Good morning, everyone. It is a beautiful day.
We have here today, not only to worship God, but he's given us a
beautiful day outside. This is when most beautiful days
of the year I've seen. So we are blessed to have this
day. And most importantly, though on
this day to have our time together to worship God, I'm
thankful to be able to be here with you today and especially as
I get to choose what we study and Hebrews chapter 3 today.
So we've been kind of slowly making our way through Hebrews.
We're in the third chapter now and Today, I plan to cover the
whole chapter. So if you'd like to turn to
Hebrews chapter 3, that's where we'll be spending pretty much
all of our time this morning and Hebrews chapter 3, kind of our
Arc or keynote verse is the first one that says, therefore,
holy Brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling consider the
Apostle and high priest of our confession.
That's a simple sentence and today, I hope that you can take
that and you can consider him because I can talk up here, I
can get a presentation together, but ultimately, Our God has
asked each one of us to consider him ourselves and to consider
him individually. Let's go ahead and read the rest
of the chapter. Before we begin going on in
verse 2, it says this. So This Christ Jesus who was
faithful to him who appointed him as Moses.
Also was faithful in all his house.
For this one has been counted worthy of more Glory than Moses
and as much as he He who built the house, has more honor than
the house for every house is built by someone, but he who
built all things is God and Moses.
Indeed was faithful in all his house as a servant for a
testimony of those things, which would be spoken afterward.
But Christ has a son over his own house, whose house we are.
If We Hold Fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope
firm to the end verse 7. Therefore as the holy spirit
says, today if you will hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts
as in the rebellion and the day of trial in the wilderness where
your father's tested me, tried me and saw my Works 40 years.
Therefore, I was angry with that generation and said they always
go astray in their heart and they have not known my ways.
So, I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest.
Beware Brethren lest there, be any of be in any of you, an evil
heart of unbelief unbelief in departing, from the Living God.
But exhort one another daily while it's still called today.
Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin
for? We have become partakers of
Christ. If we hold the beginning of our
confidence, steadfast to the end while it is said today, if you
will hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts as in there.
A billion in the last couple verses for who having heard
rebuild and D, wasn't not all who came out of Egypt led by
Moses. Now with whom was, he angry, 40
years, was it not with those who sinned whose corpses fell in the
wilderness and to whom did he swear that they would not enter
his rest but to those who did not obey.
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
So these are the verses we're going to consider today.
And just reading this chapter and isolation, it looks a little
bit negative. But warning a little bit
dangerous, but I think the context that it's immersed in in
Hebrews is really a well-rounded one.
And so let's back up for a minute to consider what he had
just said in Hebrews 2. So the first verse of Hebrews 3
says, therefore, so it's very important that we see what we're
leading into the therefore with from a Hebrews 2.
So this is a very important. I don't want to go back too far
but the previous verses lead right into it, so let's talk.
Talk about Hebrews 2, verses beginning verse 10.
So he said, therefore consider him and light of all these
things. And light of the fact that in
verse 10, it was fitting for Jesus for whom are all things
and by whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to
make the captain of their salvation.
Perfect through sufferings and light of that, consider him for
both, he who sanctifies and those who are being Sanctified
are all of One. We're one with Jesus consider
him because of that for which reason he is not ashamed to call
us Brethren saying here I am and the children whose got whom God
has given me in as much as the children have partaken of Flesh
and Blood. He himself likewise shared in
the same that through death, he might destroy him.
Who had the power of death, Jesus destroyed, the devil who
had the power of death. He took away that power that he
had over us. That is the devil and release.
Those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage. The first verse in Hebrews 3 is
going to say consider him because of all this because he
freed you from the fear of death.
For indeed. He does not give Aid to Angels
but he does give Aid to the Seed of Abraham.
We learned that to us through God's promises verse 17.
Therefore in all things, he had to be my made like his Brethren,
that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest.
East and things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the
sins of the people. For in that he himself, has
suffered being tempted. He is also, he is able to Aid
those who are tempted. So, the first verse in Hebrews
3, we can't just take it from there and say, okay, we're going
to take it, starting there, we have to consider all these
wonderful blessings that God has given us.
We spent a lot of time the last time I spoke talking about
these, these promises and this freedom From death, and how
Jesus is our high priest. And what that means, as the one
who intercedes for us and makes offering for sins.
So, because of all of this awesome stuff, he said, in
Chapter 2, consider him Consider Jesus.
This word consider. I'll get to that in just a
second. So first before he talks about
what he's, what we're going to consider the first verse of
Hebrews chapter 3, says, therefore holy Brethren.
So it's important that we remember who he is addressing,
he's addressing Hebrew Christians now.
Just Hebrews and not just Christians their Hebrew
Christians, so they are Brethren.
So they're not just people who he's addressing with the gospel
with the first time and this is all linked.
Also linked back to chapter 2, when he calls him, holy
brethren. Because he said that Jesus is
not afraid to call you his brother.
He's not afraid to call us his brothers and sisters, so he's
kind of harkening back to that. And then the second point about
this word, holy Brethren is that these Hebrew Christians need
encouragement. They needed kind of a kick in
the backside, you know, to show them what was right to show them
the reality that they were coming into as as new followers
of this New Covenant. They needed the encouragement
and they weren't perfect, but they were still holy Brethren.
He could have come into this letter and just beat them
upside. The head with the fact that men,
the Son of God just came and you guys are starting to slack in
your faith. How are the world?
Could you do that? But he does acknowledge that
their Brethren their holy Brethren and they're in the
middle of a fight and that is a theme that we can all relate to.
We are all in the middle of this fight and even if we may have
struggled, We Are Holy Brethren. So don't count yourself out if
you feel like, man, I'm my faith is weak.
He wrote this to them because their faith needed to be
strengthened. He goes on to say, holy Brethren
partakers of the Heavenly calling.
So we talked about the other day, how there is this?
Great need that man has in life. There's there's this great need
to get back to the Garden scenario where man.
Was living in peace with God and complete exposure before God.
They were together. It was Paradise.
And this Narrative of Bible is once man gets kicked out of that
Garden, how do we get back to a place where we are one with God?
And not and not perfect place where there's no pain and where
there's no suffering? And so, this, this sentence kind
of hits on that that God's taking care of the two great
needs. We need, we need to number one,
we need to hear from God. We need to hear from God through
his word and through the Heavenly calling, that he gave
to us, but that calling implies that he wants us to do
something. He wants us to come to him, he's
calling toward us, not just to us.
He's calling us to come to him. So this great Narrative of what
do we do? Now that we're outside of the
garden separated from God, we need to hear him, we need to
hear the calling, and we need to go to God.
And because God has made this calling, we are partakers Yes,
and because we Are Holy Brethren.
Remember big to become holy Brethren, they're not just first
time, here's of the Gospel. They were converted Christians
who had been added to the church, okay?
So then he goes in to say, consider this Apostle and high
priest of our confession, this work consider means to fix your
attention on something to learn its inner meaning.
This is a word that was also used by Jesus when he said to
consider the Ravens and Luke chapter 12 and it is an implies,
a context of something that may be so simple and obvious.
But if we don't slow down to really think about it, we will
miss it entirely. So, we need to consider it with
contemplation and not necessarily to just find the
answer and move on, but to let the process of considering
habits work in our hearts. Now, an important note from this
is that remember, let's say it again, they were already
Christians, so it's implying that it's not automatic that.
If we're Christians, we just automatically, think about
meditate on Jesus. It's not automatic, he's having
to tell them. You have to take thoughtful
considerate. Time to consider this Jesus for
us. It is not going to automatically
happen. It's hard to carve up time where
I had can slow down enough and make enough space in our day for
Clear thoughtful. Time to consider Jesus.
It's not automatic But I like this quote, I have I read on
this verse. Someone said every meditation on
his person, speaking of Jesus, and his salvation will suggest
more wisdom new motives to love confidence and obedience.
And I think that's very true. There's not everything that can
be explained with a step-by-step.
Here's what you need to do. Step, ABC, and D.
Then you'll be at this point, sometimes we need to take time
to consider him and that was Of the prescription for the growth
of their faith for the Hebrews. Okay.
So he says to consider this Apostle this word Apostle is, we
might think well well I thought the 12 apostles were the ones
following Jesus, why does he call Jesus?
An apostle? Well, this word Apostle simply
means sent one. I think a lot of times we hear
the title of someone and we don't associate the real meaning
with it, that the Bible had behind it, Apostle means sent
one. So, Jesus is going to be God's
one he sent to us. So Jesus had 12 Apostles that
were coming from Jesus to the rest of the world to share Jesus
truth with the world. And similarly, like Jesus had
his 12 Apostles that were sent to the world God.
And the beginning sent Jesus, the Apostle to us.
So these sent one for our salvation for our learning for a
teaching. Now and I it's easy to be
confused between Apostles and disciples.
Remember disciple is someone who just follows Jesus Apostle, is
someone who specifically sent for a purpose.
So these are both titles that people were specifically sent,
very obviously speak. Speaking of Jesus here he was
the chosen sent one from God. Okay?
Then he's mentions him as the high priest.
We talked about that in Hebrews chapter 2, What that means.
But in summary, the high priest represented, the people before
God and offered sacrifices for sins.
So, here in this verse, he's kind of setting up this.
This picture Jesus is both the one who was sent down from God
to man. And once he was, man, he also
made a way to get from man back to God.
He is everything in between, he is both the one that sent to
teach. And the one who sacrificed
himself and mediated for the people to go from man to God,
Jesus Is God to man, and man to God fascinating.
Well-rounded Concepts Our Savior embodied.
Okay. So going into verse 2 and this
verse the writer of Hebrews, we don't know who wrote it.
Remember the writer of Hebrews starts to compare Jesus to the
Old Testament greats. So this is going to be a theme
throughout a big portion of the book of Hebrews.
So they would have known and appreciated and honored, their
Heroes of Heroes of Faith in the past.
And so, he's already earlier in the book of Hebrews, he's
already compared Jesus to Angels.
Remember Angels, were these great, massive Mighty Powerful
Beast, that they were terrified of and, and God.
And the writer of Hebrews says, Jesus is a way above that.
And so now he's going to take the The Heroes of Faith in the
Old Testament and say Jesus as way above that.
So here, we'll start with Moses verse to consider a Christ
Jesus. Who is faithful to him.
Who appointed him as Moses also was faithful and all his house,
I read a someone was some sources were saying that the the
Jews, consider Moses, maybe to be the greatest man who ever
lived and that they even thought he was better than an angel.
So I don't know how much ground That holds in the Jews as a
whole or what? But they highly, highly regarded
Moses. And so the writer of Hebrews is
meeting them where they're at. Okay?
You understand an angel, you understand Moses.
Now Jesus is so far above that and I like how he keys on this
idea of faithfulness. A huge part of Moses's credit
for being Godly, was he was faithful through a lot of junk
leading, a million people who are ready to turn on you for
$40. Years and all the things he went
through in the Old Testament. It was his faithfulness that
stood out. That's one of the lessons will
learn. From today is the faithfulness
that Jesus and Moses both shared and it says that he was faithful
and all of God's house. So, verse 3, for this one,
Speaking of Jesus has been counted worthy of more Glory
than Moses as teachers. One of the things weren't Acted
to do. One of the key ideas were
supposed to use in a classroom is to take your students from
where they're at and then move them forward.
If you just try to teach everybody the same way or teach
everybody, the same thing, you're going to lose most of the
people. And so I like what the writer of
Hebrews does here, he understands his audience and
this is kind of a side point for our own use of spreading the
gospel and teaching others. About the truth is to remember
to People wear their act, the writer of Hebrews used as Moses
and uses Angels, because in education they call it accessing
prior knowledge. If you can use a starting point
for someone, what they do understand, they have a
reference point from where to go next.
And this writer of Hebrews understood his audience and he
was ready to meet them where they are at, okay, that was kind
of a side point. So Jesus is counted worthy of
more Glory than Moses. We understand what the word
Glory means. I think it's kind of hard to
nail down the definition but Chris Taylor look a lot of
Dodger fans he got that game-winning Home Run for the
Dodgers the other night he got a lot of Glory for that.
Okay. So the the glory and athlete or
someone great gets from doing something awesome.
We understand that. So this is in a spiritual sense
and in an eternal sense, Jesus is countered of more Glory than
even Moses. Inasmuch, as he who built the
house, has more honor than the house.
Okay. So he's saying that Moses was
part of the house that God was building, but Jesus was the one
building the house. Okay.
So and he's comparing their honor because he's saying the
one who build something has more honor than the house itself.
And we understand that. So, Michelangelo and assisting,
Chapel. He's the one who gets credit for
all of the beautiful work he did there.
So obviously we don't go, man, Sistine Chapel.
You're so awesome on your own Merit.
You're so great for what you are, we say, wow.
He did an incredible piece of work.
And if you is there, everyone, we going over shaking his hand
and saying how awesome, he did the Eiffel Tower.
The man who designed it? Alexandria, Eiffel.
It is. Tied to his name and he's the
one who gets credit for that. The tower itself is inanimate.
It is just what it is. It's the The building, the
person who gets the glory and the honor for something, is the
one who built it. We understand that, and he's
saying that Jesus has. He's on a different level
because Moses is just the house. He's just part of the building.
Frank talked about that a lot and his lesson about how, and
First Peter chapter 2, that we are being built up as a holy
house, Well, we're just part of the house.
Jesus is the Builder. Our God is the Builder of this
house verse 4 for every house is built by someone.
But he built all things is God my somehow my roof got a little
off-kilter there but the house is much better built than that.
Verse 44 every houses. So the point I was going to pull
out here is that he's drawing this.
This idea that that one has been counted worthy of more Glory
than Moses as he who built the house as more Glory than the
house. And he's saying that every house
is built by someone who built all things is God.
So he's making the points drawing the conclusion, that
Jesus is deity, he's not God the father but his deity.
He is one of the Builders of our holy Virtual house.
Okay, he's continuing to lift Jesus up in their eyes so that
they Revere, Jesus and don't slip back to the Old Law.
Continuing on in verse 5 and Moses, indeed was faithful and
all his house as a servant for a testimony of those things, which
would be spoken afterward. But Christ as a son over his own
house. So again, he could have said, a
lot of things about Moses. And when we read the Old
Testament, Talk about that in a minute.
There's a lot of things he could have said maybe to Moses credit
to his detriment, but he talks about him in a positive light.
Here he is not at all. Trying to defame Moses or to
bring Moses down. That's because his point is not
to, to tuber Aid, the humanity of Moses, he's trying to lift
Jesus up. So he points out the, hey, he
was faithful as a servant. He did a great job as a servant
and it was a testimony of those things, which would be spoken.
Afterward, but it's not even the same thing, it's apples, and
oranges Jesus. It was, but Jesus was a son over
the house. He wasn't a servant in God's
house Jesus as a son of the house of God.
So, there are apples, and oranges.
They're not even close. Jesus is so far above Moses, and
it says he was a test. He was a servant as a testimony
of those things, which would be spoken afterward.
I believe that Moses is a great example of the fact That you can
be a servant in God's house and receive Glory and Honor from God
and praise and appreciation from God, the in the church age,
that's especially emphasized, that the things that would be
spoken of afterward, the new, the new law, and the New
Covenant, how much you would emphasize service in the Lord's
House. Moses was an example of that,
and he served as a testimony, that that's always been a value
in God. His kingdom.
It's always been powerful in God's kingdom, to serve his
people. And that was a testimony even in
the Old Law, okay? So in verse verse 6, he goes on
to say whose house we are. If We Hold Fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the Hope firm to the end, that is an
awesome thought. He already said in the last
chapter, that he's not ashamed to call us Brethren how awesome
that is that we are God. Sistine Chapel, so to speak,
that we are his house. We are his special building of
all the beautiful works that were out there, God's special
work and his Is great. Joy in his work stems from us.
Not just from his own beautiful creation that he made.
He cares about the people who can turn and praise him.
We are that house and that is a special awesome thought for us,
to consider our own importance in the grand scheme of the
world. But there's a condition.
We are his house, if we hold fast the confidence and the
rejoicing of the Hope firm to the end.
It's interesting. The Bible says, a lot of
different things that you'll be saved.
If you do this or or you you you're one of God's children if
you do this. And this is an interesting
point, you makes here that we are in his house if we hold fast
the confidence and the rejoicing of the Hope Philippians 4:4
says, Rejoice in the lord always.
And again I say rejoice that is a command to us.
We are commanded to be confident and hold on to the rejoicing of
our hope. That's not optional, That's
essential for our life. That is our oxygen.
We must rejoice in the Lord, that is a sign of a healthy
Christian and we can rejoice as part of this house.
No, this was just a member of the House.
David was a member of the House. You and I are part of this house
that God is building up a royal priesthood.
We must rejoice and you might say, well, can I really control
what? I hope it can it.
Can I really control what I'm excited for because I hope
things that seem like I don't really control it.
It just kind of happens when I'm hoping for isn't always.
I can't tell my mind with hope for is that true?
I believe it is definitely true that we have control and what we
hope and I believe it's cyclical.
This maybe this is a little rough but when you think about
something a lot when you consider it a lot, like we've
been commanded to when we consider and think about our
savior and we live the way he wants us to live.
We see it's fruits. We see what it brings in our
life. We see the good that happens and
the terrible things we can avoid and we rejoice in that.
And that's been, we've been commanded.
Maybe we're missing part of this puzzle and maybe if you feel
like you're not in control of what you're hoping in, maybe
you're missing one of these pieces.
Are you thinking about God's word?
And everything I'm talking about today was a direct kick at me
and and it was a challenge for me so I'm not talking at you at
this. This was a huge challenge for me
to step it up. Some are you living it?
Are you seeing it's fruits? Are you taking time to look and
see what God is doing? And if you see that, are you
rejoicing in that? Are you missing any of the
pieces of this cycle that we can hope and God, and we can create
a cycle where our minds will continue to hope and build faith
and trust in him through a cycle of changing, what we have
hoping, and we can do that. Okay.
Now verse I mentioned from 1st, Peter chapter 2, it said you
also as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a
holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Christ Jesus. Okay.
Going on verse 7. It says, therefore as the holy
spirit says, today if you will hear his voice, do not Harden
your hearts as in the rebellion and the trial of the Wilderness
where your father's tested me, tried me and saw my Works 40
years. Therefore, I was angry with that
generation and said they always go astray in their heart and
they have not known my ways. So, I swore, in my wrath, they
shall not enter my rest. This is where it starts to get a
little harsh. But the rebellion in the trial
are Around the Wilderness wanderings in the Book of
Numbers where Israel complained against God.
So in Numbers Chapter 13, there were spice and into the land,
god commanded them to go into the land and take it and so they
sent spies. And it says in the promised land
that when they came to the valley of eskil and they're cut
down a branch with one cluster of grapes.
They carried it between two of them on a pole.
They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs the Place
was called the valley of eskil because of the cluster, which
the men of Israel cut down there.
So in the wilderness, when they were told to go in into the
promised land, they went in and took these clusters of grapes.
That's what that's what the word eskil means.
It means cluster. They had to carry it, between
two of them on a pole. I can't imagine seeing a cluster
of grapes that big even though we're in California, What
happened? Next verse 27, then they told
him and said we went to the land where you sent us, it truly
flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
And nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong,
the cities are fortified in very large.
Moreover, we saw than the descendants of anak there.
The amalekites dwell in the land of the South, the Hittites, the
jebusites, and the amorites, the wall in the mountains, and the
Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the banks of the Jordan.
So they came in and they said, man.
This place has everything. You talked it up to me, it is
unreal, it is awesome, but there's Giants, we're afraid of
them. But here's all the, here's all
the reasons that were scared and we can't maybe trust God to go
in. There's too many too many
dangers, too many risks. Going on in verse 30.
It says then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said,
let us go up at once and take possession.
There's a couple guys who like, no we got this, let's go.
But then the men who had gone up with him said, we're not able to
go up against the people for they're stronger than we.
And they gave the children of Israel, a bad report of the
land, which they had spied out saying the land through which we
have gone has, as spies in Al and devours inhabitants, and all
the people, whom we saw in, it are men of great stature.
Thatcher there, huge the big dudes.
There we saw, the Giants, the descendants of anak came from
the Giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight
and so we were in their sight. They said we walked in and we
thought we were grasshoppers compared to them and they
thought we were grasshoppers compared to them.
We were all in agreement. We were small.
We did not look good. It does not look good for us to
go up against them. So there's these positive and
negative. Some people who want to go in
some people are are not faithful.
And this is where all the wandering started, this is where
God saying, you frustrated me to no end.
You were never faithful, you always went away from me and it
started with this one lack of faith.
One of the lessons we can learn from this is that there will
always be at least two ways to look at every situation now,
will be the positive hopeful and full of faith in God's ability
to act. There will be that position in
every situation weren't There's also going to be the perceived
risks worries and the if this then that we can come up with in
our minds. We can apply this to a lot of
different things. But whatever situation we get
into in our individual lives in our church.
There's always going to be both of these.
They weren't wrong. That the Giants were huge and on
their own. They could have been defeated
very quickly and easily, they're huge, they would have gotten
wiped out on their own. But the difference is God,
wanted them to see him as greater than every concern and
worthy of their faith, okay? So there may be things that are
true. It may be true.
That hey, this looks bad, this looks difficult, this looks
hard, there's a lot of risks here.
But there's always going to be risks God's people succeed when
they, when they take the positive hope and fullness of
faith and they're aware of the perceived risks.
And they overcome that by an awareness of God's power and his
ability to act. So, may we always look at God
and let him develop a faith within us that responds.
Okay, another side point. He talks about Moses
faithfulness, Moses at age, 40, He mustered up the strength to
choose God's people. So he decided to leave Egypt and
say, you know, I'm going to support my people.
He went out and defended one of his own people, the Israelites
and it did not go well that was at 40 years old.
He finally at 40 years old after a long time, almost twice my
lifetime. He was finally like all right I
got to do something. He got out and did something and
it didn't go well and he was out in the wilderness, he went off
on his own. At age, 80 was when the burning
bush situation happened, where God called him back and said
you're going to go now. And even when he was finally
called to do that, man, Moses didn't look good.
That's not the point of Hebrews chapter 3, but Moses did not
look good. He was like, well, I can't
because of this, I can't because of this that and there's this
risk and that risk So Hebrews 3 is talking about the good things
in Moses, but as a side point for us, look how long it took
for Moses to get started, he was 80 before he really got started.
But he started and that's a point that we need to remember.
We are a lot of people in here and different points in life, no
matter where you're at. You can get started today.
We can get started wherever we're at and Moses is a great
example of that because the testimony after that he was
faithful and that's what he is remembered for even by the
scriptures. Okay?
Quickly go on verse 12, beware Brethren, lest there, be in any
of you. An evil heart of unbelief in
departing from the Living God, but exhort one another daily
while it's called today. I like that we don't have
tomorrow. We don't have the past but we do
have today. Take what you got?
Today, encourage and exhort one another, while it's still called
today, the beauty of that is everyday is called today.
When you get to tomorrow, it'll be called today then and we have
a chance every day to make it what it can be to exhort one
another. He says lest any of you be
hardened through the deceitfulness of sin for we have
become partakers of Christ. If we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast to the end while it is said today, if you
will hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts as in the
Rebellion he's saying Of the same thing, he's emphasizing.
Don't let your hearts get hard and kind of antidote.
He said, for being hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin. It was what he just said, he
said exhort one another daily. And I'm so thankful.
God gave us a body, he gave us a church to be exhorted daily so
that we don't get hardened because the reality is sin will
deceive us to where we don't even see ourselves anymore to
her. We don't don't even see
ourselves changing. We have to talk to somebody else
and somebody else can see the change in us and say, hey, come
on, let's go get, get back on the right track or hey, you're
doing a good job. Keep.
Keep the faith you're doing. You're doing good work.
God is brilliant, and in the design and his body for support
for one. Another may we take advantage of
that, may we exhort one another daily.
That's something I need to be better about.
I think the quarantine kind of kept us all a little bit
separated, but we have ways. Maybe we exhort one another
daily So we're coming really close to the end.
I saw this, this little it is kind of a It is a it's a story
basically from a demon's point of view on the Persistence of
faith and in this someone wrote this it's a fictional
perspective from a demon. Tempting, a person tip
attempting a Christian and so it's a demon either thinking to
himself. We're talking to another demon,
listen to this. It says the enemy has guarded
him from you, so the Enemy being God has guarded him from you
through the first Great Wave of Temptations.
But if only he can be kept alive, you have time itself for
your ally, the long dull, monotonous years of middle-aged
Prosperity or middle-aged diversity are excellent
campaigning whether you see it's so hard for these creatures to
persevere. The routine of adversity, the
gradual decay of youthful, loves and Youthful hopes, the quiet
despair hardly felt his pain of ever overcoming The Chronic
Temptations with which we Again and again defeated them the
drabness which we create in their lives and inarticulate
resentment with which we teach them to respond to it all.
This provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a
soul by attrition, attrition means you just break them down.
Just solo, take away their food and water and a war of attrition
you just cut off their resources.
I'm wearing out a soul by attrition.
If on the other hand, the middle years for from prosperous.
Our position is even stronger. Prosperity.
And it's a man to the world. He feels that he's finding his
place in the, he's finding his place in it while really, it's
finding its place in him. That is why we must often wish
long life to our patients. 70 years is not a day, too much for
the difficult task of, unraveling their souls from
heaven and building up a firm attachment to the Earth.
And sometimes, it's interesting to think about stuff like that.
The demons perspective, maybe on a someone came up with this, but
it's true, isn't it? Some of those words, the
inarticulate resentment that we can build that Satan wants us to
develop in our hearts. That's what the devil wants.
That's what his helpers want the challenge for the Christian is
to remain faithful and full of exhortation and encouragement
for one another as we fight against him, faithfulness is a
heroic act and Hebrews chapter 2 verse 11.
I think it's 11 verse 2, Maybe by faith, Jacob, when he was
dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshipped leaning
on the top of his staff. This study Made me think and
really appreciate all the people in this audience who have
continued to hold the face strong.
That last thing we read about the difficulties of Life over
time, wearing down, someone's faith and discouraging people,
and trying to undermine The spiritual strength of God wants
us to have. I have a renewed appreciation
for the older folks and the Middle Ages as the, you know,
the the demon was saying, we're continuing to fight and hold on
to the faith. I appreciate you very much.
Because faithfulness is a heroic act and I that picture of Joseph
in the Old Testament worshipping leaning on the top of his staff
is one of the coolest pictures of faithfulness in the Bible
that I can read. There is value in faith.
In faiths longevity because we are told to be steadfast to the
end in our faithfulness, in our rejoicing, in Hope.
And this passage shows. It's exemplified in both Moses,
and Jesus, Jesus being so much better for so many reasons.
Okay, finishing up verse 16 for who having heard rebelled and D,
wasn't not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses.
Now with whom was he angry, 40 years was it?
Not those who sinned whose corpses fell in the wilderness?
And to whom, did he swear that they would not enter his rest
but to those who did not obey. So we see that they could not
enter in because of unbelief. So all the words, highlighted In
this, passage are kind of connected.
They have a common root. It says in Hebrews 3 of
unbelief, these people did not have a belief inside that it was
strong enough. Now people say see you just need
to believe you don't have to obey and see this is the whole
point is believing well, the point is they're all connected.
You can't really have one without the other.
He says they didn't obey and it was connected to their own
belief, they sinned and it was connected to their unbelief.
And it's interesting that they came out of Egypt, Egypt is a
picture of leaving sin. They came out of Egypt but they
still fell into unbelief. That's kind of a sobering
thought for us. We can still fall into unbelief
and we can be hardened. Now this is this is a lot of -
chapter 3 ends right here. Chapter 4 is going to go on to
talk about the rest that's coming.
So it's I wish we could just keep going to get really get the
whole picture, but this is where we're going to stop today and
Hebrews chapter 3. Ending with kind of a warning.
But it's also a reminder that we should consider how great Jesus
is and that we don't want any part of that the unbelief in the
consequences from it. So today we learned that Jesus
was faithful and I asked you. And I ask myself to consider our
own faithfulness, to him. Faithfulness is a heroic act
that takes a lot of time. Ask you along with me to
consider our own willingness to take a risk and grow.
Because in that passage where their faithfulness was a
problem, it had a lot to do with they weren't willing to take a
risk and grow. So it's not just staying where
they were staying faithful isn't just putting your feet in the
ground and sit in their faithfulness implies willing to
take risk and grow like Caleb. Did he was like, no, we can go
in this land. We can get this.
We got this. I ask you to consider both areas
of these in your life. Maybe one of these is easier for
you than the other. But a full round of faith will
be faithful and willing to grow at the same time and ready to
take on challenges. Jesus was similar to Moses in
several ways but he was on a whole nother level.
So these questions are you taking time out of your day to
consider him to consider Jesus? Are you rejoicing in your hope?
This is a strong command that he indicates will affect our own.
Participation in the household of God if we're rejoicing him
steadfast to the end and are you encouraging others?
Daily. Please think about these things
with me. This is our lesson today.
I hope you can take it and and we can grow together as we seek
to serve him from the things. We've learned in Hebrews chapter
3. We thank you for listening to
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