2/15/26
Rev. Clint Smith
Sermon Direct Link
The author lovingly draws his readers back more than a thousand years to remember God’s awe-inspiring encounter with His people at Sinai. As recorded in the Book of Exodus, that moment was marked by fire and trembling, by human failure and yet enduring faith. The mountain burned, the people feared, and the weight of God’s holiness was unmistakable. Exodus 19; 24; 32; Deuteronomy 9
But the writer of Hebrews does not leave us at Sinai. He gently reminds believers that we have not come to a mountain of fear, but to the grace of a new covenant. Because of Jesus, we do not stand at a distance in terror; we draw near with confidence. Those who trust in Him are not turned away, they are welcomed, registered in the Lamb’s Book of Life, and secured by His finished work. What once inspired fear now gives way to comfort, assurance, and abiding hope in Christ. Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 21
We are tenderly reminded that we have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem. To begin to grasp the wonder of this gift, we must lift our eyes and set our minds on the awesome realities of Heaven.
By sheer grace, God has given us the astonishing assurance that our citizenship is secure in His holy city. We belong there, not as strangers, but as welcomed sons and daughters. Our security rests not in shifting earthly circumstances, but in the unshakable promise of God. We are gathered with all the redeemed saints, surrounded by the joyful assembly of angels, and held fast in and by the presence of the living God Himself.
Such truth should steady our anxious hearts and strengthen weary souls. Our future is not uncertain; it is anchored in the God of the Heavenly City where He reigns, and where our names are known and forever registered.
Our hearts must adore Jesus, the Mediator of a new blood covenant. He is the gracious One who brings God and humanity together, not through fear or distance, but through His own sprinkled blood that speaks a better word: mercy instead of judgment, forgiveness instead of condemnation. He awaits His redeemed, not with reluctance, but with welcoming love secured by His finished work. 1 Timothy 2:1-6