Our text for this morning is Hebrews chapter 3 verses 7 through 19.
! Before I read them I want to remind you beloved that this is God's word to us.
He is written for his glory and for our good.
And as such we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.
Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7 and following.
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.
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 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.
The author of Hebrews begins this portion of this very pastoral letter,
a letter addressed to a group of Hellenistic Jewish Christians who had suffered greatly.
We get evidence of that throughout this letter.
And they were being tempted to forget the surpassing excellency of Jesus Christ
and to return to Judaism.
And he begins this with these words,
therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.
Here we have another in a series of therefores.
Chapter 2, verse 1, verse 14, verse 17, chapter 3, and verse 1.
Which means that the author of Hebrews is building a case.
He's elaborating and developing an idea.
And we must pay careful attention to these therefores.
In this text, the therefore refers generally to all that he has said
concerning Jesus' superiority to Moses,
that great and venerated figure of Jewish history.
And it refers specifically to the preceding phrase.
I'm going to get it out.
Found in verse 6, the last part.
Which says,
And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence
and our boasting in our hope.
It's coming off that phrase.
Like, we are God's house.
We belong to him if we hold fast.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says.
This letter was written to address the temptation
that these beleaguered Christians were facing.
The temptation to leave the faith.
To not preserve to the end.
And he sets about this work of teaching them a startling truth.
It is possible to have every appearance of beginning well,
but to end very poorly.
It is possible to have every appearance of beginning well,
but to end very poorly.
This is so timely for the church today.
In an age of rampant, cheap grace gospel offers,
we need such a word.
So many caught up in what I like to call decisionism.
So many, I say with trembling, led astray
because they believe that they have the power to save themselves.
And they tie that to a solitary event in their lives.
In order to show this Hebrew audience and us this,
he does what every faithful pastor does.
He opens to them and explains the Scripture.
He appeals to God's authoritative word on the matter.
And we can know this is what he is laboring to do
because he says,
as the Holy Spirit says.
He knows about, he believes in the inspiration of Scripture.
And he does so, he quotes from Psalm 95.
So the text for his sermon in our text today is Psalm 95,
the last part of verse 7 through verse 11.
And he declares, right,
this is the authoritative word of God, right?
The Holy Spirit has spoken this.
It meant something back then.
It means something for the church that he's writing to.
And it means something for us today.
So in the last half of verse 7 of Hebrews chapter 3
and through verse 11 of Hebrews chapter 3,
he quotes from Psalm 95.
He's quoting from the Septuagint,
which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
This would have been their Bible in their day,
much like me quoting from the ESV.
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 40 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.
So our text's author,
for the sake of their souls and ours,
picks up from Psalm 95 the Exodus story
in order to instruct them and us
about the dangers of having every appearance
of beginning well,
but ending very poorly.
The Exodus story was always meant to serve us
in this way.
It is a type for the deliverance,
the ultimate deliverance,
of God's people, the church.
Recall that God has a people
under the bondage of slavery.
And in order to make his name known,
God delivers his people from that bondage
through a judgment that they are spared from
by the mark of a sacrificial lamb.
In 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7,
Paul states,
Christ, our Passover lamb,
has been sacrificed.
Paul saw this great connection
between the Exodus story,
the great redemptive story
of the Old Testament,
and the deliverance that was theirs
and is ours in Christ.
God's people are then led out of Egypt
by Moses,
who the author of Hebrews has just told us
that Moses prefigured Christ.
In Hebrews 3, verse 5,
in the first part of 6,
he wrote,
Moses was faithful in all God's house
as a servant
to testify to the things
that were to be spoken later.
But Christ is faithful
over God's house
as a son.
Moses was the type.
Christ is the anti-type.
He's the fulfillment
of what Moses was meant to picture
as one leading his people
out of bondage to sin.
The Israelites are met
with the obstacle
of the Red Sea
not long after their departure
from Egypt,
being pursued
by the fickle-minded Pharaoh
when God delivers them
through the parting
of the water
and judges the Egyptians
by its reunion.
They were led miraculously
by pillars of cloud
and fire.
They were provided for
miraculously, right,
food from heaven
and water from rocks.
In all of their unfaithfulness,
God was faithful.
And what the author of Hebrews
is doing is showing
those who claim
to follow Jesus Christ
what their unfaithfulness
ultimately cost the Egyptians
or the Israelites
and warning us
not to do the same.
The Apostle Paul
does this very thing.
He picks up again
the Exodus story
in 1 Corinthians 10
verses 1-6
where he wrote,
For I do not want you
to be unaware, brothers,
that our fathers
were all under the cloud
and all passed through the sea
and all were baptized
into Moses
in the cloud
and in the sea
and all ate
the same spiritual food
and all drank
the same spiritual drink
for they drank
from the spiritual rock
that followed them
and the rock
was Christ.
We don't have time
this morning
to unpack all of that
but it is cool.
Verse 5,
Nevertheless,
with most of them
God was not pleased
for they were overthrown
in the wilderness.
Now,
verse 6,
these things took place
as examples
for us
that we might not
desire evil
as they did.
They're given to us
as an example
that we would pick them up
and see
how it is
that we're
to remain faithful
to the way
of Christ.
So join me,
if you will,
for a moment.
Please mark
Hebrews chapter 3
but join me
in Psalm 95.
I want to draw
your attention
just for a moment
to verses 7 and 8.
Amen.
Let me remind you
that in Hebrews chapter 3
as he's citing
the Septuagint
and he says
today if you hear his voice
do not harden your hearts
as in the rebellion
on the day of testing
in the wilderness.
I want you to see
the difference
here in Psalm 95
last half of verse 7
and verse 8.
Today if you hear
his voice
do not harden your hearts
as at Meribah
as on the day
at Massah
in the wilderness.
Their locations
in Psalm 95
isn't that interesting?
But
the Hebrew words
Meribah
and Massah
mean
to quarrel
or to rebel.
That's Meribah
and Massah
means
testing.
So he's picking up
the event
what was happening
what was going on
what was the intention
of the Israelite people
as they were
rebelling against God
and putting God
to the test.
Now
you can leave
Psalm 95
we'll look at it
a little bit more
in Hebrews chapter 3
but turn with me
in the middle
to Exodus chapter 17
and let's look at the place
where this actually happens.
I want to remind you
that we're not
first century
Hellenistic Jews
so we have to do
a little more work
than he had to do
he could simply just
quote Psalm 95
and they knew exactly
what he was talking about.
we may need to be
prompted a bit
I know I needed
to actually go find
the place this happened
my mind did not go
Exodus 17
first seven verses
listen to what happened
Exodus 17
beginning in verse 1
all the congregation
of the people
of Israel
moved on
from the wilderness
of sin
by stages
according to the commandment
of the Lord
and camped
at Rephidim
but there was
no water
for the people
to drink
now this is not
long
after they've
crossed the Red Sea
it has not
taken much
time
for this people
to not have their
apparent need
met
watch what happens
therefore
the people
quarreled
with Moses
and said
give us water
to drink
and Moses
said to them
why do you
quarrel with me
why do you
test
the Lord
see those two words
but the people
thirsted there
for water
and the people
grumbled against
Moses and said
why did you
bring us up
out of Egypt
to kill us
and our children
and our livestock
with thirst
so Moses
cried to the
Lord
what shall I
do with this
people
they are almost
ready to stone
me
and the Lord
said to Moses
pass on
before the people
taking with you
some of the
elders of Israel
and take in your
hand the staff
with which you
struck the Nile
and go
behold I will
stand before you
there on the
rock at Horeb
and you shall
strike the rock
and water
shall come out
of it
and the people
will drink
and Moses
did so
in the sight
of the elders
of Israel
and he called
the name of the
place
Massah
and Meribah
testing
and rebellion
because of the
quarreling
of the people
of Israel
and because they
tested the Lord
by saying
is the Lord
among us
or not
okay
so this is
the event
that the writer
of Hebrews
is pulling
upon
right
but this was
not the only
time
that the people
quarreled
in fact there's
quite a history
of quarreling
we find out in
Numbers chapter 14
God says there were
ten times
they put him
to the test
and as you read
through that narrative
you'll see that cycle
again and again
and again
of them not
believing that God
would do what God
had said
he would do
in preserving
them
as a people
but to bookend
this
I want you now
to turn with me
to Numbers chapter 20
and then I promise
we'll go back
to Hebrews 3
and stay
now we know
that because of
Israel's unfaithfulness
right
they were set
to wander
in the wilderness
and they did so
for 40 years
a journey
from Egypt
to the land
of Canaan
could feasibly
have been done
in two weeks
and they spent
40 years
wandering around
as a people
in the desert
this comes
this event
in Numbers chapter 20
right
very close
to the end
of that
wandering
and again
a similar
event
starting in
verse 2
now there was
no water
for the congregation
and they
assembled themselves
together
against Moses
and against Aaron
and the people
quarreled with Moses
and said
would that we
had perished
when our brothers
perished before the Lord
why have you
brought the assembly
of the Lord
into this wilderness
that we should
die here
both we
and our cattle
and why have you
made us come up
out of Egypt
to bring us
to this evil place
it is no place
for grain
or figs
or vines
or pomegranates
and there is
no water
to drink
then Moses
and Aaron
went from the
presence of the
assembly
to the entrance
of the tent
of meeting
and fell
on their faces
and the glory
of the Lord
appeared to them
and the Lord
spoke to Moses
saying
take the staff
and assemble
the congregation
you and Aaron
your brother
and tell the rock
before their eyes
to yield
its water
so you shall
bring water
out of the rock
for them
and give drink
to the congregation
and their cattle
so a very similar
event
they have no water
they are grumbling
about water
Moses goes and
pleads for them
to have water
and God
gives him
instructions
but they are
different this time
did you notice
the difference
the first time
he was told
to take a staff
and strike the rock
when he strikes
the rock
I'm presuming
breaks open
and water
comes flowing
out
abundant water
for this mass
of people
this time
he's told
to do
something
different
verse 8
says
tell the rock
before your eyes
to yield
its water
right
say to the rock
give me your water
and it
will happen
it's important
that we pay attention
to God's
good instruction
for us
verse 9
and Moses
took the staff
from before the Lord
as he commanded him
then Moses and Aaron
gathered the assembly
together before the rock
and he said to them
hear now you rebels
!
shall we bring water
for you
out of this rock?
and Moses
lifted up his hand
and struck the rock
with his staff
twice
and water
came out
abundantly
and the congregation
drank
and their livestock
now
God in his kindness
gave them water
anyway
notice that
he gave them water
anyway
and we are very quick
to say
well the result
is good
right
the water
came
the means
don't really
matter
God doesn't feel
that way at all
about it
God has a much
different perspective
in fact I think
most people
read this text
and go
fantastic
Moses obeyed
and it happened
again
but then God
does a very
curious thing
verse 12
and the Lord
said to Moses
and Aaron
because you
did not believe
in me
they disobeyed
what he had
told them
to do
to uphold
me as holy
in the eyes
of the people
of Israel
therefore you
shall not
bring this
assembly
into the land
that I have
given them
these
are the waters
of Merivah
there it is
again
rebellion
where the people
of Israel
quarreled
with the Lord
and through
them
he showed
himself
holy
this was a judgment
that was passed
on that generation
you recall that
none of that
generation
got to see
the promised land
none of them
got to enter
into the rest
of Canaan
so the author
of Hebrews
is warning
them
and us
in this way
the last half
of verse 7
of Hebrews 3
today
if you hear
his voice
do not harden
your hearts
as in the
rebellion
on the day
of testing
in the wilderness
and again
in verse 15
and I believe
repeated
for emphasis
as it is said
today
if you hear
his voice
do not
harden
your hearts
as in
the rebellion
do not be
like the Israelites
that faithful
faithless
excuse me
faithless
generation
learn your lesson
from post
exodus
Israel
this is the plea
of the author
of Hebrews
there were those
who had
every appearance
of beginning
well
but ended
very poorly
they did not
enter God's
rest
do not
be counted
among them
don't merely
say
you're a follower
of Christ
be
a follower
of Christ
and in verses
12
and 13
and 14
the author
of Hebrews
gives three
exhortations
to help
us
number one
protect
your heart
number two
press one
another
toward holiness
and number
three
persevere
to the end
number one
protect your
heart
verse 12
says take
care brothers
lest there be
in any of you
an evil
unbelieving
heart
leading you
to fall
away
from the
living
God
he's saying
to us
this morning
be very
careful
be vigilant
Sin is deceitful
our hearts
are fickle
pay attention
to what's
going on
in you
trace the
contours
of your
affections
what do
you love
the world
or the
ways of
Christ
they stand
in opposition
to one
another
to fall
away
means
to
willingly
apostatize
it means
to turn
away
from the
faith you
once
proclaimed
this kind
of turning
away
bears
a
huge
penalty
to reject
Moses
meant
not
entering
into
the
promised
land
to
reject
Christ
means
not
gaining
the
blessings
of
eternal
life
but
rather
eternal
death
this is a
grander
thing
a greater
thing
an
eternal
thing
that the
writer of
Hebrews
is talking
about
he's using
the temporal
example
of the
Exodus
story
to teach
us this
and we can
know this
because Moses
didn't enter
Canaan
but when
Jesus was
transfigured
who did he
meet with
on the
mountain
Moses
was there
right
Moses
was found
in
Christ
right
Moses
was taken
off to
glory
but he
didn't enter
that
earthly rest
of the
land
of Canaan
and that's
to show us
something
greater
about our
eternal
rest
take care
watch
over
your heart
be sure
that you
are
in
Christ
the author
of Hebrews
wrote in
Hebrews
chapter 10
and verse
31
it is a
fearful
thing
to fall
into the
hands
of the
living
God
apart from
the righteousness
of Jesus
it is a
scary thing
to be judged
to be condemned
by God
almighty
right
we need
the righteousness
of Christ
to carry us
through
that judgment
right
that we
would be
found
complete
and whole
set apart
in him
that we
would stand
before God
and then
live with him
forever
in Mark
chapter 4
and Matthew
13
and Luke
8
Jesus
tells the
parable
of the
sower
and this
is so
instructive
for us
in our
day
there's a
sower
who goes
about
sowing
about the
word
right
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ
and we
know
that that
word
falls
on various
types
of ground
that word
is sown
along
the path
and it's
snatched
away
by birds
and we
find out
in Jesus'
explanation
of the
parable
that this
is Satan
taking it
away
it's those
who hear
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ
and never
respond
in faith
there's
word
sown
in rocky
soil
and because
it's
shallow
it yields
quickly
right
the greenery
pops forward
right
starts well
but when
the sun
of tribulation
comes out
it scorches
them
when life
gets hard
it withers
up
and it
dies
in Mark
chapter 4
in verse 17
Mark records
Jesus saying
that it
immediately
they fall
away
same phrase
found in
Hebrews
they fall
away
some of that
word is sown
among
thorns
and we
learn that
those
thorns
are the
cares
of the
world
the desire
for riches
and those
thorns
choke out
the word
and it
never
brings
forth
fruit
and some
of that
word
is sown
among
good soil
and seed
sown
in good
soil
bears fruit
bears the
fruit of
righteousness
and beloved
what the
author of
Hebrews
is saying
to the
original
audience
and to
us
this
morning
is let's
be careful
having been
people who
started off
well
who claim
to be
Christ
followers
I would
presume
that at
least most
of you
this morning
would say
that you're
a follower
of Jesus
you're not
the word
sown
along the
path
I pray
that you're
the word
sown
among good
soil
bearing the
fruit of
righteousness
he's saying
be careful
that you're
not
rocky
soil
or thorny
soil
that you
don't
end
poorly
and this
is the
trouble of
our day
is what
we simply
do
as we
go about
asking the
trees
what kind
of tree
they are
what kind
of tree
are you
can you
imagine
an orchard
farmer
I didn't
start that
sentence off
well
a fruit
farmer
in his
orchard
what kind
of tree
are you
I am
a peach
tree
what kind
of tree
are you
I am
an apple
tree
you know
the tree
by its
fruit
and we
know that
the trees
that don't
bear fruit
are cut
down and
thrown into
the fire
right
they're not
good trees
they're not
good for
the production
of fruit
and so
they're
cut down
and other
trees are
planted
in their
place
we
ought
not
let
there
be
a
self
proclamation
that's
not
evidenced
by
fruit
bearing
second
peter
chapter
one
verse
ten
apostle
peter
wrote
therefore
brothers
be
all
the
more
diligent
to
confirm
your
calling
and
election
right
be
diligent
set
yourself
to
the
work
of
confirming
your
calling
and
your
election
be
assured
how
for if
you
practice
these
qualities
you
will
never
fall
same
language
being used
there
once again
and he
has just
listed
off
a bunch
of
qualities
that
should
be
possessed
by the
Christian
not in
perfection
but in
growing
degrees
of
glory
protect
your
heart
ask
the
question
the
good
and
honest
question
am
I
in
Christ
has
he
changed
me
do
I
say
I
follow
Jesus
because
it's
the
comfortable
and easy
thing
to do
in
this
culture
or
do
I
really
treasure
him
above
everything
else
have
I
really
forsaken
the
world
in
order
to
follow
him
have
I
really
denied
myself
taken
up
my
cross
that
I
might
gain
Christ
it's
a
serious
question
it's
a
question
that
must
be
asked
for
the
sake
of
your
heart
secondly
he
exhorts
us
to
press
one
another
towards
holiness
verse 13
but
exhort
one
another
every
day
as long
as it
is
called
today
the
church
exists
for
your
good
that
you
would
be
affirmed
that
you
would
have
assurance
of
your
salvation
we
talk
about
this
kind
of
thing
trying
to
help
those
who
may
think
they're
in
Christ
and
are
not
it's
always
a
fear
of
mine
that
we
beat
down
the
broken
hearted
in
the
process
we
beat
down
a
person
this
morning
that
is
struggling
with
their
sin
maybe
in
Christ
trapping
sin
and
they're
trying
to
shake
it
loose
and
they're
working
at it
and
it's
just
not
happening
and
they
contend
to
go
maybe
I'm
just
not
a
Christian
maybe
God
has
not
saved
my
soul
brothers
and
sisters
this
is
why
you
need
a
church
you
need
the
church
to
tell
you
when
you're
living
in
sin
that
you
do
not
see
because
sin
is
deceitful
our
text
tells
us
you
also
need
the
church
to
say
to
you
brother
sister
I
know
you're
feeling
particularly
ashamed
at this
moment
but
you
are
in
Christ
we
have
seen
good
fruit
and
we've
seen
it
in
abundance
we
spend
that
kind
of
time
together
we
work
together
in
that
way
that
we
might
finish
well
to
the
glory
of
God
we
need
one
another
to
do
this
if
you
are
trying
to
live
the
Christian
life
on
your
own
I
fear
for
you
because
of
this
reason
author
of
Hebrews
says
later
in
chapter
10
verse
24
and
25
and
let
us
consider
how
to
stir
up
one
another
to
love
and
good
works
not
neglecting
to
meet
together
as
the
habit
of
some
but
encouraging
one
another
and
all
the
more
as
you
see
the
day
drawing
near
the
finish
you
see
what
he's
saying
he's
picking
up
this
idea
all
the
way
back
from
chapter
three
the
finish
it's
coming
you
see
it
coming
so
be
sure
to
finish
well
be
sure
to
be
found
in
Christ
having
your
affections
changed
by
him
we're
supposed
to
help
each
other
in
that
process
thirdly
persevere
to
the
end
verse
14
for
we
have
come
to
share
in
Christ
this
is
true
of
us
we've
come
to
share
in
Christ
if
indeed
we
hold
our
original
confidence
firm
to the
end
we
always
have
to be
so
very
careful
at
this
point
because
we
are
never
saying
that
we
work
to
earn
our
salvation
ever
are we
saying
that
salvation
is
fully a
work
of God
on our
behalf
he
changes
us
because
of
the
work
of
Christ
if
we're
saved
by
works
it's
Christ
works
and not
our
own
but
being
found
in
him
we've
been
given
a
new
nature
and
that
new
nature
is
evidenced
by
our
working
it
simply
proclaims
!
who
we
are
so
we
have
to
be
so
careful
about
this
but
this
is
exactly
what
he's
saying
to
us
here
we've
come
to
share
in
Christ
if
indeed
we
hold
our
original
confidence
firm
to
the
end
I
don't
think
there's
really
too
many
in
our
day
that
don't
love
the
doctrine
of
the
perseverance
of
the
saints
there's
few
that
reject
it
many
will
reject
the
system
that
it
belongs
within
but
few
will
reject
the
doctrine
itself
you
will
not
often
hear
it
as
perseverance
of
the
saints
you
will
often
hear
it
as
once
saved
always
saved
right
but
what's
tragic
is that
is so
often
taught
right
alongside
decisionism
right
so
merely
raise a
hand
walk
an
aisle
we're
going
to
be
sure
not
to
embarrass
you
in
the
process
of
that
right
and
now
once
saved
always
saved
and
so
very
damaging
to
the
church
of
Christ
so
very
harmful
this
might
be
the
most
needful
thing
to
be
spoken
about
with
conviction
and
clarity
in
our
day
I'm
extremely
troubled
even
by
our
own
maybe
I
should
even
say
particularly
by
our
own
denomination
and
the
way
we're
in
this
cycle
of
giving
people
false
assurance
John
wrote
in
1st
John
chapter
2
verse
19
and
just
take
this
just
take
this
verse
thinking
about
in
our
own
association
the
partnership
of
churches
in
our
area
the
average
weekly
attendance
as
compared
to
the
membership
of
those
churches
is
32
percent
they
have
a
greater
membership
than
average
weekly
attendance
and
it
comes
out
to
32
percent
so
there's
a
massive
number
of
people
who
are
never
gathering
with
the
church
is
what
that
means
a
massive
number
not
part
of
a
fellowship
on a
consistent
basis
at all
listen to
1st
John
chapter
2
and
verse
19
they
went
out
from
us
but
they
were
not
of
us
for
if
they
had
been
of
us
they
would
have
continued
with
us
but
they
went
out
that
it
might
become
plain
that
they
all
are
not
of
us
if
you
love
Christ
you
love
Christ's
church
you
love
his
people
you
love
his
work
in
the
world
which
beloved
whether
we
want
to
admit
it
or
not
happens
primarily
in
the
church
I mean
in
this
building
I mean
the
life
of
God's
people
it
is
possible
to
have
every
appearance
of
beginning
well
but
to
end
very
poorly
I'm
going to
give
you
we
probably
all
could
think
of
some
examples
from
our
own
living
let me
give
you
a
couple
of
examples
from
the
Bible
it
is
possible
to
have
every
appearance
of
beginning
well
but
to
end
very
poorly
take
for
example
Demas
Paul
mentions
this
man
in his
letter
to
the
Colossians
and
in his
letter
to
Philemon
he's
a
partner
with
them
he sends
greetings
on
behalf
of
Demas
to
the
churches
and
to
Philemon
in
Philemon
Paul
refers
to
him
as
his
fellow
worker
but
in
Paul's
final
letter
in
2nd
Timothy
we
discover
something
troubling
quite
startling
about
Demas
2nd
Timothy
chapter 4
verse 9
and following
Paul says
do
your
best
to
come
to
me
soon
for
Demas
in
love
with
this
present
world
has
deserted
me
and
gone
to
Thessalonica
he
abandoned
the
faith
he
abandoned
the
mission
of
God
he
abandoned
the
way
of
God
because
he
loved
rather
than
Christ
and his
purpose
the
present
world
he
appeared
to
begin
well
but
as far
as we
can
tell
as far
as the
biblical
narrative
tells us
he
ended
very
poorly
it
is also
possible
take
heart
to
begin
poorly
but
to
end
very
well
and
the
truth
is
if
we're
in
Christ
this
is
all
of
our
story
I
don't
think
any
of
us
were
very
astounding
when we
first
came
to
faith
in
Christ
but
hopefully
bit
by bit
degree
by
degree
he
is
working
a
holiness
in
us
an
example
from
the
scripture
is
John
Mark
in
Acts
chapter
12
verse
25
we read
and Barnabas
returned
from
Jerusalem
when they
had
completed
their
service
bringing
with
them
John
whose
other
name
was
Mark
and
then in
Acts
chapter
13
and
verse
13
we
read
now
Paul
and his
companions
set sail
from
Paphos
where they
had
experienced
quite a bit
of
persecution
there's a lot
of
rejection
of the
gospel
there
and they
came to
Perga
in
Pamphylia
and
John
this is
Mark
left
them
and returned
to
Jerusalem
and as
you're
reading that
in a
timeline
it's
just
the
detail
John
left
okay
John
left
maybe
there
was
some
other
reason
that
he
needed
to
go
to
Jerusalem
but
we
find
out
more
about
why
he
left
in
Acts
chapter
15
verse 36
and following
and after
some days
Paul said
to Barnabas
let us
return
and visit
the
brothers
in
every
city
where
we
proclaim
the
word
of
the
Lord
and
see
how
they
are
now
Barnabas
wanted
to
take
with
them
John
called
Mark
but
Paul
thought
best
not
and
had
not
gone
with
them
to
the
work
and
there
arose
a
sharp
disagreement
so that
they
separated
from
each
other
Barnabas
took
Mark
with
him
and
sailed
away
to
Cyprus
so
there
is
a
reason
behind
Paul's
thinking
right
he
withdrew
from
them
and
it's
understood
largely
that
Paul
didn't
think
he
was
in
the
faith
he
because
of
fear
ran
back
to
Jerusalem
he
wasn't
willing
to
follow
the
way
of
Christ
the
way
of
suffering
and
he
separated
and
Barnabas
who
was
his
cousin
didn't
think
so
and
so
a
disagreement
arose
amongst
them
and
Barnabas
and
Paul
went
their
separate
ways
well
praise
God
we
get
some
more
information
about
Mark
in
2nd
Timothy
chapter
4
verse
11
just
after
Paul
speaking
of
Demas
he
says
Luke
alone
is with
me
get
Mark
and
bring
him
with
you
same
Mark
get
Mark
and
bring
him
here
the
one
that
he
had
rejected
as a
missionary
partner
he's
now
saying
get
him
and
bring
him
with
you
for
he
is
very
useful
to
me
for
ministry
and
this
is
the
very
same
Mark
that
authored
the
gospel
he
!