R679 The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart

The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart. That's today's message from Dr. Don Wilton. And there is hope for each and every one of us as we open the Word with Dr. Don Wilton. Know that we're available for you at 866-899-WORD.

We'd love to pray with you or connect online at www.tewonline.org. And now today's teaching from Dr. Don Wilton. I believe that the mandate that God gives to me is to be a systematic expository preacher.

Now that's a big mouthful. What that means is that my mandate, for the most part, not exclusively, is to take the Word of God and to systematically teach God's Word. When you are a systematic expository preacher, which I believe we ought to be, man doesn't choose the topic, God does. And folks, there are many times as we go through Scripture that we come across topics that God has put in the Word there, that whether or not you and I feel like or want to address, they there, God speaks to them.

As a pastor, as your pastor, it means that I've got to get down to serious business with the Lord. And if I don't understand it, I've got to ask God to give me understanding because He's the only one who can do that. But it's amazing how that God always chooses the right topics, the right subjects from His Word. It never ceases to amaze me. And so it is today that we are in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 7.

I didn't choose the subject. God did. And I'm going to speak to you this morning on the tragedy of a hardened heart. You might say to me today, well, pastor, surely there are not a lot of hardened hearts around here as far as God is concerned. And what God was saying to me was, listen to me, preach my Word, because there are people who have hardened their hearts against me. I believe this morning that there are people in this congregation in downtown Spartanburg who are in church, some of whom are the finest people that you've ever met, but you've hardened your heart against God. I believe that there are people who are worshiping with us by way of television that have hardened their hearts against the Lord. I believe that there are moms and dads who have hardened their hearts against the Lord. Well, let's read this today together, and perhaps God will give us a clear understanding of what it is that He wants us to hear. Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 7. So as the Holy Spirit says today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the desert where your fathers tested and tried me for and for 40 years saw what I did.

That is why I was angry with that generation. And I said their hearts are always going astray and they have not known my ways. Well, I get to verse 11 and friends, I don't want to read verse 11, if you don't mind. Verse 11 is something that I just don't want to consider because I don't ever want to preach about a God who may not tolerate my sin. All I want to talk about is the love of God. I don't want to talk about God banishing anybody. And so what I'd like to do is I'd like to just erase that verse.

And if we could kind of just jump over it and maybe move on to the next chapter. But for some reason, I'm compelled to read it and to listen to what God says. Here's what He says. So I declared on oath in my anger that they shall never enter my rest. Now, friends, most of us, if I can just pause there, I'm going to read the rest of it in a moment. If I can just pause there for a moment, that word rest is interesting because for most of us, quite correctly, it means going to heaven, our eternal rest. But that's not what God is saying here in this context. See here, we are being reminded as the psalmist reminded us of the wonderings of the children of Israel. And you remember how they were delivered from Egypt and how that Moses was God's instrument and how they wandered around the wilderness for 40 years before they were delivered to the Promised Land.

Here in this context, and I'm going to develop this for you in just a moment because we must understand these things here as we apply them to our own hearts. God had poured out great favor and blessings upon the children of Israel, but they had hardened their hearts against Him, despite all that He had done. One would say, wait a minute, how could a people harden their hearts against God after all He had done for them?

That's what happened. And they did this so many times that it came to the point at which God said, God said, I'm going to express my absolute anger. And by the way, that word anger there, we cannot soft soap that, that wasn't just a word for distaste or the fact that God had become somewhat uncomfortable with the behavior of the Israelites. When God speaks about His anger, God is speaking about His total unwillingness to deal in any way with the Israelites because of their sin. And the consequence of their sin was that God told them that they would not enter into His rest, which He was talking about into the Promised Land, into the blessings that God had promised them.

And we know that that's what happened. All these people were given great promises by God, but because they hardened their hearts against Him, God deprived them of their human earthly blessings. And ultimately, according later on, they were deprived of their eternal blessings because of their unbelief. Now, I want to just tell you this. Did you know that if you and I harden our hearts against God, that God will prevent us from receiving the blessings that He has intention of giving to us? All right, now hold on there.

Let's read on. Verse 12, see to it then, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first, as has just been said today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion. Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those who Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest, if not those to whom had disobeyed Him?

So, we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief. Now, the question is this, why are these things written? Why was it important for the Spirit of God to impress us upon the hearts of the Jewish people? And perhaps as we apply it to our own lives in 2003, why is it important for us to have to deal with the tragedy of a hardened heart? I'm going to submit to you that there are three reasons. Number one, because it is a fact of life.

That's why, it's a fact of life. Hardened hearts are all around us. In fact, I'm going to submit to you, ladies and gentlemen, that you can see it. You can see hardened hearts. You might say to me, well, pastor, what do you mean? You can see a hardened heart. Folks, you can see someone who's got a hardened heart. It doesn't take a rocket scientist sometimes to figure out if someone's got a hardened heart against spiritual things and against Almighty God. You can see somebody who has a hardened heart.

I want to say this out of the love of my heart to you as we worship the Lord together. Even in church, you can see hardened hearts sometimes. I can see hardened hearts from the pulpit.

I don't want you to all sit up now and start smiling. But I want you to know that there are some people who are here in their presence, but they have no participation. That's the mark of a hardened heart. I have seen people who come into God's house, my friend, who call for action, but they are critical of it when it comes along.

I have seen people who will be involved in social activity, but they are very reluctant to get involved in spiritual activity. You can see a hardened heart against God. Not only can you see it as a fact of life, but you can hear it. You can hear a hardened heart. You might say to me, well, pastor, how? You can hear it just the way some people speak.

You know, I'm so grateful this has happened so rarely in my experience here in Spartanburg, but I remember a number of years ago, I heard my name being rather shouted out emphatically one day out here in the Welcome Center, and I turned around. It was during the week and there was a man standing there and I walked over and he began to, I wish I could tell you, talk to me, but he wasn't quite talking to me. But he was sharing with me some things and I let him have a conversation for about two minutes. And then I said, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. He said, well, pastor, I haven't finished telling you what I'm telling you. I said, you're not telling me anything. I said, you're lecturing me and I'm not going to let you lecture me.

Any more questions? He said, well, I just want you to know. I said, well, I don't want to know what you want to know.

He said, well, I've got something that I need to tell you. I said, well, here's what I want to tell you to do. Number one, go and take a cold bath. I said, number two, ride a bicycle in the parking lot. Number three, go and hug your wife, kick the dog.

Above all, go and have a conversation with God. But my dear friend, you're speaking to me with a hard heart. You know, he went out and I remember it so clearly because he's a precious man.

Came back sometime later. He shared a lot of things that were very important. But folks, he wasn't speaking to me from a hard heart and he got a lot accomplished. You see, you can see a hard heart. You can hear it.

You can read it. Why does God talk about hardening of the heart? Because it's a fact of life. Number two, because God loves us. God loves us. You know, it's much like those of us who are parents and we bring up children. I tell you folks, there are children who can bring great pain and hurt to the hearts of parents. But it is amazing the love of parents.

In my ministry, I have seen some moms and dads do everything you can possibly imagine. They have loved their children. They brought them up in the fair knowledge of the Lord. They have provided for them. They have been honorable in every way. But their children grow up and they get involved in things and they bring great discredit to the family and to everybody in between.

And yet those parents never change in their love. God wants us to know that he loves us despite ourselves. The emphasis here, my friend, is on God.

It's not on us. Bible tells us very clearly, first of all, that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Let me just assure you of something, folks. God didn't stand on Mount Sinai and rub his hands together and say, oh, wow, oh, yes, yes, yes. I killed every last one of them before they got into the land of Canaan. God that we know doesn't walk around pumping his fist in the air and saying, boy, I tell you, have I got him at last? I'm just going to zap him with a hard heart.

That man has messed me around so much. No, God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked in Ezekiel 33 and verse 11. Say to them, as surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn away from their ways and live.

Turn, turn from your evil ways. Why will you die, O house of Israel? Not only does God take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, my friends, but God does not want anyone to perish.

I totally refute the theological disposition that teaches that God has preordained that some people are going to hell. Jesus Christ died for all people. Second Peter chapter three and verse nine. The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone would come to repentance. What a message of hope that God wants all to come to him. Forgive the interruption.

We'll be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment. But Dr. Wilton wants you to know where available. We'd love to pray with you right now at 866-899.

Word, jot the number down. As Dr. Don would say, we'd be happy to be one of your 2 a.m. friends. We always answer that phone live with one of us, 866-899-9673.

Or you can connect online as well at www.tewonline.org. Now back to today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. Whosoever to the Lord may come, why are these things written? Well, first of all, because it's a fact of life.

Second, because God loves us. And third of all, because time is slipping away. I want to tell you why God wants us to know these things, folks, because time is slipping away.

That's why. Time is slipping away. Why does God want us to pay careful attention to the tragedy of a hardened heart? I'm going to submit to you, my friends, that the context here in Scripture of a hardened heart takes place in the face of overwhelming evidence.

That's how interesting it is, the exegesis of this passage here, an understanding of what God is trying to say to us through Psalm 95 and through what the writer to the Hebrews is reminding us of, is not a hardened heart just out there in the middle of nowhere for no reason. It takes place in the face of overwhelming evidence. And I'm going to submit to you today, beloved friends, that many people in 2003 are hardening their hearts against God in the face of overwhelming evidence for God.

Let's look at it. There is the evidence of Scripture according to verse 7. The Holy Spirit said all Scripture is inspired, written by the Spirit as breathed upon man.

There's the evidence of Scripture. I wish I could take you on a journey with Moses and the children of Israel. From the time they even began to think of leaving Egypt, God said, I will deliver you. I will bless you.

I will take care of you. And yet they hardened their hearts against him. God said, do not fear. And yet they hardened their hearts.

We are no different in the year 2003. God has blessed us over decades and decades and decades. And God reminds us through his Word. We have the evidence of Scripture. Number two, we have the evidence of a wilderness experience in the second part of verse 8. The Bible tells us this took place during the time of testing in the desert.

People, they had the evidence of a wilderness experience. They had 40 years for God to deal with them. And they saw the hand of God, and yet they repeatedly hardened their hearts against him.

We are no different in 2003. There was third the evidence of repeated blessings. Look at verse 9, where your fathers tested and tried me and for 40 years they saw what I did.

The evidence of repeated blessings. Time without number, God fed them. God protected them. God guided them. God showed them what to do. God took care of them.

And yet they hardened their hearts against him. I'm going to submit to you, beloved friends, that we are in the midst of the evidence of Scripture and the evidence of wilderness experiences and the evidence of repeated blessings. Number four, there was the evidence of changed lives. He talks here about the fathers in verse 9. Your fathers tested and tried me. If you were to go to one of the Israelites or one of the Jews in the context of the letter to the Hebrews, and you were to mention Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they would have sat up and took notice.

Why? Because there was the evidence of changed lives. I look around my own life. I look to my own father and I see the evidence of a changed life. I look to my father-in-law. I see the evidence of a changed life. I look to my two sons and my daughter. I see the evidence of a changed life. I look around this congregation and I see people ad infinitum, moms and dads and grandparents, young people.

I see people of every shape and every size, people rich and poor, people from every side and every persuasion. I see the evidence of changed lives. God says to me, Don Wilton, take note my son. There is the evidence of scripture and the wilderness experiences of your life and the repeated blessing and changed lives.

Do not harden your heart against me. There is the evidence of hindsight in verse 10. That is why I was angry with that generation. It's a good thing for us to look back. Someone has said that the greatest lesson we learn from history is that we never learn any lessons from history. And friends, we have the evidence of hindsight as we look back and we see the hand of God. There is the evidence of the Holy Spirit that we find there in verse seven who moves and who convicts us of righteousness and of judgment and of sin.

Oh, we're in the midst of manifold, overwhelming evidence as were the children of Israel. And God said, If you hear my voice, do not harden your hearts. And so I began to ask myself this question, what are some of the causes of a hardened heart today? I came up with 10.

Let me share them with you. Number one, intellectualism. Intellectualism.

You say, Pastor, what do you mean by that? I believe intellectualism will result in a hardened heart, my friend. Believe me, I'm all for the academic pursuit of excellence.

I myself have an earned PhD in many other degrees. I believe we need to study, but I'm going to tell you, my friend, that not all the intellectual study in the world is ever going to take the place of the fact that we are saved by grace through faith. I'm disturbed on many of our college campuses that there are growing numbers of our young people who are spending more time in intellectual pursuit of a God who is sovereign, who cannot be understood in terms of our human understanding to the detriment of the exercise and the practical outworking of our faith in Christ Jesus. Well, there's not any intellectualism that can cause a hardened heart. The good life can cause a hardened heart. Oh, we are a people who have a good life.

There's no doubt about it. We've been blessed so much. Do you know that blessings, money, possessions can cause a hardened heart toward God? That's why the Bible says it's harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

You've got restaurants everywhere, beautiful homes, moms and dads, families. Do you know something? The good life can result in a hardened heart toward God. Number three, religion. Do you know that in America today, folks, religion is causing more of a hardened heart against God than anything else?

Number four, I don't really want to talk about, but it's true. It's called ruined witness. That's why you might hear me say from time to time, not nearly often enough, and I want to say it again today. If I have ever done anything to any of you to cause your heart to be hardened against the Lord, please forgive me. Individuals can ruin their witness and cause somebody else to have a hardened heart. I've met men who have said, look, I'm never going back to that church again because of what that preacher said 35 years ago.

I'm not going to do this. Not only individuals, but churches. Churches, folks, there are churches in America today, evangelical churches where there is fighting, backstabbing, selfishness, where people come to business meetings. That's why at First Baptist Church, everything we do is based upon absolute truth. We will not build this church on personal preference.

And what you and I have to say about in this church is irrelevant. What God has to say is paramount. Number five, sin, a lack of repentance. Number six, legalism. There are some modern day theological trends that have been creeping into our campuses that are verging on modern day Pharisaism and legalism.

Number seven, repeated refusal. God tells us that His Spirit will no longer strive with us. And perhaps the thing that gets to me more than anything else is people who continually and repeatedly over years and years turn to God and say, no, I don't want you, I don't want you in my life. Hurt and pain can cause a hardened heart. There's some people who have suffered unbelievable hurt and unbelievable pain.

And I can understand that. Some people have lost loved ones in car crashes and plane wrecks. And for the rest of their lives, battle with a hardened heart against God. There are some who have hardened hearts because of family and friends. Because some people have said something or some people have done something. I've heard some wives say, well, my husband, if he behaves like that, and he claims to be a Christian, I don't want to be one.

But number 10 time. Oh, Lord, let me not harden my heart against you. What powerful teaching from Dr. Wilton in the pulpit. Oh, God, let us not harden our heart against you. Perhaps God has been softening your heart through today's teaching and preaching from Dr. Wilton in the pulpit.

But next, as he steps in the studio, I pray you'd open your heart to what he wants to share next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner, and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today, I repent of my sin, and by faith, I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you are praying along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ or rededicate your life to Jesus, oh, we want to welcome you to the family, go back to the family of God, and put resources in your hand Dr. Don has selected for you. They're free if you'll just call us at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673, or we can meet online as well at TEWOnline.org.

And before we get away, a closing thought from Dr. Don. You know, I'd love to be a part of your daily devotional. Love to be able to send you the encouraging word daily devotional and be a part of what God says to each one of us through his word every day.

You can become part of that and receive one yourself from me. Just go online to TEWOnline.org. That's TEWOnline.org and get your copy of the encouraging word Bible devotion today.

We really would love to connect with you. Don't forget it's online at TEWOnline.org. Our prayer is that you'll join us again for more great teaching from Dr. Wilton.

You'll find places to watch on television and others on our website at TEWOnline.org. And we want to thank you. Many of you have become encouragers to us and you need to know that this program is sponsored by the encouraging word and your generous prayer and financial support. The encouraging word.