Hebrews 3:12 – Warning from God about falling away from faith in and relationship with living God.

Hebrews 3:13 – Exhortation from God about working together as a group of believers to keep anyone among us from falling away.

Hebrews 3:14-15 – Those who don’t fall away are those who remain believers in Jesus Christ and obedient followers of Jesus Christ until the end of their lives. In other words, when Jesus/God speaks, they listen and act according to what was spoken instead of hardening their hearts and doing something other than what was spoken.

Hebrews 3:16-19 – Israel (God’s chosen people) used as an example of unbelief. God’s response to Israel’s unbelief used to show us how God feels about our unbelief.

1. (vs.16) Unbelief in response to hearing God speak provokes Him (arouses or incites God to action – usually of a negative, angry or exasperated nature).

2. (vs. 17) Unbelief leads to sin against God, which angers Him (a strong feeling of displeasure and even hostility as a result of being wronged).

3. (vs. 18) Unbelief, which inevitably leads to disobedience, brings God’s judgment – a judgment that prevents the unbeliever from entering His rest.

4. (vs. 19) Summary: It is the settled condition of unbelief that prevents you from entering God’s.

Hebrews 4:1-11 – How should we respond to God’s warning? Be afraid (vs. 4:1) and be diligent (vs. 4:11)

1. (vs. 1) First response to God’s warning: Be afraid of falling away. Respond to this fear by remaining vigilant (being on constant guard) against falling away – both for yourself but for every one of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

   1. (vs. 2-5) The basis of fear leading to constant vigilance against falling away is the fact you have heard God’s message of good news (concerning salvation) just as Israel had God’s good news given to them (concerning the Promised Land). However, hearing is not equal to obedience any more than knowing is equal to faith. Faith in God is proven by hearing coupled with obedience. This is the faith that is rewarded by being able to enter God’s rest.

   2. (vs. 3-4) This is the first clue that the “rest” spoken of here in Hebrews for us today is something greater than the rest offered to Israel in the Promised Land (“His works were finished from the foundation of the world”).

   3. (vs. 5) God’s provides one more affirmation that unbelief and disobedience keeps us from entering His rest.

2. (vs. 6-10) Building on the fact that God has a “rest” for His children today that is greater than the “rest” He offered the Israelites in the Promised Land, the writer points out that God’s “rest” is still being offered to anyone who will listen to and obey the voice (words, inner conviction) of Jesus.

   1. (vs. 7) Clearly, the time to enter God’s rest is “today.” Currently, “today” is any moment in time when you have the mental ability to respond in faith to what you hear Jesus speaking to you.

   2. (vs. 8) God further proves His point about His “rest” for us today being greater than the Promised Land by pointing out that even though Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, he was unable to lead them into a rest without labor and eternal in nature.

   3. (vs. 9-10) God moves from speaking about a strictly eternal rest to one that you can begin experiencing today. This is the Sabbath rest – a rest that can be enjoyed now and through out eternity. This is the rest of salvation, and the labor that ends is the labor of earning our salvation or trying to perpetually appease God so as to be granted salvation.

3. (vs. 11) Second response to God’s warning: Be diligent to enter that rest. Without diligence, some are likely to miss out on God’s rest just as a whole generation of Israelites missed out on the Promised Land.

4. (vs. 12-13) Why be afraid and why be diligent in making sure you don’t fall away from entering God’s rest and that none of your brothers and sisters in Christ fall away?

   1. (vs. 12) Because you cannot hide your unbelief and disobedience from God’s word. The word discerns you as you really are – from the inside out.

   2. (vs. 13) Because you cannot hide your unbelief and disobedience from God’s sight. He sees well beyond your outward appearances.