Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz19990425.htm

HEBREWS: REPLACING MAN'S RITUALISM WITH CHRIST
"Part V: Heeding Christ's WORD Above All Human Viewpoints"
(Hebrews 3:7-11, 17; 4:11-13)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

(1) Many Christian psychologists differ with writers like Jay Adams, Martin Bobgan and Dave Hunt on the relation of psychology to Scripture as a guide for believers. The Christian psychologists believe in using psychology along with Scripture where Adams, Bobgan and Hunt resist such counsel and opt for Scripture alone. The latter group argues that godless ideas by Freud, Jung, Rogers and others are foundational to basic presuppositions in Christian psychology, and this makes such science the ologically errant.

Well, should a believer heed the input of Christian psychologists along with the Bible for guidance, or not? WHY?!

(2) Sharon Beach wrote in the April 2-8, '99 issue of the Voice: "To any or all of the Voice religious writers . . . If God created us in His image . . . how can we be imperfect, since God Himself is said to be perfect? If God is a loving God, why would He create us imperfectly, then punish us for being that way? Anybody who can answer these questions to my satisfaction will receive my deepest respect!"

The paper's editor, Alan Trevithick warned of a trap about Sharon's request on page 6, saying: "Anyone who is tempted by Ms. Beach's offer is well-advised to consider the phrase 'to my satisfaction'. How will we know that she is satisfied?"

Well, somebody could just not resist answering Sharon. The next issue (April 9-15, p. 5) sported the alias "Chuck" who wrote: "Hello Sharon: I think I can help you . . . God did create us in His image, we were created perfect, not imperfect, but Adam and Eve sinned thus becoming imperfect . . . "

Josh Wakefield of Canaan reacted in the April 16-22 issue, p. 5 writing: "Please don't listen to . . . stupid comments by Chuck and Trevithick . . . Sinning is a stupid, useless concept best ignored."

In the same issue, a regular religious writer, Bill Dunn threw his hat into the ring, writing, "Hi Sharon. God did not create us perfect . . . If He had then we never would've sinned . . . "

Well, are we to take the input of the most reasonable idea of the VOICE's religious writers to determine if God created us "perfect" or NOT, in what WAY, etc., or not, or check the Bible PLUS these writers' comments for the truth? WHY?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "In view of scientific progress, should we pay heed to man's insight on issues or SUBJECT all thought to the Bible? WHY?!"
  1. When Israel was in the wilderness, a whole generation died for putting man's viewpoint ABOVE God's promise and track record!
    1. Hebrews tells us God disciplined the generation in Israel that wandered in the wilderness because of unbelief, He. 3:7-11, 17; 4:11:
      1. God was angry with the generation of Israel that erred in the wilderness, and so judged them to die in that desert, He. 3:7-11, 17.
      2. The sin that led to this judgment was unbelief, Hebrews 4:11.
    2. If we view Israel's wanderings, we see this unbelief was a dependence upon human viewpoint above trusting God's Word and character:
      1. God had told Moses to take Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land based upon His promise to Abraham, Ex. 3:7-8; Ex. 2:24-25
      2. Yet, Israel ten times (Num. 14:22) doubted (a) this promise of arriving in the land and (b) God's character seen in His track record choosing rather to depend on man's views instead (as follows):
        1. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to escape death from Pharaoh's chariots as the nation was all on foot. Thus, the people feared death regardless of God's pr omise to Abraham and His having miraculously freed them from Pharaoh to indicate He was willing and able to rescue them again, Ex. 14:11-12.
        2. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to meet her thirst needs while facing bitter tasting water, Ex. 15:23-24. The people feared death regardless of God's promise to Abraham and His having rescued them via a miracle involving the Red Sea waters!
        3. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to live in the wilderness without any natural provision for food, Ex. 16:2. She feared starvation regardless of God's promise to Abraham and of His already indicating His will to save by deliverance from Pharaoh!
        4. Israel thought it was foolish to expect manna to come the next day as the wilderness was barren, Ex. 16:19-20. She feared death regardless of God's promise to Abraham and the fact that God had provided manna the first day!
        5. Israel thought it was foolish to expect her Friday manna to be preserved until the Sabbath as it had spoiled the next day for the other days of the week, Ex. 16:27-28. The people did not depend on God's promise to Abraham and God's miracles so far!
        6. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to live where there was no water, Ex. 17:1-3. Though God had changed bitter water to pure and moved the Red Sea, she didn't trust His promise to Abraham and this proven divine help so far!
        7. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to be led any more by Moses in Ex. 32:1-7. She didn't consider God's promise to Abraham and past help through Moses' leading to date.
        8. Israel thought it was foolish to expect God to make them happy in the desert, Num. 11:1. She had not considered God's promise to Abraham and track record of help to date.
        9. Israel thought it was foolish to expect her cravings for particular foods to be met in the desert as God had given only manna, Num. 11:4. She did not value His promise to Abraham or His power to improve taste in having made bad water good.
        10. Israel thought it was foolish to expect to defeat the giants of Canaan, Num. 14:1-4! She did not value God's promise to Abraham or God's deliverance from Pharaoh!
  2. Thus, Hebrews tells US to heed Scripture or be disciplined for it:
    1. We believers today must make every effort to trust God's Word and "rest" from our fretting about life's provisions based on human viewpoint and doubts of the faith or suffer God's discipline, Heb. 4:11.
    2. After all, as it was in Moses' era, how we interact with God's Word (promises) yields enormous consequences, Hebrews 4:12-13:
      1. The God of Scripture is living TODAY so as to check up on how well we believe His Word and obey it, Hebrews 4:12a.
      2. The God of Scripture is as powerful TODAY to fulfill His Word and to judge us in discipline if we do not heed it, Hebrews 4:12b!
      3. The God of Scripture uses His Word to DISCERN and judge sin in us as He did in the wilderness doubters so long ago, Heb. 4:12c.
      4. The God of Scripture uses His Word to evaluate every secret of our hearts, so we cannot avoid being accountable to Him, 4:13!
Application: (1) To have eternal life, we must OBEY God's order for us to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, for eternal life, Acts 17:30-31. (2) As BELIEVERS, God holds us ACCOUNTABLE as in the case of ancient Israel, even with our physical lives, to HEED and OBEY His Word: (a) hence, we need to READ it and (b) lean on its instruction above ALL human viewpoints! (c) We should still CONSIDER advice from the learned (Prov. 11:14), but yet SUBJECT it all to SCRIPTURE'S words by way of priority!

Lesson: We MUST heed God's Word ABOVE all human viewpoints, for GOD ALMIGHTY holds us accountable to OBEY His Word!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 (1) Last Sunday, I shared with you the illustration of my daughter's acquisition of a special UCONN tee-shirt. We bought one that had UCONN's winning score over Duke in the championship game for Connie to wear before her surgeon who once played for Duke!

After giving that illustration, my conscience bothered me. I believe it is wrong to clown in the pulpit, and I wondered if I had erred in the way I supplied the humor in giving that illustration!

Well, Jake Voskuhl who played center on that UCONN team, heard of my illustration. I believe he heard of it by way of Kathy Brunetti's telling it to her relative who attends the same church as Jake.

In response, Jake Voskuhl wrote a get well card on special UCONN "Husky" stationery for Kathy's relative to pass on to Connie. He wrote: "Dear Connie, get well soon, (signed), Jake, #43."

When Kathy brought that card to the house on Monday, it was as though God were saying to me, "I heard that illustration, Don, and I also want you to be careful how you preach! Now, in grace, I will make mileage out of it all for the good, but be careful in the future!"

I came away with an deep sense of ACCOUNTABILITY to the Lord in regards to the ministry of the Word! HOW we respond to Scripture, how we TEACH it is not to be taken lightly! Let's HEED it as our SUPREME authority for ALL reality!

(2) Re: the Voice issue by which we began this message, Genesis 1:31 says that all God made, including man, was "very good". However, Genesis 2:17 shows God warning man that he would die if he disobeyed God. Thus, God made man perfect, but man sinned to become depraved, Gen. 3:6-24. However, believers are given positional perfection by faith in Christ (Eph. 1:3-13) and one day are given experiential perfection in the eternal state! (1 Jn. 3:2; Eph. 1:14).

(3) Re: "Christian psychology", observable facts in nature are truth acc: to Psalm 19:1-6 where fallen man's thoughts are corrupt acc: to Gen. 6:5. Well, "psychology" is a mixture of observable facts and fallen man's interpretations, so we must subject all "psychology" to Scripture so God's Word can purge out errant human views! [I teach the best route to take is to get a steady diet of Scripture, for then the Supernatural Counselor, Christ (Isa. 9:6), God's Word impersonated (Rev. 19:12-16), can meet all the needs of the heart!