Jesus is the G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all time) – Part 7

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THE G.O.A.T. – Part 7

Finishing up our series on Jesus as the GOAT

• Last week Hebrews showed us that Jesus is SEATED
  • Reason he is seated is b/c his work is finished
  • No reason for him to have to sacrifice himself again
  • And the next time he stands… be to bring us home
• And not only is Jesus seated… Ephesians tells us that he makes us sit too
  • And you can not please Jesus w/o being seated
  • Because you can not please Jesus without faith

Finish up in Ch. 12 & 13

Heb. 12:1 – Therefore…

• Pastor Growing up: What’s it there for
  • Conclusion from Chapter 11 – talks of 16 OT hero’s
  • Who all dreamed of the day you and I live in now
    • The day of Jesus the Messiah
    • The day when there would be a better way
      • Where true relationship w/ God possible

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses

• What a cool image – and what confidence we can have in that
• Just imagine we are surrounded by all those who went before us
  • Like a giant stadium watching the Kingdom work of Jesus
    • Watching what they hoped and believed in
    • Cheering us on in the life we now live free

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

• What ensnares us… SIN
  • So many times we get mad a God that we aren’t further in life
  • Yet this clearly tells us sin holds us back… and its easy to let happen
• Notice this says to Run with endurance
  • Not with the speed of Kyler Murry
  • Not with extraordinary athleticism
    • Just run in a way that’s sustainable (for the long haul)
• B/C that’s the Goal of this church and our community
  • That you’d learn to walk w/ Jesus every single day
  • We don’t want a flame that burns quickly… and then gone
  • No we want hot embers fueling a deep fire within
• And as you live a legacy of following Jesus
  • That your kids would follow Jesus
  • That your grandkids would follow Jesus
    • That we would run to finish well
    • It’s not how you start – how you finish

Heb. 12:2

Lets skip ahead to verse 18 – Spend most time today

Heb. 12:18-21

• In CONTEXT… this is describing Mt. Siani
  • A Mountain that only Moses was allowed to go up
  • This is where the whole 10 commandments happened
  • Lightning and Thunder
    • Mt. Sinai was embodiment of Moses/Law

Heb. 12:22-24

• So this is a comparison b/w mountains… Jesus is greater mountain
  • And Sinai is no longer the mountain we relate to
  • There is now a better mountain
  • Goes on to define this new mountain

Heb. 12:28-29

For 12 chapters over last 7 weeks (seen some beautiful imagery)

• We’ve walked through some theologically rich doctrine
  • Exciting revelations of our relationship to Jesus
  • In freedom finding a new way of relating to God
  • But there is 1 more chapter…

Ch 13 is the “Just incase you didn’t get it” – Practical playbook

• Dynamics b/w 12 & 13 are almost comical: Just went from…
  • Smoking fire mountains / Company of angels
  • Stadiums of witnesses / All consuming fire of God
  • Jesus is better / Kingdoms unshakeable
• Kicks off Ch 13 with…
  • V.1 – Make sure you love each other (what?!)
  • V.2 – Also care for people u don’t know (angels)
  • V.3 – Remember Xians in persecution
  • V.4 – Marriage is good – don’t cheat
  • V.5 – Stop wishing you had someone else’s life
    • I don’t know if it gets more practical than this

Heb. 13:6-7

• This saying be nice to your pastor & pray for him
  • Which all of you already do (love you for it)
  • Especially when you laugh at my jokes

Heb. 13:8

Ends w/ this benediction in verse 20 before wrap up

• So great… Hebrews starts with Jesus AND ends with Jesus

Want to go back to Heb. 12

• Look at these 2 mountains that are spoken of
  • 1: Mount Sinai – Where 10 commandments given
  • 2: Mount Zion – God’s new mountain
    • These are 2 ways of living… thinking… relating to God

[PRAY]

Story – Do you remember being shorter as a kid

Bunch of people around trying to view something

• Lived in California for awhile
  • Santa Monica would have these street performers
    • Everyone crowds around them… felt bad for short people
    • Not enough to move – but bad
• But as a kid you can’t see anything
  • Start climbing through peoples legs
  • To view what everyone else is watching
    • You can’t see over stature of people in front

Heb gives 1 last analogy Jew deal with

Because in front of these Jews are these massive figures

• Moses/The Law/10 Commantments
  • Mount Sinai is catch all for 3 of these things
• Mount Sinai such a presence: So big/tall/massive
  • Jews still view themselves as a bit short
  • And they can’t believe they could ever see past Sinai

Which gives us some perspective on the teachings of Jesus (Mountians)

Matt. 21:21

If you have faith – Mountain is removed

• So all of this hinges on the obstacle of a Mountain
  • B/C these Jews are still: Internally… Emotionally… Spiritually…
  • Not seeing the fullness of the promise of Jesus
• And it all revolves around their view of Mt. Sinai
  • And Moses who climbs Mr. Sinai
  • Jews actually had to be told GOD better than Sinai
• For us this is a “No Brainer”
  • To them… it’s a way of life far too big to look past

I get it: Reason is b/c someone told them the story

• That story was passed down from those who were actually there
  • The plagues on Egypt… splitting of the sea… mountains on fire
  • When Moses met God he glowed so bright you couldn’t look
  • These were the great/powerful times of old

But now a NEW ERA has come to pass

• Now Mt. Sinai & all it represents isn’t the biggest
  • Feats of Moses are actually a supplemental story
  • And the main page is about Jesus – Messiah – King
    • A new way to relate to God
    • A better promise to hold on to
    • An ever sufficient sacrifice

So Heb reference this idea of Mt. Sinai [CONTEXT]

Ex. 20:18 – Right at conclusion of 10 commandments

• This will leave a mark on generations of Jews
  • But writer of Hebrews is saying
  • If you think that mountain is impressive – Check out Zion
    • It’s bigger… its better… it’s the mountain to choose!

Remember going on dad’s shoulders as kid as a kid

• You’re now a head taller than everyone
  • It’s like you are on top of the world
• Essentially book of Hebrews is Jesus telling us
  • Get on my shoulders
    • So you can see past the system
    • So you can see me… for I AM the point

And the Jews knew of a prophecy of a new mountian

Is. 2:2

• How do we know this Mountain is Zion

Ps. 132:13-14

Ps. 48:1-2

So 2 Mountains

First we have Mount Sinai

• Represents Moses/Law/Old way of relating
  • This mountain had some amazing events
    • Back to Isaiah 2 – God says there’s another MT
      • It will dwarf the first mountain (hill)
      • It will be a mountain so massive
        • 1st mountain be of no consequence
• People from all the world come to new mountain

Second we have Mount Zion:

Is. 28:16

What is the Cornerstone – Eph. 2:19-20

• Zion Represents the promise of a better way
  • In a city built for us all who call in Jesus’ name
    • This sounds a lot like heaven in our future
    • Sounds like description of church here & now
• This Zion speaks of the body of Jesus followers (Church)
  • From the 1 century church
  • To the present church
  • To the future church
  • To the eternal church in heaven
    • God’s entire plan to bring relationship w/ Him
    • It’s found in this promise of a better mountain
• This is how big of a deal Zion is

TAG: Powerful to see Zion come to Earth/Image of future

Fulfillment comes in Book of Acts

Acts 2:1-2

• Just like Mt. Sinai there’s power/demonstration
  • There is like a mighty rushing wind
  • Then all of the sudden fire shows up
    • Fire above everyone’s head

Acts 2:3-5

• Remember Isaiah 2: Nations will flow 2 mountain

Acts 2:6

• Think back to peoples dynamic w/ Mt. Sinai
  • When the sound occurred
  • The thunder, lightning, fire, darkness
    • What did the people do
    • The people stood afar off shaking in fear
• With better Mountain – Zion established on earth
  • There is a sound/demonstration/God’s Glory
    • Do the people stand afar off???
    • No…The multitude came together!!!

NLT – When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running…

Look at the difference

1^st Difference

• Mt. Sinai… You keep your distance
• Mt. Zion … You come running – Anyone…
  • These were Jews/Gentiles/Sinners/Unbelievers
  • They don’t even know what’s going on
    • But they are physically drawn to new MT

2^nd Difference

• Mt. Sinai
  • Only one man goes up mountain – Approach God
    • Heb – That man was shaking too
• Mt. Zion
  • We all go up the mountain – All approach God

Micah 4:2 – talking about the Mountain of God

• Things in our world might be getting darker
  • But our mountain is getting brighter
    • And I believe the nations are coming
      • They will come because
      • Jesus/Church are the only place to go up
  • We can go up because Jesus came down
    • In other religions: Man has to go to God
    • With Jesus: God comes down to man

Notice the Nature of the difference

• Mt. Sinai: We see the old terms (fear/distance/isolation/judgment)
• Mt. Zion: As we see in Acts (Joy/grace/love/forgiveness/hope)
  • And it reaches out to the entire world… not just a select people

Tag: Look what it goes on to say in Heb. 12:22

Heb. 12:22-23

• Do you know why people will flow there
  • Because they can hear the laughter
  • They can hear the celebration
    • Feel the hope
    • Sense the joy
    • Experience the freedom

Think when u lead someone to Xianity

What are u leading them to: Determined by Mt u see

• Do you see a mountain full of
  • Shame / Strife / Works
  • Always trying to prove ur good enough
• That’s not the Mountain Jesus is on… and where are you leading your children???
  • That’s not the Mountain He’s the cornerstone of
  • No: That’s Mount Sinai… don’t lead yourself or anyone there
• Or do we lead them to Zion
  • Where there is a celebration
  • Where there is a festival
    • Surrounded by those who went before us
    • Surrounded by those cheering us on

Ps. 125:12

We have to see the interchangeableness of what we experience now…

• To what we will experience in our future
  • Zion in the age to come – Zion here and now
  • Church in the age to come – church here and now
    • B/C church should be a reflection of heaven on earth
• We are the representation of Mount Zion today
  • This is the house of God
    • We aren’t the whole mountain
    • We play our part as piece of mountain
• This is where we go up… our hope… our perspective
  • This is where we pick each other up…
  • B/C we have to be about Mount Zion
    • We can’t be about Mount Sinai
      • I don’t want to lead someone to Mt. Sinai

When Moses is on Mt. Sinai: He’s there a long time

Associate pastor (wont mention names) decides to throw a rave

• Moses comes down and God is not happy
  • Worshiping this giant golden calf
  • Ex. 32:28 – 3000 men died on that day
    • Judgment/fear/terror/death… if you mess up

When Mt. Zion is established

• Acts. 2:41 – 3000 souls added to eternal life
  • Mt. Sinai – Death
  • Mt. Zion – Salvation
• Our church has to be about Mt. Zion
  • It has to be about life/Grace/Joy
  • Always picking people up… helping people up
• That doesn’t mean we don’t have hard conversations
  • But they lead to life… redemption… Jesus
  • And my prayer – When you leave after Sunday
    • Always leave feeling up… Maybe not always happy
    • But always hopeful

Ps. 61:2

It’s time for us to find the right mountain

• Stop trying to climb mountains of ur own making
  • Money… Reputation… Success… Status
• We try and climb mountains all the time (Sinai)
  • To prove ourselves… make it on our own
  • When you get to the top… ALWAYS disappointed – WHY???
  • You’re to highest point of your MT and Jesus isn’t there

Lead me to the rock that is higher than I

• When we turn to Mt. Zion
  • We find Jesus… our better way… better promise…
  • Who is always higher than I

Rev. 14:1

• Go to the mountain where Jesus is standing
  • For this is where you will find peace for your life
    • This is where you will find God
    • This is where you bring others to God