Finding Your Footing in a Shaking World: A Look at Hebrews 12

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Thank you.
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[00:01:22] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
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[00:01:28] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Let us prepare our hearts for worship now.

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Let us pray.
[00:03:29] Let's pray.

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Thank you for watching!

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Pentecost

[00:06:30] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Good morning, everybody.
[00:06:33] Welcome to First Presbyterian Church of Morrisville, where our mission is loving God, loving people, and making disciples.
[00:06:39] We are so glad that you have chosen to worship with us this morning, and we're especially excited today because we're celebrating as a church family 150 years of this church and all that God has done through it.
[00:06:51] So can we praise God for that?
[00:07:02] Amen.
[00:07:02] He has been faithful to us.
[00:07:04] I invite you now to join me with our call to worship this morning in your bulletin.
[00:07:11] Today we gather in joy and reverence celebrating 150 years of God's faithfulness to First Presbyterian Church of Mooresville.
[00:07:21] Great is thy faithfulness, O God our Father.
[00:07:25] From generation to generation, you have been our refuge.
[00:07:30] From 1875 to today, this church has stood as a beacon of hope, a house of worship, and a community of grace.
[00:07:39] The Lord has done great things for us and we are filled with joy.
[00:07:45] We remember the founders who planted this church in faith and the generations who nurtured it with love.
[00:07:51] They walked by faith, not by sight.
[00:07:54] We honor their legacy and continue their mission.
[00:07:58] Through wars and peace, through sorrow and celebration, God has sustained FPC Mooresville.
[00:08:06] The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
[00:08:09] His mercies never come to an end.
[00:08:12] We give thanks for pastors, elders, teachers, and members who served with courage and compassion.
[00:08:20] We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
[00:08:23] Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
[00:08:28] As we look to the future, we renew our commitment to Christ and His Kingdom.
[00:08:34] We press on toward the goal to proclaim the Gospel and serve with love.
[00:08:40] May the next 150 years be filled with even greater works of grace.
[00:08:46] To God be the glory now and forevermore.
[00:08:50] Amen.
[00:08:51] And would you join me in praying our invocation as well?
[00:08:55] Gracious and loving God, we gather today in awe and gratitude as we celebrate 150 years of your faithfulness to this church.
[00:09:06] From humble beginnings to this momentous milestone, you have been our rock, our refuge, and our guide.
[00:09:15] Bless every heart gathered here today.
[00:09:17] Unite us in spirit, strengthen us in faith, and send us forth in joy.
[00:09:24] To you be all glory, honor, and praise, yesterday, today, and forevermore.
[00:09:31] Amen.
[00:09:32] You may stand for our hymn.

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
[00:10:49] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
[00:11:28] Christ Jesus with his King The Sabbath of this day From age to age the same And he doth sprinkle back
[00:11:53] Prophets, Prophets, Prophets,
[00:12:50] The Spirit and the ears are ours, Holy Word builds on silence.
[00:13:19] Let good and kindred
[00:13:33] The truth of our ensign, His kingdom is forever.

[00:13:52] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
And now, let us affirm our faith together using the Apostles' Creed.
[00:13:56] And I would ask you, O Christian, what is it that you believe?
[00:14:01] I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried,
[00:14:19] He descended into hell.
[00:14:21] The third day he rose again from the dead.
[00:14:24] He ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
[00:14:30] From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
[00:14:34] I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
[00:14:45] Amen.
[00:14:46] You may be seated.

[00:14:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
I do want to take a moment right now to acknowledge this Veterans Day weekend.
[00:14:59] And if you have served our country in any of the branches of our military, we want, at this moment, would you please, if able, stand?
[00:15:09] We want to acknowledge you.
[00:15:25] We're truly grateful for your service.
[00:15:26] We wouldn't have this freedom to worship without any concern, without any fear on a Sunday morning.
[00:15:32] So thank you.
[00:15:34] I also want to take the time right now to welcome certain guests that are present with us.
[00:15:40] So we have our mayor, Chris Carney, present.
[00:15:43] Thank you for being here.
[00:15:45] One of our selectmen I know is with us, Will Avon.
[00:15:48] And thank you again.
[00:15:49] Are there any other selectmen here this morning?
[00:15:54] And we want to thank you for your service to our community.
[00:15:57] We have Ed Lewis, who is our pastor emeritus, served here for over three decades.
[00:16:02] Ed, would you mind standing, please?
[00:16:04] I just saw someone sneak in.
[00:16:16] It was Billy Black, who has served as our custodian for over 30 years.
[00:16:20] Would you?
[00:16:29] And would any person who, present or in the past, has served on staff, part-time, full-time, you know, even if it was six months or 16 years, would you please now, if able, please stand.
[00:16:42] Anyone who has been on staff in this church.
[00:16:56] We're celebrating God, our Maker, and His faithfulness, but He chooses to work in and through us, and we're grateful for that.
[00:17:04] I'm just out of curiosity.
[00:17:06] If you have been in this church 20 years or more, would you just raise your hand?
[00:17:12] Alright.
[00:17:14] Keep your hand up if you've been here 30 years or more.
[00:17:17] 40 years?
[00:17:22] There's still hands up.
[00:17:24] 50 years.
[00:17:27] Still hands up.
[00:17:29] Sixty.
[00:17:31] I apologize to some that might be not certain they want to keep their hand up.
[00:17:37] Seventy years or more, they're still hands up.
[00:17:42] Those with hands up, would you please just take, please?
[00:17:53] Yep.
[00:17:54] We are grateful, you know, folks that have been faithful through the years.
[00:18:00] I do, we have a couple announcements, and then I want to give you a sneak peek of what you will be, we have a luncheon after the service, and there'll be two presentations.
[00:18:10] We'll get a little sneak peek of that,
[00:18:12] We also have a food collection in Black Ben's in the
[00:18:39] Parlor there, so after the service this Sunday and next Sunday, you can contribute to that.
[00:18:44] We've been very just concerned that folks will donate everything to Feed NC for folks who are concerned just basically getting their basic needs met.
[00:18:54] And David, do you have a couple of those pictures?
[00:18:58] Where's David?
[00:19:00] Would you throw up a couple slides to whet the appetite?
[00:19:04] I think that organ was installed in 1971.
[00:19:09] Any guess how much we would have paid for that organ?
[00:19:14] $45,000.
[00:19:18] 1971.
[00:19:19] Ed, were you here at that time?
[00:19:24] Yeah, so you talk to Ed and he can give you all the behind-the-scenes details.
[00:19:31] Let's look at the next slide.
[00:19:34] There's a postcard.
[00:19:35] The manse is right to the left there.
[00:19:37] The manse was built in 1922.
[00:19:39] I know they've refurbished that.
[00:19:43] Ed probably lived there.
[00:19:44] The person before me, it was refurbished with Clay Brown, and it was refurbished before the Rockness family came.
[00:19:51] You see a beautiful picture of the church there.
[00:19:53] Next slide.
[00:19:56] There is our choir.
[00:19:58] I am not sure what year that is, but does anyone know any, do you recognize anyone in that choir?
[00:20:05] Yes.
[00:20:07] Chaz, are you in that choir?
[00:20:09] Your dad is in that choir.
[00:20:13] So, that, I'm not sure, Andy Poore, what year?
[00:20:20] Right in the bottom, 1951.
[00:20:22] I apologize, Chaz, that was your father in there.
[00:20:29] Next slide.
[00:20:31] Anyone know who that pastor is?
[00:20:34] That's a young Ed Lewis, and that is a Sunday morning children's sermon, I understand.
[00:20:40] That's what Andy Poore told me.
[00:20:42] And one last slide.
[00:20:44] I think we have one more.
[00:20:47] Anyone know what's going on there?
[00:20:50] The construction of the education building.
[00:20:53] 1965 was when that picture was taken.
[00:20:59] In 1966, any guess what we paid for that?
[00:21:04] I'm guessing Bill Harris could give us that number, maybe?
[00:21:09] Any guess?
[00:21:13] I marked down $300,000.
[00:21:15] And then I think, Zach, did you give me a, there's a figure, if you were to translate that to dollars today, what's that number?
[00:21:28] Today, that would translate to just over three million dollars.
[00:21:32] Same construction.
[00:21:33] So it just gives you a little picture.
[00:21:35] So downstairs, during lunch, when we complete our service, you can go down, you can begin serving right away as buffet style.
[00:21:43] Find a seat.
[00:21:44] When it looks like the room's starting to fill, Zeb Nelson, our youth director, will say a prayer blessing the food.
[00:21:52] And then when we're all settled, the first presentation will be Andy Poor.
[00:21:56] and he'll give us some history of the church and he has some fascinating facts and figures and some images and then after about 20 minutes we'll make a transition maybe a two three minute break and then we will have Liz Rader-Lamadew present to us
[00:22:13] A vision for the future we just had something approved by our session this past session in October and we would like to roll that out to you as a congregation so we are celebrating the past 150 years and we're also because we're an active church giving you a glimpse not only a glimpse we're rolling out what to expect as we move forward and we're all in this together we celebrate and it's about him not us yes
[00:22:42] And as we continue in worship, David has a little, there's an anthem, but a little prelude leading into it, giving us some context to what is about to take place.

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Congratulations, First Presbyterian, on 150 faithful years.
[00:23:07] Hello, I'm Sonia Kell-Parker, and I am the composer of the work
[00:23:10] Let everything with breath praise the Lord.
[00:23:14] You will probably recognize the title as it is the final verse of Psalm 150.
[00:23:21] Your Minister of Music, David Hamilton, recommended that I use this text.
[00:23:26] Very fitting to celebrate 150 years of ministry.
[00:23:32] The scripture also addresses a core tenet of faith.
[00:23:36] That the church be a light to all people.
[00:23:39] that all may be reconciled with God and that all understand the hunger and desire it is to glorify Him.
[00:23:50] We came to know the Hamilton family as witnesses of this faith when we were students in New York State and we are so happy that they have found a church home that embodies this vision.
[00:24:03] I particularly was moved by your mission statement.
[00:24:07] Loving God,
[00:24:09] Loving people and making disciples.
[00:24:14] I wanted the music to reflect the energy and diversity of that call.
[00:24:19] From the quiet breath of prayer that is the opening of this piece, to the full voice of the congregation in song.
[00:24:28] At the heart of this piece, we all join together in the beloved hymn, Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.
[00:24:38] And I hope that this is a moment that connects generations.
[00:24:44] A hymn that ancestors sang in this very space and one that still fills these walls today.
[00:24:53] I must also mention the artistry that is Greg Thompson.
[00:24:57] There are some virtuosic passages at the piano that should make this piece feel like a true celebration.
[00:25:06] Thank you so much to Greg, to David, and to the choir for bringing this work to life.
[00:25:14] And to you, the congregation, I pray that you continue in your mission of serving God, loving people, so that everything that has breath will praise the Lord.
[00:25:33] Praise the Lord.
[00:25:36] Amen.

[00:26:15] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Alleluia Alleluia
[00:26:46] Let all that is in me adore Him.
[00:27:12] All that hath left the world hath seen praises before him.

[00:27:31] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
He, the friend, is the Lord.

[00:27:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Praise God in His sanctuary Praise God in His mighty hymns Praise God for His works of power Praise Him for His excellent greatness Praise Him
[00:28:41] With love's symbols we'll praise Him With music and dancing music
[00:29:08] Let's dance and sing music and can sing Hallelujah For God is Shabbat Dei Let everything
[00:29:35] With breath sing praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.
[00:29:49] All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him.
[00:30:13] Let the amen sound from his people again.
[00:30:13] Sing the hymn and be forever adored.
[00:30:34] Alleluia, Alleluia

[00:31:04] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Alleluia!

[00:31:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
Before we enter into a time of prayer, I'd like to take this opportunity to say a few things.
[00:31:50] Can I just invite any ordained ministers in the house today to please stand for a moment?
[00:31:57] Ed, if you wouldn't mind standing as well.
[00:32:00] Dave.
[00:32:01] Can we just honor these servants of the Lord, please, for a moment with me?
[00:32:14] Let me be seated.
[00:32:18] We celebrate the life of the church which is crucial and important but I also never want us to forget the servants that have served the body across generations and decades because as a young minister myself I have only begun to see the burden of loving people
[00:32:34] of showing compassion and showing up in the messiness of people's lives as we do our best to represent Christ to the people of God, as we invite you to lead and to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus.
[00:32:46] And in this moment, I'd also love to ask Pastor Dave, you can just stand up one more time.
[00:32:50] I just want to honor you as our pastor.
[00:32:53] I love you how much we love you and it is an honor and privilege to be part of church that a legacy of 150 faithful years and to serve alongside you as our leader and pastor so thank you for that earlier today someone asked me how does it feel to be part of a church that's celebrating 150 years and i said that is one of the rarest honors i get to experience
[00:33:23] You don't really know much of my testimony yet, and in due time we will, but I've been part of churches that have flourished and then died, both big and small, and it is a heartbreaking, sad reality that we experience here today.
[00:33:35] And due to just changing beliefs and ideologies in our culture, the church experiences attacks from the enemy every single day.
[00:33:44] It is a rare gift to see a church last this long, and that is only by the faithfulness of our God, amen?
[00:33:52] So we don't want to take that for granted.
[00:33:53] It is a gift and a privilege, and we also want to take the moment to honor and remember our brothers and sisters across 150 years that have prayed in this place, that have prayed for you to be here today.
[00:34:05] And by their patience and their compassion and the words of Hebrews, they set their eyes on the future, on a future hope and joy that we would be here today continuing the legacy of loving our God, loving people, and making disciples.
[00:34:19] So with that being said, let's now join me in prayer.
[00:34:30] Gracious and holy God, you are our refuge and our strength.
[00:34:36] You are our very present help in a time of trouble.
[00:34:40] You are the one who breathes peace into our anxious hearts and you give life to our weary souls.
[00:34:48] So this morning we come before you
[00:34:51] Our mercy and your love and compassion and your power and we're grateful that through Christ Jesus we get to celebrate the gift of being First Presbyterian Church of Mooresville all these years.
[00:35:03] And we thank you for the gift that we are constantly welcomed into your presence as beloved children.
[00:35:10] So my friends, before we continue, let us now take this moment to silently confess our sins before our holy God.
[00:35:30] Lord, as we draw near to you, we see ourselves more clearly.
[00:35:35] We confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart.
[00:35:39] For often we have chased after our own comfort instead of what you have called us to.
[00:35:45] We have failed to love our neighbors as ourselves.
[00:35:48] In the hurriedness of our lives, we've overlooked the hurting, the broken, the weak.
[00:35:56] And in our pride, we have resisted the grace that humbles us.
[00:36:00] So forgive us, Lord Jesus.
[00:36:03] Have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
[00:36:06] Cleanse us from all unrighteousness and please renew a right spirit within me.
[00:36:12] We lay before you all our unspoken sins, thoughts, words, and deeds, trusting in you who fully sees us and loves us still.
[00:36:25] but brothers and sisters today hear the good news that while we were still sinners Christ Jesus died for us in him we are forgiven we are made new and set free so today we can live in gratitude and not guilt to live as people of grace walking in the light of the love of Christ Jesus Hallelujah and now Lord we lift up the needs
[00:36:54] I pray that you would bring healing to the sick, bring comfort to those who grieve, and bring hope to those who feel forgotten or afraid.
[00:37:08] I pray that you would strengthen those who serve in weary places, parents that are caring for little ones, teachers working with young people, pastors, ministers,
[00:37:21] Our first responders, those, our veterans, those serving across seas, those who serve our town, our selectmen, our mayor, for all those who live in this humble place, for all of us that we see and don't see, be with us, Lord Jesus.
[00:37:42] Be with your church and your people.
[00:37:45] May the old and the young always witness the faithfulness of our wonderful God.
[00:37:52] We pray for peace where there is conflict, for justice where there is oppression, and for unity in the body of Christ Jesus all around the world, that the world may always witness our Lord through his people.
[00:38:07] We pray that by your Spirit we would be made instruments of your peace,
[00:38:12] That we would be humble and faithful and full of joy by your Holy Spirit.
[00:38:19] We ask all of this in the holy, holy name of Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer, and our Friend.
[00:38:27] And let us now pray that prayer our gracious Jesus taught us.
[00:38:32] Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen and amen
[00:39:01] Let us now stand as we sing our next hymn.

[00:39:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
The Church's full foundation is Jesus Christ,
[00:39:33] Jesus of creation

[00:40:03] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
He left from their relation, went on for all eternity.

[00:40:29] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
[00:40:59] Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy
[00:41:39] Deity, Writ, Son, Ascension, God, Peace, Forevermore.
[00:41:57] Till in the Age of Glorious, when all the gods are gone,

[00:42:15] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
of the Holy Spirit.

[00:42:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Please be seated.
[00:43:09] I want to open by sharing that Henri Nouwen once gave a very famous sermon at the Crystal Cathedral.
[00:43:18] Thousands were present, and he took a flip chart and set it up in front of the congregation.
[00:43:25] And with a black magic marker, he drew a line.
[00:43:29] on that flip chart he opened with these words this is how we live our lives and that's my life this little line he was born in 1932 so he marked 1932 and the year was maybe 25 years ago he said I'm not sure what to label the end of this line so he marked down 2010 he said that's a
[00:43:56] in the big scheme of life this little line what that represents that's your life that's my life it's small isn't it it goes by very very fast doesn't it and he said there are a lot of approaches to how to live that life and to do so with significance and there are three areas he had this flip chart and he has this little line and underneath he said some people live this way I am what I do
[00:44:27] Can you relate with that?
[00:44:29] And he wrote down, I am what I do.
[00:44:32] He says this is very real.
[00:44:35] You do well, you gain a little success.
[00:44:39] So he took that marker and he went up above the line.
[00:44:44] He says, however, you devote yourself to something and you fail and it can shake you and you can feel very low.
[00:44:53] So he took that line, he went above, he took that marker, he went above the line, he went below the line.
[00:44:57] He said, that's one way to live life, I am what I do.
[00:44:59] And he said, sometimes when you get older and you can't do the things you used to be able to do, you say, well look at this trophy.
[00:45:07] I once did great things.
[00:45:10] Or look at this book that I wrote, or this composition, this music, this piece that I put together.
[00:45:19] Then he wrote down number two.
[00:45:21] Some people approach life, I am what others say about me.
[00:45:27] Very powerful.
[00:45:31] He said with this approach to life, some people view this as the most important part of how you live.
[00:45:38] When people speak well of you, you walk with your head up.
[00:45:41] You can get a thousand praises, yet one criticism
[00:45:48] One critique, yes, can ruin an entire day.
[00:45:54] Just one.
[00:45:55] He drew with that line, you know, approaching life, I am what people think of me.
[00:45:59] When you're doing well and people are praising you and you get above the line, and when people talk behind your back or say something negative and it's exposed you, again, it shakes you.
[00:46:12] You feel low.
[00:46:14] And then he wrote down number three.
[00:46:15] Some people approach life by, I am what I have.
[00:46:20] Possessions are everything.
[00:46:24] Whether that be a nice home, an elite education, good health, great friends, loving family.
[00:46:30] And if what you have is everything, one loss can make you slip into darkness.
[00:46:41] A beloved family member
[00:46:43] A close friend, a medical diagnosis again can slip you into darkness.
[00:46:52] He says when you approach life this way and life shakes you, I can't do anything anymore, people are talking against me, I'm losing things essential to living, you can lose all sense of hope, you can feel very, very low and the goal in life can become just trying to stay above the line.
[00:47:13] It's survival.
[00:47:16] Staying above the line, clinging to a good name, a good product, or perhaps your property.
[00:47:23] It's what you live for.
[00:47:25] This morning, we've been working our way through the book of Hebrews.
[00:47:28] Our theme is Hope in Christ.
[00:47:31] We've been given all of these images and scripture to encourage a church where some people were second-guessing their call.
[00:47:40] Their call of faith, their call to ministry.
[00:47:43] The author is wanting to put life in perspective.
[00:47:46] This morning we'll take a look at this big idea, how to gain footing in a world that shakes.
[00:47:56] We'll say a prayer, we'll read the passage together.
[00:47:59] Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your word.
[00:48:02] I thank you for the hope, not wishful thinking, but the certain hope that we can find in your son, Jesus Christ.
[00:48:11] Lord, this morning, speak to us through your Holy Spirit.
[00:48:15] May we gain a deeper understanding through this passage, and by learning more, may we not only fill our heads with knowledge, but may it inspire us to draw closer to you.
[00:48:27] We give this time to you now, in Jesus' name we pray.
[00:48:30] Amen.
[00:48:32] Hebrews 12, beginning with verse 18.
[00:48:35] You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire,
[00:48:40] In darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them for they could not endure the order that was given if even an animal touches the mountain it shall be stoned to death indeed so terrifying was the sight that Moses said I tremble with fear but you have come to Mount Zion
[00:49:06] And to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel, see that you do not refuse the one who is speaking
[00:49:35] For if they do not escape when they refuse the one who has warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven?
[00:49:44] At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.
[00:49:53] This phrase, yet once more, indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, created things, so that that what cannot be shaken may remain
[00:50:04] Therefore, since we have received a kingdom, or receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe.
[00:50:18] For indeed, our God is a consuming fire.
[00:50:22] This is the word of the Lord.
[00:50:26] Again, we're taking a look at how to gain footing in a world that shakes.
[00:50:31] The first point I want to make from our passage is this.
[00:50:34] Very simple.
[00:50:36] It's a simple reality of the world we live in.
[00:50:38] We live in a world that shakes.
[00:50:42] The physical reality of a broken world.
[00:50:44] 1994.
[00:50:45] I woke up one morning.
[00:50:48] I had my alarm set for 6.30 but I woke up at 4.30.
[00:50:52] I woke up on the floor.
[00:50:54] I was on the ground next to my bed and I was completely disoriented.
[00:50:59] I look up and the alarm clock said 4.30.
[00:51:03] 4.30.
[00:51:04] I didn't think much you know how you are when you're really sleepy and you're still tired so I just crawled back up in bed and then I when the alarm went off at 6 30 I thought to myself something strange happened this morning at 4 30 I turned on the news and there had been a 6.7 magnitude earthquake now I was new to California I'd never lived I grew up a Florida boy we I'd been knocked out of my bed by the Northridge earthquake
[00:51:38] Now, it affected me significantly.
[00:51:40] I was, you know, with an earthquake, with a hurricane, you can see the storms coming and you can evacuate or you can store things, but with an earthquake, it's unpredictable.
[00:51:50] Sometimes it's rolling, right?
[00:51:52] Sometimes, if you've ever lived out west, sometimes it strikes hard and it jolts.
[00:51:58] But what's so disconcerting about an earthquake is you can't gain your footing.
[00:52:04] You know, you run for the doorpost and you can't gain your footing.
[00:52:10] We live in a world that shakes.
[00:52:15] Literally, physically, natural disasters, famine, bug bites, disease, divorce, automobile accidents, political upheaval, war, economic depressions,
[00:52:31] The physical reality of blood, sweat, pain, and death, no matter if you're a person of faith or not, it's unavoidable.
[00:52:42] We live in a world that shakes.
[00:52:45] Nobody can deny that.
[00:52:49] Now there's also the spiritual reality of a broken world.
[00:52:54] I call this the Grand Canyon Gap.
[00:52:59] Can anyone in this room jump across
[00:53:01] The Grand Canyon?
[00:53:03] That's a ridiculous thought without that aid of something.
[00:53:07] There is a Grand Canyon gap between the one true God, right?
[00:53:11] The omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing God.
[00:53:14] A Grand Canyon gap between His holiness and His perfection and us as human beings.
[00:53:21] Fallen, flawed, subject to hurt and pain and sin and death.
[00:53:27] It says in Romans 3.23 that all have sinned.
[00:53:32] and fallen short of the glory of God.
[00:53:36] All.
[00:53:38] Throughout this sermon series, I've mentioned this three or four different times, so some of you know the answer to this.
[00:53:43] My wife and I, Jodie, we've raised six daughters.
[00:53:47] And one thing that I've shared with you over and over, Jodie and I never have had to teach our children how to be selfish, how to lie,
[00:53:58] We've not had to teach them.
[00:54:01] They're very clever at a very young age, and you know who I blame for that.
[00:54:06] I've said this several times.
[00:54:08] I blame my parents.
[00:54:13] They didn't teach me either, but I inherited that sin gene from them, and you can trace that all the way back to Adam and Eve.
[00:54:20] We're born into sin.
[00:54:23] That's human depravity.
[00:54:28] It says in Romans 6.23, for the wages of sin, or the consequence of sin, is death.
[00:54:36] And what Paul's talking about is not simply physical death, but spiritual death.
[00:54:41] So, point number one, we live in a world that shakes.
[00:54:44] There's the physical reality of a broken world, there's the spiritual reality of a broken world, which leads to point number two.
[00:54:53] The old way of life, old covenant living, old way of life would shake a person down.
[00:55:02] And for those who live that way, it still shakes people down.
[00:55:07] This idea of doing your best to be a good person.
[00:55:13] You know, with the line, living above the line.
[00:55:17] Some people compare it to a scale system.
[00:55:19] If I just live out my life where I've just tipped the scales, I do a little bit more good than bad.
[00:55:26] Maybe I can earn my way to God's favor.
[00:55:31] You know, I do my best.
[00:55:33] I'm not perfect.
[00:55:34] I've done a pretty good job.
[00:55:35] I've accomplished a few things.
[00:55:37] I've given to good causes.
[00:55:38] I've done my best to live by the golden rule.
[00:55:42] Nobody disagrees with the golden rule.
[00:55:44] What's the golden rule?
[00:55:46] Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you.
[00:55:50] Now, would you take a moment to be honest with yourself?
[00:55:56] This past week, is there a single day in this past week where you devoted your day from waking up to going to bed
[00:56:06] Did you spend a day working hard to understand people the way you'd like to be understood?
[00:56:14] The entire day.
[00:56:16] When you're stuck in traffic, that person over there must really have had a bad day.
[00:56:21] I'm going to think a little more deeply about them.
[00:56:23] Or you're waiting in line for something, or someone cuts you off.
[00:56:27] Have you spent a day doing that?
[00:56:28] Or do you spend most of your days wanting people to better understand you?
[00:56:34] They have no idea.
[00:56:37] My uncle just passed.
[00:56:39] My daughter's going through a crisis.
[00:56:44] Again, even when it comes to the golden rule, many of us who think we might be pretty good people, we fall miserably short.
[00:56:54] The old way of life can shake a person down.
[00:56:56] Doing your best to be a good person, you end up just frustrated.
[00:57:00] There are sobering effects of a shakable world
[00:57:04] and you can see this in just four verses here 18 through 21 the old way of life represented by Mount Sinai a physical mountain living by the law to be a good person to live a good life to hope your good deeds outweigh the bad to live above the line you come to a mountain that can't be touched see the vision here being presented what's being pictured
[00:57:29] Here is a famous encounter of the Israelites with God.
[00:57:33] Mount Sinai.
[00:57:35] The giving of the Ten Commandments.
[00:57:36] Moses was the mediator.
[00:57:39] A human mediator.
[00:57:41] God came down and notice the description of God coming to us.
[00:57:47] There's some negative
[00:57:50] Things being portrayed here or being described here.
[00:57:53] Images, blazing fire, darkness, gloom, a tempest, the piercing sound of a trumpet, and a voice that was unbearable to hear.
[00:58:06] The Old Covenant people, the Israelites, please stop.
[00:58:10] God came down and they could not bear his presence.
[00:58:14] They could not touch the mountain.
[00:58:16] It said even an animal couldn't.
[00:58:20] Pictured in those four verses are a God who shakes and a people who cannot even bear to hear his voice.
[00:58:29] Please stop, please stop.
[00:58:30] A picture so terrifying that Moses said, verse 21, I tremble with fear.
[00:58:37] That's a theme throughout the entire Old Testament going all the way back to Adam and Eve, yes?
[00:58:42] With Adam and Eve, they hid when they had sinned, they hid.
[00:58:46] They tried to hide from God.
[00:58:47] You can't hide from God.
[00:58:49] You know, when people, when God came down, they would fall prostrate.
[00:58:52] They'd take their shoes off.
[00:58:53] They would tremble with fear.
[00:58:56] Moses couldn't face God.
[00:58:57] He put his head towards the cleft as God passed by.
[00:59:00] Isaiah, remember that famous cry?
[00:59:02] He says, woes me.
[00:59:03] When the Lord came to him, he said, woes me, I am undone.
[00:59:10] There are additional realities of a God that shakes.
[00:59:15] If you've built your life on anything but him,
[00:59:19] In His presence, your identity falls apart.
[00:59:25] In the presence of greatness, if you live by what I do or what others, I am what I do, I am what people think of me, I am what I have, when God comes, when you're in His presence, it's shaken to the core.
[00:59:38] my wife and I have a good friend she'd gone through a rough patch in life she'd been seeing a therapist she made it through that that tough stretch when she was part of our church and she began to write a book and she wanted to take her experience and to put it in words and to tie it into her faith so she put together this manuscript and she asked if she could send it to my mom my mom's an author if my mom could take a look and give her honest feedback
[01:00:05] So she sent it electronically to my mom.
[01:00:08] My mom read it, sent it back, and then my mom sent her a book.
[01:00:12] The book was written by Kurt Thompson, and the title of that book was The Anatomy of the Soul.
[01:00:21] And when my friend received this book, rather than being encouraged, she fell apart.
[01:00:29] She said, I quit.
[01:00:31] Why write the book?
[01:00:33] It's already been written.
[01:00:34] This is far greater than anything I can write or accomplish.
[01:00:37] And her hope was in this book she could make a name for herself and be significant.
[01:00:41] And she was shaken to the core.
[01:00:45] I don't measure up.
[01:00:47] It's like, who is it, Salieri in the presence of Mozart?
[01:00:51] Suddenly you don't feel so great.
[01:00:54] The old way of life.
[01:00:57] Approaching an earthly mountain, Sinai Doing your best to be a good person Building a life of significance Earning points with God It all falls apart before a God who shakes And the Lord can shake you to the core Now I never close with the negative The last point I want to make is central to this passage And it's this There is a new way of life
[01:01:27] that can hold you firm.
[01:01:30] You can plant your feet.
[01:01:32] There is hope for an unshakable future, this new way of life.
[01:01:37] Verse 22, but you have come to Mount Zion.
[01:01:41] That's not a physical mountain.
[01:01:42] Mount Zion, the new covenant, this is what's being conveyed, not the old covenant, but the new covenant, a spiritual mountain, a heavenly city.
[01:01:52] It's described as the new Jerusalem.
[01:01:55] A new way to come to God, an accessible mountain with eternal implications.
[01:02:02] There is a hope we find for an unshakable future and there is a mediator that has made this hope possible.
[01:02:11] Yes?
[01:02:14] Jesus is the mediator of this new covenant.
[01:02:17] it says here verse 24 his sprinkled blood more perfect than the blood spilled from Abel when he bore the punishment of our sin God's judgment shook the earth yes what happened when Jesus died on the cross he bore the penalty of our sin and he cried out it is finished yes what took place the curtain separating us from God
[01:02:44] The most holy of holies, the high priest would go once a year.
[01:02:47] That curtain was torn from top to bottom.
[01:02:51] Now the human priest was always standing because the work was never done.
[01:02:55] Christ, when he accomplished this, it is finished.
[01:03:00] As he lived our life, as he lived the perfect life, as he conquered sin and death on our behalf, as he paved the way, he now sits at the throne.
[01:03:10] Why is he sitting?
[01:03:13] The work has been accomplished.
[01:03:16] And he's the mediator.
[01:03:17] And we can relate differently.
[01:03:19] This is a mountain we can approach.
[01:03:21] It tells us right here in the passage.
[01:03:23] He's the mediator of this covenant.
[01:03:27] And there's a way to receive an unshakable spirit.
[01:03:31] Jesus was shaken so that we could become unshakable.
[01:03:36] In Christ, through faith in him as Lord and Savior, we're not defined by what we do,
[01:03:43] We're not defined by what people say about us or by what we accumulate.
[01:03:47] Think about this.
[01:03:48] Jesus, remember his 40 days in the wilderness when he was tempted by Satan?
[01:03:55] What was the first temptation?
[01:03:59] Take this stone, right?
[01:04:01] Do what with it?
[01:04:03] Turn it to bread.
[01:04:06] You see what the temptation is?
[01:04:08] You are what you can do.
[01:04:11] Jesus said man cannot live by bread alone.
[01:04:13] What was the second temptation?
[01:04:14] Satan points to the top of the pinnacle of the temple and says, jump from there.
[01:04:20] People will be in awe.
[01:04:24] You are what people think of you.
[01:04:28] Remember what the third temptation was?
[01:04:32] Satan said, bow down to me.
[01:04:35] Look at everything around you.
[01:04:38] It's all yours.
[01:04:39] Just simply bow down to me.
[01:04:40] And Jesus looked at him and said, this is all a lie.
[01:04:46] It's not about what you do or what people say about you or what you possess.
[01:04:52] It's all a lie.
[01:04:53] In Christ, you are God's beloved.
[01:04:59] That's what defines you.
[01:05:00] You are a child of God.
[01:05:02] You are a new creation.
[01:05:04] We're told that we are his masterpiece.
[01:05:06] Yes, we're a work in progress, but he who began a good work will carry it on to completion.
[01:05:13] Verse 29, it says, God is a consuming fire, meaning God is a God of judgment.
[01:05:19] That's a reality, a spiritual reality.
[01:05:24] For those who build their lives according to the old way,
[01:05:28] You're shaken to the core and consumed by an eternal inferno.
[01:05:34] However, for those who are in Christ, the flames are not fatal.
[01:05:39] It's a refining fire.
[01:05:41] There's nothing to fear.
[01:05:42] It may prune you and strip you of things that are weighing you down and by grace it will strengthen you and on the day of judgment you'll have nothing to fear because you are the beloved in Christ.
[01:05:55] You can stand before the throne with confidence.
[01:05:59] Our hope is in Jesus.
[01:06:03] He's the anchor for our soul.
[01:06:05] He gives us eternal footing in a world that right now is presently shaking.
[01:06:12] But on that day, those in Christ will be unshakable.
[01:06:19] Well done, good and faithful servant.
[01:06:23] Enter into this eternal kingdom.
[01:06:26] Again, through faith in Him, you are unshakable.
[01:06:30] Let's close this time in prayer.
[01:06:38] Heavenly Father, on a day like today, our desire is to celebrate your faithfulness.
[01:06:48] Lord, we're told even in this passage to do so with reverence and in awe.
[01:06:56] So Lord, with humble hearts, we say thank you.
[01:06:59] We express our love for you.
[01:07:03] Lord, we are grateful for that gift, not hope in the sense of wishful thinking, but that certain hope that we possess through the gift of grace through faith in your son Jesus.
[01:07:18] Thank you that he paved the way for each person in this room.
[01:07:25] And Lord, when life hits us hard, may we not lose that heavenly perspective.
[01:07:32] We pray all these things in Jesus' name.
[01:07:34] Amen.
[01:07:56] The celebration is not over so we invite you to come downstairs after the service to join us for food and for fellowship in prehistory, the past 150 years.
[01:08:23] and also a glimpse into the future.
[01:08:25] If you came not realizing there's a meal today and you just come join us, we'll probably have a full room so there are plenty of tables set up in there so do your best to and maybe be conscious of people that are in families and I think we can do that well as we give and take.
[01:08:45] As we leave this place, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the love of God our Father, may the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with each and every one of you
[01:08:53] Now and forever.
[01:08:54] Amen.

[01:09:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Great is thy faithfulness, O God,
[01:09:21] There is no shadow of turning within.
[01:10:13] of Christ Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
[01:11:01] PRAISE HIS NAME
[01:12:05] The Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit,
[01:12:50] Amen!

[01:13:09] [SPEAKER UNKNOWN]:
Whoo!
[01:13:41] In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
[01:13:54] Amen.

[01:14:51] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Let us pray.
[01:15:18] Let us pray.
[01:15:21] The Gospel of the Apostles