“Exhort One Another Daily”

Exhortation from a Pastor’s Story of Sin and Accountability

All right, well good morning again. My sermon today is titled exhort one another daily and It focuses on Hebrews 3 12 through 15. Recently, I listened to a podcast that had Paul trip as a guest. And he told a story of when he was a young pastor.

I Guess early on in his ministry. He had a real problem with anger and. And his wife would try and tell him about it, but over time he just grew more and more arrogant and In fact one point he says that he told his wife that 95 of the women in his church would love to be married to someone like him.

To which he retorted. I must be in the 5 Well, he ended up during his doctoral program going to a pastor's conference with his brother on pastoral living. And on the way home his brother Ted said to him well, we've learned some things about Pastoral living.

Let's let's start applying them right now. We'll start with you. And he started questioning him and examining him and Paul says that during this the Holy Spirit moved and he was convicted of his sin. He said it was like the Lord was removing curtains of blindness that I had up.

He went home and confessed to his wife. He asked her to Talk to him about what she had been seeing in him. She talked to him for two hours about his sin. And then he said for the next six months was one of the most challenging parts of his Christian walk.

Because the Lord revealed to him how much damage his sin had done. Not just in his family, but in his church and in his ministry and to his friends and family. And now he says. When he stands up to speak, it's as if there's a hundred people standing behind him and he says their handprints are all over me.

He said my walk with God is a community project. Paul's story highlights a few things that we need to be aware of as Christians. We can be blind to our own sin. We need each other. We need encouragement.

We need rebuke. We need exhortation. We need to be in relationship and community and the primary way is through the local church. Our walk with God is a community project. Our text today will touch on many of these things.

So let's read Hebrews 3 12 through 15. Beware brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God. But exhort one another daily while it is called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. While it is said Today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.

The Book of Hebrews, Its Audience, and Its Major Themes

So let's zoom out for a minute. Take a quick look at the book of Hebrews. What is the book of Hebrews all about? Well, we don't know its author. Some have believed Paul in the past although it's unlikely some Luke some Apollo.

Ultimately, it really doesn't matter. We have a lot of clues about who it's written to however, which is most likely Jewish Christians facing or beginning to face persecution and They're being tempted to compromise their faith or to outright abandon their faith because of this persecution.

The time frame is likely between 60 and 70 AD and many commentators believe that because. With the themes in Hebrews of the sacrificial system and the temple. It's unlikely that if it was after 70 AD that the writer wouldn't have mentioned the destruction of the temple in 70 AD so most think it was 60 and 70 AD and some believe that it could have been Christians in Rome at the time because we know during that decade that Christian persecution was increasing and.

The topics covered in Hebrews include the superiority of Christ and we'll look at that. Persevering in the Christian life the new covenant glory in comparison to the old. The essence and essentialness of faith.

We have chapter 11 the Hall of Faith and Then a number of exhortations and warnings as we will see now if we zoom in a little further to chapter 3. Chapter 3 starts with a comparison of Jesus to Moses in relation to faithfulness to God.

One commentator says of this section. And this is the first six verses in the span of two chapters. The author of Hebrews has demonstrated from the pages of the Old Testament that Jesus is superior to angels.

Someone among the Hebrews who received the epistle might ask whether Jesus is greater than Moses. The Jews thought that no one was greater than Moses for he gave the people of Israel two tablets of stone on which God had.

Written the law.

Jesus is said to be counted worthy of more glory as the builder of the house has more glory than the house. It then talks of how God builds all things implying that God builds all things through Jesus.

The author then calls Moses a servant, but Jesus a son again showing the greatness of Jesus. And finally, it says that we are Jesus's house if we hold fast to our confession of him. The chapter continues with the author quoting from Psalm 95 which ultimately is a psalm of worship as we saw from our Responsive reading.

The first half of the psalm extols the Lord and praise. Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving. Oh come let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker for he is our God.

And then the psalm takes a turn and Talks about the wilderness generation of Israel that came out of Egypt. God speaks of how they went astray in their hearts and that he was grieved by them. Ultimately, he swore they will not enter his rest.

This is the part that is quoted in Hebrews 3 and a part of it in Hebrews 4. Matthew Henry speaks concerning the second half. This was in the wilderness where they could not help themselves but lay at God's mercy and where God wonderfully helped them and gave them such sensible proofs of his power and Tokens of his favor as never any people had before or since.

Days of temptation are days of provocation. Nothing is more offensive to God than disbelief of his promise and despair of the performance of it. Because of some difficulties that seem to lie in the way.

The more experience we have of the power and goodness of God the greater is our sin if we distrust him. What to tempt him in the wilderness where we live upon him? This is as ungrateful as it is absurd and unreasonable.

Hardness of heart is at the bottom of all our distrusts of God and quarrels with him. That is a hard heart which receives not the impressions of design divine discoveries and Conforms not to the intentions of the divine will which will not melt which will not bend.

These verses start with therefore as the Holy Spirit says as. An aside, this is a great verse to argue for divine inspiration of Scripture. We here have Scripture declaring that the psalm was written by the Holy Spirit.

Just saying. The therefore is pointing back at the last section about the supremacy of Christ's and the need to persevere. We then have the quote from Psalm 95, but it's not introduced. Ultimately the explanation of what we are to take from these verses is in verse 12 through 15, which is our text today.

So let's look at that. Verse 12 says beware brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God. If you have your Bibles follow along with me in these verses.

The author starts with beware brethren. Which is in relation to what he just wrote the example of Israel's rebellion in the wilderness. The verses from Psalm 95 act as a summary of the wilderness wanderings.

They tested the Lord by not trusting him to provide things like water and food and shelter. The constant refrain from Israel was did God lead us into the wilderness to kill us without with starvation with thirst at the hands of the Canaanites.

Yet what we see is he sent manna from heaven and when they complained about that he sent the meat. He provided water multiple times from a rock. He led them by day in a pillar of cloud and provided light at night by a pillar of fire.

Ultimately it led God to swear that they will not enter his rest In the promised land. The author is saying don't harden your hearts like Israel and depart from God. The wilderness generation as Matthew Henry pointed out had more witness about God's goodness greatness and provision Than any other and still hardened their hearts.

So be careful that you don't do the same. The unbelieving heart is here called evil and is something all Christians should take very seriously. The logic is Hardening our hearts leads to disobedience.

Which leads to unbelief which if not repented of will ultimately lead to apostasy. Now verse 12 presents us reformed folks with a couple of challenges which for the new believers among us. I think we should address.

Do our works play a part in our salvation. Verse 6 says hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end in Verse 12. We have this beware brethren. He is telling us to take care of something.

Can we lose our salvation? At first glance it appears. The answer is yes. These are questions that people have asked of this verse. It would appear that we need to do something in order to ensure we become saved and stay saved.

Let us look at other verses from Hebrews. These challenges are all over this particular book. 411 says let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest. Let's anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience in Chapter 6.

4 through 6 it says for it isn't possible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit and Have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come if they fall away to renew them again to repentance since they crucify again for themselves a son of God and put him to an open shame in 11 and 12 of that same chapter says.

And we desire that each of you show the same Diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end that you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises and.

Then finally in chapter 10 It says. For if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth. There no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. But a certain fearful expectation of judgment and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

So what are we to think at first glance? It appears that the author of Hebrews is making an argument against the perseverance of the Saints. Which is the pea and tulip and maybe taking a shot at irresistible grace.

Our Calvin's five points in jeopardy here. No, of course not. We are all strong reformed folks here. So let's jump to verse 14 and resolve this dilemma. Often for verse verses like this if we stop at the problem verse we get ourselves into trouble.

But if we keep reading the problem resolves itself. If we go to verse 14 and look at it closely for we have become partakers of Christ if We hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. So the verse starts with four.

Meaning that we're about to get the punchline from verses 12 and 13, which is all one sentence. Verse 14 is then a conditional clause and in my notes I capitalize the word if because it is very important and.

Then additionally if you look at the tense of the verb become this is very critical. It is past tense and this is clear in the Greek. It is a past tense verb. Meaning if the condition is satisfied, then the result is already achieved.

You could rewrite the verse as. For partakers of Christ are those who hold the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end. This same situation exists in verse 6, but Christ as a son over his own house whose house we are right, so if we are Christ's house, that means we're Christians right.

Christ doesn't dwell with unbelievers if We hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end. Finally to summarize that point and make sure I'm crystal clear. Those who are saved are those who persevere until the end and we persevere because we are saved.

A Wise brother said so salvation is not the reward you earn after a life of rugged perseverance. But rather a gift of God's grace that shows itself To have been received in the life of one who perseveres as a result of that grace.

Let me say that one more time. So salvation is not the reward you receive after a life of rugged perseverance. But rather a gift. Salvation is the gift of God's grace. That shows itself to have been received in the life of one who perseveres as a result of that grace.

Now sometimes people look at this and they make the opposite argument, all right, so James Boyce addresses that. Some people talk as though it is not necessary for a Christian to persevere in this Hope on the grounds that since God perseveres with us our perseverance is unnecessary.

We are saved and we will be saved regardless of what we do. This is not taught in the Bible. It is true that God perseveres. It is true that once he has begun a good work in us He will keep on performing it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1 6. But simply because he perseveres we too will persevere. Those who are saved will persevere and we persevere because we are saved. And if you look at each verse in Hebrews that I reviewed earlier that at first glance appears to present a problem.

They can be all resolved in similar ways. So hopefully my reformed credentials remain intact as I can see Tony was getting nervous there for a moment. Now, let's go to verse 13. Now let's move. I'm sorry.

I just stepped on that. But exhort one another daily while it is called today. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. I Skip this verse because I want to camp out on it for a while.

This is ultimately how we hold our confidence steadfast to the end. So we can ask the question What causes an evil heart of unbelief in verse 12? The answer is sin. And this sin can deceive us. Wayne Mack tells a story to illustrate the deceitfulness of sin.

In 1902 a Volcano, excuse me a volcano on the island of Martinique began to concern the residents of st. Pierre. The volcano was heating up in an election year and the governor of Martinique was concerned that worry over the volcano could cost his party the election.

He went to work minimizing the danger of the volcano limiting coverage. Limiting people sending telegrams about it and even visiting the city of st Pierre a few days before the election to reassure everyone that everything was safe.

Unfortunately, the volcano erupted the day after he arrived and killed him and 30 ,000 people in two minutes. Wayne says of this story Satan the world and our own flesh. Often downplay the seriousness of sin in the same way that the governor tried to downplace the seriousness of the volcano.

Let us not fool ourselves. Sin is our enemy and it wants to destroy us. Mark Jones and the pilgrims regress says. Living by faith keeps us from being hardened by sins deceitfulness. Sin deceives us though that when we begin to slide from God.

We are sometimes betrayed into thinking that we are not slipping. The Laodiceans were deceived about their spiritual state. Stephen Sharnock wisely stated that nothing is so natural as heart deceit and presumptuous confidence.

Self-flattery is one of the strongest branches which grows upon the pride of nature. How vain is it to fancy to yourselves a fitness for heaven? Well, there are only preparations for hell in many of you I know are familiar with John Owens famous saying be killing sin or it will be killing you.

Sin deceives us and as we submit to it. Then we are hardened and then we can return. Then it can return us to verse 12 where the hardening of our heart Leads to a heart of unbelief and we fall away. The sin of unbelief is what caused Adam and Eve to fall.

It is what caused the Israelites to die in the wilderness as we saw. It is what Jesus rebukes the disciples for after his resurrection. And if we continue in it, then it will lead us away from God as well.

Exhorting One Another as the Remedy for Sin’s Deceitfulness

So, how do we avoid this. In this section the author of Hebrews ultimately gives us two things to help us. Richard Phillips says. Surely Israel's example alone is enough to alarm us with regard to the matter of unbelief.

It is with this in mind that with perhaps a new earnestness and sense of urgency We turn to the remedy for unbelief contained in this passage. This remedy comes in the form of two exhortations one that relates to ourselves and one that relates to others.

First the writer warns beware brethren a command that is rightly taken as watch out and. To this he adds exhort one another daily. First we must take the warning for ourselves and take it seriously. Beware brethren.

Examine yourself often. Make a serious search for sin in your life. Use the scriptures as your aid as it is a two-edged sword and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We ought often to pray Lord reveal to me my sin and give me the grace to overcome it.

Each of us that names the name of Christ has a Responsibility to take sin seriously in ourselves and root it out wherever we find it. But once again, we have to remember that sin is deceitful. So, although we should always be examining ourselves there's going to be times when we cannot see our sin.

Remember Paul Tripp story. So we need to consider the second remedy contained in this passage. Calvin says as by nature we are prone to fall into evil. We have need of various helps to help us in the fear of God.

Unless our faith is repeatedly encouraged it lies dormant. Unless it is warmed it grows cold. Unless it is aroused it gets numb. The writer of Hebrews therefore wishes them to stimulate one another by mutual encouragement.

So that Satan will not steal into their hearts and by his falsehoods lead them away from God. So we must exhort one another. One commentator mentions the Greek word for exhort is para kaleo. The prefix para means to come alongside and the verb kaleo means to call out.

The picture then is that we are to come alongside one another daily exhorting one another in the practice of the Christian faith. Additionally it says Exhort one another daily while it is called today, which basically means this should be what we do every day until Christ returns.

I Decided to look through the book of Hebrews and see what the author of Hebrews Exhorts his audience to in order to draw application for us in many ways the primary theme of Hebrews is perseverance and so he will exhort us to Meditate on Christ.

The whole book talks about how Jesus is superior superior to the prophets. God who at various times and in various ways spoken time paths to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us.

By his son.

Superior to angels. Let all the angels of God worship him superior to Moses. For this one has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses. Superior to the Levitical priesthood for the law appoints as high priest men who have weakness.

But the word of the oath which came after the law appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. He instituted a superior covenant for if that first covenant had been false list faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second and Then he is a superior sacrifice.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many to those who eagerly wait for him He will appear a second time apart from sin for salvation. Again, the author is exhorting his readers to look at Christ.

Why?

The more we look at Christ and what he did for us the more we love him. The more we look to Christ the more we hate sin. The more we look to Christ the more we desire righteousness. And. The more we look to Christ the more we long to be with him and daydream of eternity.

So, how do we do this? How do we exhort one another to look to Christ? Well, there are many ways we can do this. We can study the scriptures together. Peter and I have actually been studying Hebrews on Tuesday mornings, right?

Let's just get in the scriptures together go through a book together. The ladies Bible study went through the Lord of Psalm 23 where they spent the whole time looking at their their Lord. We do this every Sunday with communion where our elders remind us of another aspect of our Savior's sacrifice for us.

But the point is we need to be intentional. We need to be regularly meditating on our Lord and encouraging one another to do it. Christ should often be on the lips of his people. But just saying it sometimes doesn't actually cause that to happen.

So we should be thinking to ourselves. How do I do this in my life? How do I make sure my family is doing this? We are to exhort one another to give earnest heed. In Hebrews 2 1 it says therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away.

Let me ask you how do you prepare for the sermon? Do you ever review the topic with your family beforehand now this this week? I didn't send out my topic for which I beg your forgiveness. But normally we know what Ross is preaching on.

Now how do we prepare for that how do we get ourselves ready to receive what the Lord would have us to hear and. Then afterwards, how do we digest the sermon? I? Have heard that some people take notes and then they pray through those notes the next day.

Some people discuss the sermon in fellowship or have people over for hospitality and talk about the sermon which are wonderful things. Some review it in family worship later in the week. But are we doing something to be purposeful in taking heed to what we've learned?

How do we put the things we have heard in a practice? Do you ever take a point of conviction and consider how you might put it into action? Whether it's from reading a book or hearing a sermon on the radio or whatever.

How do we honor the responsibility of knowledge that God has given you as We've often said we have more Bibles. We have more sermons. We have more resources and books than any other generation in history.

Which means we have more responsibility to know and walk with God. We are without excuse. So, how are you giving the more earnest heed to the things you hear so you don't drift away. We are to exhort one another in relation to putting all things under him.

For in that he put all in subjection under him. He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. Hebrews 2 8. What does this mean for you? If you have anything in your life that is not put under Christ, it's an idol.

Amen. Do you have someone in your life that asked you about your idols. If they did would you be annoyed? Have you ever given someone permission to examine you in this area? Our elders make this part of their practice.

This is part of their elders meetings is making sure they're in each other's lives making sure they're asking questions about their sin. Because we know the damage an elder can do if he's in sin, right?

They have a responsibility to know what's going on in each other's lives and they are example. So if they're doing it, we should be doing it. I I was thinking about Steve Lawson when I was writing this this part, right?

I would imagine he didn't have this going on very much in his life. All right, very often with these dynamic personalities. Eventually those people who are supposed to be keeping you accountable are really just becoming yes men and you know fawning Fans that don't ever say anything hard to you, right?

And it's it sets somebody like a Steve Lawson up for a big fall because he doesn't have anyone that's pointing at his sin. And then we need to exhort one another in temptations. For in that he himself was suffered being tempted.

He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2 18. So do we have accountability partners? Again Going off of this last one one way to guard against the deceitfulness of sin is to have someone you share Life with that can hold you accountable.

For those who have a spouse your spouse will likely be someone who fills that role. But there should be others too.

Right.

All of our marriages are in different stages and in different places. And so there's sometimes in us in a marriage relationship a certain area that just because of relational baggage. You're not you don't talk about you don't go there.

And Then I think one of the things that might be even more prevalent is One of the wonderful things about the marriage relationship is that over time as you're seeking the Lord you grow in unity. You go unity in all things, right?

I know Melanie and I are more similar today than we've ever been at any other time in our life together because we've lived together for a long time now but sometimes Married people grow in unity in their sin.

And so you could have a couple that has the same sin and they're both blind to it. And so that's why we should make sure that we have others who speak into our lives others. That we allow to come alongside us and say hey, I see this in you all right, so I ask again, have you ever given anyone permission to examine you and to be really honest with what they see and.

This requires great humility. Because you have to take whatever they say without arguing.

Right.

If they're telling you hey, listen, I see a manipulative spirit in you. You know, I I see that you have bitterness towards that person and all you're doing is arguing with them. It'll be the last time that they give you any feedback.

Right, you have to take it. You have to say thank you. Even if you disagree and you got to take it to the Lord and say Lord are they right? And if they're right forgive me and help me we need to exhort one another in faith.

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. But the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith in those who hear it heard it. Hebrews 4 2. How do we encourage one another in faith?

Well, we share our lives together. We have each other over we practice hospitality. This section of Hebrews goes on to talk about our ultimate rest. But when we are fellowshipping when one another it is a heavenly rest on earth.

We must exhort one another in faith through sharing the stories of our lives and how we persevere in faith. Which then acts as a grace to our brethren to help them persevere. Well, geez if if this person can go through what they went through and trust God that I can too.

I always say I learn more about each one of you and grow in faith and love by hearing your stories when we're one-on-one. I'm making nothing away from our fellowship meal, but we need to be practicing hospitality and having each other over one-on-one.

We often say one of the greatest blessings of the church retreat is living together and fellowshipping together for those three days. And I say amen to that to me. It is what I remember most about the church retreats.

We need to exhort one another by the Word of God. For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 4 12. We must exhort each other with the Word of God and all these things. We must bring it to bear for it is not just a weapon against our enemy. But it is a tool brethren can use to help each other.

How do we talk about the scriptures with each other and do we? Our fellowship is filled with talk about life our jobs our kids, but let us always be making time for the Word of God. Let us remember to exhort one another in family worship.

And what I mean by that is doing it in our families and including others when they visit us. I know the testimony of many who have visited families in this church is that they love doing family worship with them.

So let's make it a point to do that. It's a wonderful witness. We need to exhort one another in prayer. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4 16. We must exhort each other in prayer and to pray. Again do you ask each other how our prayer lives have been? It can be an uncomfortable question. Can't it? Oh Yeah, yeah, I prayed for 10 minutes last Saturday.

Right.

Ross's office told us the first thing to go when we are drifting from God is prayer. So we should be asking each other about it. If you make it a point to ask someone weekly about their prayer life and.

For weeks on end they get uncomfortable and try to change the subject. That would be a red flag that something is off with them. We should be exhorting one another to prayer corporately within our families with our spouses and individually.

We can also exhort one another with the promises of God and. We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end. That you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 6 11 and 12. We should exhort each other with the promises of God. When we grow weary in this life, we must look to the promises of God which we know from Hebrews. Are sure God has promised us life.

Goodness daily food and clothing. Wisdom and inheritance. Eternity with him a spiritual family protection strength the words to speak. And I could go on and on if We listed all the promises of scriptures.

Our list would be almost as long as the scriptures. And so do we exhort each other with them? Do we help each other when we're feeling down when we're feeling overwhelmed to remember the promises that God has made to us?

And then we need to exhort each other with church attendance. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some.

But exhorting one another and so much the more as we see the day approaching Hebrews 10 24 and 25. How excuse me? How seriously do you take the gathering of the church? We are all in different places in different seasons and we must be careful not to judge one another unjustly or hypocritically, but Ask yourself do I love the church and by that I mean this church.

This local body as imperfect as we are. We can say amen. I love the Bride of Christ, but I mean do you love grbc and the people who attend her? This is an area where we need to encourage each other. This exhortation comes in Hebrews as the result of our high priest by whose blood we can enter into the presence of God.

The verse after this goes into another warning about falling away because of sin. Our gathering together is one of the primary ways. We make our walk a community project of Paul's trip as Paul trips said.

When we are present at worship it unites our hearts together to love one another as we love our God. When we gather in prayer, we pray for each other and learn how to pray for each other. When we gather in studies together we learn about God together and can exhort each other in the things we are learning.

Even when we gather for a business meeting we work out differences and learn how to give grace to one another. After your spouse and children for those who have them. This body is the greatest means of grace that God gives you.

Do you believe that? Do you live in light of that? Finally, let's exhort each other in times of chastening.

Chastening, Trials, and Remembering That God Deals with Sons

And.

You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons. My son do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him. For whom the Lord loves he chastens and he scourges every son whom he receives Hebrews 12 5 and 6.

The final reason to exhort one another is because we often forget in times of difficulty. When I read this I was surprised that it said and you have forgotten in my mind. I always remember it as and you have not forgotten as if he is telling them something they already know.

But he is reminding them of something they have forgotten in the midst of their trials. We need to be exhorting one another because we often forget in the middle of a trial that God deals with us as with sons.

And chastens us. So we must be faithful to bring this excerpt Exhortation when we see our brethren forgetting it and being tempted to pull away from God in the middle of a trial. Some of you younger Christians will do well to remember this.

Trials will come. It is not an if but a when. I.

Often I.

Often I'm sorry I have often thought that a mark of a mature Christian is how quickly they recover and endure the trial when it comes. Do they get thrown for a loop or does it drive them to seek God? Trust me.