All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Numbers chapter 13 and Numbers chapter 14. I will try to be as brief as
possible, but I feel a necessity to try to deal with everything
I have for you here this morning. Numbers chapter 13 and 14. Of
course, these are two chapters of some length, so I will not
read those two chapters, of course. But I will read certain portions
of them as I go through my message. So if you're turned there, let
me give to you a brief summary of the context. Of course, Israel
has been delivered from Egyptian bondage. God brought them through
the Red Sea and to the base of Sinai. Remember, these people
had seen extraordinary miracles. They all, whether they were elect
or reprobate, whether they were believers or unbelievers, whether
they were regenerate or unregenerate, they all experienced the power
of God. They were all delivered from
that Egyptian bondage. But now, Israel has removed from
Sinai, and God has brought them, remember God, when God moved,
they moved. The pillar of cloud by day, the
pillar of fire by night. And when God stood still over
the tabernacle, or stood, the cloud stood still, or the pillar
of fire stood still, they erected the tabernacle and camped there
for however long God stayed there. but now God has brought them
to Paran. That is specifically a place
that is called Kadesh. They are poised to enter the
land. They are just south of what would
later become the southern border. They're there. This is the land
that God promised to Abraham. What was it, Mason? Some 400
plus, maybe a little, years earlier. They send out 12 spies to go
spy the land. And these spies return after
40 days of spying out the land. And I will sum it up the rest
of it this way. The people rebel. Yes, sir. What I have this morning
is not a pleasant subject, but it is a subject that at times
must be dealt with. up until now, both regenerate
and unregenerate. And let me explain that. I'm
talking about, and this is an oversimplification, but I'm talking
about those who are saved or those who are lost. Those who've
been converted by the gospel. I mean even these people, converted
by the gospel, and those not converted by the gospel. Some
maybe later would be converted by the gospel. But nevertheless,
up until now, both regenerate and unregenerate have battled
with unbelief. Have they not? Last week we looked
at even Miriam and Aaron. They battle with unbelief. But
God now manifests a distinction between the regenerate and the
unregenerate. And God always does. God always
does. What is this difference? I will
summarize it briefly. Unbelief dominates the unregenerate. Do you hear what I said? Unbelief
dominates the unregenerate and it is an insidious unbelief. That word simply means deceptive. Deceptive unbelief. You see,
if unbelief had only one face, its insidiousness, its deceptiveness
would diminish. If we were told that unbelief
was child molestation and serial killers, it'd be quite easy to
discover unbelief easily, would it not? There's a child molester. There's a serial killer. But
unbelief has many faces. Unbelief has many faces. Or we
might say unbelief can put on various types of clothing. You
remember even our Lord spoke of wolves in what? In sheep's
clothing. So again I stress unbelief has
many faces. I want to give us a few examples
from our text and listen to me now. God help you, listen to
what I'm about to say. I'll give you four examples of
this insidious unbelief, and then I will give you four examples
of what true belief really is compared to this insidious unbelief. Do not get me wrong. Insidious
unbelief dwells in everyone, saved or lost, unregenerate or
regenerate, elect or rejected, that is, reprobate. Insidious
unbelief is what we are by nature. And even when God saves us, we
do not get rid of that insidious unbelief. But insidious unbelief does not,
now you hear what I'm saying, insidious unbelief does not rule
in the heart of the regenerate. Well, we're not under law, but
we're under what? Grace. And that's not just a
talking point. That's a reality that God has
worked and is working in the souls of his people. So here's
these four things. Insidious unbelief can acknowledge
God's promises. Look at chapter 13. And verse
26 and 27. Remember, insidious unbelief
can acknowledge God's promises. Most of the time, we think of
unbelief as rejecting the promises. That's true. That's unbelief. But unbelief may put on another
face. Unbelief may clothe itself with
different clothing. And look, verse 26. And they
went and came to Moses and Aaron. These are the 12, all 12, Spies came to Moses and Aaron
and to all the congregation of Israel and to the wilderness
of Paran to Kadesh and brought back word unto them and to all
the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Remember,
two of them were carrying a cluster of grapes that took two of them
to carry. And they had other things in
verse 23 like pomegranates and figs. And look at what the 12
say. And they told him and said, we
came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth
with milk and honey. And this, I see them showing
it down to Moses and Aaron and the people, this is the fruit
thereof. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
Huh? They were not denying God? They
were not polytheistic? They were orthodox men, were
they not? And they were acknowledging the
promise of God, and that they were in that land, and it was
a great land. But I know from the story, from
the account, it's unbelief in 10 of them. It's unbelief in
10 of them. Another thing about this unbelief,
this insidious unbelief. Insidious unbelief can acknowledge
utter inability. Chapter 13, verse 31. But the
men that went up with him said, we'd be not able to go up against
the people, for they are stronger than we. That's the truth. That was the truth. These were
ex-slaves. These people they're talking
about were in fenced cities with walls and probably horses and
chariots and weapons. You ever heard by somebody say,
well, I believe in total depravity. I believe I am totally depraved.
I must be a believer. Of course, not necessarily. God
may have just give you some insight as to how bad you really are. But insidious unbelief will hang
on to one or two things. It looks just like belief. So far, these guys are pretty
good, are they not? Look at that. Here's the fruit
of the land. And those people, we can't whip
them. And let me tell you, you can't whip them. I can't whip
them. I can't even control myself,
let alone when enemies from without assault me. I wanted this Prince
of Peace control my will. Control my will, why? Because
my will by nature is always against God. So unbelief, insidious unbelief,
can acknowledge utter inability. It can at least be a good one-point
Calvinist. But I tell you, it can also be
a good five-point Calvinist as well. Now if you don't know what
that means, ask me later and I will go through that with you.
Number three, insidious unbelief can repent. Chapter 14, verse 40. This is
after some bad things have happened here. Ten of these spies, God
killed them on the spot. Now if that were not enough to
convince, but it's not. The moment, miracle, look at,
they just come through the Red Sea two years ago. Dry shot. Their clothes are not wearing
out. God has killed some of their fellows, right and left, who
have rebelled against God. And yet they rebel against God. And that's you and I, by nature. Insidious unbelief can repent
and they rose up early in the morning and get them unto the
top of the mountain saying Lo we be here and we go up to the
place which the Lord hath promised for we have sinned So far this
sounds pretty good. Does it not Mason? They've acknowledged
God's promises they acknowledge their other inability and they
repented when they realize they've done wrong and Most of us Baptists
or Presbyterians or Methodists, and I better stop right, there
are a few more. We'd have them fixed up on the
church roll already. These are good Christian folk,
right? Right? They would probably walk the
aisle if you told them you've sinned against God. Walk the
aisle and pray the prayer. They'd walk the aisle and pray
the prayer. But this, folks, I know the story
here. You know the story if you read
it. Chapter 13 and 14 only. This is insidious. Unbelief. Because insidious unbelief is
not the lack of belief. It is a belief. You see, unbelief
is not having belief. Unbelief is having belief. But
it's wrongly placed. Its source comes from man, not
from God. It'll walk the aisle, it'll play
the prayer. It'll be orthodox. But according
to this account, I know these people were under the wrath and
condemnation of God. But let's go on, number four.
Insidious unbelief can muster an orthodox belief. Chapter, we read chapter 14,
verse 40, but look at the first verse, first part of verse 44,
but they presumed to go up unto the hilltop. Now here's the point,
they did go up unto the hilltop. Now these are the people who
just before, the 10 spies, now most of you probably already
know this, the 10 spies said, we can't take it, and we're not
going in. We can't take this. These people
are mightier than us. And we're not going in. And it's
worse than that. But we'll look at that in a moment.
But now, all of a sudden, they're ready to go in. Right? They are prepared for battle. They are prepared for battle
against the Amalekites. And these people, according to
history, were notorious for their treachery in battle. And yet,
here they are. Again, what would we do? Us good
Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Church of Christ, we'd sign them
up on the church rope. Pat them on the back and say,
now, just remember everything you've done. You're saved. Now, would we not? They do it
all around us. We try not to do that here. I
said, we try not to do that here. While insidious unbelief may
don a different mask or different clothing, it cannot cover the
foul smell of the fact that it's unbelief nonetheless. You and
I might not smell it, but guess who does? God does. You and I may not recognize it
as unbelief. We may shake their hand and say,
hello, brother. Hello, sister. You believe the promises of God.
You acknowledge your utter, you believe in total depravity. You've
repented. And you're ready to battle. We'd
be shaking their hands now, wouldn't we? But remember, there's another
side here. There's another side. Whether
we know it or not, God knows them that are his. And I'm gonna
tell you, listen, even if I'm deceived and I'm not one of God's,
what I'm preaching to you is God's truth. Mason, even if I'm
a Balaam, And Balaam, on two occasions, preached two of the
greatest sovereign grace messages ever recorded in this book. And
he, according to the New Testament, is clearly declared to be an
apostate. So you can look at me and point your finger at me,
and you may be right. You may need to point 10 fingers
at me, but that ain't the point. I'm not talking about me. I'm
talking about my God. I'm talking about my Lord and
my Savior and my Redeemer. Listen now. Listen again. Here's
the four other things. Unbelief. Here's what unbelief
cannot do. Unbelief cannot but act on natural
insight. Look at chapter 13. Let me find
my spot. Chapter 13. And it reads 27 again. And they
told him and said, we came into the land whither thou sendest
us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey. And this is the
fruit of it. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in
the land. And the cities are walled and very great. Moreover,
we saw the children of Enoch there. The Amalekites dwell in
the land of the south. The Hittites and the Jebusites
and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites
dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. What are they doing
here? They are doubting God. Yes, they may have understood
their total inability, but they also did not understand God's
ability, even though they've just been through it for two
years. Slaves, all of these were slaves
their whole lives. They knew nothing but slavery.
And God has miraculously delivered them. And here they are now.
Ten plagues in Egypt. God sets them free. Right? Here
they are at Sinai and they hear the lightnings and the thunder.
They hear God speak. I don't know what language it
was, Mason, I don't know. But God spoke. And they were
frightened. God puts them through the Red
Sea. All at Manna. Quail. God's taken care of them. And now they think that God can't
take care of these people? But I want you to look at Colossians. Here's what faith does. You hear what I said? Here's
what faith does. Here's what faith knows. Here's
where faith stands. And as Joe and Paul have most
ably pointed out, here is the one upon whom faith stands and
dwells. Colossians chapter one, Paul
is speaking to his people, and I will just, for the sake of
time, start in verse 11. Strengthened with all might,
according to his glorious power, and to all patience, and long-suffering
with joyfulness. There's something I need God's
help with right there, right? But that's not my point this
morning. Giving thanks unto the Father which has made us meet.
He's qualified us, as Earl used to say, to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in life. Folks, that's grace, because
I don't deserve that. I deserve the opposite. I deserve
God to spit on me and laugh at me when he kills me and I go
to hell. My best deeds, and I'm going
to just say it, my best deeds are like a used code text. Does
that offend anybody here? Well, if it does, that's too
bad because that's what God says about us. That's what God says
about us. I said that one time in one place
and I ain't never been back to preach again. Maybe that wasn't
the reason, but it very well could have been. Let's go on. Giving thanks to the Father which
made us meet to be protectors of the inheritance of the saints
in life who have delivered us from the power of darkness. Aren't
you glad? I'm not in darkness anymore. I know this. I know this. Dennis and I talked
some about this. I know this. I was blind. Bless God, now I know I see.
And there are a lot of things I don't understand in this book.
666, I don't understand a lot of that. You understand what
I'm saying? Three and a half years, I don't
understand some of that. Seven years, I don't understand some of that.
I can't make it all fit. But I know that I once was blind,
I see now. I see now, look, here's who I
see. Not what I see. Look, in whom
we have redemption through his blood, even forgiveness of sins. Who? This one that we've been
delivered from the power of darkness and have been translated into
the kingdom of his dear son. Now if you ain't in his kingdom
now, you ain't gonna be in his kingdom later. Thousand years
or the eternal state, either one. You're either going to be
translated or delivered from the power of darkness and translated
into the kingdom of his dear son right now or you'll be left
on the outside. But he's not simply talking about
things. He said, who is the image of
the invisible God? You see, Jesus Christ can be
seen. We just can't see him because
we're here and he's wherever God is seated at the right hand
of God the Father. Were God here right now in his
true essence, we could not see him. He is what? Invisible. But Christ is God who can be
what? Seen. He now sits at the right hand
of God the Father in flesh and bone. For by him, here it is,
for by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are
in earth, whether you can see them or you cannot, that's visible
or invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers, all things were created by him and for him and he is
before, that is in front of, all things. And by him all things
consist. I will wait till that's stopped
because I can't concentrate that going on. He holds everything together. The child molester I mentioned
to you, that serial killer I mentioned to you, he or she is in God Almighty's
hands. They can't do even the dastardly,
filthy things they do, lest God Almighty gives them say so. Do
you understand this? I'm talking about who my God
is. As I said at three people's dad's funeral, the devil can't
spit lest God gives him say so. He can't do it. And no Anakin, no Malachite,
No Hittite can handle my God. As a matter of fact, Joshua,
who believed God, he said, we'll have these folks for lunch. Yeah. Now I said Joshua, yep I believe
it was Joshua. Look at that, verse 6 of 14, and Joshua the
son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them,
that is of the twelve, that searched the land and rent their clothes.
And they spake unto the company of the children of Israel, saying,
The land which we pass through to search it is an exceeding
good land, if the Lord delight in us. Now if he don't, we're
hurting. But if he delights in us, then he will bring us into
this land and give it us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people
of the land, for they are bread for us. We'll eat them for lunch. That's what he's saying. Somebody
says, you can't do that. No, but my God can. And he always
causes us, when we stand for him, when we preach or witness
of his gospel, we never fail. We never fail, even though we
fail all the time. Now you go figure that one out.
Because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through
God to the, what? Pulling down of strongholds,
casting down imaginations. The only reason any man's citadel
This old rebellious self still stands because God ain't flattened
it yet. But if God ever flattens your
castle walls, you will bow in the dust as his slave. And you
will like it. You will like it. Somebody said,
boy, the Christian life must be miserable. It is for some
folk because of their brand of Christianity. It is. I remember
when I was in a Christianity, it was miserable. I'm gonna go
to church Sunday and Sunday night too. Wild Kingdom comes on Sunday
night. You ever been there? But I gotta go. It ain't like
that. I don't care about Wild Kingdom
now. If Wild Kingdom's on a hundred times on Sunday morning, I'm
gonna be here. You understand what I'm getting
at? If you love someone, You spend time with him. You'll spend
money on him. You'll pour out your emotions
toward him. And I'm talking about this one
who rules heaven and earth. So unbelief cannot but act upon
natural insight. Unbelief dominates the life,
the choices, and the actions. But not this faith here. It sees
God for who he is in the person of his son. And my God rules.
And I got rules. Number two, unbelief really wants
to live under the slavery of sin. You see it? Chapter 14,
and all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and
people wept that night. And all the children of Israel
murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation
said to them, would God that we had died in the land of Egypt.
Really? Really? But that's how they really
felt, folks. or would God we had died in this
wilderness, you are going to get your wish. You're going to get your wish.
And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by
the sword that our wives and our children should be a prey,
were it not better for us to return into Egypt. And they said one to another,
let us make a captain and let us return to Egypt. And they
meant it too. Listen, if you'd rather be somewhere
else and believe someone else and do something else, you might
as well go on and do it. And that's why this group is
so little, because most people are going to do what they want
to do, hold to enough doctrine to make themselves feel comfortable.
Whatever that doctrine might be, do not tell me I must bow
to the feet of Jesus Christ. Well, you will bow to him or
you will perish. You will bow to him or you will perish. And
you will willingly, lovingly, knowingly bow to him in subjection. You see, unbelief dominates the
heart and mind. And that's why people live like
they live. And let me tell you, if the faith
you claim, the faith you're holding to, what you claim is faith,
if it don't affect the way you live, you got a problem. You got insidious unbelief, not
faith. Insidious unbelief is ruling
you. It's not the faith of God's elect.
Romans chapter six, and I will not read it, but it says, shall
we continue in grace, in sin that grace may abound? What is
the answer? God forbid. How shall we that
are dead to sin live any longer therein? You see, I hate where
I used to be. I hate where I used to be, and
I used to be a preacher. I used to be a preacher before
God saved me. I was a preacher when he saved me. Now I'm actually
preaching the truth. I don't want to go back there.
I don't care how tough it is now. Listen to me. My God's great. I don't care how tough it is
now. I don't care how small the fellowships are. I don't want
to go back to Egypt. If you want to go back to Egypt,
then bless God, run, but you'll run without me. I will not go
with you. Do you hear me? Do you hear me? Life in Egypt was not the same.
Yes, they're in the desert, Mason. Yes, they've got battles coming,
but the leeks and the garlics and the onions won't suffice.
You go back to Egypt, you know what Egypt's going to do? They're
going to put you right back in slavery. and you go back to your
old ways, you will rue the day. Preacher, I don't like that kind
of grace. That's the grace of God. It says those who are saved,
they continue until the end. So if God really starts you on
this path, you're gonna be on this path to the past done. You
veer off the wet path in any way, at any time, then God did
not start you on this path. Number three, unbelief will attack
God's messengers. They were ready, I'm not gonna
read it, they were ready. Chapter 14, verses six, especially through
verse 10, the first part. They were ready to stone Joshua
and Caleb. He said, that ain't the kind
of unbelief I got. Yeah, that's the kind of unbelief
we got. I just think, God, it don't rule
in my heart. I know how easily I could become
angry at God sent men. Makes me embarrassed to myself,
Joe. And all it takes is for them
to stumble one time, boy. You ever done that? And if we could, we'd pick up
a rock, we'd bash him in the head, and we'd say, I will silence
what you say because I don't like what you say. But thank
God that don't dominate me, Mason. It's there. I think them thoughts,
God forgive me, but it don't dominate me. As a matter of fact,
Paul actually read some of it. You see, unbelief dominates the
spirit so that subjection to God's ordained order is always
despised. I'm not going to listen to any
man. Listen, God Almighty has ordained pastors and teachers
for this age, and you will be under subjection to a pastor,
teacher, or you are in rebellion against God. And that man is not Leading because
he's superior. He's just a clay pot like you
are. But God gave him this responsibility. Love him for it. Help him in
it. Encourage when he's wrong. Point
it out to him. But don't make it a public show.
Do you want to be made a public show? Do you want me calling
out your sins as I stand here? Put you on TV and live stream?
Of course you don't. And I don't want mine that way
either, do you? Unbelievable attack God's messengers,
but according to Paul the Thessalonian He said you became followers
and this still boggles my mind of us And of the Lord when that
gospel came to you and more than word Paul gave you a power Holy
Ghost much assurance you became followers of us and the Lord
you see you're going to join with God's people if you can
you will join with God's people and you'll be glad for it and
I don't need it, I got my tapes. Tapes ain't going to help you
when hell breaks loose. Tapes are not going to be able
to hold you and embrace you when you have a loved one die. Now
are they? It won't happen. Tapes, CDs,
USB sticks, whatever, I always get UBS sticks, I don't know
why I say that. They're cold bedfellows. They
can't mourn with you when you mourn, and they can't rejoice
with you when you rejoice, get it? Unbelief will attack God's
messengers, but not faith. Faith loves God's people. There's basically two things
that manifest who the people of God really are. One, they
believe Jesus Christ. They love him supremely, and
they love one another. I love you people. Now sometimes
you do things that I don't like, and I don't like you. but I love
you. And there's sometimes I'm sure
I do things that you don't like and you don't like me, but bless
God you got to love me. And you will if you're one of
God's. You will if you're one of God's. Even though I could
get under your skin. Unbelief dominates the spirit.
Number four, unbelief will just not obey God. God says go in. What does unbelief do? Go in,
go. No, can't do it. Well I'm gonna kill all of you.
Your carcasses, that's the way God talks to these people. God
is love. He is, but he's also holy. Holy. He says your carcasses
are gonna rot in the wilderness. Well, we will go in. That's what
happened here. They do whatever God says you
can't do. That's what they want to do.
God says go in, they say well we can't do that. God says you're
not going in, oh yes we will. That is insidious unbelief, is
it not? I mean it looks real good on
paper until you read between the lines, as we say, and see
what was with this unbelief. Let me, listen. God said go up, unbelief says
we cannot. God says you cannot go up, unbelief
says we will go up. Here's what faith says. Hebrews
chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11, I must move
along. By faith, now this is a true
bonafide God-given faith. The last part, or the first part,
first verse of chapter 12 lets us know that this faith has Jesus
Christ as its author and finisher. By faith, Abel did something
that Cain refused to do. Is that right or not? Well, I
don't believe in doing anything. You believe God you'll do something? By faith, Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness
that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it, he being
dead, he yet speaks out. That's just one. Let's look at
a couple more. Look at verse 7. By faith, Noah says, all right,
God, a flood's coming and I believe you, so you build the boat for
me. Is that what he said? Is that what he did? No, he got
to work. Took him evidently, Jack, 120
years. And nobody else believed what
he was saying, but his wife, three sons and three daughters-in-law
for 120 years. He didn't go down to Walmart
and buy a kayak. Here, let's all have our own
kayak. He built a boat, a vessel large enough to hold his family
and all the creatures that God had determined to save. Now bless
God, that's some work. That's some work. Let's look
at one more. Verse eight, by faith Abraham
when he was called to go into a place which he should after
receive for no obedience says, well God I don't believe in works.
I believe in grace. So you just pick me up in the
night while I'm sleeping, take me wherever you want me to go.
Now what does it say? O-B-E-Y-E-D. Faith is obeying God. You see
it? Faith is obeying God. As a matter
of fact, so much so, it puts it this way. Verse 13 of the
same chapter, these all died in faith. So faith ain't a spurt. It ain't a flash in the pan.
Once God gives it to you, bless God, you got it and you can't
get away from it. I've tried to run from it a time or two.
It won't let me go, Joe. Because faith is more God holding
on to you than it is you holding on to God. You hear what I'm
saying? Now, faith is you holding on
to God. Don't get me wrong. But it's more God holding. We're
kept by the power of God through faith. That's the book. I'm not
making this up in my own mind. I try not to preach. You don't
want me to preach in my own mind. We'd be less numbers than we
are now. At least I hope that would if I started doing it.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them how? Far off. Far off. and were persuaded
of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth. Nothing on this earth mattered.
Listen, I love my wife back there, but that relationship will end
one day. In glory she will not be my wife,
she will be my sister only. Only, and I can't explain how
that will work, but that's what God teaches us in this book,
right? You see, When we're still here, I understand
us holding on to those relationships. But Mason, the relationship we
have with one another in Christ is the only thing that will endure.
Everything else will be done away with. But look, for they
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country,
and truly, if they had been mindful of that, in the country you notice
is in italics, of that from whence they came out, they might have
had opportunity to have returned. They couldn't but now they desire
a better that is in heavenly wherefore God is not God is not God is not ashamed To be called their God For he hath prepared for them
a city that boggles my mind I I don't know all that I am, but I know
some of what I am, and it boggles my mind if I think God's not
ashamed of all my God. But there were some folks over
here in that time, God was ashamed of them. God told Moses, you
remember, I will kill every one of them, and I'll make a great
country out of you. Somebody says, what about God's
purpose? What about God's holiness? That is first and foremost. God
is holy. His love is a holy love. It ain't
just kind of love. We flop out, we love whatever
comes along. Not only, especially if we're
lacking it for a while, God will latch on to anything right away.
Love. That's something I really don't
even understand much. You know what I'm saying? Let
me summarize it. Somebody said, well, all that
back then was just pictures and types. No, it wasn't just pictures
and types. Let me summarize it with this,
Hebrews chapter three. Wherefore, holy brethren, there's
another amazing thing. We don't go around calling one
another holy brethren either, do we? Why, because I feel my
mouth, if I say it back, I feel dirty after I say it. Even if
I'm just saying it to you. Because I know a little bit about
you too. Wherefore, holy brethren, yet God moves this person, whoever
it was, to write this, did he not? Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider, and this is the apostle
and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus, and you can't ever
get away from him. You see, there are people who
will be bored stiff coming here every Sunday. They'll say, all
you preach is Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. That's the only thing worth preaching.
And when you love him, that's what you want to hear about all
the time. Somebody says, why you got three
preachers? Because we don't have four. I wish I'd have said that years
ago when I was asked that question, only we had only two then. Why
you got two preachers? I, him, hauled around. I wish
I'd have thought of that, because we didn't have three. Now we
got three. Why we don't have four? Why we got three? Because
we don't have four. I'm not very quick-witted sometimes. who was
faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful
in all his house. Remember, we read that. For this
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses. And remember
how God treated Miriam and Aaron just when they mistreated Moses?
How do you think God's gonna treat you if you mistreat Christ?
Well, I'll just rest in his love. His love's in his son. You outside
of his son, all you'll know is the hate of God. And God hates
as well as loves. This book teaches that. For this
man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses inasmuch as
he who hath built of the house hath much more honor than the
house. I've never seen anybody, when a house is built, they go
up and say, I thank you, house that you built. If you do, you
need some pills. Or, well, I was gonna say a good
shot of whiskey, but oh, that might still go out on TV right
now. No, the builder is the one who
gets the glory. And who's the builder in this
house? Jesus Christ. For every house is built by some
man, but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was
faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of
those things which were to be spoken after. But Christ as a
son over his own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast
the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end Now that's what it says You bug
out you're a goner You can argue we could debate about whether
you really started you bug out you're a goner. Ain't that what
this says? I don't care whether you're a
good Baptist and Presbyterian like once saved always saved
or not. You bug out you're a goner But Christ is the son of whose
house we are Wherefore, but now look, as the Holy Ghost saith
today, if ye will hear his voice, don't you harden your heart. As in the provocation in the
day of temptation in the wilderness, now we're getting back to where
our context is, are we not? When your fathers tempted me,
proved me, and saw my works 40 years, wherefore I was grieved
with that generation and said they do Here's the problem, always
err. Even when they repented, they
were erring. Even when they said we've sinned, Mac, they were
erring. They do always err in their heart. And they have
not known my ways. And somebody said, who exactly
was that? It don't matter. That's the problem. If we knew
exactly who they were, we'd try to be just like them. No, would
we not? I wanna know who's really the
bad guy, who's really the good guy. I wanna know who's really
elect, I wanna know who's really reprobate. Will we begin to try
to emulate that person rather than looking to Christ, would
we not? Plus, we would find us an excuse. Well, that's the real
one, and I see their faults, I'm okay too. Now, wouldn't we? Come on, don't you just love
it knowing that Peter cursed and lied, so they don't know
him? Maybe I can too, Mason. Maybe
I can. Maybe God will damn me for it
too. Because you better not presume to go up on the mountain. So,
so I swear in my love. Is that what he said? No. I swear
in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest. Take heed, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing
from the living God. But exhort one another while
it is called. That's why I'm not here just
to always make you feel good. I'm here sometimes to warn you.
Warn you. Examine yourself. Not examine
one another, examine ourselves. Is this real with me or not?
Is this real with me or not? But exhort one another daily
while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through
the, and here it is, the insidiousness, the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of
Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto
the end. You can't bug out. He just can't
do it. Wildness said today, if you will
hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation.
He's referring back to those folks as examples, right? And
negative examples. Harden not your hearts. For some,
when they had heard, what did they do? God, bow me down. Is
that what they did? No. They did provoke. Provoke
how be it not all that came out of Egypt by Moses, but with whom
was he grieved 40 years? Was it not with them that had
sinned whose carcasses God don't ever talk to his elect ones like
that Does he even when we die he just says to us you're sleeping
And then what he calls it Mason Huh? Your carcasses fail in the
wilderness. And to whom swear he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not.
So we see they could not enter because of unbelief. But preacher,
that's just about land. No, it was much more than land.
Look, let us therefore fear lest a promise be 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. So Mason, this was much more
than just a piece of land. This was about believing God
or not believing God. This is about the gospel. When
God says, I will do this, we believe that he's able and will
do this. It says Jesus' name is called
Jesus, why? For he shall save his people
from their sins. He didn't make it possible for
them to be saved, he saved them from their sins. For unto us
was the gospel preached as well unto them, but the word preached
did not profit them." Why? Not being mixed with faith in
them that heard it. Oh God, make me one of those
that face Him. Mac, would you close us in prayer,
please? that God has given us to listen
to preaching of the gospel. We're so thankful that we have
a place that we can come to and freely be servants of Thee, Heavenly
Father. In times of the troubles that
we're living in, You tell us to rejoice for Thy coming is
nigh. Teach us how to rejoice because
when we get in trouble, we often slumber but we are taught through
thy word to rejoice and be pleasing to thee heavenly father we ask
thee to give us first