Rsbc
August 17, 2003
Sunday Night
Subject: " An Evil Heart of Unbelief"
Text: Hebrews 3:7-19
Intro: This portion of this chapter is a warning to those who would not consider the danger that they were in. It is likewise a warning to any here tonight that might likewise be considering a return to the old life of unbelief.
There is a word for quote from the Book of Psalms chapter 95-7-11 and there is something that is significant, the order of the verses are the same as in this portion of Hebrews...
This portion of the word of God they to whom he is addressing in this text well knew of the event that he is describing... The rebellious children of Israel. They were not permitted to enter into his rest...
I... " THEIR SINS SPELLED OUT CLEARLY"... VS 7-11
1st. It was a sin of harden their hearts...vs 8
It means to become obstinate and stubborn to refuse to listen to what has been said and spoken by the Holy Spirit of God... any rebellion against the word of God is the same thing as hardening your heart...
2nd. They tempted the Lord: vs 9
Numbers 14:22-23 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
Psalm 78:18-22
II... " THE WARNING HE GIVES THEM AND US: VS 12
1ST. Take heed... This phrase of words means to see with the mind or to become acquainted with by experience... this is a clear warning not only to them but to us also. 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
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2nd. They were to take heed about an heart of unbelief:
What a challenge for us today. This is more than just a causal misunderstanding of something in the bible this is known heart unbelief. This is the kind of unbelief that should not be once name among the people of the LORD.
A. Where this unbelief comes from... " and evil heart"
The heart is the seat of all sin.. Wether it is in yours or mine, wether it is in the heart of a unconverted person it is the same... The Lord Jesus Christ said of the heart these words: Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Lest any here thinks that sin is just for the unconverted listed to the word of God on the subject...1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
b. What is an heart of unbelief?
It is a heart that defies the word of God by not taking heed thereunto. It is when you think you can work it out yourself, it is when you and I refuse to take God at his word.
Christian have unbelief: Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
C. What this unbelief led to and will lead to..
Departing from the living God: this is apostasy..the going away the turning back that we have been talking about for the last few weeks.
Daniel in a prayer said these words: Daniel 9:5-6 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
I don’t believe that I would be wrong in saying that all sin starts with unbelief, it was so in the garden, Eve really didn’t believe that God would do what he said.
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Let us look at some sins that start with unbelief....
1.) The sin of complaining... Numbers 11:1 And [when] the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard [it]; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed [them that were] in the uttermost parts of the camp.
This sin is one that haunts all of us to some degree... really there is no excuse in murmuring all the time about all things. The great prophet Jeremiah ask the question ..Lamentations 3:39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Jude said: Jude 16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
We are plainly told not to murmur... 1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
It does little to murmur, it changes nothing nor no one. It does not edify the soul, it does not bring joy, it does not help anyone not even ourselves. God give us a spirit so as not to murmur...
2.) The sin of fretting: The word fret means to burn with anger...
Psalm 37:1 [A Psalm] of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
We would do well tonight to heed what these verses are telling us. We are not to get angry and fretting all the time about every thing but we seem to be guilty of all these sins... these sins are the ones that cause God’s anger against us.
3.) The sin that so easily besets us:
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Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Any sin that moves us away from the Lord, away from our bible study, our prayer life, our church attendance, our giving of ourselves to the Lord wholly is a sin that besets us.. That moves us away that is all started by an heart of unbelief.
III... "WHAT WE ARE TO DO"..VS 13
Exhort one another... exhorting has to do with encouraging one another, instead of unbelief, we need to encourage one another with the things that edify and the things that instruct one another.
1st. I exhort you and I tonight to walk to please the Lord: 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort [you] by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, [so] ye would abound more and more.
You will not please the Lord if there is unbelief in your heart...we must please him by believing his word and living for him...
2nd. The exhorting toward each other: 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all [men].
3rd. The exhorting of prayer: 1 Timothy 2:1-2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and [for] all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
4th. The exhorting of contending for the faith: Jude 3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
This is to be done daily as he declares in this verse...
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IV.. "THE CAUSE"...VS 14-16
1ST. We are partakers of Christ... This word partaker means to share in or to take part with..
Since we have been made a partaker in Christ we have no business ever considering going back.. Look at the wonderful things that God hath made us a partaker of...
A. Partaker of his promises...Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
B. Partaker of grace: Philippians 1:7 Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.
C. Partaker of an inheritance..Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
d. Partakers of the Holy Spirit: Hebrews 6:4 For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
e. Partakers of divine nature: 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.