The Assembly of the Firstborn
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Celebrating both the privilege and the responsibility of the blessing of being part of the New Testament church.
Text: Heb. 12:18-24
Date: 07/14/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Your Word is Truth"
Description:
On a morning when our church will enjoy the installation of elders and deacons, the sacrament of baptism, and the taking of the Lord's Supper, our attention will turn to the privilege true believers have to be part of the New Testament church. The writer of Hebrews makes a sharp comparison between the old and new covenants by symbolically comparing Mount Sinai to Mount Zion. After describing the terrifying Presence of God at Mount Sinai when the first assembly of the "Qahal" could not even touch the mountain for fear of God's holiness, he describes in beautiful language how the same immutable God establishes redemption, restoration and reconciliation with Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. We will rejoice in the glorious blessings of the "Ecclesia" as we bounce back and forth between descriptions of the "church triumphant" (meaning the church in heaven), and the "church militant", (meaning the church on earth). Ultimately, as we prepare our hearts for the taking of Communion, we will realize that with such rich blessing comes great responsibility. Not only to persevere and remain faithful to the Gospel, but to recognize how great a gift the blood of Christ is-- and to live our lives accordingly as the assembly of the firstborn!
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I. Introduction, 1Pet. 1:12.
II. Exposition of the text, Heb. 12:18-24.
A. Context, Heb. 12:1-2,12-15,28-29.
B. The assembly of the Qahal, Heb. 12:18-21.
1. The terrifying presence of God, vs. 18b-19; Ex. 19:16-19.
2. The holiness of God, vs. 20-21.
a. God's Presence makes people and things holy, Ex. 3:2,5.
b. Moses' fear of God, Ex. 33:11.
3. A New Covenant from an immutable God, vs. 18a.
C. The assembly of the Ecclesia, Heb. 12:22-24.
1. Describing the Assembly of Christ, vs. 22-24a.
a. Mount Zion, John 14:1-3.
b. The city of the living God.
i. The cities of man, Gen. 4:17,1:28.
ii. The city of God, Heb. 11:10.
1) Established by God, Isa. 57:15.
2) Sustained by God, Matt. 16:16-18.
c. The heavenly Jerusalem, Rev. 3:12,21:2,10.
d. The innumerable throng.
i. An assembly of angels, Rev. 5:11-12.
ii. An assembly of saints, Rev. 7:9-12.
iii. A taste of heaven on earth.
e. The assembly of the Firstborn, Rom. 8:29.
i. The assembly, Col. 1:18.
ii. The firstborn, Rom. 8:17; Ex. 4:22.
iii. Enrolled in heaven, Rev. 13:8,20:15; Matt. 7:21; Luke 13:24-25.
f. The spirits of the righteous made perfect, Luke 10:20.
g. The abode of God, Rev. 7:10,17.
h. The Mediation of Christ.
i. Moses as mediator.
ii. The priesthood as mediator.
iii. Christ as Mediator, Heb. 7:27; Job:9:32-33.
2. The sprinkled blood, vs. 24b.
a. The necessity of blood for forgiveness, Heb. 9:18-22, 10:22; 1Pet. 1:2.
b. The blood of Abel, Gen. 4:10; Rev. 6:9-10.
c. The blood of Christ, Heb. 10:19.
III. Conclusion
