Don't Miss The Rest (The Second Warning)

This is a transcript edited for reading purposes from a sermon preached at The Heights at Night, The Heights Baptist Church’s weekly Young Adult Ministry on Monday Nights.

Hebrews 3:7–19

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion.” —Hebrews 3:7

Big Idea:

We must not stop short of God's promise. Unbelief will keep us from entering into the rest Christ has secured. This warning is for all of us. And it is urgent.

Introduction: Escaping Egypt Is Not Enough

This week, we dive into the second warning passage in the book of Hebrews. The first was a warning against neglecting salvation. This one is a warning against unbelief. And the message is painfully clear: it is possible to experience God's deliverance and still miss His rest. Just like Israel.

We often treat salvation like a one-time moment, a past event. But salvation is not just about being rescued out of slavery. It is about being brought into communion with God. It is not only about leaving Egypt. It is about entering the Promised Land. And many people, even believers, live stuck in the wilderness. We were not called just to leave sin. We were called to walk in newness of life. We were called into rest.

Hebrews 3 quotes Psalm 95, where God recalls how Israel tested Him in the wilderness. He says, "They saw my works for forty years, yet they went astray in their hearts." The issue was not that God had not revealed Himself. The issue was their unbelief.

I. Many Have Left Egypt but Never Entered Rest

“They were unable to enter because of unbelief.” —Hebrews 3:19

Israel had been rescued from slavery by the power of God. They had seen the Red Sea part. They ate manna from heaven. And still, they doubted. Still, they complained. Still, they rebelled. They hardened their hearts.

The tragic truth is this: you can witness the miracles of God and still have a heart that is far from Him. You can go through the motions. You can attend the gatherings. You can be part of the deliverance and still die in the desert.

This passage is not talking about losing your salvation as much as it is talking about how many miss the fruit, the joy, the peace, and the rest of a life lived in step with Christ. I am convinced that many people who genuinely believe in Jesus still miss what He has for them here and now. They miss the daily delight and rest that God offers.

The root of the problem is hardness of heart.

We become calloused. Not overnight. But over time. We hear the Word. We ignore it. We sin a little. Nothing bad happens. So we sin again. Our conscience numbs. Like Pharaoh, we harden our hearts. Eventually, we cannot feel at all.

That is the warning. If you hear His voice today, do not harden your heart. Do not presume that the warning is for someone else. Do not say, "That could never be me." The disciples themselves, when Jesus said, “One of you will betray me,” each asked, “Is it I, Lord?” That should be our posture. God, surely not me. But if it is me, show me. Expose it. Let me not miss Your rest.

II. Accountability Is the Antidote for Apostasy

“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

Sin is not just bad. It is deceptive. It always lies. It always promises life and brings death. It numbs the soul. And the longer we keep our sin private, the harder our hearts become.

Apostasy rarely begins with loud rebellion. It usually begins with private neglect. A hidden sin. A slow fade. A small compromise. A drifting. That drifting turns into distance. That distance turns into disbelief.

So what is the antidote? Accountability. We must exhort one another daily. Not once a month. Not once a semester. Every day. The way to fight sin is not isolation. It is community. It is people who love you enough to tell you the truth. It is friends who will check the health of your heart and remind you who you are in Christ.

You cannot fight sin in the dark. You need someone who has access to your real life. Someone who knows when you are drifting. Someone who asks hard questions. Someone who holds you to the Word.

“We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” —Hebrews 3:14

This does not mean that we are saved by our community. But it does mean that we persevere through it. A saving faith is an enduring faith. And one of the ways God helps us endure is through people who exhort us to hold on.

III. Today If You Hear His Voice…

The warning in Hebrews 3 repeats the word "today" multiple times. The Spirit is emphasizing that this is urgent. Do not assume you will have another chance. Do not put it off until later. This is not just about ancient Israel. It is about you. Right now. Today. On the other hand, what wonderful news that it is always “today.” If you are breathing then you have the chance to hear and respond to his voice. 

God is speaking. His Word is living and active. His voice is calling. The question is, are you listening? Or has your heart become dull and hard?

Let me say it again. You can be delivered from Egypt and still die in the wilderness. Do not stop short. Enter the rest that Christ has secured.

The gospel is not only about forgiveness. It is about communion. It is not only about escape. It is about abiding. Jesus did not just die just to get you out of hell. He died to bring you into the presence of God.

Conclusion: Rest Is Not a Concept. It Is a Person.

We live in the most anxious generation in recent history. And I believe a large part of that is because we have not truly entered God’s rest.

Jesus says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He says, "Abide in me, and I in you, and you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing." The rest that God offers is not the absence of trouble. It is the presence of Christ. It is knowing that He is with you, He is for you, and He is enough.

So ask yourself:

• Have I truly entered His rest?

• Am I walking in joy, in peace, in freedom?

• Or am I still wandering in the wilderness?

And ask others:

• Do you see drift in me?

• Do I seem spiritually dry?

• Have I become numb to sin?

  
  

Let us not be content with leaving Egypt. Let us press on to the promised land. Let us exhort one another daily. Let us hold fast our confidence in Christ. Let us not harden our hearts.

Do not miss the rest.