Guarding Against an Unbelieving Heart
Notes
Transcript
Text: Hebrews 3:12-19
Key Verse: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (Hebrews 3:15, quoting Psalm 95:7-8).
The Connection of Baptism
The Connection of Baptism
Over the past couple of weeks we have had two baptism, first Dorothy and then last week William, in confirmation we are starting the section on baptism and simultaneously I have been reading a book that was last months free book on Logos, which is the software I use for studying, writing and reading my sermons, and this books is called Understanding Four Views of Baptism. Part of the reason I am Lutheran, besides my loving wife, is coming to an understanding about baptism that flows from scripture, without presuppositions, that is without previously thought positions that lead to the reading of the passages in a certain way. However this is a topic for another time, but as you study the different views of baptism there are three main arguments against to what we hold as Lutherans.
The first is that they argue that infants cannot have faith and therefore cannot make a profession of faith in order to be baptized. This presupposes two things first is that there is a specific order that things have to be done, namely that one must come to faith and then they can be baptized. This is nowhere in scripture in fact we see times of both where faith comes then baptism, then in other cases the person is baptized then comes to faith. If faith is faith and ultimately what is necessary then why would God limit to one or the other?
Number two it presupposes that children cannot have faith, which is easily disputed by throwing a child in the air and then catching them. The first time they may have a look of terror on their face which comes from uncertainty and then after they realize their parent will catch them each time, they in faith begin to smile and enjoy the faith knowing they will not fall. Not to mention Jesus says let the children come to me, and that unless you have faith like a child you cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
The second argument is that no where in scripture can you find a child being baptized. Then strangely enough the people who make this argument then have baby dedications. I have still yet to find that in scripture. What we do have though is that the households were baptized, while no certainty can be made whether or not these households had children, it is likely.
Then the third argument get us to our readings for today mostly from Hebrews, but also relates to our gospel reading as well. That argument is that once a person is saved it is impossible for them to fall away. Then tucked away in all of these arguments is an underpinning of what these passages are warning us about and that is putting works into what God accomplishes for us.
To start off then we see in Hebrews 3:12-19 a warning against the danger of an unbelieving heart and the consequences of turning away from the living God. This passage calls us to vigilance and mutual encouragement in faith, so that we do not follow the example of Israel in the wilderness.
I. The Danger of an Unbelieving Heart Hebrews 3:12-13
I. The Danger of an Unbelieving Heart Hebrews 3:12-13
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
What does it mean to have an evil unbelieving heart. For those in the camp of once saved always saved they have to struggle with this passage, along with the reality of those who have apostatize or left the faith, and usually when pushed they will circle back and say well that person was not really saved then. This I personally believe plays a dangerous game of trusting in something that we do or some necessity on our part to articulate a true saving faith. Meaning faith is then a intellectual ascent or some intellectual exercise, rather than a gift freely given. What about those who cannot articulate this faith properly? What about those who cannot even communicate? Are they left out of the kingdom? Certainly not, we need to look no further then our gospel passage today.
In this we have this rich young ruler coming to Jesus and says something almost disturbing when you think about it.
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Strange for what kind of question is it to ask what must I do to inherit? Can you imagine asking grandma this? What is it that I can do for you so that I get an inheritance? Is that how inheritance works? Do we do something to earn our inheritance? I mean aside from being their child and not completely disappointing them to where they right you out of the will.
Jesus however doesn’t even answer that, he does the Jesus thing where he focuses on the real problem and says Mark 10:18
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
Ironic isn’t it, that Jesus says why do you call me good? Isn’t Jesus good? That no one is good but God alone. Isn’t Jesus God? The answers are yes and yes, but Jesus came to serve, not to be served, that though he was int eh nature of God did not equate it as something to be gained by it. Jesus is pointing out that flattery wasn’t going to help this mans case.
Jesus then goes on to tell him you know the commandments, to keep them, leading to what I sure Jesus was setting up for, listen to how the man responds.
And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.”
This man has kept the commandments, and was even careful enough to keep track and note all the ways in which he has accomplished this.
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
He loved him, Jesus loved this man so much that he heaps upon him Law upon Law. Killing any idea that he could do anything to earn what God was going to give him, yet he could not give up all of his possessions, and it says Mark 10:22
Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Back to Hebrews
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.
This man knew the Law, he kept it from his youth, and yet he thought somehow he could give something back to God to make god love him more as to inherit the kingdom, but Jesus does not even give him this option, as he does not even give it to us either.
The best part of this story comes after this in what Jesus teaches his disciples after this.
And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!
Then listen to this Mark 10:25
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Here is where so many preachers and teachers go horribly wrong. I cannot count the number of different accounts they make to try and explain this away, to soften the Law, to make it easy, palatable, an exception, for we are all rich to some extent or another. In fact if you have more than $10 in your pocket right now you, you were able to get up take a shower, get dressed, drive to church and have a meal after the service, you are richer than about 2/3’s of the world today. Guess what this means you too cannot enter the kingdom or inherit it.
At this point you should just get up and go home, there is nothing here for you then, you got two option first is where we want to go, where many do go, we soften the Law, we explain how the camel going through the eye of needle, wasn’t really extreme as we think, because they eye of the needle is a small gate and if you take everything off your camel and have it kneel down it can crawl through. This is nonsense and not how this would have been understood. All you have to do is read the next verse. Mark 10:26
And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?”
Good questions, very good question, who then can be saved? If this rich young man who kept the law perfectly couldn’t accomplish it, the rich cannot make it, that means you and I have a problem, forget the fact that we all in someway or another have broken one if not more of the ten commandments, then Jesus takes it further in Matthew 5 saying things like to look at person with lust we have already commited adultery, to hate your brother without cause your a murderer, to take what is not yours, you’re a thief, to even water down this message you are doing the serpents work, and guilty of the second commandment of taking God’s name in vain.
Who then can be saved? Jesus will tell you Mark 10:27
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
There is the crux of the whole thing, even back to our teaching here in Hebrews, “with man it is impossible, but not with God, For all things are possible with God.”
II. The Example of Israel's Unbelief Hebrews 3:14-19
II. The Example of Israel's Unbelief Hebrews 3:14-19
With God all things are possible, even saving a sinner such as I, and you. Thanks be to God though we have the assurance of faith, through Jesus Christ, accomplishing what we could not or cannot. Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
Faith isn’t about anything we can give to him, but it is simply him giving us his all, even his very life upon the cross. This is our original confidence that we need to hold onto firmly to the end.
Hebrews 3:15 (ESV)
As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Again it always comes back to this, that faith is given to us through the water and the word, in baptism we die with Christ and are raised to new life. This is not just a one time washing but an eternity that you have been placed into, in the sure and certain hope that Mark 16:16
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
A guarantee and promise given to us, through Jesus own words. Who then can be saved? Well sinners as you and I, for all things are possible with God, especially with a God who gave his only begotten son, to die in our place, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Amen.
Key Verse:
Key Verse:
Hebrews 3:15: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."Connection: This verse sums up the urgency of the passage. It calls us to immediate action, not to delay in responding to God’s voice.