2005-05-15 Communion Dedication - Baldwin Christian Church

Hebrews 3

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house.

3 For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

4 For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is] God.

5 And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in [their] heart; and they have not known my ways.

11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

12 Take heed, 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 To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

In the end, it won't matter much what other people have said about us; that is, their words don't matter a hill of beans compared what it would matter if the LORD were to say of us, "They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways."

We are tempted. We do provoke God. Even after seeing His mighty works, we still find ways to let the temptations win. It happens. The world seduces us. Our own covetousness rears it's ugly green head. We go through suffering, and we blame God for it. It happens, but do we allow it to harden our hearts? Do we lose the confidence in our relationship with God because of the deceitfulness of sin?

This is why I need the church, but it's not this building that I need. It's hard to hold on to hope unless there are others to help me; others who share the same invitation, the same trials, the same hope. Standing beside each other, every day, exhorting one another to repentance and good works, not just slapping each other on the back. But, some days we do need to encourage each other to simply 'hang in there'.

God's chosen people were kept marching around in the wilderness, and could not enter into the promised land because of their unbelief. They allowed their hearts to harden toward God. As a result, they were miserable, and all but a remnant of that generation died on the other side of Jordan.

For us, the promised land isn't necessarily the place we go when we die. In that promised land there will be no enemies, no giants to face, no fear, and no war. God's will is done in heaven. For us, in the life we have now, this very day, the promised land is communion with the Lord Jesus Christ; allowing His Spirit to abide in us.

And there's no doubt about it. When we enter into a relationship with Him, we face powerful enemies, and sometimes they will make us feel like little helpless grasshoppers, but fear is a heart-hardener. We can't enter into that place where God will use us to fight His battles, unless we believe. We can't enter in to that place of rest, that comfort of His Spirit, that place of peace that passes all understanding, unless we believe, and it takes work to believe. Don't think so? Think a public 'profession of faith' is the moment when you're 'saved'? Look at verse 6. We are of the house of Christ if we (There's that pesky little word that puts conditions on it.):

1.) Hold fast, or keep secure possession of (1 Corinthians 15:2) confidence in speaking openly, plainly and freely to others about hope in Jesus.

2.) Hold firm, or faithfully, until the end.

And so we'll not miss the point, look also at verse 14. We are made partakers of Christ (We have a part in Him, not just being of His house.), if we, "Hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end." The only thing that changed from the wording of verse 6 is what we cling to. In verse 6, we hold firm unto the end our witness to the world. In verse 14, we find how to accomplish that. I think the "beginning of our confidence" is the Holy Spirit.

We mess up. We provoke God. We live and we learn, but we must never let go of Him, lest He say about us, "They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

Let's help each other cling to Him, and Lord, help our unbelief.