Self Giant

Hebrews 3:7–19 NLT

7 That is why the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, 8 don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested me in the wilderness. 9 There your ancestors tested and tried my patience, even though they saw my miracles for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them, and I said, ‘Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.’ 11 So in my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest.’ ” 12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” 16 And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? 18 And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? 19 So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

1. The Lord expects us to listen to Him

We need to read His Word to learn His promises

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV84

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

If you don’t know His promises how will you ask for them

We perish for lack of knowledge

When you come to church, you should expect to hear from the Lord

When you hear Him, not “if”

We must be attentive to His voice

2. Unbelief dominates the life of those who bend the knee to the Self Giant

Unbelief keeps you outside of the Promise (v 19)

When there is a test, look to God’s greatness not the Self Giant of doubt

Believers should not see giants, instead the should see God’s greatness

Believers that look at the problem instead of the promise will not grab the Promise

Believers need to have faith in God rather than man

Don’t make decisions based on self-preservation

Remember the promise

Joshua and Caleb ignored Self and they entered the promise

Numbers 13:30 NIV84

30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

3. The Self Giant Mindset governs when we don’t have the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV84

14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Whose report are you believing?

When you feed the flesh with fear—the doubt grows

When you feed the Spirit with His Word—your Faith grows

The ways of God don’t necessarily make sense—we need faith to understand

Don’t let the self giant mindset keep you from seeing the promise

Our theology/doctrine can keep us from the promise

Mark 7:13 NIV84

13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Don’t let the old ways keep you from the new wine

4. The Self Giant will sabotage you and keep you from the Promise

Low self-esteem

Exodus 3:11 NIV84

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Some listen to the self giant and never take a chance

They are afraid of rejection or failure

Don’t be afraid, use what you have

You are fearfully and wonderfully made

Everything you need for success is within you

The fear of man leads to rebellion

There is a time for everything - be patient

Don’t give up just because things don’t work out the way you expect them to

Beware Disappointment and Disillusionment; they lead to rebellion

Don’t limit God – Keep swinging

5. Kill the Self Giant by obeying the Lord

The obedient enter the promise

You can’t purchase the blessing

You can’t manipulate God

Obedience is required

1 Samuel 15:22–23 NIV84

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

Don’t reject His Word

Don’t be arrogant

Arrogant: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance

God is not like you, His ways are not your ways, His thoughts are not your thoughts

Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought

Have a healthy view of yourself

Kill the Self Giant

Obey the commands of God

Don’t miss the promise