Hebrews 3:12-14: The Warning Issued

Driving home: Though the scripture tells us that many begin and do not finish, the scriptures also tell us that all who truly begin shall finish. But telling us that they shall finish does not negate the fact that they must finish.

Examples of 'multitudes of disciples' in John 6 and Demas in 2 Timothy 4:10 are used to show people who began the Christian race but did not finish.

The Word of God is full of examples of people who apparently began the Christian race and even for a time seemed to set the pace for others, but they never made it to the finish line. We read in John 6 of multitudes of disciples who went back and walked with Christ no more. We read again in the Word of God of a man named Demas concerning whom Paul had to speak, saying, Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present age. Yet the same scriptures that record

0:22 - 1:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The epistle was written to Hebrew Christians tempted to revert to Old Covenant worship due to persecution. Its purpose was to encourage perseverance by demonstrating Christ's…

The book of Corinthians is contrasted with Hebrews and Romans, suggesting Paul had a 'three by five card' for Corinthians, implying a less structured, more problem-driven approach, to highlight the tightly reasoned nature of Hebrews.

The book of Corinthians is not that way. Apparently the Apostle Paul had a three by five card with a few suggestive thoughts as to certain problems he ought to address himself to. And he'd say, now concerning this one, and he'd check one off, and when he was done, now concerning this one, he'd check it off. But not the book of Hebrews, nor the book of Romans.

5:05 - 5:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that this warning applies to every particular visible saint, including yourself.

The saying 'Everybody's job is nobody's job' and the example of assigning yard cleaning to children is used to explain why the warning is directed to 'any one of you' rather than just 'brethren' generally.

people of Israel. It comes to all the brethren. Take heed, brethren, lest happily there shall be in any one of you. We have a little saying. Everybody's job is nobody's job. What do we

15:15 - 15:29 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The nature of this warning is a command to constant, conscious, mental, and spiritual watchfulness. And any lesser understanding of the word will not do justice to that word which the Holy Ghost has given to us.

The story of the man in the iron cage from Pilgrim's Progress is recounted to illustrate the tragic consequences of ceasing to watch and the subtle onset of spiritual declension.

As I was preparing, my mind turned again to the immortal Pilgrim's Progress, and I thought of that sad, doleful, frightening character described in the House of the Interpreter as the man in the iron cage. Do you remember the incident? The poor Christian could not understand this doleful scene, and he enters into conversation with this man whose eyes are cast down, who's in this iron cage, and he says, What art thou? And the man answers, I am now what I once was not.

21:11 - 21:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The intermediate evil leading to apostasy is 'an evil heart of unbelief,' a refusal to believe God's attested revelation. Martin illustrates how unbelief was the root of Adam and…

The analogy of a man who dreads cancer but smokes three packs a day is used to illustrate the insincerity of professing to dread apostasy while not avoiding the 'evil heart of unbelief' that leads to it.

Oh, my dear people, if we would avoid apostasy and the word itself should fill us with holy horror, we must avoid apostasy. The first actings of the wicked heart of unbelief. Let me illustrate. Do I meet a man who's all the time reading the latest medical journals on the ravages of that dread disease, cancer?

36:39 - 37:07 Read in full sermon