Series: The Warning Passages of the Book of Hebrews
Sermon: Rejecting God and It’s Consequence
Bible Passage: Hebrews 12:25-29
I. Verse 25a: “See to it that you do not refuse/spurn Him Who speaks”
1. The One who speaks here is God
2. God the Father speaks continuously through His Son (Heb 1:1-4)
3. “to refuse/deny” means
a. “to spurn/snub” the Father
b. “to repudiate/deny” the Father
II. What is the content of God-speaking?
1. The content of the Father’s communication is Christological
2. Jesus is God’s Son (ch. 1)
3. Jesus is God’s salvation (2:3-4)
4. In Jesus, Jesus-followers experience an exaltation that is superior than the angels (2:5-9)
5. Jesus is superior to Moses (3:5-6)
6. Jesus is the High Priest (4:14-6:3)
a. Jesus is the Priest in the order of Melchizedek (ch. 7)
b. Jesus is the guarantor of a new covenant (7:22-28)
7. Through Jesus, those who are called receive eternal inheritance (9:15)
8. Through Jesus, believers can draw near God continuously (10:19)
III. What are signs of people refusing the One Who speaks?
1. Refusing God is reflected in their daily behavior
2. Drifting (2:1-4)
3. Hardened heart or unbelieving heart (3:8, 12)
4. Believers skipping corporate gathering and instruction (10:19-24)
5. Deliberate sinning (10:26)
6. Lack of confidence about their access before God and perseverance (10:35-36; 12:1)
7. Potentially contentious with others (12:14)
8. Lack of holiness in their personal and corporate life (12:14)
9. Bad influence on others (12:15)
IV. The potential loss that needs to be stopped immediately
1. You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22)
2. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven (12:23)
3. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect (2:24)
4. You have come to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (12:24)
5. Therefore, they need to persevere till the end, must not give up on their faith
V. General principles
1. Not listening to God amounts to rebellion against God
2. Hearing without obedience amounts to rejection of God
3. Not listening to God the Father affects their behavior
4. Not listening to God the Father awaits punishment
VI. Consequence of them rejecting God
1. If they continued not listening to God, just as He shook the earth at Mount Sinai, He will shake again (12:28)
2. God is a consuming fire (12:29)
VII. Listening to God will manifest in worship of Him (12:28-29) which has immediate horizontal evidence (cf. 13:1-3)
1. Continue in brotherly love (13:1)
2. Hospitality to strangers (13:2)
3. Remembering those in prison for the sake of the Gospel (13:3)
Take Away:
Listen to God the Father which results in daily behavioral changes