The Superior Leader - Part 3

READ: Hebrews 3:7-19
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, "If today you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the provocation, according to the day of the temptation in the desert, in which your fathers tested with an examination and they saw my works for forty years. Therefore, I was angry with this generation and said, 'They are always wandering in the heart. And they do not know my ways.' As I swore in my anger, 'They will not enter into my rest.'"

Beware brother, lest there will be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief in which you withdraw from the living God, but encourage each other, each and every day, so long as it is called today, so that not one of you might be hardened by the treachery of sin. For we have become sharers of Christ if indeed we hold firmly to the beginning of confidence until the end, while it is said, "Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the provocation."

For who, having heard, rebelled? But was it not all the ones who left Egypt through Moses? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bones fell in the desert? And to whom did he swear, "They will not enter into his rest" if not to those who disobeyed? And we see that they were not able to enter his rest because of unbelief.

REFLECT
As Barclay notes, the Hebrew writer "now leaves argument for exhortation. He presses upon his hearers the inevitable conclusion of this [Jesus'] unique supremacy...it follows that complete trust and complete obedience must be given to him" (page 33). The Israelites tested God when led by Moses. They doubted God's provision and his power and thus did not live obediently to his will. They hardened their hearts and they suffered the consequences of not entering God's rest (i.e., in this context, the Promised Land).

The same can happen to Christians today. When we lose faith in God's provision and power, we "withdraw" from God. I've personally seen it happen literally hundreds of times in over 30 years of ministry experience. A Christian starts doubting God's work in his life and he begins to withdraw from God (i.e., no longer reads his word or prays to him), which then results in a growing doubt and a lessening faith. When either there is no encouragement from other Christians or the withdrawing Christian resists and rejects all attempts of encouragement, his heart becomes hard as it is deceived by the treachery of sin.

Christians are tempted to doubt whenever trouble comes into their lives. The longer it lasts, the greater the temptation to doubt. Unless Christians take aggressive and consistent action to resist temptation or overcome doubt through daily times of mutual encouragement, they will "withdraw" from God. Fudge notes, "The neglect of Christian exhortation is surely among the greatest failings of God's people today...Any congregation that ignores this divine obligation has no right to parade itself as a faithful church of Christ Jesus, regardless of its other qualities or so-called distinctive marks" (page 42).

Discipleship partners, prayer partners, daily renewal partners, etc.; it doesn't matter what we call them, for the reality is that we need to be involved in daily mutual encouragement! Sin is treacherous; our hearts can be deceitful. We need brothers or sisters involved in our lives who truly know us and who can spot when our hearts are becoming distrusting and our lives disobedient to the will of God. Eternity is at stake here; yet so many who call themselves disciples of Jesus today act as if they can get through life, faithful to God, without daily encouragement. The Holy Spirit inspired word of God says very plainly, "No, you cannot"! You need to encourage and be encouraged daily so that your heart will not be hardened by sin's treachery!

PRAY
Father, forgive me for my pride and arrogance that leads me to be independent. I cannot make it on my own. I cannot live faithfully for you in this world without the daily encouragement that comes from other Christians. I am not being obedient to your will if I am not seeking to encourage others daily. Father, we are bombarded, day-in and day-out with the message of independence - that we are sufficient in and of ourselves to live effectively, productively and successfully in this world. That may be true if our definition of success lies in obtaining the things of this world, but if our goal is to please you and to reach our goal of being with you in heaven, then independence is one of Satan's greatest and most effective lies! I am repenting and I will strive to be involved in daily mutual encouragement. I do not want to withdraw from you Father, nor from your people. I want to enter your rest. I want you to be pleased with my life and hear my Saviour say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Come in and share your master's happiness." To that end I ask for your wisdom and guidance! Amen.

OBEY
Who is involved in your life deeply enough and consistently enough that you can receive and give encouragement on a daily basis? If you cannot answer that question right away, then the answer is "No one" and you need to repent of your pride and begin today to seek out other Christians with whom you will commit to a strategy of daily encouragement.