Holding Firmly to the End (Part 4 of 4)

You know when the disciples were in a lockdown mode not as a result of a virus, but as a result of fear of the gospel writers tell us that Jesus appeared to them and so I've been praying that in these days of lockdown and isolation that each of us may have a special sense of the presence of the Lord Jesus with us as we turn to the Scriptures that they might be alive for us and that we might keep looking to the one who is promised never to leave us or forsake us. Be assured that we are praying for you as you pray for us. Let's keep looking up were used to seeing warning signs on the road if there's a traffic hazard but are we alert to the warning signs of spiritual danger. As we continue on our journey today on Truth for Life. Alastair Bragg helps us keep the red flags in our Christian life so we can stay the course is titled this message holding firmly to the word in Hebrews chapter 3. In a way for me to be able to detect the warning signs of my heart growing cold and my commitment beginning to wait. The answer is yes and again I find recourse to Bunyan's Pilgrim's progress. The most helpful answers of all let me tell you the way in which Bunyan identified a number of factors in relationship to the coldness of unbelief in the hardening of the heart of an individual. This is what he said. Number one he said in a in a life that is beginning to wane in its commitment and grow cold in its interest. There will be a forgetfulness of God and a forgetfulness of the fact that one day we're going to meet forgetfulness of God and the fight will one day going to meet him is a dreadful thing says other rights or to the Hebrews in chapter 1031. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And when you are I are about to embark on a passage in a time of disobedience in declension one of the things that we will find ourselves endeavoring to do is to close down any notion of the fact that we will one day have to deal with God in relationship to what we're about to do. Secondly, there will be a gradual loss of private holiness, private prayer, the carving of our lusts and Soto for our sins. Private gradual loss of private holiness, private prayer, the carving of lost and genuine sorrow for our sins and just a set of onset of laziness.

Thirdly, we will find that we begin to avoid the company of lively Christians, we want to be concerned about being around half dead Christians because if we are concerned to be half dead ourselves than the company of the graveyard will be quite soothing to our expectations but lively Christians. We will avoid because they will always appear to be fanatical and increased in terms of financing is always someone to love Jesus more than I love financing someone who leaves a tract in the end of the meal. If that's an embarrassing me in fact, if an idea someone who is always zealous for these things and always wants to talk about Jesus.

Fourthly, there will be a disinterest in public worship. That doesn't mean that we want attend public worship, just that there will be a disinterest in public worship that we will become like those of whom Jesus spoke in Matthew 15. At those who drew near with their lips, but their hearts are far from me fitfully that there will be a picking of faults in others when you are I begin to manifest faultfinding finding planks in everybody's I is usually an indication that there's something wrong. At another level is not because there's nothing in the lives of others with which we can find fault. Goodness knows there's plenty but you see when we've taken the first directive, which is to fix our thoughts on Jesus and to guard our own hearts. Then we are to be taken care of the big two by fours that are sticking out of our eyes rather than ferreting around looking for toothpicks and other people's experience. But when the heart begins to harden and when unbelief begins to take hold. There will be the picking of faults and others, then there will be association with the godless the staying away from lively Christians and more and more associating with the godless. Now this may not necessarily be in hanging out with them in terms of immediate association in their presence. It may be simply taking their counsel standing in their way. Sitting in their seats. Someone right less than is a man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scoffers. Suddenly our interest becomes far more than the reading of trashy magazines and we were far more interested in watching lousy movies. We are far more interested in hearing what the godless have to say about certain things and we certainly can't stand it. Now when were around these lively Christians and possibly and probably there will be actually the seeking out of these old associations and you find yourself turning up of the doors of people whom you left behind when you set off for the heavenly city. When you find yourself going back there, and the deception of our own hearts is such that we may even convince our minds that the reason were going back is because were going to evangelize them is usually a lie of the devil.

We find ourselves driving down those same streets, making those old journeys. We are a major problem seven fleet we will be involved in fleshly lusts in secret secret sins will begin to holders in their grip Ephesians 512.

Eight fleet we will begin to play with sin openly. Suddenly, we become more and more brazen as our hearts become harder and harder we become like those of whom Jeremiah speaks in Jeremiah 812. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct know they have no shame. A tall, they do not even know how to blush.

No drive up in their cars and dilute your full in the face. They'll introduce their adulterous relationships to you in the mall.

What will happen to them.

They will fall among the fallen, they will be brought down when they are punished, says the Lord, and nicely being hardened, we will eventually reveal to all the sorry condition of our lives. First Timothy chapter 4 and verse two. The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron you not talking about people in the realm of paganism. He is talking about people who were part of the professing faith and who depart by degrees from the truth of God's word. I don't about you love ones, but if their harassing of that list doesn't cause you to examine your own heart that you probably in greater peril than you even realize Marty McShane, who died the Presbyterian minister in St. Peter's Dundee who died at the age of 29 says in his writings. I have found the seeds of every sin dwelling in my heart and therefore the warning of verse 12, the second directive.

Guard your heart is a necessary warning.

See to it he says, brothers, that none of you is a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Lord I don't want to have one of those cards.

Lord, I want to know you to live my life to show you all the love I'll you. I want to be a seeker of your heart, Lord, I don't want to stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scoffers I want my delight to be in the law of the Lord and I want to learn to meditate on your law day and night. I want today to hear your voice see the great danger of presumption and complacency and how such a notion is rattled and helpfully so by the second directive was come to the third and final one which is in verse 13. First of all, in verse one. Fix your thoughts. Then in verse 12. Guard your hearts and then in verse 13, encourage each other but encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness is his great emphasis again on today what we done today in this matter to be of help and encouragement to one another. Listen to Phillips paraphrase help each other to stand firm in the faith every day.

While it is still called today and be aware that none of you becomes deaf and blind to God through the delusive glamour of sin puts it very clearly beware the become deaf or blind to God because sin seems so wonderfully attract notice. The emphasis, the emphasis is on the responsibility that we have for one another. You see how this all ties together. We are his brothers and sisters, we have been made met members of his family. We are the holy brothers and sisters, we have received a heavenly calling, this is what Mark says out.

Therefore we should fix our thoughts on Jesus, therefore it is imperative that we guard our hearts so that we don't wondered and fall from the way and therefore it is only sensible that we would watch out for one another and encourage one each of us has been in a situation where if it hadn't been for somebody else watching out for us. We would've been in real difficulty all kinds of things you know in in a factory with a piece of machinery moving around and if it hadn't been for one of the guys on the shop floor. That's it. Charge and we one like that. The thing would've taken our hats off and we were thankful and we said to them afterwards.

Thanks for watching for me. I miss that completely.

That's the principle he watching for one another. I'm I my brother's keeper yes my my sisters watch her. Yes, this is me nosiness and interference.

No, what is it me, it means consideration and care and recognizing that none of his lips to ourselves or diced ourselves, our lives are like holes in a fireplace, get the tongs take one piece of coal laid on the heart and watches it quickly begins to go out as it loses all of its fire and all of its warmth and all of its flame, while the rest of the cozy federal snuggle up to one another. Burn brightly. Take a piece of coal that is been isolated from all the others and it is dead and it is dark and put it into the midst of that and watch it catch the heat from the coals around it and once you begin to mingle with the flame. That's why it's so important that we are doing what the Bible says in relationship to our care and our concern for one another when avoiding the company of Christians when our hearts are becoming hardened when unbelief is beginning to filter into our minds but were going to be seeking out lively Christians when we have a genuine hunger for God's word sways made is also different sways made the parts of the body and has used the body is a wonderful illustration of our relationships with each other.

The body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say because I'm not a hand, I don't belong to the body.

It would not for that reason cease to be part of the body, and if the ear should say because I'm not an idle belong to the body would not for that reason cease to be part of her body.

If the whole body were an eye, where where I would be able to hear and of the whole body were an ear, how would it feel the smell of you born the butt and fight God is for the parts in the body.

Every one of them just as he wanted them to be. If there were all one part, where would the body be as it is. There are many parts, one body in the eye can see the hand I've no need of you.

In one part of the other.

I don't need you will need you this isn't rocket science will need each other, and the encouragement that comes on the lateral level from one another is part of the provision of God to ensure that we do not become like those died in the wilderness. That's why it is important for us to seek out the company of one another.

What is important for us to be involved in small groups with one another. Why it is important that in the large worshiping experience of God's people. We go beyond that and find for ourselves at some level of involvement of Parkside church in the realm of service in the realm of fellowship in the realm of worship and praise in singing and music. When parking. Whatever it might be that there is that. And I mentioned to our lives where we know that there are people who are watching out for so that they are genuinely encouraging each other. You see, because when it comes to the issue of sin's deceitful approaches. All of us have blind spots. Therefore, it is important that there are those who are genuinely and consistently watching out for us and noticed that the word is encourage one another. In other words, there should be that about our relationships with each other, which is marked by care and by comfort which strengthens so that when a crisis and marriages were able to hold firmly to the end.

On the occasions when I go to the exercise club when I unplug up the courage to do so.

That is one particular individual who's been there now for some months. His name is Mark. He looks like he comes from a completely different species than than anything I have ever known, do, nor will ever know when he punches that bag on the wall just ricochets off his hands and he can go for 25 minutes and never stops, but when he comes around to help the likes of me. He's a wonderful check.

It's embarrassing, actually.

How encouraging. He is in a when you when you're lifting these weights that are less than the than the average 12-year-old in the room and he is standing with you and he is giving these words of encouragement invited her to conclude that a guy is full of hot air or reason genuine encourager that he's always there to support you.

He's always there to strengthen you and he's always there. He just comes up as it went from nowhere to give you a tip to prevent you from doing the exercise in the wrong way because it would be of no benefit to you is a wonderful fellow. He comes around now from the tall down to shout and scream appears from nowhere and always from alongside to encourage and to help I like to be like we need people like Mark in our lives and those of us who think we don't need them more than we realize there are people around us in every experience who if we are to play the part that God is intended for us will be in need of our word of encouragement, however menial it may appear, however inconsequential.

We might think it to be.

You will never know how much a word of encouragement may mean a scribble of the note.

Yes, with your lousy handwriting.

Yes with the stationary that didn't match the envelope. Yes the coffee in the cup that did have a chip just by the handle.

Did you ever ever meet anybody who was in need of an encouragement who complained because the envelope didn't match the paper never never says Calvin, unless our faith be now and then raised up, it will lie prostrate unless it is warmed it will be frozen unless it is roast it will grow torpid.

Sounds like Calvin doesn't. In other words, let's remember Philemon you brother have refreshed the hearts of the saints. Solomon's words, he refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Now you don't need to think very hard to realize that the implication and application of this is straightforward, as soon approaches us exaggerating its appeal. Exaggerating the satisfaction that it has to offer. We need to beware lest we are blinded by its attractive global. We need to beware lest we close our minds to the reality of God's retribution and we need to be thankful that God is put others around us. To say hey look out put others in our path so that we might consider in relationship to each other's lives, how we may spur one another on to love and to good deeds.

That's Hebrews 10 and 24 dear ones. This is not a matter of marginal importance because by these very means the writer says many hearts will be prevented from hardening. Many will be encouraged to stay true to the end of the journey and why is it important because it is only those who stay true to the end of the journey, and only those who finish the course that will gain the price when you travel in France.

Every so often you come on these gravesites that seem to stretch from the point of entry way into the horizon just rows and rows and rows and rows of tombs is virtually impossible to drive your car passed so monolithic to stop and sit and think. Stop and sit and think about verse 17 with whom was God angry for 40 years, was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert some 600,000 tombstones, says Lenski, the Lutheran commentator. What a long, long line of graves. The saddest in the world they came out of the bondage of Egypt under faithful Moses, but they fell as corpses in the wilderness, and so is the Holy Spirit says today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, holding firmly to the answer subject today on Truth for Life as we continue our study in the book of Hebrews, Alistair Begg returns in a minute to assure a closing prayer, so please keep listening. But first, I will mention some exciting updates.

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Now here's Alister closed with prayer about our father, we thank you for the clarity of your word.

We pray that anything in the voice of a man that diminishes the clarity in the piercing nature of it may be lost to our recollection and only that which is clearly from yourself may be retained. Pray earnestly for some tonight, whom we know once walked with us and whose hearts have become unbelieving, whose hearts are becoming hardened, the kind of hardening that can still sing the songs play the children's and live in a flat out denial of that which is true. We earnestly pray that like the prodigal of old, they may be brought to their senses and that they will arise and head back to say I've sinned against heaven and in your sight, that they might be gathered up in your embrace. We pray that you will make as a congregation that is genuinely interested in winning back the wonders that you will make us sensitive to the allure of sin within our own life, so that may we may fix our thoughts on Jesus, that we may guard our hearts so that they don't become sinful and unbelieving that we will encourage each other as long as it's called today, so that others will come to believe and to follow the journey on the stay the course to sing your song hear the cries that come from our individual lives tonight. Some of us, is it where ranked an altar to mark this particular day is a day in which you will. God, in your mercy, arrested our drift corrected our wanderings broke our hearts and restored our souls and listen to some of us cry out to you with gratitude for the way that you have watched and preserved and protected and provided for us down through so many days through so many difficulties and yet you remain faithful. We worship you, Almighty God, there is none like you and we pray in Christ name Bob Lapine hoping you can come back Friday for a message titled rest for your souls. As we continue our study the book of Hebrews. This daily program features the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg it's furnished by truth for where the learning is prolific