Huddle Up!

But you’re going to get up and fight on. Comfort is given and confidence is renewed. Because if you go out there– if I walked over this wall and went boom, boom, boom, boom, and you stopped me and said, what are you doing? And I said, well, you know, we need to remove this wall because we’re doing an expansion project. And you’re like, not with fear.

Ahead, man. That’s a loser’s game. Well, that needs to happen because in a football game, you’re using your head the rest of your body to do things that you need confidence to be restored. So imagine this, OK? My three words that I circled from his writings is courage, right?

And comfort, yeah? And confidence. So these 11 guys– the size of sequins or redwood trees, these are huge humans. Come together and they are in bad need every play. That means if you don’t care a little bit about football, know this.

There’s a lot of plays in a four-quarter game. And between every play, some form of these things are being handed out in a huddle. Said the tightness chaplain, huddles are everything to the players. And he added, you can’t play the game alone. I know hurry up offense and all that stuff, wrecks my illustration.

So ignore that. Huddles are important. So in this series that I’ve titled Healthy, come into the end. We have two more weeks, two or three more weeks. We’ve considered a list of things that God says a healthy Christian Christian is, has, or does.

So if you’re new in this series of messages, you can go to our website at gracepointfamily.com and look up past messages. You can go all the way back to the beginning last fall, late September, when we launched this series. And I think you’ll find it enriching. I certainly have a person.

So today I want us to talk about and consider how huddle up is critical to our health Let me go bigger than that. It’s critical to our survival as Christians. I’m not talking football now. Talking about you and me in a huddle on a regular basis. My Bible’s open to Hebrews chapter three.

If you’ve not turned there yet, would you find your way to chapter three for some timely counsel? And can I stay with the theme from our coach? The Holy Spirit, okay? Might have expected me to say I’m the coach on the captain of the team or the senior password. But you know what?

There’s one way better than me. And he’s the Holy Spirit. He’s our coach. And as you locate God’s advice, I want you right now, if you need to keep turning there, just listen. If you found your way there, look up.

Let me talk to men for a minute. If you’re a man in our midst today and you went, let’s go play for a minute. To me because I’m your doctor. And when you came, we start a little conversation. And I’m looking at the chart that shows me details about who you are and in particular your age.

I kind of check you out a little bit to make sure, you know, there’s nothing obvious standing out about you. But I know this, I know your age. And if you’ve been with me for a while, we kind of know something about lifestyle. Are you sedentary? Are you active?

Do you smoke drink? You know, all those things that I want to know that will help me in my advice to you. And I’m kind of, well, let’s call a wellness check. Okay, guys, you with me? And somewhere in here, I say to you, you know, Steve, you’re a certain age and guys your age need to pay attention to.

And never mind how I finished the sentence. What do you do with that counsel? You can ignore it, some do, and whatever. You’re on your own. Good luck.

Most people, most guys, this guy goes, did it? I had my doctor, happens to be a female doctor, say to me, a few years back, with all this check. Hey, Steve, I put all my patients. So it’s guys and gals. I put them all on a baby aspirin when they hit this age.

I’m like, listen, unless you haven’t noticed, I’m not a baby. I’m a big boy. How’s a baby aspirin going to do anything for me? And she’s playing that. And guess what?

I buy a baby, I buy a bare baby aspirin. And I take one every day. And so when I get a little cut, I bleed like a dead guy, you know, I mean, it’s my blood. But anyway, you get the point, all of you are that age too, or many of you. Your doctor’s probably not my doctor, but you get the same counsel.

“Ladies, let’s go to you now.” I’m not your doctor, but let’s not go to the clinic. Let’s say you read an article. And in that article, you read something that says, hey, this is something that women need to be aware of, and screened for. What do you do with that?

Let me just give you the answer in the McCracken family. All the women I know and love, pay attention, and they’re there for whatever that doctor says. And under this nuisance, it goes, hey, it’s about time to get checked out. So I love them. And this article’s spot on.

It’s good counsel. So here in Hebrews 3, the Holy Spirit is issuing a warning about a known health threat you got to God’s people. So let’s ask for years to hear and hearts to heed what the Holy Spirit has for us. Would you pray with God? We come to you in the name of Jesus, excited that you told us, Jesus, when you were on your last night, before you gave your life, for us, said, when I leave, the Holy Spirit will come and He will teach you.

And so that’s exciting to us today. We want to learn. We want to heed what you have to say. We ask for you for help from you to do that in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amen. All right. These words were written to a mostly Jewish audience, Hebrews 3. They were second-generation Jesus lovers. What that means is their parents were the first generations or people before them when Jesus was alive.

He’s been off the scene physically for 30-plus years. Just a point of setting. And they, as a very early following of Jesus, were faced with hurricane headwinds that was hitting hard. If you’ve ever run a race or flown on an airplane that’s running straight into headwinds, you know it’s lumpy and you know this, it slows you down. Airplanes don’t complain, but people do and they go, “This is not worth it.

This is too hard.” And that’s what these people are going through. There’s persecution because they gave up on Judaism and they went with Jesus. That’s a problem if you were living at that time. Frankly, it still is.

You’re a Jewish and a religious Orthodox Jew. You haven’t made the connection yet that Isaiah 53 was talking about Mishalal, Messiah Jesus. Okay. Because of this headwind, they’re tempted to give up. When we come to these words, verse 1 of chapter 3, “Therefore holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our Apostle and High Priest.”

drop down to verse 7. So as the Holy Spirit, our teacher says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not heart your hearts.” As you did in the rebellion, past tense, pointing back to something that we’ll get to in a minute. During the time of testing in the wilderness, oh, that’s a point of reference. That’s clearer now than he mentions it.

During that time of testing in the wilderness where your ancestors tested and tried me, how even if you’re slow, you’re starting to get it. You’re going, whoa, whoa, whoa. I know what he’s talking about. And then he fills in more details. There were 40 years with me and they saw what I did.

So why I was angry with that generation long, long, long ago. I said their hearts are always going astray and they have not known my ways. So I declared an oath in my anger. Can you imagine being the subject? Of these words.

They shall never enter my rest. You can spend a lot of time talking. The Bible talks about rest in a variety of ways. Come on to me all who are weary and heavy ladies. Jesus said in Matthew 11, and I will give you rest.

That’s one news. Another is a final permanent rest when people of God are home in heaven and it’s called rest. So see to it. Now verse 12. That back story verse 12.

See to it brothers and sisters that none of you has a sinful and believing heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily as long as it’s called today. So that none of you may be hardened by sins. Deceitfulness. All right.

Let’s stop and take note of a few things. I said earlier quoting the Tennessee Titans head coach. Huddles are everything. It’s really true. The Bible agrees.

You probably expect me to say this somewhere along the way. So a holy huddle is really important. Right? With me? Now here’s the deal.

Why is huddling? If you’re sitting here, you’re thinking what I was thinking as I’m processing this. I’m like that’s a big deal to God. Why is it such a big deal? Let’s break it down in two or three reasons that have been furnished in the words we’ve just read.

The first is this. Would you write this down? Write this down. Huddling up reduces the risk of a sinful, unbelieving heart for Christians. Now if you think we have, I know that guy that he’s talking about.

We used to do things, but they’re not hearing them. Then you’re at least slightly, if not greatly, missing the point. Not about them. It’s about you and it’s about me because we’re hearing these Holy Spirit words right now. So the Holy Spirit saying Huddling reduces the risk of his words verse 12, sinful, unbelieving heart.

What does this sinful, unbelieving heart look like? Circle the word on believing in your Bible. Would you do that right now? It’s really an important word. It’s the Greek word apothea.

What’s that sound like? Apathetic. Huddling up’s important to keep you and me from becoming spiritual yawners. That’s apathetic. I hope, I hope, I hope.

New job concert week old. That’s apathy. And the Bible saying that’s not good. It’s unbelieving. That’s why it’s translated unbelieving in the test here.

It’s a spiritual shrug of the shoulders. It’s hearing Holy, sacred, eternal, unchained, changing truth in God. My number one hated word, strong word. You have children explaining that hyperbole. Whatever.

It’s like light that fire in me, Jesus. Don’t let me be a whole home. Don’t let me go whatever when it comes to what you’re saying to me. It’s too big, too much is right. It’s who cares attitude when it comes to things that we should care all about.

It’s a very slow creeping, watch my hands, separateness in our relationship with God. Creeping separateness is a good description. Someone has said one of the greatest foes facing Christianity, his spiritual complacency. His name to A. W.

Toser, I don’t know if that’s familiar with you. He’s a spiritual giant. One of the greatest foes facing Christians like me, spiritual complacency. That’s why if you were here two weeks ago, it hit me hard to tell you about you, Ziya. God helped me never walk into church with a swag like I got this down.

I don’t want to come up here and not tremble. So how do I know produces the risk of this sinful, he’s calling it, apothea heart, unbelieving heart. Question, is that happening to you even in little ways? Are you today? A little less hungry, or thirsty for God than you once were?

Have you drifted creeping separateness for God? Which takes us to a second reason why I hold it up is huge. Ready for one more to write? A couple more. Secondly, huddling up reduces the risk.

Same verse. Turning away from the living God. Huddling up reduces the risk of me going fiddlesticks, foodies, who cares, and walking away from the living God. See how verse 12 ends turns away from the living God. This is revealing.

Get this. These people once walked with God. Two were reading about. There was a first audience that these words were intended for. And we are a second audience, an extended audience.

And they were walking with God at one time, but now they’re at risk of turning away from God. So what happened? I know I’m describing your sons and daughters, some of them. What happened? How did this happen?

They walked away from the living God. By the way, this is not just the things of God. Those are telling. They don’t go to church anymore. They don’t read their Bible anymore.

They don’t serve. They don’t give. They can’t tell you the last time they talked to a stranger about Jesus. So this is more than those things though. What I’m saying here is not just “Oh, wow, you don’t read your Bible, so you’re just out too much.”

It’s way worse than that. Those are just revealing symptoms of people that go “I don’t care anymore, apothea. Don’t you get it?” The Holy Spirit is saying it’s way worse than that. The Creator denial is not, “Oh, man, they don’t come to church.”

No, it’s greater than that. God. It’s they have turned away from the living God. Not just practices that look holy and full of piety, it’s the person of God Himself. That’s why this should pause in our step, should sober us, to cause us to beg God for the souls of our kids and great kids.

Bowers as well. And this stuff really does happen. Second Chronicles chapter 26, if you weren’t here last two weeks ago, last week, King Uzziah, I’m winced every word I spoke that Sunday because I thought, “No!” It was our role the Bible says and then he walked away. Calm it up.

Huddling is huge for a third reason, right? Huddling gives us protection against spiritual deception. Verse 13. That’s called deception. That’s like a child showing up on Christmas morning and looking at a tree full of presents and and thinking, first of all, they’re all for me, which might be correct.

And secondly, secondly, lucky me, there’s a disconnect. You expect that from a child, do you not? Santa showed up or whatever you say. But this is real stuff. This isn’t my playful picture.

This is God saying, “I” and that provider. I’m the one caring for you. And to call it coincidence or luck is hard to hear, say the least. That’s deception. Then we’re showing an example.

And I really want to just quickly point it out. We read it. Most Bible said it apart in different block, different print, verses 7 to 11. But it’s showing us an example of the nation of Israel. And every reader then, fewer of us today make this obvious direct line connection.

But the intent here is if I can be successful in this, you will. You’ll say, wow, that is, these people are hearing about a real live example of this. And they knew it. They were able to quick, click through the passages where this story is told. Numbers is a huge one.

And beyond six or seven or eight chapters there. It’s a big story where God delivered his people. We love to tell the exit of this story, don’t we? God comes through, Pharaoh bearing down. They’re going to drown or get driven through in the spear.

God said, hold on. It’s the fact. And the seas part. And he delivers them and they cross through. And then he destroys their pursuing enemies.

That’s part of the Exodus story. And he cares for them along the way as they begin their trek toward Canaan. We would call it the Holy Land today, Israel. And there’s many signs and wonders that happen along the way. Here’s the deal.

If you had living, then you were part of the miracles. That is, you witnessed it. It’s not hearsay. It’s not traditions that were passed down. These are things you watched with your own eyes.

Do you have my golly? And remember that list of things that cross into the sea? We had no water. God provides. We had no food.

Birds come down. The desert man. This is cool stuff. This is beyond cool. This is we couldn’t have made it without him.

But the experience didn’t bring them closer to God. They didn’t deepen their trust in him. To put it harshly, it was absolutely of no benefit or gain to them whatsoever spiritually. I’m sorry if I’m making it sound sentimental. If you’re God, never mind your act.

You’re hurt. Fair enough. What have I done for you? Look at everything I delivered to you. Numbers 14, you’ve got to read that today.

And I don’t think you’ll be able to stop at the end of chapter 14. Just keep reading and you’ll see about it. But I want to show you a verse. Numbers 14 verse 22. See if you don’t sense that’s this plaintive tone that I’m describing as God points to this.

That were dismissive of him. They’ve all seemed like glorious presence. This is God’s own words, his own testimony. And the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt when they were there and in the wilderness when I delivered them from Egypt all their way home to this land I’m going to give them. But again and again, they tested me and refused to listen to my voice.

I did it all for. And I didn’t work. I know a question that’s contemporary. Is this condition occurring in your life? Are you someone who’s been cared for by God as Israel had to work?

In a daily walk. In a daily talk in your life. It’s a huge issue to God. So huge. I’m going to give you another passage.

We’ve run out of time to go there. 1 Corinthians 10 all the way into the New Testament centuries later. The Apostle Paul says not once but twice as he goes back in time to this history lesson. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10 verses 1 to 13. I must read today.

But let me just tell you read this sentence twice. These things happened to them pointing to the Israelites as an example for you. So the people have all this stuff given to them by God. All this care. And then they blew it off.

They dismissed it. The result. The Apostle in 1 Corinthians 10 is saying, look, these things happen to them as examples for you to not follow in their footsteps. In other words, change it up. We think like those words you were just looking at.

We are like a patient whose doctor warns them. You think about it earlier to change your diet or exercise. But they do neither. Dr. Maven point out numbers, your cholesterol is really high.

It’s troubling. And instead of changing it up, they say something like, you know, this is the test. Who’s going to trust the test, right? They got it wrong. And then, and I’ve done that.

By the way. And then I point to my family and go, hey, you know, my dad was roommates with Moses. He’s still alive. It’s not too hard. You know, he loves bacon.

You know, why is that a problem? You know, and not all these reasons around good counsel. Where’s the wisdom in that? It’s not healthy at all. So there is a healthy conclusion here.

And we have some choices that he gives them to us. Let me give you two that he mentions. Verse 12, see to it. Huddle up often. See to it is a great piece of counsel.

It’s an expression that points to you and me taking personal responsibility about something that we are able to do. Huddle up. Get in a life group. Pastor Michael is going to spend a ton of time this year helping ready for this 100% of us huddle up. More on that very soon in a brand new series called Deep and Wide.

But it’s the responsibility of all, not a few, but brothers and sisters like you and I, huddling up, seeing to it. When we look around and see other leaders have fallen hard. They’ve got a hard heart or a rebellious or they turned away or the sinful unbelief. All these things we’re reading here in Hebrews 3. And we say that won’t happen to us.

Wives people say, maybe it could, in my case. Maybe I should rethink my approach. Years ago, I was on it. Trip with my family, and we were leaving West Yellowstone, heading north to Montana. It was nighttime, I remember.

We were in a minivan. Most people were asleep, but I gave some thought to that when I was driving. And we’re making our way north and I can see crosses, little white crosses on the side of that road. I couldn’t tell you which highway it was, but sometimes just one cross all by itself. Sometimes two or or sometimes a whole group like a little gathering of crosses.

And there was no sign explaining that, so I remember just grabbing the wheel slightly and pulling a little further to the right. Knowing intuitively something happened here that I don’t want to have happened to me and my wife and my three little ones. The hotel in Montana, Billings, I told him about that. I said, is this a, I literally, there’s so many of them. Dozens, maybe a hundred by the time this 50 mile stretch of road.

I’m thinking, what? Is this to the point where I’m thinking this artwork, maybe a weird kind of heart? And he explained that my self-correction was wives. Every one of those crosses represents somebody that died on, they’ve got a name, death road or something like this. They go to Yellowstone and they get drunk and they decide they’re gonna come home.

And it’s as predictable as the preacher going over on Sunday morning. (audience laughing) I’ve never joke like that, but it was serious stuff. And I made a correction saying I’m gonna drive this road differently. My Bible tells me there’s others that have died on the way. I don’t want to be one of them.

Amen? You don’t want to be one of them. Unlop. Last piece of counsel, be encouraged. You see how verse 13, be encouraging.

Encourage one another ever so often when you think about it. Now my Bible says daily, daily. To come alongside, same Greek word as the Holy Spirit, paracleta, kletas, paraclete. He’s the one that comes alongside. Jesus described in that way in John chapter 14 and chapter 15 and 16.

He comes alongside to encourage us, to comfort us. What we’re supposed to do. Let’s do it. Let’s be healthy. Let’s be present in each other’s lives.

Now let’s wrap up this message. Let’s sing a really great final song. All right? Now your heads with me, Lord Jesus, thank you. The truth that you have taught us, your spirit is real and present and powerful and personal and I have spoken here today.

I consciously thought, I’m gonna, this is about that person in the fourth row or the 10th row or in the back or on the wings or someplace listening online in the coming week. They don’t go to church anymore, they just listen online. This about me, I, it’s risky, it’s dangerous to not huddle up. This thought just hit me, Lord, maybe it’s risky and dangerous in a different kind of way, too. The risk is what if I’m rejected?

What if I lay it on the line until people are messed up? What if they find a group? Lord, help me to overcome that. The devil wants me to give up and go away and you want me to stay and be in community with others. That’s what you define a healthy Christian is something they get her to do on a continuous daily basis.

So help me to leave here and see to it that I do that. But we’re gonna respond to you in just a beautiful new song and I pray that it would draw us close to you as we wrap up this time and as we look for a way to go huddle up in Jesus’ name.

Transcript machine-generated from the sermon audio, so it may contain errors. 4,232 words.