Numbers chapter 15 this morning,
and we're going to look at a man who picked up sticks. A man who
picked up sticks. In the first 31 verses of this
chapter, we have the sacrifices that the Lord prescribed for
sin. And if we go back two chapters,
we find that the children of Israel were in a state of great
rebellion against God. They were requested to go into
the land, spy it out, make preparations for the entering of it. I read
last night from Sinai to where they are is about 131 miles. It was walked. We realize that. But even at that two or three
weeks, they were from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, the spies, one
out of every tribe that represented all the 12 tribes of Israel,
went in and 10 out of the 12 came back with an evil report.
And we find that God judged them right there. They were consumed.
And then those who had no faith decided they would go against
the word of God and they tried to go in anyway and many of them
were consumed and God's word was fulfilled. They died in the
wilderness as they wandered for 38 more years. Well, in chapter
15, verses 1 through 31, we find it's interesting. Right after
that rebellion, we have some sacrifices mentioned. And last
week, we looked at the one sacrifice that was for the sacrifice of
ignorance. And we're thankful that the Lord is taking care
even of those ignorant sins. He's taking care of all the sin
of all his people. He paid for their sin completely
and totally. Nothing is left undone. Nothing
shall be answered for by the people of God, by the children
of God. by the saints, by the church, who can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect, it is God that justify it. So
when he does a work, he does it well, and he has left it to
us that we can come boldly to the throne of grace, we can rest
completely in him, and now we are stepping into verses 32 through
36 of this chapter, and it tells us about a man who could not
rest. He just could not rest. This
passage of Numbers 15 that we're going to read here teaches us
that to work when you are commanded to rest in the finished work
of Christ is in the heart and in the nature and reveals what
presumptuous sin is, what presumption is. The penalty for presuming
that your work may be added to that of Christ is the sin of
presumption and will end in your eternal death. So this is what
is brought out in this passage of scripture. Let's read these
few verses of scripture found in Numbers chapter 15 beginning
with verse 32, and we're going to read down through verse 36. While the children of Israel
were in the wilderness, They found a man that gathered sticks
upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gathering
sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in a ward, or
they put him in a hole, they put him into a jail type thing,
that's what that word means, because it was not declared what
should be done to him. And the Lord said unto Moses,
the man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall
stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation
brought him without the camp and stoned him with stones, and
he died as the Lord commanded Moses. And then we go on, beginning
with verse 37, we're going to find out some things about a
robe. And it truly speaks of that robe
of righteousness that the Lord gives every one of his children.
Well, this passage of scripture that we read here about this
man who broke the Sabbath day, the Sabbath was truly instituted
as a picture of the church resting in the finished work of Christ
for all our salvation. The church rests in Christ and
in his work and in his finished work. And yet we find so often
in the scripture, natural man speaking about this, even though
the word is filled with us commanded, if you please, to rest in Christ. Would you turn with me to the
New Testament for a few readings? As we look at this, so often
the question is brought up by individuals, what must I do? What? That's natural man speaking.
What must I do? Now, we find the judgment that
was placed upon this man for going out and picking up sticks
on a day that he was supposed to rest. He was supposed to stay
in his tent. He was supposed to be there and
reflect, and it speaks of the church resting in Christ. that
there is the finished work, the work was done. And it's the example
by God resting on the Sabbath, the seventh day after he finished
all his work. And the book of Hebrews is gonna
share with us that very fact, that that was a type and a shadow
and a picture to us that we are to rest completely in Christ. And if we have a part of us that's
not resting in Christ, we have a problem. If we say that for
a moment we have to do something to be acceptable in the Lord,
we are not resting in Christ. Turn with me over here to the
book of John. John chapter 6, verse 28 and 29. We have this
brought up. John chapter 6, verses 28 and
29. Now this is not brought up as
a single incident. I'm convinced that this incident
happens every day and particularly on Sunday. Verses like this used
to be used in religion to give a prescription for how you're
going to be saved. Well, that's not what he's talking
about here. He's telling us the frailty of
the flesh that God has not dealt with. The frailty of our flesh
is to ask this question, even though the word of God is so
clear, that it is our trust in Christ, resting in Christ, and
yet we find out, as with Nicodemus, we come to a wrong conclusion
of what that is. It must be revealed to us. I
am so thankful for the words of the Lord to the Apostle Peter.
Peter made a great confession. That's the confession of the
church. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. But
we also find out that the Lord answered that, spoke to that
very confession and said, flesh and blood did not reveal this
unto you. I'm convinced that Peter went
away and say, I'm so thankful for that. I'm so thankful for
that because left to ourselves, we'll come to the wrong conclusion.
Here in the book of John chapter 6 verse 28, it says, ''Then said
they unto him, ''What shall we do that we might work the works
of God?'' Now, in religion, we're going to give all kinds of things.
Get down on your knees, pray the prayer, sign this card, do
all the things that religion has prescribed. I was given a
track the other day, and I was told it was a good track, and
in the end, it gave you the prayer to pray, so you could have salvation. My goodness, how wrong, what
wrong conclusions we come to, left to ourselves. And here,
we find the Lord's answer to that. Jesus answered and said
unto them, this is the work of God. Now this is all God's work. We come to the conclusion when
we're born again that all the work is God's. We have nothing
that we can contribute. I remember one preacher, and
I brought this up several times because it's such a blessing
to me, the only thing we bring to salvation is our sin. And
that sin left to ourselves, we will die in our sin. But we're
thankful for the Lord Jesus who died for our sin. Well, this
is the work of God. that ye believe on him whom he
hath sent." Now, that's God's work, to cause us to believe.
He causes us to believe on him whom he sent, and that is the
Savior, the Lord Jesus. Not in some religion, not in
some church, not in some baptism, not in some Lord's Supper. We
are caused to believe on him whom he hath sent. He gives us
that knowledge. He gives us that understanding.
He teaches us that truth. that God sent his son to save
his people from their sins. That's God's business. Then he
reveals that to his church and they rejoice in that fact that
he has sent his son, and in this, he will give us the belief to
believe like we are called on to believe. Now, that man that
was out there gathering up sticks, he just could not comprehend. God gave him six days to do that
work. All he had to do, can you imagine
telling a man he's got to rest? And couldn't do that. Well, that's
where we are in our religious state. All right, let's turn
to the book of Acts, if you would. The book of Acts, chapter 2.
In Acts chapter 2, this is brought up again. Acts chapter 2 and
verse 37. Here we have, what must I do? What must I do? What must I do?
That's the question that religion brings to us. That's our natural
inclination. What must I do? And all kinds
of prescriptions are given as a result of that. Every religion
has something you have to do to work in order to get this.
And if you have to believe, If you're required to believe something
before God acts upon you, that is work and that is damning work,
because we cannot even believe. All right, here it says, it tells
us in Acts chapter two and verse 37, now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the
rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Now
they heard the gospel from 12 preachers that day. They had
all heard, it tells us earlier in this chapter, they had all
heard the wonderful work of God in their own language. They had
heard the message of grace, they had heard the message of God
saving his people from their sins throughout the Old Testament
history, and they come to the conclusion after hearing all
of that, what must we do? Well, that's just a common reaction
to hearing, and yet there's nothing we can do. And God reveals to
his people that there is nothing you can do. I've done it all.
All right. Let's go just a little further
here into the book of Acts. This used to be a favorite. This
was a favorite of mine. when I was in religion, preaching
in religion, here in John chapter 16 and verse 30, you know the
account of the Philippian jailer. He'd saw some things, he'd heard
some things. He had heard Paul and Silas rejoicing
even in their situation. They were in stocks, they were
held in prison, and they were guarded by this man. It tells
us that the place was shaken. It wouldn't take much for us
to be amazed at that. If we were caught in that situation,
if we were guarding somebody and we walked in and saw that
their shackles had been loosed and the prison doors were opened,
and we were considering it's either we're going to take our
life or someone else is going to take it for us, and he comes
in there and he's brought them out and says, ''Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?'' Now they said, and this is often used
as a prescription, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved. You know, most people teach that
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be safe. But the
scripture says saved. If you do this, you've been saved. You've passed from death into
life. You can't do it before. So this is something that is
impossible for us to do on our own. It must be taken care of
by God. He must give us the new birth
and then we're able to believe And then we don't ask, what must
I do to be saved? We find out the work has already
been done. God has already performed it.
It was a work finished from before the foundation of the world.
He took care of his people in the covenant of grace. And so
how important it is that we are not like the man. And we've certainly
pointed fingers, aren't we? I'm glad I'm not like that man.
Well, we'll get to that in just a moment. Let's move on here.
Just a little bit in Matthew chapter 19 back up to the book
of Matthew chapter 19 And we have people coming to the Lord
again People coming to the Lord doing exactly what this man is
doing out there picking up sticks It should have been done on another
day. He didn't do it. Why he had no faith. He believed not and It was not
in his makeup to believe God. I can do what I want to do. He's
not going to do anything about it. And thus we find out he was
wrong on all points. God does care that we are attempting
to work our way. It must be God or nobody. All right, here it tells us in
the book of Matthew, chapter 19, verse 16, and behold, one
came and said unto him, good master, What good thing shall
I do? Now, he doesn't stop there and
say, how can I be a benefit to humanity? How can I be a benefit
to you? How can I, what does he go on
to say? That I may have eternal life. Now, we've got groups today that
will take little children and throw in front of them, do you
wanna burn? Or do you wanna go to heaven? Well, you know, little kids are
not stupid, especially those who have touched a stove. Our
little grandson touched a stove and burn his fingers. Well, he
learned a mighty lesson. Don't touch the stove. And so
someone comes along to him and says, do you want to burn for
eternity or do you want heaven? Well, having human knowledge
about burning. Oh, I don't want to burn. I don't
want to burn. Well, now they count him as one of the kingdom. What trash, what a lie, and what
they shall answer for that have that kind of gospel. That is
such a lie. Well, we go on here in Luke chapter
10. Luke chapter 10, here is a lawyer. Now, the lawyer in this era was
someone that was professional in the Old Testament law. He was a teacher of the law.
That's what these lawyers were. We notice here in Luke chapter
10, and there in verse 25, this passage of scripture, Luke chapter
10, verse 25, and behold, a certain lawyer stood up. Now the Holy
Spirit gives us the reason he stood up and what he intended
to say by what he stood up and tempted him. Now nobody's going
to tempt the Lord. Satan could not get the Lord
to do anything. It was all prescribed. Satan
moved at God's prescription. Satan moved. God has a Satan
and it's his Satan. Now this man did exactly what
God prompted him to do. It's his nature to do it, but
God moved on him to bring it up here at this time. What shall
I do to inherit eternal life? Now he calls him good master,
and he said, Jesus said, what is written in the law? How readest
thou? And he answering said, thou shall
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,
and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor
as thyself 24-7. We could add that. 24-7. Not just for a moment,
not for a second, not for an hour, Not for a day, not for
a week, not for a month, not for a year, but forever. You
must do this. The question used to come to
me in religion, how can that happen? It can't. Unless we have all of that given
to us by the Lord of glory in our salvation. He's taken care
of that. He's taken care of that on our
behalf. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter
5, we have these words, chapter 5 verse 1, Chapter 5, verse 1 of the book
of Deuteronomy. And Moses called all Israel and
said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which
I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep,
and do them. Now take time sometime to read
down through here, but I'm dropping down to verse 27. Verse 27. Verse 27, Go thou near and hear
all that the Lord our God shall say, and speak thou unto us all
that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it
and do it. Now that's the children of Israel
saying everything that God requests of us we will do. Now notice
verse 28. And the Lord heard the voice
of your words when you spake unto me. And the Lord said unto
me, I've heard the voice of the words of this people, which they
have spoken unto thee, and they have said all that they have
spoken. Oh, that there were such a heart
in them. Isn't that an interesting thought?
God saying, I've heard their words that they've spoken unto
you. Oh, that there were such a heart in them. that they would
fear me and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well
with them and with their children forever. But you know what? It wasn't. We're going to find
out. It takes no time at all for them
to demonstrate that they could not keep what God commanded. This man that went out and picked
up sticks on the Sabbath day, he just could not do what God
commanded. It's natural man is not able,
he's not able to keep God's commandments. He is not able. The natural man
cannot do that, cannot abide by the law, cannot keep it. It
is so contrary to him. It's contrary to himself and
it's contrary to his nature about God. The law demonstrates the
holiness of God and we're just so opposed to that in our natural
state. Now in the book of Micah chapter
six, Micah chapter six. I don't know how many messages
I heard in religion on this passage of scripture in Micah chapter
six and verse eight. Oh, this is the prescription.
If we can get you to do this, if we can just get you to do
this. Here it tells us in Micah chapter eight, this is what the
Lord does command. Micah chapter 6 and verse 8. He hath showed thee, O man, what
is good, and what the Lord doth require of thee. This is the
requirement. Now, preachers that don't know
anything lay this out as a prescription. If you do this, you'll be okay. If you can follow this, you'll
be okay. Well, we can't follow this. We're
not okay. We absolutely need him. We need what he has done. We need what he has done. And
we need what he has done. For it goes on to tell us here,
this is what the Lord required thee, but to do justly. That's contrary to the human
nature. We're not just. We can't do justly
and to love mercy. We don't have any inclination
to that. We may show mercy to our family,
we may show mercy to others, but not the mercy that God requires. We have no concept of that. To
walk humbly with thy God, my goodness, our walk by nature
is like the Pharisee. I thank God I'm not like other
men are. There's no humility in us. God
humbles us. We're thankful for God's work
in us when he saves us by his grace. Oh, we by nature turn
this into a prescription instead of a remedy. He's speaking of
the remedy here. Someone who is able to do this.
We need him. We need him who is just. We need him who is merciful. And we need him who was humbled
before his God given up the glory that he had with God the Father
before the world was, and coming down to this sin-cursed earth
to die for his people, that he may lay down his life, a ransom
for many. What blessings we find here.
And then, If you turn with me to the book of Hebrews, we read
this last week, but it's so valuable for our message today in the
book of Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 18. Hebrews chapter 3 and
verse 18 brings us up. It's a summation of verse chapters
13 and 14 of the book of Numbers. Excuse me, the rebellion that
was there among those people to whom swear he that they should
not enter into his rest. But to them that believe not,
why could not that man stay in his tent on the Sabbath? Because he believed not. He had
a presumption about it that God would be okay with it, that God
would think it's okay, it would be fine. Now, as we look at those
verses over there in the book of Numbers chapter 15, let's
go back over there and just refresh our mind a thought there about
that in Numbers chapter 15 in our text. Numbers chapter 15
and verse 32 through 36. We have these words, isn't it
interesting in verses 32 and 33, And it almost reminds me of a
passage over in John chapter 8 when those Pharisees brought
a woman to the Lord who was caught in the very act of adultery. You know, she was a condemned
woman when she walked into the presence of the Lord. And when
they walked away, he said, go and sin no more. A saved woman. All right, now
look at this. And while the children of Israel
were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks
upon the Sabbath day. Who did that? A whole bunch more
people that were not in their tents resting on the Sabbath
day. You know, it just struck me, what were the other folks
doing? What do we have here? We got
stick-picking police. You know, We run into these folks
all the time. The Lord ran into them all the
time. Why do your disciples eat with
unwashed hands? Why do your disciples not pray? Why do your disciples not pay
taxes? Why, why, why? The whole thing
goes on. We run into them all the time.
We got the prayer police. Did you pray over that? Did you
pray before you ate? You know, we got people that
are so concerned about our activities that they never pay any attention
about their own. That they are like the Pharisees.
I'm, thank God, I'm not like other people are. We got the,
we got the, what did you do on Sunday, police? Don't tell me
that you watched. Don't tell me you went. Don't
tell me. We got the drink, police. You
don't drink that, do you? We got the clothes police. I was told one time that when
I didn't have a white shirt on that I couldn't be a preacher
because a preacher would wear a white shirt. I said, there's
no winning this battle. We got the police. Well, we have
the police out there. We got the Sabbath police. We
got the stick picking up police. And we follow this throughout
the scriptures. We got the Bible reading police. Did you read
your Bible this year? I mean, completely through. Oh,
no, you couldn't even be a Christian if you didn't do that. Yes, on
and on, this kind of nonsense goes along. And yet we find that
in Christ, the church is complete in him. Did you pray about that? You know, our prayers over food
is, most of the time, our real prayer is in our closet. Never forget that. That's where
our real prayer. Several years ago, I was in a
store and a fella I met that I had in class many years ago
came up to me and he started talking about religion. First
thing, he grabbed ahold of my hand and says, I'm gonna pray
for you. You know, that isn't prayer. I was in one of the stores
here and one of the proprietors in there, he was standing out
in the open with his hands on the face of a woman praying over
her. That's not prayer, that's show. What a fleshly show that
all is. My goodness. Yet, we find here
that the Lord said to these folks after this man had been arrested,
we do have a problem here. But you know, just as we have
with that woman taking an adultery in the very act of adultery.
How could they do that? You just think about that for
five minutes and they are nosy people. They are unrighteous
people. They're ready to judge people. And here we have they found a
man who gathered sticks on the Sabbath day. We have a record
here which is both valuable in itself and as revealing the mind
of God and also valuable indirectly by revealing the mind of man.
Now the mind of God is you must rest in Christ. Rest. This is what this is all about.
Did you know that we find that the Lord spoke about work on
the Sabbath? Turn with me to the book of Matthew
chapter 12. Matthew chapter 12. The impression that natural man
has a deep yet always totally false concept of spiritual things. He's picking up sticks on the
Sabbath. What are you going to do about
it? Well, probably most of those people that were watching him
should have had the same punishment. They're just waiting for someone
to cross over the line. You know, they have no mercy. They have no love. They're just,
they're in it for themselves and for their own glory. And
God still judged the man. Here in the book of Matthew chapter
12, turn with me there. Matthew chapter 12, and there
in verse 5, notice this with me. The Lord had this to say
about the Sabbath. Or have you not read in the law
how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane
the Sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you that in this
place is one greater than the temple. They had such a glorious statement
about the temple, about keeping the Sabbath, and about this and
that, and yet the Lord says, there's one greater here, and
you don't know him. As one preacher said, and I've used this several
times, they didn't see Jesus in Jesus. They were unable to
see that. Without revelation, they can't.
You know, the church's Sabbaths are spiritual. It's ceasing from
our work and resting in Christ. We no longer work for our salvation. We no longer say, what must I
do to be saved? Or what must I do to live a better
life? God, by his grace, directs our
paths. Thank God that he takes a hold
of his people at times and just settles them. In the book of
Colossians, this is brought up, Colossians chapter 2. Would you
turn there with me in Colossians chapter 2? Colossians chapter
2, the farther I go along in my ministry, I find out that
the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible. That when we find
those places over there like in the book of Numbers chapter
15 about what's going on there, yes, that man is absolutely guilty. But I am too. Thank God for grace. Thank God for grace. A blasphemer. That's what Paul said about himself.
He was a blasphemer. You know, he thought, he thought
in his mind and he believed in his heart that if he had never
robbed a bank, he was not a robber. He thought in his heart that
if he had never killed anybody, he wasn't a murderer. He thought
in his heart that if he did not commit adultery with a woman,
he was not an adulterer. And the Lord brought around and
says, in your heart, you've done it all. You've done it all. And you know,
sometimes that just shivers our timbers. When God brings that
to our mind, We are stick pickers. We have not rested in Christ. We're not resting in him in our
own works. We cannot come to a conclusion
of rest. It's every day. Now, I have six
days to do this, but I didn't get it done yesterday. I'll do
it today. That's just an attitude natural man has. Here in the
book of Colossians chapter 2 and verse 16, let no man therefore
judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day,
or of a new moon, or of a Sabbath days. Respect, honor. They were honoring this above
anything else. I love meeting together. This morning is the best we could
do for today by God's providence. Love meeting together. I love
meeting together on the first day of the week I love thinking
about the resurrection of my Savior Jesus Christ But he did
not make this a holy day. No more holier than tomorrow
or yesterday We should worship him every day. God's people will
bow before him every day We acknowledge Lord You have saved me from my
sins. Thank God forgive me of the ones
I've committed today. I We rest in you. It's your blood and righteousness
alone. And I'm not depending upon meat
or drink or respect of a holy day or a new moon or Sabbath
days, which are a shadow of things to come. But the body is of Christ. What glorious Galatians chapter
four. Turn there with me if you would.
Galatians chapter four, verse nine. Galatians chapter four and verse
nine. We read this. But now, after that you have
known God, or rather, he puts it, he just straightens it up
for us, doesn't he? Oh, I know God, oh, or rather
are known of God. That is the most important thing,
God knows us. God wrote our names down in the
Lamb's Book of Life. What did he say to those disciples
that came back from missionary journey and things were just
so great? He says, don't rejoice in that,
all of those things you did, but rejoice that your names are
written down in the Lamb's Book of Life. Rejoice in God taking
an interest in you before the foundation of the world. Rejoice
that God has done the work. Rejoice that all of this, is
null and void without Christ. All right, but now after that
you have known God or rather are known of God, how turn you
again to the weak and beggarly elements? Now that's God's commentary
on the Old Testament law. There's no effectualness in it. Weak and beggarly elements were
unto ye desire again to be in bondage or observe days and months
and times and years. You know, several years ago,
the church here, I asked the church if we could suspend Sunday
evening services. We had people traveling from
a long distance, and I just said, you know, I'd rather have two
good alfalfa meals than three straw meals. And you know what
I mean, if you've ever raised cattle. And you know, I talked
to some preachers, and they said, you're going to go to hell for
that. Well, My soul does not rest on whether I have Sunday
evening services or not. It rests in Christ. Now often
I'll open my Bible and read. I ask people, go visit somebody.
Read your Bible. It's not wasted time. All right. You observe days and
months and times and years. I am afraid for you. lest I bestowed upon you labor
in vain. Did the gospel go out unaffectual
for you? How in the world could you do
this? You know, during the days of
Solomon is a wonderful picture of a saint's time in Christ. I'm just going to take you right
back. If you would join me in the book of First Kings, First
Kings. There's a passage mentioned about
what it was to be in the days of Solomon, the days of Solomon. Oh, the Lord used him to build
a temple. The Lord used him to answer the
questions from the king of the east, or queen of the east, just
so much. Now, I think for a moment, this
is my thought on this, I think for a moment that Solomon got
Alzheimer's. And that's why he had all that
nonsense with all those women. But the Lord delivered him. He
wrote the book of Ecclesiastes as a result, but that's my thought. Anyway, in the book of First
Kings, chapter four, verse 25, and Judah and Israel dwelt safely. Every man under his vine and
under his fig tree from Dan even to Beersheba all the days of
Solomon. Nobody had to be ready for a
war because it was at peace. And that's where we are in Christ. We dwell safely under our vine
and under our fig tree. We are at peace. We are at rest. The work is finished. As God
finished his work, so the church finished their work in the blood
of Christ. All right, join me in the book
of Hebrews. Brother Mike read about all of
the book of Hebrews this morning. We're going to interject a couple
of verses. I just so greatly enjoyed that passage that he
brought up. All those passages, in fact. Well... Mike, would you hand me my literal
text there? My computer has gone on the fritz. Yes, yes. Yeah, alright. We're stepping back. In the book
of Hebrews chapter 4, please. Hebrews chapter 4, verse 10.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from
his own works, as God did from his. He that hath entered into
his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did
from his, and in verse 10, for he that is entered into his rest,
he also hath ceased from his own works, oh excuse me, back
up to verse three. Verse three, there we go. 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. For he spake in a certain place
of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh
day from all his works. And then as we just read verse
10, I'm going to read it over. And he that is entered into his
rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from
his. To that natural mind it appears
easier to try to keep the law, try to keep the Sabbath, find
fault with those who did not, than it is to rest in the finished
work of Christ. And you know, that's what natural
man believes. He can do what he can't do. But
he'll never come to rest in Christ until Christ is revealed to him
in the preaching of the gospel by the Holy Spirit. And then
we look back and say, what in the world happened? Oh, it's
the new birth. I see. As old friend Job, brother
Job over there so long ago said, I have heard of you with the
hearing of the ear. Now my eye seeth you. And so they took that man and
they executed him. Those on the left hand side are
going to hear the same words as they're all lined up at that
day. They'll hear the same words that
that man heard. You must pay for your sins. You must pay for the way you
treated God. You must pay. And those on the
right hand side, that God had in his mind before the foundation
of the world, they are said, come enter the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. They rested completely
in Christ, in Christ alone. Those on the left hand, they
rested in their own works. And they suffered the penalty
for that. We're going to stop there this morning. We pray God's
blessing upon you. Rest in Christ is all we can
say. And Lord willing, next week we'll
look at that last few verses because it speaks highly of the
robe of righteousness which he gives us in Christ Jesus our
Lord. May we once again look to the Lord in prayer. Father,
we ask that you would add your blessing to your word as you
always do. And may we be comforted in the rest that we have in Christ.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Thank you for joining us.