Day 2279 – Hebrews-22 – Watch Out for Worldliness – Daily Wisdom

Welcome to Day 2279 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Hebrews-22 Watch Out for Worldliness – Daily Wisdom
Putnam Church Message – 10/01/2023

Watch Out For Worldliness! Hebrews 12:14-29

We continue our extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Last week, we focused on the long-term life of faith, which will require Endurance and Discipline. This week, we will explore a Call to Listen to God in a message titled, Watch Out For Worldliness,”

I will read today’s scripture from the NLT, so I have included it in the bulletin insert. Let’s read Hebrews 12:14-29. (Compare versions)

A Call to Listen to God

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

18 You have not come to a physical mountain,[h] to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[i] 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”[j]

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will...

Welcome to Day 2279 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Hebrews-22 Watch Out for Worldliness – Daily Wisdom
Putnam Church Message – 10/01/2023

Watch Out For Worldliness! Hebrews 12:14-29

We continue our extended series through the book of Hebrews in the New Testament. Last week, we focused on the long-term life of faith, which will require Endurance and Discipline. This week, we will explore a Call to Listen to God in a message titled, Watch Out For Worldliness,”

I will read today’s scripture from the NLT, so I have included it in the bulletin insert. Let’s read Hebrews 12:14-29. (Compare versions)

A Call to Listen to God

14 Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. 16 Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17 You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.

18 You have not come to a physical mountain,[h] to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. 19 For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”[i] 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”[j]

22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. 23 You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”[k] 27 This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

28 Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a devouring fire.

 

Last week, we explored Hebrews 12, which begins with the strong image of running a race with endurance (12:1), setting our sights on Jesus, and setting aside all encumbrances (12:1–3). In 12:4–11, the focus is on God's intense and often painful training program to keep us strong during the marathon. In 12:12–13, the author urges us to stay healthy and to persevere in this race set before us, so that the grueling challenges may not harm us, but rather be healed—restored, renewed, and refreshed in Him. The remainder of chapter 12 describes a healed, sanctified life.  This passage contains some of the most vivid, glorious language in all Scripture describing our salvation in Christ and our new position in His kingdom.

 

The message of this section is simple: As we run the race of faith, we need to watch out for worldliness. But worldliness isn’t simply indulging the lusts of the flesh by engaging in sinful activity. That’s only one form. /Worldliness is also an attitude that prioritizes the things of this world over the things of Christ./ In 12:18–24, the contrast between the heavenly inheritance>of the new covenant centered in Christ/ and the old covenant precepts of the Law/ presents a complicated choice to the audience of Hebrews: Acknowledge Jesus alone as Lord … or discount and deny Christ as Lord by going back to a system that has been rendered obsolete. Today, this takes the form of a list of rules we must follow to be considered spiritual.  This is called legalism. Yes, legalism, too,/ can be a form of worldliness, /masquerading as spiritual maturity!

 

12:14–17

In our marathon of faith, worldliness can ruin us. If we let it get the best of us,/ we’ll soon slow down,/ wear out,/ and fall aside. And if we don’t resist it, attachment to the here and now will set us so far back that we’ll lose the opportunity to get back in the race. (Bulletin insert) This ominous message begins to take shape in Hebrews 12:14–17, where we find two positive commands (12:14) and three negative warnings (12:15–16). After that, we need to consider the serious consequences that result from a failure to overcome the temptation toward worldliness (12:17).

 

On the positive side, the author of Hebrews first urges his readers to Work at living in peace with everyone (12:14) NLT. In our world rocked by constant conflict, lawsuits, divorce, protests, racism, terrorism, prejudice, and open warfare, /the pursuit of peace seems impossible. Even at the interpersonal level in families, churches, schools, or workplaces, peaceful, harmonious relationships are hard to maintain in our dog-eat-dog world. Worldliness says, “Kill or be killed.” But God’s system says, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18). What a contrast!

 

The second positive command is to work at living a holy life (Heb. 12:14). The worldly system lures us into conformity to its patterns and priorities—luxury, indulgence, accumulation of things, personal gratification, and pleasures. But God’s design says, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Rom. 12:2). The author of Hebrews uses the word “holy” here to convey the idea of set apart from the world, a marked difference from worldly priorities and pursuits. Remember, any utensil, instrument, or offering for worship, including us, was ‘set apart’ or made holy for God’s purpose. When we are morally distinct or set apart from the worldliness around us, we are made holy and will “see the Lord” clearly through spiritual eyes. Jesus said, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” (Matt. 5:8).

 

Following these two positive commands, the author hits his audience with three negative warnings, reminding us today that the way of righteousness is littered with dangers to avoid. The first warning is: Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  (Heb. 12:15) NLT. Contrary to the world’s mentality that embraces the rigid application of legalism and the spiritual principles of karma,/ Christians operate in the realm of grace. When we fail to model grace,/ encourage grace,/ believe in grace,/ live with grace,/ and share grace with others,/ we’ll fall on our faces and backslide into worldliness.

 

The second warning is: Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.  (Heb. 12:15) NLT. The author employs the image drawn from Deuteronomy 29:18, where the people of Israel were warned I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit (Heb. 12:15).

 

The third warning is: Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. (Heb. 12:16) NLT. The author chose Esau as the perfect personification of worldliness—one who valued temporary, fleeting lusts of the flesh more than the enduring, spiritual blessings of God’s covenant. He lived by sight /rather than faith,/ for today /rather than for eternity, /this world /rather than the next. /You may remember this tragic story. He came home one day so hungry that he literally traded the blessing of his birthright as the firstborn son of Isaac for a bowl of stew (Gen. 25:27–34)! The message to us is clear: Don’t trade your priceless spiritual inheritance for the paltry wares of this world.

 

So far, we have seen two positive commands (Heb. 12:14) and three warnings (12:15–16). Now, the author describes serious consequences, illustrated by the horrifying fate of Esau after he traded the spiritual for the worldly. After his stomach was full, foolish Esau came to his senses. He realized what he had done: He had sworn an oath to forfeit his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a quick meal slurped down in the fleeting passions of self-indulgence. When he tried to reverse the irreversible, he discovered that he had crossed a threshold into a condition he could not undo. You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears.” (12:17) NLT. Esau had to deal with the consequences of his choice. The cost for Esau’s worldliness was losing something so much more significant. He gave up everything for nothing, and it was too late by the time he realized the value of what he had forsaken. It is a fact that God allows us a good deal of free will to make choices, so we are free to choose. God has also established the law of planting and harvesting. Therefore, we are not free from the consequences of our choices.

 

The implication for the original audience of Hebrews—and us today—is clear: If we fail to press on in peace and purity (Heb. 12:14) and become entangled by worldliness (12:15–16), the eventual outcome is not a pleasant one for the original audience of Hebrews—and us.

 

The spiritual marathon of faithfulness is rugged, long, painful, and exhausting, marked by trials and challenges that strengthen and grow us throughout the journey (12:1–13). Thankfully, our trainer and coach are more than just Friends; They’re our heavenly Father (12:5–11). He wants the best for us. But just as in physical races, /there are rules (precepts) and warnings for participants in the spiritual race (12:14–16). These rules/precepts prevent us from ending up like Esau, overcome by worldliness and unable to repent (12:17). The phrase, unable to repent means that Easu had to live with the consequences of his choice.

 

12:18–24 (Pull out Board)

In 12:18–24, the author leads us down a path that passes by two mountains—Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. However, we can visit these literal, geographical, and historical places today.  The author is using them to illustrate two competing systems—one temporary, earthly, and obsolete (“Sinai”); the other eternal, heavenly, and absolute (“Zion”). The first represents a worldly approach to the spiritual life—laws, regulations, and the sensory approach to worship. The second represents the heavenly approach to the spiritual life—grace, faith, hope, and love. The writer of Hebrews shows his audience a representation of the old covenant to create a stark contrast with the new covenant so that they can see where they stand before God.

 

Mount Sinai represents the Law and all its rigid requirements. With frightening sounds and images like trumpets and whirlwinds, fire and gloom, darkness and death (12:18–21), the author portrays the heart-stopping fear that came with the delivery of the Law, described fully in passages like Exodus 19 and Deuteronomy 5. With the old covenant came fear and trembling, shock and awe. So horrifying was the experience that even  “Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.” (Heb. 12:21) NLT. By conjuring up these emotions, the author of Hebrews warns his marathon runners about the dangers of returning to the old, obsolete mountain. That one—the fleshly, earthly, worldly approach to right living—will only lead to fear and trembling because we can never meet the requirements of the law nor any legalistic rules in our modern culture. Instead, they should stay on course and head for another glorious mountain. Our closing hymn today is We are marching to Zion; let us stay on that course.

 

Turning the eyes of the readers’ minds away from the dread of Sinai, he then describes the heavenly beauty of Mount Zion and God’s city, Jerusalem. This mountain represents the personal, loving presence of the living God.  No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering (12:22)! NLT. Here, we mingle with angels, fellowship with saints, and converse with Jesus Himself (12:22–24). Instead of cowering from fire and smoke, we stand face-to-face with “God himself, who is the judge over all things” (12:23) NLT. And when we do, we don’t stand with knocking knees and chattering teeth. We stand confidently because we have been sprinkled clean with the blood of Jesus, “You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people” (12:24) NLT.

 

With this clear contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion, the author sums up one of the underlying themes of the book of Hebrews: the vast superiority of the new covenant over the old. How foolish, then, for those who have begun their upward trek toward the glorious top of Mount Zion to turn around and head for the jagged cliffs of Mount Sinai! How senseless to abandon the journey of grace, empowered by faith and inspired by hope, and instead to try to fulfill the steep, impossible dictates of the Law by which no flesh will ever be justified (Rom. 3:20)!

 

12:25–29

Hebrews 12 climaxes with the fifth and final warning passage in the book of Hebrews. Let’s quickly review the previous four. First, 2:1–4 warned us to “Pay attention lest you drift!” The second passage advised, “Beware of a hard heart!” (3:7–4:13). The notoriously hard teaching of 5:11–6:20 warned, “Don’t stray from the path of spiritual growth!” The fourth passage urged, “Stand firm in the faith or be judged by God!” (10:19–39). Now, in the fifth warning passage of the book of Hebrews, the author says, “Don’t turn away from Him!” (12:25–29).

 

The warning of Hebrews 12:25–29 is a final call to those who had begun to stray from the path leading to Mount Zion. In fact, two warnings blast from the author’s megaphone—one stated in the negative, the other in the positive. (show funnel) Negatively, the author declares, “Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking” (12:25) NLT. Arguing from the lesser to the greater, the writer reminds his readers that those who refused to listen to God’s voice under the old, inferior covenant established on earth “did not escape” judgment (12:25). We are meant to recall the destruction of a whole generation of rebellious Israelites in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt (see 3:17). Now we have words from God spoken directly from the lips of God the Son incarnate—Jesus Christ—and through the mouths of the apostles, whose message was given directly from God the Holy Spirit. In this final warning passage, we should recall the very first warning in Hebrews 2:1–4, which says,

 

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4...