“Warning: Don’t Harden Your Heart!”
Pastor Jerry
Hebrews 3:7-19
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Why is it that we as human beings have so much trouble heeding warnings? Well: People don’t like to be told what to do! This past year of the pandemic has revealed how much this is true.
Whatever the reason, we do have much trouble in obeying warnings? Sometimes it is because we misunderstand the implication of the warning.
But most often the problem is not due to misunderstanding the implication but ignoring the warning. However, not paying attention to warnings is a dangerous thing!
Today we are going to look at a warning found in the letter to the Hebrews, the danger of turning away. It is so easy to begin to drift in living a godly life and end up living essentially no different than the unbelievers around us! Let’s not be guilty of ignoring the warning today!
First, A Warning to Hear (v. 7)
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice.”
God expects us to respond. The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that the human tendency is to delay …to procrastinate especially it seems with spiritual matters.
In (2 Cor. 6:2) the Apostle Paul stated, “… Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The time to respond to God is always, now! The problem begins when we hear the word of God, feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit and tell ourselves that we need to take action. But then we do nothing! The heart gets harder every time we say “no” to Jesus or to any part of His truth or will or His call.
If we are tempted to put off our spiritual need …this scripture warns us of the danger of foolish choices. The first warning is to hear…
Secondly, A Warning to Heed (vv. 8-11)
“…do not harden your hearts…” Hebrews 3:8–11 interprets Israel’s Exodus from Egypt. After being in slavery in Egypt for 430 years, God led them out with a mighty hand. They grumbled about everything. One after another the men rose to demand new leadership and a return to Egypt (14:4). When the people refused to obey the Lord, God pronounced his judgment upon them.
Their unbelief cost them everything. As a result they missed out on the blessing of God. It’s a warning for us not to repeat their sin. They did not have the faith to trust God for the future.
Not Only are we being given a warning to Hear… and a warning to Heed but…
Third, A Warning To Heal (vv. 12-15)
Guard Your Heart – v12 says, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” The warning is to guard our hearts because there is the danger in each of our lives of turning away from what we know to be the truth. What is an “evil heart of unbelief”? It is a heart that does not believe God, a heart that will not trust God, a heart that will not believe truth!
We are to encourage one another. Verse 13-14 warns “ exhort one another daily [and] …Do not harden your hearts…” If you do not think you need anyone else to live out the Christian life, you are arrogant, puffed up and in danger of a fall. We need the encouragement of other believers because sin is deceitful. We need others to warn us when we are in trouble.
Now…I want to ask an important question of you: “Why you are not a Christian?” Or, “Why you are not the Christian God wants to change your heart to be?”
If our heart has become hardened so that we don’t give ourselves to God when He calls, and we expect nothing from God when He calls, and when we attempt nothing for God when He calls, then our belief in Him is more in our heads than it is in our hearts.
The question today is, “Will you let God change your heart?” God is calling! Do not harden your heart!