutely frightful scene. In Exodus

21 of our texts, the writer of Hebrew says, it was so terrifying that even Moses said, I tremble with fear

that's meant to awaken you. Moses. Moses trembled with fear. Moses who was, we were told the very friend of God and yet he trembled with fear.

Why? 'cause God's holiness was on display

seen. We will see throughout the scriptures Isaiah though a prophet of God, he has this vision of God and Isaiah chapter six, and he will see these angels flying around the throne of God. And he will hear them. He will hear the sound of them ascribing to him, the glory to his name. Holy, holy, holy. And then Isaiah says that he hears the voice of God and he tells us that quote, the foundations of the threshold shook. He sees, he hears.

And immediately his response is, for woe is me.

He's absolutely undone a prophet of God.

The author of Hebrews says, just a few verses later, verse 29, our God is a consuming fire.

Remember this is Exodus chapter 19 is right before chapter 20 when God is going to give the nation the 10 Commandments. And so he's being unmistakable. They are to know that he is God. And they are to know that he is holy, holy, holy.

And when you encounter the holy,

you recognize how unholy you are.

My wife, uh, this week she, she bought me some new nice white Hanes t-shirts. I thought my old ones were fine, thought they were broken in, thought they looked all right in my drawer. She bought me these new ones when I pulled them out, these new T-shirts outta the bag and all of their pristine glory. And then I decided to put them in next to the t-shirts that I had worked hard to break in. I realized that my old t-shirts weren't quite white anymore.

When you encounter the holy, you recognize how unholy you are.

Paul says in Romans, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That all that all includes every Israelite before God at Mount Sinai. That all includes every person walking around East Lansing today that all includes every single person in this room all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The best person in this room is only the best person in this room.

They might look pure, they might look good, but it's only because they're in the room with me. And with you. Our standard is not one another. It's God. And God is holy, holy, holy.

Notice because of this, they could not draw near 'cause. God is holy and they are not. They are sinful. So how do you solve this problem? How do you draw near to God? Well, the author of Hebrews, he answers the question, he he doesn't point his readers back to Mount Sinai. God was off limits there. He was unapproachable there. He doesn't say, didn't you hear the law that was given there? Do better live by the 10 Commandments

and you can approach God. He doesn't say that. Not because the law is bad, but because you and I are, you cannot and you will not keep the law. You cannot. And you will not achieve righteousness or holiness by keeping the law. So what's the answer? How do we draw near to God a holy God,

the writer turns us from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion. Verse 22. But you have come and he's speaking to Christians, but you have come and that verse is verses 22 through through 24. They are a beautiful, almost lyrical in their flow. But you have come to Mount Zion. Here's the answer. Not Mount Sinai, not Mount Sinai, Mount Zion. Not a mountain of law, but they've come to a mountain of grace.

Mountain of grace. Walk through what that means for the Christian. Five things. He notes here, five, first in Christ, we belong in Christ, we belong. Verse 22. He calls it the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Amazingly in Christ, because again, these are Christians, they have come to God. He is no longer off limits. He's no longer distanced. He's no longer their enemy. In fact, they are even now dwelling with God.

He says the heavenly Jerusalem, they have come to the place of peace. They have come to this because they have come to Christ. Not only is he not distant, he is home.

He is at home with them and they are at home with him. They belong. Paul will say it this way in Ephesians two, that Christians, even while living here on earth, we are seated with Christ in the heavens. We've come. It's a a present reality that is ongoing and ongoing for all of eternity. We have come and we continue to come to Mount Scion. God's dwelling places are dwelling place. His home is our home. He is not unapproachable.

He is not distant. He is not off limits with him. We belong in Christ.

Second notice, we come to celebration. He says in verse 23 that we have come to innumerable angels and festival gathering. They, they were assembled for festivities, for celebration. There's no fearful mood here.

They're dressed to celebrate. They are welcoming because God is welcoming. They are celebrating because God is celebrating.

Remember the parable that Jesus tells of the prodigal son, that sinner that will go running off. And when he repents and he decides to come back home, that when he is coming to his father, his father sees him from a distance and his father, he runs to him with his arms wide open and he embraces him. He welcomes him. He, he celebrates. He takes a fatten calf and he sacrifices it and he cooks it and they feast. Celebratory.

Third verse 23, we come to an inheritance. He says, we have come to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven. Who are the firstborn, those who inherit You remember last week that Jacob we saw took Esau's birthright. He took the blessing of his inheritance as the firstborn. It was Esau's, right? He was the firstborn. It was his due

heaven. He says is the assembly of the firstborn. Meaning that if we are in Christ, then we inherit, we come to inherit all the glories of Christ, even as he is the firstborn. So because we are in him, we are firstborn. All the inheritance of Christ is ours.

Fourth, we have come to righteous perfection. He says in verse 23, that we have come to God, the judge all, all will have to give an account before this. S God, the writer said in Hebrews 10, it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God,

but not for the Christian. The writer of Hebrews is not saying he is the judge of all to scare the Christian. He's saying it as a gift, as an encouragement. This is good news.

How can that be?

How can you and I appearing before the judge of all of heaven and all of earth who is holiness his own holiness as the standard? How is it that you and I can appear before him in judgment and not be fearful, but it actually be good news when he is holy, holy, holy.

He says, we have come to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. Who are the righteous made perfect the people of faith who went before us and as they were declared righteous and made perfect. So we have come to the same, not because we trekked up Mount Sinai,

but because we went to Mount Zion and we entrusted ourselves to him who trekked up Mount Calvary Christ.

They were declared righteous, were made perfect in Mount Zion because they entrusted themselves to him.

It's not fear that is DeMarcus 'cause we take our place as those who are now declared righteous, made perfect.

And that is where he finally leads us. Fifth verse 24. You have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. Christian comes to Christ. All these gifts, all this draw near to holy God, it is ours in Christ.

Because Christ came into this world. The son of God became flesh. He adorned himself with flesh. The creator became part of his creation and he lived for us a perfectly righteous life

so that he might die in atoning death for us. He takes his perfect righteousness and he credits it to us as he takes our sinfulness and credits it to himself. He takes off his beautiful robes of righteousness and exchanges them for our filthy rags. And he adorns us with his beautiful robes of righteousness as he takes off our rags.

This is what we celebrate in holy

Christ Jesus, the very son of God, that he lived perfectly for us, that he might die for us. So, so that we might draw near, draw near to a holy God. We are sinners. Every single one of us in this room is a sinner.

The price has been paid.

How do you know? What's the evidence?

How do you know that you, you can approach this? Holy God. How do you know that when your eyelids close in death, that when you appear before him you have no need of fear? How? How do you know that? What? What's the confirmation of that?

It's what you've sung this morning. It's what you've confessed this morning. It's what you've heard prayed this morning. What we celebrate this morning, he rose.

He rose

through to see and hear this

Jesus' resurrection is the great evidence that he perfectly holy. He was without sin.

The penalty for sin is death.

And he took our sin upon himself. And so he died. But the grave could not hold him and it could not hold him because he had no personal sin. It could not hold him.

He triumphed over the grave. The resurrection is evidence that he is the perfect spotless lamb of God without sin.

And even more, it is confirmation that his sacrifice for us was sufficient. That the Father raised him from the grave as a true sign. That his death was sufficient to atone for sin.

How can you draw near to a holy God in Christ?

Only in Christ?

He gives you his holiness and he takes our sin, exchanges our filthy rags for his righteous robes.

And we get to draw near to God.

And because he rose, we will rise. Because he ascended to heaven. We will sin as he inherits all things. So we inherit all things as He lives forever. So we live forever as he drew near. So we draw near if we are in Christ.

That's why he notes that we have been sprinkled with the blood of Christ. That speaks a better word than Abel. Abels blood cried out vengeance. Christ blood cries out. Mercy, you're covered with it for all of eternity. Mercy,

wonderful hymn and canopy has one of my favorite lines in any song ever written,

no condemnation. Now I dread how? How can you say that He's holy, holy, holy.

No condemnation. Now I dread Jesus and all in him is mine. Alive in him my living head and clothed in righteousness. Divine. Bold.

Bold. I approach the eternal throne and claim the crown through Christ I own.

Ask you a question this morning. Can you boldly approach the eternal throne?

You not the person sitting next to you, not your family member, not the person across the room. Can you boldly approach the eternal throne?

This maybe a more pointed question 'cause it all hinges on this. Have you come to Christ?

Have you come to Christ as the kids sang about this morning?

Have you come to him? Does that mean Christ says, he says, come to me. He bids you. Come to me to call to everyone. He's saying to you this morning, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Come to me. What does that mean to to come to him?

It means that you believe in him. It means that you recognize that God is holy, holy, holy. And you are not.

And so you go to Him who is go to Jesus. You believe in Jesus.

You need a mediator. 'cause there is a holy God. The scriptures are very clear. There is one God and there is only one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. There is no other mediator. There's no other way to approach a holy God. You come to Jesus, have you come to Jesus.

If you come to faith, Christ, listen. Your faith doesn't have to be perfect. It is not the quality of your faith. It's not the quantity of your faith. It's the object of your faith that saves. Think about that centurion when he goes to Jesus and asks that a servant be healed. And Jesus is amazed by the faith of the centurion. He says, I've seen nothing like this in all of Israel. Because the centurion said, look, if you just speak,

my servant will be healed. Incredible faith. And he receives, there is the father of the child that is demon possessed and that child goes to Jesus asking for relief for rest, for help with this child. And he says to Jesus, I believe, help me in my unbelief. Not exactly great faith. And yet he also receives. It's not the quality of your faith, it's not the quantity of your faith, it's the object of your faith. Have you believe in Jesus?

The Apostle John will be a disciple of Christ and leaning into Christ by faith for decades upon decades, and he will be saved. The thief on the cross will believe upon Jesus, have faith in Jesus for mere minutes and he will be saved.

It's not the duration of your faith, it's the object of your faith. Have you believe Jesus?

If you see your need of him, then you come to him. In faith,

come and belong. You come to celebration, you come to inheritance, you come to righteous perfection. You come to Christ, you come and you draw near to God. His death upon the cross secures this for you. His resurrection guarantees it. Though you are a sinner,

you can draw near to a holy God.

Oh my soul, arise. Behold, the risen Christ, your great high priest, your spotless sacrifice. Oh my soul, arise. God owns you as his child shake off your guilty fears. My soul arise.

My God is reconciled. His pardoning voice I hear He owns me as his child. I can no longer fear. With confidence. I now draw eye with confidence. I now draw eye. Father, Abba, father cry.

Can you sing that that with all of your heart, soul, and voice this morning?

You can. If you are in Christ,

you can draw near to a holy God and you can delight in a holy God because he delights in you in Christ.

Let's pray.

Father, oh, we are exceedingly, even that sounds trite, exceedingly thankful

that you provided your son for sinners such as us.

We might be called children of yours. That our souls might arise and we might be able to not only approach you a holy God, but spin all of eternity delighting in you as you delight in us as your children.

Father, pray for every single soul in this room this morning.

Every one of us know what it is to believe in Christ

and to enjoy fellowship with such gracious, merciful, holy God, we pray this in the strong name of Christ Jesus. Our Lord, our Savior. Amen.