No One Left Alone
Notes
Transcript
Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Be on a Constant Lookout
The Hebrew writer addresses the entire community of believers in this passage, calling them “brethren”. It follows right behind a quotation from Psalm which warns Israel in David’s day, about the behaviors of Israel under Moses. Thus it is a warning and instruction that the entire community of GOD needs to take heed to and follow in regard to the impact of sin on the community.
Be on a Constant Lookout
He gives them two major instructions in light of that passage, which again means all of us must observe as well. The first instruction is that they “take care”, or in other words to “look out”. Which is a call to pay careful attention to a thing. It is a present tense verb, which means it needs to be a constant look out. It also signifies the seriousness of the matter.
Watch for the signs
Example: Whether you are a new or experienced driver, we’ve all learned what being on a “constant lookout” means while driving. And Departments of Transportation have done a good job helping us what to look out for. A sign with a street light painted on it, tells us a street light is up ahead. One depicts people walking, tells us there is a potential for pedestrians. One with deer drawing, tells us this zone has a high potential for deer jumping out.
Application: In order for us to be on the lookout for anything, we must pay attention to the signs.
Any Heart that reflects waning or lack of faith
Well, what signs does the Hebrew writer post up? It is an evil heart in any one person within the community of these believers. Remember, heart here indicates the inner person and the internal features of the inner person, that being their thoughts, emotions, understanding right from wrong, and volition (the power to use one’s will to do a thing). What’s the sign? When those things are evil. And the substance of that evil is unbelief or not putting full trust in GOD and Christ!!
Application: That means that each of us, in this faith community, have a responsibility to pay attention the signs in one another. That nobody’s thoughts, which come out in words, reflect that they are losing trust in GOD. That nobody at Swope, or the Christian community at large, is in an emotional state which signals a loss of passion for Jesus. If someone is trusting in anything other than GOD, for their security, contentment, or to get through tough times, that is a sign.
It is a vehicle to Apostasy
Well why is this a bad sign? The Hebrew writer says that not trusting in Christ, is indeed the vehicle that moves one away from the living GOD. As a reminder, these Hebrew Christians were drifting away from their trust in Jesus as their connection to GOD, salvation, atonement and all the above, because of suffering. And they were turning back to Judaism as a means to connect with GOD. And any distance from Jesus, is a distancing from the Father!!
Application: See, we don’t need to be all up in each others business. But we should be aware of each others state.
Encourage one another
OK, watch the second instruction, because the Hebrew writer essentially says, better yet, or let me give you a more superior instruction or enhance what I said. What’s that? Beyond a constant look out, encourage one another!! Which means to urge action (or a different action) by calling to mind Christ’s atonement, instructions, and admonishing or warning.
Application: First of all, both terms “encourage” and “one another” are plural, which means the focus is not myself. See each of us make up the body. So it is about us, but it ain’t all about me in this fight!! In addition, “one another” is reflexive, which means that the encouragement is supposed to be mutual.
It must be mutual
Active
Passive
Trusted
There are some important factors for this thing to be mutual.
Encourage is active, meaning each of us, at some point needs to take some time away from ourselves to help somebody else in this family!! That’s what composes a servant mentality! As a servant of Christ, I should be actively seeking to tell my brother/sister, slow down, be careful, it’s gone be alright, our GOD is faithful, etc. No, no one person will get to everybody, but we should all be getting to somebody!!
This also means that all of us need encouragement and must be willing to receive encouragement. All sides of encouragement too, lifting up and warning and admonishment!! See sometimes we’ll take in the lifting up side, but reject the warning side.
Don’t conflict condemnation with the warning side of encouragement. They are not equal. Solomon says “The wounds of a friend can be trusted” (Prov 27:6). Condemnation hurts and can leave you hurt. But admonishment hurts with intention to heal and help!!
Daily Frequency
What duration should this encouragement take place? The Hebrew writer says every single day, day after day. As long as one can move and operate and refer to the day as “Today”.
Application: Listen, if we’re going to give and receive this type of encouragement every day, that means we all need someone close around. Our spouses (prayerfully in the Lord), parents/children even, fellow workers (that being the same ministry), etc. Or, there are sermon recordings, by preachers across this nation, that we need to put on repeat. Text and facebook posts. Whatever it takes to get something daily!!
To protect from hardening
For what purpose? Encouragement is the primary instruction, everyday is the frequency, but why? The Hebrew writer now links back to his quotation “Today if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts”. The purpose of daily encouragement is so not one single person in the midst of the community of believers, will have a heart that becomes so stiff that it won’t bend itself to hear GOD. Well what can make ones heart that hard? The trickery, the deceptiveness of sin!! He personifies sin.
Application: Isolation can be extremely dangerous with respect to sin. I’m not just referring to physical isolation, I’m talking about isolation of the heart (thoughts, emotions, etc.). Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things, who can trust it. Solomon says a person who trusts in their own heart is a fool.
Example: An echo chamber is a term used for people on social media, who gravitate to conversations which only support their views. They become resistant to any views which don’t support theirs or challenge them to think differently, placing themselves in a bubble of information.
Listen, our hearts and sin, if left isolated and unchecked, can become an echo chamber. Only accepting folks who reinforce how I’m thinking or feeling. Building a wall to the voice of GOD. Jeremiah and other prophets call it being stubborn in ones own way. A hardening of the heart.
But we were mutually active in encouraging one another, it bursts my heart and sin bubble. It tears down the wall around my evil thoughts and emotions. And helps me stay flexible toward hearing what thus says the Lord, and thereby strengthening my faith!!
Do you have somebody to talk to, who points to the word of GOD? Are you active in encouraging your brothers, spouse, parents/children, etc? Are we looking out for one another? Why Bro Evans, because Jesus through us, helps protect us from the deception of sin in our hearts!!