Beware of Unbelief

Text - Hebrews 3.13-15

Hebrews 3:12–15 NKJV

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Title - Beware of Unbelief

Intro

The Context

the Hebrews are reminded of the hardness of the hearts of their forefathers in the wilderness, which resulted in God refusing to let them enter His rest (the promised land)

the Hebrews are warned that the same evil heart of unbelief can manifest in them by refusing to recognize God’s work in Christ in the presnt time

the Hebrews are exhorted to hold fast to what they now believe and not harden their hearts

“Evil Heart of Unbelief”

unbelief - the opposite of belief; the conviction that a thing is not true

heart - the center man’s thought, will, emotion and knowledge of right and wrong

evil - because unbelief is evil,

Unbelief can manifest among those who are saved

Unbelief among Israel

Jude 5 NKJV

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

They complained

Psalm 106:24–25 NKJV

24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, 25 But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the Lord.

Moses and Aaron’s unbelief

Numbers 20:10–12 NKJV

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. 12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

They did not believe His wondrous works

Psalm 78:31–32 NKJV

31 The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel. 32 In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works.

Deuteronomy 1:29–33 NKJV

29 “Then I said to you, ‘Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.

Unbelief among the Jews in the time Jesus

Jesus could not perform many mighty works

Matthew 13:57–58 NKJV

57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:5–6 NKJV

5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Unbelief among Christ’s disciples

The disciples could not cast out a demon

Matthew 17:19–20 NKJV

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

The disciples did not believe the testimony of those who saw the risen Christ

Mark 16:12–14 NKJV

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Many disciples turned back from following Christ

John 6:61–66 NKJV

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.

Manifestations of unbelief among the disciples

the sick were not healed

they did not believe the testimony of his witnesses

they questioned His teachings

Unbelief have terrible consequences

Moses and Aaron

they missed the promised land

although their unbelief cannot be categorized with that of the whole Israel

Israel - God destroyed them in the wilderness

1 Corinthians 10:6–10 NKJV

6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Paul described Israel’s unbelief in 5 words

they lusted for evil things (of Egypt)

they worshipped an idol

they committed sexual immorality

they tempted God (rebellion)

they complained

Israel’s unbelief had one consequence:

God destroyed them

unlike Moses and Aaron who died of natural causes

Zacharias was muste for a time

Luke 1:18–20 NKJV

18 And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. 20 But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

The unbelieving officer died

2 Kings 7:1–2 NKJV

1 Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.’ ” 2 So an officer on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” And he said, “In fact, you shall see it with your eyes, but you shall not eat of it.”

2 Kings 7:20 NKJV

20 And so it happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gate, and he died.

Unbelief is a gateway for the Antichrist

2 Thessalonians 2:9–12 NKJV

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

the antichrist is called the “lawless one”

lawless - one who defies the law

the lawless one will deceive

those who have no love for the truth

those who did not beleive the truth

Unbelief must be corrected

Jesus challenged a father to believe. His son was suffering in terrible sickness by an evil spirit

Mark 9:22–24 NKJV

22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

the main said: “if you can do anything...”

Jesus said “if you can believe...”

the man answered: “I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Conclusion

Exhortations from the text

beware…

exhort one another

hold steadfast to the end

in the things you have started to believe ad confess about Christ

do not harden your heart…

Do not harden your heart - Humility; surrender