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SYMPTOMS OF A HARD HEART
Hebrews 3:7-19
Sunday Evening Sermon
October 11, 1998
Fair Avenue Baptist Church
We are reading here about the children of Israel. The children of Israel are a picture of the Christian.
For instance, the Red Sea and Exodus picture our salvation.
The wilderness journey is a picture of the carnal Christian life.
The crossing of the Jordan River and entering into Caanan pictures the Spirit-filled Christian life.
And when we study the children of Israel, and when we look at our own lives, we see one thing in common - THE HARD HEART.
There are two examples of a hard heart, a hardened heart, in the Bible.
First, we saw Pharaoh, a lost man, who heart was hardened.
Because of his sin and unbelief, God let his heart harden.
And today, most lost people have a hard heart.
Gen. 6:3, “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man...”
Rom. 1:28, “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind...”
Second, we see Israel as a saved person.
Neh. 9:7-30 reminds us of how the children of Israel hardened their hearts.
They had seen the miracles,
They had seen the working of God,
They had seen heard the word of the Lord.
They had known the truth,
They had lived in the truth,
But they still grew hard hearted.
And the same is true today of so many Believers.
What happened?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
Like so many of us today, we believe we will always have another chance to get right.
We sit in church,
hearing the messages,
hearing the truth of God’s Word,
and thinking that at any time we can get right with God.
But it doesn’t work that way.
The longer you sit, the more apt you are to become hard, and even harder.
If you’re sitting here thinking that you will always have another chance to get right, then you are hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
There is no doubt they had religion.
They believed in God.
They believed in God’s Word.
II Tim. 3:7, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Rom. 10:2, “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.”
They had a zeal,
They had religion,
But they still didn’t know God,
They never truly knew God.
Many people today have a head knowledge,
They know the Bible,
They know God,
But they don’t really know Him.
Their religion was empty,
Their relationship was empty.
Is your relationship empty?
Do you know God without really knowing Him?
Then you are hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
This is what I commonly call “Churchianity.”
We’ve become good at playing church without being good Christians.
We can impress the church members but we don’t impress God.
We’re really good at playing church,
Smiling at the right time,
Singing the songs,
Opening the Bible,
But the heart is so hard.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
How often do you thank God for your salvation?
How often do you thank God for your daily blessings?
You could have been born in Russia.
You could have been married to some wife beating, drug using, adulterous man.
You could have been married to some slut of a woman who sleeps around.
We are an ungrateful people.
And we are hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
When you would rather stay home than go to church, you’re hard hearted.
When you just don’t feel like coming to church, you’re hard hearted.
When you would rather work some overtime than attend church, you’re hard hearted.
It ought to break your heart to have to miss church.
But some many Christians are more interested in making money than they are about serving God.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
6. They become distracted with the things of the world
I John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Matt. 6:24, “No man can serve two masters...”
Luke 16:13, “No servant can serve two masters...”
Is that new car caught your eye?
Have been looking for new home?
Have you been eyeing that new boat?
Why are you missing church?
Are you hard hearted?
Why aren’t you serving the Lord?
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
6. They become distracted with the things of the world
7. They quit walking by faith
Remember when everything was a new adventure?
Remember when you were excited about God could do?
Remember when you were willing to step out by faith?
Remember when you were willing to do anything to help your church?
Now, you don’t want to do anything.
You won’t be faithful,
You won’t come to meetings,
You won’t volunteer for nothing,
And you’re hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
6. They become distracted with the things of the world
7. They quit walking by faith
8. They do not see God in their daily lives
Did you read your Bible today?
Have you gotten hard hearted?
Did you spend some time with God today?
Have you quit looking for God?
Do you feel guilty when you don’t read your Bible or pray?
If not, then you are hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
6. They become distracted with the things of the world
7. They quit walking by faith
8. They do not see God in their daily lives
9. They got bitter and angry
People today get angry and bitter because things to not work out the way you expected.
You didn’t get put on the Board of Trustees...
You didn’t get the part you wanted in the Christmas program...
You don’t like any form that makes you accountable...
You don’t like workers reports because they make you accountable...
You didn’t like who got a certain position...
Of course, you haven’t done anything to get anyone in the pews.
You won’t come to meetings,
You won’t turn in your volunteer forms,
But you’re still upset.
And you’re hard hearted.
How did they become hard hearted?
1. They believed they would always have another chance
2. They had a head knowledge without a heart experience
3. They knew how to impress the brethren but not worried about God
4. They got to a point where they were not thankful
5. Their main objective in life is no longer serving God
6. They become distracted with the things of the world
7. They quit walking by faith
8. They do not see God in their daily lives
9. They got bitter and angry
10. Things become routine and ritualistic with no real reason
A Sunday School teacher who barely studies,
A Children Church worker who wants out,
A Bus Worker who is getting bored,
A choir member who misses practice,
Missing prayer meetings because “I forgot,”
Missing Wednesday night because you’re tired,
Your church life has become routine,
Your Christian life has become ritualistic,
And your life has no real reason.
You’re just going through the motions.
And you’re hard hearted.
OKAY, what should you do if you feel like you might be getting hard hearted?
Imagine some clay and a potter who is molding the clay.
Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”
If God is our Father,
If we are moldable clay,
If we let the Lord work as a potter,
Then there are four things we need to do.
1. Add Water
Eph. 5:26, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.”
Get in the Book!
Get the Bible in you!
The potter takes the clay and adds a little water to make it moldable.
2. Allow The Holy Spirit To Work
Allow the Holy Spirit to work your life over a little, a little kneading, if you please.
Let the Holy Spirit work in your heart.
Admit you are just a little hard hearted.
3. Apply Some Pressure
The potter takes the clay,
works it a little,
kneads a little,
puts it on the potter’s wheel,
and puts on the pressure.
The potter cannot make a clay pot without some pressure.
You and I are never going to be molded and used of God without some pressure.
And the pressure is going to come from the preaching.
Preach the Word,
Be instant in season, out of season;
Reprove,
Rebuke,
Preach!
Pressure.
Several years ago a family left our church and when I went to ask the man, why here’s what he said, “There’s too much pressure.”
Pressure is what keeps you going,
Pressure is what makes it all work,
Pressure is what we need.
If you think that maybe you’re getting just a little hard hearted, then tonight you need to take care of it.
If you don’t think you’re hard hearted, then tonight you need to take care of it.
Don’t let it ruin your Christian life.
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