How can we ensure we are not "refusing Him who speaks"? Setting the Scene “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven?” (Hebrews 12:25) • Hebrews 12 points back to Sinai (earthly warning) and forward to the heavenly voice of Christ. • The exhortation is urgent because greater revelation brings greater accountability. Recognizing the Voice • God speaks today through His written Word (2 Timothy 3:16), His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2), and the Holy Spirit who applies Scripture to our hearts (John 14:26). • “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27) • To ignore Scripture is to ignore Christ; to resist conviction is to resist the Spirit. Cultivating a Reverent Posture • Awe: “Our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:29) • Gratitude: “Therefore let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12:28) • Humility: “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at My word.” (Isaiah 66:2) Practical Steps to Attentive Hearing 1. Daily, unhurried Scripture intake – Read, study, memorize, and meditate (Psalm 119:97). 2. Immediate obedience to known truth – “Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.” (James 1:22) 3. Ongoing repentance – “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:15) 4. Prayerful dependence – Ask the Spirit to illumine and empower (Ephesians 1:17-18). 5. Accountability within the church – “Exhort one another every day… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) Remembering Past Warnings • Israel at Sinai ignored God’s audible voice (Exodus 32); judgment followed. • The wilderness generation “fell” because they “did not combine it with faith” (Hebrews 4:2). • These accounts stand as living parables: greater light rejected brings greater loss (1 Corinthians 10:11). Anchoring to God’s Unshakable Kingdom • Verses 26-28 contrast the coming cosmic shaking with the believer’s steady hope. • When our hearts are set on what cannot be shaken, we are freer to obey without fear of temporal loss. Living It Out • Test every decision, attitude, and teaching by Scripture. • Keep a sensitive conscience; respond quickly when convicted. • Celebrate obedience stories with fellow believers to reinforce a culture of hearing and doing. • View each day as fresh opportunity to heed the heavenly voice. Summary We refuse Him who speaks when we neglect, delay, or rationalize away God’s Word. We heed Him by anchoring ourselves in daily Scripture, humble repentance, Spirit-empowered obedience, and grateful worship—all under the loving accountability of Christ’s body. |
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