SERIES: The Careful Considerations of Our Christian Confession—Hebrews 3:1-6; 7-17; 3:18--4:11; 4:11-13; 4:14---5:11
The Hebrews writer pressed upon his audience to deeply/profoundly consider the aspect of their Christian confession concerning Jesus as their Apostle & High Priest.
Thus the Hebrews writer pressed upon his audience to further consider the intricacies of a Christian confession.
’Christians,’ tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of a Christian confession.
What barriers/tendencies do ’Christians,’ tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in a Christian confession?
5 Challenges traditionists must face/reckon with in a Christian confession.
A—A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...
GREATER vs. LESSER STEWARDSHIP(3:1-6) Faithfulness
B— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...DEVOTED/SINGULAR/UNDIVIDED vs. DIVIDED HEART(3:7-19)
C— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of an...
ETERNAL(Permanent) vs. TEMPORAL(Temporary) REST(4:1-11)
D— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of an...
INVITING vs. FAILED SECRECY/Protection(4:11-13)
E— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of a...PERFECT vs. LIMITED/Grounded/Earthly PRIESTHOOD(4:14--5:11)
Last time in Hebrews, we looked at...
A. The Challenge of Choosing the Greater STEWARDSHIP—Hebrews 3:1-6
Today we will look at...
B— A challenge traditionists face in their Christian confession is acceptance of an...UNDIVIDED / DIVIDED HEART—I(3:7-19)
The writer to the Hebrews set before his audience a deeper/further consideration of an Undivided Heart.
Christians, tempted by tradition, are encouraged toward a deeper/further consideration of an Undivided Heart.
What challenges do Christians, tempted toward tradition(traditionists), face in the consideration of an Undivided Heart?
6 Challenges traditionists must face in their confession of an Undivided Heart.
Parable of the soils
Mat. 13:3-9, 18-23
1—The challenge of choosing an Undivided HEART is accepting the Voice of...
OPPORTUNITY(:7)
Explanation:(:7)
:7—“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,”
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:”
The very Spirit of the Living God calls out to you from the record of the Scriptures.
He compelled those men of God to write what they wrote, so that even though they themselves were fallible creatures, they in-fallibly wrote God’s truth. Scripture/The Bible is the written record of God’s Holy Spirit, who indwells those of us who are saved by faith in Christ.
His ministry entails reminding us of all that Jesus has spoken(Jn. 14:26) & all that God has determined, said & revealed(Jn. 16:13-15). Those things pertinent to & which directly involve mankind.
The Holy Spirit has come to convict the world of sin, righteousness & judgment(Jn. 16:8-11)....Sin—because they do not believe in Jesus as Christ. Righteousness—because Jesus rose from the dead & ascended to the Father. Judgment—because the ruler of this world is judged.
What follows(:7b-11) is from Ps. 95:7-11.
It is possible for us to hear His(the Holy Spirit’s(God’s)) voice....
Thus it is equally possible for us to NOT hear His voice.
Since that is the case, then it is pertinent that we take OPPORTUNITY when it arises.
2Pet. 1:19-21—“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns & the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2Sam. 23:1-3—“Now these are the last words of David. Thus says David the son of Jesse; Thus says the man raised up on high, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.”
Acts 1:16, 20—““Men & brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;”
“Today, if you will hear His voice,”
From Ps. 95:7-11.
The following verses apply to those who can hear the Spirit’s voice.
This is an invitation to heed the voice of God. An opportunity to abide in God’s will.
Js. 4:13-17—“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such & such a city, spend a year there, buy & sell, & make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time & then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live & do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good & does not do it, to him it is sin.”
Mat. 17:5—“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; & suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!””
Mat. 11:15—““He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 8:18-21—““Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.” So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?””
Rev. 2:7, 11,17—““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’”....““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”’”....““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, & on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’”
Argumentation:
Isa 55:6-7—“Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
Ps. 81:11-13—““But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, To walk in their own counsels. Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!”
—?Doesn’t God have the same heart, desire, standard toward those who claim Jesus?!
2Cor. 6:1-2—“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Rev. 3:20—““Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me.”
Illustration:
My job at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography/Scott contacted TEB & told me of a job opening there/I acted on the OPPORTUNITY
?How often does the voice of opportunity speak & you disregard it?
Opportunity to share the Good News of Christ?
Opportunity to share your Testimony?
Opportunity to share what Christ has done for you?
Opportunity to share your Peace with God?
Opportunity to share your Purpose?
Opportunity to share your Direction?
Application:
?You chosen the Voice of OPPORTUNITY?
? Your choices reveal an Undivided Heart?
2—The challenge of choosing an Undivided HEART is accepting the Voice of...
COMPARISON(:8-9)
Explanation:(:8-9)
:8—“Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,”
“Do not harden your hearts”
Those who are open to the Spirit are urged not to harden their hearts.
Others(who were known to the readers) had hardened their hearts in the past. Their example remains as a testimony to the readers. Hardened hearts provoke God/Jesus.
The example is provided by those who were present in the wilderness wandering(the nation of Israel). The wilderness wandering was a day of trial for them.
They provoked God in the day of trial, thus failing the trial &/or showing themselves unfit for the purpose of entrance into the promised land.
“Harden”—sklhrunw—To indurate, i.e. (figuratively) render stubborn:-- harden. From Ps. 95:8—hvq kaw-shaw’—To be hard, be severe, be fierce, be harsh.
“Hearts”—kardia—The heart. Strong—the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle:-- (+ broken-)heart(-ed). From Ps. 95:8—bbl lay-bawb’—Inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding. Strong—The heart (as the most interior organ); used also like 03820:-- + bethink themselves, breast, comfortably, courage, ([faint], [tender-]heart([-ed]), midst, mind, X unawares, understanding.
“As in the rebellion”
:9 makes it clear that “the rebellion” & “day of trial” was an extended period of time....40 yrs!
“Rebellion/Provocation/”—parapikrasmov—Provocation. Strong—Irritation:-- provocation. Used 2X. From—parapikrainw—V.—1) To provoke, exasperate; 2) To rouse to indignation. From Ps. 95:8—hbyrm mer-ee-baw’—Strife, contention.
“In the day of trial in the wilderness,”
Massah(‘Tempted’) & Meribah(‘Contention’)(Ex. 17:1-7) were event oriented examples of the overall rebellion/provocation.
“Trial/Testing”—peirasmov—An experiment, attempt, trial, proving. From Ps. 95:8— hom mas-saw’—Despair, test. Strong—A testing, of men (judicial) or of God (querulous):-- Temptation, trial.
:9—“Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.”
Carolina Rubber Hose—Tensile strength tester—Rubber samples/Hourglass shaped
1)On the one hand, the QC test destroys the very thing tested. The Jews tested God so that He was no good to them.
2)On the other hand, It only takes a sample of the whole, without destroying it, to put faith in the whole.
The nation saw God’s works(miraculous) for 40 years(during the wandering).
Charismatic movement/Miracle Healers/Praying to get what you want...—always expecting a miracle—is a Test of God!
“Tested/Tempted”—peirazw—1) To try whether a thing can be done—1a) To attempt, endeavour; 2) To try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quality, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself. Strong—To test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline:-- assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt(-er), try. From Ps. 95:9—hon naw-saw’—To test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.
“Tried/Proved”—dokimazw—1) To test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; 2) To recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. Strong—to Test (literally or figuratively); by implication, To approve:-- Allow, discern, examine, X like, (ap-)prove, try. From Ps. 95:9—Nxb baw-khan’—To examine, try, prove.
“Saw”—eidw—1) To see(perceive with the eyes or by any of the senses, notice, discern, discover); 2) To know(of anything, to get knowledge of, understand, , perceive). From Ps. 95:9—har
Argumentation:
COMPARISONs with the Nation of Israel are widely used in Scripture.
Mat. 5:20—““For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes & Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Illustration:
Old computer/If a program failed, had to restart the whole computer/All had the same inherent problem or glitch/If that problem was not addressed with next purchase, I would have the same problem/Voice of COMPARISON
Car oil/Never add new/Eventually it will be used up or gunk up & be useless/Voice of COMPARISON
Application:
?You chosen the Voice of COMPARISON?
? Your choices reveal an Undivided Heart?
3—The challenge of choosing an Undivided HEART is accepting the Voice of...
CHOICE(:10-11)
Explanation:(:10-11)
:10—“Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’”
Testing God makes Him angry, as any parent would with His children.
The heart/desire is the seat of testing a person’s character.
A heart gone astray causes one to test God.
When one goes astray in his heart, he naturally doesn’t know God’s ways.
God grants everyone freewill. Freedom to choose God’s—way, love, grace, direction, path, potential, wisdom, means, strength, power, etc...
OR....
....That which is strictly human—Man’s way, love, grace, direction, path, potential, wisdom, means, strength, power, etc.
1Cor. 1:25—“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, & the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
America is where we are because the Lord has blessed us, our land & our efforts.... & conversely, we are where we are because we have chosen to go our own way without God!
“Angry/Grieved”—prosocyizw—1) To be wroth or displeased with;2) To loathe; 3) To spew out; 4) To be disgusted with. From Ps. 95:10—jwq koot—To loathe, be grieved, feel a loathing.
“Generation”—genea—Strong—A generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons):-- age, generation, nation, time.. From Ps. 95:10 —rwd dore—Period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
“Go Astray/Err”—planaw—1) To cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way—1a) to go astray, wander, roam about. 2) metaph.—2a) to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive. From Ps. 95:10 —het taw-aw’—To err, wander, go astray, stagger.
“Known”—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. From Ps. 95:10 —edy yaw-dah’—To know.
“Ways”—odov—1) properly—1a) A way—1a1) A travelled way, road—1b) A travellers way, journey, travelling; 2) metaph.—2a) A course of conduct, 2b) A way (i.e. manner) of thinking, feeling, deciding. From Ps. 95:10 —Krd deh’-rek—Way, road, distance, journey, manner.
:11—“So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’””
God becomes angry & wrathful when men choose not to know His ways.
God makes vows of punishment in His anger.
God will not give His rest to those who provoke Him to anger.
Likewise, A child is minimalized in his parent’s inheritance if his heart leads him astray from his righteous parent’s ways.
Rev. 14:11—"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever & ever; & they have no rest day & night, those who worship the beast & his image, & whoever receives the mark of his name."
“Swore”—omnuw—1) To swear; 2) To affirm, promise, threaten, with an oath; 3) In swearing to call a person or thing as witness, to invoke, swear by. From Ps. 95:11—ebv shaw-bah’—To swear, adjure.
“Wrath”—orgh—Strong—properly, Desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy,) Violent passion (ire, or [justifiable] abhorrence); by implication Punishment:-- Anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath. From Ps. 95:11—Pa af—1) Nostril, anger, face; 2) Anger.
“Enter”—eisercomai—1) To go out or come in: to enter; 2) metaph.—2a) Of entrance into any condition, state of things, society, employment. From Ps. 95:11—awb bo—To go in, enter, come, go, come in.
“Rest”—katapausiv—1) A putting to rest; 2) A resting place. From Ps. 95:11—hxwnm men-oo-khaw’ —Resting place, rest.
Argumentation:
Deut. 4:9—““Only take heed to yourself, & diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, & lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children & your grandchildren,”
Choices are made!
Josh. 24:15—““And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me & my house, we will serve the LORD.””
Choices are made!
2Chron. 7:14—““if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, & pray & seek My face, & turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, & will forgive their sin & heal their land.”
Choices are made!
Rom. 2:4-6—“Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, & longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:
Illustration:
Marriage/ ‘I take thee for richer & for poorer, I take thee for better & for worse, I take thee in health & in sickness, I take thee to have & to hold from this day forward, as long as we both shall live.’/CHOICE made
Membership with local Body of Believers/Attendance or not/Involvement or not/But what is membership?/CHOICE is made
Application:
?You chosen the Voice of CHOICE?
? Your choices reveal an Undivided Heart?
CONCLUSION:
SERIES: The Careful Considerations of Our Christian Confession
Action:
The challenge of choosing an Undivided Heart is accepting the Voice of...
1—OPPORTUNITY(:7)
2—COMPARISON(:8-9)
3—CHOICE(:10-11)
Presented 06/13/2010pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
