Seeing God

Aaron, come forward. So this is Aaron Prelock, and I suspect that almost none of you know him and his wife. I met Aaron in person about a month ago for the first time, but we've known each other for a couple of years. Eric was born and raised near Lafayette, Indiana, just north of here, was trained for ministry at Faith Seminary up there, and has spent the last nine years? Ten years. Ten years in London serving an evangelical Protestant church there, but now has come back with his wife, Kate, and their children. to the States to be closer to family. And so he is a pastor and a brother and a friend. And so I encourage you to give your heart to him. Also, please do pray for him and his family as they're looking to settle back into the States. You can imagine if you were gone for a decade, that settling in would be some work. It requires some faith. So please do keep them in your place. Thank you. It has been an adjustment. I come back and find out Camaros and Challengers are no more. Gone for 10 years and these classic cars are no more.

Learning what foods are still available, what foods are not. Sweeties for my kids. Wanting to come back. I'll get you all of these bubble gums that don't exist anymore. Challenging. Finding out how much food costs now compared to when we left. Oh, my. Oh, my. There's been a lot settling in that's had to happen, but it has been good. It is good to be back in the U.S. It's good to be with brothers like David, like the Evangelical Brothers. Let's look at God's Word now. Hebrews chapter 12. Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 12, verses 14 to 17. Do you want to see God? Good. But I wonder how much thought we actually put to this. The Bible says no man can see God. How much of our reading through Scripture do we actually think about? I wonder what God looks like in this particular situation. I can think of...

many stories throughout scripture that I want to see God or want to see what happened. I can think of a number of stories throughout my Bible reading that I would love to have seen, like Daniel's three friends when the fourth figure shows up in the midst of the fiery furnace, or perhaps the resurrection to see the look on the women's faces when they realize Jesus has been raised from the dead, or Peter at the day of Pentecost when despite cowering only days before, stands up with boldness and preaches the gospel to those who put Jesus to death. How much time do you and I think about wanting to see God himself? For much of the last 2,000 years of the history of the church, the ultimate happiness for believers was described in terms of beatitude, beatification, the happiness that comes from seeing God as he is. Brothers and sisters, seeing God is not something that is only something that will happen when we die. In this life, we begin to see God as he works in and through us, as we see him in his word, as we see his power at work in our lives. Seeing God is something of a goal for how we are to live our lives today.

Let's stand together and read Hebrews chapter 12, verses 14 to 17. Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. This is the word of the Lord. Let's pray. Father, we pray that this morning you would open our eyes to see you in your word. And as we see who you are, may we see what you desire of us.

Father, you have put your spirit in us to make us like Christ, and we pray that this morning, our looking at this passage in Hebrews would truly make us like Christ. We pray this all in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen. Please be seated. If you're following along, if you're taking notes, I have three points this morning to help us understand from Hebrews chapter 12 what it is to see God, or what is required of us. that we might see God. Three points. I think the first will be the longest. We'll see. I think the first will be the longest. Point number one from verse 14. Labor to be holy. Labor to be holy. Let's look back again to Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14. Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. The author of Hebrews is using very active language here.

pursue, strive for, labor towards. What does he say? Peace and sanctification. We'll come to those in a moment. But notice even at the very beginning here, the Christian life is active. It's strenuous. It requires effort. It's difficult. In other words, Christianity, biblical Christianity, that is, is not just passive. One of the real issues I had to fight in my circles in London was the idea that sanctification took place merely by beholding and then becoming. There was an idea that was common in our circles that if we just saw Jesus more, if we saw him more accurately or more clearly or just more, if I saw Jesus more, then I would simply be like him because of seeing him. There's some truth in that.

As we see Jesus, we see who we are to be, but it's an incomplete picture at best, and it minimizes the necessity of an active role that we must play in pursuing Christlikeness. I think it's fair to say most of us are very good at pursuing the things that we want to pursue. We're happy to pursue our own lusts. We're happy to chase after our own sins. But do we pursue peace and sanctification? A number of years ago, I was bow hunting. Very excited. Saw a deer about 40 yards across a clearing. Drew hit the satisfying thwack. I hadn't been bow hunting very often. Not very good at hunting. I like hunting. So I knocked another arrow and chased after it. I pursued, or at least attempted, to pursue that deer.

What happened? Swiftly outran, and I lost an arrow and a broadhead in the process. What sort of things do you and I pursue? What sort of things do we labor after? Maybe it's a career or a house or a relationship or an accomplishment. But peace with those here in this congregation, sanctification, do we pursue? Do we labor after sanctification? Is that the central and beating heart of our Christian lives? To labor, to exert effort, to live strenuously for peace and sanctification. Peace and sanctification do go together in the home, in the church, at work. We already heard during the Sunday school hour about the necessity of forgiveness.

Peace requires lots of forgiveness. Forgiveness requires effort, labor, diligent work, putting to death our sins, laboring to help those around us fight Christlikeness as well. So Paul, not maybe Paul, the author of Hebrews here is reminding us, pursue peace. Rather than pursuing what's important to us, which often results in division in the local congregation, pursue peace and sanctification. If you're truly pursuing peace, you are going to be pursuing godliness. And if you're truly pursuing godliness, it will result in peace as one of the fruit of the Spirit. This means that sanctification is absolutely necessary for salvation. I know our salvation is not by works, but our salvation is not without works. Pursue peace with all men.

The sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Did you notice, though, at the end of the verse, pursue sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. In other words, if you and I are not being sanctified, if we are not being made more like Christ, we will not see the Lord. We can have no hope that we will see the Lord. unless his power is demonstrated in and through us to accomplish the things that he has commanded us to do. Think about Jesus' blessing. As Jesus is teaching in the crowds, a woman calls out, Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you. It always seems to be a bit of a strange thing to shout out randomly in a crowd. Maybe it's just because I don't understand ancient...

Israelite culture, but it seemed a bit of a weird thing, like she was really just focusing on how awesome it must have been to have been Jesus' mother. What does Jesus say? Blessed, rather, are those who hear the word of the Lord and put it into practice. Pursue peace with all men in the sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord. Brothers and sisters, are we concerned about seeing the Lord? Do we want to see the Lord? Do we long for the day when we see God as he is? When we don't have to look at him through the eyes of faith and hope, but we see him only with love. For he is right there before us. Do we long for that? Then let us strive for sanctification today. For without sanctification, we shall not see the Lord. But there's an encouragement that goes with this as well.

Are you fighting against your sin? Are you laboring for peace? Are you striving for godliness? Are you seeking to live a life conformed to Jesus' image? Then dear brother or sister, know you will see the Lord. Your labor will not be in vain. Your suffering today is not for nothing. You have this hope. That because of the Spirit's work in you, because of Christ's satisfaction for you, you will see the Lord. Do not grow weary. Live in light of the hope that Christ has put within you. But again, back to this question, do you want to see the Lord? Let me ask you all here. I have the benefit of knowing very few here. I don't know whether you're a member of this church or not. I don't know whether you're a Christian or not. Let me ask you, do you want...

To see the Lord. A desire to see the Lord is something only a Christian can have, at least in any meaningful way. Now, for someone who's not a Christian, why would you want to see God? And if you understand Scripture's teaching, to see God without being, as the Bible says, clothed in the righteousness of Christ is a terrifying prospect. Do you want to see the Lord? If you're not a Christian here, Today, I would urge you, look at what the rest of Hebrews says about who Jesus is and what he has done for his people. He has offered through his blood on the cross forgiveness to all who would acknowledge their sins and call on his name. Forgiveness means being able to stand before God without being consumed because of our sins. Christians are not Christians because we are good people.

Because we are more righteous than anyone else. Certainly not because we are nicer than everyone else. Those who are Christians are Christians because we have acknowledged our sin to Jesus. And we can look to God without fear. We can know that Jesus has seen not only our sin, but also our Savior's righteousness. And has granted us forgiveness for his son Jesus. Say, if you are not a Christian, I would urge you. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Call upon his name. Repent. Acknowledge your sins before God. Say about yourself what God says. Find forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, and hope. Not just for this life, but hope for the life to come. Labor to be whole. The second point from this passage. The second point, verses 15 and 16. Watch out.

for sin's defilement. Watch out for sin's defilement. The author urges us, see to it that no one comes short of the grace of God. No root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled. That there be no immoral or godless person like Esau who sold his own birthright for a single meal. It's interesting to me here in verse 15, the language stood out to me. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God. I don't know what that reminds you of, but it reminded me of Romans 3.23. We have all fallen short of God's glory. Every one of us. Yet here the author reminds us, see to it that you don't fall short of God's grace. Every one of us has failed to live up to the standard of perfection that God has given to his creatures. But God in his mercy and his kindness offers us his grace.

He offers us a way of escape if we will cry upon his name. And so here, this warning is given to believers. God has showered his grace upon you through Jesus Christ. Don't dwell. God has done everything that's necessary for your redemption. Do not fall. Why? Why is this warning so important? Well, because it is. At least in the beginning. Proverbs talks about this. And sin tastes sweet at the beginning. I think that's the point here behind this idea. The reason bitterness springs up is God's trouble. I grew up hearing this verse thrown at me. Others heard it when I was. Anytime we ask a question. Leadership is true.

Anytime we ask the question about the teaching, is this actually what the Bible says? Can you justify this reward? I think you might have a little bitterness springing in. Say this for them. They were always on message. Came back again and again. But I don't think that's what the author is actually saying. Now, the problem here is not bitterness as a particular sin. No, that's a certain bitterness. The problem here is that sin springs up like a weed. Before you're aware of it, it springs up and flowers and seeds. It releases its poisonous aroma. Sin starts off sweet, but by the time you start to enjoy it, it brings out fat. The sin is a better. By the time you realize the way that you have been ensnared, by the time you realize that you have been caught, it's too late. It's crap. It's bitter. It's like a vegetable gap.

Yep, my parents having a massive vegetable garden. My job was, of course, to stay still, hate, and weep while you can't even grow. You let it go for a couple weeks, come back to you, and they're way too high. Of course, if you have parents like mine, take it out at the root. But it's almost an immature level of precision, it's a fear. So infuriating. He's a child. But the way that weeds grow up and choke out the plants that you actually want to have, choke out the fruits and vegetables that you're laboring so hard to have, that's what sin does. Again, this is why it's so important that we labor after holiness, that we pursue sanctification. Because all you have to do is take a break for a day or two. Sin springs up.

By the way, isn't God kind in letting sin be bitter to us? If drunkenness didn't include the nasty hangover afterward, if immorality didn't produce its awful fruit in our relationships, if we didn't see the impact of our anger in the faces of those opposite us, if we could simply get away with our sin and enjoy the pleasure that comes from it, why? Why would we believe what God has said about it? And so when we experience the bitterness that comes from our sin, when this root springs up and we feel the bitterness of our sin and trouble, we should thank God that his word is true. This is how God has promised that life is. If we sin, we die. And as we experience little tastes of death here and there in our relationships, even in our own souls, we remember God's...

word is true. Let every man be a liar, but God's word is true. So the author here warns us, watch out for sin's defilement. That language at the end of verse 15, this bitter root springs up to cause trouble and then defiles many. I wonder, what do you think of as defiling? What do you think is really gross? I have young children. Dirty diapers. Not just my kids. Other people's kids' dirty diapers? That's nasty. We used to have heroin addicts leaving their used needles and razors and hands, as they called them, behind our building. That was gross. I think back during COVID. Oh, the fun times that we had several years ago. Do you remember how people seemed to think views were defiling? If I got to listen to someone's view on COVID that I didn't agree with? Oh, I felt defiled by having to listen to that. So we separated ourselves out and segregated ourselves out so we didn't have to hear other people's views that we didn't agree with. Think of a hospital ward. There's a sharp spot. Special ways to put needles or medical supplies in so that we don't risk being defiled by things that are really icky. But do we think sin is defiling in that way? Do we have a natural sort of recoiling?

from sin in our hearts. The sins that are brought up here, immorality, godlessness, living for our own desires and lusts, when we see that in our hearts, do we feel like we feel when we see a used needle or a dirty razor blade? Brothers and sisters, sin does defile us. Even as believers, it makes us dirty. It makes us gross. That's the point of the whole Old Testament system, by the way, to show us that sin is gross. It defiles not just our bodies, but our souls. If you look through the Old Testament, if you look through Leviticus, it's simply not possible to stay clean, to stay ritually pure. You have a cold or you get a, we'll just call it a sick bug. You're defiled. Things happen to you and you are defiled. Things that come out from you defile you. You cannot stay clean. What was the point of all of that? Say this is what our sin.

looks like to God. We need to be warned of our sin, lest we be defiled. Look at verse 16. What is it that the author is particularly concerned about? Well, immorality, godlessness, living for our lusts. Immorality defiles us. It's dirty in God's sight. Not just the actions of our bodies, but the desires of our hearts. This is why it's so important to fight not just the outward action of our sin. Like Jesus said, we don't just fight adultery and murder. We fight lust and we fight anger in our hearts because these things defile us. Godlessness defiles us. Thinking and feeling and living and choosing on the basis of what the world says rather than what God says.

This defiles us. Esau, living for his belly, defiles us. And the author here of Hebrews is writing to believers. Believers who, if we read more in the book of Hebrews, who have suffered greatly for their faith in Christ, and yet the author still says, don't be like Esau. Esau is very clearly not a Christian. The author still holds up Esau and says, watch out that you be like this. Do you remember Esau? Why would we? Do you remember Esau? Comes in, smells some stew, says, give me that or I die. Come on. That's how we feel. Especially men, I think. Give me food or I die. Even in marriage, give me food or I die. Give me sex or I die. Give me what I want, peace and quiet or I die. Living for our bellies, living as a slave of our desires.

And how many men and women are simply enslaved to the desires of their hearts? I don't know if that's you. Are you surrounded by relational carnage? Are you surrounded by people in your life that you are constantly hurting because of your impulsive actions, reckless words, bitter thoughts? Esau is a warning to us. Don't be like Esau. Watch out for sins defiled. First point, labor to be holy. Second point, watch for sin's defilement. Third and finally, know the blessing of true repentance. Know the blessing of true repentance. This, in verse 17, connects back to the beginning of verse 14. Pursue peace with all men and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. Verse 17 is a warning.

If you don't live this way, if you don't live a repentant life, if you don't pursue sanctification, watch out lest you be like Esau. Verse 17, for you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears. What's the author saying here? Well, he's... reaching back to Genesis and reminding us of the story of Esau and saying, look, Esau wanted Isaac to repent, but Esau was not so concerned about Esau repenting. And so what was left for him? What blessing was left for Esau? Where could he go to find true happiness since he had rejected the only source of happiness? Did you remember the story? Esau takes a couple of wives that it says are a stench in his parents' nose.

They're disgusting to his parents. So his solution is to take another one. Cutting off your nose to spite your face. Not exactly going to work. But Esau is again reminded to us, pointed out to us, don't be like Esau. You and I know this. We talked about this in the Sunday school hour about repentance. How often in repentance are we just trying to smooth things over? We're just trying to make things okay again. We're just trying to... remove the sting of our sin. We're trying to feel like things are back to normal. Esau wasn't interested in acknowledging that he was a slave to his belly in more ways than one. Esau was not interested in hearing that he was living for his goals, his priorities, rather than God's. Certainly not for his parents' priorities. Esau wanted to live however he wanted without experiencing any of the consequences. So you and I do as well. Let me ask you, when you sin and it's pointed out to you, are you more bothered that someone else sees it or has called you out? Or are you bothered that you've sinned against the Lord God of heaven and earth? When I sin in my marriage, I'm more annoyed that Kate's upset. It's like, get over it. It's not that big of a deal. As we heard earlier, not a biblical perspective.

Not a basis for forgiveness and repentance. But that's how we think, isn't it? It's not my sin against you shouldn't be that big of a deal. But why do we think that? Because we think my sin against God is not that big of a deal. Hebrews 12 is warning us. God will not allow us to put off repentance forever. There comes a time when we have not repented. There's not going to be any more option. or repentance. But we don't just get to look for the things that we want. We don't just get to pursue the happiness of the Christian life without doing the diligent labor, the effort, the striving after, the pursuing of sanctification. Sin brings consequences. Isn't this one of the simplest summaries of Old Testament religion? That God is trying to teach his people in the Old Testament. Sin brings consequences. Obedience brings...

blessing. Isn't that a very simple summary for teaching our kids? Sin brings consequences. Obedience brings blessing. And when we face the consequences for our sin, what is the proper response? Not to moan and be upset about the fact of the consequences, but to repent. To acknowledge God is just for bringing upon me the consequences that my actions have deserved. Therefore, I need to be more upset about my sin, the reality of my sin, than I am about the consequences I'm facing. If we don't repent, there's no blessing. And brothers and sisters, repentance is hard, isn't it? It's hard to go to someone else in a church, home, in a family, workplace, and say, I was wrong. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have said that. I should not have lived that way. My response was inappropriate. It's uncomfortable for us.

It's almost, probably not quite, but it's almost more uncomfortable when it's uncomfortable for them. When you're actually trying to repent, the person keeps trying to blow it off. No, no, no. Let's take this seriously here. Repentance is hard. It was encouraging to hear that today was going to be a communion Sunday. Because isn't that what communion is all about? Reminding us that Jesus' body had to be broken and blood had to be shed for our salvation. That puts to death forever the notion that my sin is not that big of a deal. The perfect, innocent, spotless Son of God had to die a horrific death in order for me to be saved. Therefore, there's no place for us saying our sin is not that big of a deal. There's no place for us trying to continually ease ourselves out of the hard work of repentance.

Notice at the end of verse 17, repentance isn't just sadness. Repentance isn't just tears. Repentance isn't just sorrow. This is what we read in Scripture of worldly sorrow versus godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is sorrow at the consequences, sorrow that makes me look bad, sorrow at things I don't like. Godly sorrow is I have sinned against God and against you. Therefore, I need to repent. Brothers and sisters, do you see here in verse 17? that blessing is linked with true repentance. To say it differently, do you want to be happy? Do you want to be truly happy? Okay, everyone wants to be happy. Absolutely everyone, even people who do terrible things to themselves or others do so because they want to be happy. Every one of us wants to be happy. Do you want to be happy God's way? Just to say truly happy and repent. Repent of your sin when it's pointed out to you and strive for Christ's likeness.

Again, back to Jesus' comments throughout the Gospels. Blessed are they who hear the word of the Lord and put it into practice. Blessed are they who hear what Jesus says and then do these things. Repentance has to be from the heart. We can't just be trying to avoid our consequences. Again, communion reminds us of this. Communion reminds us of this. Jesus offered his life as a ransom for my salvation. There's no place for pride. I approach the table, I approach repentance and sanctification with someone else. The bread and the wine remind us of the awful price that was paid for our sin, for our redemption. That frees us from having to say, or from being embarrassed by the weight of our sin. We all know, with one another, we're sinful. This is what reminds us of that. True happiness, true blessing comes.

from true repentance. And so, brothers and sisters, do you want to see God? Do you have a desire to see God as he is? Do you have a desire to live a godly Christian life and receive the reward that is offered to believers of seeing God in his holy temple? Follow what the author of Hebrews lays out for us. Labor to be holy. Not just a little bit, not just enough holiness, but labor. To live a life of peace and sanctification. Watch out for sin's defilement. Acknowledge that what God says is true. Sin defiles us. It's gross. And we need to hate that. We need to fight that in ourselves. Know the blessing of true repentance. Not just worldly sorrow. Not just enough to get by. Know the happiness that comes from a truly heartfelt, repentant Christian life.

Those who live this way can live with the hope and confidence that they shall surely see.