The Challenge Of Choosing An Undivided Heart-1 Series

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.”