{"id":29772,"date":"2025-09-28T17:19:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-28T17:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/?post_type=cpl_item&p=29772"},"modified":"2025-10-01T14:14:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T14:14:51","slug":"license-to-exhort","status":"publish","type":"cpl_item","link":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/sermons\/license-to-exhort\/","title":{"rendered":"License to Exhort"},"content":{"rendered":"

License to Exhort<\/strong><\/p>\n

OT Scripture: Psalm 119:129-136<\/p>\n

NT and Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-19<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n

What makes a heart harden?<\/p>\n

Physically speaking, it happens when blood vessels lose their flexibility. Over time, plaque builds up. Blockages form. The flow of life is slowly choked off.<\/p>\n

This past week, a pastor who deeply influenced me, Voddie Baucham, passed away. Pastor Voddie had long battled heart disease. In 2021, he underwent a quadruple bypass surgery. So when the news came that he had suffered a medical emergency, many assumed it was heart-related.<\/p>\n

Now perhaps you don\u2019t have heart disease this morning\u2014or at least you don\u2019t know of it. And you are not concerned at all about having a cardiovascular medical emergency. But doctors often call heart disease a silent killer<\/em>. Why? Because it creeps up slowly. The vessels harden little by little. The arteries narrow. The flexibility is lost. And one day, the damage becomes fatal. Not all at once, but gradually\u2014through poor diet, lack of exercise, or simply through the frailty of our human condition.<\/p>\n

And just as there is danger to our physical hearts, there is danger to our spiritual hearts.<\/strong> That is what the writer of Hebrews warns us about in this passage. A spiritual heart does not turn hard overnight. It happens little by little\u2014through small compromises, neglected habits of faith, the deceitfulness of sin\u2014until the flow of spiritual life is cut off.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, as we prepare to launch the rest of our Bible classes in the coming weeks, I want to stress their importance for us as a church. These gatherings are not just programs or add-ons\u2014they are one of the means God uses to guard us from spiritual heart disease,<\/strong> to keep our faith alive, soft, and responsive to His Word.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To do this, I want to make three movements this morning:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. First, we\u2019ll look at the temptation<\/strong> the recipients of this letter were facing.<\/li>\n
  2. Second, we\u2019ll look at the warning<\/strong> they received.<\/li>\n
  3. Finally, we\u2019ll consider the message<\/strong> God has for us today.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Temptation: Returning Back to Judaism to Relieve Persecution<\/strong><\/p>\n

    The Recipients<\/em><\/p>\n

    The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews were deeply familiar with the Jewish system of rituals and sacrifices. They had been raised and catechized in the law of Moses, and their entire approach to God had been shaped by those laws. But in the midst of that system, they were introduced to Jesus\u2014the One who fulfills all Old Testament promises.<\/p>\n

    He is the One who offers true spiritual rest. He is the One who satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts. He is the One who calms overwhelming circumstances\u2014not by removing us from them, but by giving us peace in the midst of them, a peace that surpasses all understanding. The recipients of this letter came to see that Jesus was better. He was more glorious, more powerful, more mighty than anything they had encountered before. In him, the thirst of their yearning hearts was quenched. In him, the desires of their souls were met. That is the Jesus who had impressed them.<\/p>\n

    And why were they so impressed with him? Because they were steeped in the Old Testament.<\/p>\n

    Jesus is the fulfilment of all OT promises, and because of this, the author of Hebrews is beginning to unpack how Jesus is better than the shadows of the OT.<\/p>\n

    The whole Bible is about Jesus. He is the way back to the Father, and there is no salvation apart from him. He forgives the wickedness of our sins, and reconciles us to God. If want to learn more about that, ask me after the service.<\/p>\n

    But here lies the writer\u2019s concern: these Jewish believers had found the fulfillment of the Mosaic covenant in Christ, but now they were facing persecution for their newfound faith in the promised Messiah.<\/p>\n

    The Problem \u2013 Easy Faith<\/em><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s why this became such a problem. Judaism was already recognized by Rome. Judea was a Roman province, and the Mosaic rituals and ceremonies were tolerated as part of an established religion. But Jesus entered the scene declaring himself Lord\u2014claiming first place, claiming to be the true Sovereign, the true Emperor of the world.<\/p>\n

    That allegiance to Christ put believers in direct conflict with Rome. To confess \u201cJesus is Lord\u201d meant \u201cCaesar is not.\u201d Rome wasn\u2019t overly threatened by Mosaic Judaism\u2014it lacked a king, and its practices were manageable. But a new movement rising up, declaring a higher King, a new Lord\u2014that Rome could not tolerate. And so persecution followed.<\/p>\n

    This is the dilemma the writer of Hebrews is addressing. Some believers were tempted to say, \u201cIf God accepted us under the Mosaic covenant, can we not just return to the old ways? Can we still be devoted to God but avoid this hostility, this persecution, this danger that comes from proclaiming Christ as Lord?\u201d The temptation was clear: return to Judaism to relieve persecution.<\/p>\n

    Now, from our vantage point two thousand years later, it may seem obvious: of course Jesus is better. But remember\u2014these believers were as human as we are. And just like them, we are tempted to minimize hardship. We prefer the easy road over the road of suffering. If given the choice, we would choose the wide road every time. Yet following Jesus is always a call to deny ourselves.<\/p>\n

    Our Problem \u2013 Easy Faith<\/em><\/p>\n

    Maybe your temptation isn\u2019t to return to Judaism. But you and I are constantly tempted to water down the commitment God requires of us. And notice\u2014these early Christians weren\u2019t saying, \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be devoted to God anymore.\u201d What they were really asking was, \u201cCan we be devoted to God in a way that isn\u2019t so countercultural? Can we find a middle ground? Can we have the best of both worlds?\u201d<\/p>\n

    But it seems that the recipients of this letter had not fully thought through what it would mean to approach God again through the Mosaic covenant. They had not carefully considered all the implications of trying to come to God through a system that had already been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. As one commentator puts it, returning to the Mosaic covenant would be like trying to go back to the jet bridge once the plane has already taken off. If you turn back after the plane has departed, the consequences are deadly. The writer of Hebrews makes the same point: if you try to access God through the old system after boarding the new covenant in Christ, you will not reach your destination\u2014eternal life.<\/p>\n

    So, what would happen if they try to access God through the mosaic covenant having experienced the new? Could they return back to Judaism without any negative repercussions?<\/p>\n

    The answer from Hebrews is a sobering no. To turn back is to forfeit God\u2019s rest. That is why the writer gives us such a serious warning. And that\u2019s why I want to draw your attention to verse 12\u2026<\/p>\n

    The Warning: The Dangers of an Unbelieving Heart<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In verse 12, the writer of Hebrews gives a sobering charge. He takes words first spoken to the wilderness generation\u2014and later applied to David\u2019s generation\u2014and now applies them to the readers of his letter:<\/p>\n

    \u201cTake care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The warning is clear. If these believers abandoned Jesus\u2014the One who is better\u2014in order to return to the old covenant system, they would be in danger of falling away, showing that they had never truly believed. To turn away from Christ is to turn away from the living God\u2014the God who gives life, the Father of mercies.<\/p>\n

    Notice the urgency. The author says, be careful, watch out!<\/em> He wants his readers on guard, because an unbelieving heart will cause them to fall away. But beneath this warning lies a deeper reality: unbelief is how sin manifests itself. The very nature of sin is doubting God and his promises. That\u2019s why the author pleads, \u201cBe careful, lest any one of you\u2026\u201d\u2014from the smallest to the greatest, from rich to poor, the whole congregation. Because unbelief is the telltale sign of sin. A hardened heart is what Scripture calls apostasy\u2014denouncing God\u2019s promises and forsaking the living God.<\/p>\n

    The author grounds this in a conditional statement. In verse 14 he writes:<\/p>\n

    \u201cFor we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

    In other words, you have already tasted the blessings of Christ. You have shared in the fellowship of the Spirit. You have experienced the goodness of God\u2019s Word. You have glimpsed the powers of the age to come. But all of this is true only if you continue to abide in Christ until the end.<\/p>\n

    If you turn back\u2014if you try to make following God more socially acceptable, less costly, less confrontational\u2014you are no longer approaching God through the way he has appointed in Christ. You are trying to approach him on your own terms, in your own wisdom, by your own way. If you persevere, you share in Christ. If you do not persevere, you never truly shared in Christ. You would be like a branch connected to the vine but bearing no fruit. Like a cloud with no water. An external Christian, but not an internal one.<\/p>\n

    That is why verse 15 presses the urgency again:<\/p>\n

    \u201cToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The writer is echoing Psalm 95, which he already quoted earlier. In that psalm, the Holy Spirit recalls Israel\u2019s rebellion in the wilderness. Though they had seen God\u2019s mighty acts in Egypt and his mercies in the desert, they hardened their hearts. They refused to believe and obey. And so they were barred from entering the promised land. The psalmist then applies that lesson to his own generation: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.<\/em> But tragically, Israel did not listen\u2014and exile followed.<\/p>\n

    Now the writer of Hebrews takes up that same word \u201cToday\u201d and applies it to us. Christ has come. We have tasted the heavenly gift in him. But if we refuse to obey\u2014if we harden our hearts and reject the better way of Christ\u2014we too will not enter God\u2019s eternal rest.<\/p>\n

    To drive this point home, the author begins to quote psalm 95 and ask some questions. He asks in verse 16: \u201cWho were those who heard and yet rebelled?\u201d The answer: all those who came out of Egypt under Moses. His focus is on the quality of people. In other words, those who saw all the signs and wonders and heard God\u2019s voice, and yet disbelieved<\/strong>. And if disbelieving Moses\u2014the faithful servant in God\u2019s house\u2014brought such severe consequences, how much more serious is it to disbelieve Jesus, the Son, the One who rules faithfully over God\u2019s house?<\/p>\n

    In v. 17, the author moves from the quality of people to the duration of time<\/strong> that God was calling his people toward obedience. They died because of unbelief, when they could have lived through faith.<\/p>\n

    In v. 18, the author brings the warning to the climax: God swore that his people would not enter into rest. At that point, nothing else could be done. They were effectively barred from entering God\u2019s rest. And the reason for all of this is, as stated in v. 19: unbelief! Because of their unbelief they tested God, went astray, rebelled, and had hardened hearts. The author returns back to the idea of v. 12, unbelieving hearts!<\/p>\n

    And so the question comes to us: why didn\u2019t they believe? Why did their hearts harden? Verse 13 gives the answer: they were hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin blinds. Sin deceives. Sin deadens the heart. Faith in God\u2019s promises through Christ is the antidote, but sin is the poison that kills faith.<\/p>\n

    And so the writer urges us with holy urgency: Do not let your hearts grow hard. Believe God\u2019s promises\u2014today. Let your hearts be pliable attentive eager to do what the Lord is commanding and don’t resist his will.<\/em><\/p>\n

    The Message: Avoid A Hardened Heart!<\/strong><\/p>\n

    What is the message that the writer of Hebrews wants to communicate to the recipients of his letter? What is the fundamental point?<\/p>\n

    The message is this: Avoid a hardened heart.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    These believers were beginning to suffer. They were tempted to return to the Mosaic covenant. They wanted an easier path to heaven. They longed for the reward of eternal rest without having to endure the loss that comes in this life. They were being persuaded\u2014pressured by their society\u2014to abandon Jesus.<\/p>\n

    And the author is saying to them: Avoid a hardened heart.<\/strong>
    \nIn other words: Be on guard against the deceitfulness of sin by exhorting one another to hold fast to God\u2019s promises in Christ.<\/em><\/p>\n

    How Do We Avoid a Hardened Heart?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    That\u2019s the question. How do you keep your heart from becoming calloused and resistant to God\u2019s Word? How do you stop your heart from being catechized\u2014discipled\u2014by your own desires, by culture, or even by Frank Sinatra\u2019s \u201cMy Way\u201d?<\/p>\n

    Hebrews 3:13 gives us three ways:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Recognize That Your Heart Is Easily Deceived<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      You and I are far more susceptible to deception than we want to admit. And the enemy we face is not just outside of us. It\u2019s inside of us.<\/p>\n

      Our hearts have a natural disposition to trust our own thoughts more than God\u2019s thoughts. If we fail to recognize that reality, then we won\u2019t see that there\u2019s a silent killer<\/em> within us\u2014an enemy slowly chipping away at our confidence in God.<\/p>\n

      You might say, \u201cI will never leave Jesus!\u201d Peter said the same. Our hearts are easily deceived!<\/p>\n

      Your heart is being trained daily. My heart is being trained daily. The question is: what is training it?<\/strong> Is it being instructed toward godliness\u2014or toward ungodliness?<\/p>\n

      Your heart is not neutral. My heart is not neutral. That\u2019s the first step: recognize your heart is vulnerable and easily deceived.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Understand the Deceitfulness of Sin<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        The writer doesn\u2019t just say, \u201cBe careful lest you be hardened by sin.\u201d<\/em> He says:<\/p>\n

        \u201cBe careful that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin<\/strong>\u201d (v. 13).<\/p>\n

        Why? Because sin always promises what it cannot deliver.<\/p>\n

        Think of Eve in the garden. The fruit promised wisdom and pleasure. But the joy lasted only a moment before it turned into shame and fear. Sin always masks its true intentions. It offers something you genuinely want\u2014sometimes even something good\u2014but it hides the destruction behind it.<\/p>\n

        That\u2019s how sin works in us. It tricks, it masquerades, it convinces. It whispers: \u201cThis will make you happy.\u201d<\/em> But it cannot deliver what it promises.<\/p>\n

        That\u2019s why the author warns us: beware of the deceitfulness of sin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Exhort One Another Daily<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Finally, how do we avoid a hardened heart? By exhorting one another.<\/p>\n

          Look at verse 13:<\/p>\n

          \u201cBut exhort one another every day, as long as it is called \u2018today.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

          As long as we are on this side of eternity, the command is clear: exhort one another. Not sometimes. Not occasionally. Every day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

          That\u2019s why I titled this sermon \u201cLicense to Exhort.\u201d<\/em> In our denomination, a license to exhort is given by classis after an examination, certifying that someone is permitted to bring God\u2019s Word to the churches.<\/p>\n

          But here\u2019s the point: every Christian has been given a license to exhort.<\/strong> Not necessarily in the pulpit, not necessarily leading a congregation\u2014but in daily, interpersonal ways. Parents exhort children. Husbands and wives exhort one another. Friends exhort friends. Brothers and sisters exhort brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n

          Look at QA 32 of our Catechism:<\/p>\n

          Q & A 32<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. But why are you called a Christian?<\/li>\n
          2. Because by faith I am a member of Christ1
            \nand so I share in his anointing<\/u><\/em><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            I am anointed
            \nto confess his name,
            \nto present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks,
            \nto strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life,<\/p>\n

            And one of the main ways we do this is through Bible studies. Notice this is not optional. The writer of Hebrews says: \u201cas long as it is called today.\u201d<\/em> That means as long as we\u2019re on this side of heaven, as long as the fight of faith continues, exhortation is necessary.<\/p>\n

            Next week, our various Bible studies will begin again\u2014women\u2019s, men\u2019s, youth, and children. These are not just programs. They are God\u2019s way of protecting us from hardened hearts.<\/p>\n

            Did you hear that? God is protecting us from hardened hearts when we engage in Bible studies. \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03ad\u03c9<\/strong> \u2013 to summon, exhort, encourage, comfort, implore<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ac\u03ba\u03bb\u03b7\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/strong> \u2013 helper, (legal) assistant, advocate<\/strong><\/p>\n

            What is one of the ways that the Spirit of God helps us, assist us? Through our Bible studies!<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Now, if we don\u2019t believe that we are in danger of being deceived, then we can go on our marry way, but the threat of deception is continual, and any conclusion beyond that would be to miss the instruction of this text. Look at vv. 16-19 again. The writer of Hebrews tells us that the people who didn\u2019t make it to the promise land were people who saw with their own eyes all of God\u2019s miracles in the wilderness. These weren\u2019t newbies, or who joined the party late. They were participants from the very beginning and yet their hearts were hardened. Our hearts are capable of being hardened!<\/p>\n

            But the way God causes us to persevere until the end is by helping us exhort one another as long as it is \u201ctoday,\u201d that we would not be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. <\/strong><\/p>\n

            Let me put it provocatively: Bible studies are one the statin for your heart health.<\/strong> If you want to avoid spiritual heart disease, you must engage in God\u2019s Word with God\u2019s people. There is no spiritual growth apart from it.<\/p>\n

            Think about your relationships. How often do you talk about the same topics with those you love? Husbands and wives circle back to the same conversations. Parents repeat the same lessons to their children. Friends retell the same stories. That\u2019s how relationships grow\u2014by revisiting and rehearsing what matters most.<\/p>\n

            The same is true with God\u2019s Word. We don\u2019t move past it. We return to it again and again because this is how God communes with us. He reminds us of His love in Christ. He reassures us that nothing can separate us from Him. He calls us to holiness, but also comforts us with His mercy.<\/p>\n

            That is why when Paul was describing the new covenant community in Colossians 3, he says, \u201clet, allow, make in effort for the word of God to dwell in you all richly.\u201d He didn\u2019t say barely let it dwell in you, or a lot, he said richly, overabundantly, overflowingly.<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            So don\u2019t dismiss Bible study as something you already know. Engage in it.<\/strong> Because it is life for you. It is God\u2019s voice speaking to you. It is the very means God uses to keep your heart soft and alive.<\/p>\n

            Avoid a hardened heart by recognizing your vulnerability. Avoid a hardened heart by resisting sin\u2019s lies. Avoid a hardened heart by exhorting one another daily.<\/p>\n

            Avoid a hardened heart. Exhort one another. And keep believing the promises of God in Christ.<\/p>\n

            Conclusion
            \n<\/strong>This morning, the warning is clear: beware of a hardened heart. Beware of a deceived heart. Beware of an indifferent heart.<\/p>\n

            And how do we avoid such a heart? By engaging the Spirit\u2019s work among us\u2014by exhorting, encouraging, and comforting one another with the sweet truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n

            So as you look ahead, make it your ambition\u2014if you haven\u2019t already\u2014to join a study group. These are not optional add-ons; they are God\u2019s provision to keep your heart soft. And once you join, make it your ambition to be faithful\u2014to show up every time\u2014because sin is tricky, and our hearts are easily deceived.<\/p>\n

            Let us not drift into hardness. Let us actively exhort one another. For by God\u2019s Spirit, each of us has been given a license to exhort!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            License to Exhort OT Scripture: Psalm 119:129-136 NT and Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 3:12-19 Introduction What makes a heart harden? Physically speaking, it happens when blood vessels lose their flexibility. Over time, plaque builds up. Blockages form. The flow of life is slowly choked off. This past week, a pastor who deeply influenced me, Voddie Baucham, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","cpl_scripture":[100],"cpl_season":[],"cpl_topic":[],"class_list":["post-29772","cpl_item","type-cpl_item","status-publish","hentry","cpl_scripture-hebrews"],"blocksy_meta":[],"cpl_transcript":"","cmb2":{"item_meta":{"audio_url":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/License-to-Exhort.mp3","audio_url_id":"","video_url":"https:\/\/youtube.com\/live\/RmQdpc-K4RE","video_url_id":"","message_timestamp":"","podcast_exclude":"","downloads":""}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_item\/29772","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cpl_item"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29772"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cpl_scripture","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_scripture?post=29772"},{"taxonomy":"cpl_season","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_season?post=29772"},{"taxonomy":"cpl_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/immanuelfamily.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpl_topic?post=29772"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}