Hebrews 12:18-29, New International Reader's Version

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

18 You haven’t come to a mountain that can be touched. You haven’t come to a mountain burning with fire. You haven’t come to darkness, gloom and storm. 19 You haven’t come to a blast from God’s trumpet. You haven’t come to a voice speaking to you. When people heard that voice long ago, they begged it not to say anything more to them. 20 What God commanded was too much for them. He said, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be killed with stones.” (Exodus 19:12,13) 21 The sight was terrifying. Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” (Deuteronomy 9:19)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the living God. This is the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to a joyful gathering of angels. There are thousands and thousands of them. 23 You have come to the church of God’s people. God’s first and only Son is over all things. God’s people share in what belongs to his Son. Their names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the Judge of all people. You have come to the spirits of godly people who have been made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus. He is the go-between of a new covenant. You have come to the sprinkled blood. It promises better things than the blood of Abel.

25 Be sure that you don’t say no to the one who speaks. People did not escape when they said no to the one who warned them on earth. And what if we turn away from the one who warns us from heaven? How much less will we escape! 26 At that time his voice shook the earth. But now he has promised, “Once more I will shake the earth. I will also shake the heavens.” (Haggai 2:6) 27 The words “once more” point out that what can be shaken can be taken away. I’m talking about created things. Then what can’t be shaken will remain.

28 We are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. Let us worship him with deep respect and wonder. 29 Our “God is like a fire that burns everything up.” (Deuteronomy 4:24)

Message:

Have you ever seen the television program The Brady Bunch? (Most children will not have heard of it, so take a moment to explain the show to them.) According to Chat GPT, The Brady Bunch is an old TV show about a big, happy family with lots of kids! There’s a mom with three girls and a dad with three boys. When the parents married, their children became brothers and sisters. They live together in one house and have silly and fun adventures, such as school plays, lost pets, and learning to get along. Even though the show aired a long time ago, it’s full of funny moments, catchy songs, and lessons about being kind, sharing, and loving your family.

The TV show began each week with a catchy song. I can show you how popular this TV show was by singing the opening song. As I begin, notice how the rest of the adults in this room begin to sing along. (Turn to the congregation as you begin.)

Here's the story of a lovely lady…
(Due to copyright restrictions the remaining lyrics are not posted.)
Lyrics by Frank DeVol and Sherwood Schwartz.

(Encourage adults who remember the song to join in singing).

That TV show was very popular. Look at all the people who remembered the words to the show’s opening song.
It was easy for many people in this room to remember an old TV show’s theme song. Similarly, I want to teach you about today’s scripture passage. Hebrews 12:18-29 tells us about two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Mount Sinai represents the old covenant between God and God’s people. Have you ever heard the word “covenant” before? A “covenant” is a promise or agreement among people. In the Bible, it is a promise between God and the people. Mount Sinai is the old covenant. The old covenant was filled with fear, and people were afraid of God. Mount Zion is the new covenant, a new promise of love, joy, and grace in Jesus.

Do you understand the difference between the old and new covenants? Mount Sinai represents fear of God. That's the old way of having a relationship with God. The old way focused on rules, not love. People were afraid God would punish them when they made mistakes. Mount Zion represents a new way of life filled with love, joy, grace, and all the things centered in a relationship with Jesus. Jesus came to show us God's love and forgiveness, which helps us learn. Mount Zion is about coming to God with joy and feeling the warmth of God’s love because of Jesus. It’s not rules, but relationships that make this new covenant so wonderful.

God doesn’t want us to be afraid. When we put Jesus first in our lives, he brings us to a better place – a place of true love and joy, a place where we can worship God with a thankful heart, a place like this church, where we come together to praise God and grow in our faith.

To help us remember the story of the two mountains in today’s scripture, I have created [with some help from ChatGPT] a song to the familiar tune of The Brady Bunch television show. Listen to hear the words of the two covenants we just talked about.

"The Story of Two Mountains" (to The Brady Bunch tune)
(Inspired by Hebrews 12:18–29)

Here's the story... of a mountain called Mount Sinai,
It was fiery, smoky, scary, full of fear.
God was holy, and the people trembled,
Loud and shaking—don’t come near!
Then the story... brings us to Mount Zion,
Where there’s singing, joy, and Jesus full of grace.
There’s forgiveness; there is love and welcome,
God’s smile upon your face.

Now this story... tells of two different mountains—
Old and new, two ways that people knew the Lord.
But with Jesus, we are loved and welcomed,
A brand new friendship is our reward!

Mount Sinai
Was all law and thunder!
Mount Zion
Brings us grace and wonder!
Now we worship with joy and love so true—
Because of Jesus, God’s love shines through!
Yes, because of Jesus... God’s love shines through!

That was a fun way to help us remember that God’s love shines through.

Prayer:

God, whose love shines through, we give you thanks. We give you thanks that because of Jesus, we can worship with joy and love so true. We give you thanks that with Jesus, we are loved and welcomed. Thank you for making each of us feel the love that brings grace and wonder! Amen.

Between the Sundays: Family Conversation Starters

We have added conversation starters to each children’s message series to help spark conversations within families during the week. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce learning and nurture faith formation for the entire family.

Spend time this week coloring the page below. As you color the page, discuss the words and images on the piece of paper. What do you see? When you look at the pictures, how do you feel? Do the images make you happy? Do they make you sad? What other feelings do you have? What colors did you use in the pictures? Why did you choose those colors?

When looking at the coloring page, discuss which mountain you prefer to visit and why. Would you choose to go to Mount Sinai or Mount Zion?

As a family, create a covenant between your family and God. Write the promises that you have made this week to God. Do you feel that your covenant is one of Mt. Sinai rules or Mt. Zion relationships? Is your faith based on rules or relationships? Or perhaps there is a good balance of both. With your family, discuss the differences between the two mountains.

Sing “The Story of the Two Mountains (to the tune from The Brady Bunch). Ask the adults who remember the show to share their memories of watching it on television. Spend time discussing what lyrics of the song are your favorite. Discuss these words:

Now we worship with joy and love so true—
Because of Jesus, God’s love shines through!
Yes, because of Jesus... God’s love shines through!

How did you worship this week with joy and love so true? Think of faithful ways to show others this week that it is because of Jesus that God’s love shines through. What can you do to show others that you can come to God with a thankful heart, without fear?

Watch the video of the song "Never Be Shaken." Verses 28-29 of our scripture say,

“We are receiving a kingdom that can’t be shaken. So let us be thankful. Then we can worship God in a way that pleases him. Let us worship him with deep respect and wonder.”

Discuss how it makes you feel to know that God’s promise is to be your shield and strength that cannot be shaken. What did you do today to worship God in a way that pleases God?