Faithfulness,
Not Stubbornness

Faithfulness,
Not Stubbornness

by Wayne Dailey
Senior Pastor, Bethel Revival Center
43 Norwood St.
Everett, MA 02149

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Hebrews 3:1,2
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

Holy Brethren! Is that what we are? Are we following up on this? Can we be called holy brethren? (not just brethren: but holy brethren).

The day is coming when we'll be taken up to meet the Lord in the air: partakers of the heavenly calling. Being ready for that day is something we ought to consider, preparing ourselves, that we be found ready.

Consider Jesus
The Apostle and High Priest
Of Our Profession

Surely Jesus has a high place. When we think of Him and all that we attain to through Him, it makes us want to get closer and closer — to dig more and more into the Word and find all that He has for us.

Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

Moses was a faithful man of God, and we want to be found in that same realm of being faithful. How important it is that we learn to be faithful. If we're not faithful where we are now, how can we expect that we'll be faithful down the road a ways? It must be in our heart if we're ever going to be brought to such a place.

Hebrews 3:1,2
. . . Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

Oh, the faithfulness of Jesus and the faithfulness of Moses: if you look back in the Scriptures at what Moses was and what he went through, you'll see just what a faithful man he turned out to be. There was the situation where he had to lead the people across the water to escape the Egyptian army who was pursuing them. How did they get across the Red Sea? How did all of that happen? Somebody must have had something to do with it.

Know this, Moses had a major part in this great event. God's blessing was upon him and upon his life. The things he was called to do stagger one's mind.

Hebrews 3:3
For this Man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.

This Man is Jesus. Moses did many great things, but Jesus is counted worthy of more glory. Think of all the great things Moses did in leading the children of Israel out of bondage and through the vast wilderness. It's more than one's mind can fully grasp. How great these things were that were accomplished through him.

Would to God I had more knowledge. Would to God I could reach out farther than where I am, and that you could reach out farther than where you are.

Who was faithful to Him that appointed Him

Faithful to someone who appoints us. There's a place in our Christian faith of doing something that should really count.

You've got to realize that there's a calling on your life, something which you didn't have much to do with. Know that it was God who called you; and come to that place where you're wanting to be faithful to Him. He is wanting to draw your heart, and you should want a day when it's going to happen.

Surely, God is going to stop and take a look at you and do what He wants to do with your life: but you want to be ready.

Faithfulness

We should be faithful. It doesn't matter what part we are to have, we should be faithful in all that we do.

We should be — but that doesn't mean that everyone is faithful. I think it means this: everyone who wants to be faithful can be faithful.

And I can't think of any greater place to be faithful than in being faithful to our Lord. After all, He's faithful to us. Look at what He does for us. Look at how He cares for us, how He supplies our every need. Just think of what goes on for our benefit. It should make us realize that we ought to be faithful, too.

Take this to heart. What does God want of you, what does He expect of you? It's up to God to let you know: and He will do just that — in His time.

Hebrews 3:4
For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God.

Let's think of what this would mean. Who built all things? God did. So we look not only at God doing things — but also whom He would raise up to do it through.

For every house is builded by some man

Man has done some things: but God has done all things. Yes, He that has built all things is God.

Yes, God does all things — and doesn't He do them well! And He has a great many things yet to take place, things that are a part of what He is doing in this day and age.

Now, know that He has His own way of doing things. Some man built each house: But, then, what has God built? And who has He used in building those things?

He used man to get the church going.

It's not enough just to have a building called church. It's a church because it is a place where God's people can gather together to worship Him as a body, who are called the church.

John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.

This is speaking of Jesus. All things were made by Him. How could Jesus have made all these things? Think about it when you look up at the sky. All that you see up there was built by Jesus Christ. He made all things that were made.

What great things we have been made a part of.

Hebrews 3:5
And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after.

Moses was faithful as a servant.

Think of how much Moses had in his life and ministry. Such great anointing and power was given him in his lifetime.

Hold Fast to the End

Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

There are some things you have to hold on to if you intend to go all the way. How far are you going with God? All the way? That's the way to go. Put your whole heart into walking with God. Go on with Him, doing just what He would want you to do every day.

There are those things which He wants, those things He has in His mind — and you have to be ready, knowing there is a time when His purposes are carried out in your life.

Hebrews 3:6
But Christ as a son over His own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

These are things God would want us to hold fast to right to the end: the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope. Yes, we are to hold these fast and firm — right to the end.

Let's have joy in our heart and life. Let's have joy in the church. It's OK to be joyous in church. It's OK to clap our hands and sing.

Isn't joy a great part of our walk with the Lord? We have so much to be happy and joyful about. We're blessed, and Jesus has in mind to bless us even more and more.

If . . . Then . . .

Hebrews 3:7
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice . . .

IF — if you do your part, He will do His part.

This verse begins to tell us something the Holy Ghost has said that ties in with what has been said previously.

Today if you will hear His voice

Today! That's not speaking of tomorrow, nor of another day yet to come. No, it speaks of today, right now. If you want the things of God in your life, then you want them to start working in you today. You want to be growing day by day in grace and in knowledge because you love Jesus, and because you desire more and more of Him.

The love Jesus has for you, the joy He has given you — these grow as you grow in Him.

Now, today hear His voice. Don't turn your back. Don't do something that will cause you to step back from Jesus. Set yourself to serve Him with all your heart.

That's what I've done, and I've been serving Him for over 50 years of my life! I thank God for all the days and weeks and months and years that have gone by wherein I have seen the Lord's blessings in my life. And how much more He intends to bless.

Yes, He will bless us more and more as we love and serve Him.

What He looks for is for us to reach out to Him with our hearts, knowing that He is wanting to give us of things that are spiritual, wanting to make things abound unto us.

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice . . .

There are those who don't want to hear His voice — because they don't want to be in the place to do what He would want them to do.

This is the fault of more people than you can imagine, whether it would be at church or at home or at work. So many have no mind to do those things that they should do, and they don't want to listen.

Now, the Scriptures here say, Today if you will hear His voice. It's not today when you hear, but today IF you will hear. If you don't want to, don't. But if you want to learn about Jesus, if you want to draw close to Him, you'll want to hear what the Holy Ghost has to say to you.

The Lord would want His people to get more into the things of the Holy Ghost, want them to get filled with the Spirit.

You get an infilling of the Holy Ghost and you will find yourself in a lot of things that are real and spiritual, because that's the realm where the Lord works so much.

All these years of being filled with the Spirit have been a great source of aid and help in my life.

Stop and think what it means when we don't take to heart what He has for us. We need to be filled with God's Holy Spirit. This is what God would want for us, and therefore He will draw on our hearts, bringing us into the place where He can bless our lives.

It just takes people wanting to get serious about it — but so many are not serious.

Harden Not Your Heart

Hebrews 3:8
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Israel was having one of their times. Moses had troubles, a lot of troubles, with the children of Israel out there in the wilderness.

We are told here not to harden our hearts as they did back then. Israel didn't want to be satisfied. When God told them what to do, they didn't want to do it. When He told them about going forth into the Promised Land, they didn't want to go. They brought so much trouble upon themselves — just because they failed to do as God told them to do.

I'm not going to do it! I said I'm not going to do it! Don't ask me again.

This is what people do when they harden their hearts: they won't give in. They're stubborn as the day comes. What are they going to gain when they're like this?

We can learn from this not to harden our hearts as they did, but to hear the voice of the Holy Ghost when He speaks today. Thank God we can hear His voice.

Now, what kind of spirit did we have before we received the Holy Spirit?

We need to realize how much Jesus really loves us, how much He really cares for us. If we don't realize that Jesus loves us, we're really missing something.

Hebrews 3:8,9
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.

They're in trouble. They're not about to yield. They're not going to do what's right. And now they're in trouble like they've never been in trouble before. This is going to bring on them a burden they're not willing to bear. They're going to weep and cry, wondering why they're not getting this or that.

And it's only because they didn't want to listen, because they didn't want to believe. Today if you will hear His voice — there were a lot of days when they wouldn't hear and they wouldn't hear. They built the days up. It got heavier and worse. The burdens were hard. They weren't paying mind to what the Lord had spoken.

Stubbornness

There was a promised land to go to, and Moses was in the process of wanting to take them there. But these were a people who were stubborn, just as stubborn as could be. And what did they get out of their stubbornness? Nothing! Oh, it brought them something: it brought them something they didn't want, something that would cause them many regrets throughout their lifetime — all because they would not listen to God.

Don't you be like this. Don't you be that stubborn person. Don't you harden your heart and refuse to listen to what the Lord has to say.

Hebrews 3:8,9
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.

That word provocation: provoking God, provoking God's anger. Listen, God can be provoked. Don't forget that. Just don't go around taking everything for granted. You don't want to be like that. No, that's just putting you into jeopardy, and will keep you in a bad place.

Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost says, To day if you will hear His voice) . . .

Today IF you will hear. If they had heard His voice back then, if they had listened on that day in which He spoke, it would have helped them. God would have seen that they had a change of heart, that they wanted to follow Him.

Hebrews 3:9
When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years.

They had tempted God, proving that He would do just as He said He would do.

They would not go up the mountain to enter into the Promised Land. They talked about the land, but when it came right down to it they didn't want to go. And what did they do? They hardened their hearts in the day of provocation, in the day that they provoked God. They're in trouble! All because they would not hear. That's where people are always getting into trouble — when they won't listen.

Do you want trouble? I'll tell you how to get some, and also how to avoid it. Don't do what they did back there.

They spent forty years wandering in that wilderness as the result of their hardness of heart, the result of their refusal to listen, their refusal to believe God.

That wilderness was a desert place, a snake-infested place, a dry and barren land.

God took that whole group of people and turned them around to go back into the desert where they would live for forty years — all because of their stubborn way of not listening to God. God would have blessed them, but here they are wandering in that wilderness for forty long years.

Today God's people ought to look at things like this, and take heed. They ought to check things out. Maybe their stubborn ways are a lot like this.

Are you like this? You won't listen. You want everything your way. You want to do it all yourself. You don't want to listen to God. You don't want to listen to the preacher. You don't want to pay mind to the Word of God.

Shouldn't you pay mind to the preacher when he is preaching from God's Word, when he is striving to guide you in the right way?

Picture what it was like back there. There you are. You've been turned right around in the road. There are no cars to get into, no trucks: but there are lots of rough places as you walk along. And there you are, going down, down, down, back into that awful place again — to wander for forty years.

What does this mean to us?

We shouldn't be foolish. If God is speaking to us, we want to quickly respond, Yes, Lord, I'm willing. Always willing to say, Yes, Lord. Never found in the realm where God would call us stubborn, where He would have to say that we have hardened our hearts as in the day of the provocation.

He is warning us here in Hebrews not to be like that. What if that were you! What if you were being brought into such a state as they were for your stubborn ways!

You can read it for yourself in the Scriptures and see how hard those forty years were. This was a terrible time for them — all because they provoked God. They wouldn't go up when God told them to go up, so God turned them around and sent them back to wander in that wilderness.

This is written as a warning to us today, lest we harden our hearts as they did.

Why did they do that? They were stubborn. They didn't want to obey God. They weren't going to listen to what He had to say. And they paid for it dearly.

It's a picture of man right when God would want to bless them, right when He would do so much to help them, right when He would lead them into the Promised Land: but there they were back down there in that barren wilderness. It was terrible down there.

God gave them the information as to what to do, but they were stubborn, they refused to give heed.

Now, there wasn't anything wrong with God here. There was something wrong with His people. It wasn't God who had a problem. It was His people.

Hebrews 3:10-12
Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known My ways. So I sware in My wrath, They shall not enter into My rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

We want to love and serve the Lord. We want to walk with the Lord in obedience. We want to listen to His voice, and do all that He would expect of us.

Now, after God had told them that none who had provoked Him would see the Promised Land but would stay in the wilderness for forty years, they took it upon themselves to go up the mountain, anyhow.

Numbers 14:40-43
And they rose up early in the morning, and gat them up into the top of the mountain, saying, Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.

And Moses said, Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper. Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword: because ye are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.

Moses warned them — but, once again, they didn't want to listen. Once again, they did something to their own hurt.

Numbers 14:44,45
But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp. Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

Just because they were stubborn and wouldn't listen doesn't mean we have to follow their ways.

This is why we're warned in Hebrews to hear His voice, and not harden our hearts as they did.

Surrender Your All to God

Don't be foolish! Put your whole heart into serving Jesus Christ. Surrender your all to Him. If you're having problems with being stubborn and going your own way, get down before the Lord and start to confess your sin, asking Him to forgive you.

God can bring you up out of that. He can get you past that place in your life — if you let Him.

Hebrews 3:14,15
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; while it is said, To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.