Hebrews 12:23 sermon outline for 1/7/24
Throughout the book of Hebrews we have been reminded that every believer has been united to Christ and they now experiences better things.
Christ is better than angels,
Christ is better than Moses,
Christ is better than the Levitical Priesthood,
Christ is better than the blood of animals,
Christ is better than the Law,
Christ offers better promises, etc.
In Christ we are enriched in every way!
In the London Baptist Confession we read these words in chapter 27 section 1, “All saints are united to Jesus Christ their head by His Spirit and by faith...They have fellowship in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection and glory.”
These words remind us that we have fellowship with Jesus in His graces, His resurrection and His glory. Who would ever complain about having become partakers in blessings such as these?
We are also reminded, however, that we also share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings and death. These may tempt us to grumble and complain. Over time they may cause us to shrink back from Christ.
We would desire only experience God’s glory now and that we should never have to endure suffering and death. And yet, we are promised in the scriptures that we will suffer and that we will die (Hebrews 9:27) Paul reminds us that these sufferings are just momentary afflictions when compared to the eternal judgment we deserve because of our sins. These sufferings are not to be compared with the glory that will one day be revealed in the sons of God. (Romans 8:18) We may be assured that there is no saint who will not share in some way some in both the blessings of Christ and also in His sufferings.
Our text this morning is found in Hebrews 12:22-24. It says, “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, 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, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
In these verses the author of Hebrews teaches us that...
We have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (22)
We have come to angels in festal gatherings (22)
We have come to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heavenly (23)
We have come before the judge of all (23)
We have come to the spirits of the righteous made perfect (23)
We have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant (24)
We have come to the blood that speaks a better word than Abel (24)
We are going to pay particular attention to the words, “But you have come...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…”.
The author of Hebrews seeks to encourage suffering Christians to consider their heavenly and eternal inheritance. Our text this morning (23) speaks a great deal about…
the general assembly in heaven which is made up of innumerable angels
those living saints on earth whose names are enrolled in heaven
and the saints who have died and have already been made perfect
Last week we saw in Psalm 42 that when the Psalmist found himself exiled and unable to attend a Jewish Festival with other faithful people he suffered, he was discouraged, and he was sorrowful. The psalmist did two things to find comfort.
First, he comforted himself by remembering a time that he would go with many faithful people to the house of God. He said in Psalm 42:4, “These things I remember, as I pour out m soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.”
Secondly, he was comforted when he hoped in God and trusted that he would one day praise Him again with all of the other saints in Jerusalem. The psalmist says this in Psalm 42:5&11, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”
If the psalmist was encouraged by remembering these things, how much more should we be encouraged by these New Covenant realities? These seven present tense realities that are meant to encourage tired and weary Christians who are suffering. These realities are far greater than anything that the psalmist could have imagined as he penned Psalm 42.
When this letter arrived and was read to these Jewish Christians they found themselves surrounded by unbelievers who would say to them, “We have the Temple, the Law of Moses, the priesthood of Aaron, we have the animal sacrifices. What do you have?” They would ask, “Where do you not go to Jerusalem and keep the required festival?”
In response the author of Hebrews teaches them that they have come to something far better. When they came to Christ they were not at Sinai. They came to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. It was there that they had ‘come to innumerable angels in festal gathering’, and to ‘the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven’, and they have gathered with ‘the spirits of the righteous made perfect’.
The word used for ‘festal gatherings’ in Hebrews 12:22 is only found here in all of the New Testament. However, it is used many times in the Old Testament Septuagint. It is the same word that was used in Psalm 42:4 where the psalmist said, “These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.” This speaks of a joyful gathering of God’s people with the purpose of worshiping and honoring the LORD.
The author of Hebrews writes to these Christians and reminds them that even as they are now called to share in the sufferings of Christ, they are also experiencing far better realities than anything their forefathers experienced under the Old Covenant. A Christian is now part of a grand general assembly which is made up of innumerable angels and innumerable redeemed saints. They share in Christ’s sufferings but they are also sharing in His glory too!
The apostle John gives us a picture of this festal gathering in Revelation 5:9-12 when he writes these words, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom of priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’ Then I looked, and I heard all around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!’”
These things should make us say with the apostle Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?’ For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33-36)
In our verses this morning both the visible church and the universal church are spoken of. First, the visible church is made up of those saints on earth whose names are enrolled in heaven. In scripture it is to those who are living in this world that are spoken of as those whose names are written in the book of life. For example,
Philippians 4:2-3, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Luke 10:20, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Secondly, the universal church is also spoken of in this verse. The universal church is made up of all of the saints who have ever lived and who are now in heaven. We see them mentioned in our text with these words, “...and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect”. These saints are spoken of as ‘spirits’ because they have died and their spirits have left their bodies and they have not yet received their resurrection body. They are perfected in the sense that they have been made perfect in holiness and they have been received into paradise. Right now they are with Christ and they behold the face of God in light and glory while they wait for the full redemption of their bodies. (LBC31.1)
Let me make two more points that we have not addressed yet within our text. First, notice that the author of Hebrews says that we have come to this General Assembly to stand before God who is the judge of all! We read, “But you have come...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…”.
If we are being honest, we know that we are sinners and that we have fallen short of the glory of God. We know that our best works are tainted with sin and weakness. And the author of Hebrews seeks to encourage you and I by reminding us that one day we will stand before the LORD as He judges all men.
Why then does the author of Hebrews refer to God as a judge; rather than saying that we will stand before God our Heavenly Father? Or that we will stand before the God of all mercies, grace and comfort? Why does he not say that we will one day stand before the God who is love? This is how most men prefer to speak about God these days.
The LORD is a righteous judge who will judge all people. The LORD cannot bear to look upon sin and He must judge every sin, transgression and iniquity. Recently I read these words in the LBC 32:1 and my heart sank within me, “All people who have ever lived on the earth will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds and to receive a reckoning according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil.”
There will be a day when God will judge my thoughts, my words and my deeds! As I consider this I find that I want to plead with the LORD that I would be shown mercy and only be judged by one of these three things. But what would that matter because every sin begins in the heart and proceeds out of the mouth and through my actions? (Luke 6:43-45) What would it matter because just one sin is enough to convict me and send me to eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His saving power? (32:2; James 2:8-13) What would it matter, I was conceived in sin and was born dead in trespasses and sins and I have willing walked and followed after the prince of this world (Psalm 51:5; Eph. 2:1-2).
Wretched man that I am who will save me from this body of sin? Thanks be to Jesus Christ! (Romans 7:24-25)
The author of Hebrews speaks about standing before God the judge to emphasize the perfect work of Jesus Christ in saving and sanctifying His people (12:24). Paul admits to Titus that were all once “foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.” (Titus 3:3) However, he goes on to say, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (3:4-7)
There is a reason why Revelations 5, which we quoted earlier, says these words, “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom of priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’”
The second point that I would like to address is the words, ‘We have come to...the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.” If you are like me, it seems so natural to read these words and to think that this simply means that we are the assembly of Christ and He is Himself the firstborn Son.
This is true. Hebrews 1:6 said, “And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God's angels worship him.” Christ is the firstborn who is preeminent and over all things. He is the creator of all things. All things whether visible and invisible are all subject to Him and owe Him worship (12:22-23). Christ ranks above all other rule, authority, and power.
Because of this we assume that the words, “the assembly of the firstborn”, would speak of Jesus. However, the word ‘firstborn’ here is not singular (which would refer to Christ; rather, it is plural which refers to all of the saints. All saints, all the redeemed are firstborn and receive a full inheritance in Christ.
The NLT translates this phrase by saying, “You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children…”.
The GWT translation says, “...and to the assembly of God's firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven).”
If the ESV were to reflect this it would say something like, “We have come to...the assembly of the firstborns”
What does this mean for you and I? Let us consider Romans 8:12-17, “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs (joint heirs, co-heirs) with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Yes, we may suffer in this world, but we are heirs with Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 4:7 Paul says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” In the context of 1 Corinthian 4 Paul admitted that he suffered greatly and that he was the least of all men and sentenced to death; but the Corinthians wanted to be kings in this life. The Corinthians wanted the graces, the resurrection, and the glory associated with Christ but They did not want the suffering and death which is associated with Christ. They wanted an earthly inheritance of glory but they did not want to be associated with His sufferings.
Paul was willing to be foolish, weak, and to become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men; but the Corinthians wanted to reign in this life.
Paul was weak, held in disrepute, lacked provisions, persecuted, slandered and treated like the scum of the world and the refuse of all things; but the Corinthians, however, wanted to be held in honor among men and be considered strong and wise. (8-13)
The Corinthians, like these Hebrew Christians had forgotten about the inheritance that was theirs in Christ. This inheritance consists of ‘Christ’s graces, His sufferings, His death, His resurrection and His glory.” (LBC 23.1)
Who knows what 2024 will look like? We may receive the best in this world or we may receive the worst. But we can be assured no matter what comes that we need to run our race of faith all the way to the finish line. God has promised that just as we are called to share in Christ’s suffering and death we will also share in his grace, resurrection and His glory. We remember these things as we come to celebrate communion this morning.
There is an old hymn that I would like you to consider as we come to communion. It is called ‘A Debtor To Mercy Alone’. Here is what it says,
A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
No fear, with Thy righteousness on,
My person and offering bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
Hide All My transgressions from view.
The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
Or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
in marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
And sure as the earnest is given;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in heaven.