The Exceeding Danger of Unbelief
The sermon warns of the exceeding danger of unbelief, highlighting its consequences and calling believers to take heed and believe God's Word.
David Wilkerson warns about the grave danger of unbelief, using the example of the Israelites who, due to their lack of faith, were denied entry into God's rest and condemned to wander in the wilderness. He emphasizes that unbelief leads to a life consumed by personal troubles, devoid of God's presence, vision, and care for others. Wilkerson highlights that without faith, it is impossible to please God, and he reflects on the tragic fate of the unbelieving generation that wasted their lives in the wilderness. He calls Christians to recognize the peril of complacency and hardened hearts, urging them to believe in God's Word and seek spiritual growth rather than merely existing. The sermon serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unbelief and the importance of maintaining faith in God.
Text
"To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.... Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:18-19,12).
Hebrews warns the New Testament church: "Take heed to Israel's example. If you don't, you may fall the same way they did. You'll descend into evil unbelief. And it will turn your life into one long, continual wilderness."
Consider what happened to the unbelieving generation who were turned back into the wilderness. God told them pointedly, from the leaders to the judges to the Levites on down, that his hand would be against them. From then on, all they would know is distress and leanness of soul. They wouldn't see his glory. Instead, they would become focused on their own problems and consumed by their own lusts.
That's exactly what happens with all unbelieving people: They end up consumed with their own welfare. They have no vision, no sense of God's presence, and no prayer life. They no longer care about their neighbors, or a lost world, or eventually even their friends. Instead, the entire focus of their lives is on their problems, their troubles, their illnesses. They go from one crisis to another, shut up in their own pain and suffering. And their days are filled with confusion, strife, envy and division.
Without faith, it is simply impossible to please God. After God walled up the waters of the Red Sea on both sides and let the Israelites walk through safely, they danced and rejoiced. And then, merely three days later, these same Israelites were grumbling against God, murmuring and complaining, questioning the very presence of God in their midst.
For thirty-eight years, Moses watched as, one by one, every Israelite in the unbelieving generation died. As he looked back on those who wasted their lives away in the wilderness, he saw that everything God had warned about had happened. "The hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them until they were consumed" (see Deuteronomy 2). God suspended his eternal purpose for Israel for all those years.
Likewise today, some Christians are content to merely exist until they die. They don't want to risk anything, to believe God, to grow or mature. They refuse to believe his Word, and have become hardened in their unbelief. Now they're just living to die.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Danger of Unbelief
- A. Unbelief leads to a life of wilderness, devoid of God's presence and glory
- B. Unbelieving people become consumed with their own problems and lusts
- II. The Consequences of Unbelief
- A. Without faith, it is impossible to please God
- B. Unbelief leads to grumbling, complaining, and questioning God's presence
- III. The Example of Israel
- A. The unbelieving generation died in the wilderness, unable to enter God's rest
- B. God suspended his eternal purpose for Israel due to their unbelief
- IV. The Call to Belief
- A. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief
- B. Believe God's Word and risk growing and maturing in faith
Key Quotes
“Without faith, it is simply impossible to please God.” — David Wilkerson
“The hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them until they were consumed” — David Wilkerson
“Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Believers must take heed and guard against an evil heart of unbelief, lest they depart from the living God.
- Faith is essential to pleasing God and experiencing his presence in our lives.
- Unbelief leads to a life of wilderness, devoid of God's glory and purpose.