Hebrews 3:12-14: The Promise Given

Driving home: Apostasy, or falling away from the profession and apparent possession of Jesus Christ, is a sobering reality. It is not a phantom. Apostasy is an ugly... is an ugly... sobering reality.

Martin shares that apostasy has been a sad reality even in their own church, making the biblical warning personal and immediate.

Both in the record of Holy Scripture, Old and New Testaments, and in the subsequent history of the Church of Christ, and I may make it even more personal, it has been the sad reality in the history of this Church.

2:17 - 2:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is whole, fast, confident persuasion that Christ is all and I am nothing.

Relinquishing a firm grasp on Christ is like cutting the string that holds pearls together; all graces fall to the ground, illustrating the interconnectedness of faith and other Christian virtues.

You see, it is that confident persuasion of the greatness and the glory of Christ that was the spring of all your love, your zeal, your faith, your prayer. And what is true at the beginning is true and it's in the maintenance of the grace of that simple confidence in Jesus Christ that is the spring of all your graces on the first day of your Christian life till the day that you enter glory. And never apostatize until He begins to relinquish a firm grasp upon that. And when He does, it's like cutting the string that holds the pearls together.

20:31 - 21:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin meticulously explains 'partakers of Christ' as a unique description of a Christian's intimate union with Christ and 'hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the…

Trying to deal with the 'fruits' of waning zeal and prayer without addressing the 'roots' of relinquished confidence in Christ is like a self-help scheme that only gets 'mud in your face and up your nostrils,' emphasizing the futility of works without faith.

You see these fruits of relinquishing the firm persuasion and you start dealing with fruits instead of roots. And you start trying to patch yourself up and work on your zeal and work on your prayer and work on this and work on that. And you just involve yourself in the muck and the mire of a self-help scheme that does nothing. It'll get mud in your face and up your nostrils.

21:35 - 22:00 Read in full sermon

The point: The acid test is, do you hear him and do you follow him?

An 'old goat' can put on a sign saying 'I'm a sheep of Jesus' and bleat, but the acid test is whether he hears and follows Christ, illustrating that profession without continuance is meaningless.

And the old goat can go out and create a sign, get some nice bright day glow, spray paint,

34:20 - 34:26 Read in full sermon

The point: The acid test is, do you hear him and do you follow him?

The church doesn't make much noise when someone first professes faith, but rejoices more when they endure 'encounters with Apollyon' and other struggles, still setting their face toward the celestial city, showing that perseverance is the true evidence of conversion.

And this text gives us a clear description. You see, and I speak because we have so many young Christians here, listen carefully, all the noble beginnings mean nothing unless they issue in continuance. That's why we don't make a lot of noise around here when someone steps into the way by profession. We make a lot more noise when he's come to a few encounters with Apollyon and with Mr.

35:02 - 35:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not think you are beyond the warnings or exempt from the directions in God's Word, as this is the first indication of potential apostasy.

A man who says he wants a wife but doesn't cultivate relationships at a deep enough level is not truly committed to that end, illustrating that indifference to means reveals a lack of true desire for the end.

Now, if you say your heart is set on a given end, the proof is that you'll use every means to attain that end. Some of you guys say, boy, I sure want me a wife. I don't believe you. You don't get close enough to any girl around here to ever even have to worry about the thing issuing in marriage.

43:38 - 43:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage in personal watchfulness: be afraid of anything that clouds the reality of simple confidence in Christ, His Word, Heaven, Hell, and the blood of the everlasting covenant.

Someone desiring good health in retirement but living an unhealthy lifestyle is not truly committed to that end, further illustrating that a professed desire for an end must be matched by the use of legitimate means.

Here's a person that tells me I've got my heart set on good health. By the time I come to retirement, I want to be robust and healthy. You sit around all great, drinking six cans of beer and watching TV, doesn't exercise, no concern for diet. I say, no, you don't have your heart set on good health in your waning years.

44:30 - 44:48 Read in full sermon