Things That Cannot Be Shaken (Hebrews 12:25-29)
In a world where change and uncertainty are constant, it's natural to wonder what foundations truly last. This sermon guides listeners to consider what, amidst all the shaking, remains eternally steadfast and secure.
The sermon explores God's purposeful shaking of temporary earthly things to reveal what is eternal and unshakable: God Himself, His Word, and our personal relationship with Him through Christ.
Overview
This sermon addresses the question of what it takes to shake one's faith, noting that many things in the world are being shaken, sometimes by God to dislodge false security. The preacher turns to Hebrews 12:25-29, explaining that God promises to shake not only the earth but also the heavens, removing created things that can be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain.
The message posits that God has historically shaken nations that ignored Him, and continues to do so in the present, evident in the global lack of peace and contentment despite human efforts. Material possessions, often seen as security, are fleeting and easily lost, prompting a vital question: what do we possess that is truly solid, immovable, and unchangeable?
The sermon then identifies three fundamental realities that cannot be shaken. First, Almighty God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is sovereign, omnipotent, and in absolute control, unmoved by human actions or prayers which instead position us for His will. Second, the Word of God, as revealed in Isaiah 40:8, stands forever despite centuries of criticism and attempts to destroy it, remaining a living, saving, and instructing guide.
Finally, our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is presented as unshakable. Citing John 10:27-29 and Romans 8:35-39, the preacher affirms that nothing—neither death, life, angels, powers, nor any created thing—can separate a believer from God's love. This relationship, sealed by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ's atoning death, offers eternal security and remains steadfast, even in times of divine discipline.
Key points
- God is actively shaking many things in the world to expose false security and dependence on material things.
- Hebrews 12:27 teaches that God removes things that can be shaken so that the unshakable may remain.
- Three realities are identified as unshakable: Almighty God, His eternal Word, and our personal relationship with Him through Christ.
- God is sovereign and omnipotent; prayer positions us for His will, rather than changing His mind.
- The Word of God (the Bible) is the unchanging revelation of God, enduring all criticism and remaining powerful.
- Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit through faith in His death.
- Nothing in this world—no tribulation, distress, or any other created thing—can separate a believer from God’s unconditional love in Christ (Romans 8:35-39).
In Charles Stanley's words
“This expression, 'Yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”
“My Father which gave them to me is greater than all. I and my Father are one.”
Outline
- I. Introduction: What can shake your faith?
- II. God is Shaking the Earth (Hebrews 12:25-29)
- A. God's purpose in shaking: Remove things that can be shaken so the unshakable remain
- B. Historical examples of God shaking nations
- C. Present-day shaking: Lack of peace, material insecurity
- III. What Cannot Be Shaken
- A. Almighty God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
- 1. God is sovereign, omnipotent, in control
- 2. Prayer positions us for God's will, does not move God
- B. The Word of God
- 1. Revelation of God (Isaiah 40:8)
- 2. Endures despite criticism and attempts to destroy it
- C. Our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ
- 1. Eternal life and security (John 10:27-29)
- 2. Sealed by the Holy Spirit upon faith in Christ's death
- 3. Nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:35-39)
- 4. God's unconditional love and divine discipline
Scripture references
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Insights
Earthly security often relies on things that can quickly disappear.
God actively reshapes the world to reveal what truly endures.
Prayer aligns human desires with God's unchanging will.
Questions & answers
Why does God shake things in the world?
The sermon suggests God shakes things, including nations, to challenge a sense of false security and to refocus people from material dependence to dependence on Him. His shaking removes what is temporary so that eternal things can remain.
What is the primary message of Hebrews 12:25-29 in this sermon?
This passage highlights God's promise to shake both earth and heaven, signifying the removal of all created things that can be shaken. The purpose is to allow only those things that are permanent and unshakable to endure.
How does prayer relate to God's unshakeable nature?
The preacher explains that prayer does not 'move' or change God, who is sovereign and unchanging. Instead, prayer positions us to align with God's already predetermined will, allowing Him to work in our lives as He intends.
What makes the Word of God unshakable?
The sermon states that the Word of God is unshakable because it is God's own revelation of Himself. Despite centuries of criticism, burning, and attempts to mythologize it, the Bible continues to endure and impact lives, standing forever as stated in Isaiah 40:8.
Can a believer lose their salvation, according to this sermon?
No, the sermon argues that a personal relationship with God through Christ cannot be shaken. Citing John 10:27-29 and Romans 8:35-39, it asserts that nothing can separate a believer from God's love, emphasizing that salvation is sealed by the Holy Spirit and sustained by God's unchanging, unconditional love.
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Unofficial AI summary for study purposes. Watch the full sermon on In Touch Ministries. Sermon Insights is not affiliated with or endorsed by the pastor or church.