This week we will be concluding our series in Hebrews. And we’re looking at the theme of a tale of two cities. We reside in the city of man. But we are citizens of the city of God. And it’s the tension of living in the one while being a citizen of the other that forms the tension that God uses to grow and stretch us in our seasons of struggle and hardship.

This week we are looking at how that living in the tension of being between two worlds provides the resources that we need to stand in the midst of trials and hard times. And the tension comes in that we are residents of this world, the city of man. And yet we are citizens of another world, the city of God.

This week we are looking at the author’s description of the tale of two cities. The city of man is the dog-eat-dog world of selfishness in which we live. And the city of God is the new society that is coming, where justice and sacrificial service will prevail. But all this is given in the context of how to stand in the midst of challenging circumstances and hardships. So how does knowing this have any bearing on being able to not give up when life starts to fall apart?

This week we will dip back into chapter 11 along with chapter 13 to look at the biblical theme of a tale of two cities. As we’ve seen, the overall message of this book is to encourage believers who are struggling deeply with life. And they’re not sure if they’re going to make it. And the writer introduces us to a critical concept for the believer to understand if he/she is going to be able to navigate these challenging times. And it’s the idea of being resident aliens.

In our Appalachian culture, it’s easy to believe two lies. First, that how well I live will determine how God loves and relates to me in the moment. And second, that my relationship with God is a personal, private matter.

This week we are seeing how the primary way we pursue God and experience his “consuming-fire” presence is through community. The writer to the Hebrews has been showing us how we no longer have to approach that fiery presence with fear and trembling, using external rituals and ceremony to access the God “over there”. But now, because of Jesus, a new way has been opened to access God through community. And the reason for this is: God is no longer separate from us - over there - at a distance. But he dwells within us. And every person who has experienced the grace of God has that “consuming-fire” presence burning within them.

It’s almost shocking to our individualistic minds to grasp that God is telling us the main way we now experience him is in community. We understand what it means to experience life (both the good and the bad) through the lens of family. But when it comes to religion, we tend to focus more on “me and God”.

Suddenly, the author here begins to talk about community, and the essential need of being part of a robust community of people who have experienced the gospel. So why the sudden shift in topic? Well, it’s actually not a shift. But it’s a part of his continuing argument. And essentially what he’s saying here is, here is how we receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. If you are going to make it in this hard life, you need a deep, robust community of others who have experienced - and are experiencing - the amazing grace of God.

None of us like to face struggles in this life. We pour all our time and energy into minimizing those challenging circumstances that we don’t like and maximizing ways to experience happiness and pleasure. Even our prayer life is consumed with pleas for God to change our circumstances so that they are more enjoyable. And yet the irony is, we’re still never happy. Despite all this effort, we’re never fully satisfied.

So, how do we get that unshakable life? And it’s interesting that his conclusion is: it comes when we turn to God as the Judge. He says, “You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” But how can a Judge be the source of an unshakable identity?