Today

Hebrews 3:7-15 (NKJV)

“Today”

October 27, 2024

On October 8, 1871, D.L. Moody was preaching to the largest crowd he had ever faced. He preached a sermon entitled, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?” He finished with these words, “I wish you would take this text home with you and turn it over in your minds during the week, and next week we will come to Calvary and the Cross, and we will decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth.” That was the night of the Great Chicago Fire and by morning much of the city lay in ashes. Many who were there that night perished. Moody said: “I have never since dared to give an audience a week to think of their salvation. I have never seen that congregation since… But I want to tell you of one lesson that I learned that night which I have never forgotten, and that is, when I preach - I press Christ upon the people then and there and try to bring them to a decision that day.” Tomorrow is not promised! —“Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” This letter was written to first century Jewish Christians who were living in Judea where there was persecution of Christians. It began with the martyrdom of Deacon Stephen and now about 30 years later the prospect that some of these new followers of Christ were thinking about falling away from Christianity because of the hardships they were enduring. They were very specifically thinking about returning to Judaism, and some began observing the Old Testament Law and the Temple sacrifices and feasts as their persecutors, unsaved Jews were doing. The writer warns them NO, they cannot go back! In the first two chapters, we are taught that Jesus is greater. He’s greater than the prophets that came before Him. He’s even greater than Moses! He Warned Them! Moses is not a sufficient substitute. The writer quotes Psalm 95, written by King David. Notice the Hebrew writer knows that the real author of Psalm 95 is not David, but the Holy Spirit speaking through him —“Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”

The Provocation: ILLS: Moses & the Rebellion. After all the powerful acts of God leading them out of the slavery in Egypt, into the Promised Land through a wilderness where Manna fell from heaven each night to feed all two million - the Jews grumbled and complained against Moses and against God. Moses appoints 12 spies to explore the land, but only Joshua and Caleb claimed that they could take the land. And when God told them take it, they rebelled against God’s command, and in unbelief, refused to go. All of the Hebrews who had been delivered from slavery who were 20 years and older were then refused entrance to the Promised Land, so they spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness until all the old men died. Why? “… because of their unbelief.” They had been delivered from slavery in Egypt. They had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, but they didn’t believe God would act on their behalf. “The Holy Spirit says, ‘Today if you hear His voice, harden not..’

The Generation ILLS: Sabbath & Canaan. God was angry at an entire generation! Over 600,000 men over the age of twenty perished in the desert. 365 days in a year times 40 years is 14,600 days. That is more than 40 funerals a day! A generation made God so angry that He swore in His wrath that they would never enter His rest. Israel’s rest was in Canaan according to Deuteronomy 12:9 and Joshua 21:44, “the Lord gave them rest.” But the Hebrew writer saw in this “rest” an illustration of the spiritual and physical experiences of believers today. We need to rest in His power and also rest in His promises. “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.” The Canaan rest is a picture of our rest in God’s promises for our life today! Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28. In the early ninety’s the opening of "ABC’s The Wide World of Sports" television program illustrated with the voice over of Jim McKay "The thrill of victory ... and the agony of defeat" with a painful ending to a ski jump. The skier, Vinko Bogataj, appeared in good form as he headed down the jump, but then, for no apparent reason, he tumbled head over heels off the side of the jump, bouncing off the supporting structure. What viewers didn't know was that he chose to fall rather than finish the jump. Why? As he explained later, the jump surface had iced over and become too fast, and midway down the ramp, he realized if he completed the jump, he would land beyond the safe sloping landing area, which could have been fatal. Vinko suffered a broken ancle from the tumble, but one day he competed again. To change one's course in life can be a dramatic and sometimes painful undertaking, but change is better than a fatal end. “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.”