R762 The Seven Blessings Part 1

God has an encouraging word for you and me today for the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton in a message on the seven blessings that today's message from Dr. Donald Ivan Hebrews in just a moment, but know that we're here for you my phone number is 866899 word ever connecting online@theencouragingword.org chapter 12 friends as you open your Bible. Some very, very, very important things to say to use the congregation I preached a message entitled the profile of a Christian. Many of you were able to worship with us some of you were able to hear the word of God and that God God spoke to our hearts, especially to me.couldn't get over the number of people that I kept running into people that would report to me about what God had to say in Hebrews chapter 12. It really was very significant. I had heard comments like this. I've been a member of God's church. Most of my life. One man said condominium Bible study studied many a passage of Scripture. But I will tell you in all honesty that there were things that I heard in that message that I have never heard about in mind Tyler. I had some people, lost me to explain some of the things that was said from verse 14 through the end of chapter 12 and so by the time I walked through Tuesday. I had already prepared to begin a wonderful series in chapter 13 we just tell you I'm not preaching on chapter 13. But chapter 13 is the practical component of the book of Hebrews. It's wonderful we going to be starting some major practical truths from God's word.

When we get to chapter 13 God began to speak to my heart so I went back began to take a second and then 1/3, look at this as it were. I think the Lord was saying to me. Don get a shovel and I want you to dig below the surface way deep and so I've done we got to be focusing today and probably next week and maybe the next week off to that. I don't know on something in Hebrews chapter 12 that I've heard as many comments about as one could possibly imagine. These are precious crews. They are very deep. I just share that with you. I know that as a congregation we have a profound deep and abiding belief that our business or to be to study the word of God. I pray God would forgive me if ever I get up in this sacred pulpit and deliver sermon mates and I pray God would find a Denny's heart to forgive me if I ever get up and deliver bubble and froth to my people if ever I full praying victim to what some people are clamoring for that is to hear things that they want to hear, not what God has to say and I pray that we will never be a church that skims over the surface and is never willing to risk and come to the truth of the word of God.

Now for some of you when I get into what we're about to get into these things again to be awfully deep. Some of it's going to be quite difficult. I'm going to try to explain one of the things that I'm promising you right now is that I will not hurry through. It doesn't matter how far we get. I'm not going to hurry through because it's too important subject. This morning is entitled the Sabin blessing the seven blessings John F. Kennedy said many years ago, upon the occasion of his inauguration. He said I'll ask not what your country can do for you but also what you can do for your country. We've already in great detail tried to understand the difference between Mount Sinai, Mount Zion, but I just want to remind you that Mount Sinai was where God gave Moses the law were not on the Lord. Rhonda Grice and get juxtaposed in this passage is the difference between law and grace.

On the one hand there is Mount Sinai untouchable. On the other hand, there is Mount Zion. God's grace.

The Bible tells us that these two ride side-by-side with one another and to the Jewish mind Mount Sinai read things and slaughter it depicted bias and symbolize the judgment of God, not even an animal could touch the side of Sinai without fear of their the rituals associated with anyone who would seek to come into the presence of Mount Sinai recorded thrust Exodus 19 in other places notwithstanding the only means by which any person could come to God. Mount Sinai was through the priest.

Moses was the only one who is enabled in had the authority to go up there and then the Bible even tells us in this passage, he did so with fear and trembling because he understood he was coming into the presence of a righteous and a holy God. So what happened God Rainey's great mercy from before the foundation of the world gave us Jesus Christ is superior one. And Jesus became our high priest we know about Mount Zion because God tells us about. We know that when Solomon moved the temple to Jerusalem that Mount Moriah was included in the definition of Mount Zion and so we know that the new Jerusalem, all Mount Zion is the place where God is. It was a practical place to the Jewish mind.

They could see it. They knew about it. That is why even today Mount Zion, the area of the Temple Mount in Israel. If you look at pictures of Jerusalem, particularly from the amount of the sanction and you see the golden dome of the rock that is one of the most disputable, most contentious areas in all the world. It's the place where all religions meet today under the control of the Muslims, the Israelis will not let it go.

What is a common phrase for Israelis. It's the word Zionism, they all Zionists right I want that area by not going to let it go. They will not let it be divided that that place represents God and that's where God is. And besides that God told the Jewish people. He said I will make the place where I dwell. Mount Zion so the Jews understood that you entered you and you say to him when you come to God. He said let's go to my window, Mount Zion. That's where the ark of the Commonwealth. That's where guardians and so we find get juxtaposed in this passage, Sinai untouchable, but God by his grace saved us free in Christ Jesus.

Not touchable now approachable Sinai. The law Jesus Christ grace Mount Zion Sinai forbidding and terrifying. But Zion, who is Jesus Christ inviting and gracious Sinai close to all people, but Mount Zion open to all people, because God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever get people to Grice Almighty God in Christ Jesus. Somebody say amen this morning, so it's not withstanding here that we find the Sabin blessing.

Bottom-line summary God saying you give your heart to Jesus Christ you going to get seven blessings number one, number one, you have to listen carefully, folks. All believers are guaranteed a place in heaven.

Blessing number one we are guaranteed a place in heaven now we gonna notice something very interesting how you need your Bibles, your pains, your notebooks and concentrate on us the spirit of God speak to you discover something here in verse 23. The Bible gives three different names for heaven. In verse 22.

It's have a look at these three different names because they provide some life. They shed light on what God is trying to tell us about this place if all believers are guaranteed a place in heaven.

What does it mean for me. Well the first name that is used here is Mount Zion now.

Why do you suppose heaven is called Mount Zion. We talked about Mount Zion, but I meant to submit to you that Mount Zion, my friends, and the significance of Mount Zion is tied into everything that Jesus Christ walls are we not going to get confused here because we going to discover very quickly that Jesus Christ actually is, but would also going to discover very quickly that Jesus Christ and God, our heavenly father always will be. That's just take it one step at a time if I'm guaranteed in a place in heaven. I'm guaranteed a place in everything that God wants.

Now hold on now folks now who is God.

God is from before the foundation of the world he saw Burmese majestic always has been. He is in the beginning we gonna discover in just a moment that when we get our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. We become joint is with Jesus Christ.

That means that part of our inheritance is that we receive everything not mean that God will be we receive everything. Not only that God is, but I received bad thing that God always wall Mount Zion, the place where God made his dwelling place upon this earth. But then there's a second description of heaven. He talks about the heavenly Jerusalem son number one description is Mount Zion talking about heaven replace the God second description heavenly Jerusalem. Now why is this place called heaven.

Now suddenly called the heavenly Jerusalem folks on site.

Here is quite simple yet very profound because that's the place where God is not what you mean, that's the place where God is and why is it heavenly and what has Jerusalem gonna do with it well when Mount Zion found itself situated in Jerusalem.

What is Jerusalem, the city of God Jan Lucia Lynn, the place that is an exhibit of the peace of God and of the presence of God. The city of God.

The book of Revelation talks about it very very clearly now, here's some big questions we lost of them many times before.

All right, here it goes. Where exactly is heaven now on I want you to point to heaven, everybody you not pointing at heaven. I don't think you going there brother. I'll tell you what people have no problem doing the site we number one when they football team wins a game.

If you notice some people think it's the stupidest thing in the world point to where heaven you notice that everybody you know where heaven is pointed now how do we know that's where heaven is. The Bible tells remember when Jesus died on the cross he rose from the grave and he met with over 500 people. Then he went to the mount of the sanction. What happened to him on the mount of the sanction, Jesus went up Bible doesn't say the disciples looked down and said oh, where is he going he went up. By the way, when he went up he was caught in the clouds when you find clouds everybody point up in the heavens.

Now wait a minute. Not only that, but in order to confirm this. The angel of God came down on paper and time down out of heaven turned to the disciples and said to them. Men of Galilee, why are you standing there like a bunch of nominees looking everybody look up looking up because the same one who went up is going to come back down to earth again.

There is a very clear-cut discrepancy between heaven, which is an earth which is down. The Bible tells us that now what's this Heather writer to the Hebrews is telling the jury questions about the number one blessing and he says it's guaranteed. You got a place in heaven. Number one Mount Zion because that's the place where God is, which is the way it wants. But Jesus Christ is come so the place where God is, is no longer confined to this time of the rock to this place called Jerusalem.

God now is way he's up that is now the heavenly Jerusalem.

It's no longer Mount Zion up there. It's no longer disputed. It no longer needs to be brought to the table somebody like the United Nations to arbitrate and bring about an agreement place.

God's the heavenly Jerusalem.

All right, so we bought was and is taken care but he doesn't leave it there. He says in the third place you've come to the city of the living God. What in the world is that city of the living God. Why is now Mount Zion changing its designation from Mount Zion to the heavenly Jerusalem to the city of the living God because that's the place where God is not just call the Fulcher for a moment. If we talk about Mount Zion number one, the heavenly Jerusalem which is right now the city of the living God, which is talking about what will be, and I'm gonna show you why present cost, present and future. All right, what is the common denominator of all of these things line the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. Common denominator number one, the only common denominator. All three talk about the place where God, let me just tell you something, folks you want to know where heaven is where God is.

Any questions, but the Bible tells us exactly where that is now the word of God tells us not only is the only present in Omni powerful and omniscient, and all these other great characteristics of Almighty God. But the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday.

He's the same today. He's the same forever. These eternal is immortal. He's invisible.

He's wise. These alpha and the like.

He's beginning anything he's first, and he's lost he's Mount Zion is heavenly Jerusalem. He's the city of the living God. When I trust Jesus Christ. I trust impossible. I trust them present our trust in future. It is an eternal thing that God is for me. That is why eternal life. That's what it is all about. Well, how does this fit into our scheme of things.

Well, when we trust him as Savior. Folks listen to me very carefully. We trust him in three ways, all meaning the same thing number one we received him parse tents. We receive Jesus Christ parsed tents.

In other words, when I give my heart to Jesus Christ. I received what Christ has done for me. Mount Zion, I received the crucified Christ over 2000 years ago. Number two, when I received Jesus Christ into my heart. I received him present tense. In other words, the heavenly Jerusalem.

Now if I received him present tense.

It means that my citizenship is present tense in Christ.

I'm a proud American folks, I am deeply grateful to be an American. This country that is adopted me and that means the world to me. But I'm going to tell you as proud as I am to be an American. According to Paul the apostle you and I all aliens sojourning in a foreign land. This is not the place of citizenship. This is not our home is in Christ Jesus Jerusalem. And when I die, what is God, tell me I am going to be taken to be with him.

The beautiful expression when our loved ones die we say well the Lord came to take them home. What am I doing here while I am an ambassador. That's what Paul said we are ambassadors.

I am a representative of the king who saved me.

I am deputizing for the one that saved me from my homeland interest rangeland to carry the good news under the instructions of our righteous and holy gall. He's the one who gives me orders, he taught me going to the world teach breach might disciples be about my business. My citizenship is in heaven may number three we accept them. We received him future tense at the city of the living God.

We receive in future tense wise the city of the living God future tense because that is what will be say to me pasta.

How do you know these things. Let's turn very quickly to Revelation chapter 21 Revelation 21 a friend. You gonna need your Bob, you're not going to understand these things you need to see them for yourself.

I'm going to say some things to you.

Many of you know that I'm writing a book entitled the absolute certainty of life often did a written over 300 pages.

Every time I think it's finished. God tells me something else, and it's about life often did what actually happened. According to the Scriptures, but I've written it in a novel form but I'm at right at the end and arming a very interesting stage.

I'm trying to write things so that people can understand these things in the reality of our own life interpretation we all the lives of real people. What if I told you that I believe that heaven is going to be right here on earth right a minute now Paul Steve just told us that when we die we going up there yah that is what is. If I died today. Guess what's going to happen to me. I'm going where I fit.

I'm in a be up until the end of the age, but folks at the end of the age. Something happens let's led me to draw some very important conclusions. I don't believe I've got a corner on this. I'm trying to study it and understand it and I probably will never understand. And by the way, I don't really worry about it because what however it works out. It's going to be the place where God is and that's good enough for me. Amen. But I just want to say this to you today.

I've accepted Jesus Christ parsed inside except what he did Mount Zion. I've accepted them present tense. I'm a participant in the heavenly Jerusalem. That is who I am in Christ. I've accepted him and what will be the city of the living God future tense when we come to Revelation chapter 21 there some very interesting things and I don't have time to do this but I just want to contextualize this for you. Remember there's a lot of events that have taken place and people have varying thoughts on these would basically the rapture of the church is taken place 7 Year Tribulation Is Taken Pl. Those who have the mark of the beast on them have worshiped the beast and the false prophet second coming is taken place. Jesus has returned to this earth with all those who were with him in the heavenly Jerusalem battle of Armageddon's taken place the 1000 Year Reign Is Taken Pl. The great white throne judgment is taken place.

God has set. It is the end of the age, the end of everything that we know. I may not ask your question what this will look like before sin came into this world, according to the book of Genesis, the garden of Eden was what it was. I perfect place.

There was no sin what happened to it.

Sin came into the life of man through Adam and Eve when it did what it they do a ran by hidden from God. Where was God in all of this, God was on the earth. The Bible tells us he walked around with them in the cool fresh early morning breeze `I'm down to try and find them when they send a lie hidden from him and he said Adam where all sin model of that separation was set up to see a divide came between the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man Mount Sinai was that kindergarten effort. It was the precursor to Mount Zion because God in Christ Jesus is the only one who has the capacity is media a toll bridge that gap. That is why he is the mediator door of the new who is Christ Jesus Gary Revelation 21 all is said and done, God tells us how it's going to happen. Let's have a look at let's read John sitting on the LOSSES what he says. He says that in our soul.

What a everybody say that word new heaven got that and I saw a new heaven, but it doesn't stop there, and I saw a new earth you know that there is not one single passage in scripture that says earth will be obliterated, not a passage in scripture that says earth is going to just vanish. I'm so matter.

The Bible does say is they will be a new heaven and a new if no longer existed. Why does God tell us is going to be in your and what is a new earth, and if we understand the significance of that. This can only be defined in the gospel of Jesus Christ by the blood that was shed for us because it is the blood of Jesus Christ that makes all things become what brand-new RI plastic with me. Nobody leave stick with me because what he says. He says I saw a new heaven and I saw a new for the first heaven, the heavenly Jerusalem, and the first earth sinful earth. The existence of earth as man knows it had parsed away and there was now no longer any sea. There was no separation between heaven and now what exists is and the heavenly Jerusalem this dollars that you see, if not all the floorboards of heaven.

Now, as it is, that's where we going when we die. Should Jesus tarry, but now at the end of the age.

The Bible says this in verse two. I saw the holy city, I remember. Hebrews talks about the city of the living God.

John reports under the inspiration of the spirit. He says my soul the holy city, the new Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem which was Mount Zion became the heavenly Jerusalem, not the new Jerusalem, but we gonna discover that the new Jerusalem is not genocide with the heavenly Jerusalem wall and is as we speak right now so I guess what happened I soul you city, the holy city, new Jerusalem watchlist coming down out of heaven anybody not understand what it means to come down, coming down out of heaven from God, why from God because that's where God is at this point, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for a husband water wonderful picture and I heard a loud voice has the explanation whose voice when it comes from the throne of God. Nobody can sit on the throne of God but God himself. So, God himself explains to us what's going on. He says, and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, now, as of this moment in time. This is a chronological development that is taking place now the dwelling place of God is way with man listen to this and God himself will live with them.

They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God, and what is this place gonna look like the new heaven and the new earth which has no boundary, which mean heaven is going to be the math is going to be heaven.

There are no boundaries in eternity in heaven because God is everywhere and he says to us because this is going to be new.

It's going to be a place where every tear is been wiped from their eyes. There will be no more death. It's brand-new.

There will be no more mourning or crying or playing the old the old order has completely pasta word and in verse five, he was seated on the throne said, I am making every thing Brian you what if I told that if we are up in the heavenly Jerusalem at the end of the age.

We with him. We gonna come for a ride like we've never had. I think we could possibly land back where Jerusalem is because it's a city and God single finger. Is it possible that I might live in Spartanburg for the rest of time and eternity. Beautiful place you will. God is created with one difference that I live in Spartanburg Jerusalem Chicago London part of its kind. Everything watches placing number one I'm guaranteed place placing her so much more to come tomorrow to finish the seven blessings message to most of your talk with somebody you don't forget 866-899-WORD tomorrow. Take care and God must