The Urgency of the message

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 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. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (Heb 3:12–14)

Saints we have some work to do! The message of salvation must be amplified! We are in some dark times and it does not appear to be getting any better!

At the end of the day our goal is to see Jesus. Here in Hebrew 3 the writer reminds us what has been shared in the past. Hardened not your heart. He says it earlier in this chapter 7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice,

8  do not harden your hearts.... (Heb 3:7–8).

Then in these verses he encourages us to pay attention. If we aren’t careful we too can fall into the rabbit hole of sin! We are exempt from being pulled away from God.

This is a message for today! The day you hear his voice harden not your heart! Its actually 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. We know this did not end well for the children of Israel. They spent 40 years in the wilderness! In Gods anger they were unable to enter to the place of rest.

Look when you see the message Bible you read it this way:

So watch your step, friends. Make sure there’s no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it’s still God’s Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn’t slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we’re in this with Christ for the long haul. (Heb 3:12–14).

The challenge today is will be take heed. Will we consider our own vulnerability ? The Bible reminds us 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (Ge 4:7).

The Roman writer says 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, ..... 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, ...... 11 For God shows no partiality. (Ro 2:6–11).

First we must practice the Art of Listening to God

The Hebrew writer establishes that Christ is superior. He said that Jesus was counted more worthy than Moses. He uses the Moses comparison because the Moses was important to the Children of Israel. Moses was the leader that God assigned to lead them out of Egypt. Moses had a special relationship with God. The Lord gave Moses the Law to share with his people. Yet with that Moses did he was not superior to Christ. Why is that important? Because we must recognize Christ is preeminent. He is the builder of the house so he deserves the God. If we see Christ in his rightful position we should be more prone to listen to Him!

God speaks through his written word. God speaks through our prayers and God speaks through his preached word. Are we listening tho?

As of Aug 27 Chicago had 442 murders this year and South Shore leads the count with 30 this year. Even though its a drop over last year that still a lot.

I am sure a great number of the murder victims and great deal of the murders have not listened to God. The are those who have hardened their hurts in rebellion.

The question remains have we amplified the message of Christ? We are to share a message of hope, healing, peace, love, perseverance and forgiveness.

We must continue to listen to God while it is TODAY. Tomorrow is not promised. You remember what the James writer said, 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” (Jas 4:14–15).

Secondly we need a heart check

The Children of Israel provoked God because of what? The always go astray in their heart. Its in Psalm 95 we learn

7 For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

Today, if you hear his voice,

8  do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

9  when your fathers put me to the test

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

10  For forty years I loathed that generation

and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,

and they have not known my ways.” (Ps 95:7–10).

The Hebrew writer quote the Psalmist because this is not a new thing. The people go astray because of their hearts. Sin includes a failure to do what is right. But sin also offends people; it is violence and lovelessness toward other people, and ultimately, rebellion against God. Further, the Bible teaches that sin involves a condition in which the heart is corrupted and inclined toward evil.

The problem of sin is in man's thinking, which is why God says the problem is in the heart—in the mind. Humans are limited to thinking what is in their minds. If we have God's Word in our minds—along with the Holy Spirit—then there is a good chance that our minds will begin to change, to become circumcised, as it were—to be purified, to become holy as God is holy. God says, "My thoughts are higher than yours, better than yours—greater than the east is from the west." Yet, we have to take steps in that direction to begin thinking as He does.

A person who is not holy will not see God because they will not think as He does. Along the same lines, He will not recognize Himself in any of them! So, until the heart is changed, nothing will change. The change begins by taking in the Word of God on a daily basis and applying it in our lives. The Ephesian writer says 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:20–24).

Finally we must hold on to what we begun

14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. (Heb 3:14).

We cant give up! We must stick to it. 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. (1 Co 15:2).

For if we have come to share in Christ we must keep our grip on our sure thing.

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.

......When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; In Him, my righteousness, alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.