Think of an egg and a small potato
roughly the same size and shape
but if you throw them into boiling water
the one which was hard becomes soft
and the one which was soft becomes hard!
Why? No doubt those good at physics can tell us why
but in the spiritual world something similar happens
when people are exposed to God's word
some who seemed hard grow soft, they respond, they believe, they obey;
others who seemed soft become hard, they are cynical, bitter, unresponsive:
'We don't need that' 'I'm all right as I am'
In Hebrews c 3 we begin to see this problem which takes up much of the letter
which is one big issue in the Christian life
why and how people fall away.
The first 6 vv give us a contrast between Moses and Jesus
which would be so relevant to the original readers
because as Jewish people they had come from a background of devotion to
Moses, the great leader of the people out of slavery, the great giver of the law.
But the writer while giving respect to Moses stresses that Jesus is greater
Moses was a servant, Jesus is the Son of God
"Moses loved God but Jesus is God" R Brown
We are to focus on Jesus consider Jesus
and not give up and slip back or drift away
As we were putting up the Christian Healing Prayer stand
at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in Cork this weekend
someone brought in a poster which makes it so clear
(I would love someone to design one for our outside notice board.)
The headline was 'NOT RELIGION BUT RELATIONSHIP'
and does not that give us maybe the major point we need to grasp
so as not to grow hard?
Christianity is not a religion it is a relationship
it is not a system of things to do or not to do
it is an encounter with the living God through Jesus Christ.
Relationship implies continuing and listening
it's not much of a friendship is it if you don't keep up with your friend
not much of a relationship when the listening stops
In v 6 the writer makes the case for continuing, not giving up:
'we are his house
if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast'
we belong to Jesus, we are in community with him, if we continue.
How much Christianity these days goes by fits and starts
an emotional response in a crisis
a Christmas and Easter, weddings & funerals nod to God
How much is the 'long obedience in the same direction'
the day by day giving over of our lives to the crucified Lord?
No wonder hearts grow hard, the potato is taken out of the pot
there is no time given to the softening process.
and there is no listening, the words wash over us
like water bubbling around the shell of the egg
but there is no penetration, no taking in
To avoid hardening of our hearts we need to
CONTINUE
continue in this relationship of trust in Jesus
continue in prayer, in reading God's word
continue in faith
the way in which we hold on to the promises of God
and remain in the relationship he has made possible for us through his Son.
Continue each day to say to ourselves and maybe to others too
'I believe there is a loving God who has forgiven me
a risen and glorified Lord Jesus whom one day I am going to meet
and on whose promises and in whose love I rely today
even though I don't see him
even though things happen that seem to go against this.'
If we give up, doesn't that show that we were never God's children.
If we carry on, isn't that exactly what a true child of God does?
The amazing thing is that the same group of people
can hear the same message, have the same things happen to them
and react in completely opposite ways.
The classic example of this is the people of Israel
having crossed the Red Sea
having been rescued from dreadful slavery
having seen the total defeat of Pharaoh's army
having been given clear promises
that God would lead them and never leave them
What did most of them do?
When things got tough in the wilderness
they disbelieved and disobeyed
and there is a clear link between faith and obedience/
Obedience shows that we do believe
faith gives us confidence to go on obeying.
But these Israelites got downhearted and discouraged,
they got cynical and bitter and critical
rather than thankful and faithful
and they got distracted by false gods
things like the golden calf that they could see and touch
and so many of them lost the plot and gave up.
And God gave up on them.
As that lovely Psalm 95 ends, the bit we usually leave out
because it is stark and uncomfortable
"Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, They shall never enter my rest.' "[
An abrupt awkward angry ending -
but why should God not be angry with such behaviour?
Those people with all those privileges,
he had liberated them from slavery so that they could be his people
so that they love him, listen to him, be nourished by him
and what did he get? Complaint, indifference, idolatry.
God is looking for people with softened persevering hearts
people who will continue and
LISTEN
'Today if you will hear my voice ..
God speaks to us today
He declares his love, he promises to protect and provide
and he longs for people to listen and believe.
No wonder the writer pleads:
'12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart
that turns away from the living God.
13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today,
so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
Continue, Listen and ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
I think that is a very specific thing.
It is not just 'you're doing well', 'you're a wonderful Christian'
which can be a bit superficial.
It is a friend sitting beside a friend
and asking confidentially and personally about this or that issue in your life
your relationships, your debts, your sexuality
how it is in your prayers
and where do you find God in all of this?
It requires of course for that same friend to be open
to hearing those same questions asked of him
to be open to receive such focused encouragement as well as giving it
If you think such an approach is intrusive and authoritarian
let me simply say that that is not the danger for us Presbyterians.
The problem is not that we are too much involved in each other's lives;
the problem is that we are remote and aloof, we don't care enough,
we don't encourage, we don't speak positively to each other
we don't speak with loving directness, we don't get to grips
and people grow hard
Selwyn Hughes puts it well
'We need each other's help to see the subterfuges and camouflages
that go in each other's personalities.
The word of God shows us what we should be,
the Holy Spirit shows us the work that has yet to be done,
but our brothers and sisters in Christ
can put their finger on the specific issues that need attention now.'
Those of us who are married have a sometimes uncomfortable privilege
of a God given encourager alongside us
one who knows us so well and can pin point areas for 'encouragement'.
But even if not married, do pray and look for one or two close friends
lovingly to put their fingers on specific issues to be dealt with.
We are here not for a religion but a RELATIONSHIP.
If you are religious, you will find it hard going;
it may seem safe at the start but it is the safety and deadness of a prison.
Choose a relationship with God in personal faith in Jesus
and CONTINUE in that, develop the friendship, don't grow hard.
Spend time with him and LISTEN to him
And seek to ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
being accountable to each other
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us
and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
encourage our hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word
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