Rebellious Hearts (Part A)

Just day you will hear his voice, he says, the Holy Spirit said this see in the Godhead. Jesus is the author of our faith. Holy Spirit is the author of Scripture, there is a sense of urgency that they are both communicating to us when they say today today is now. That's what he means by today. Right now this instant most neglected urgent human need in the history of mankind is neglecting the voice of God.

This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Hebrews. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching let's join Pastor Rick in Hebrews chapter 3 as he begins a brand-new study called rebellious hearts. If you would turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 3 Hebrews chapter 3 will take verses seven through 19.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says today you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness where your fathers tested me. Tried me, saw my works 40 years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said they always go astray, and there are, they have not known my ways.

So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

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 is called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. We have become partakers of Christ. If we hold the beginning of our confession steadfast to the end. While it is said, today you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, or who, having heard rebelled, indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses. Now, with whom was he angry 40 years, was it not with those who sin corpses fell in the wilderness and to whom did he swear that he would not enter his rest, 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. Well, rebellious hearts is what we are considering this morning.

They're everywhere and you picture a rebellious heart you picture an uprising of troops against the rule of a leader whose leadership and command you wish not to come under.

Having stated the glory of Christ over Moses in the previous verses of chapter 3. Those oak that opening paragraph which is very important to the Jews and the egg probably for each session we have on Hebrews I will remind us for the sake of those who may have lost sight of this or not have heard it before but the writer to the Hebrews is writing to Jews who are thinking about leaving Christianity and going back to Judaism or and or mingling Julie Judaism with Christianity. In other words, they want to go back to the temple and they want to have the sacrifices the sheep and he still want to say the blood of the Lamb is cleanse them of their sins and God through his servant is saying don't you dare a greater one has come along. The law of Moses has been fulfilled in this one.

And so when he says in the opening paragraph the glory of Christ is greater than that of Moses. This big news to the Jewish thinking. So now he is continuing to build on the superiority of Christ. This is building our structure versus seven through 19 on that foundation. One greater than Moses is here. Therefore, don't revolt. Do not rebel don't get harden your heart against these truths. Pastor's say this every week. Christians say to believe, but unbelievers all the time but to those who are slipping backwards reminding them value of faith fire that belongs to it and how inadequate and insulting fake fire is, it does nothing it promises everything and produces nothing and that that is why their hearts went astray so often will get to this analysis. Look at verse seven and reread that verse. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, today you will hear his voice.

Now he starts quite a few of these opening chapters in Hebrews. With that word.

Therefore, and everything he's just said he's joining everything is about to say he is saying the ancient experience of the Jews has everything to do with our present experience as believers Jew or Gentile. As believers, saying, because Moses though he was a great man of God is not equal with Christ. No one is equal with Christ except the Godhead and that is with that therefore connects then he goes and he quotes the song he says today if you will hear his voice, he says, the Holy Spirit said this see in the Godhead. Jesus is the author of our faith in Holy Spirit is the author of the Scripture and there is a sense of urgency that they are both communicating to us when they say today today is now.

That's what he means by today. Right now this instant most neglected urgent human need in the history of mankind is neglecting the voice of God or blocking it a hardening once heart against it so it cannot penetrate so it has no value to that one. In fact, works against them.

So he tells the Jews that the voice of Yahweh in the Psalms is the voice of Jesus.

Now listen up verse eight. Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness. Now he's quoting Psalm 95 psalmist had already revisited these very things with his people in his day writer to Hebrews knowing the Scripture is just as pertinent brings it up for this generation price.

He will repeat today.

Today twice in this chapter once in chapter we get to chapter 4 again that sense of urgency because when the head is hard. The heart is hard heart is hard.

The head is hard because the soul is what makes up the person in Scripture and the soul is made up of the heart where one's feelings are your instincts. There will the head with a reason through things.

These form the soul of the of the individual of us, and to harden the soul against God to decide that all take a little bit from him and leave the rest all take none of it from both. In both cases it is resistant to this rebellion is the uprising of the sinful nature against the holy God. He does not deserve.

We who believe we know we fight the fight because we still have a flesh that is attractive attracted to things that lead us astray from God that satisfy our sinful side and there is the war God says to harden against him is to ruin yourself now.

Joe is Joe going to such misery and tempted to say you know who needs God if I have to go through this serving him who needs him when he comes to that place in his thinking the spot. Who has hardened himself against God and benefited from. So I like to read the verse verbatim Job 9 verse four. God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against him and prospered is too big to resist and come out on top know you've heard the expression I used to go there was a play based on this. Your arms are too short to box with God you want to lose and so by faith we believe we submit with those who don't believe.

Now here in this case these these are believers we've established that multiple times already. Only up to this third chapter and it will continue didn't to make this clear. These are believers any saying to them, you hardening your hearts aren't you planning to go backwards and were telling you the Holy Spirit is telling the Scriptures the facts everything is telling you don't do this and you are hardening up against it because you like the sensation that religion gives you is not about religion it's about truth. Let the truth be your religion, not just ritual things that you learned as a child doing many things. In Judaism they had to let go of that they grew up with. That was so special to them as little boys and little girls. Now they had to make a decision.

Were they going to abide continued to walk forward with God, or were they going to go backwards because it was so precious as a child. Also, when I was a child I spoke as a child I thought as a child, I understood as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things that does not mean that he abandoned those things that were good and godly and righteous means he said everything in order.

The way it should of been in his own heart. Hardening of the heart can be instantaneous was the case with Caiaphas… Jesus went around flipping over tables and telling us with this hardened up against him instantly. Then there was Judas Iscariot was progressively Judas Judas worked his way into resistant fully resisting Christ. So we heard ourselves by delaying when he says today is untenable. You cannot defend yourself against God. And so rather than forming smog.

Nothing arguments against him. Submit to him. I as an unbeliever before coming to Christ felt very secure in my rejection of Christ.

I heard my side of the story. There's two sides to every story in this case is God's.

Then there's whatever else and were, of course, when we side with God we become born again for me that happen and I believe that happens for all believers.

When we meet him. I do have are not like someone without even meeting them at anatomy politicians and stuff like that. I mean, just maybe, you hear vinyl like you haven't even met the person you meet the recent what a great person.

How fortunate they are to know me. So make sure were some Bureau are awake. Those of you didn't laugh we've taken note because you must've been sleeping because all the jokes from up here are anointed well hearts hearts that remain unmoved, untouched, adamant shot now. As believers we can get ourselves in a place will be just not stimulated better work.

Don't think that's going up that's not self-correcting. That is, fight them's fighting words that that's when you have to pull out your sons until think when you pull your sword the enemy is going to go and run is going to fight you, so it helps to be trained in the use of your sword.

These hard hearts. Jesus talked about it.

Mark gospel, Mark's gospel chapter 4 verse 15. These are the ones by the wayside with the word is sown when they hear, Satan comes immediately takes away the word that was sewn in their hearts. God gave them the word Satan plucked it out because their hearts were hard.

Another wayside in the field with a planted the crops. There were always trails that we and all going around the field somewhat cut through the field, walked on frequently enough to make that soil hard seat could not penetrate Jesus is striking.

A metaphor is sing their hearts just like this so trampled down with rejection with with things of people's feet instead of repentance to God is nothing I can do for them. Their hearts are too hard. Now the way to overcome hard grounds to break it up was there. The prophet said to the people who were supposedly the people of God break up your follow Brown take out the tools so the seed can get in now.

The tools that God uses our other Christians. Why are our witnesses so important past beaten-down travelers who reject Christ is our responsibility to look for opportunities on our knees with the Lord to be useful in overcoming these things. We go to God we say Lord, can you bring someone to me so I can share Christ in a meaningful way. Maybe God would save you yeah you know I really don't want you talking I would rather you start behaving because they're watching and you've not been behaving like you love me you been behaving like you profess me which live in the front in front of unbelievers as though you mean what can I do it that make you my spokesman.

That would be counterproductive and so we have to always clean house and take stock in some ongoing process. Don't get tired of it while you are going to get tired of many things involuntarily. That doesn't mean you submit to them. Well let's go on, as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness is taking them back to when they were out of Egypt fresh out of Egypt and their hearts refused to trust God will the majority of them refused to trust God.

Just a brief review from this paragraph will these two paragraphs of verses seven through 19. What we are exploring this morning of what it meant means to rebel what he's talking about when he says, as in the rebellion in the day of trial in the wilderness, while in verse seven we find out we found that they're not heating his voice because their hard heads and therefore hard hearts that they actively hardened their hearts, God was not allowed in verse eight that they provoked God for decades. 40 years provocation in the face of so many miracles of miracles weren't enough okay yeah I saw you have available is better. I mean, I don't think the parting of the sea was we but it didn't make them believe that process because America takes place people fall down and become believers. What should we expect miracles.

How do they become believers reason, let us reason though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow reason from Scripture and his truth. Verse 10 will find out that they never passed an opportunity to go astray is an exit ticket, but this is the straight and narrow that leads to the celestial city state had no notice an exit offramp.

My flesh is howling.

I want to satisfy always greener fields somewhere else than in the fields of God's is pastors, not as green as somewhere else.

Well, I do not know.

I do not care goes the poem how far it is to anywhere. All I know is that where I am not is always the alluring spot is always something on the other horizon not hear what I am working steel. There were those slackers that you would say to them, sarcastically there waiting for the big job there was there saving themselves. They don't want to do any heavy lifting and hard work there saving themselves for the big one was mocking, of course, always somewhere else and then we find that they will in verse 10, there were never learning the Jews in the wilderness, God's ways weren't interesting to them now as Christians you stay in Christianity long enough and apply yourself there will be seasons where interest levels will not be running as fast as you would like them to be the be dragging a little bit here to tell the mom's part of the fight is to flash and then if you continue you will find out in time to overcome it and then the cycle repeats itself. Later on, but then you should be ready for a journeyman Christian someone who's seasoned in their trade that knows what it's like to walk the walk and many of the things that we will encounter too many Christian suppose that God is just a genie in the Bible and you just rub the Bible the right way and coffee comes out and says your wish is my command. Problem with that approach is that when you find out that God is God and you're not is not your little flunky genie that some people become disillusioned with Christianity, scarf, it doesn't work try that it doesn't work and that is a very silly and dangerous way to live. Satan hopes that he can get as many Christians disliking God because God would not respond to their prayers, as he can get. We don't know why God so often allows this or that. Sometimes we do. Many times we don't. But in both cases, we have to submit that's what it means to call him Lord is master and he wants to go south than south we go if you want to go north and north we go where whatever direction I don't like that. Now my the natural man spiritual man knows better because the spiritual man knows the day will come will I will enter his courts with thanksgiving in my heart. His gates with praise. I will know that everything was under his control and he always does. Right. And even sweeter than that this life will pass away in the one to come his guts home much ahead of it cannot be cattle so verse nine we go. He says where your father's tested or attempted me and tried me, saw my words 40 years. 40 years of miracles will will bullet point just a few of them in a moment. Should've taken them about a month from cyanide to the promised land. Even with the large entourage that they had, but not 40 years and 40 years was self-inflicted brought it upon themselves themselves. But I am part of that was a democracy.

Well, if you talking human government that's another thing. But if you talking with God were not to have democratic rule. We have theocratic rule.

God rules us. He is our king. It is a divine monarchy and if he says I'm going to give you this land. I want you to go in and take it than we are to follow that those 12 spies at one in the land they want to come back with commentary that were to come back and tell Moses what the enemy strong points were so that he could form his battle plan to go take the land but 10 of them decided to come back with commentary we can do this too many problems to big and the people listened to them just to hold them Old Testament law New Testament we don't do it that way.

Sometimes you say unfortunately but either way majority rule overruled divine rule media that still happens with people, the symbol of everybody wants to do it Leslie, that's fine. You want to picture an obit which would place to go have been no fish and chips when it comes to the work of God as is a an assembly.

Then, in six different and so we consider when the majority voted 10 unbelieving spies versus the two faithful ones. They prevailed having a majority, a majority of Christians in favor of something does not necessarily make it right see it all the time we see whole denominations voting on sin what it even come to a low. Where was Phineas to lock the doors of that church drive them out of their with their assistance to not trust God that along was astounding. You can say it was miraculous, because God didn't do it, but it was astounding that they would see so much activity of God in the just dismiss it. You are encouraged to build Ebenezer stones places that you remember what God did for you that nobody else could have done because if you lose sight of his presence and his reality you are entering into some very risky waters here is some higher, some of the things they saw. They witnessed 10 plagues on Egypt. 10 of them almost a Sesame Street moment right you are seeking to count come out and count them. They dismissed them the parting of the sea for their escape, and then the closing of the sea.

Right at that moment on Pharaoh's army. Egypt is never recovered. What makes a miracles. One facet of a miracle that makes it a miracle is timing would benefit would've been to part the sea when no one was there but at that moment, God the hand of God work on behalf of his people. They saw those daily miracles for 40 years, what with the daily miracles.

Well the Shekinah for one souls on their shoes not wearing out to close not wearing out for two and there were others, but those of the two outstanding ones and they dismissed it commonplace. No other people had the Shekinah are over them, but they had their wants and their desires and God wasn't set I have. I'm in an unhappy relationship. I got a job I don't like and those became those things became gremlins gobbled up their belief as it was in the days of Jesus with the religious elite refused to submit to what they were looking at because they had other things to do. You been listening to cross reference radio the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast.

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