But we are receiving a place where we will rule with God. We belong to God’s kingdom, and nobody can ever shake that! So we should thank God. We should worship him in a way that makes him happy. He is great, and we should serve him well and respect him.
Hebrews 12:28 EASY TO READ VERSION
 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS 
 One of the purposes of the writer of the book is to demonstrate the Superiority of Christ over the universe- spiritual and Physical. 
 
The writer introduced Christ as 
Man
Apostle 
Prophet 
Priest – Saviour
King
 
CHRIST’S SUPERIORITY 
Because the Jews pride themselves in the monotheistic religion, God’s covenant with Abraham, the Torah, their prophets, dynasties, the temples and synagogues, Sabbath worship, they regarded every other peoples as Gentiles. 
 
However, the writer wanted to prove to the Jewish Christians, recipients of the book that Christ is superior to all of these. 
 
– Prophets. Hebrews 1:1-3
 
– Angels. Hebrews 1:4-2:18
 
– Moses. Hebrews 3:1-4:2
 
– Joshua. Hebrews 4:3-13
 
– Levitical Priesthood. Hebrews 4:14-7:28
 
– Melchizedek. Hebrews 7
 
– The old tabernacle, the temple and the sacrifices. Hebrews 9:1-27
 
      # Sometime around 587 B.C., the Babylonians destroyed the first Temple and sent
       many Jews into exile.
 
       # A second Temple was built in about 516 B.C. but was eventually destroyed by the
        Romans in A.D. 70.
 
 
 
– The new covenant in Christ’s blood better than the old covenant. Hebrews 10:1-31
 
– Christ better than Old Testament Heroes of faith . Hebrews 11:1-40
    All of them died without receiving the promise. 
    God had provided SOME BETTER THINGS FOR US. Hebrews 11:39-40.
 
– Parents . Hebrews 12:3-13:25
 
– Blood of Abel. Hebrews 12:24
 
ALL OF THESE HAVE BEEN SHAKEN AWAY WITH THE COMING OF THE GOSPEL.
 
 
A. THE KINGDOM PROMISED
OT
1. A Kingdom of priests Exodus 19:6;   
2. The saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom. Daniel 7:18, 27
 
NT
3. It is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
4. I appoint unto you a kingdom…Luke 22:28-30 
 
 
B. THE KINGDOM RECEIVED 
 
1. We have received the kingdom. 
When one becomes born again, he sees and enters the kingdom. John 3: 3, 5; Luke 17:20-21
 
2. We are receiving the kingdom 
     @ in promise from a trustworthy man.
      @ in principle, because we see the principles at work in our lives
      @ in power, because of changed lives. 
      @ in provisions and protection 
       @ in community, as we gather to worship 
 
3. We shall receive the kingdom at Christ’s coming.
   
We don’t have it full yet, but we are receiving it constantly and perpetually. 
 
 
 
C. THE KINGDOM INTEGRITY 
It can never be shaken or moved.
 
Structural integrity is an engineering field that helps ensure that either a structure or structural component is fit for purpose under normal operational conditions and is safe even should conditions exceed that of the original design. This includes supporting its own weight, aiming to prevent deformation, breaking and catastrophic failure throughout its predicted lifetime.
 
1. Pharaoh could not overcome it. 
2. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the kingdom outlived other kingdoms. Daniel 2:32-35
    The elements – iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold represented different kingdoms. 
Gold – head                                                 = Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar
Silver – breast and arm                             = Median empire. Cyrus
Brass or Bronze – belly and thighs          = Persian empire
Iron – legs                                                    = Greco-Roman empire
Iron – Clay feet                                            = other kingdoms annexed by the Romans 
 
 
 
 
3. The kingdom can never pass away, because its king can never be removed or overthrown or voted out.
 
Daniel 2: 34-35; 44-45
Jesus is the uncut stone that demolished the image from the feet – a very weak alloy of iron and clay.
 
 
 
By 2020 estimates, Wikipedia have the following statistics of 7 most popular religions:
@ Christianity =      31.1%
@ Islam =                24.9%
@ Irreligion =          15.6%
@ Hinduism =         15.2%
@ Buddhism =          6.6%
@ Folk religions =    5.6%
 
 
     – no power can destroy it
     – it has endured over 2,000 years of persecution 
 
       # Early Christians were persecuted for their faith by both Jewish and Roman leaders.
 
       # In A.D. 64, Emperor Nero blamed Christians for a fire that broke out in Rome. 
            Many were brutally tortured and killed during this time.
 
       # Under Emperor Domitian, Christianity was illegal. If a person confessed to being a Christian, he or she was executed.
 
       # Starting in A.D. 303, Christians faced the most severe persecutions to date under the co-emperors Diocletian and Galerius. This became known as the Great Persecution.
 
       
 
     – it has outlived revolutions upon revolutions 
     – every attempt to destroy it have failed 
     – it’s laws, principles, and influence have survived man-made ideologies and philosophies 
 
4. It is a kingdom that cannot 
      – be agitated 
      – be shaken 
      – be cast down 
      – waver
      – be unsettled 
      – be changed – unchanged and unchangeable 
      – be subject to movement 
      – be taken 
      – it is fixed 
     
THAT KINGDOM IS IN YOU. Luke 17:20-21
We live by its 
Power
Grace
Words
Principles 
Protection 
Prosperity 
 
 
GOD SHAKES EVERY 
1. The shaken was predicted in the Old Testament 
   @ Exodus 19:16; Sinai experience. His voice shook the mountain. 
 
  @ God promised to shake kingdoms, nations, empires etc. Haggai 2:6-7
 
2. Many kingdoms have been shaken away.
 In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the kingdom outlived other kingdoms. Daniel 2:32-35
    The elements – iron, clay, brass, silver, and gold represented different kingdoms. 
     – They represented the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, Roman empires. They all fell.
 
3. God is still shaking kingdoms 
– kingdoms in West African- Songhai, Mali, Ghana, Benin, Oyo etc.
– Communism
– Apartheid 
– Any government built by men are being shaken now. 
 
 
4. Only the Foundation of Jesus will stand at last. 
   – The gospel have always triumphed over every adversity and persecution. 
 
 
CHALLENGE 
A. DO NOT REFUSE HIM WHO SPEAKS. Hebrews 12:25
 
– The Israelites refused to listen to Moses, they all perished except two
– The Israelites refused to listen to the prophets, they were killed and carried exile. 
– They refused to listen to Jesus, Paul and others, they were massacred by Nero in AD 70
– The temple was destroyed forever.
– The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population
 
HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE? this question was asked twice in this book. Hebrews 2:3; 12:25
 
 
 
B. LET US HAVE GRACE. Grace and Mercy
1. Let us have grace: seek and receive grace
2. Let us be thankful 
3. Let us serve God acceptably. 
4. Let us serve God with reverence and Godly fear
 
SERVING GOD COMES WITH FULFILLMENT AND REWARDS 
 
 
C. GOD IS A CONSUMING FIRE.
– He is a jealous God. 
 
ALL OF THEM SURVIVED BY GRACE.
 
 
REASON:
To remove those things dangerous to our destinies. Hebrews 12:27
So that those things God desires will remain in us. 
 
 
 
PRAYERS
2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-18
 
1 Corinthians 15: 58
 
1 Peter 5:8-10