Defining Faithfulness, Part 3

Welcome to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Hebrews 3-12 puts us on high alert to a great danger. Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. We must cultivate a surrendered, trusting heart toward our Father. Today, Pastor Rich points out the traps in our thought life that will quickly lead us to a hardened heart. Hebrews 3, 7-19 holds important wisdom for us on how to avoid a heart of unbelief. It's put in verse 12, beware of an evil heart of unbelief. Warning number two in the book of Hebrews, beware of an evil heart of unbelief.

Now, how can that happen? Let me give you, first of all, an amplified version of this warning, and then we will talk about why it's very important that we hear today heed this warning. This is not just a warning for a different people a long time ago. This is a warning for us today because God's Word is for us today. So the amplified version of this warning is just simply this, genuine saving faith in Christ is not a try Jesus sort of thing. A lot of people present Christ that way. Well, just try Jesus, give him a try.

The only appropriate response to sovereignty is surrender. And so genuine saving faith is not when we give Jesus a try. There's a second part of it too, nor is saving faith and I've just been going along with it for all this time. I've been living up to the expectations of people who think I'm doing what a good Christian ought to do. That's not saving faith. Associating with Christianity does not reconcile you to God and does not transform your soul. This is the warning for us today.

Let me amplify it this way. If you have in any way come to Christ on your terms, then your trust in him is superficial. Practically, that means that there will be times when he doesn't come through for you. And a hard heart is knocking at the door of your soul. If you are here today and you're thinking, okay, well, I'm a Christian and I know I'm a Christian and everything's good and I know I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and I've been a Christian for a long time, this doesn't apply to me. Warning, it is to you that this applies most this morning. We could talk probably all day of loved ones we know, that have grown up in the faith or have been a part of the faith of a long time, and then they have completely walked away and rejected it and reject it to this day. It's sad.

It's shipwreck. And I'll bet you anything, there was a time in their life when they believed this doesn't apply to you. And I'll bet you anything, there was a time in their life when they believed this doesn't apply to me.

It does. Let us today heed the warning of the Word of God and let us take it personally because the Word of God is to us today. We see it happening all around us. Top political scientists, Robert Putnam and David Campbell, present research in their book, American Grace. They reported that, quote, young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of five to six times the historic rate.

It's a reality. Here's one. His name is Morning Hawk Apollo. That's what he changed his name to. He has been involved now in the Wiccan practices. And he said this, and he's very candid about his rejection of Christianity. This is not presented as a mock.

He is being blatantly honest. Listen to this. Ultimately, why I left is that the Christian God demands that you submit to his will. In Wicca, it's just the other way around.

Your will is paramount. We believe in gods and goddesses, but the deities we choose to serve are based on our wills. There was probably at one point in his life when he thought Hebrews 3, 7 and 19 didn't apply to him. You've heard of some of the great names of evangelical Christianity in the 20th century. Among those names is one great name, Francis Schaeffer. You've heard of him, but have you heard of Frank Schaeffer? Frank Schaeffer is his son. Let me tell you how Frank Schaeffer is described in the book of Hebrews 3. Let me tell you how Frank Schaeffer is described in the Huffington Post. Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times best-selling author.

His books include Crazy for God, How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take It All or Almost All of It Back. Frank is a survivor, and this is continuing the description of him in the Huffington Post. Frank is a survivor of both polio and an evangelical fundamentalist childhood, a survivor of it, who at one time thought probably Hebrews 3, 7 to 19 didn't apply to him because he'd done everything right. What will it take you to quit the faith?

You need to answer that question. What will it take you to quit the faith? Because that's what the writer of Hebrews is dealing with here this morning. He gives us a very clear example. There is a very poignant straightforward verse in this text here today. You have your marker in Hebrews 3.

Let's look at that, and then we're going to look at the historical context. Hebrews chapter 3. I want you to look with me at verse 14. Hebrews 3, 14. For we have become partakers of Christ.

Stop there a minute. Many of us in this room are very confident of that truth, and therefore we have the tendency to think Hebrews 3 doesn't apply to me. I'm saved. I believe in eternal security.

I'm good to go. What's the next word in the verse? If. If we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. It's not up to how hard you try. Your steadfastness to the end depends on one thing alone. Have you surrendered yourself to Jesus Christ? It's not about how hard you try. If you indeed are in Christ and have surrendered yourself to Him, you will persevere to the end. Because as Peter says, we are kept by the power of God for salvation. But if you have not surrendered yourself to Jesus Christ, it's up to you trying, and there's no guarantee. In fact, it won't work.

That is the guarantee. So let's now look at the historical context. Why is the writer of Hebrews writing this, and what is the illustration that he uses from the history?

Remember, if you're going to look and what is the illustration that he uses from the history? Remember, he is writing to Hebrews. He's writing to Jews, a Hebrew people. They know their history, and they are right now in a context of transition because this Messiah, Jesus, has come. And so the writer of Hebrews says, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Beware of an evil heart of unbelief.

Why would he write that to them? What was the day of rebellion when they walked away from God? Well, this is when we need to turn to Numbers chapter 13.

So you have it marked in your scriptures Numbers chapter 13. Up to this point, this is taken back to the early history of Israel. This is after they had come out of Egypt and God had rescued them. Up to this point, they had experienced the miraculous exodus from Egypt, the Red Sea. They walked across the Red Sea on what?

Dry ground. And then Pharaoh thought he could do the same. And then guess what? You see, and Israel witnessed all that. They didn't do that. God did. They were at Mount Sinai where the mountain thundered and trembled. And they said, Moses, we can't approach this God.

You go talk to Him. We're too afraid of Him and too in awe of Him. The same God who in the wilderness, when the people were thirsty and complained, had Moses speak to a rock. And what came out of the rock? Water.

Enough water to quench the thirst of over two million people. That God. This is the God that they had followed. They saw Him do this. And now they were ready to go into the land that this God had promised Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. And they're ready to go in following the Lord. And Moses sends in spies.

You remember that little kid song you sing? 12 spies, 10 were bad and two are good. Well, here's that story. Numbers chapter 13. They come back from the land. We're going to begin Numbers chapter 13. Let's read beginning at verse 27.

Numbers 13, 27. Then they told him, this is the spy speaking, they're coming back from the land. And they said, we went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey and this is its fruit.

Nevertheless, there's a but here, isn't there? The people who dwell in the land are strong. The cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak, the Amalekites, and all those ites and banks of Jordan. Verse 30, Caleb quieted the people before Moses and Simeon said, let us go up at once and take possession for we are well able to overcome it. But the men who had gone up with him said, we are not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we. Is that a true statement?

It is. But guess what they forgot? They forgot God. We're so glad you've joined us for Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell. The teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. You can hear this message and others anytime by visiting our website, www.delightingrace.com. You can also check out Pastor Rich's book, Seven Words That Can Change Your Life, where he unpacks from God's word the very purpose for which you were designed. Seven Words That Can Change Your Life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to Delight in Grace weekdays at 10 a.m.