Hebrews 12 : 18-29
Text: "But you are come unto Mount Zion... And to Jesus, the mediator
of the new covenant..." vs 22 & 24
Introduction:
The first Sunday of this month I spoke to you on "HOLD ON TO JESUS" ,
using the story of Prophet Elisha who held on tightly to his Master
until he was taken way from him , but his mantle that he held on to
became his instrument of office with which he performed exploits
afterward ? He held the real thing , and he could go on in life with
all it's demands on him after the departure of his master
In the same vein, we all go , or come to different places with
different reasons or different outcomes . My encouragement in today's
message is that you and I will not only consciously come to Jesus, we
also must consciously stay put with Him
In our passage of today, there looks like a comparison, specifically,
between the Old and the New Testaments
THE PASSAGE:
In an appeal not to turn away from the Lord, the writer of the book of
Hebrews was giving the account of the awesome circumstances of the
giving of the Law as well as the features of the Gospel, thereby
making his readers to be aware that the consequences of turning away
from the gospel are far more dreadful than the consequences of
rejecting the Law (18-25)
Furthermore , the present world order will be put down and shake to
pieces . According to 2Peter3:10-13, the present form of the world
will be destroyed by fire and replaced by a new heaven and earth (
Rev 20:11 ; 21:1 )
THE COMPARISON:
Please , quickly read
Exodus 19:11-12 "and be ready against the third day; for the third day
Jehovah will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount
Sinai. 12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about,
saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or
touch the border of it:whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely
put to death"
Deut 4:11-12 "And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the
mountain burned with fire unto the heart of heaven, with darkness,
cloud, and thick darkness. 12 And Jehovah spake unto you out of the
midst of the fire:ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form;
only ye heard a voice."
Now , look at Heb 12: 22ff to see the difference: for genuine
believers in Christ: read on
"But you have come to Mt Zion... "
The principle here is this: " the superiority of the new testament ,
new dispensation which is better than the old or former
For example :
Better revelation, Heb 1:1-4
Better hope , Heb 7:19
Better promises, Heb 8:6
Better possessions, Heb 10:34
Better country, Heb 11:16
How Is This Possible?
Read v.24
"And to Jesus , the Mediator of a new covenant..."
This Is What We Are Saying : why you should come to Jesus and stay with Him:
Read vs. 23-24
By coming to Jesus , you have access to al these avenues and
opportunities . Just imagine !
In Christ you are directly linked with God
In Christ you are also linked with the saints in heaven
In Christ you have your freedom ( deliverance)
In Christ you are baptized into the church
In Christ you have access to the Holy Spirit
In Christ you are well associated with the brethren
In Christ your hope of heaven is settled
CONCLUSION:
Do you understand this revelation?
Do you appreciate the sacrifice that affords you this opportunities?
Do you know that, to not appropriate it is further danger?
Why will you delay to come to Christ ?
Why will you continue to cheat yourself by being deceptive ?
Why will you take fellowship of God's children for granted?
Please , come today to Christ and resolve to be His for ever
This song should be your testimony:
I've found a Friend, Oh such a Friend; ... And now I'm His and He's
mine ... For ever