Hebrews 12:18-24

I.  The Law confronts us with judgment and fear.

-Eph. 2:3, Rom. 3:20

-Mt. Sinai represents:

   a.  The unapproachable holiness of God.

-darkness = gnopho

-gloom = zopho

-Ex. 19:18-19

-Ex. 20:21

   b.  The thunder voice which prohibited access.

-Ex. 20:19

-diastello = to command, to order; present active participle

-Ex. 19:12-13

-terrible = phoberos = fearful, terrifying

-sight = phantazomai = spectacle

 

  II.  The Gospel presents us with grace and joy.

-Mt. Zion represents:

   a.  The approachableness of God.

-have come = proseleluthate

   b.  The exuberant assembly of God's creatures.

-general assembly = paneguris = festive gathering

-enrolled = apographo = to write off, to enroll

   c.  The blood which speaks a better word to provide access.

-John Newton "Fading is the world's best pleasure, All its boasted pomp and show; Solid joys and lasting treasure, None but Zion's children know."

Hebrews 12:12-17

I.  Press on toward the goal.

   a.  Strengthen the weak.

-strengthen = anorthoo = to set up straight, to set straight, straighten again.

-Is. 35:3-8

   b.  Keep the path straight.

-paths = trochia = track of a wheel, track made by feet of a runner; 'runner's lane.'

 

 II.  Pursue what builds up.

-pursue = dioko = to hunt, follow after, pursue

   a.  Peace.

-Matt. 5:9, Eph. 4:3, Rom. 14:19, Rom. 12:18, I Cor. 6:7

-Kent Hughes "Conflict in the church brings glory to Satan and disgraces our God. Few things will grieve God more and impede the great race more than conflict in the Body of Christ."

b. Holiness. 
-sanctification = hagiasmos = holiness, consecration, sanctification 

 

III.  Care for one another.

-see to it = episkopeo = to watch over, to watch out for

   a.  To prevent coming short of God's grace

-come short = hustereo = to lack, to come short, to fail

   b.  To prevent allowing bitterness to take root.

-trouble = enochleo = cause trouble, annoy;

-Luke 6:18

-defiled = miaino = to stain, defile; idea of contamination

-Deut. 29:18 (Can you get either the ESV if you have it or NIV version of this)

   c.  To prevent the pattern of worldiness.

-Genesis 26:34-35 (ESV version if you have it)

-was rejected = apodokimazo = to reject, reject after examination

Hebrews 12:4-11 Part 2

1) Corrective

2) Preventative

3) Educational

 

  I.  Continue resisting in the struggle against sin.

 II.  Remember the exhortation of Scripture about God's discipline.

 

III.  Endure trials as an expression of God's discipline.

   a.  Because His discipline confirms the presence of a relationship.

partakers = metochos = one who shares in, partner, companion

   b.  Because respecting earthly fathers should lead to greater submission to God.

-respect = entrepo = respect, regard, fear, reverence.

-be subject = hupotasso = submit to, be subject to, be under the authority of another

 

 IV.  God disciplines us for our benefit.

-good = sumphero = to be better, to ones advantage, something done for some else's advantage; "for our advantage" "for what is best for us"

-How is it for our advantage?

   a.  For us to share in His holiness.

-share = metalambano = share in, receive

-holiness = hagiotes = idea of God's character and essential attribute of God.

-II Peter 1:4

-Thomas Schriener "Peter was not saying that human beings will actually become divine or that they will share in the divine nature in every respect. Believers will share in the divine nature in that they will be morally perfected; they will share in the moral excellence that belongs to God."

-Jonathan Edwards "The saints are beautiful and blessed by a communication of God's holiness and joy, as the moon and planets are bright by the sun's light. The saint hath spiritual joy and pleasure by a kind of effusion of God on the soul."

   b. For the fruit of peace and righteousness to be produced in us.

-trained = gumnazo = exercise, train; perfect tense

-F.F. Bruce "The person who accepts discipline at the hand of God as something designed by his heavenly Father for his good will cease to feel resentful and rebellious; he has 'calmed and quieted' his soul, which thus provides fertile soil for the cultivation of a righteous life, responsive to the will of God."

-Is. 42:1-3

Hebrews 12:4-11 Part 1

C.S. Lewis "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

-discipline = paideia = discipline, instructive discipline

1) Corrective

2) Preventative

-II Cor. 12:7-8

3) Educational

 

  I.  Continue resisting in the struggle against sin.

-resisted = antikathistemi = to stand in opposition against (as in on the battle line)

-striving against = antagonizomai = to struggle against

 

 II.  Remember the exhortation of Scripture about God's discipline.

-Ps. 18:33

   a.  Do not disregard His discipline.

-disregard = oligopeo = to think little of, think lightly, neglect

-MacArthur "It is usually because we take our problems too seriously that we take the Lord's discipline too lightly. Our focus is on the experience rather than on our heavenly Father and on what He wants to do for us through the experience."

   b.  Do not grow weary enduring His discipline.

-faint = ekluo = to release, grow weary or slack, give out

   c.  His discipline demonstrates His love.

   d.  His discipline demonstrates we are His children.

-scourges = mastigoo = to hit with a whip

-Prov. 23:13-14

-Theodore Laetsch "His plans concerning his people are always thoughts of good, of blessing. Even if he is obliged to use the rod, it is the rod not of wrath, but the Father's rod of chastisement for their temporal and eternal welfare. There is not a single item of evil in his plans for his people, neither in their motive, nor in their conception, nor in their revelation, nor in their consummation."