Doubting the Word of God (Part 1)

KIDS DISMISSAL (TURN TO HEBREWS 3)

Introduction

History is filled with examples of people who received a warning, ignored the warning, and wound up dealing with catastrophe.

Just a few weeks ago, January 28, was the 39th anniversary of the Challenger explosion.

In eight previous shuttle flights prior to Challenger NASA had found evidence that O-rings had allowed hot exhaust to burn through a primary seal. Since 1982 the O-rings had been designated a "Criticality 1" issue. Indeed, a January shuttle launch in cold weather just a year earlier had shown significant burn through of the O-rings. The day before the Challenger launch, engineers at Morton Thiokol, a NASA contractor, raised concerns that the frigid temperatures at Cape Canaveral would cause the shuttle's rocket booster "O-rings" to fail -- which would mean catastrophe for the shuttle. Just hours before liftoff, Thiokol engineers were recommending that the launch be delayed. After hours of discussion, NASA pressed forward with the launch anyway. (https://www.governing.com/archive/danger-missed-warnings.html)

Maybe you have ignored a warning in your own personal life and, as a result, have had to deal with the fallout. Maybe, ladies, someone warned you about “that guy” but you dated him anyway. Maybe somebody warned you about “that job/that boss” but you didn’t listen—all you saw was dollar signs. Maybe you ignored the warning light on your vehicle…and that wound up costing you big time.

TRANSITION

As we continue in our series, “Greater,” through the New Testament letter to the Hebrews, we come to the author’s second warning. A few weeks ago, I told you that, throughout the letter, the author gives 5 warnings:

Against DRIFTING away from the Word of God

Against DOUBTING the Word of God

Against growing DULL towards the Word of God

Against DESPISING the Word of God

Against DEFYING the Word of God

This morning, we are picking up where Joseph left off last week, in verse 7, where the author warns us against DOUBTING the Word of God.

READ SCRIPTURE

Hebrews 3:7–19 “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 fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ” 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 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.” 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 forty years?…”

Outline

Doubting God's Word has dire consequences.

The dangers of unbelief and disobedience are real, both for unbelievers and believers. The call to salvation and perseverance is for today.

The author of Hebrews issues THREE warnings in this text. I know, in your notes, you’ve only got two…and that’s not a mistake…but to understand the two main warnings of this text, we’ve got to start with the first.

And, it’s a WARNING FROM HISTORY.

Background—Psalm 95

Psalm 95 is a psalm of remembering and reminding. It is a psalm that looks backward at the generation of Hebrews that was rescued out of slavery in Egypt, that saw God’s mighty power in the 10 plagues, saw his power in the splitting of the Red Sea and drying up of the sea bed, the power of God in drowning the entire Egyptian army, who saw the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire in the wilderness, saw God provide every day with manna and quail, who received the law of God at Sinai, and, who, still hardened their heart and rebelled against God and were kept out of the Promised Land.

And, the warning is, “be careful so that you don’t do the same.”

Verse 7 — “as the Holy Spirit says”

He doesn’t say, “as David says,” or even “as the author of the Psalm says.” The author attributes Psalm 95 as the Word of the Living God. And it’s not a warning from David or the author of Hebrews. It’s a warning from the Living God.

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”

Apostasy—falling away from the living God.

A Warning for UNBELIEVERS (vs. 7-12)

This letter is written to the Church…but, within the Church are those who have been professing a faith and a salvation that they do not possess.

Jesus, himself, even taught that the goats and the sheep dwell together.

They look the part, they know the right things in their heads and say the right things, but they have never been born again.

It is entirely possible—and I’m afraid true for so many people—to say the sinner’s prayer, to get baptized, to even join a church—and be lost and separated from Christ.

You may say, “Well, how is that possible, pastor? I thought all you had to do is repeat the prayer, get baptized, and go to church and TA-DA, you’re a Christian!

Oh, my friend, that’s what the devil wants you to believe. In fact, James says, in James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

Well, you may say, “how can I know, then, that I’m saved?” The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved…and whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But the Bible also says that no one calls upon the name of the Lord or confesses that Jesus is Lord apart from the Holy Spirit. That means that when you hear the word of God proclaimed—the gospel proclaimed—you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in your heart convicting you of your sin and your need for a Savior and you repent—you turn away from your sin and turn to Jesus for salvation, surrendering your life completely and fully to him—and the Holy Spirit raises you from spiritual death to life and you’re a new creation.

Now…I’m not saying this to scare you or to make you doubt your salvation. I AM saying it, though, to preach the gospel. I believe that in this room—under the sound of my voice—there is at least one person who has been going through the motions…someone who God has been dealing with you—probably even right now—you’re not saved. And you know it. TODAY you need to get that right. In fact, I’m ok breaking with tradition and if you need to come forward now or at any point during this sermon and give your life to Jesus, you come on. Don’t be worried about what anyone else will think or being shy or embarrassed to come forward in front of a lot of people. Eternity is too important.

So, how does the author warn against apostasy/falling away from the Living God? How does he say it happens?

1) Hearing and Rebelling

Again…the background, here, is the rebellious wilderness generation.

The Israelites had seen God’s miracles (plagues, Red Sea crossing, manna from heaven) yet still doubted Him when facing hardships.

Their unbelief resulted in wandering for 40 years, and that generation never entered the Promised Land (v. 11).

Those who hear the gospel, who see and witness the gospel, but who do not submit to the gospel.

2) Hardening of the heart

"They always go astray in their heart" (v. 10). The issue wasn’t just outward rebellion; their hearts were resistant to God’s ways.

The phrase “harden your hearts” means a progressive dulling to God’s voice—each rejection making it harder to turn back.

Pharaoh in Exodus is an example—he hardened his heart repeatedly (Ex. 7:13, 8:15, 9:34), and eventually, God confirmed his hardness.

A blacksmith heats iron until it is red-hot and malleable, but if left to cool, it hardens and becomes difficult to shape. The heart works the same way—every time a person hears the gospel and rejects it, their heart grows colder and harder toward God.

Every time someone resists God, their heart becomes less sensitive to conviction. If God is working in your heart today, don’t ignore Him—the more you do, the harder it will be to respond later.

3) Hell 

"They shall not enter My rest" (v. 11). The immediate meaning refers to the Promised Land, but the broader theological implication points to eternal separation from God—Hell.

In the New Testament, Jesus often warns about eternal judgment for unbelief (Matthew 7:21–23 ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”)

Hell is not just for "bad" people, but for all who reject God’s salvation—just like the Israelites who failed to trust God’s promises.

Today, if you hear his voice—respond today while there is still time!

A Warning for BELIEVERS (vs. 13-15)

1) True believers will live in accountability.

“exhort one another every day”

The Greek word for “exhort” (parakaleo) means to come alongside.

There are apps for running and training for long distances races where a voice will come over your earbuds and update you on how far you’ve run, how much further you’ve got to go, and will pump you up … saying things like “you’ve got this…not much further…push through the pain.”

This is what we’re called to do in each other’s lives. We’re supposed to get deep into the mess of each other’s lives…open our lives and struggles up to one another. We’ve got to move beyond just superficial church. If you’re not doing this…make the change TODAY!

Why? Because sin is deceitful (v. 13)—it doesn’t always appear dangerous at first, which is why we need accountability.

Did you know that raccoons go through a glandular change at about 24 months. After that, if they are kept as pets, they often attack their owners. I read a story this week about a raccoon owner named Julie. When she was warned, by a professional, about this danger, she was quoted as saying, "It will be different for me. . ." And she smiled as she added, "Bandit wouldn't hurt me. He just wouldn't." Three months later Julie underwent plastic surgery for facial lacerations sustained when her adult raccoon attacked her for no apparent reason. Bandit was released into the wild. Sin, too, often comes dressed in an adorable guise, and as we play with it, how easy it is to say, "It will be different for me." The results are predictable. (https://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/s/sin_deceitfulness_of.htm)

Sin is DECEITFUL and all sin is always DANGEROUS. When we doubt God’s word in our life, we fall into its trap.

If your only interaction with the body of Christ is for this one hour…and then an hour in Life Group…then we’ve missed the point of what the Church is supposed to be.

The most dangerous thing you can do as a Christian is remove yourself from the life and fellowship of the body.

2) True believers will walk in repentance.

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart..”

“Take care”—see…in other words, keep a close watch on your life.

You aren’t going to be sinless or perfect. Should we strive to walk every day in the power of the Holy Spirit and in victory over sin? Absolutely we should. But we’re going to sin. And, when we do, we walk in repentance…active/ongoing repentance.

One who is truly saved//born again will not live in rebellion against God.

3) True believers will persevere.

“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (v. 14).

This isn’t teaching salvation by works—rather, perseverance proves genuine faith.

Jesus taught this in the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23)—some start well but fall away because their faith wasn’t real.

This isn’t to say that you’re not going to struggle or that your faith isn’t going to be weak at times.

The call to salvation is for TODAY. The call to perseverance is for TODAY.

The warning in Hebrews is clear: doubting God’s Word leads to dangerous consequences. For the Israelites in the wilderness, their unbelief cost them the Promised Land. For us today, ignoring God’s voice can lead to spiritual drift, hardness of heart, and ultimately, eternal separation from Him.

If you are not yet a believer, I urge you—don’t ignore the warning. The gospel has been set before you, and today is the day of salvation. You don’t have to clean yourself up or fix everything in your life before coming to Jesus. He calls you just as you are, but He won’t leave you that way. The invitation is open—respond to Him while there is still time.

For those who are believers, this passage is a call to persevere, to take care of our hearts, and to encourage one another daily. Faith is not a solo journey; we need the body of Christ to exhort, strengthen, and keep us accountable. If you feel your heart growing cold or distant from God, don’t wait until it’s too late—turn back to Him today.

God’s voice is calling. The question is, how will you respond? Will you harden your heart, or will you trust Him? Today, if you hear His voice—listen, believe, and follow.