Finding the Unshakeable City

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer deeply embedded in the room. Emily was their experience as nomads when they wandered 40 years in the wilderness of Egypt in search of a promised land, for they could settle where they can raise their children in peace and prosperity will in a sense, the writer says all sorts of recipe like that Army for a place of permanent peace, prosperity, fulfillment, another week, Christ biblically-based practical teaching here on Summit life with pastor, author and theologian Judy Greer. As always, I'm your host Molly Leavitt events. One thing I've learned is that people want security but the truth is we are usually looking for all the wrong place at today pastor Judy Greer describes the only true source for peace of mind and it's not found in burglar alarms or home insurance.

These things are good. They won't last eternal security only found in one place and he first calls it a kingdom that cannot be shaken. That's where Pastor Katie got the title for today's message finding the unshakable city. Let's get started by what they want to take 12. There is one driving theme throughout the book of Hebrews and that is that you find an anchor for your faith is like I've explained you each week. The people that the writer is addressing or in a storm of doubt and they are struggling because faith for them is difficult persecution that they're encountering is severe. Temptations are acute they got unanswered prayers.

They got unanswered questions and what he starts to do is tie up all these things that he is brought out in the book of Hebrews in the text that was read earlier you heard the image of searching for a city searching for a kingdom best the image that the writer has used throughout Hebrews, especially the final chapters is a metaphor that he is using for what we are all doing with our lives searching for a city to see a city for these people represented a place of safety. A place of permanence in a place of prosperity deeply embedded in the Hebrew memory was their experience as nomads when they wandered 40 years in the wilderness after he left Egypt they left Egypt in search of a promised land promised land with a city that would belong to them where they could settle where they can raise their children in peace and prosperity. A city where they could dwell forever will in a sense, the writer says all sorts of recipe like that Army while researching for a place of permanence, peace, prosperity, fulfillment to this idea of searching for a city use something he uses for all of us because that's really what we all are doing researching for the fact that he does three things with that in the last chapter, three things three. Get revenge. That image, the first thing he does is he asked you to consider what your city is and whether or not it is a couple then he shows you.

Secondly, the results of Jesus being your city and thirdly, he warns you about some small things that can totally destroy your city at Howard University this morning ask, what is your city and is unshakable to what happens when Jesus is your city and then lastly the things that could destroy the city's number one what is your city and is unshakable. What is your primary source. In other words a permanence security and peace. One of the things you most look to to provide you with permanent security fulfillment and peace. Your answers to this question is what drives you, what is your city begin protection of Hebrews is to make God your primary source of these things that he would be your primary security that he would become your identity, your fulfillment that he be the foundation of your city so that in him you have the peace and permanence of fulfillment that you crave whether or not you have those secondary things like the job in the back down the marriage of the children so that if he gives you two warnings 1 December 26 for the best yet. Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the habits I will shake know if you're sick, the heavens are two ways that you can you can shake something you have to do for me right I'm wanting to shake it up like you make it exciting, like a party or not the bottles like that your shake is when you remove like an earthquake where everything that's not tied into the foundation gets really the way you shake out a blanket to get rid of the debris and stuff. I that's the kinda shaking he's talking about.

That latter time and that is happening all around us, is it not when the stock market crash in 2008 there were these the string of suicides among Wall Street executives, people who made more money in a year that most of us would ever make a lifetime. The acting chief financial officer of Freddie Mac hanged himself in his basement. A senior executive view with the HSBC bank hanged himself in the wardrobe of his $750 a night suite in Knightsbridge, London. Many of you have gone through me.

You know, not something that involved $1.4 billion but you lost your job, your marriage is starting to fall apart. You lost your retirement something happening and you got shaken. Sometimes it happens to disease.

Some of you know how the entire outlook of your life suddenly changes in a matter of seconds.

When a doctor walks in on office and tells you that you were your wife has breast cancer. The ultimate shaking of course, is death.

Luke chapter 12 Jesus told a story about a man who truly had nothing to worry about, at least by our estimation.

His business was going so well that you probably had was born she had to keep all the treasures there were two small tears on his barns and build bigger bars, like the bank on you up be like a we are out of room for your money. We gotta have a bigger bank of flabby and I exchange you get a call from a bag like that would not use or your overgrown you got beat.

We got room for your money… That was God's only problem is family all lived around him and loved him and he had everything you ever hope 40 got the retirement Kids got everything Jesus said God looks at a midnight it says you full you focus tonight you to die and not a thing that you have surrounded yourself with is going to accompany you, your soul and where it stands with me is the only thing that matters.

And you were not prepared for that and you were entering into eternity, stripped bare of everything you do. A second thing. Verse 29 a second warning usually raises our God is a consuming fire. That's a common image for God, not the Bible. The Bible uses that image to to give us a picture of God burning away everything that is impure or unclean consuming it know that is a sobering reality for me because that means that everything that I have accomplish the things that people look and say wow you have done this or that.

The question becomes what God is what was the motive for doing that. With that done for the honor and glory of God was enough of the honor and glory jaded as you might be impressed with something that God knows that it wasn't about thy kingdom, was about my kingdom come on that day, every single action we have done every motive we had is tested before the all-consuming eye of God and what my father used to tell me a phrase I remember from childhood, only one life to live will soon be passed only what's done for Christ will last that day. If this is true, that day is the most important one in your entire eternity. Everything is shaken everything everything goes through the fire. Are you ready for that day. God is shaking will shake the earth and is a purified fire he shake you some of you right now and I know that some of you may not understand exactly why he is doing it but I'm telling you it is mercy in your life because he's trying to wake you up to see if your life is built on a faulty foundation that it is God's kindness to show you that before it is too late for some of you. God is shaking you now your marriage is falling apart your bank account got rocked. Your health is deteriorating and that is mercy to you. It's mercy because you have falsely trusted in these things, and God is shaking that he is arousing you out of slumber to show you that the only foundation that will survive that final safety in the consuming fire is the foundation of Jesus Christ. And if you use this chapter of difficulty. If you use this chapter of difficulty in your life to reestablish your trust in him the darkest chapter of your life could become the turning point of your eternity in the greatest moment you ever had on earth.

That is how God takes tragedy and turns it into triumph because he uses tragedy.

Sometimes wake you up to show you that everything to build your life on apartment him ultimately falls apart. There's a second day when Jesus is your city right so we will raise your city and then suddenly when Jesus is your city in the middle of this passage. The writer goes off on what almost seems like a tangent, Moses of smoke and mountain them.what is a purpose that he says things and that is a very key thing that he puts out there because what he's trying to show you is trying to show you why Jesus is the only real lasting city follow this they left Egypt in search of the city. A city that God will give them here they come to the promised land.

And here is the presence of God and the dilemma is how do we bind the permanence and joy and fulfillment that only comes from knowing God and living in his land were too simple to even be in his presence so they live in a state of fear. We haven't been good enough. 13 rear and will return to her teaching in just a moment as we walk through Hebrews together each day.

We are noticing that the book of the Bible written to people his faith in Jesus.

Many of us still struggle with dead as we find it harder and harder to walk with God consistently each day to help grow our faith and follow him more clear on bringing part Bible study meant to drive home the fact Jesus is worthy of our trust and devotion. We want each chapter of the book of Hebrews to challenge and encourage you receive this study guide and our thanks for your gift of ministry right now so give us a call at 335-5224. Check it out@jeanniegreer.com. Now let's get back to today's teaching even for those of you who are particularly religious. This is the right ultimately what you are most searching for all of your persuasive life. What you're searching for the kind of divinity you want ultimate satisfaction you want a security that can't be taken away you're looking for a pleasure that fully satisfies as you approach whatever mountain or whatever city represents your ultimate satisfaction that family be the job that retired whatever whatever you whatever you approach that you encounter the same dilemma. What if you're not good enough to obtain what you need. What if you fail. What if something takes it away. What if you don't make the grade. What if you lose the sale.

What if your body gets sick. What if your retirement stank. What if your family member start making bad decisions that you can't control what if your husband gets seduced by some sleazy girl at work and you can't do anything about it in your marriage falls apart no fault of your own. What happens is your light begins to be dominated by fear, worry, worry all the time about about what could happen if jealousy begins to be a major part of your life. You look at people who have what you want.

You think you deserve bitterness you don't get what you think you deserve what you've always wanted. And you feel like you're powerless to get it self-doubts the same emotions they felt their as they approach that mountain or what you feel, Jesus, the writer says, is the better city because he's the only sure city what it is worth 22 but you have come to Mount Zion to the city of the living God to the heavenly Jerusalem to Jesus. Verse 24 is what Jesus crucifixion or an eerie similarity eerie similarity to Mount Sinai. Jesus crucifixion occurred on top of a small mountain. There was darkness all around. Just like I was on that mountain that he's referring to the rock split was an earthquake was lightning and thunder lightning flashed and thunder rolled he was absorbing Jesus was absorbing the judgment of the simple people in the presence of a holy God.

We had crossed the perimeter we had violated God's holiness. But instead of us being struck dead for Jesus was struck dead, for it so that now when we approach God, we do so without fear because anything that I could ever make God reject me was put upon Jesus and he was rejected for me. He took my sin and I was given his righteousness. He was shaken for me so that now my foundation is absolutely secure. It is unshakable because my foundation is his righteousness. Verse 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel great freight store to enable the Bible. So Cain killed his brother Abel.

God says Cambridge brother things I don't know God says what you mean you don't know Cain. His blood cries out to me from the ground for vengeance. Your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground saying you have said and I must avenge it. We murdered Jesus but his blood cries out from the ground not far.

Vengeance is blood cries out for our forgiveness. The gospel gives you God and all his blessings and all of his promises as a gift, not because you deserve them. Because Christ has purchased them for you because Christ was shaken for you because Christ took the vengeance for you, not given to you according to your merits, but they're giving you is a gift of grace which is so counterintuitive for me provides that many you've never understood the gospel and most of life. You get what you deserve, but not this one because we could never deserve the acceptance of God, we could never deserve the city of God to God gives it to us as a gift purchased by Christ, not as a reward for what we have earns to the ways that you tried to attain divinity. The ways that you have tried to secure a city of permanence and fulfillment and peace have left you insecure and unstable and fearful. But when Jesus is your city when Jesus and his gifts righteousness are your city.

The writer of Hebrews says it gives you the opposite of all those things instead of instability gives you a security to verse 28. A city that cannot be shaken. Your city is stable because the foundations of that city are the gifts righteousness of Christ. The unchangeable promises of God instead of instead of worrying gives you be unbounded joy unbounded joy to verse 22 was his innumerable angels in festal gathering scholars say you could really read that angels and partygoers seriously. You come in the company about the Angels and partygoers. The foundation of that party is the foundation of that joy is the perfect love of God in Christ.

It is a jewel without fear, it is a joy without pain.

It is a joy without worry because Christ has given us full acceptance through his blood, he has given us absolute security in his promises. And he is given us full and final healing in his resurrection, so there is no reason in the presence of God, did not have anything but overwhelming joy, because all that you ever hope all that you ever dreamed. All that you were created for has been given to you in a way that can never be taken away instead of worry you have unbounded joy instead of instead of the fear of terror, you have the fear of worship sets also verse 28 worship and reverence in all your translation say fear, worship and reverence and fear this kind of fear is not the kind of fear that the Israelites felt before the mountain. There's a contrasting set up that they were shaking because they were terrified. The member in Christ we can be shaken so that talk about a fear when you shake you say can fear this is a fear more like what a child fears or how a child feels about a good father to tell this thing with a finger that is the strongest person in the world, not my my kids and was well make a statement to that effect alley about my seven-year-old the other day was like daddy Sampson is strong as you. And I'm probably not you. Nobody was close close by when I fitted out with my nine-year-old the honeymoon stage of fathering steadily over my nine-year-old watching the Olympics. It was some mail.

Jim is doing something else like anything I could do that you like. Not a chance that not a chance. No way to reduce her young child has a fear of their parent is not a fear of terror it's it's it's all yes but it's combined with incredible intimacy that yes they might think I'm the strongest man in the world and they might be in all of that but it's combined with an intimacy that makes them run into my presence. Do you feel that way about God.

Do you feel like you so massively awesome, but you could run to him and calling daddy that he feels your pain, but he cares about you. You were created for that kind of worship you were created for all mixed with intimacy. That's what you love in your daddy if you had a good one and that's what you long for your daddy if you had a bad one to see your earthly daddy was just a shadow with echo of your heavenly daddy so he shows you that these things that you most crave security, stability, permanence, joy all and intimacy. These things are only found in the city that is Jesus is the only God were serving. LOL Tim Keller says it Jesus is the only God, whom, when you find him will satisfy you and when you fail him will forgive you is only God when you find will satisfy you. All other God's apology when you actually find them unified and are not what you thought it would be an error, not merely stable as you father were so that money does not provide the enjoyments that you thought it would doesn't provide the security you hoped it would your family as awesome as they are the EE just doesn't provide that permanence and fulfillment that sustains your soul. Jesus is the only God we find him will will will will will will fulfill you and when you fail him to see any other God small G that you serve when you fail it curses right you says if you like a great job you'll get the bank account in your cursor to report and be miserable. Jesus is the only God that we fail him. He took the curse for you so that acceptance is given not based on how well you did or how what you accomplished is giving you because he purchased it for you is only God when you find will satisfy you and when you fail him will forgive you. That's what happens when Jesus is your city. Here's the third thing is what can destroy your city can destroy your city see these verses warns you have several things that can erode your faith.

Now here's the thing. They seem like pretty mundane things which I think is really significant because for most of you listen for most of you the danger to your faith is not some big cataclysmic event. The danger is the slow, gradual dulling of your heart toward God. You slowly lose your capacity for faith. Think of it like termites in your house. You go for years and years I think about it yet you hear anything since anything visibly comes your house doesn't expect to have your bill for $15,000 because all that time there was this thing which is been eroded and there was irreparable damage being done to your house and you had no idea what happens, the writer says, for most of you is not this major event. This is the slow eroding of your capacity to see and perceive God. Here they are having five total division for 14 seek peace with all men. She division and strife have a way of making you forget all about Christ as your city is because when you go to division your pride gets riled up and you forget about Jesus, you think something is about you. Case in point right here, you know, I will leave this place. I will be full of the spirit. I'll be totally love Jesus might've the wrong thing to me out there that road and it's not about Jesus anymore. It's all about me.

It just has a way of totally distracting you off of that city onto your own to seek peace means that you are the first one to offer forgiveness even when you're the one the wrong but it is not about avenging yourself.

It's about glorify Jesus means taking them how like Christ did wash the feet of those in conflict with your faith. You want to find out what it's really about you take the people that have offended you in that it bothered you and you go to bed when you metaphorically wash their feet. You serve your enemies your singular blessing that renewed commitment to Christ sitting and takes the focus off of your own treasure unshakable city you're listening to Senate life with Judy Greer in a message from the book of Hebrews so jaded like you said in your messages. We are prone to draft and when that happens, we can lose sight of God's greater plan and purpose for our lives. And that's one of the subjects of our resource assessment data. The book of Hebrews doesn't promise us and everything just perfect in our lives doesn't even promise us that we live perfectly. In fact, it assumes that working have lives that are filled with stumbling the mistakes and what it shows us is that Christ is better that Christ is the hope that we have in the midst of difficulty it shows us that that throughout the entire Old Testament. The point was not the sacrifices and the laws and the heroes of the faith. The point was learning to hope and trust in Jesus, you may look at some of these Old Testament heroes and thing I could never have. I can never be like them. What what the book of Hebrews shows you is that that the point is not to emulate their example.

It's to hope in their Savior. And that's something you can do.

I think you'll find there's so much more in the book of Hebrews and you can even pick up just listening to me teach it so as you listen, I want to encourage you to go to JB Greer.com and get this Bible study we call Christ is better to help take you deeper into the message of Hebrews studying the Bible and driving a deep in your heart changes you and this resource will help you get the gospel get the message of Hebrews deeper inside so jaded Greer.com right now and I reserve your copy today will be glad to send you this brand-new study to express our gratitude for your financial support. When you give a gift to Senate life you make it possible for us to deliver this daily Bible teaching to your radio station along with many other free resources on our website. We are adding more radio stations all the time and every news station means more people can hear this program, every news station also means traditional radio we don't make money from advertising relies solely on God's people to help by calling 65T training 863-3550 T training and remember that her study guide, always requesting when you get online.com or mail your damnation, your ministry, PO Box 127 and Molly that if it's reminding you to join us again tomorrow morning unshakable day for Senate life. Greer