DNA Part 3-Gospel Community Part 2

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Introduction:

Why a new church? Last week: Gospel-centered worship (the gospel frees us to worship) “If you aim at nothing, you are going to hit it.” We are now freed to worship. We share something that no one else does on this planet—a shared adoration for God in Jesus. We are also called into life-changing gospel community. We do this in 2 ways here at Vintage: Vintage Communities & DNA groups.

Question: Why do we need DNA?

We meet here on Sunday mornings. We gather in Vintage Communities. Isn’t that enough?

Main Idea: Here in Hebrews 3 we get three direct reasons why we MUST be in DNA groups together (or something equivalent)

My confession/full disclosure—I don’t want to do DNA!! I’ve enjoyed not having it regularly.

We Need DNA Groups Because of the Great Promise

The author of Hebrews lays out throughout the book the amazing salvation we receive through the superior work of Jesus on our behalf.

Hebrews 1:3-4—“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

Hebrews 1:3–4 ESV

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Hebrews 2:14-17—“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” And because of this, he begins to lay out a series of warnings. He actually seems to interrupt himself!

Hebrews 2:14–17 ESV

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Hebrews 2:1—‘Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.”

Hebrews 2:1 ESV

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Illustration: It’s as if he is taking us up so high a mountain that as we get higher and higher he has to continually warn us of falling. There is a warning because salvation is conditional. Not that we can earn salvation on our own. But if we do not persevere to the end, we will not be saved. [no “eternal security but perseverance of the saints]

We Need DNA Groups Because of the Dire Warning

Here in this passage (12-19), there is a warning that we would “take care” that we would not become “hardened by the deceitfulness of sin”

Take care=“look”—watch out!—“mind the gap!” Warning!

Illustration: “Danger Will Robinson”—you know something bad is about to happen

Problem with warning signs — Stone Mountain Park — people die because they don’t heed the warning signs (at first doesn’t look steep until too late)

Here he says, “while it is still Today” — while you still have a chance

And he relates this warning to what happened with the Israelites as they left their slavery from Egypt.

Tell story—“let my people go” … the people complained, grumbled and continually mistrusted God.

I don’t know if you’ve ever read through the stories, but one question come up to my mind. What was so bad that they would get the response that we see in here in Hebrews 3:7-11?

Hebrews 3:7–11 ESV

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ ”

The author is warning us of:

“evil, unbelieving heart” — the core of every sin is a lie

John Owen—The manifestations of unbelief Dissatisfaction with where God has us Disbelieving the plain and direct promises of God Omission of what God requires of us Turn aside to seek unwarranted assistance for help

Paul Tripp—autonomy and self-sufficiency “I don’t like how you do things—I’ll do them my way” I can take care of this myself!

“deceitfulness of sin”

John Piper—“Sin is preferring anything to God. Therefore, all sin — whether alluring us or being experienced by us — is deceitful. All sin is a lie because nothing is more preferable than God. Therefore, all sin, which consists in preferring anything to God, is lying to us.”

“hardening”

Unbelief, therefore, is another way of describing what happens as the truth and beauty and worth of Christ become less and less desirable — less and less welcome, less able to touch and penetrate the hardening heart. Because faith, in its essence, is not mere assent to truth about Christ, but a heartfelt embrace of all the beauty and value that God is for us in Christ. As the heart is deceived by the lie of sin — that anything is more desirable than God — it hardens, and the superior beauty and worth of Christ are no longer felt. And this is called unbelief.

Illustration: Ice Age 2 … the “laughing valley” [actually a terrifying moment] … there was a deadly gas that caused them to laugh and laugh. But realized that they were being seduced towards death after seeing the bones of countless animals that had literally laughed themselves to death.

Illustration: Charlie’s discovery of his brain tumor. Yes he had some bad behavior. And he could have gone to counseling or a psychologist. He could have bought some books on being a better husband and more responsible. And that tumor would keep growing and growing.

So he is telling us “Danger Will Robinson!” Watch out! Danger is lurking! You might not see it coming. And the consequences are terrible and eternal.

Verse 19—“…we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.”

Paul Tripp—The result of, the fruit of self-sufficiency and autonomy is a lifestyle of isolation and self-protection; and isolation and self-protection are enemies of grace.

We Need DNA Because It is the Indispensable Means

God in his word has given us one tangible, actual solution to this terrifying problem—look around the room. There it is!

He has given us each other.

Hebrews 3:13—“But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Hebrews 3:13 ESV

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

“one another”— that’s the solution—that we would “exhort” one another daily

“exhort” here means to “encourage”, call to one’s side. John 14:15—“Helper”=Holy Spirit

What is interesting here is that the author is not warning against specific sins but rather the heart of what results in sins—unbelief.

So accountability is not at its heart about review a list of your sins with another person.

It is about calling and challenging one another to believing the gospel.

It’s about lovingly exposing areas of unbelief in each other’s hearts.

So the question isn’t how many times did you sin this week, but rather what was the underlying belief that led to that sin? What were you not believing about God that caused you to seek it on your own?

What do we do in DNA Groups?

It’s about exposing challenging the lies we believe — Four G’s” (Great, Glorious, Good, Gracious

We need to confess and expose our sin. Proverbs 28:13

Proverbs 28:13 ESV

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

We need to point each other back to the excellencies of Jesus. “He is better. He is enough. Don’t leave him. Be strong. God has you in his hand. “