Turn to Hebrews chapter 3. We're going to complete
our study of this chapter today. A couple of
weeks ago we talked about this ongoing argument
for the greatness of Jesus Christ, really the
superiority of Christ in the New Covenant. And
we learned a couple of weeks ago that we should
view Jesus as far greater than Moses. Again,
the New Covenant as far greater, superior to
the Old Covenant. That's what we're seeing argued
here in this book of the Bible. that this greater
thing has come, this greater person has come
and it is he that we are now to embrace and to
follow and to put our faith and trust in, to
listen to. And I think we were reminded and I
really. The songs that were selected today, they
go along perfectly with the message that we're
gonna be bringing this morning. It is easy for
us to get off track, isn't it? It's easy for
us to lose sight of the greatness of God. Especially
when we go through difficulties. I know a man
who was at one time a member and a participating
member of this church. From all outward appearance,
he was a Christian. I mean, he attended worship
services regularly. He served in various ministries.
He supported the church financially. I mean,
he was one of those guys that you could just
count on. But as often happens in our lives,
there was a series of unfortunate events that
impacted his life, his family. And in the process
of that, I guess he became disillusioned. and
ultimately left the church. And of course, there
were people that reached out to him. None had
much of an impact upon him. And finally, after
some time had passed, I had the opportunity to
speak with him. And this is what he said to me.
He said to me, I no longer believe the things
that I once believed. He said, And this is, I
can't quote him exactly anymore after all these
years, but he said, God, if he even exists, has
let me down. He described himself as walking
alone at night and how he would shout to the
sky, God, if you're real, and this is what he
actually said, he said, burst that street lamp.
Well, of course, God didn't burst the street
lamp, right? And to him, just further evidence.
that God didn't exist, that God was not present
in his life, not listening to his cries. And
what's strange about this, and really what's
really not so strange, it's common in most cases
like this, in spite of all the biblical evidence
that this man had, in spite of all the personal
experience that this man had with God and his
blessings. Every reason in the world as Neil
shared last week about our reasonable faith.
We have enough evidence in our own lives and
certainly within the lives of a church this size
and the experiences of a body of believers over
the course of many years. We have more than enough
experience with the blessings of God to trust
in him, to believe in him, to follow him. But
in this case, this man stubbornly refused to
believe. And the Bible calls this kind of thing,
you know, asking for signs, burst that street
lamp. The Bible calls that kind of thing putting
God to the test. And of course, in scripture,
we are commanded not to do that. We are not to
put God to the test. In Deuteronomy 6 16, Moses
commands the people of God and he says those
very words, you shall not put the Lord your God
to the test. And of course, it is those words
that Jesus repeats to Satan in his 40 days of
temptation, as is recorded in Matthew chapter
four, verse seven, as he rebukes one of Satan's
temptations. And he says again, it is written,
you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
So the teaching of scripture is clear. We are
not to put the Lord God to the test. We are not
to stubbornly refuse to believe in spite of the
evidence that we have to the contrary and to
ask God to somehow prove that he is worthy today
of our respect, our love, our ministry, our service.
The writer of Hebrews, of course, warns his readers
that what some of them were contemplating, the
temptation that was upon them to Reject Christ,
to go back to their old way of life, back into
Judaism, back under the old covenant, to do that.
That's what they were thinking of doing. And
what the writer of Hebrews is going to say to
them today is, in essence, what you're contemplating
is in actuality simply putting God to the test,
which we're commanded not to do. And he calls
their plan to reject what knowledge they had
of God and to renounce Jesus Christ and his gospel
of grace. He calls it rebellion. That's in verse
eight there, rebellion. And further, not only
does he call this kind of thinking and action
rebellion, but he makes it clear that such thinking
and action such a rebellion is rooted in an evil
and unbelieving heart. And I think that's important
for us. We sang today, I believe, I believe.
Scripture says we should believe. There's ample
evidence, overwhelming evidence that we should
believe. It's our reasonable worship of God.
We should. but we struggle and so we are reminded,
we are warned, we are repeatedly encouraged to
maintain our belief in this God who loved us
and gave himself for us. And what we're gonna
see today is that rebellion, and it's important
that we learn this now because there are gonna
be some subsequent studies in Hebrews that might
tempt us to think otherwise. Rebellion and its
root, well rebellion's root is unbelief. In other
words, Christians can sin, all right, and we
do, don't we? But the kind of rebellion that's
gonna be talked about here this morning is something
far beyond an occasional failure, all right?
This is outright rebellion, and that's what we're
gonna be talking about. And the root of rebellion
is unbelief. It is a refusal to believe God,
to take him at his word. And that's what belief
in the New Testament is, that word believe or
the word faith. It's not just an intellectual
exercise, but it's acting upon what we know to
be true, living in light of the truth of God's
word. And when we decide we're no longer gonna
do that, that's no longer for me, God, you let
me down. If you can't burst that street lamp,
then why should I believe that you exist? Why
should I believe that you care about me at all?
That's called rebellion. Rebellion's root is
unbelief. If these discouraged church members
abandon the faith and leave the church, it does
not indicate that at one time they were saved
and now suddenly they have become lost. And that's
what we like to think sometimes, right? Well,
they were saved at one point, but they've lost
their faith. We even refer to it as that. I've
lost the faith. Genuine believers can never reject
the faith. They would never reject the faith.
And we need to just establish that right up front.
It is only unbelievers. You know there's only
two kinds of people in the world, right? Believers.
and unbelievers. I was at a table one time after
a wedding rehearsal and I was seated with two
guys. One of the guys I knew pretty well and
we were talking about the Lord, we were talking
about scripture, we were actually talking about
the biblical doctrine of marriage and all of
that and the other guy was sitting there listening
quietly, wasn't making too many comments and
something came up in the conversation and I referred
to another person that just came to mind as an
unbeliever. Well, the guy that was sitting there
at the table with us suddenly spoke up again
very quiet throughout the entire conversation
And then he said oh, so that's what you guys
call me In other words he hadn't agreed with
anything that we had said I Mistakenly assumed
because he was related to the guy that I was
talking to who I knew to be a Christian that
he was a Christian that well You know what they
say about assuming, right? Oh So that's what
you Christians call us unbelievers. Well, let
me just tell you There are only two kinds of
people in the world. There are unbelievers and
there are believers. Nothing in between. And
let me just say this also. God goes much farther
than simply calling the lost unbelievers. He
calls them rebels, sinners, wicked. And we could
go on and on. Unbeliever is a pretty mild term
for those who are lost and undone in their sin.
at the root of rebellion is an unbelieving heart.
Again, as the scripture's gonna say here in just
a minute, an evil, unbelieving heart. So again,
if these discouraged church members do indeed
abandon their faith, leave the church, what it
will say, or should say to the rest of us, to
those who were fellow church members with them
in the day, and to us now looking back on this,
is that these weren't Christians who suddenly
decided not to be Christians anymore. These were
unbelievers who simply followed in their unbelief
and abandoned the Lord. That's what 1 John 2
.9 tells us, right? They went out from us, but
they were not of us. For if they had been of
us, they would have continued with us. But they
went out that it might be complained that they
were not of us. Despite their outward profession
of faith, they were not truly believers. That's
what John is saying. and their rebellion makes
it clear that they are unbelievers, that they
do not believe. So with that, let's read together.
We're gonna begin in verse seven. We're gonna
read down through the end of the chapter. If
you need to look on here at the front, the words
will be on the screen for you. The scripture
says this. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
and then there's a citation of Psalm 95, or at
least a portion of it. Today, if you hear his
voice, do not harden your hearts. as in the rebellion.
On the day of testing in the wilderness where
your fathers put me to the test and saw my works
for 40 years. I hope by now you're realizing
he's talking about the Exodus experience, right?
And they saw my works for 40 years. Therefore
I was provoked with that generation and said
they always go astray in their heart. They have
not known my ways and as I swore in my wrath
they shall not enter my rest. And of course we
know that that whole generation apart from Caleb
and Joshua, didn't enter the promised land. And
then the writer comes back to us and so he says,
take care, brothers, lest there be in any of
you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to
fall away from the living God. But exhort one
another every day as long as it is called today,
that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness
of sin. for we have come to share in Christ if
indeed we hold to our original confidence firm
to the end. As it is said, and then he repeats
that verse again, today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
For who were those who heard and yet rebelled?
Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?
And with whom was he provoked for 40 years? Was
it not with those? who sinned, whose bodies fell
in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that
they would not enter his rest, but to those who
were disobedient? So we see that they were unable
to enter because of unbelief. Unbelief, the root
of rebellion. So we begin this passage of scripture
with a warning against unbelief. And what these...
struggling church members were really battling
was a heart of unbelief. We have to assume because
we're really not given any clear numbers on how
many people read and were encouraged and strengthened
in their faith and continued on with Christ or
how many actually abandoned their faith and left
the church, but we have to assume it was probably
a mixture of both. And anytime we're talking
about the church, anytime we gather as a church,
the odds are we are gathered together with people
who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I use
that word in the present tense, who are believing
this very moment in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
then there are those who are unbelievers. They
may have made a profession of faith. They may
have signed a membership card. They may have
even been baptized. But in their heart, there's
unbelief. Jesus. talked about this in the Gospels.
He tells us the story of the wheat and the tares,
right? They're gonna grow up together in the
church. And we can't really concern ourselves
too much with that. We just have to be aware
that it's going on within any congregation, within
any body of Christ, within any church family.
There are both believers and unbelievers. Hopefully,
few unbelievers, more. believers, but we have
this warning here. And the New Testament is full
of these kinds of warnings. He says, take care,
brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil,
unbelieving heart. And of course, he's making
reference now to the illustration that he has
just shared with them that he cites from Psalm
95, an illustration of rebellion that flows from
an evil, unbelieving heart. Now, David is the
one King David who wrote the 95th Psalm, it's
attributed to him. So he's writing about a historic
event in the life of the nation of Israel, his
people, his nation. And now the writer of Hebrews
is referring to what David wrote centuries before
the people that are reading this letter are alive.
And now here we are 2 ,000 years after the fact,
being encouraged, being warned by this same passage
of Scripture, and of course, I love the way this
passage of Scripture starts. Therefore, as the
Holy Spirit says. And then he cites Psalm 95,
making it very clear that certainly this Old
Testament text, and really all of the Old Testament,
is the Word of God. It's the voice of Almighty
God speaking to us. And notice he says today,
if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart.
That word is as relevant for us this day Today,
if you hear God speak, if you hear the voice
of God, don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion.
Again, don't refuse to believe what God is saying,
but receive God's word is what he's saying, because
unbelief, which characterized the people who
did not enter their rest in the days of the Exodus,
has as its root its foundation, unbelief. These
were not believers. and their lives and their
actions, their words, their attitudes clearly
displayed their unbelief. And of course, in this
citation from Psalm 95, he really refers to two
events that took place during the Exodus. The
first one that he mentions took place very shortly
after Israel's miraculous delivery from Egypt.
And of course, you remember, it was indeed a
miraculous. Delivery, right? I mean, God called
Moses. Now again, the people didn't see the burning
bush. Moses saw the burning bush. But Moses in
the power of God came to Egypt as God had told
him to. And now as they watched what was transpiring,
they saw God at work through Moses and Aaron
as they performed signs and wonders before the
Egyptians, before Pharaoh. Of course, they saw
the 10 plagues that ultimately came upon the
Egyptian people inflicted upon them by God. These
people, of course, then left Egypt. And what's
interesting about that story is that God did
this wonderful thing. God put it in the hearts
of the Egyptian people to give the Israelites,
who were now leaving, wealth, resources. And
the scripture says, so thus they plundered the
Egyptians. They didn't have to put a sword to
their throat. God just did this wonderful thing
and the Egyptians freely gave them gold and silver
and precious jewels and all the support that
they needed to make this trip. Again, the miracle
of God being displayed before these. these Israelites
who were now leaving. And of course then they
stood at the Red Sea and they saw God miraculously
part the waters of the Red Sea. They walked across,
the Bible says, on dry land and then they turned
and they watched as those waters came back together
and drowned the Egyptian army. All of this and
more. These Israelites who ultimately would rebel
against God in the wilderness. saw the power
of God, the love of God, the miracles of God,
the wonders of God, and yet they stubbornly refused
to believe. That's what we're talking about.
So there was that. And then the second event
that's really referred to here is this, they're
camped at Rephidim, or the first event, really.
They're camped in a place called Rephidim. So
they've seen all these miracles. And now they're
in a place that the Bible says there was no water
for the people to drink. Now that's a serious
thing. I mean, we got millions of people out
in the wilderness and there's no water for them
to drink. But the way that the people respond
to that adversity is telling. Because these very
people who have seen this powerful presence of
God in their midst, delivering them, defending
them against Egypt, scripture says they quarreled,
they complained, they moaned, they groaned. with
Moses and they demanded, give us water to drink.
And of course Moses responds, why do you quarrel
with me? Maybe he said it this way, why do you
quarrel with me? Remember who it is that's defending
us and then he says this, why do you test the
Lord? So there it is, they were testing, they
were putting the Lord to the test. Quarrel with
Moses because there was no water, they needed
water. It was a legitimate need. but they didn't
respond to that legitimate need in a proper way.
They put God to the test. And of course later,
Moses characterized the demands of the people
as questioning God's presence and provision.
In Exodus 17, Moses said it was as if they were
saying, is the Lord among us or not? And that's
the problem with difficulties in life. If we're
not careful, we can be tempted to ask that very
question, well God, are you there or not? Do
you see the trouble I'm in or not? Do you hear
my prayers or not? And again, when you find yourself
in that situation, remember what the Bible calls
that, that's testing God. It's putting God to
the test. It's not trusting him. The Israelites
should have trusted God. I mean, he had done
miracle after miracle. He had provided for them
every step of the way. Why would he not give
them water? But they put God to the test. And
then the second, he reminds them of the rebellion
that took place at Kadesh, another story we're
all familiar with. The spies had been sent out
to look over the land to see if it really was,
as God had described it, a land flowing with
milk and honey. And of course, they came back
and every one of them agreed, yes, the land is
just like God described it. It is a land flowing
with milk and honey. However, 10 of them said,
but God, Moses, there's no way we can take possession
of the land. The people who live there are giants.
We're as grasshoppers in their sight. We can't
do it. Only Joshua and Caleb said, the Lord's
given us this land. He's rendered them helpless
before us. We can do this. But no, the people,
of course, went with the majority report and
they decided not to go in and take possession
of the land. And again, the scripture says in
Numbers 14, the people of Israel grumbled against
Moses and Aaron. They said, why is the Lord bringing
us into this land to fall by the sword? In other
words, has God just brought us out here to die?
They said, let us choose a leader and go back
to Egypt. You know, there were several times
in the Old Testament where the people not only
wanted to replace Moses as their leader, but
they wanted to kill him. They wanted to stone
Moses and Aaron. That's how they wanted to go
back to Egypt. If you can even imagine that,
after all that they had seen, all of the evidence
of God's glory, power, goodness, grace, over
and over again, they grumbled against Moses and
wanted to go back to Egypt. Well, in response
to this grumbling, the Lord says to Moses, and
listen to this, this is what God says to Moses.
Now, the people are grumbling against Moses.
You can only imagine what Moses must have been
feeling like. But this is what the Lord says
to Moses. How long will this people despise me?
Moses probably thought, well, that's what I was
thinking. How long are they gonna despise me?
But God says it's me, Moses, that they despise.
I know they've directed their grumbling, their
moaning and groaning to you, but it's me that
they despise. How long will they not believe
in me, God says. And listen to this. In spite
of all the signs that I have done among them.
In other words, they have more than enough evidence
of who I am and what I'm capable of. And yet,
in spite of the evidence that I have clearly
presented, in spite of the word that has gone
forth proclaiming who I am and how much I care
for them, they've chosen not to believe. How
long will they not believe in me, God said. So
this is the picture of what's happening. The
writer of Hebrews is comparing the rebellion
of the Israelites following the exodus from Egypt
to what was going on in the hearts and the minds
of these early churchmen who were contemplating
renouncing Christ and going back to Judaism.
And of course the word of God is perfectly clear
here. To those who stubbornly and rebelliously
refused to believe in spite of all of the evidence.
in spite of all that God, all the signs that
God has done among us. Well, God says to those
people, as I have sworn in my wrath, they shall
not enter my rest. No one with an evil, unbelieving
heart has any hope of entering heaven. That's
what the scripture's saying. No one with an evil,
unbelieving heart has any hope of entering heaven.
Now let me just say this, if you're a Christian,
you don't have an evil, unbelieving heart. Unbelievers,
lost people, those who reject Christ, those are
the ones we're talking about here, this evil,
unbelieving heart. But these in the rebellion,
in the days of Moses and the Exodus, they were
revealing. and evil, unbelieving heart. They
had seen the glory of God. They had seen the
provision of God. They had witnessed God's miraculous
power and yet in spite of that overwhelming evidence,
you know, this guy that I was talking about,
he just wanted God to burst a street lamp. These
people had seen far greater miracles than that.
And yet, evil, unbelieving hearts, stubbornly
refusing to trust the Lord, to take him at his
word. That's what was going on, and that's what
we are warned against. And then we're given some
information on how we can war against an unbelieving
heart. Look what it says. Again, it's verse 12.
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of
you an evil unbelieving heart, leading you to
fall away from the living God, but exhort one
another every day as long as it is called today,
that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness.
of sin so that he gives us some encouragement
here as to how we can do battle with the deceitfulness
of sin, how we can help one another when we experience
the difficulties of life that might cause us,
again, perhaps legitimate needs. Being thirsty
in the desert was a legitimate need, but we never
should put God to the test. We should have faith
in God that he sees us in our need, that he's
gonna provide for our need. Hasn't he always?
And so we can help one another with that. And
it's answered here, how we can help our struggling
brothers and sisters. He says, first of all,
take care. Those words could be translated, see
to it. In other words, this is really a command.
We tell people, I routinely tell people, take
care when I'm leaving them. We say that very
casually. This is a much stronger command. He's
saying, you have a responsibility. You have a
responsibility to your fellow church members.
You're to see to it that we regularly share not
only their struggles, that we listen to them
and what they're going through, but we also share
our struggles. You know, one of the great things
I think that's taking place in our life groups
is that this is happening on a weekly basis now.
Small groups of believers have gathered together
and they're not only engaging in Bible study,
but they're sharing with one another about what's
going on in their lives. They're doing life together.
And that's what scripture tells us to do here.
Exhort one another every day, as long as it's
called today, that none of you may be hardened
by the deceitfulness of sin. So we gather together,
as the scripture says, and we share our own struggles,
and we listen to the struggles of others. We
become aware, intentionally become aware of the
struggles of others. I've said these words, you've
probably said them too. Hey, don't ask so and
so to tell you. Don't ask them how you're doing,
because they'll tell you. But the truth is, we
should want to know how our fellow believers
are doing, right? We're commanded. See to it.
We need to encourage one another. I can't encourage
you unless I know what's going on in your life.
So we listen, we learn, we love one another,
and then we consistently comfort and encourage
one another. Later on in this book of the Bible,
in Hebrews, the writer will say this. in chapter
10, verses 24 and 25, a verse we're very familiar
with. And let us consider how to stir one another
up to love and good works, not neglecting to
meet together. So in other words, what he's commanding
us to do here and what he's commanding us to
do later on in this book requires us to meet
together, to be together. We can't do this. I
mean, you can. I mean, you can get, I guess,
receive a prayer list in the mail and still pray
for people. But this is done much more effectively
when we gather together. Whether it's Sunday
morning worship or whether it's a Wednesday night
or it's our life group or it's some Bible study,
we need to gather together. We need to meet together.
And of course, he says right there that it is
the habit of some not to do this, and it's easy
to fall out of the habit of meeting together,
isn't it? Don't let that happen. But encourage
one another all the more as you see the day drawing
near. We're awaiting the return of Christ, right?
That's what he's talking about here, the day.
We need to encourage one another. We need encouragement,
all of us. And so we need to share with one another.
the areas that we need encouragement, and we
need to listen to one another. And again, all
of this done for the purpose that none of you
may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Sin has an effect on our lives, and sin and its
effect on us can fool us into thinking that God
has somehow forgotten us or that he simply doesn't
care. And anytime you begin to think like that,
and let me tell you, there are events that can
occur in your life that would tempt you to think
that. But man, banish those thoughts immediately.
God loves you. God cares for you. And no matter
what's going on in your life, that's true. So
again, we need to remind one another of that,
the temptation that these early... church members
were experiencing, if we let it go unchecked,
can render us unreceptive to his word. If we
suddenly decide that God doesn't love me, he
doesn't care about me, why would we ever open
his word and listen to him? Why would we come
and hear the word of God proclaimed? So we wanna
be careful of that. That's what he's referring
to there is the hardening of our hearts, this
unreceptiveness to the word of God. But the constant
encouragement, that we're supposed to be receiving
from those around us and that we're supposed
to be giving in return will help us to continue
trusting in God. Even when His will for us brings
us hardship. And you know that at times the will
of God will bring hardship to your life, right?
I mean, following Jesus is not some easy road.
It's difficult. And so we need to encourage one
another. And of course, notice that it's not
the difficulties of life that lead to the rejection
of God. But again, it's this evil, unbelieving
heart. It's unbelief that leads to the rejection
of God. And I wanna just talk about these words.
We're not gonna talk about them in depth because
we will later on in our study. But that little
phrase, leading you to fall away from the living
God. Some have looked at that in other passages
and thought, there it is. Christians can fall
away from God. But that word, fall away, are
those words, don't mean, we used, the word drift
was used earlier. Keep your mind focused on Jesus,
because if you don't, you'll drift away from
the course. This isn't that word. This fall away,
it's an intentional thing. It's a determined
effort on our parts. These words speak of willful
departure. from the church and from the things
of God, from the word of God. So falling away
is not some inadvertent accidental thing. That's
how it's been picked up by some over the years
that we can, if we're not careful, we can fall
away from God. You might not even notice it.
No, if you fall away from God, then you've made
a determined choice to walk away from the one
who loves you, gave him son for you. So. And
then of course here again we are told that the
proof of genuine salvation is in perseverance,
persevering in the faith. For if we have come
to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original
confidence firm to the end, that which you believed
in the beginning, that God loves you, that Christ
died for you, that he rose again on the third
day, that he's seated at the right hand, being
access for you to God, if you put your faith
and trust in him, turn from your sins, that's
what we're talking about here, cling to that.
Those things are as true today as they were the
day you believe them. And he says it's persevering
in that belief, growing in that belief, continuing
in that firm to the end that will ultimately
determine or say that you are a genuine believer.
And then again, that verse is quoted, today if
you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion. God is speaking today. And
we have the responsibility just as those Exodus
Israelites had to listen to God, to do what he
says, to trust him. And then he asked these questions.
It's as if, again, he goes back to this illustration
as a witness to us, as a testimony of the truth
of what he's been saying. He said, for who were
those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not
all those who left Egypt, led by Moses? In other
words, these people who saw This miraculous deliverance
brought about by God through the person of Moses
and Aaron, they were the very ones who rebelled
against God. Again, demonstrating that they never
really believed God. They were rebels, deceived,
and in sin. So who were they? They were those
who left Egypt by Moses. And then he says, and
with whom was he provoked for 40 years? Let me
tell you, this kind of unbelief, it provokes
God. It angers him. I know we don't like to talk
about God being angry, but sin angers God. He
was provoked with these people for 40 years.
Matter of fact, at one point he contemplated,
or at least in what we read in scripture, Moses
had to plead with God to spare these people.
And of course he did, but he did not allow them
to enter into the promised land. They all died
in the wilderness because they stubbornly refused
to do what God had clearly told them to do. And
then he asked another question, to whom did he
swear that they would not enter his rest? But
those who were disobedient, those who did not
enter God's rest, again here, who did not enter
the promised land, were those whose lives were
consistently characterized. by disobedience.
Again, sometimes these warnings like this worry
us because we all stumble and fall sometimes.
We're not talking about occasional sin. What
we're talking about is a life that's characterized
by sin, a life that is continually going away
from God, going my own way. That's the life of
a lost person. That's the life of an unbeliever.
The life of a believer is always Godward. We
want to do what God wants us to do. We desire
to do what God's will is in our lives. Sometimes
we fail, but that's the desire of our heart.
And of course, verse 19, the last verse here,
makes it absolutely clear that rebellion, sin,
disobedience are all the result of unbelief.
Verse 19 says, so we see that they were unable
to enter because of unbelief. Why did those Israelites?
that were led out of Egypt by Moses, why were
they not allowed to enter the promised land?
Well, it's because of their unbelief. Why will
people die apart from Christ and spend eternity
away from the presence of the Lord? Well, it's
because of their unbelief. Unbelief. Scriptures
are plain. It was unbelief, willful, determined.
resolute unbelief in spite of overwhelming evidence
that kept them from experiencing God's salvation.
It's what keeps people from experiencing salvation
today, unbelief. You know, in Acts chapter 16
verse 31, Paul's response to the Philippian jailers
question, and you remember the question? After
all that took place that night, he looked at
Paul in silence and he said, sirs, what must
I do to be saved? And what did they say to him
in response? Believe. Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you will be saved in your household. Of course,
Jesus responds to Nicodemus in John chapter three.
Nicodemus can't believe what Jesus is saying
about being born again. And of course, one of
our favorite salvation verses is there for us.
But in John 3, 16 through 18, this is what the
scripture says. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only son that whoever believes. Again.
present, active, that is, whoever is believing,
we could say. The believing ones, they're the
ones that God is going to save. Those who believe,
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life. For God did not send his
son into the world to condemn the world, but
in order that the world might be saved through
him, whoever believes in him is not condemned.
But whoever does not believe is condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of the
son. of God. It is reasonable in light of all
that God has done for us to believe in him. And
yet many cling stubbornly to their unbelief.
I pray that that's not true of anyone in this
room today. Not true of anyone who's watching
from home. But if you find your heart convicted,
just come to the Lord today. Turn from that unbelief.
Turn from that sin. Turn from that disobedience.
and receive Christ as your Savior and Lord.