Seize the Day (Hebrews 3:1-4:13)

Good morning, everyone. This morning's Bible reading comes from Hebrews chapter 3, from this is one through to 4:13.

This fool, holy Brothers, you who share and Heavenly calling consider Jesus. The Apostle and high priest of Elkin fishing, who was faithful to him, who appointed him. Just as Moses also was faithful in all God's house. For Jesus has been counted worthy of more Glory than Moses. As much more Glory as the builder of the house, has more honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone but the Builder of all things is God. Now, Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. But Christ is faithful other gods as a son. And we are his house. If indeed, we hold fast our confidence and I are boasting in a hope. Therefore as the holy spirit says, 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 father's put me to the test and soul my Works before to use, therefore, I was provoked to be that generation and said they always go astray in their heart. They have not done my wise as I swore in my Roth. They shall not enter my rest. Take care Brothers. Lest they be in any of you and evil, unbelieving. Hot leading you to fold away from the Living God. But exhort one another every day. As long as it is cold today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of scene. For we have come to share in Christ. If indeed, we hold our original confidence firm to the end. as it is said today, if you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion, or who were those who heard and yet revealed, Was it not all those who left Egypt, led by Moses?

And with whom was he provoked, 40 years. Was it not with those who seemed whose bodies fell in the wilderness? Whom, did he swear that they would not enter his rest? but to those who would disobey Tiant So we see that they were unable to enter. Because of unbelief. Stay full while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us feel less. Any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just has to them, but the message that I heard did not benefit them. Because I will not, you know, much about 5 with those who listened.

for we, who have believed into that wrist, as he has said, As I swore in my bra, that show, not into my rest. All of his Works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has some way spoken of the 7th die in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again In this passage he said they shall not enter my rest. Think therefore it remains for some to enter it. I notice we formally received the good news file to enter Because of Disobedience. Again, he appoints a certain guy today. Signs for David so long afterward in the words already quieted today. If you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts. First Joshua had given them rest. God would not have spoken of another day. Lights are on. So they never mind the Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever has answered God's wrist, has also arrested from his works as God, did from his Let us therefore strive to enter that wrist so that no one May full by the same sort of disability insurance.

For the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division, of Soul, and Spirit of joints, and of Mara and Discerning the thoughts, and intentions of the heart. I know creature is hidden from his side, but only naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. This is the word of the Lord.

I think Sandra green forests and a very special welcomes everyone this morning. It's great to see a full house again today, if you're visiting, very special welcome to you. My name is Slim's. I'll be bringing the message this morning and it'll be very helpful if you had a Bible open with you so you can follow along and that's a long section. And for this reason, let me give props to paper Bibles because I can see the whole package in front of me here, which is very helpful for a big patch. Just like this might struggling to find a wreck or a tablet. Your choice entirely there. Let's pray to God. Swear this up to his health as we try to understand it and then let's go. Alone are God. We pray today that you would something out. Hassan open out, is that your word may do its work in us, to help us to know and love and imitate? Jesus more. Be praying his name, I'm in. But you might be here on holiday with us. We not at the moment that a record numbers of holidaymakers, visiting the Sunshine Coast and with that has brought some challenges. I understand this week has been some challenges down in caloundra at Happy Valley. Where is bribie island has broken through because if there is water, current, some things and has opened up a new beach, which is incredibly dangerous Beach to swim at that people up, assisting with swimming there. Anyway, currently people are choosing to swim in a pot of the beach. The sun, patrolled, it's full-on very visible. Very shoprocks Covenant, oyster shells, as for the Stein, fish as well. How to spawn red flags and signs on the beach and repeated warnings, from Seth life, save his people to still swimming there. So if Life Savers are at their wit's end, they having to deal with constant injuries and at least one stonefish sting every weekend apparently, The lifestyle is a said, we put up a red flag with a big sign underneath that said, danger, no swimming. It made absolutely no difference. We're doing Patrols in the boat with a megaphone to warn people. We really didn't know what more we could do. Consider this a public service announcement as well. If you're down that dog swim day swim between the flags,

By the end of the day, of course, the problem is not the message, is it? A problem is people's willingness to hear the message and respond properly to it? And it's exactly the point of the passage in front of us today. Now the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, what kind of punching in at a point in the message, I'm punching out at another point. The whole book is not really a lesser. Is it? Something was really assuming, it's actually assuming Rick down in placing our Bibles with the other New Testament lessons. So, you getting bread Valley this morning, and getting a sermon on a salmon, or at least a seven on a pot of assuming, we don't know who wrote Hebrews, we don't know who they wrote it to necessarily. But one thing we know for sure that they're, it's written and spoken to people who are facing a critical danger. And it seems that the people who have been to hear it, where people who had a Jewish background before they became Christians, and they were in danger of giving up on Jesus and returning to their old familiar, Jewish Old Testament religion, And the preachers points in Hebrews is very simple. And everything in the Old Testament is just a sign that pointing to Jesus. It's not the destination. So you simply cannot use Jesus, you must give your whole self over to him and that's essentially what the book of Hebrews is about. Now, we're popping into the sermon at one point in chapter 3, be great. If you had a Bible open with you at that passage and you can follow along with us in the outline, in the order of service. Now what we've read this morning is actually part of a theme that the preacher has been developing since the beginning of chapter one, right? At the beginning of chapter 1 in the first versus he's reminded us that Jesus is at the very Apex of everything. God has been working towards right through the Old Testament. but if you go to Bible in front of you, to send back a page to 1:1,

Neil CDs with

Does how he begins long ago at many times. And in many ways, John spoke to our fathers, by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son, whom his appointed heir of all things through whom. Also, he created the world's. He's the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds. The universe by the word is power off to make a application for since he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

That's how it begins. He wants us to see. The Jesus is at the very Pinnacle of everything going as working towards all of God's faithfulness because of who he is, he's going to Energy's gone, son and also because of what he has done. He's perfectly paid for the sins of God's people and truly Sanctified them and made them perfect. And this makes him better than any of God's Heavenly servants, like the angels that we read about in chapter 1 and better than any Earthly 7. So he's better than the prophets and 1:1. He's better than Moses in chapter 3 verse 225. He's better than Joshua that we read about this morning. He's better than any high priest in Israel's long history and start at the beginning of chapter 3 with cold, simply to consider Jesus, the Apostle and high priest of a confession, who was faithful to him, who appointed him? Right side in other words, because going has finally and decisively spoken to us in Jesus. We must look to Jesus as the genuine article because he is he is completely trustworthy.

Wonder if you ever try to get into a boat from a Jessie. And you will know that it's really hard to kind of keep one foot on the jetty, one foot in the butt while the B slowly moving away from the jetty. If you try and do that, if you try and keep one foot on the jetty, one foot in the Bible, the B getting underway, there's only one place you're going to end up right? And up in the water. You've got to know that you can put both feet safely in the bus that you can trust the butt rice. What's the saying with Jesus? You can trust Jesus and have full confidence in him to put your whole self in him. There's no one foot in Jesus and one foot elsewhere, there's no using Jesus. It's All or Nothing. The three of us. 6 Christ is faithful of a Dawn's house as a son and we are his house. If indeed, we hold a confidence and I'll boasting and harp another way. It's because of who Jesus is and what he's done. We can trust him with our with confident hope that he will certainly save us and he will certainly bring us to Glory. So far so good. Well, I appreciate is a realist. He knows how human beings. Think you noticed. How we behave? You know, this is a critical danger to avoid here. that's critical because our ultimate salvation depends on its this is as hitting a lesson from history. Let me play you an old song says the preacher. That's something that happened a long time ago in history of God's people around the time of The Exodus from Egypt. And it seems with the eyes of King David, who wrote the song about five hundred years after the events it describes. So this 7211 of our passage actually come from the 7011 of Psalm 95. No Testament song that was written by King David in the first half of the song. If you read it it's a song of praise to God. The second half of the song, is a warning about what happened back in the desert, what's the points? Well, the song is meant to be a poetic reminder that the worship of God can't be separated from faith in God. So they could be careful that your words match, what's going on in your heart and your relationship with God. That's the point of Psalm 95. And that's why they're running to the Hebrews of the preacher. He brings these verses out of Psalm 95 into his argument this morning.

Did you see out to God? Brought his people Israel out of Egypt, he met with him at Mount Sinai. He revealed his low and Promises to them. Then he led them on a relatively show, Jenny about three months to the edge of the promised land the land. He promised to Abraham many many generations before It's a free from slavery. Rest in the promised land was inside. It was a river crossing away. All they had to do was go in and take it. So, what happened? God's people flinched. And like the Moon Shadow covering the life of the midday Sun. They allow their faith in God to be eclipsed by the fear of people.

They hardened their hearts to God promises and they were Bells. And it responds to load, send them around. You let them back into the Wilderness and he kept them wondering there for 40 years.

He was faithful to them, but he decided that they punishment would be to not enter the promised land. They children would go in and God would keep his promises but not for them. They were excluded because they decide they because they heard God's voice but they Harden their hearts to it.

It's worth remembering. These are the same people who sold the 10 plagues in Egypt, not that long ago. These are the same people who walk through the Red Sea on dry land and soul Pharaoh's Army, drowned and Destroy behind them. These are the same people who attacked Mount Sinai. Who heard the voice of God, who felt the earthquake who sold the thunder and lightning. And heard guns with mediated through Moses. It seems surprising victories against powerful. Enemy Kingdom that they encountered along the way. And I stood on the edge of the land that God has promised to their full Father Abraham, they touch the dirt.

But even had the report to the spies and seen the rich fruit samples. They brought back. but when it came time, The take on his way to go in and take the land. They hardened their hearts and would not believe that. God's words could be trusted or should be acted on. I just believed and disobeyed, they rebelled and they suffer the consequences.

I meant David read Psalm 95, he recognized that the danger of hard-hearted unbelief with his real, in the time of The Exodus is it wasn't his arm time. The Wretched of the Hebrews, when he wrote his son and he realized it in the first century, the danger of hot hot in. This was as real for him. It was for David as it was in the time of Moses. It's no wonder then he keeps repeating the first words of the Somme today. If you hear his voice, do not Harden your heart.

Of course, what was true for God's people, in the time of Moses, David, the early Church Must surely be true for us today. The today of a 7 + 13 + 15 + 4/7, must also be the 8th of January 2023.

Again he appoints a second day today. Same through the voice of through David. So long often to was already quoted today. If you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts.

The problem with the preacher in Hebrews wants to highlight from this history lesson is sensually is the Pod hotness is terminal. Its Faithfully deadly. The lesson, he shunned them from the history of gone. Simon, people is that hard rebellious. Evil string, unbelieving hearts hearts, which failed to actually hear and respond and face what God is saying. Well, there's only one outcome for that missing out on the ultimate. Rest of God has promised his people. So look with me at 4 vs at 3 verse 12. Never read it. Let yourself feel the force behind the warning. He says that take care brothers and sisters listed be in any of you and evil unbelieving. Heart leading you to fall away from the Living God.

Take care. Lest it be in any of you. An evil unbelieving. Hot leading. Use a foal away from the Living God. Good reminder. They, he's not preaching it a message to non-believers. You still have to come to the gospel, he's talking to Christian his own brothers and sisters.

That Christians have often read the book of Hebrews and being troubled by an important question. The question is, can a person who's once being saved by Jesus? if I lose their salvation, it's an important question. If Jesus has saved me, can I forfeit through my own son or faithlessness my external forgiveness in my place in heaven?

I'm out. I firmly believe the Bible on says, no to that question. Gun shows at the news where they have salvation in. Jesus is so great and we are so powerless and lost in sin, but there is nothing we can do to save ourselves and nothing we can do to override Christ saving us. We simply don't have that kind of power. And I certainly believe the preacher to the Hebrews, believe the same as we go through the lesson. So why does he seem to suggest that it's possible to lose our Salvation through unbelief, Disobedience off, to coming to price.

I'll think about it like this. If you were a parent and a child that you love your child was playing near the edge of a cliff. And you knew there was a 34 drop on the other side of that place. What would you be saying to them? Now, my guess is, he probably wouldn't be explaining to the mathematical probability of them falling off the edge of the cliff down to three decimal points.

You probably wouldn't be lecturing them about Isaac Newton's laws of motion and gravitation, which may or may not impact subsequent of them, should they occur? You'd be shouting at them, get away from the edge. And this is exactly what I'm pretty sure he's doing. He's adopting the cautious. Approach of if it looks dangerous it probably is And hard-hearted unbelief has an assist Oracle track record of leading people. Even people who are associated with God's covenant community, I'm leading them to Fall Away From the Living God and miss out on his promise, rest.

You say to the preacher, the very worst thing. A Christian can do is take Jesus for granted.

And the dangers real. Even for Christians today.

Where does hardness to God's words? Come from well with told him verse 13.

He says they're exhort one another every day. As long as it is cold today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Sin is deceitful. It lies to us.

Set the million voice, isn't it? It's the same voice that Whispers to even the garden did Gone release. A

Tulsa, the voice that suggests that God is keeping his best from us,

but God isn't as great as he pretends to be

And therefore his word is optional, we can judge for ourselves whether we ignore it or keep it.

The voice that tells us you deserve this, send this little sin anyone? No one will ever know.

Elsa, the voice that tells us look what a great Christian, you are. everything you do is so Godly, so righteous, You're in church, every Sunday, you give you said your charitable, your hospitable, your generous, you've got the answers, haven't you? People wish they were as spiritual as you. You've got nothing to worry about.

It's also the line of this is a word for that person over there. It's not for you.

But you know, the movie, listen to these words of steak, the lines of send them or I'll have to come having to the word of God. The hot leases any softness, any tenderness and by choice. It becomes impenetrable to the word of God, the life-giving word which it followed leads to rest.

The game to go to remember the preacher that preaches not talkin to, people is struggling to grab, hold of the gospel for the first time. He's talking to people who claim to be Christians. People that being baptized people that are part of the church, maybe because he's saving his brothers and sisters in Christ as he said.

He's trying to bring an urgent immediacy to trust in Jesus.

When the Protestant reformed and Martin Luther nailed his 95 statements that the church door in 1517. Number one said this, when our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent, he called for the entire life of Believers to be one of penitence.

In other words, it's no good resting on a past, commitment to Jesus and thinking, we're okay. If it makes no difference to our lives today. Coastal the ups and downs. We're not in heaven yet. What is the trajectory upwards?

If the deceitfulness of sin, is causing you to hide hardly ignore or reject God's word today. How do you know, send didn't fool you into falsely believed in you had a place in God's kingdom back then.

If you don't take God's word to you, seriously, today, how could you have taken it seriously back then? Realize this is, this is hot stuff. But it's crucial.

This is why I said some verse 14, for we have come to share in Christ's if indeed, we hold our original confidence firm to the end.

Friends, I trust in Jesus is a day-by-day thing.

Remember the ones who fell in the desert says the preacher there. 16 to 19. The outside of the river, they looked every bit of God's people. But inside the hospital. They didn't really believe got to be trusted. Didn't really believe. He should be at Bay. Didn't really believe he could come through on his promises and they lost out on God's promise to rest. the best 15s it is said today, if you hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion,

From here, a preacher. Now moves talk about this wrist, God's promise to rest, And his point is basically the Because of Jesus, the stakes are even higher than they were in the desert. American pasta, Sam, storms, helpfully points out, there were five layers to the rest, that's interview here. In this passage. First of all is God's rest when it says, they've gone arrested after creation the world, when everything was as it should be before sin into the world. 4:4 Then kind of in the background, I guess In this passage is the rest of the Seventh-Day Sabbath cycle. The day every week was pointed back to gone to rest and forward to a futurist number two. Number three was the rest of the promised land, which is very much interviews. Yet. We going to people would give him a rest from their enemies to live as God's people and Gault place under God's Rule and blessing.

Number four is the rest. We enjoy in Christ where we rest from trying to achieve righteousness through our X and instead rest in Jesus sacrifice for us. It's 4:10.

And finally chapter 4:11 and a few other places. The rest. We will enjoy forever in heaven with God.

So I can think of things back to the movie Shrek ogres are like onions, I guess. Rest in the Bible is like an onion as well. It's full of liars. And get there at 5. But the argument then in chapter 4 is basically this. If hard-hearted unbelieving disobedience kept people from the promised land rest, People who left Egypt, led by Moses, who heard the good news of God's promises, then how much more will hard-hearted unbelieving Disobedience? Keep those who claim to be Christians Out of Heaven.

Bible scholar. Derek couldn't put it. The quit has returned back to the Wilderness. So the Somme and the laser whonis maybe but pale Shadows of ourselves. If we drove back from a great inheritance,

I remember this is not can a Christian lose, their salvation, this is get back from the edge. We need to take this seriously friends. This one. That's a full. Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear. Lest any of you seem to have failed to reach it.

And 11 let us therefore strive to enter that rest that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. She hot hot in. This is terminal.

Have to go to admit that after all this talk of entering going to rest, the image of God's word is a sharp sword. Kind of hacking, a wireless in chapter 4, doesn't sound all that restful. Doesn't best 12 for the word of God is living and active. It's sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing for the division of Soul and Spirit of joints of the mara Discerning, the thoughts and intentions of the high and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all on naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account

Go to remember that hearing God's would humbly and eagerly and Abby Tinsley and Faithfully will not be easy. 1p easy, but it will be with us. Now, there's a few different pictures you have been mixed into one. One picture is of the Old Testament, priests with his knife, kind of expertly butcher in the animal ready for sacrifice. Benefits with the big in the arse of the Hebrews. Another images of a surgeon with a scalpel who knows exactly where to cut to remove the dead or diseased tissue. Final images of the judge who holds the power of the sword, he must descend guilt or innocence. And these images of kind of laid over one another to help us recognize what's going on, what's going to happen as we truly and faithfully and I beating planner gently, listen to God's word. Because really listening to God's word means expecting heart, surgery and friends. We need surgery.

It's the attitude of the song. Ryan to David again when he prays a scary prayer, Psalm 139, verse 23, search me o, God and know my heart. Try me and know, my thoughts. See if there be any Grievous way in me, and Lead Me in the way Everlasting.

And the only way to do this safely, the only way to willingly submit to this kind of surgery. Did you go back to 3:1 to consider Jesus to trust him? Now is always cross, the spiteful of a girl's house has a son. We are his house. If indeed, we hold fast our confidence and I'll be staying in heart.

Having issues with flies, on a rather long section of Hebrews, is that she going to really show him. Simple points. What will you do with what God is saying to you today, in his words?

What is he saying to you today in Christ? What sin is he telling you to cut out today? What idea was he trying to correct you on today?

Where is he offering you something better today than the thing you cling to so tightly.

What encouragement is he giving you today to trust? His love is forgiveness. His faithfulness in Jesus for you today.

What are you going to do with God's wood today?

If you harden your heart today, who's to say, it won't always be hardened. Used to say, it hasn't always been hot. But if you can't going to voice in Jesus today, And respond to it today. Surely that is evidence of the Lord Jesus is in you and you're in him that you're destined to enjoy his rest forever in heaven.

But if we do, we have come to share in Christ. If indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said today. if you hear his voice, do not Harden your heart. Let's cry.

Alone are God, we thank you for your words. Thank you that you speak to us. We pray today that now and always that you're living an active wear but do it's working out house. Bio. Holy Spirit. Please let your word PS as deeply everyday to cut out whatever might keep us from hearing your voice. But it might keep us for enjoying your rest in the Lord. Jesus Christ now and forever. This we pray in Jesus name, amen.

Franklin.