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Dr. Irwin "Rocky" Freeman
Continues along the theme of rest and we'll be through here in just a few moments. But it's an important chapter. Look at verse 19 of chapter 3 how he closed it. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
What caused that unbelief doubt? Verse 18 and to whom swore he that they should not enter into his rest. But to them that believed not they doubted whether or not God could do what he said. He said I'll take into Canaan and I'll take care of it.
They doubted it and anytime you have a problem in your life. I have a problem in my mind in mind. It's because we doubt God. We doubt God worry is doubt. Worry is nothing more than doubting God. God says he'll take care of us.
You know, he will he's been doing it for years. He's never kept he's never failed one promise. He's always kept his word and if he ever broke his word you and me you could put it in the newspaper. We'd be something then God stopped keeping his promises with rocky for him boy.
That'd be something I could write a book make a million Repeat Christianity, but God always keeps his word and they didn't enter into that rest. Now he moves in the chapter 4 and he's going to say that God through Jesus Christ offers you a better rest than Moses offered the Israelites particular section first of all.
In chapter 4 verse 4 we mentioned just briefly in chapter 4 verse 4 He spoke in a certain place of the seventh day. It is used in that particular passage for God's Sabbath rest goes back to Genesis chapter 2 verse 2 and God rested.
God rested and it's a picture of that. Also. It's a picture in chapter 3 verse 11 that we saw of the Canaan rest. So I swore in my wrath in verse 11 of chapter 3. They shall not enter into my rest Canaan.
It's the rest after wandering for 40 years. 40 it an interesting that they wanted for 40 years, which is a year for each day that those spies were in the land, but A year for each day they're in there.
I don't believe it. It brings its rewards. It brings its rewards and in the third one is in chapter 4 verse 3 and also verse 10. It talks about entering to rest and in verse 10 for he that is entered in to his rest and that is the believers present Salvation rest and then of course in verse 11 We talked about the overcomers present rest of victory and then in chapter 4 verse 9 There is the future eternal rest.
So there are five rests in that particular passage of scripture or this section on rest part of chapter 3 and in all of chapter 4 and so God's Sabbath rest is a picture of our present salvation. He rested and After he did his creation and we rest why in salvation because Christ finished his work on the cross.
It is finished. God finished his work and rested and Jesus finished his work and now we are able to rest within our salvation. We know that we are saved. And so what he's going to do is he in this particular chapter 4.
He's going to give four exhortations four encouragements four encourages to go on about rest. And it's interesting that he uses the word. Let us four times. Let us. It's just that's just like Paul. That's one reason I believe Paul wrote to Paul was always saying we us and he never said you Billy occasionally he did, you know.
One time he said I've turned two young men over to Satan so they'll learn not to blaspheme God. I mean he'd do something like that. But usually he'd say we us and now he knew what it was like to walk the Christian life.
Paul never preached the gospel that he had not tried and proven by himself. Now notice what he says in chapter 4 the first eight verses the first eight verses. Let us there it is. Therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest.
Any of you should come to should seem to come short of it. So he promised the rest of the nation of Israel and they failed in him because of disobedience which he says stems from unbelief. Now God has promised arrest to us today and this life of rest is our spiritual Canaan.
Now it is talked about in chapter 6 verse 1 at our very first session. I mentioned you that that is the key verse for Hebrews, it's the theme of Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ.
Let's go on to perfection go on to completion go on to maturity. And this is the key and this is what he's talking about in chapter 6 while we're there look at verse 11. We'll cover this again. But I want you to notice this now because it fits in there in chapter 11 the full assurance of hope notice that phrase.
The full assurance of hope in chapter 6 verse 11 and in chapter 6 verse 12 He talks about inheriting the promises the last three words. Inheriting the promises so you have to keep in mind that these Hebrews were going through a time of testing you and I we're going.
And he just keeps hammering to them. There was a rest for you there's a rest of salvation there's a rest today. There's a rest coming in the future. There's rest for you. If you'll enter into it, but God isn't gonna make you go into it.
He didn't force those Israelites into it. He said I've got a rescue and I'm gonna make you get in and rest with me. No, he gives you a mind and God never bypasses your thinking process. Now dear people you can't do anything.
You don't know. You can't you can't use any promise that you don't know. You can't follow any command that you don't know and you can't have any reward that you don't know about. That's why he keeps hammering the word.
He's a man of the word. It's the book. It's the book. It's the book and the Israelites did not do that and the Israelites were tempted. What? Yeah, you brought us out in the wilderness to die. If we go back to Egypt at least would have some leeks and some garlics and some onions at least would have something better this old man, huh, I Mean, you know, we might could get a little meat into it.
You ever thought something like that no, we we don't say those things. But we think things that are quite similar sometimes. I Heard a man say one time I'd almost he said I wouldn't but sometimes, you know, I wish I hadn't even got saved.
I have so many problems. I didn't have any problems before I got saved. Well, I didn't need them because you see before you get saved there is no war you just do whatever you want to do. But when you get saved there's a war going on in here because I might do what I want to do.
But something says don't do that. And so I got a war going on. Part of me wants to go one way and part wants to go the other. That old nature wants to go this way and that old nature the new nature wants to go to God now.
There are people who tell me the old nature is eradicated. I can't figure that out. And it doesn't fit scripture for me. But I know that I can count it dead. I know that I can reckon it to be dead and I can reckon myself alive in Christ.
But there's a war going on and Paul said before I knew before God gave me the law of coveting. I didn't know cutting was seeing he's I was coveted. Anyway, you know just did what comes naturally. And all of a sudden God says thou shalt not covet.
All of a sudden there's a war going on. So something to me says why not? How come I can't? Everybody else does. Well, we're only human. That's why I carry erasers on my pencil. They all make mistakes and all these look we got a little blue lies white lies green lies black lies white lies fibs stories and tales.
And the Bible says they lie. And the Bible says in Revelation 21 8 and all liar shall have their part in the lake of fire which burns with fire and brimstone. That's a scary one. I Hadn't figured that one out yet.
I did study on Revelation, but I don't hang around 21 8 much now. I know you don't have any problem with these things in your life. But will you pray for me? Because I do I do. But it's exciting to work on it's exciting to work on them and so Excuse me back down here to chapter 4.
This is what his argument is running like God. Look at chapter 4 verse 1 show you how he runs his argument. He's a master philosopher in chapter 4 verse 1 says God promised his people arrest but in verse 6 he says they didn't enter into that rest seeing therefore it remains that some must enter into it and They to whom it was first preached enter not in because of unbelief there.
He gives it to him again. There were some who failed to enter in and in verse 8 He says his promise still stands for if now we're gonna see a problem. For if and what's the name there? Joshua the King James says Jesus doesn't you have the King James says Jesus now there isn't a real problem here.
Jesus you and I know comes from the Greek essence. Which is identical to Yeshua Joshua in the Old Testament you and I know it's the same it's the same. But if you put Jesus in here somebody's gonna think about the Lord Jesus Christ, that's what I mentioned.
You know, we have to be very careful. We mentioned his name to mention all of his name. We know this is Joshua for if Joshua had given them rest. Then would he not afterward have spoken of another day if Joshua had led them into that kind of rest.
They wouldn't talk about another rest coming up somewhere down the future. So we know that this is not a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that this is a reference to Joshua and so what he's saying here is that Joshua his promise still stands because Joshua did not give them that spiritual rest.
Although he did lead them into a national rest. They did get rest within the land, but he couldn't give them spiritual rest. They were in spiritual turmoil. You remember God told him not to intermarry.
But they did anyway, and God said kill all those tribes off. No, no, don't be too harsh. You know people say well, why would God let those bunch of Jews go in there and kill all that as unrighteous as they were.
But you know what the scripture says you and I know the answer to that don't we the Bible says that God says I'm not telling you to wipe out those people because you're so righteous. I'm telling you to wipe them out because they're so evil.
They were following false gods they were in idolatry or cultism and everything under the Sun and God said I'll wipe them out and I'll straighten you out later and he worked on that he worked on that. And so this is what he's trying to get across to us here now.
David also in Psalm 95 that we talked about him quoting David speaks about that rest years and years later centuries of time hundreds of years later. He still speaks. David still talks about a rest that is future a rest that is future.
And so there remains there for a rest to the people of God verse 9. There remains there for a rest to the people of God. There is a rest that you and I can still have no matter what the Israelites experience you and I have a rest of our own that we can have and he relates that rest in chapter 4 verse 4 and Also chapter 4 verse 9 as I said, that is the Greek word sabbatismo.
And he it's a reference to God's rest after creation. God's rest after creation now God didn't get tired after he created the world. It is not a rest of exhaustion. Thank God. I can rest in the Lord. Oh, I've had a hard time in church.
I'm just resting in the Lord pastor. I just Tom now. It's not it's a rest of satisfaction a job. Well done a job. Well done. Isn't that when you do a job? Well that there's just a rest that comes that you did the best you could you know, it used to bother me.
I've had over 1 ,300 revivals and Bible conferences in my ministry. I've been doing it a long time. I averaged 35 to 40 revivals a year for over 20 years. I've been around the world over five and a half times.
I've spoke at least once in every free nation every free nation on this earth. I have stood at least one time to speak and You know, I used to go around feeling guilty all the time because I'd always say to myself Well, did I do the best that I could.
Did I do what I ought to have done? Did I do what I should have done and I never could say yeah. Because I'd always find something I should have done or something that I did that I shouldn't have done.
You know as I'd sit on the evaluated I'd say well boy if I'd done it this way it worked better or if I'd found out that I could done it worked out. All these things and then I ran across a little statement.
I don't have to ask myself. Did I do what I ought to have done. What I asked myself is did I do the best that I could do with what I Knew to do where I was with what I had to do with and I could say yes to that.
Because it's always learning. I wouldn't do it the same way today if I could go back because I've learned more I know more about it now. But do you do the best that you can where you are? With what you've got to do with with what you know in the situation that God's placed you and if you could say yes to That then you live in faithful.
But now if you try to do it like the other guy does it you won't ever be listen you won't ever have peace. You will never have peace and this is what he's talking about here. There is a rest of satisfaction.
Not a rest of exhaustion. It's completion finish the task. I did my job I did it and God led me to do it. And that's it. It's called the Sabbath of the soul a rest of the soul and Turn with me. Just hold your place and let's look at where this comes out in Matthew 11.
In Matthew chapter 11 you find this coming out this very thought and I think we can see it clearer in Matthew 11 28 Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That is the rest of what?
Salvation. Now look the next verse take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your soul. The first one you get saved and then you do what I tell you do and you'll find rest within yourself you'll get rest for salvation, you'll know you're safe, but also you'll have a rest of Satisfaction a rest of completion and that's what he's talking about in this the rest of victory in daily life.
Which demands that you and I have surrendered our lives now very quickly. Let's look the next one in verses 9 through 12. Let us there. It is again. Let us In chapter 4 verse 9 through 12, he's gonna talk about in verse 11.
Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest. Let us therefore labor the word labor means give diligence. It doesn't mean talk. Let's give diligence. Be very meticulous about it. Exert the proper energy.
Let's give diligence to enter into that rest and it's the opposite of drifting. Don't drift. Be diligent. Be diligent don't be lackadaisical about it. Don't be careless about it. This is what he's saying here nobody ever matured in the Christian life by being careless or lax.
Mature Christianity you and I know takes time. It takes effort. It takes discipline. It takes suffering. It takes persecution. It takes any number of things. Tribulation worketh patience and patience bringeth hope.
Yeah, peace and all those things come about but now Christianity doesn't want persecution. Christianity wants some super spiritual experience that will occur immediately that makes them a tomb of Chris among two or Christian at once and if that Is true then Paul was wrong.
And so is James and Peter and John the rest of them because none of them became spiritual Giants overnight. Paul went out into an Arabian desert alone with God for three years. Moses spent 40 years in the desert with God.
But you and I want to come in church get baptized and poof something hit us on the head and there we are and we are A mature Christian and we have all the answers and we're like, you know a Baptist Pope.
We got all the truth. That's where we act but you and I know that it isn't true doctrinally. It's not true. It takes time now. Listen me carefully. Don't misunderstand what I'm trying to say different.
I'm not talking about necessarily time in years of age. I Find people who are 60 and 70 years old who are spiritual midgets spiritual babies. Never have grown in the Lord. Can't even quote you the books of the Bible in order not make mistakes not coach you little junior boys and girls boy.
They quote those books Genesis Exodus. Let it just never do that rhyme me boy. They're just clapping single and they go right through those books. You get some dear deacon. Give me the books of the Bible brother Smith.
Uh-huh Luke see Revelation. Oh, that's way back there in the back. Let's see. Turn with a bait to the book of Haggai, huh? Turn the book of Nahum see all those moths come flying out of the scriptures you turn Middle straight.
I'm not being critical. I'm just I'm just giving you a challenge. If I said don't use Genesis 1 1 don't use Romans 3. I don't use John 3 16. Don't use Romans 10 9 and 10 and 13. Don't use Romans 3 23 6 23.
Don't use John 5 24. Don't use Revelation 3 20. Don't use Jesus. Well. Could you stand where you are and quote one verse of Scripture and give me the book chapter and verse just one verse for every Year, you've been in church.
Just one. Could you quote me the books of the Bible in order? Could you quote me the twelve tribes of Israel? Now I'm not being critical. I'm just saying you and I say we love a book that we don't study.
We say we love a book and we've learned all we gonna learn about but dear people it takes time now listen. I've met 17 and 18 year old kids who had as much spiritual knowledge about the Word of God as preachers as Preachers.
I can name you some that are that are old and young you see it depends on how much diligence you give to it. It depends on how much effort now. Obviously older people are going to have through what God vindicates in their life by experience things that young people can't have.
And so they're gonna have a spiritual maturity that young people are not going to have because of the experience of life. But isn't it interesting that God never has a church of old people. God never has a church of children.
God never has a church of young marriage. He puts old and children young married all in there together. Why old people saying let's don't move too fast here and young people say man, let's do anything even if it's wrong.
Let's just do it and young couple sitting around saying which way we want to go that way this way, you know. And so that God puts a balance and he puts older people to balance the younger. He puts young us to give that energy and fire and he puts the young couples in the middle kind of balance it out.
They don't move fast all the time. They don't move slow all the time. God knows what he's doing. All you and I could do is find out what he's doing and get in the middle of it. Well, I think God my church ain't like that man.
If you was my pastor, I'd go nuts in this church. If I was your pastor, you might hang around long. I understand. Well, what shall we say to these things. Don't be careless. Don't be lax be diligent put forth proper effort.
What's the secret of entering into this rest? It's very simple. Very simple. Look at Hebrews 4 12. Let me point out something to you that I think that we miss Hebrews 4 12, isn't that a famous verse for the Word of God is alive living powerful.
Sharper than any two-edged sword. Now watch this carefully. Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow and it's a discerner of the thoughts and intents on heart.
Now back up even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. Now watch this statement most Christians. I have no hesitance in saying that most Christians live in the realm of their soul and think they're living in the realm of the Spirit and don't know the difference.
The soul is the seat of the emotions and most Christians live in the realm of their emotions and think they're living in the realm of the spirit and that's why the Word of God has to be absorbed so that it will separate those things are the emotion and that which is truly spiritual.
You can smile like a Cheshire cat and clap your hands and pat your feet and do all you want to do and have nothing To do with spiritual matters. That is emotion. Now your emotions are part of your life.
Don't misunderstand me I don't believe Christian to be like a funeral service. But what I am saying to you dear people is that that which is spiritual has nothing to do with your emotions. It is Spiritual now it may cause your emotions to be elated.
But whether you smile or don't smile doesn't mean you are spiritual or not spiritual. It is some people's nature. They just don't smile a lot. Have you ever come on now everybody get happy. Let's smile like smiling makes you happy.
Happiness is in the heart. Blessed is what he that is redeemed the ransom of the Lord receives gladness and joy. But smiling doesn't make you happy. I hear it all the time. Every time we're gonna sing now, come on.
Y 'all look like you say let's smile and get happy. What if you do it in five minutes near people you better me. But that's what we're talking about. Why that's emotion and there's nothing wrong with emotions.
It just isn't spiritual and The Word of God has to separate. That's why I don't go down to that church because it's the same old thing Sunday after Sunday after Sunday, it's right. 2 ,000 years old. What do you think they did the modern church today couldn't worship with Peter and Paul.
They worshiped out in the rocks and sang psalms. They sang scripture. They just sang the Word of God. They didn't have a piano an organ didn't have a guitar tambourine. Didn't have a trumpet or drum. Have you ever noticed this?
I'm just telling you like it is. I mean don't criticize me. I didn't write it. I wrote it different. You say well. Well, just pick out whichever script you don't like be okay. Let's bow our heads and pray we say and then all of a sudden the organ starts playing now I'm not criticizing the organ.
I love music. I mean, I don't have any musical talent, but God's let me meet some of the greatest musicians in the world. And they're personal friends. Leontane Price. Yasha hyphens, I was a turban as a personal friend and yet.
Why when we gonna talk to God? Do we have something in the background? I'm not being critical. I'm saying why do we do it? You know what people think instead of praying and listen to a song. Why because it is emotion it deals with emotion and you talk to God with or without me.
That's spiritual. And when we talk to God. It's what he's talking about the Word of God soul and spirit when you and I pray for John Doe, you know what we do. We say dear Heavenly Father. Well, I'm praying for John Doe and then we start thinking about John Doe.
We're throwing words at God, but we're thinking about that person when you and I talk to God we better think about God. He knows where he is. You don't worry about John Doe. God take care of John Doe.
We are talking to a holy Righteous Creator and we can't just throw words at him and let our mind dart all over the world. And that's exactly what happens Sunday after Sunday after Sunday in every church across this land.
That's why when we come in church, we leave unchanged. We don't worship the Lord. We come in and go through a preaching service. We might want to worship. We just don't worship. Well, I don't go down to that church man.
They don't have no excitement down there that's what you're really saying is it doesn't deal with your emotions like you want it to and I'm not opposed to excitement if it's spiritual, but if it's man-made and Concocted by man.
I resist it. I Resist it. I want it to be of the Lord in my life and in your life and anyone else's life. And it might be listen you can bang on the piano and argue and everybody can jump up and scream.
It don't bother me if it's of the Lord. I Just find that most places I go it isn't. It isn't and if I got to sing 12 verses of one song to get you pumped up to get you to come down now I mean, you're not gonna have a meeting together.
But that's what's happening. That's what and that's that's what he's talking about. He was 12 look at it for 12 separates us under the soul and the spirit you do a study of your own. I'll not believe it.
But you go study this verse on your own get you every commentary you want to get get you have a Bible dictionary. You want to get and get you every Greek lexicon you want it and you break that down for yourself and let me know if You come up with a different conclusion because I don't want to be wrong about that particular verse.
It exposes in our hearts that which is not Spiritual not spiritual and Israel rebelled and would not hear the voice of the Lord. They just wouldn't do it. And then he goes all the way down to verse 14.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus the Son of God. Let us there it is. Let us hold fast our profession. Now that word profession is the same as confession and it means let us say the same thing.
Confession let me say the same thing. God says about it. Let me say the same thing. Jesus says about it. Let me say the same thing the Word of God has to say about it for we have not a high priest who cannot be Touched with a feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted tested proven like as we are yet without Sin, let us there it is again.
Let us therefore come boldly onto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time Of need. Now, you notice he doesn't say let's hold fast on our salvation. He says let us hold fast on our profession our confession.
Let's say the same thing and that It's used in chapter 3 verse 1. It's used in chapter 10 verse 23 and chapter 11 verse 13. The same word is used in all those passages 3 1 10 23 and 11 13 the same word that's used in chapter 4 verse 14 translate Profession confession, it's the same identical word that is being translated there and we know that God's Word is a sword to us and so these Israelites their unbelief had robbed them of the blessings and Paul keeps talking about Those Giants of the faith all through chapter 11.
He talks about Moses was faithful and then in chapter 11. You know, he goes through all those people. What was the main thing about him faith? What's that mean? They just believe God. And who do you have right in the middle.
I'm we're gonna look at but you know. See you having them right in the middle of all those children of faith. Rahab a harlot. Rahab a harlot, she wouldn't be a member of my church. She's right there in the middle of the faithful and you know that she is in the lineage of the Son of the Living God.
She is in the earthly lineage of Jesus. That's interesting. Why. Their sins and iniquities. I'll remember no more. She got a changed life why she faith God. She just believed the Lord. She believed the Word of the Lord as it was given to her.
She didn't have a big background, but she believed what she heard. She was a weaker sister, but she believed nonetheless. She believed nonetheless and this is what he's trying to get across to her and when we get over to that passage.
We're gonna find it says that they all confess the same things that they were strangers and pilgrims in this world. They all agreed if this church ever comes to the point. Where you agree together. That you are strangers and pilgrims on this earth that Jesus is actually truly really Lord of your life.
And the activities of this church and your one purpose and one goal is to positively grow in the Lord and positively Influence your family and positively influence this community for the cause of Christ and nothing else is a primary importance.
It's gonna make all the difference in the world now. I know we believe that I'm not saying you know. We believe it but practically make it become real and I can say the same thing in any church that I go to.
Because we're all you know. There's no perfect church if it was you and I'd run it we came into it, but there is no such thing. Now let's quickly close. We talk about faith. Where are you going to get faith?
Where does faith come from you and I know exactly where it comes from it comes from the Word of the Lord in Romans 10 17 so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That's why we keep saying over and over.
That's why you keep hearing over and over study the Word of God. Have you ever heard this? Well, I guess my faith just isn't as strong as it ought to be or I don't have much faith. You know why because hadn't been the Word of God.
Faith will only come through the study of the Word of God. You cannot get faith through music. You can't get faith through praying. You can ask for faith from now to the day you die and you'll never get it without studying the Word of God.
Now prayer can enter into that but dear people. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. There is no other way and that's why the church has a creeping paralysis in the body of Christ.
Because people are reading every other thing under the Sun except the Bible they are reading and even in seminaries. They study what the German theologians they study what everybody else says about the Bible and they don't study the Bible themselves in the average seminary in this country of which I am familiar and I've spoken in just hundreds of them across this country of Varying denominations including our own in Southern Madness my dear people.
You can get a doctor of theology degree with 14 hours of Bible and 12 of those are survey courses. With only a two-hour in-depth study course, you get it all in philosophy of religion and psychology of religion and all the other.
If you want to do that way and most do. Most do. It can be done and yet the primary thing is Paul said Timothy preach the Word of God. What else is there? What else is there? Everything else is opinions.
That's what causes us our problems. We always giving each other our opinions. But if we can say thus saith the Lord. Then you've given me something if I say to you the Bible says this well listen. You can go check that out if it doesn't say that to you don't worry about it.
You don't do anything cause I say so but you go check it out. And if the Bible says that then you and I both are responsible for it. And that's why any pastor worth his salt when he comes in says I'm gonna be reading this morning boy.
He does love to see his people open the Bible and follow along why you're gonna be held accountable for that. But if it doesn't say that to you don't act upon it until it does say that to you. Don't make it a part of your lifestyle because someone says so make it a part of your lifestyle because the Bible says so to You and then verses 15 to 16.
He says let's come to the throne of grace. Why does he refer to the throne at this particular point because his references to Exodus chapter 25 verses 17 to 22. You know what was in there? That was a reference to the golden mercy seat the Ark of the Covenant was a wooden chest covered with gold and on top of that Ark God told Moses to put a mercy seat and over that mercy seat world a scintillating flame and There's a word that my people use it's a Hebrew word.
It's not in the Bible, and it's called Shekinah the Shekinah glory the word Shekinah literally in the Hebrew means the personal presence of the majesty of God and That flame that was over that mercy seat Indicated the personal presence of God and God told the people of Israel.
I'll meet you at the mercy seat and The chair of angels those things that were created by those people according to the very plan of God. And that's where they came to make atonement for their sin. And so what the writer to the Hebrews is saying here is the Old Testament seat was not a Throne of grace as we know it it was under the yoke of legal bondage.
But you and I even though we know we got problems even though we know we are self-centered. Even though we know we don't get along like we ought to we can still come to the throne of grace. Boldly not because we deserve to come but because of what Jesus Christ has done for you and what he's done for me.
We are unworthy, but we are not too unworthy. We have been made worthy. We don't come in our righteousness. And so, you know as well as I do that what the scripture is indicating to us and what this writer is telling us is that God and his son made a covenant for you and The covenant has nothing really you and I didn't have anything to do with it.
Jesus paid a price and he pleased and vindicated the outraged justice of the father and Jesus and God made a covenant between the two of them and that covenant says that any person Who comes to the father through his son based upon what his son has done at Calvary will be freely accepted by the father.
When you go to the father and you pray to God, why does God answer you and me? Why does God hear us? Why does God deal with us? How did you get saved? Well, I got saved cause I asked God to know you didn't.
I got saved cause I prayed. No, you didn't. I got saved because the Holy Spirit spoke. No, you didn't. Ephesians 4 32 tells you exactly how you got saved. Although it's the least used verse in salvation.
Be ye kind tenderhearted loving one another. Forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. You and I prayed and lifted our hearts to the Lord. God forgave you in me because his son asked him to not because you asked him to.
You were just exercising faith in his payment and God says you did that and the son ever lives to make intercession for us and you are accepted in the beloved. No matter what problems you got. No matter where you are in your Christian life.
Some of you are stronger than others in the Christian life and those of you who are stronger should encourage the weaker. Never look down. Some of you had a greater opportunity. I probably more than most have been most fortunate.
I've had some of the greatest biblical scholars in the world who have befriended in my life. I haven't learned much from them. But they befriended me. Dr. M. R. D. Hahn. Dr. Merrill Unger. Dr. Dwight Pentecostal and other men Who are great Bible teachers have just befriended me.
I've had godly pastors. Every church I've ever been a member of was a pastor who preached the Word of God who loved the Word of God who loved evangelism who loved Missions. And I've never been a member of a church didn't have a pastor like that.
I've just been fortunate. I have friends who haven't had that kind of a background. They struggled they and what they've learned they've learned basically on the old. They've just struggled and studying the Bible and praying kind of going on their own.
They haven't had a lot of people around encouraging them. I have but my mother says the more, you know, the more you're responsible for. The greater the life the greater the condemnation. And we maybe who've had a few more experiences than some others.
We ought to be encouraging. Lifting them up instead of saying how come you don't know that boy. How come you don't know that girl? How come you people not know? So, how can I help you? Let me encourage you.
Let me encourage you. Yeah, let me close or stop. When was the last time that you had just your Sunday school class in your home? When's the last time you prayed for your Sunday school class ever remember by name?
When's the last time that you went somebody else say, you know, I want to thank you for something. You know, you've been a real great influence in my life. You've really been a challenge to me. You've really been inspiration.
Oh, when was the last time you gone somebody and say, you know, I don't understand you. I Mean, you know, I have a hard time getting along with you. I like you, but man you drive me up a wall sometimes some of the things you say.
Why are you in church and you make all these things? I don't understand it, but I want you to know something. I don't understand you and I don't agree with you, but I love you in the Lord. All right, when's the last time you went somebody and said, you know I've been criticizing you.
And I know that's wrong. And what I believe I think I'm right, but I'm wrong to criticize you and I want you to know I need your forgiveness. Will you forgive me for being critical of you? You know the tragedy is I meet people in every church.
I go to yours. There's no exception you have sit with roots of bitterness in their heart. Something happened 5 10 and 15 years ago, and they've never forgiven. Someone about that and it just eats like cancer at the heart.
That isn't what Paul's talking. That's not what the writer Hebrews. He said there's a list. And you're together. You're a member of the household of God. You're a member of a family of the Lord. Dear people this church ought to be a little heaven on earth.
You are members of the same family when you come to the Lord's table. We need table manners and we need to treat each other like brothers and sisters. We ought to be very careful how we treat each other.
We ought to be very tender and we ought to treat each other like we would expect. I want people to treat us. But isn't it true that the Bible says even though you know, you're right. You still go to that person and ask for you to mean you always gonna be right.
You don't make a difference. So we're supposed to go to them. See the God hedges us in he put you in listen. But he just put you in that old shoot and you can't get out until you get down the end. You say man, I'm stuck now.
I gotta take and then what he does. He'll yank out head open. He'll warn you. I Know you know what I'm talking about. I've seen that done. He doesn't want to do that. The problem is stay away from that which gives you worms.
You don't have to take the medicine. But no matter who you are. God loves you. No matter who you are. God loves you. And if you're a Christian, you're his child. Just pray father. How can we say to you that we love you in a way that would really express our heart.
Father I know that look at my life the feebleness the frailty the feeble effort that is expended. Father. I just look at the waywardness at times Lord. I just look at the insensitivity at times. I look at the concern for self sometimes Lord, I look at all these things that I know that deteriorate the spiritual life and I look at all these attitudes that I know.
That are wrong. And I sense Lord motives that sometimes are not what they ought to be. But Lord, I just thank you that you love us in spite of ourselves. And when we are faithless you are faithful. Well, you cannot deny yourself.
And Lord, I don't understand your patience and long sufferings toward us. But we are grateful for it and thank you for it. Father, I don't understand at all. Your great grace that knows no end and your love that has no bound your mercy that endure it forever and Father because we belong to Jesus Christ your son.
We know that we are accepted by you and we just exercise that right and privilege you've given us. Not because we've earned it because you just gave it to us to come to the throne of grace boldly. And you said that you'd be there as a help at the time of need.
And we know that means you come in the nick of time. You're never too late. It seems to us like Lord you wait too long. Sometimes you don't come Lord right whenever we think you ought to. Sometimes the answer isn't there when I feel I need it, but father you're always right on schedule according to your time.
I Thank you for this precious church. I thank you again for this dear pastor and people. I thank you for their coming. I thank you for what they represent what they mean and the lives that some of them have been Christians longer than I am years old.
And father they fought faithfully for you. They've stood by the faith. They've stood by the word then father. There are others who've just come in recently perhaps younger Christians. Maybe couples and maybe just young people maybe young adults who who are not quite as old in the faith.
But yet they walk faithfully. Father merge them together unite them and father unite our hearts together. We might fear thy name. And then father use us together as one. Give us one purpose one goal one desire and that is to please you and serve you.
Forgive all those sins we confess them. Lord, I just pray that during these days that we have together that something that is said something that is seen something that is seen. Might be used in the dinner recesses of our heart that would cause us to love you more and not only love you more but become activated concerned compassionate caring and then motivated energized as the dynamic of our life as the Holy Spirit that would compel us and impel us to move out into the community and Began to take advantage of opportunities you give us to share our faith.
To present Jesus Christ in a way that would be acceptable. And that would be in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the individual life to people who've hurt. Whose hearts ache whose minds are agonized and whose spirits are in a turmoil because they don't know Jesus.
Families that are searching for that which they know not. So father, I pray that at the end of this week that you will have done that. Which you desire to do in our hearts because we are available to you.
Now bless us father because we ask it and believe you for it and trust you for it. Through Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray until he comes. Amen.