WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:08.560 Well, Pilgrim's Progress was published in 1678. 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:19.199 If you're not familiar with Pilgrim's Progress, it perhaps is the most famous allegory on the Christian life that has ever been written. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:31.760 The main character, of course, his name is Christian, and it tells of a journey that Christian makes from the city of destruction to the celestial city or the celestial kingdom. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:40.159 And all of the different uh discouragements, the different uh distractions, the difficulties along the way. 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:49.200 It's a great, powerful story to really encapsulate what it looks like to live a life of faith. 00:00:49.359 --> 00:01:22.640 Because so many times on his journey towards the celestial city, there are ups, there are downs, there are discouragements and difficulties, and there are many opportunities for Christian to display faith, to display a trust in the directions and instructions that he has been given, that the way that he was told to go through the narrow gate, though it is marked with difficulty and at times suffering, that that is the correct way. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:27.760 And so a Christian needed to have faith all along the way. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.280 And so the story as a whole, it is a story of faith. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:39.920 It's a story that's meant to kind of picture for us what our life as Christians should look like, a life of faith. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:49.599 Now, as we continue in our study of Hebrews 3 into Hebrews 4 today, we're continuing to talk about the theme of rest, true rest. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:02:02.319 And just like Christian was never going to make it to the celestial city apart from faith, what we're going to see today in Hebrews is that you and I will not make it to the celestial city. 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:14.400 We will not make it into rest that God offers apart from a life of faith, faith in Jesus Christ and the rest that He offers. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.280 That's what we're going to see today in Hebrews 3. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:26.080 Now, before we read it, I want to just give you a reminder of some of the things that we talked about last week, the five different kinds of rest that the Bible talks about. 00:02:26.159 --> 00:02:30.400 Because we're actually going to see all five in this text this morning. 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:35.039 So I want you just to be clued into them and kind of have your antennas up to be looking for them. 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.560 So rest number one is spiritual rest in Christ. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:42.800 That's really the main primary rest that's talked about in the New Testament. 00:02:42.960 --> 00:02:44.240 That means to have salvation. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:47.840 That means to have all of the benefits associated with salvation. 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:49.680 That's Paul in Ephesians chapter one. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.599 Every spiritual blessing is yours in Christ Jesus. 00:02:53.759 --> 00:03:00.159 So spiritual rest in Christ that you are invited into is salvation that Christ offers. 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:07.520 And then there's physical rest that's talked about even in this passage and other places as well in the Bible, in the Old Testament specifically. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.639 And it's physical rest in the promised land. 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:20.080 So think Israel making their way through Peran to the land of Canaan, where God has promised them a land flowing with milk and honey. 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:26.800 And that land, and Israel settling into that land is called rest in the Bible. 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:31.039 So that's physical rest in the promised land, Israel heading towards Canaan. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:33.520 And then we have God's rest at creation. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:42.560 This is all the way back in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2, specifically, where God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day he rested. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:45.759 And that is what we see as the third kind of rest. 00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:51.919 Then there's the fourth kind of rest in the Bible, the ceremonial Sabbath rest under the Mosaic law. 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:56.240 And this is connected to God's rest in creation. 00:03:56.400 --> 00:04:04.240 Six days God created, the seventh he rests, and that becomes stitched into the covenant that God made with Israel as a regular reminder. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:11.039 So six days they would work, on the seventh they would rest, six years they would work the fields, on the seventh they would rest. 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:15.599 49 years there would be a year of jubilee on the 50th year and on it goes. 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:22.399 So the rest that was demonstrated by God in creation becomes stitched into the fabric of the society of Israel. 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:24.720 And that's the ceremonial Sabbath rest. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:26.240 It's even in the Ten Commandments. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:28.959 Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:30.319 So that's the fourth kind of rest. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:33.680 The fifth kind of rest is final, eternal rest. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:36.319 That if you are a Christian, you're headed to. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.160 So think even Pilgrim's Progress. 00:04:38.240 --> 00:04:40.160 He was headed toward the celestial city. 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:41.600 That was his destination. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:43.439 That was his future home. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:57.439 That's what you are headed to, this rest in eternity, being with Christ in heaven, the new heavens, the new earth, where all things are subjected under the feet of Christ when he defeats every enemy once and for all. 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:16.399 So those five kinds of rest: spiritual rest in Christ, salvation, physical rest in the land, God's rest at creation that gets stitched into the ceremonial rest and the Mosaic Law, and finally the eternal final rest that we look forward to and that we long for a city with a foundation that cannot be shaken. 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:26.720 Now, I want you, as we read this together, I want you to look out for each of those kinds of rest because they're woven together in this text, Hebrews 3.16 through Hebrews 4.5. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:27.920 Now let's read it together. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:32.399 And remember, we need to live a life of faith in order to get there. 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:35.360 That's another thing that we're going to see here in this text. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.720 Verse 16 says, For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:44.720 Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:48.639 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:53.199 Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 00:05:53.439 --> 00:06:00.079 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:05.839 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:16.240 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:27.360 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:39.360 For we who have believed in that rest, as he has said, as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest, although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:47.120 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:53.279 And again in this passage he said, They, Israel, shall not enter my rest. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:07:00.319 Now, did you see the connection there, the through line of there is a line that separates these two audiences. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:09.759 And the immediate audience that the author of Hebrews is writing to. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.720 And he's then he's saying, Don't be like Israel. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:18.959 They did not believe, they did not have faith, and they did not enter into God's rest. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:22.000 And that's why he even says in verse 19 of chapter 3. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:30.240 So we see that they were unable to enter the physical rest of Canaan because of unbelief. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:44.560 Even in verse 2 of chapter 4, it says, For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:58.160 And this is the warning of this passage of these two groups of people, Christians who are looking back at Israel and trying to learn a lesson of not being given over to unbelief. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:07:59.199 And that's that's what he says. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.920 They were not able to enter because of unbelief. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:05.199 They were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:06.240 Well, who listened? 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:08.480 Joshua and Caleb ultimately. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:11.680 They were not united with them by faith. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:17.920 They doubted, they did not believe in the promises of God, and therefore they did not enter rest. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:34.559 And even for you today, as we think about spiritual rest, salvation in Christ, and even eternal rest, uh, the future for those who have salvation in Christ today, you will not enter into that rest, no one will apart from faith. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.080 That's the lesson that we see here in this text. 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:43.200 So, point number one, I want you to understand the necessity of faith. 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:53.200 Understand the necessity of faith because in this text we see that a lack of faith leads to a lack of rest. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:00.799 Faith is essential to entering into the rest that God offers in Christ. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.600 Now, of course, it's Christ that saves us. 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:06.480 Salvation belongs to the Lord. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:14.879 But the instrument that is used, how is it that you and I receive the salvation benefits that God offers in Christ? 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:16.000 How do we receive that? 00:09:16.240 --> 00:09:17.600 How do we get that? 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.360 How do we participate in that? 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:23.519 Well, the scriptures say uh resoundingly, we get them by faith. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:25.919 We receive salvation by faith. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:29.120 And so a lack of faith leads to a lack of rest. 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:29.600 Rest. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:34.879 Faith is essential to entering into the rest that God offers in Christ. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:39.440 Now it would be helpful for us to have a clear idea of what faith is. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:48.080 And so sometimes it's helpful to define something, or at least to start to define something, by telling what it's not, what faith is not. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:50.240 Here's what faith is not. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:54.240 Faith is not suspension of reason. 00:09:54.399 --> 00:10:04.080 That's a common sort of quip that you're going to hear from a secular perspective, maybe an agnostic or an atheistic perspective, is that faith somehow is antithetical. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:05.519 It's an enemy of reason. 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:06.879 That's not what faith is. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:11.519 Faith is not something that we just do blindly. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.919 It's not just leaping with our eyes closed. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.360 That's not what faith is. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:17.279 Uh, one author said, I thought this was helpful. 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:22.240 Right faith and right reason are logically consistent with each other. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:29.679 Right reason can demonstrate many truths about God and support many of the things that we believe about God. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:32.639 So faith is not, again, a suspension of reason. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:37.120 We're not leaving our reasoning faculties at the door in order to follow Christ. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.279 That's not what you are being asked to do. 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:41.919 That's not what the Israelites are being asked to do. 00:10:42.080 --> 00:10:43.840 That's not what faith is. 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:49.039 Part and parcel with that, faith is not disregard for evidence. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:11:07.440 We have an evidentiary faith, meaning that there are real historical witnesses, there are real historical documents, there are real historical events that we can look even through archaeological evidence, and we can see the things that happen in the Bible, they are verified through actual physical, tangible evidence. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:08.559 Evidence. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:13.360 So faith is not a disregard for evidence, it's not a suspension of reason. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:15.519 Again, that's sometimes how we can think of faith. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:24.480 It's it's uh we just put our head off to the side and we're led with our heart somehow, or we just leap with open arms, we don't know what's coming, we don't know what's happening. 00:11:24.639 --> 00:11:25.679 That's not what faith is. 00:11:25.759 --> 00:11:32.399 Now, faith, of course, is you don't necessarily have all the details, you don't necessarily know exactly what the next step may be. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:39.840 And there's a sense of trust, but it's not anchored in nothing, it's not uh against reason or against evidence. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:41.519 That's not what faith is. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:44.480 So, what is faith more positively? 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:50.799 Well, perhaps the most direct definition in the scriptures comes from Hebrews 11, verse 1. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:55.200 It says, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for. 00:11:55.279 --> 00:12:00.799 Now, by the way, the things that are hoped for are grounded with reason and evidence. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:06.720 So faith is the assurance of those things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.559 Now, you might say, flag on the play. 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:12.480 I thought you said faith is something that has reason and evidence. 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:14.080 Well, of course, faith has those things. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:16.320 It's more than that, but it's not less than that. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:17.919 And that's not what the author of Hebrews is saying. 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:25.039 The author of Hebrews is not saying that faith does not need reason, faith does not need evidence, or faith does not need our senses. 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:27.440 It does not say that those things are meaningless. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:32.799 It's the assurance of things hoped for that are grounded in reason and evidence, the conviction of things not seen. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:40.000 There are plenty of things that we don't see in this life, and nevertheless, we trust, we believe, we we know to be true. 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:43.039 Gravity is an example of that, right? 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:48.720 It's not something that you can tangibly see, but it's something that you experience and something that you know is true. 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:53.120 So it's the conviction of things not seen, even if you don't necessarily see it. 00:12:53.200 --> 00:12:58.960 It's grounded in something that you hope for, which is based on sound reason and evidence. 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:02.960 Here's another definition of faith that I thought was helpful this week. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:05.120 This is not my definition, but I think it's helpful. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:09.360 It says faith is believing something on the word of a witness. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.919 Faith is believing something on the word of a witness. 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:17.440 How does Hebrews 1 open? 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:21.600 God has spoken through his son. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:28.000 Long ago, he spoke it many times and in many ways through the prophets, but in his last days, he has spoken through his son. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:39.039 Even the apostle that wrote Hebrews, for example, in chapter two, he gives a chain of linked evidence for the validity of Christ being the Messiah. 00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:39.919 Do you remember this? 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:52.960 It was first spoken of by Jesus, then it was attested to us by those who heard, that's the apostles, and God himself also bore witness with signs and wonders and various miracles. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:55.919 So the author of Hebrews is not against evidence, he's not against reason. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:57.519 In fact, he bakes it into his argument. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:04.799 You you guys remember Jesus Himself, physically on earth, he taught these things, he taught them to a select group of people, the apostles. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:15.679 They attested to what he taught to, to you, and we also have seen God do and testify and witness to the reality of those things through signs, wonders, and various miracles. 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:17.679 So God has spoken through his son. 00:14:17.840 --> 00:14:22.159 So faith is believing something on the word of a witness, trusting something on the word of a witness. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:30.960 The apostles testified to what was spoken, and the Bible contains preserved records of the witness of God through Jesus Christ. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:31.840 That's what faith is. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:34.879 You're believing something on the word of a witness. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.399 God has spoken. 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:38.960 He has spoken through his son, Jesus. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:51.919 His son Jesus spoke to disciples, physical, flesh and blood people on earth that then went and told other people there are historical records and data that verify the veracity of these things. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:15:01.360 The historic voice of the church throughout the ages, the last 2,000 years have been a collective witness of the reality of Jesus Christ. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:06.159 Faith is believing something on the word of a witness. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:13.120 Now, faith again is the is the thing that demarcates Israel to the audience here that the author is pleading with. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:16.159 Don't be like Israel, don't be given to unbelief. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:17.440 Don't lack faith. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:21.360 Believe in the witness of God through his son Jesus Christ. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.279 It came from him first. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:25.519 It was attested to us by those who heard. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:26.960 God also bore witness. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:32.080 Believe in him, believe what he has said, trust in his promises. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:37.759 Now the Bible also talks about in Hebrews 11 the essential nature of faith. 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:44.639 Hebrews 11 6 says, Without faith, it is impossible to please God. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:51.440 Without faith, you could even put in here, it's impossible to enter God's rest. 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:58.399 Without faith, it's impossible to experience salvation in Christ. 00:15:58.799 --> 00:16:01.679 Without faith, it is impossible to please him. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:10.960 It goes on it says, For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:15.759 Faith is necessary for the Christian life. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.399 You cannot live the Christian life apart from faith. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:31.200 Trusting in God, in the testimony of God through his son, that was given witness to, is attested to by the apostles and others throughout the ages. 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:33.440 It's essential for the Christian faith. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:35.519 You cannot please God apart from it. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:38.559 You cannot enter into rest apart from faith. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:40.480 Now, where does faith come from? 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:42.720 Where does faith come from? 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:43.759 That's an interesting question. 00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:49.200 The Bible talks about this in a variety of places, but Romans 10 17 perhaps is most direct. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:55.360 Paul says in Romans 10 17, faith comes from hearing, by the way. 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:56.399 Hearing from who? 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:57.600 The word of a witness. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:16:58.799 That's what faith is. 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:03.679 Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:05.359 That's where faith comes from. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:10.400 Faith is given to you by the Spirit of God as you hear the word of God. 00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:14.559 Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.079 That's where faith comes from. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:19.680 Which is why, by the way, earlier in chapter three, what does he say? 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:26.640 Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as is in the day of the rebellion. 00:17:26.799 --> 00:17:31.759 Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:35.279 Faith is necessary, it's it's essential. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:41.359 Even it is by faith and through faith that you can be saved. 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:47.759 This is what Paul says in Ephesians 2, verse 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:51.599 And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.119 Romans 5:1. 00:17:53.359 --> 00:18:01.680 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.079 There is no salvation apart from faith. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:06.000 You have been saved by grace. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:07.359 It's a free act of God. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:09.440 It's his loving kindness on display. 00:18:09.599 --> 00:18:16.960 Through faith, you have been justified, declared righteous by God, by faith is what Paul says. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:24.640 And in fact, he goes on in other places in the New Testament to say that the righteous, those who are in Christ, live lives by faith. 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:26.559 Romans 1, 16 and 17. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:35.200 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:45.680 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith, for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. 00:18:46.079 --> 00:18:51.519 Even in 2 Corinthians 5 7, Paul says, For we walk by faith and not by sight. 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:59.839 Again, not to the exclusion of our senses, not to the ignoring and setting aside our senses and reason but reason, but we walk by faith. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:01.920 Faith transcends those things. 00:19:02.160 --> 00:19:05.359 We walk by faith, not by sight. 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:15.359 And the warning here in Hebrews 3, the end of Hebrews 3, into the beginning of Hebrews 4, is that they did not make it because they did not believe. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:17.519 They did not have faith. 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.400 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:26.400 They were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.640 They did not listen to the voice of God. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:31.119 They did not trust in the witness of God. 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:33.279 And think about who he's talking about. 00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:39.519 This is a generation, it's even going to go on to say in verse 1, verse uh 16 and following of chapter 3. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:48.559 This is a generation that saw many signs and wonders that God performed as he delivered Israel from slavery to the Egyptians. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:49.920 That's who we're talking about. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:20:01.759 They had all of the evidence, they had all of the reasons, they had all of the things that you could probably ask for in believing in the reality of God and his power, and yet they still didn't believe. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:12.880 And that's by the way, just as a sidebar, sometimes people will kind of make the complaint that there's not enough evidence, there's not enough reason, there's not enough, there's not enough tangible things that we can touch and taste and smell and all of those things. 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:14.640 Well, again, look at the Israelites. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:15.599 They had it all. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:22.400 They had literally quail falling from the sky, seas that are split, and they walked down the middle of. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:25.519 They were rescued and delivered, and God provided. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:30.559 There's water coming out of rocks in the wilderness, and yet they did not believe. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:33.759 Unbelief is a spiritual issue. 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.920 It's not a it's not an evidence issue. 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:45.920 There are so many people, even if you think about the gospels, Jesus is standing in front of the Pharisees performing miracles and teaching, and they've got to do something. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:50.559 They've got to come up with something because they recognize that he's doing things that he shouldn't be able to do. 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:51.440 So what do they say? 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:53.279 He's empowered by Satan. 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.880 They had to acknowledge that he was doing things that only God could do. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:03.200 So so he had some kind of power, some kind of divinity, but they didn't want to say that he was the Christ, that he was the son of God. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.799 So he was empowered by Satan. 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:06.559 He was empowered by the Elzebel. 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:12.799 And they stood right in front of Jesus and they saw him, they heard him, they witnessed the things that he did, and yet they rejected him. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:15.839 So it's not an issue of faith, or it's not an issue of evidence, I should say. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.279 It's not an issue of reason. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:19.920 It's a it's a spiritual issue, it's an issue of faith. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:22.160 The righteous live by faith. 00:21:22.240 --> 00:21:27.839 And even those who had perhaps more evidence than you and I ever will have, they still didn't believe. 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:31.920 They did not enter because of unbelief. 00:21:32.160 --> 00:21:32.960 That's the warning. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:36.240 We need to see the necessity of faith to enter God's rest. 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:46.400 Spiritual rest, salvation, eternal rest, being with Christ for eternity, eternal life that we will experience fully and finally with Christ in heaven. 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:49.440 We need faith to do that. 00:21:49.519 --> 00:21:52.000 Now look at verse 16 again of Hebrews 3. 00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:57.200 There's a series of questions and answers that the author is asking. 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.359 For who were those who heard? 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:00.640 And yet rebel. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.759 This is what we're just talking about. 00:22:01.839 --> 00:22:04.319 Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:13.839 Was it not all those who saw signs and wonders and miracles by God, a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night? 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.519 Was it not that generation? 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:16.799 Verse 17. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:19.440 And with whom was he provoked for 40 years? 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:21.599 That's how long they wandered in the wilderness. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:32.160 Was it not with those who sinned, who rejected what God said, who rejected the voice of God, who rejected the commandments of God, those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 00:22:32.240 --> 00:22:34.160 They didn't make it, they didn't go into Canaan. 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:37.599 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest? 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:41.200 But to those who were disobedient? 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:48.240 Now this is crucial because the author of Hebrews is showing us something about the reality of genuine faith. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.799 How do you know if you have genuine faith? 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:53.119 What does genuine faith look like? 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:54.720 What does it do? 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:58.640 Well, according to Hebrews 3, they did it do something. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:00.960 That tells us something that something that we should do. 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:02.960 It says they were disobedient. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.519 They ignored the commands of God. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:08.319 They were given over to their own passions. 00:23:08.720 --> 00:23:11.119 They were given over to their own desires. 00:23:11.279 --> 00:23:13.039 They were complaining and grumbling. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:17.279 They longed to go back to Egypt rather than to go into the land that God had promised. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:19.359 They were disobedient to God. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:23.759 Their faith was not genuine because they were disobedient. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.640 Genuine faith leads to genuine obedience. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:31.039 So point number two, I want you to rightly identify genuine faith. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:35.519 Because again, I just said it, but genuine faith always leads to genuine obedience. 00:23:35.680 --> 00:23:39.200 Faith and obedience in the scriptures are inseparable. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:42.559 Now, listen, you're not saved because of obedience. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:45.279 You're saved by grace through faith. 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:48.559 Since then, we have been justified by faith. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:53.440 We live lives of faith because we've been saved by grace through faith. 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.680 But nevertheless, faith and obedience are inseparable in the Christian life. 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:01.519 Think about some examples that we'll get to in chapter 11 of Hebrews. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:06.240 When God told Mo or Noah rather to construct the ark, what does he do? 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.000 He constructs the ark. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.079 He does what God told him to do, even though it probably made no sense. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:18.559 Even the dimensions of this thing were astronomical, and yet he did it with obedience and with faith. 00:24:19.119 --> 00:24:26.240 When God came to Abram, who we know as Abraham, and said, Hey, I want you to pick up and go to a land of which I will tell you. 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.960 Didn't even tell him where he was going, just get up and go. 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:30.640 What does Abraham do? 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:33.279 He goes, He obeys. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:42.319 When God tells Abraham, after years of him and Sarah wanting and longing for a child, an offspring, they finally have Isaac. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:43.920 What does God tell him to do? 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:46.960 To offer his son, his only son, whom he loves. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:50.240 This is Genesis 22, as a sacrifice. 00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:51.839 And what does Abraham do? 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:56.799 He willingly begins to make preparations to do what God had commanded. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:01.039 Because he's thinking to himself, okay, God is faithful, he's true to his word. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:04.000 God is able to even raise him from the dead. 00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:05.200 So he does it. 00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:06.559 He he obeys. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:10.079 And of course, the angel stops him, but he obeys. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:14.960 Faith and obedience are inseparable in the Bible. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:20.799 And this is what even the apostle John, as another example, in 1 John chapter 2, verses 3 through 6. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:25.599 Here's how he says that I want you to listen to this because this he does not mince words. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:31.200 This is a a stinging passage, perhaps, but one that is necessary for us to think about. 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:35.359 1 John chapter 2, verse 3 says, And by this we know that we have come to know him. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:36.559 And that's kind of the question, right? 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:37.680 What's genuine faith? 00:25:37.839 --> 00:25:39.119 What's true faith? 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:44.400 How do we know that we've come to know him if we keep his commandments? 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:45.680 That's what John says. 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:50.799 And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:25:51.039 --> 00:26:00.400 Whoever says, he continues, I know him, but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, John says. 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:02.960 And the truth is not in him. 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:08.160 But whoever keeps his word in him truly the love of God is perfected. 00:26:08.319 --> 00:26:10.400 By this we may know that we are in him. 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:17.839 Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 00:26:18.160 --> 00:26:20.079 This is the reality of genuine faith. 00:26:20.319 --> 00:26:23.440 Genuine faith leads to genuine obedience. 00:26:23.599 --> 00:26:24.880 And that's what we see here. 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:29.680 They disobeyed, they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:34.480 They didn't have genuine faith because genuine faith leads to genuine obedience. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:41.759 To whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient, is what Hebrews says. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:46.720 By this we know we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:27:00.160 And it's all too common today for so-called Christians to claim the name of Christ while living lives of blatant disobedience with no regard for what God has said in his word. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.799 The Apostle John has words for that. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:07.119 He says, You are a liar, and the truth is not in you. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:11.920 Whoever says, I know him, but does not keep his commandments is a liar. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:18.079 And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:25.200 Genuine faith leads to genuine obedience, and disobedience is a sign of lack of faith. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.079 And disobedience ultimately kept Israel from entering into the promised land. 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:43.599 They did not believe, they did not trust in God, they ignored the word of the witness of Moses and Aaron, and even the signs and wonders and miracles that God did in their midst. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:48.480 Now, as a Christian, what are some things that should motivate your obedience? 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:53.519 If obedience and faith are inseparable, and of course they are, that's what 1 John 2 says. 00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:55.200 That's how we know we have genuine faith. 00:27:55.359 --> 00:28:02.960 If you say you have fellowship with him, while you do not keep his commandments, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:05.359 So what should motivate us to do this? 00:28:05.519 --> 00:28:12.559 Of course, we're not motivated, we're not trying to earn our salvation, we're not trying to make it back to the Lord. 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:18.799 We're not doing anything to earn our salvation or to to merit any sort of anything in our Christian life. 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:20.240 That's that much is clear. 00:28:20.480 --> 00:28:27.200 But we should be motivated, nevertheless, by the love that we have received by God through Christ. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:33.440 Love is a phenomenal motivator, perhaps one of the strongest motivators. 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:38.559 You should be motivated towards obedience of God because you love God. 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:46.640 This is what Jesus says: I love, love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. 00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:48.400 This is the greatest commandment. 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:53.119 All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commands, Jesus says. 00:28:53.440 --> 00:28:58.160 Love should motivate you because you understand who God is. 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:08.240 You understand his character, you understand his faithfulness, you understand that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 00:29:08.319 --> 00:29:10.400 That his steadfast love endures forever. 00:29:10.720 --> 00:29:13.680 A love for God motivates obedience to God. 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:18.240 And that's even true with our kids in an ideal situation, right? 00:29:18.319 --> 00:29:25.839 When our kids love us in their good best moments, they want to obey us because they know that we love them. 00:29:26.160 --> 00:29:29.279 Because they know that we love them, they love us and they want to obey us. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:30.559 Of course, that's not always the case. 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:32.640 Sin gets into it, maturity gets in it. 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:33.839 You know, we get it. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.680 But love, right? 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:38.319 Love is a great motivator for obedience. 00:29:38.400 --> 00:29:44.960 We understand who God is, we understand his character, and we're motivated towards obedience because of love. 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:52.880 And the other thing, even the example that we see here in Hebrews that the Israelites lacked was trust in God. 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:56.960 So be motivated towards obedience by trust in God. 00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:04.559 You have to trust that God's way is good, and not just that it's good, it's best. 00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:12.240 You have to believe the words of Psalm 19 where it says, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:13.599 I mean, think about that for a second. 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:14.559 The precepts of the Lord. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:18.160 Let's just say the commandments of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:21.839 Is that how you feel about the commandments of God? 00:30:22.160 --> 00:30:23.039 Is that how you feel? 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:31.839 That your heart rejoices at what God commands you to do and to obey and to pursue and to live and to put off and to put on? 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:34.160 Because that's what David feels in Psalm 19. 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:38.319 The law of the Lord is perfect, he says in verse 11, reviving the soul. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:45.200 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. 00:30:45.440 --> 00:30:48.880 Is that how you feel about obeying God? 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:56.319 We have to trust that God's way is good and best, and that living in the way that God has commanded us to live is good. 00:30:56.480 --> 00:31:00.559 And our heart rejoices, it will rejoice because we're doing what we ought to do. 00:31:00.640 --> 00:31:05.759 We're living not at odds with our Creator, but in unity with Him. 00:31:06.000 --> 00:31:07.200 We trust God. 00:31:07.359 --> 00:31:08.880 Obedience is motivated by trust. 00:31:08.960 --> 00:31:10.960 We trust that God's way is good and best. 00:31:11.119 --> 00:31:18.160 And the other thing I would say that should motivate our obedience is humility, or at least the need for humility. 00:31:18.559 --> 00:31:22.240 That we recognize that someone else gets to call the shots. 00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:26.720 We recognize that you are not the creator of the world, and neither am I. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:30.079 I think of what God says to Job, where were you? 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:32.319 It's funny, Job, that you have a question for me. 00:31:32.480 --> 00:31:35.039 Where were you when I created the world? 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:38.319 Where were you when I separated the waters? 00:31:38.480 --> 00:31:39.680 Where were you, Job? 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:41.359 You weren't there. 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:42.400 That's the point. 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:46.640 Humility, someone else calls the shots because God is the creator. 00:31:46.880 --> 00:31:50.559 He is the king, a great king over all the earth. 00:31:50.720 --> 00:32:00.559 And so faith is demonstrated and displayed physically and tangibly through your obedience, through your submitting to what God has said. 00:32:00.720 --> 00:32:08.640 And it says here that they did not enter God's rest because they were disobedient, that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:10.559 They lacked faith. 00:32:10.720 --> 00:32:13.680 They did not trust that what God was doing was best. 00:32:13.839 --> 00:32:22.240 They did not trust in God's promises, in God's provision, and they did not enter because of their unbelief. 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.599 Now let's look at verse one of chapter four. 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:28.400 That's the warning. 00:32:28.640 --> 00:32:34.160 Israel did not enter, they were disobedient, they did not trust, they lacked faith. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:48.240 So he says, For you, Christians, there is a rest, there's a promise of that rest that's being extended today, and it still stands. 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:50.000 Here's the urge. 00:32:50.640 --> 00:32:55.680 Let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:32:56.079 --> 00:33:00.000 For good news came to us just as to them. 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:09.119 But the message that they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:11.200 That's the warning. 00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:16.319 Let us fear, lest any of us should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:19.200 The message that they heard, they heard the same thing. 00:33:19.440 --> 00:33:25.440 It did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 00:33:25.680 --> 00:33:30.720 Point number three, I want you to fear the consequences for lack of faith. 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:35.519 Fear the consequences for lack of faith. 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:38.160 I mean, that's that's the encouragement, that's the warning. 00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:40.000 That's exactly what he says. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:45.759 Let us fear lest any of us should fail to reach it. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:53.680 Let us fear and recognize that just like the Israelites, they were given over to disobedience, they were given over to unbelief. 00:33:53.920 --> 00:33:57.759 You could be given over to disobedience, you could be given over to unbelief. 00:33:57.920 --> 00:34:00.480 We need to have a healthy fear. 00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:03.759 Fear the consequences for lack of faith. 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:07.119 Now, is this a is this a contradiction? 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:12.960 Because throughout the Bible, you're going to see do not fear in a lot of different contexts. 00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:17.599 Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7, God gave us a spirit not of fear. 00:34:18.159 --> 00:34:22.880 God himself says in Isaiah 41, 10, fear not, for I am with you. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:28.239 Psalm 46, 2, we will not fear, though the earth gives way. 00:34:29.519 --> 00:34:36.159 Psalm 23, even though I'm in the sh the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. 00:34:36.400 --> 00:34:44.880 Hebrews chapter 2, verse 15, Jesus delivered all those who, through fear of death, were subject to lifelong slavery. 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:49.199 So again and again and again, the Bible says we are not to be given over to fear. 00:34:49.360 --> 00:34:52.239 Jesus himself has freed us from the fear of death. 00:34:52.480 --> 00:34:58.000 We are not to fear the valley of the shadow of death, because Jesus is with us, he's leading us home. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:03.280 So when the author of Hebrew says, let us fear, is this a contradiction in terms? 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.239 Well, of course not. 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:11.119 The Bible does not contradict itself, it comes in understanding what the encouragement here is. 00:35:11.519 --> 00:35:14.079 One pastor I was listening to this week said it this way. 00:35:14.159 --> 00:35:15.519 I thought this was helpful. 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:20.960 When it comes to the Christian, there's one thing to fear. 00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:27.199 It's not believing in the promises that make you fearless. 00:35:27.440 --> 00:35:29.679 That's what he's saying. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:36.320 There is one thing for us to fear: not believing in the promises that should make us fearless. 00:35:36.480 --> 00:35:44.559 Not believing that Jesus, in fact, has freed us from death, has freed us from the devil. 00:35:45.280 --> 00:35:48.880 This is a fear that focuses us. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:53.840 This is a fear that keeps us moving forward. 00:35:54.159 --> 00:35:58.239 It's like carefully watching your step as you near the edge of a cliff. 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:03.920 You might get close, you might peer over, you can see what's on the other side, but it kind of you slow down. 00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:10.159 You watch where your feet are going a little bit more carefully because you know that there's danger on the other side. 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:11.199 That's what he's talking about. 00:36:11.360 --> 00:36:13.360 So we're not giving over to anxiety. 00:36:13.760 --> 00:36:14.800 We're not paralyzed. 00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:16.239 That's not what he's encouraging us towards. 00:36:16.320 --> 00:36:18.800 It's towards a healthy sort of focus. 00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:23.760 It's carefully even checking your equipment before you begin a vertical climb. 00:36:23.920 --> 00:36:27.679 It's carefully checking both ways before you pull out onto a busy street. 00:36:27.920 --> 00:36:28.719 That's what he's saying. 00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:35.360 That's what he's encouraging us to do: to check both ways, to keep moving, to keep trusting, keep believing, fear. 00:36:35.760 --> 00:36:37.679 Again, we're not giving over to anxiety. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:42.159 We're not giving over to things that are unhelpful and that are rooted in unbelief. 00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:44.960 We're giving over to things that keep us focused. 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:50.559 So, in that sense, there is a fear that could be detrimental to the Christian life. 00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:53.519 A fear that is rooted in unbelief. 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:58.239 Fear that is rooted in doubt, that stems from a lack of trust in God. 00:36:58.400 --> 00:37:03.519 That is a kind of fear that by God's grace you are to rid yourself of and be far from. 00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:06.480 You have not been given a spirit of fear. 00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:09.679 But there is a fear that corresponds with faith. 00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:14.400 It's somewhat similar to what the Proverbs says: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.960 Fools despise wisdom and instruction. 00:37:17.280 --> 00:37:23.519 There's a fear that helps us uh that that helps us again focus on the promises of God. 00:37:23.679 --> 00:37:33.440 It's a fear that longs to carefully follow what God has said, being obedient to his word, recognizing the dangers that come from ignoring his voice. 00:37:33.679 --> 00:37:34.880 Really, that's the whole point here. 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:36.079 That's the encouragement. 00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:44.000 He says, Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:37:44.239 --> 00:37:45.599 And here's the reason why. 00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:48.480 For good news came to us just as to them. 00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:50.800 Good news came to us just as to them. 00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:56.639 We all have the same information, we all have the same news, but some people get it and some people don't. 00:37:56.800 --> 00:38:00.079 And so there's there's cause for what we need to we need to focus on. 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:02.880 Okay, well, what makes it so that we get it? 00:38:03.119 --> 00:38:04.800 It's faith, is what he says. 00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:07.679 They were not united by faith. 00:38:07.840 --> 00:38:12.480 It did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listen. 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:17.840 He even goes on and says in verse 3, for we who have believed, who have had faith, we enter that rest. 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:20.559 This is a this is a sure thing, it's a confident thing. 00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:23.119 We who have believed, enter that rest. 00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:35.119 But those who who are battling with unbelief, those who are given over to disobedience, it says, we need to we need to focus, we need to have a sense of evaluation and look at this warning and recognize that there are consequences. 00:38:35.280 --> 00:38:42.880 This is a fear, again, that longs to carefully follow what God has said, recognizing the dangers that come from ignoring his voice. 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:47.440 This is similar to what the author of Hebrew says at the beginning of Hebrews chapter 2. 00:38:47.679 --> 00:38:52.480 Let us pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. 00:38:52.960 --> 00:38:54.400 That's the kind of fear that he's talking about. 00:38:54.559 --> 00:38:56.719 Pay attention, stay focused. 00:38:56.960 --> 00:38:58.320 You're getting close to the edge. 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:02.719 We need to slow down, watch our steps, be mindful of where we are. 00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:06.639 We need to trust in God, believe in him, have faith in him. 00:39:06.880 --> 00:39:10.559 The Israelites heard, but they did not believe. 00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:13.760 They were not united by faith. 00:39:14.079 --> 00:39:19.360 And so that's why he says, Let us fear, lest any of us should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:24.239 And again, the appeal here is that there is an ongoing invitation to rest. 00:39:24.400 --> 00:39:27.920 That's the next section, verse 8 of chapter 4. 00:39:28.000 --> 00:39:29.519 For Joshua had given them rest. 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:33.760 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 00:39:33.840 --> 00:39:36.559 So the physical rest of Canaan, they ultimately enter in. 00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:39.280 So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:44.159 For whoever has entered God's rest also has rested from his works as God did from his. 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:45.840 So there's an invitation. 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:48.880 There, there is uh God speaking today. 00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:51.920 Again, the Holy Spirit saying, Do not harden your hearts. 00:39:52.079 --> 00:39:55.440 There's rest that's available, there's salvation that is offered. 00:39:55.679 --> 00:39:59.760 And what's necessary for you to enter into that rest? 00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:00.880 Faith. 00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:04.079 Faith was the difference maker. 00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:05.840 Some made it because of faith. 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:07.920 Joshua and Caleb, very few. 00:40:08.239 --> 00:40:19.280 A lot did not because of unbelief, because of their doubt, their hardness of heart, their complaining, they're grumbling, they're insisting on their own way, they're ignoring godly counsel. 00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:23.760 Let us fear, lest any of us should seem to have failed to reach it. 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:25.280 That's the warning. 00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:26.639 We should fear the consequences of faith. 00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:32.320 And again, we're not trying to live in a constant state of anxiety over the truthfulness of our salvation. 00:40:32.639 --> 00:40:33.840 That's not what we're going for here. 00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:34.880 That's not what the author of Hebrews. 00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:45.199 In fact, Hebrews is written so that you feel assured in your salvation, confident in your salvation, that you're running forward with faith, with full assurance, with confidence. 00:40:45.360 --> 00:40:48.239 That's his point is not to undermine your assurance. 00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:50.079 His point is to bolster it. 00:40:50.159 --> 00:40:57.519 And as a part of that, as a part of the Christian life, we should have a healthy fear of doing things that God has commanded us not to do. 00:40:57.679 --> 00:40:59.119 We need to stay focused. 00:41:03.360 --> 00:41:04.400 They heard the same thing. 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:09.760 The message that they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by the faith. 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:28.320 But the good news of the gospel is that today, as we talked about last week, today is a day that you can respond and hear the truthfulness of God, the truthfulness of who Christ is, that he died on the cross to pay for your sins, and that believing, having faith in him, you can have life in his name. 00:41:28.480 --> 00:41:30.960 You can enter into rest and you can have confidence. 00:41:31.119 --> 00:41:33.679 You can have the confidence of verse three. 00:41:33.920 --> 00:41:41.679 For we who have believed, who do trust in Jesus, who do recognize that God has spoken through his son, we enter that rest. 00:41:41.920 --> 00:41:42.880 We have it. 00:41:43.119 --> 00:41:45.599 We can be assured in it and have confidence in it. 00:41:45.679 --> 00:41:48.320 We who have believed, and that's the that's the appeal today. 00:41:48.400 --> 00:41:53.360 That you need to recognize that faith is a necessity. 00:41:53.599 --> 00:41:55.199 That God commands you to believe. 00:41:55.360 --> 00:42:05.039 By grace you have been saved through faith, believing in the gospel, believing in who Jesus is, turning from your sin and trusting in Him. 00:42:05.920 --> 00:42:11.599 This made me think of a story perhaps familiar to most in this room. 00:42:11.840 --> 00:42:23.679 On April 10th, 1912, the largest passenger ship in the world at the time, known as the Titanic, set sail from Southampton, England. 00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:33.920 As the ship made its way west across the Atlantic, the captain maintained high speeds as they entered icy waters. 00:42:34.320 --> 00:42:47.599 Nearby ships, the story goes, sent several wireless messages warning of the dangerous conditions ahead, of the ice and the icebergs, warnings that ultimately largely ended up being ignored. 00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:59.280 So shortly before midnight, just mere days after their maiden voyage began, the Titanic, the lookouts of the Titanic, saw an iceberg directly ahead of the ship. 00:42:59.519 --> 00:43:02.960 But at this point, of course, you know the story, it was too late. 00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:09.840 Due to the ship's size and the speed that they were traveling, they were unable to change course. 00:43:10.079 --> 00:43:12.559 And they ended up striking the iceberg. 00:43:12.719 --> 00:43:24.639 And the ship was designed for four compartments to be able to flood and still maintain, still be able to float, but five compartments and even more began to flood, and it was catastrophic. 00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:32.400 If you know the story, of 1,500 people that night lost their lives in the frigid water. 00:43:32.639 --> 00:43:41.599 The largest and widely considered safest ship in the world sank in its maiden voyage. 00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:48.719 The captain and the crew in this example did not have a healthy fear of the danger ahead. 00:43:49.039 --> 00:43:59.440 They grew prideful, they grew overconfident in either their ability or the ship's ability, and it ended in devastating loss of life. 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:13.519 As you traverse, if I can say it this way, the waters of this life, you need to recognize that there are icebergs of unbelief that lie dead ahead. 00:44:13.840 --> 00:44:16.000 That's the warnings of Hebrews. 00:44:16.159 --> 00:44:24.559 And the call today is to change course, to heed the warning, to steer towards Christ. 00:44:25.119 --> 00:44:29.519 Because it's in Christ that you can have rest, salvation. 00:44:29.679 --> 00:44:36.880 Jesus Himself says, Come to me, those who are burdened and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 00:44:37.519 --> 00:44:42.559 And today that invitation, that promise still stands. 00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:45.760 And your response today should be one of faith. 00:44:45.920 --> 00:44:46.960 I believe. 00:44:47.199 --> 00:44:50.400 And your belief will make all the difference. 00:44:50.639 --> 00:45:00.400 He says in verse two again, the message that they heard was the same message, but it did not benefit them because they were not united by faith. 00:45:01.039 --> 00:45:04.719 There are icebergs of unbelief dead ahead. 00:45:04.800 --> 00:45:09.119 And we need to fear lest any of us should fail to reach it. 00:45:09.360 --> 00:45:17.039 Let's trust in Christ, trust in the promises of God, and have faith that He is truly the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 00:45:17.119 --> 00:45:17.920 Let me pray for us. 00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:23.280 God, thank you for the warnings here in Hebrews. 00:45:23.679 --> 00:45:28.639 We're thankful that the promise of rest still stands. 00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:36.079 So God, I pray that those in this church, perhaps that do not know what it means to have rest in Christ. 00:45:36.320 --> 00:45:38.079 God, would you open their eyes? 00:45:38.239 --> 00:45:39.840 Would you give them faith? 00:45:40.079 --> 00:45:43.760 Would faith come from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ? 00:45:44.079 --> 00:46:05.920 God, I pray that we would have a confidence that through faith in Christ, not in our ability, not in anything that we have done, but in Christ's perfect work and sacrifice on the cross, that we can experience full rest and the salvation that we long await, a city with a foundation that cannot be shaken. 00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:14.880 God help us to keep moving forward with faith, keep pressing on, and to pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. 00:46:15.039 --> 00:46:16.880 Help us with that, I pray in Jesus' name. 00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:17.599 Amen.