Strathalbyn Church of Christ

Hebrews 3:7-19. Theme: Warning! Don’t harden your hearts. Sermon by Pastor David Williams. Strathalbyn Church of Christ. 5 Sept. 2021.

Open our ears that we may truly hear you Lord. Open our eyes that we may truly see. In Jesus name, Amen.

An old guy turned up at a church healing service. He asked, “Please pray for my hearing. So, the pastor prayed for the man’s hearing. At the end, the pastor asked, “Do you feel any different now about your hearing”. The man replied, “I don’t know. It’s not until next Wednesday.”

We have ears. We hear God’s word, but are we listening?

Today’s sermon may be the one you need to hear. It may also be the one that you fail to hear. The message is this – Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, v7_._ We can be ever hearing but not hear, Isa 6:9. Spiritual deafness has many causes. Here are some:

1. The Spirit speaks to me

I don’t need the Bible. The Spirit speaks to me – that’s all I need. Does anyone here think that? If so, you are very foolish. I hope no one here believes that, but many Christians do. They ignore the Word because they have a personal hotline to the Spirit. They say this is better – it’s more spiritual. A Spirit filled experience is better than reading an old book.

This is a false difference. There really is no difference. The Spirit and the Bible are both sent from the same God. You want to be spiritual? Then let his Word and his Spirit together work in your life. The Spirit can speak in many ways, but the clearest, most consistent way, is through his own word.

Who wrote the Bible? It is the Spirit! Our passage begins with, As the Holy Spirit says. The Spirit is called the breath of God. The same word is used for Spirit and breath (Gen 1:2; Ezek 37:4-14; Jn 3:5-8; Acts 2:1-4). Paul says that all scripture is God breathed (2 Tim 3:16). That means the Word is alive! Peter calls it the Living Word (1 Pet 1:23). The Word is alive because it is the breath, the voice of the Spirit. The Word is alive because it brings life to those who are dead. As you listen to these words, some of them are thousands of years old – but as you listen, it’s almost as though you can catch the wind of the Spirit’s breath as they are breathed out on you afresh.

Do you not feel out of touch with God? Are you listening to him? Are you reading his word? If not, no wonder you feel out of touch. Try not listening to your girlfriend or wife for a month and see what that does to your relationship.

2. I’ll do it tomorrow

But - Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts.

The Spirit said this to David’s readers. And the same Spirit speaks to us today.

God is speaking to you. I have a word from the Lord for you today. Not something I dreamed up, but here it is for all of us to read and hear. It is for me and for you. Today God is speaking. Are you listening?

Today, not tomorrow. Don’t put off to the morrow what you must do today. There may be no tomorrow. Imagine some terrorists took ten hostages and proceeded to kill one person each day. You knew you only had days, maybe hours to live. Would you be ready to meet Christ? This is not so far from reality. We are all hostages to death. It may be not far off. Would you be ready to meet Christ today?

3. Did God really say?

Today, if you hear his voice. But how do I know it is his voice? How do I know what God is saying? Can I really trust the Bible? Liberal Christians have done huge damage to the faith of many. Like the Serpent, they ask, Did God really say? (Gen 3:1). The Bible is clear. Jesus was clear. We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, Matt 4:4. His word proves true, Ps 18:30.

Some parts of the Bible do need work to understand, but many promises and commands are simple. A small child can understand them. God truly speaks through his word – are you listening?

4. Today, if you hear his voice

We don’t hear because we’re not listening. Can I talk to the men for a minute? Guys, we have a problem. If all else fails, read the instructions! But we say, I don’t need the instructions. I know how to fix things. I don’t need some engineer to tell me. I know how to fix my life - I don’t need the engineer of the universe to tell me. We make our own religion. We have a DIY salvation. So even as Christians, our default is to say – I’ll let God know when I need his help. Because God helps those who help themselves.

Guys, let’s call this out for what it is. It is pride. Foolish, stubborn, hell-driven pride. It is wrong. Hebrews tells us, Fix your eyes on Jesus, Heb 12:2. We need to repent and follow Christ. Follow him and not our proud will.

5. It was Israel’s problem

I’m a NT Christian. Israel were rebels because they didn’t have the Spirit. They didn’t have Christ or the NT. But I have the Spirit, I’m born again. It was their problem, not mine.

But look, who is the writer addressing? He’s writing to Christians. He’s taking David’s words to the Jews and applying them to his Christian readers – repeating it three times for emphasis: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, 3:7; 3:15; 4:7.

6. I’m a member! I’ve seen miracles! I’ve been on the march!

The Long March led to the communist revolution in China. For one year, over 100,000 trekked for 9000 kilometres. Nine out of ten who began the march died on the way. In future years, the survivors prided themselves as the ones who had gone on that historic march. Israel’s march through the wilderness was even more remarkable. You can imagine the pride of the Israelites who had been on that march. Imagine Levi sitting outside his tent telling his son Cohen – yes, I was there! Again and again, I saw the hand of God. I saw God’s plagues on the Egyptians. I saw God’s wind part the Red Sea. I witnessed his thunder and fire on the Mountain. I was there!

You see, we’re not just talking about any Israelite here but one who had been on the long march. Those Israelites were surely special. They were surely blessed by God. Weren’t they??

Yet what did God say? Yes, they heard his voice, v7. They saw my works, v9. Yet they have not known my ways, v10. They went “astray in their hearts”, v10. Seeing miracles, being part of God’s club – it does nothing.

Hear one of the most terrifying things said by Jesus. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’, Matt 7:22-23.

Seeing miracles, being part of the Christian club – it does nothing if your heart is hardened to God’s word.

7. God doesn’t judge or get angry – he’ll forgive

This is another of Satan’s lies. Jesus gave many warnings of hell and judgement (e.g., Lk 16:19-31, Mt 10:28; 25:30, Mk 9:43; Mt 13:43). And the writer of Hebrews said, “your fathers put me to the test … Therefore… I swore in my wrath “They shall not enter my rest”, v9,11.

Yet even in judgement, God’s mercy and patience can be seen. God “was provoked for 40 years” by the Israelites (3:17). Imagine having a teenager that didn’t leave home and didn’t grow up for 40 years. 40 years of dirty jocks and socks lying around the house. That’s how patient God is!

Yet there is a limit, there is a reckoning. So, none of that generation – except for two – entered the Promised Land (Num 14:30). 600,000 died in the Wilderness because they rebelled. And there will be a reckoning for those living today who reject God’s rule.

8. But everyone does it.

The mob mentality. We can’t all be wrong? Yes, we can all be wrong. All Israel, with two exceptions, “fell in the wilderness”, v17. Don’t justify your bad behaviour by that of others. Don’t blindly follow the mob but listen to God’s voice.

9. I’m in control.

Satan is called “the Father of Lies”, Jn 8:44. Satan puts lies into your heart, like this one:

A little sin won’t hurt.

I can give it up tomorrow.

I’m in control.

Do you think this way? You fool. Satan is deceiving you. Sin is deceitful. You have been hardened by the deceitfulness of sin, v13.

A little boy is left in the car at the top of a hill while his mum dashes inside. He sits behind the wheel and plays with the levers. There is long black lever, with a round button on the end. That must be to make it go faster. He has seen his mum pull the lever and press the button. And as he lets go the button, suddenly the car lurches forward. It is going faster and faster. He screams. It is out of control.

We think we can control our lives. We think we can manage our sin. Really, we are like that little boy – thinking we can control something that is so much bigger than us; something we really don’t understand at all. Sin will always trick you. Don’t give sin a chance.

10. I don’t need church!

This passage warns of dangers – life-threatening dangers: hardened hearts, sin’s deceitfulness. What can we do about them? “Exhort one another every day … that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”, v13. We cannot do it alone. You cannot be a solo Christian.

Campbell Combe is a great footballer. But imagine he quit North Adelaide? And started his own team. A team of one. He would take on any team – on his own. Farcical isn’t it. No-one could do it, no matter how good. A footballer without a team is a failure. You need your team – because your team knows you – they know your weak spots – where you need backing up, encouragement. They know your strengths – knowing just where to position themselves to take the mark.

You can’t be a solo Christian. You will fail. Your church needs you and you need your church. You will soon fall without the help of your brothers and sisters. Would you turn up to your footy team when you feel like it? Try that out on the captain. Yet so often we put sport or family or other things ahead of meeting with God and his family.

God has chosen us for a special task - exhorting one another daily. That may not sound impressive but consider. A word you say to a brother or sister today may have consequences for eternity. Nothing you do in life can have a greater impact than that! That is far more important than attending a footy match or an auntie’s birthday.

There are many who have been bruised by experiences of church, including bullying, sexual abuse, betrayal, legalism. The church is full of sinners, and we should not be surprised when black sin rears its ugly head inside the church. The devil is trying to discredit the church and drive people away from it. There has always been this problem – look at the mess the Corinthian church was in. We cannot ignore evil behaviour. We need to confront it head on – Jesus did; Paul did. So must we. But we must not let evil behaviour lock people out of Christ’s church – that is a win for the devil. Every time someone quits attending church – for whatever reason – that is a win for the devil.

11. Once saved, always saved

This is a flippant saying for a teaching known as “the perseverance of the saints”. I believe it. Once the Holy Spirit begins a work, he will carry it on to the day of completion (Phil 1:6). Once someone is born again of the Spirit, the Spirit will never depart. I believe that the Spirit doesn’t make mistakes. But I do. I don’t know what is in your heart. I don’t even know my own heart. Plenty of fake Christians have convinced themselves that they are true believers.

What matters is not how you began your faith story, but how it ends. It is those who persevere to the end who will be saved. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end, v14.

So don’t put your trust in a conversion story. Many of us know people who seemed to be believers – they were baptised; they gave heartfelt testimonies. Some went overnight from darkness to light. Some went on to be preachers, evangelists, missionaries. But then they dropped out. They no longer believe.

Yes, God knows his own and will keep them. Problem is, I’m not God. I can’t separate the wheat from the weeds (Matt 13:24–43). All looks the same to me. Some of the weediest Christians turn out to be the most faithful. Some of the most promising wheat plants turn up their toes when they hit a rock (Matt 13:5-6).

It is good to know that you are saved, that nothing can separate us from God (Rom 8:35-39) – but are you trusting in some decision you made or in him? Are you trusting in his salvation today?

12. Faith is what counts, not deeds.

You might say, I hear his voice – I listen to 3 sermons a week! I have faith – I can recite chunks of scripture from memory. These are good, these are great but they are no substitute for obedience. Do you hear his voice but ignore it? Hear the warning from James: But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do, James 2:18.

Faith and obedience go hand in hand, as do unbelief and disobedience. The writer swaps one for the other.

And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief, v18-19.

Beware of a so-called faith that does not result in deeds. As Jesus said, A tree is known by its fruit, Lk 6:44. A sham faith will not produce good fruit.

Encouragements

These are stern warnings for those who are deaf to God’s word. For most here, I think you are faithful in hearing God’s voice. And there is encouragement for you here. We share in Christ.

For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end, v14.

I once got a blurred photo of the queen being driven past at a distance. Christ is not like the Queen. We won’t just get a distant glimpse of Christ. We have come to share in Christ – as his brothers and sisters, sharing in his freedom from sin, in his eternal life, in his fellowship.

There are encouragements here, but stern warnings too. Let me finish with this. Friends, I cannot read your minds. But there are some here who seem to be listening but are not listening. I’m speaking to you now. I don’t care that you are not listening to me. But you are not listening to God. God is saying to you: “Today, if you hear my voice, do not harden your hearts”.

God is saying to you, you have heard my voice and seen my works, but you have not known my ways.

God is saying to you, you have an evil, unbelieving heart, hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

God is saying to you, you are unable to enter my rest because of unbelief.

Lord God, have mercy on us. Pardon and deliver us. Soften our hearts, that we may hear you and obey you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.