Turn with me to the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. Let's ask the Lord's blessing. Our Father, this evening as we
come before You, approach you only in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ, for it is only in Him who is the way, Lord,
that we are able to come into your presence to enter without
fear in our blessed Savior in whom alone we have life and peace
and joy. Lord, would you tonight bless
this Word We ask, and we seek, and we knock, and we know that
You're the One that reveals and teaches by Your Spirit. Help
us, we pray. Settle our hearts. Comfort us
by Your Word. For Christ's sake, Amen. The Apostle Paul is writing to some Jews, some
converted Jews. While he's writing to these converted
Jews and teaching them, we're learning this word is alive. It's living, the living word. We're here tonight hearing the living Word of God sent forth
expressing Him who is present with us. Two or three are gathered
together. I'm in your midst. Isn't that
a comforting thought? He's here. The Apostle told us under the
inspiration of the Spirit of God in chapter 3 to consider
the high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful
to Him that appointed Him. That He was counted, the Lord
Jesus, was counted worthy of more honor than Moses because
the Lord Jesus built the house. that Moses serves in. Considering the Lord Jesus Christ,
we are exhorted to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to
the end. Paul reminded these Jews that
he was talking to, believers just like us, he reminded them
that many of the nation of Israel When they came out of Egypt,
they had an appearance of faithfulness. But many of them died in the
wilderness because of unbelief. Now, the Lord's will to show
mercy to His people is surely going to be done. You know that.
All that God has everlastingly loved, God is going to have them
in His presence. God's elect is going to be saved,
and there's one way that their election, that their salvation
is evidenced. One way, and this one way is
actually in two statements, which is but one way. They believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. They believe God. And they're
faithful to the end. They remain. They stay. He that believeth the Lord told
his disciples and is baptized will be saved. He that believeth
not shall be damned. Now there is an evidence of believing
God. There is a growth, growing grace,
Paul said, in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now the first grace that is evidenced,
the first grace that is evidenced in and through a believer, first
evidence of regeneration is faith. Faith. You can see that in that
thief on the cross, railing on the Lord and all of a sudden
The Spirit of God obviously did something for him. And he began
to reprimand the other thief. And he said, we're getting what
we deserve. This man's done nothing. He looked
at him and, boy, listen to the word of faith. Lord, when you enter into your kingdom,
boy, you talk about faith. He knew. He knew. I'm getting
ready to leave this world. And he looked at the Lord Jesus
Christ and he said, Lord, when you enter into your kingdom,
would you remember me? Don't you know that that was
a, oh, what a comforting thought it was to him. Would you remember
me? And the Lord told him, He said,
today you'll be with me in paradise. Faith. That's the first evidence. But according to 2 Peter 1, 5-12,
and I won't read the Scriptures. I'm just going to tell you basically
what they're saying. Faith is known. And faith grows. Faith grows. Lord, increase our
faith. Faith is added to by virtue. Add to
your faith. Virtue. And I just wrote down
what those words mean. Spiritual morality for God's
honor. Now, you know, I do understand
that there's some morality. There's people that's honorable
in there. But here, virtue is morality
for God's honor. Joseph. Remember, he was in Potiphar's
house And Potiphar's wife tried to get him to lay with her, and
he said he wouldn't do it because of God's honor. Not because he was afraid of
getting caught. Because of God's honor. Add to your faith virtue. And virtue, knowledge. Knowledge of God's will and the
love of it. Not just knowledge per se, but
knowledge of God according to the Scriptures. Faith. Faith
grows. And to knowledge, temperance. This is what the definition is.
Avoidance of excess of anything that is a hindrance to my witness. Temperance. The avoidance of
anything that is a hindrance to my witness. Lord, keep me
from that. Temperance and patience. hopeful
endurance under trials, patience, godliness, a fearful respect
and submission to the Lord with thankfulness, prayer, and consistency
in hearing the gospel. Godliness. And to godliness,
brotherly kindness, the evidence of regeneration. By this shall
all men know that you are My disciples. You won't love one
another. And to brotherly kindness, charity, love and kindness to
men for Christ's sake." Boy, I tell you what, that's a growth.
There's a growth in grace. So knowing it's not how a man
starts in his appearance. It's how does he end? What's
the end? He that endureth to the end shall
be saved. Well, Paul starts off today,
tonight, in chapter 4, verse 1. Let's just look at verses
1, 2, and 3 for just a few minutes. The apostle says, Let us therefore
fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest
any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was
the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it. For we which have believed do
enter into rest, as He said, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world." Now let me say this. I want to
look at the first two complete verses and then half of the third. And Lord willing, the next time,
that I preach. I want to deal with that although
the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
But the Apostle starts off talking to these Jews and says, Let us
therefore fear. Let us. And I want you to notice
he included himself. Let us therefore fear. Fear with a cautious and godly
jealousy Fear this, the evil of unbelief. That's the fear.
Let us therefore fear. Now, we don't fear that God's
grace is sufficient. We know God's grace is sufficient
for the salvation of His people, but we're watchful. Watchful
concerning ourselves. I want you to turn to 2 Corinthians
13.5. 2 Corinthians 13, 5. Examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith. Prove your own selves, no you
not, your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
you be reprobates. Now, I want to read you something
that Brother Henry wrote on that scripture right there. Examine
yourselves." He said, number one, he said, don't examine somebody
else to see if they be in the faith. He said, examine yourself. Determined by the Word of God,
if you are in the faith, the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ,
if Christ dwells in you, dwells in your heart by faith, you have
become new creatures His Spirit is within you. His graces and
fruit are manifest. His love is shed abroad in your
heart, and you have a good hope. If not, you're a counterfeit. Examine yourself. We're not looking. I'm not here tonight to examine
somebody else. Here's the one I need to be concerned
about right here. Marvin Steinecker. Examine yourself. Examine yourself by the Word
of God. Examine yourself by the Scriptures.
Examine yourself what Almighty God by His Spirit has set forth
concerning believers. What is a believer like? Examine
yourself by the Word of God. You remember, we all possess
an old nature. And I'm telling you an old nature
that wars against our new nature. And we struggle. And we fight. And they're contrary. We know
that those that God Almighty calls by His grace and regenerates
by His Spirit are kept. There is no doubt about that.
Men do not fall out of the hands of Almighty God. We're kept. by the power of God. Evidence
of that being kept is faithfulness to Christ, faithfulness to His
Word, faithfulness, faithfulness, faithfulness. What Paul was saying
is, don't be lazy spiritually. Search the Scriptures. The Lord
Jesus Christ said in Luke 13, 24, listen to this, to enter in at the straight gate. Strive to enter in. Struggle against looking to works
as your merit before God. And I'm telling you, we struggle
with that. Somehow, somehow, I'm telling
you, there's still that old nature within us that just wants to
say, You know, surely, surely, the old nature says, surely there's
some merit there. And there's none. Not by works
of righteousness that we've done, but according to His mercy. Mercy. I'm telling you, a man
or woman find themselves In Christ it is by the grace of God. There is a reverence for the
Lord Jesus Christ. And there is a watchful examining
fear. Let us fear. And that's a healthy
fear. That's a healthy fear. David said in Psalm 211, serve
the Lord with fear. Reverence. You don't find believers speaking
disrespectfully of Him. He's not the man upstairs, you
know. God's people don't speak of Him
like that. They speak with respect. And
when they approach Him, they approach Him with respect. Father. And it's a heart respect. It's not a fear of bondage, but
a respect according to adoption. Peter says in 1 Peter 1, 17,
Pass the time of your sojourn here in fear and respect. and reverence. This is His Word. This is His Church. This is His
Gospel. There is nothing that takes a
precedent over the worship of Almighty God. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing takes a precedent over
the worship of God. Fear. From conversion till death,
the believer walks in a godly respect. Fear. Trust. And God's people are careful. They're careful concerning their
work and their attitude and their consistency before Him. They
know. They know what they're struggling
with. They know what it feels like. to find themselves wavering. They know what it's like. And like Job, I loathe myself.
Lord, You're worthy. You're worthy. Lord, have mercy
on me. I'm so sorry. Let us fear lest
a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should
seem or that means give the appearance Let us fear with a godly respect. Lord, I don't want to. I don't want to give the appearance
of your responsibility towards you. I don't want to. Do you?
I mean, does it matter to you if someone looks at you and says,
well, you know, it ain't that important to them? Not to a believer,
it matters. I don't want to give that appearance.
I don't want to give an appearance of inconsistency. Let us therefore
fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest,
any of you should seem to come short of it, should seem to fail to see it,
should seem to be persuaded of it or to embrace it. Almighty God has left a promise
to His people, a promise. A promise of salvation to all
that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Promise. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Lord, give me a heart of understanding
for that. Lord, let me walk before You
as one that respects You, loves You. I'm a struggling sinner. And I struggle every day, embarrassed
to have to admit my struggles and my strivings. But I'm so
thankful that the Spirit of God had the Apostle Paul and others
write the scriptures of their struggles too. If not, it would
cause me to wonder, do I have any hope at all? Surely, surely. As Newton said in that song that
he wrote, surely could they be worse that have never known His
name. They can't be any worse than
I am. He said when I look in, all is dark and wild, can I deem
myself a child of God? You know what that is? That's
respect. That's respect for God's Word.
Respect for His authority. Respect for His holiness and
His glory. Respect! for Him who is altogether
worthy of our love and affection. Let us fear lest a promise being
left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem
to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Let me tell you something real
quick about this rest that I'm talking about. It's the rest
of a believer. What is Paul talking about? Let us fear, lest a promise being
left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem
to come shorter. For unto us was the gospel priest
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." What
rest is he talking about? What is the rest? I'll tell you
right now, the rest that the believer enters into is a present
rest. We're going to show you that
in verse 3. For we which have believed do
enter into rest. What is that rest? It's a rest from the struggle
of trying to establish my own righteousness before God. It's
a rest, a settledness that Almighty God has done what I could never
do for myself, that He's all of my righteousness Believers
enter into rest, a present rest that will fully be known, experienced
in glory. But you enter into rest right
now. Now those that the Lord has called out of darkness, rest. Rest. I can't of myself. How would I ever please Almighty
God in myself? I need one to do something for
me that I could not do for myself. Establish a righteousness. How is my righteousness established
before Almighty God? By the works of the law. By the
works of the law, no flesh is going to be justified. The Lord Jesus Christ, our salvation, came into this
world made under the law, made of woman, and He walked before
Almighty God. And He alone obeyed the law of
God. He established as our surety
and substitute. He obeyed God. perfectly. And that perfect obedience before
God, that obedience imputed, charged to all that
believe Him, their belief evidences that He's charged His righteousness
to Him. This is my salvation. I'm in
Him. God Almighty looks at me in Christ. God Almighty is satisfied only
in the Lord Jesus Christ, with Him and all in Him. That's known by faith. By faith. Paul says, for unto us was the
gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did
not profit them, not being mixed with faith with them that heard
it." Without faith, it's impossible to please God. And I can't produce
the faith. It must be given unto me to believe. Salvation is of the Lord. I can
tell you that right now. There's not one thing that you're
going to claim to and merit to as coming from you, the source
of you. It's not going to happen. This is my beloved son, whom
I'm well pleased." The gospel was preached unto
them. Let me show you where the gospel was preached to them.
Turn to Exodus 6, 6. Exodus chapter 6, verse 6 to
8. This is where the gospel, unto
them was the gospel preached. It's unto us. And here's the
amazing thing. When we read these scriptures,
I'm going to tell you something right now. When you read it,
You'll see it. You'll see the gospel preached
in type and picture. And the only way any of them
saw it was by the grace of God that opened their eyes and gave
them a heart to believe Him and eyes to see and ears to hear.
They saw Christ in the preaching. Some did. Most of them didn't. Exodus 6, verse 6 to 8. Say unto the children of Israel,
I am the Lord. Now, you know, you just stop
right there. Now, you think about this. You know, I'm going to
mention a little bit more, Lord willing, Sunday about this. But
you'll remember when Paul went to Athens and he said, I beheld
all of your altars here. that you've got. The Athenians,
he said, I perceive that you're very superstitious, very religious,
you're religious people. But he said, I noticed this altar
that you have here to the unknown God. The unknown God. Do you know why they had that altar
to the unknown God? Because they just weren't sure. Do you know why men by religions,
different religions. Do you know why they can embrace
and they can have their togetherness and why the this this denomination
can get with this denomination and they can have kind of a kind
of a countywide, you know, get together? We're going to all
work together and we're different. We're a different face, but but
we're working together. You know why they do that? Because
they're fearful that their God is not the true God. And just
in case. That's not because of community
service or love for one another. It's because of fear. It's because
of the unknown. What if they are right? To the unknown God. The Lord said to Moses, you say
to the children of Israel, I am the Lord. And I will bring you
out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid
you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out
arm, with great judgments, and I will take you to Me for a people. I will be to you a God, and you
shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you
out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring
you into the land concerning which I did swear to give it
to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob I will give it you for a heritage. I am the Lord." Paul says back in Hebrews, for
unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. They heard
the gospel. There is the gospel preached.
But the word preached, being not mixed with faith, It didn't
profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. The Scripture says in Exodus
6, 9, Moses spake so unto the children of Israel, but they
hearkened not unto Moses for anguish, for shortness of spirit,
and for cruel bondage. They heard the gospel. That's what the Spirit of God
says. They heard the gospel. But it didn't profit them. Not
being mixed with faith, they didn't believe it. Many hear of the gospel. I got a call. I got a call from
a lady yesterday. She was here. She was here at the last conference.
She was here for our pastor's funeral. And I mean, she's not going to
mind me telling you this. Believe me, she wants it to be
told. Doug West's wife, Judy. I'm sure
you all remember her. Doug always comes up with Brother
Rupert, Judy. She called me yesterday. And
she said, Marvin, I want to call and tell you something. And I
said, OK. She said, the Lord saved me. And I said, well, Judy, I rejoice
with you. She said, I'm 67 years old. And she said, I've sat under
Rupert all these years. And she said, the Lord called
me out of darkness. And she said, I know it. And I said, Judy, I rejoice with
you. She said, I've sat here all these
years. I talked to her husband, Doug,
a few minutes after that. He told me, he said, Marvin,
you just can't imagine. He said so many times. He said,
I'd be getting ready to go, go to the services. And she showed
no interest. She just didn't want to go. One of those take-it-or-leave-it
things. And he said, all of a sudden here things are different. And
I said, I rejoice with you, Doug. She heard the Gospel. But it wasn't mixed with faith.
When Almighty God calls a man or a woman out of darkness, I
told him the story about my daughter, Becca. That's probably one of
the best stories I've ever heard. Wanted me to baptize her a few
years ago when Brother Henry was still at 13th Street. She
said, Dad, I've heard what you said all these years. And I understand
it. I understand the difference in
Arminianism and Calvinism. And I have a good, you know. But she said, I just didn't have
a heart for her. It was just, it just wasn't,
it just didn't mean anything to me. Just going through the
motions. Listen, I'm not telling you this
to be a burden to you. I'm telling you that a believer
has a heart for Christ. They love Him. Oh, they grieve. They grieve in themselves because
of what they see in themselves. They fear Him. But that's the
most healthy fear that you'll ever have. Let us therefore fear. A respect, a respect for Him,
a respect for His Christ, a respect for His Word. He said they heard
it, but it didn't profit them anything. They heard it, but
not being mixed with faith. The Apostle Paul says in verse
3, For we which have believed do enter into rest. We do. It's a present word. There's
a rest right now, a present enjoyment that the believer enters. A rest
from the burden of the law and from salvation by our own efforts.
There's a rest from that. I can remember, I can remember
when I, false religion. And I knew that as people was
walking down the aisle, and I did, I walked down twice. I was baptized
two or three times. Never was baptized till I believed. But I can remember so many times
thinking to myself, you know, was I sincere enough? I mean,
when I prayed, when I prayed, did I really, really mean it? Listen, if you've got to go back
and you're concerned and you're considering whether or not your
sincerity or the words were just right, or if the mood was just
right, or if we sang. How many verses of Just as I
Am did we sing? I don't know. Maybe I went down
to the seventh verse. I just can't remember right now. Let me ask you this. Do you believe God? Do you believe
that Almighty God has saved you apart from anything that you
can do? If you're looking to yourself,
if you're looking to yourself or your ability or your efforts
or your works, if you're looking to anything, here's the gospel. Almighty God saves His people by the Lord
Jesus Christ. He lived for them, died for them.
Chosen them in Christ. Salvation by grace. And the way
you know it is you believe God. You believe Him. You believe
Him. We which have believed Do enter into rest, enjoyment from
the burden of trying to establish my own righteousness before God. I can't. I can't. Salvation is of the Lord. If
He ever calls a man, calls a woman out of darkness. Thanks be unto God. which saves
apart from my works of righteousness, which would do nothing but condemn
me. This rest, it is a peace established
in the soul by the regenerating power and grace of God. Believers
are persuaded of God's faithfulness. This is salvation. All the world,
save those that God Almighty teaches, all the world is trying
to establish a righteousness by their works, by their efforts,
by their doing. But believers know that entering into His rest,
the present enjoyment of peace with God by faith, is a rest
that is found totally by God's grace. To show them mercy, and
that mercy is evidenced by that faith. You believe God's done something
for you? Yes, I do. Why do you believe that? Because
I believe God. I'm going to trust God. Buddy,
that's a miracle of God's grace. to show the results of not believing
God, the Holy Spirit brings to our attention that the nation
of Israel, and the Lord saying, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest. Actually, what he's saying is,
I'm swearing in my wrath. They will not enter into my rest.
Unbelievers cannot settle down with a heart that believes God. They don't have it. This rest
is a present rest that will be eventually evidenced and experienced
in glory. Now, right now, we're struggling
with the presence of sin. But when this body of sin is
put on, Paul said, who shall deliver me from the body of this
death? God will. Boy, I tell you what, can you see how we struggle?
against the flesh that somehow wants to continue. This flesh
is never going to bow. This flesh is never going to
bow. This flesh is going to be put off. Who shall deliver me
from the body of this death, this flesh, this old man? Almighty God has sworn in His
wrath They shall not enter into my
rest." This great exhortation that Paul is giving to these
Jews is not to cause us who believe to doubt. That's not. But it's sent to cause us to
be watchful, to take heed unto Him who is able to keep us from
falling. You know what this does for a
believer. It causes them to afresh, cast themselves upon the mercy
of God. Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Exhorting a man to examine himself
according to the Scriptures. Let me tell you something. You're
going to struggle all the way home. You're going to struggle
all the way home. We're in a wilderness right here.
We're sojourners in this world. We're in this world and we're
not of it. And we're plagued with the presence of sin. But
I'll tell you this, a believer does not look to themselves for
salvation before God. They look unto Him, cry unto
Him daily, Lord, I believe You. Help mine unbelief. Thinking,
even thinking of going back to the old ways of trying to establish
themselves before God by the works of the flesh is the most
foreign thing. They hate it. That new man hates
it. And the old man is trying to
convince him of it. And they're struggling and striving
and fighting. We which believe do enter into
rest. And I'm telling you it's a growth. It's a struggle. And the more that Almighty God
grows us in grace, I'm telling you, the lower you'll find yourself
in an estimation of yourself, John the Baptist says, I must
decrease. He must increase. This is the only hope we've got.
This is the only hope we've got. Abraham believed God and it was
counted unto him for righteousness. His belief was the evidence His
belief was the evidence that God had taught him something.
Our faith doesn't save us. Faith is the evidence that God
Almighty has given us a new heart. Let us therefore fear, walk with
a respect before Almighty God, a healthy respect. Does it mean
that to you? I pray it does to me. For Christ's
sake, Amen. Let's stand together.