While Still Called Today

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you having your devotions everyday?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To hear GOD's Words everyday from your personal devotions, bible studies, fellowships and church services.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 3:15 (Amplified Bible)

3:15 Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them].

V. THESIS:

Daily understand GOD's Words for you.

VI. TITLE:

While still called 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. Hear His Voice

"Then while it is [still] called Today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it,"

Hear is "akouo" in Greek meaning:

1. to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf

2. to hear

3. to hear something

Voice is "phone" in Greek meaning: (most probably where we get the word "phone")

1. a sound, a tone

2. a voice

3. speech

Hebrews 3:7-8 (Amplified Bible)

3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice,

3:8 Do not harden your hearts, as [happened] in the rebellion [of Israel] and their provocation and embitterment [of Me] in the day of testing in the wilderness,

Before telephone was ever invented or it's types, or before Alexander Graham Bell did existed before eternity past GOD has already "spoken" to us by His Voice, it's now our tiny response to "hear" from Him, now He speaks to us thru the HOLY SPIRIT under Grace reminding us His Words.

B. Do not harden your heart

"do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them]"

Harden is "skleruno" in Greek meaning: (verb) so it's something that we decide upon based on our attitude upon the Word.

1. to make hard, harden

2. to render obstinate, stubborn

3. To make hard or more hard; to make firm or compact; to indurate; as, to harden iron or steel; to harden clay.

So God is said to harden the heart, when we withdraws the influences of his spirit from men, and leaves them to pursue their own corrupt inclinations. (Webster Dictionary)

Practice every day or every moment or chance you can to "hear" His Voice by reading, memorizing,studying, hearing, meditating His Words, or else not to fall into a "hardened" state.

Acts 19:9 (Amplified Bible)

19:9 But when some became more and more stubborn (hardened and unbelieving), discrediting and reviling and speaking evil of the Way [of the Lord] before the congregation, he separated himself from them, taking the disciples with him, and went on holding daily discussions in the lecture room of Tyrannus from about ten o’clock till three.

Luke 6:38 (Amplified Bible)

6:38 Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.

To "harden" is a process, (1) first, there's unbelief, (2) discrediting GOD's Way or Thought regarding us, for example, when you are in financial need, the Bible says "Give and it shall be given to you.." but you reverse it, like you worked in an overtime, you got a second job, you entered into a loan, this is second step of hardening your heart. (3) it's worst, rebellion comes in.

Hebrews 3:13 (Amplified Bible)

3:13 But instead warn (admonish, urge, and encourage) one another every day, as long as it is called Today, that none of you may be hardened [into settled rebellion] by the deceitfulness of sin [by the fraudulence, the stratagem, the trickery which the delusive glamor of his sin may play on him].

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,

That's why our LORD JESUS, always reminds us, "HE WHO HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR." because not everyone who has an ear are able to hear.