Harden Not Your Hearts If You Hear His Voice Today

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you know JESUS's voice?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we need to know and recognize JESUS's voice for there are lots of anti-christ in this world with same voices.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 4:7 (Amplified Bible)

4:7 Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted, Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts.

V. THESIS:

We know our Shepher's voice and that's the voice of JESUS, and we quickly obey and follow the Shepherd.

VI. TITLE:

Harden not your hearts if you hear His voice today

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Again GOD sets a definite day called Today, another opportunity of securing GOD's Rest

"Again He sets a definite day, [a new] Today, [and gives another opportunity of securing that rest] saying through David after so long a time in the words already quoted,"

Today came from the Greek word: "semeron" meaning:

1. this (very) day)

2. what has happened today

3. genitively now

4. that is, at present

Hebrews 3:13 (The Message)

3:13 For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes.

Hebrews 3:15 (The Message)

3:15 These words keep ringing in our ears: Today, please listen; don't turn a deaf ear as in the bitter uprising.

Hebrews 13:8 (The Message)

13:8 For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.

James 4:13-15 (The Message)

4:13 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, "Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. We're going to start a business and make a lot of money."

4:14 You don't know the first thing about tomorrow. You're nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing.

4:15 Instead, make it a habit to say, "If the Master wills it and we're still alive, we'll do this or that."

Our today is different from GOD's Today, if we do it our way, our today will be frustrated because of pending "work" but if we let GOD do His Way for GOD's Today, it will be done, nothing's too hard for GOD. Pray in the Spirit, in your prayer language about anything you like and watch how GOD will do it in you today. For your own self-effort, you might finish a project in years but in GOD's Today, He can do it in just one day (Today).

B. If you hear GOD's Voice, do not harden your hearts

"Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts."

Psalms 95:7 (Amplified Bible)

95:7 For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice,

John 10:14 (Amplified Bible)

10:14 I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me—

John 10:3-4 (Amplified Bible)

10:3 The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out.

10:4 When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10:16 (Amplified Bible)

10:16 And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.

John 10:27 (Amplified Bible)

10:27 The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me.

1 John 2:18 (The Message)

2:18 Children, time is just about up. You heard that Antichrist is coming. Well, they're all over the place, antichrists everywhere you look. That's how we know that we're close to the end.

We need to recognize and know JESUS's voice for there are lots of antichrists in this world that mimics JESUS's voice, be alert, awake and know the difference.