R679 The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart

Tragedy of a hardened heart. That's today's message in Dr. Don Wilton and there is hope each and every one of these has reopened the word Dr. Don Wilton another were available for you and 866-899-WORD pray with you or connect online@gwonline.org about today's teaching Dr. Don Wilton. I believe that the mandate that God gives to me is to be a systematic expository preacher. That's a big mouthful.

What that means is that my mandate for the most part not exclusively, is to type the word of God and to systematically teach God's word.

When you are a systematic expository preacher, which I believe we ought to be man doesn't choose the topic. God does folks there many times as we go through Scripture that we come across topics that God has put in the word that whether or not you and I feel like one to address like that God speaks to the Fosters you' means that I want to get down to serious business with the Lord. And if I don't understand it. I would ask God to give me understanding because he's the only one who can do that, but it's amazing how that God always chooses the right topics the right subjects from his word. It never ceases to amaze me. So it is today that we are in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse seven.

I didn't choose the subject. God, I'm going to speak to you this morning on the tragedy of a hardened heart. You might say to me today will foster surely they not a lot of hardened hearts around here is God as God is concerned, and what God was saying to me was listen to me preach my word because there are people who have hardened their hearts against me.

I believe this morning that there are people in this congregation in downtown Spartanburg Lorene church, some of whom are the finest people that you've ever made you harden your heart against God.

I believe that there are people who are worshiping with us by way of television that have hardened their hearts against the Lord, I believe that there are moms and dad's who have hardened their hearts against the Lord will but let's read this today together and perhaps God will give us a clear understanding of what it is that he wants us to hear. Hebrews chapter 3 in verse seven.

So as the Holy Spirit say is today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion during the time of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me for an full 14 years soul what I did.

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 when I get to verse 11, and friends. I don't want to read verse 11.

If you don't mind. Verse 11 is something that I just don't want to consider because I don't even want to preach about a God who may not tolerate my sin.

All I want to talk about is the love of God. I don't want to talk about God banishing anybody. And so what I'd like to do is I'd like to just erase that verse and if we could kind of just jump over it and maybe move on to the next chapter, but for some reason, I'm compelled to read it and to listen to what God says. Here's what he says. So I prayed on in my anger, that they shall never enter my rest now frames most about the back and just pulls the Ramana read the rest of it in a moment. If I can just pulls there for a moment that word recipes is interesting because most of us quite correctly, it means going to heaven.

Our eternal rest, but that's not what God is saying here in this context. You see, here we are being reminded as the psalmist reminded us of the wanderings of the children of Israel. You remember how they were delivered from Egypt and how that Moses was God's instrument and how they wanted around the wilderness for 40 years before they were delivered to the promised land.

And here in this context not going to develop this for you in just a moment because we must understand these things here as we apply them to hearts.

God had called out great favor and blessings upon the children of Israel, but they have hardened their hearts against despite all that he had not one would say wait a minute. How could a people harden their hearts against God often ruled he had done for them. That's what happened and they did this so many times that it came to the point at which God see God see I'm going to express my absolute anger and by the way, that would anger the we cannot soft soap that that wasn't just a word for displaced all the fact that God had become somewhat uncomfortable with the behavior of the Israelites. When God speaks about his anger, God is speaking about his goal, unwillingness to deal in any way with the Israelites because of the sin and the consequence of their sin was that God told them that they would not turn into his arrest, which he was talking about into the promised land into the blessings that God had promised. And we know that that's what happened. All these people were given great promises by God but because they hardened their hearts against them, God deprived them of the human plea blessings and, ultimately, according later on they were deprived of their eternal blessings because of their unbelief. I want to just tell you this.

Did you know that if you are not harden our hearts against God, then God will prevent us from receiving the blessings that he has intention of giving to us all right now hold only let's read on this through see-through thin brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ. If we hold firmly to the end. The confidence we had at first, as has just been saved today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.

Who were they heard and rebuild with a not all those who Moses led out of Egypt, and with whom was he angry for 40 years, was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert and to whom did God swear that they would never into his rest, if not those to whom had disobeyed him so we see that they were not able to enter because of their unbelief. Now the question is this why these things written form was an important for the spirit of God dream Princess upon the hearts of the Jewish people and perhaps as we apply to our lives. In 2003. Why is it important for us to have to deal with the tragedy of a hardened heart. I'm going to submit to you that there are three reasons number one because it is a fact of life.

That's why it's a fact of life hardened hearts all around us. In fact, I'm going to submit to you ladies and gentlemen that you can see it, you can see hardened hearts. You might say to me will cost what you mean.

You can see a hardened heart folks.

You can see someone who's got a hardened heart.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist. Sometimes to figure out if someone's got a hardened heart, against spiritual things in a bit and against Almighty God, you can see somebody who has a hardened heart. I want to say this out of the love of my heart to use. We worship the Lord together evening church you can see hardened heart. Sometimes I can see hardened hearts from the pain put I don't get all set up around start smiling but I want you to know that there are some people who are here in the presence but they have no participation.

That's the mark of a hardened heart. I have seen people who come into God's house. My friends call for action, but they are critical of it.

When it comes along.

I have seen people who will be involved in social activity, but they are very reluctant to get involved in spiritual activity.

You can see a hardened heart against God.

Not only can you see it as a fact of life, but you can hear it. You can hear a hardened heart. You might say to me, will foster how you can hear it just the way some people speak and I'm so grateful. This is happened so rarely.

In my experience here in Spartanburg but I remember a number of years ago I heard my name being robbed.

The shouted out emphatically. One day, out there in the welcome center and I turned around. It was during the week and there was a man standing there and I walked over and he began to I wish I could tell you talk to me, but he wasn't quite talking to me, but he was sharing with me some things and I let him have a conversation for about two minutes and then I said stop stop stop stop stop stop.

He said will foster I haven't finished telling you what I'm telling you, I said you not telling me anything I said you lecturing me and I'm not gonna let you lecture me any more questions. He said what I just want you to know I said well I don't want to know what you want to know. He said what I bought something that I need to tell you I said what has what I want to tell you to do one can't take a cold bath. I said number to ride a bicycle in the parking lot number three done your wife to know about don't have a conversation with God but my dear friend is speaking to me with a hard heart you know he went out and I remember it so clearly because he is a precious man came back sometime later he shared a lot of things that were very important, but folks he wasn't speaking to me from a heart and he got a lot accomplished. You see, you can see a hard heart. You can hear it.

You can read it I does God talk about hardening because it's a fact of life.

Number two. Because God loves us. God loves us.

You know it's much like those of us who are parents and we bring up children I tell you, folks, there are children who can bring great pain and hurt to the hearts of various but it is amazing the love of parents in my ministry. I have seen some moms and dads do everything you can possibly imagine that I have loved the children they brought them up in the fear and knowledge of the Lord.

They have provided for them.

They have been honorable in every way but they children grow up and they get involved in things and they bring great discredit to the family and to everybody in between. And yet those parents never change, and they love God wants us to know that he loves us despite ourselves. The emphasis here. My friend is on God it's not on the Bible tells us very clearly. First of all that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked baby just assure you something. Folks God didn't stand on Mount Sinai and rubbing his hands together and say, 000 yes yes I killed every lost one of them before they got into the land of Canaan. God that we know doesn't walk around pumping his fist in the air and saying Borat tell you about God him up last time this gun is zapping with all at all. That man is makes me around so much know God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. In Ezekiel 33 in verse 11.

Say to them as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn away from their ways and blue to turn from your evil ways. Why will you what will you, O house of Israel.

Not only does God take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, my friends, but God does not want anyone to perish, I totally refute the theological disposition that teaches that God has preordained that some people are going to hell. Jesus Christ died for all people, second Peter chapter 3 in verse nine, the Lord is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but that everyone would come to repay one a message of hope to God wants all to come to him forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message in just a moment with Dr. Wilson wants you to know were available would love to pray with you right now at 86689. Jot the number down etc. would say would be happy to be one of your 2 AM friends. We always answer that phone live with one of us, 866-899-9673 or you can connect online as well@tewonline.org now back today's teaching with Dr. Don Wilton, whosoever to the Lord make up why these things with well first of all because it's a fact of life. Second, because God loves us considerable because time is slipping away. I want to tell you why God wants us to know these things, folks, because time is slipping away. That's why time is slipping away. Why does God want us to pay careful attention to the tragedy of a hardened heart going to submit to you, my friends at the context during Scripture of a hardened heart takes place in the face of overwhelming evidence that sound interesting as it is the, the, the, the exegesis of this passage here an understanding of what God is trying to say to us from Psalm 95 and through what the writer to the Hebrews is reminding us of is not a hardened heart just out there in the middle of nowhere for no reason. It takes place in the face of overwhelming evidence.

And I'm going to submit to you today beloved friends that many people in 2003 are hardening their hearts against God in the face of overwhelming evidence for God. Let's look at it. There is the evidence of Scripture. According to verse seven, the Holy Spirit saved all Scripture is inspired written by the spirit is breathed upon man. There is the evidence of Scripture. I wish I could take you on a journey with Moses and the children of Israel from the time they even began to think of leaving Egypt, God said, I will deliver you. I will I will take care of your and yet they hardened their hearts against God said do not fear, and yet they hardened their hearts.

We are no different in the year 2003, God has blessed us up in decades and decades and decades and God reminds us through his word. We have the evidence of Scripture number two. We have the evidence of the wilderness experience in the second part of the site Bible tells us this took place during the time of testing in the desert these people. They had the evidence of the wilderness experience that had 40 God to deal with and I saw the hand of God and yet they repeatedly they fought against him. We are no different in 2003, there was the evidence of repeated blessings. Look at verse nine where your fathers tested and tried me in for 14 years soul what I the evidence of repeated blessings time without number God for God protected God guided them God showing them what to do. God took care of them and yet they hardened their hearts against the I'm going to submit to you, beloved friends that we are in the midst of the evidence of Scripture and the evidence of wilderness experiences and the evidence of repeated blessings by before there was the evidence of changed lives. He talks about the fathers in verse nine your fathers tested and tried me, if you were to go to one of the Israelites are one of the Jews in the context of the letter to the Hebrews and you would a mention of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

They would've sat up and took notice. Why because there was the evidence of changed lives.

I look around my own life. I look to my own father and I see the evidence of a changed life. I look to my father-in-law. I see the evidence of a changed life. I look to my two sons and my daughter I see the evidence of a changed life.

I look around this congregation and I see people ad infinitum. Moms and dads and grandparents young people.

I see people of every shape and every size people rich and poor people from every side and every persuasion I see the evidence of change lives. God says to me Don Wilton take note, my son, there is the evidence of Scripture in the wilderness experiences of your life and the repeated blessing and change lives do not harden your heart against me. There is the evidence of hindsight. In verse 10 that is why I was angry with that generation. It's a good thing for us to look back someone is said that the greatest lesson we learn from history is that we never learned any lessons from history frames we have the evidence of hindsight. As we look back and we see the hand of God, there is the evidence of the Holy Spirit that we find there in verse seven, removes and convicts us of righteousness and of judgment and of sin.

All we are in the midst of manifold overwhelming evidence.

As with the children of Israel, and God said, if you hear my voice do not harden your hearts, so I began to ask myself this question. What are some of the causes of a hardened heart today. I came up with 10. Let me share them with you. Number one intellectualism intellectualism you say pasta what you mean by that, I believe intellectualism will result in a hardened heart, my friend. Believe me on hold for the academic pursuit of excellence. I myself, Evan earned PhD and many other degrees I believe we need to study but I'm going to tell you my friend that not all the intellectual study in the world is ever going to take the place of the fact that we are saved by grace through faith I'm disturbed on many about college campuses that there are growing numbers of our young people who are spending more time in intellectual pursuit of a God who is sovereign cannot be understood in terms of human understanding to the treatment of the exercise and the practical working about five quietest trees.

Well, there's not any intellectualism that can cause a hardened heart. The good life can cause a hardened heart. We are a people who have a good life.

There's no doubt about it. We been blessed so much. Do you know that. Blessings, money, possessions can cause a hardened heart toward God's why the Bible says it's harder for a rich man into the into the kingdom of God than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Good restaurants everywhere. Beautiful homes moms and dads. Families cannot summing the good life can result in a hardened heart toward God.

Number three religion you know that in America today, folks, religion is causing more of a hardened heart against God than anything else. Number four. I don't really want to talk about, but it's true.

It's called ruined witness. That's why you might hear me say from time to time, not merely often enough and I want to say it again today if I have ever done anything to any of you to cause your heart to be hardened against the Lord, please forgive me. Individuals can ruin their witness and call somebody else to have a hardened heart.

I've made man who said look, I'm never going back to that church again because what that preacher said 35 years ago.

I'm not gonna do this not only individuals but churches, churches, folks, there were churches in America today evangelical churches where there is fighting backstabbing, selfishness, good people come to business meetings. That's why First Baptist Church everything we do is based upon absolute truth, we will not move this church on personal preference and what you and I have to say about in this church is irrelevant what God has to say is paramount. Number five. Soon a lack of repayments number six legalism there is some modern-day theological trains that have been creeping into our campuses that are verging on modern-day Pharisaism and legalism.

Number seven repeated refusal, God tells us that he Sprint will no longer strive with us. Perhaps the thing that gets to me more than anything else is people who continually and repeatedly over years and years turn to God and say no I don't want to. I don't want to in my life hurt and pain can goals a hardened heart. Some people who've suffered unbelievable, hurt and unbelievable pain and I can understand that some people have lost loved ones in car crashes and claim rakes and for the rest of their lives. They backed with a hardened heart against God. There were some who have hardened hearts because of family and friends because some people have said something that some people have done something I've heard some website will not husband if he behaves like that and he claims to be a Christian. I don't want to be one number 10 time leafing powerful teaching. Oh God, let us not harden.

Perhaps God is been softening your heart to today's teaching and preaching documents in the pulpit nexus. He steps in our prelude. Open your heart what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart in Jesus night, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news. If you were praying along with Dr. Wilton to give your life to Christ or read dedicate your life to Jesus all we want to welcome you to the family welcome you back to the family of God and put resources in your hand.

Dr. Don has selected for you are free if you just call us at 86689. That's 866-899-9673 or we can meet online as well@gwonline.org and before get away a closing thought from Dr. Don. You not love to be a part of you daily devotional love to be able to sing The Encouraging Word daily devotional thought of God sees to each one of us through his word every day. You can become part of that and was seen in one your self from me just go online to TW online.org. Next, T. W online.org and get your copy of The Encouraging Word Bible devotion. Today we really would love to connect with you.

Don't forget it's online and TW online.org. Our prayer is that you will join us again for more great teaching from Dr. Wilton you find places to watch on television and other websites that TW online.org and we were thinking many of you have become encouraged us. You need to know this program is sponsored by The Encouraging Word and your generous prayer