Hebrews 3.16 says, For some,
when they had heard, did provoke. Howbeit not all that came out
of Egypt by Moses, but with whom was he grieved forty years? Was
it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell in the wilderness?
And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest,
but to them that believe not? So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief. And throughout the time of that
old covenant, anyone who transgressed against God's law, transgressed
against God who spoke that law, and so none escaped. It was called
God speaking on earth for this reason. It was an earthly covenant. It was spoken through Moses and
the prophets. Christ, the son of God, had not
come yet in incarnate. The law was in letter, not in
spirit. The letter of the law dealt in
fleshly external actions of men. The law was temporary, given
to an earthly nation, promising earthly rewards. The law was
a shadow of good things to come, but it wasn't the very image
of the things. They offered animals, and they received ceremonial
cleansing. The new covenant speaks better
things, but even those who refused God under that old covenant,
who refused Him that spoke on earth, They died. They didn't
escape. And therefore, we're given this
exhortation. If they escape not who refused
Him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape if we
turn away from Him that speaketh from heaven. Now how is it God
speaks from heaven? Look at Hebrews 8 and verse 6. He spoke from heaven in this wonderful thing called
the everlasting covenant. And He spoke from heaven between
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit when
he chose a people and put them in Christ, in Christ in covenant
agreement. agreed to purge them of their
sin by laying down his life. And that first covenant of law
was ordained in the hands of a mediator, in the hands of a
mediator. But this one, look with me now,
Hebrews 8, 6. But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was
established upon better promises. Look over at Hebrews 9, verse
15. And for this cause, Christ is
the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, his death,
laying down his life, his own blood, shedding his own blood
for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Now, which says there, for the
transgressions that were under the First Testament, How did
you sin under that First Testament? How did I sin under that First
Testament? I wasn't living during the days of Moses. That law that
God gave to Moses told us the law we broke in Adam in the garden.
It told us that when Adam turned from God, He turned to the God
of His own imagination. And we fell in Him. And we broke
all the law of God. And He gave the law to show us,
those are the transgressions that you're guilty of. And so,
He came, this one, as the mediator and laid down His life. And now
look over at Hebrews 12, 24, where we are here in our text. And that's why it says, we've
not come to that law. We've come to Jesus, the mediator
of the New Covenant. We've come to Him and to the
blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. How did the book begin?
God who at sundry times and in different manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophets. God was doing the speaking,
but he spoke on earth through men and through an old earthly
fleshly covenant. But now in these last days he's
spoken to us by his son. God has come down from heaven. and taken up flesh and blood,
and has come in the likeness of sinful flesh. And for sin,
He's condemned sin in the flesh. So we've come to Him. That's
what this whole Hebrew book is Hebrew letters about. In fact,
that's what the whole Word of God's about. This is the gospel.
Look how many times you hear this. Hebrews 2.1, Therefore
we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we've
heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word
spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward. How should we escape
if we neglect so great salvation, a greater salvation than what
was ever revealed in that old covenant? Then we go to Hebrews It says here, He that despised
Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
How much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy
who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hath counted
the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing,
and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? We read, Take
heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of
unbelief in departing from the living God. We read in Hebrews
4.1, let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering
into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. The
whole of the book, when God spoke from heaven and he said, this
is my beloved son, hear ye him. From Genesis to Revelation, that's
what he's saying. This is my son, hear ye him. And now He's in heaven. And how
should we escape if we refuse Him that speaks from heaven?
Well, let's see something here. I want to show you something.
What is the result of what God speaks? What does His blood speak
to us? And what does He speak to heaven?
What does He say to us from heaven? Look here in verse 26. It says,
Hebrews 12, 26, his voice then shook the earth, but now he hath
promised, saying, yet once more, I shake not the earth only, but
also heaven. And this word, yet once more,
signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of
things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken
may remain. When it says, the voice that
shook the earth, who then shook the earth, we just saw in Hebrews
12, 18. You're not come unto the mouth
that might be touched, that burn with fire, nor into blackness
and darkness and tempest, the sound of a trumpet, the voice
of words. Exodus tells us Mount Sinai was altogether smoking
because the Lord descended upon it in fire and smoke thereof
ascended as the smoke of a furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly. But now, a greater shaking took
place when Christ brought in everlasting righteousness. A
greater shaking took place. Listen, but now he hath promised,
saying yet once more, I shake not the earth only, but also
heaven. Now the Hebrew writer is encouraging
brethren because of what Christ has done. And so this is speaking
primarily to the finished work of Christ at Calvary. That's
the context here is he's using what Christ accomplished as opposed
to the law to show us that he's done something greater than the
law could ever do. And so that's the context of
the passage that he quotes here from Haggai 2. Look with me at
Haggai chapter 2. Haggai chapter 2. This is a wonderful book. You
know, the first message I ever preached to y'all was from Haggai. I remember it. I went through
this book when we were back in Tennessee. It's a great book.
Great, great study. But during Haggai's day, the
first temple had been destroyed. And the second temple was being
built. And the people were looking at
only the external building, because they looked at only the external
part, they were mourning over it. Because this building was
nothing compared to the first temple. It was nothing compared
to that first building that was built. And so, this is a word
from the Lord to his governor and his priest. That's what His
people are. They're kings and priests unto
God. This is a word of encouragement just like what the Hebrew writer
has given to us and to the Hebrew brethren. Now look here, Haggai
2.3. Who is left among you that saw
this house in her first glory? Who saw the first temple? How
do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes a comparison
of it as nothing? The Lord said, this temple doesn't
even compare to that temple, does it? Yet now be strong, O
Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Johizedek,
the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith
the Lord, and work, for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.
Now the same encouragement is being given to the Hebrews. The
Lord says to his kings and priests, the believers here on earth,
Be strong, saith the Lord. Work. Run the race set before
you. Look to Christ the author and
finisher of your faith. See that you refuse not him that
speaketh from heaven." The same words being said. For I'm with
you, saith the Lord of hosts. Now here is the verse that's
quoted in Hebrews. Haggai 2, 6. For thus saith the
Lord of Hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake
the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And
I'll shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come,
and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts.
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts.
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former,
saith the Lord of Hosts. And in this place will I give
peace, saith the Lord of Hosts." Now, forget about an earthly
building. Forget about an earthly temple
altogether. The verse 7 speaks of the desire of all nations.
The desire of all nations is Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
the King and Savior of a people chosen out of all nations. And
He said He's coming. The desire of all nations shall
come. And it says in this house. It's not talking about that second
temple at all. It's not talking about it. It's
talking about God's household, God's temple, His church, His
people. And look, I will fill this house
with glory, He said. Stop looking at the external,
God said. If you look at the external,
if you look at your flesh, if you look at the work in this
world, if you look at, you're gonna be satin. Don't look there. See that your few is not him
that speaks from heaven. Don't listen now. He said, I'll
fill this house with glory. The glory of God's spiritual
house is Christ Jesus, the Son of God, our all and in all. He said, I'll fill this house
with glory. Verse 8, the silver is mine and the gold is mine.
What's he mean by that? The glory of my spiritual house
shall not be the glory of earthly silver and gold, but the glory
of my house shall be my glory. The glory is mine and the glory
is mine. That's what he's saying. All
the glory is mine. The silver and the gold of this
house, the adornment of this house that I'm talking about
is my glory, God said. It's not silver and gold or precious
stones or anything that you're looking at with your natural
eye. It's something spiritual, he said. Now look here, verse
9. Therefore the glory of this latter
house shall be greater than the former. And in this spiritual
house and each individual believer who is the temple of the living
God, he says, will I give peace. I'll give peace. The Lord Jesus
Christ shook the heavens and the earth when he accomplished
salvation for his people. When he cried out, it's finished.
On the earth. You know what happened? The temple,
the veil in the temple went from top to bottom. And the people
looked and beheld, the Ark of the Covenant's not there anymore.
The Mercy Seat's not there anymore. The High Priest, well, there's
a man in there, but he's not the High Priest. He's been fooling
us this whole time. It's our Ark and our Mercy Seat. And our Priest is in Heaven.
He's in Heaven's glory. And He shook Heaven and Earth. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to all who believe. Before God in heaven,
in Christ, the believer is the righteousness of God. Before
men on earth, in Christ, the believer has fulfilled the whole
law of God. God won't charge His people in
heaven and on earth. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Because it's Christ that died
and is risen again and is seated at God's right hand. And those
who preach the gospel in the book of Acts, you know what they
were called? They were called, these that
have turned the world upside down. They've come in preaching,
they've taken the yoke out of our hands. They're taking our
whip away from us. They're taking everything that
we've used to build this external temple and to keep folks coming
and bringing precious jewels to this temple so we can put
them in our pockets and ride home in our fancy chariot and
pull by our big stallion. We've been fleecing the people
and now they're taking everything away from us that we used to
do it And they're telling us Christ is all well how you won't
get people to come and build your temple that way I'm not
trying to get people to build my temple I'm trusting Christ
who said I'll build my temple not by spirit nor by powers are
amable But by my spirit saith the Lord not by power nor by
might but by my spirit saith the Lord I And He says in the
New Covenant, He hath made the first old, and now that which
decayeth and waxeth old, He told the Hebrews. It's vanished away.
So see, when He's talking to us here, He's talking to us about
something that Christ has accomplished. That's what He's comparing the
Old Covenant with the New Covenant. And here's, look, are you still
there in Haggai 2.22? Look. This is what Christ accomplished
for us, and this is what Christ accomplishes in us. Verse 22. Haggai 2.22, and I will overthrow
the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms
of the heathen, and I will overthrow the chariots, those that ride
in them, and the horses and their riders shall come down, every
one by the sword of his brother. You know what the strength of
the heathen kingdoms is? You know what the strength of
the heathen church is? It's slaves. It's slaves. Those that are kept
under the shackles and whip of its strict taskmasters. But Christ
has freed us and He's removed the curse of the law. He's removed
sin. He's removed death. And in those
things, by removing those things, He's taken away all Satan's power
and all of his taskmaster's power so that they have none anymore.
And you know how He did it? by the sword of our brethren
by the gospel he sent forth his spirit and declared christ has
accomplished salvation and when he reveals in a sinner in his
heart that i am you mean i'm really not Look to by God to
do anything for my salvation. It's all in Christ and in Christ
I'm holy and righteous and accepted of God that and says he he He
will cut a trail out of that church that's been yelping him
all his life so fast. He won't look back and He'll
cast it off like he does all of his former righteousnesses
and say, I don't want to have anything to do with that house
of ill repute anymore. I don't want to go there. I don't
want to be in the middle of it. I don't want to practice that
fornication anymore, that adultery anymore. I don't want to be there
stealing and robbing people anymore. I don't want to be in the midst
of it murdering people anymore. I'm not going to throw my children
into that fire anymore to destroy them and sacrifice them to my
God. I'm not going to have anything else to do with that because
now I'm following my Lord and my King. There's a new King in
town. There's a new one that's got
dominion now. And others have all been dethroned. And God said, that's what I'm
going to do. And here's what He speaks to you. Here's what He
speaks to you. Hebrews 12, verse 28. Wherefore, we receiving a kingdom
which cannot be moved. Can Christ be moved? If the king
can be moved, his kingdom can be moved. but he can't be moved
and neither can his kingdom. And you who have received it,
it can't be moved. Let us have grace whereby we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for
our God's a consuming fire. That which you've been freely
given in Christ is spiritual and eternal and it cannot be
moved. It's eternal redemption. It's
eternal salvation. It's eternal inheritance. It's
eternal glory. It's eternal life. The eternal
God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. And
he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and shall say,
destroy them. Get them out of my people's way. And let us have grace, therefore.
Let us have Christ. Let us be thankful for the grace
He's shown us and let us be gracious to one another. Let us hear Christ. Let us believe on Christ. Let
us follow Christ, whereby we serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear. There's no other way to serve
Him with reverence and godly fear unless we're trusting Christ
alone. No other way. For our God is
a consuming fire. Consuming fire. This is a great
joy to a believer because that means you are hedged about, completely
surrounded by a wall of fire that is your God so that none
of your enemies can touch you. And it's a great warning to those
who refuse to hear Christ because those Those that we're being
protected from are going to be destroyed by Him. Destroyed by
Him. And so that's why He says, See
that you refuse not Him that speaketh. The old covenant shook
the earth only. The new covenant shakes heaven
and earth. The old covenant is removed and
the new covenant remains. And therefore, hear the Son. Hear the Son and hear Him alone.
you.