2023/08/20 - Hebrews 3: Servant, Son, & Unbelief
Jerry Starling
Online Activity Today
Bible Study…............9:30 a.m...........Live on Facebook.com/central.cofc
Worship…...............10:30 a.m...........Live on Facebook.com/central.cofc
Evening Worship......6:00 p.m...........Live on Facebook.com/central.cofc
Reading: Hebrews 3: Servant, Son, & Unbelief
Verses for Today: (Hebrews 3:5-6) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant... Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a Son....
Daily.Devo
Moses was Israel’s great lawgiver who led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness. In John 9:27-29 the blind man whom Jesus healed was being interrogated by the Pharisees. The formerly blind man asked them if they wanted to be His disciples also. They sneered, saying, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He comes from.”
Though they expected the Messiah, they did not recognize Him when He came. “The servant does not have a permanent place in the household; the Son has a place there forever” (Jesus to His would-be disciples, John 8:35). There is a vast difference between a servant and a son, especially when the Son is the Son of God.
Hebrews 3 opens declaring Jesus to be “the apostle and high priest of our confession.” He was a faithful Son, as Moses was a faithful servant. Yet, Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses. The builder has more honor than the house itself. We are His house if we hold hope’s confidence firmly.
Do Not Harden Your Hearts:
“O that today you would listen to His voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah as on the day at Massah in the wilderness.” (Psalm 95:7b-8). Massah and Meribah, meaning quarreling and testing, were where Moses struck the rocks and water came out. The second time, Moses was told to speak to the rock, but he struck it twice. God said, for this, he would not enter the promised land. Those were days of infamy for Israel.
Hebrews continues from the Psalm, “Your ancestors put me to the test, though they had seen My works for forty years. Therefore, I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways. As in my anger, I swore, ‘They will not enter my rest”’ (3:9-12).
Be careful that no one may have “an evil, unbelieving heart that turns from the living God.” Encourage one another every day, while today it is called ‘today,’ so none may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. “For we are partners of Christ, if we hold our confidence firm to the end.”
Who heard and was rebellious? All who left Egypt with Moses. With whom was God angry? It was those who sinned and whose bodies fell in the wilderness. To whom did God swear that they would not enter His rest? Those who were disobedient. So, they could not enter because of unbelief, the ultimate sin.
Note that disobedience is unbelief. Not obeying God’s commandments is unbelief. It was true in the wilderness; it is true today. Every transgression received a just punishment then. We will receive just punishment for our transgressions if we continue in them.
Do you want to tempt God by disobeying Him?
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Pray for Your Self: Father, I know I am a sinner. Be merciful to me, is my prayer, in His precious name, AMEN!
My Prayer for You (and for me) Father, I offer this prayer for all who read these words. I pray that each of us will meditate on disobedience as unbelief when we continue in it. This is my prayer, in the name of Jesus, AMEN!
Updates for Central
Our Next Potluck Fellowship will be on August 27. Bring a dish to share, invite your family, friends, neighbors, and have good fellowship, food, and camaraderie.
SonQuest is September 1-3. If you are going, start thinking about what to take and what to leave home. Who will your roommates be? Get ready for three days of fun mixed with some great Bible teaching. Come back fired up for Jesus!
The Wednesday morning Ladies’ Class will resume at 10:00 am on September 6. All ladies are invited to participate.
Our Eastern European Mission “Million Dollar Sunday” contribution will be on September 24. Our entire contribution that day will go to EEM to provide Bibles for the former Soviet bloc nations. Last year, EEM distributed almost two million Bibles, up 24% from 2021. They expect to have more this year. Ukraine also received $2 Million in benevolent help due to the war.
Shut-ins – Our Members
AT HOME: Pat Brennan * Jack Baugh * Gale Harnish * Pam Hatter * Gussie Keeney * Carl Bolli * Mary Evans * Steve Mayhue * Tom Jenkins * Ruth & Jesse Matthews, Sr * Rose Hostetler *
IN FACILITIES: Wells Joseph * Sarah Hall * Darlene Hughes * Clifford Jarvis * Lisa Jeminez * Bill Leavitt * Debbie Patton Means * Belinda Pate * Annette Ramirez * Sylvester Ross * Christina Shannon *
Note: These lists of shut-ins are in this Devotional listing on SUNDAYS as a reminder of our shut-in members.
Family & Friend’s Long Term Prayer Requests
Jesse Matthews, Sr. is in rehab, Ruth told me on Saturday. Their daughter is also recuperating from a broken ankle. She needs prayers along with Jesse.
Pam Hatter: Son, Lee Miller; Diane Faircloth.
Jesse and Debbi Johnson: Son, Kyle, Kymm, Daughter, Robyn.
Pat Brennan: Her Family: Sons, P.J. & Kyle, Linda & Dennis Lochman; Meredith & Sean; Mary & Mack.
Bill Leavitt: Friend, Brenda Cline, is in the hospital after a stroke. Pray for her & her husband Gene, both at Strive Assisted Living. Bill’s sister, Sherry; his friend, Sarah, is in the Philippines.
Tom and Becky Jenkins: Daughter & son-in-law, Cathy & Doug Foote, Martha Hovind (Tom’s sister).
Jennifer San Juan: Daughter, Dawn.
Pat Duncan: Friends, Joyce & Michele.
Tom and Tina Phillips: His brother, Joe & nephew, Simon; niece, Mary the daughter of Tina’s sister.
Joanna Turner Father, Bill Berry & Don Knight.
Jay & Kelli Evans: Daughter, Emma Lemon; Mother Mary Evans.
Carl Bolli Niece, Renee Leone-Bolli.
Lisa Knowles: Daughter, Angela Farr & Sister Stephanie.
Lorie Cantrell: Mother, Kathy
Helen Rogers: Cousin Kayla
Robbie Hatter: Niece, Kayla
OTHER PRAYER NEEDS
Joan Berry, Joanna Turner’s Mother, needs our prayers.
Belinda Pate is at home and doing much better.
Carol Grandey, Brenda Schmidt’s sister, is home following surgery. Now, we need to pray for her pneumonia.
Jesse Matthews, Sr. Ruth said on Saturday that he is in rehab. Their daughter is also still recuperating from a broken ankle. She needs prayers as much as Jesse does.
Kristi Holder was well enough to be at mid-week study on the 16th. Jerry said she improves daily – bit by bit.
Joy Bland found she has a broken bone in her foot that requires a boot to help it heal. She will have it for about six weeks, with an MRI (hopefully) coming soon. She recently told me she really needs our prayers to help her through.
Gale Harnish is home, but not well. Keep her in your prayers.
Susan Allen’s sister Debi is not well at all. Please remember her in your prayers.
Please let us know when you have events to publicize, are in the hospital, or are sick and need prayers. If you request prayer for someone, let us know when to take them off the prayer list. You can contact me by text or phone at 407-453-5392.