The Function of Faith – Hebrews 3:1-19 – Bible study

The Function of Faith

Hebrews 3:1-19

by Cooper P Abrams III

INTRODUCTION:&nbsp&nbsp The book of Hebrews is addressed to the Jewish Christians who had received Jesus as their Savior the Messiah. They looked for Him to return to earth soon and set up the promised Kingdom to Israel. They looked forward to that day and of being a part of seeing peace on Earth and God honored.

They understood, even as we do today 2000 years later, that God has always presented Jesus as possibly returning at any moment. Note the following passages that emphasize the imminent return of the Lord.

“Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh” (James 5:8).

“Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5).

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee” (Revelation 3:3).

The effect that has on the believer is that he seeks to live a godly life… and be ready at any time to meet the Lord.

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

I. God’s purpose for us is to be faithful. Our example is the Lord Jesus Christ and Moses. Heb. 3:1-6

A. We are partakes of the heavenly calling. In understanding that calling we should consider our Apostle and High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. The word denotes the role of an “apostle” as being an ambassador of the Good News which is the Gospel.

C. As our High Priest Christ is our mediator between us and God the Father. It was the High Priest who once a year on the Day of Atonement went into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled blood on the Mercy Seat on the top of the Arch of the Covenant. This was a symbolic act with fore pictured Christ’s shedding His blood for our sins.

1. The believer then is to consider what great sacrifice Jesus made for us and of His continuing ministry to us in mediating between us and God the Father. When God looks on the believer He does not see the sinner we are…but the spotless child of God that we are by Jesus Christ. God see us through what Jesus has made us…

2. Further as our High Priest Jesus offers our prayers to the Lord.

3. Because Jesus is our High Priest and we are forgiven and made spotless before God….We can boldly enter the Holy of Holies….into the very presence of God the Father:

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20).

D. Verse 2, tells us of Jesus’ faithfulness to the Father whose will He accomplished on the Cross.

1. Moses also was faithful in all his house. “His house” refers to all that was in his charge. He was faithful in all that God gave him and in all the opportunities that God provided.

2. Moses is used as an example because he was seen at the one God used to lead them out of the Egyptian bondage unto freedom and formed them as a nation. Abraham is Israel founding father as a people and Moses is the founder of them as a nation.

3. Jesus is presented to the Jews as being much greater than Moses. (Heb. 3:3) The point is that it was Jesus the Messiah, the Christ who actually built the house of Israel. He was its true founder and Savior. Thus to Him should go the honor and glory.

4. Verse 4 says that it was God….that built the House. This is a verse that is evidence of the Trinity. Verse 1 clearly refers to Jesus Christ, and verse 3 says He, Jesus is worthy of the honor…and verse 4 says that Jesus is God.

E. Moses therefore being a faithful servant of God, as God’s servant was and is a testimony of the things that came after him. Therefore Moses was used to God, because he was faithful to the Lord, and prefigured the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ which as God’s plan.

1. Verse 6, states that Christ is a son over believers His house…meaning believers today.

2. Like always God qualified the statement of salvation. He qualifies it in say the professor of Jesus Christ is truly saved….IF we hold fast the confidence….meaning faith….exercising our trust in God’s promise of salvation unto the end of our lives.

Jesus said in John 10 that His sheep hear His voice and will not follow another. The true child of God will continue in the faith because He as been changed by God and is a new creation as 2 Cor. 5: states. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

II. The Tragedy of Unbelief. Hebrews 3:7-19.

A. Note that verses 7-11 are in a parenthesis. It is a parenthetical statement make to help clarify or explain what is to follow.
This section begins with “wherefore.” This word means that what is about to be said is to explain or is inferential to the previous verses.

B. This parenthetical statement is quote of Psalm 9:7-11.

1. Note that the writer of Hebrews states this is what the Holy Ghost has said. It confirms 2 Peter 1:21 which states:

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).

2. This parenthetical, verse 7-11, is quoting Psalm 95 was a song…which was chanted or sung in the worship of God. It was then and today a invitation to compel believers to live for and obey the Lord.

C. Believers are beckoned to:

1. Harden not one’s heart as when Israel provoked God in the wilderness. In other words be sensitive to the leading and admonishment of the Lord. Believers can turn a deaf ear to God’s urging and instruction in their lives. This message this morning is God’s very word to those who are here. It is for all who are members of this church…but some are not here and if not providentially hindered are turning a cold shoulder to the Lord and their worship of our Savior and God. It shows a lack of being thankful for what God has done for us. The major purpose of worship to so our thanksgiving to the Lord.2. In Verse 8-9 God says He was grieved with that generation. They fully knowing who God is tempted Him.They doubted God in spite of His miracles He did before them. The tempted God to prove Himself to them…not believing in Him. For forty years they put God’s patience to the test.

3. God for forty years took care of them. He fed them in the desert, gave them water, even miraculously caused their clothes and shoes not to wear out. Every time they put on their shoes they were reminded of God love and presence. But they erred in their hearts.

4. Verse 11 says that God sware in His wrath that they would not enter His rest. Their rejection of God’s love was the cause. It is certainly no injustice on God’s part that He will not bless those that refuse to allow Him to help and guide them. God refused to allow them to enter the promised land and they all died in the desert except Joshua and Caleb and those who were children at Kadesh, when Israel refused to enter Canaan.

D. Verse 12 is an admonishment to the Jews of the First Century and in application to you and I today.

1. Take heed that we do not have and evil heart that does not believe God. This is firm and straight forward statement. Unbelief is evil. And the result of unbelief in not obeying God and in fact departing from God. Like Israel in the wilderness God cannot bless those who will not believe and follow Him.

2. We are told to exhort…daily….which means to incite by argument or advice and urge strongly an acceptance of truth. If further means to give warnings or advice : make urgent appeals. We are to constantly remind each other of the consequences of unbelief. (Verse 13)

3. The appeal is to daily, urge each other not to harden our hearts by letting sin deceive us. (Verses 14-15)

4. The reason is that is proves our salvation and our faith if we remain steadfast in our actions to the end. It does not mean that works saved or keeps us saved. It means that if our faith is real, then we are shown or proven to have biblical faith.

III. The Appeal of God’s is for our immediate action. Heb. 3:15-19

A. Note that in verse 7, 13, 15 God uses the word “to day.”

B. Some professed outwardly that they would hear God’s voice and obey Him. In others God is saying “Since ye hear the same warning which was addressed to the children of Israel, do not, like them, harden your hearts against it.”

1. In verse 16-18 God asks several questions. Instead of regarding the warning of God, the Jews disobeyed God, and provoked his displeasure. Verse 16 is presented as a question: “Who was it that, when they heard, did provoke God? Was it not all that came out of Egypt by Moses?”

2. Verse 17 Asked move questions. “Who was it who God grieved with for forty years?” ” Was it not those who sinned in unbelief and who died in the wilderness?”

3. Verse 18, “To whom did he sware that He would not let them enter into the Promised Land?”

4. God then answers these question with a question saying…”Was it not them that believed not.”

C. The Children of Israel made a conscious decision at Kadesh to not believe God. (Verse 19) It was not a decision based on their ignorance of who God was and of what He had promised.

1. When they prayed to God, He sent Moses to lead them out of Egypt.

2. When Pharaoh refused to let them go God demonstrated His power and sent plagues.

3. When Pharaoh, with his army came after them, with the red sea cutting off their escape, God opened the waters and they walked across on dry land.

4. God brought them to Mount Sinai and gave them the Law by Moses. Over and over again God did miracles to protect and care for them. But in spite of all this they refused to believe Him and obey Him in giving them the Promised Land of Canaan.

5. God was offering them a land of their own. A land of milk and honey. It is called in these passages “My rest.” They had been slaves in Egypt and God promised to give them this great blessing.

Conclusion:

1. God’s wonderful promises were rejected and thus was the promised blessings of Almighty God. Can we not see the lesson here? They would not believe God and follow Him and they not only lost the blesses of God, but also lost even their very lives in unbelief.

2. The question for us is this: Do we truly believe God?

3. Hebrews 4:1-3 says we should fear…that means be alarmed and warned about unbelief. God says we should believe God lest we should not enter His rest and come short of it.

4. God has high expectations for us and great reward. So many think that being a casual Christian is okay and acceptable behavior. It is like some think God is not noticing what they are doing.

5. Verse 5 says we have heard God’s truth…the gospel…the same as Israel did. But the word of God which they heard did not profit them because they would not believe it and let it guide their lives and actions. They did not hear God’s word in faith.

6. Here is a promise of God to us…. We who have believed do….not may or can….but do enter into God’s rest.

Note says this promise was made and finished before the foundations of the world was laid. This means it is assured and a promise made by God and assured by His character as a loving and caring God.

Verse 9 says “There remains a rest to the people of God. And verse 11 exhorts us and warns us Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:11)

Verse 12 commends us to what we are to believe and act upon….the very word of God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”(Hebrews 4:12)

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