November 18, 2018 – Hebrews 12:18-29 – John Studenroth

Chaplain John Studenroth spoke this week on Hebrews 12 and discussed what a gospel church looks like.

Click here to download the MP3.

Main Points & Outline

1. Background
   1. What is the visible; invisible church?
   2. What is the gathered; scattered church?
2. Old Testament Church under Moses (Hebrews 12:18-21)
   1. This place is tangible
   2. This place is terrestrial
   3. This place is terrifying
3. The Gospel church under Jesus (Hebrews 12:22-24)
   1. This place is intangible
   2. This place is celestial
   3. This place is sweet and gentle, even “festal”!
4. Key Questions and Applications
   1. What is the purpose of our gathering together? To worship and praise our mighty God and to be ruled, guided, sanctified, and comforted.
   2. What actually happens while we are here as the gathered church? The visible and invisible churches converge in real time as we worship our Redeemer! This happens every Sunday morning.
   3. What should happen when we depart from here as the scattered church?

Scripture: Hebrews 12:18-29

¹⁸ For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest ¹⁹ and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. ²⁰ For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” ²¹ Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” ²² 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, ²³ and to the assembly^[a] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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.” ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ 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, ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire. (ESV)