Would you join me this morning in the book of Acts, the book of Acts, chapter 9. There's an article in the Bulletin this morning. I'm not going to read it all, but I just want to read an excerpt. There are two of my favorite writers because they just are so succinct with their words. I wish I could write like they write. I wish I could speak like they spoke. I heard both of them. Both of them are gone. Both of them are passed on. And it's the inside, on the right-hand side, an article by Maurice Montgomery. Maurice Montgomery, pastored for about 50 years in Kentucky, and he's passed away, but he had this to say.

The second paragraph starts, dear friends, this world has not been given over to Satan as modern Christendom would have us believe, but is under the totalitarian government of Mary's son. I like that statement. He is in absolute, total control of this world. He is under the totalitarian government of Mary's Son, the Son of God, who is your precious Redeemer. He sits upon his sovereign, majestic throne of glory, working all things after the counsel of God. his own will." All right.

I like that statement, and it goes along with what we're going to look at today here in the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts Chapter 9. We've looked at some of these verses before, but we want to just go back and be refreshed a little, and then move along in our study of this great book of the Book of Acts. Acts Chapter 9. and I'd like to begin reading with verse 26. Acts chapter 9, verse 26, we read these words.

It tells us here, and when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he desired, he has said to join himself to the disciples. But they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple. Now, if you back up just a few verses over to the verse 19 of this same ninth chapter, and when they had received meat, when he had received meat, He was strengthened, then was sold certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. So as soon as the Lord saved him and this man of God went to him and explained to him the gospel and he understood that, But he came to him, we find out that Saul of Tarsus had a very strong interest in being with those people that he had intention to begin with of taking up to Jerusalem and having them tried. He wants to fellowship with believers.

And then we find there, as we read in verse 26, that he once again, he goes up to Jerusalem, and he wants to join himself to the disciples that are at Jerusalem, in that church at Jerusalem, and they had a problem with it. Now, we mentioned last time that we looked at this, that it was for a reason that they had a problem.

He had been a problem to them. and they had received the word of the Lord on the benefit of it was found in Matthew chapter seven and verse 15. Would you join me there for just that one verse of scripture in the book of Matthew chapter seven, verse 15. In Matthew chapter seven and verse 15, we have this, that the Lord warned his disciples and his disciples were a great part of that church at Jerusalem. There was Peter and James John, and the rest of the apostles were all there in that group of people.

And they had been warned about what was going to be coming. Beware of false prophets, it says, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. And they could easily say, you know, he really wants to get in here and be friendly with us so we can get more names.

So they withheld themselves from fellowshipping with him, but in God's good providence, in God's purpose of grace, we find out that there was a man there that wanted to take him out to coffee, and that was Barnabas. Barnabas took him out and visited with him, and we find that the confession that Barnabas had about Saul of Tarsus was the confession that Saul of Tarsus had about Saul of Tarsus. And that was, it said there in the book of Acts, going back to the book of Acts, if you would, chapter nine, in the book of Acts, chapter nine, and there we read in verse 27, these words, it says, but Barnabas took him, took him under arm, took him under wing, and brought him to the apostles and declared unto them. Now, how did Barnabas know this? Saul of Tarsus had confessed this to his new friend Barnabas, this is what God has done for me.

This is not my work but it is God's work in me that on the road to Damascus he appeared unto me in a gracious manner. He had no reason to appear unto me except because of grace, because I was a wretched, wretched man. He declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

So this is why Barnabas was willing to go back to the host of people, to the believers, the church there at Jerusalem, and share with them, this man is now one of us. He has been a mean guy, he has been after us, but now he is one of us. And it tells us there in verse 28, and he was with them coming in and going out Jerusalem. What does that mean? They welcomed him into the fellowship of the believers. This one is one of us.

Saul went back, the believer would sit, You know, and I just believe this, if he had not have accepted him at that moment, Saul would have went back again. That's just the way it is with believers. Believers would sit outside the services preaching the truth of the gospel rather than leave and join something else. They would listen through the window if it was possible.

You know, the Lord Jesus Christ left us an example over here in the book of Luke. I like this, what is written about him. In the book of Luke, chapter 4, the example the Lord left us with regard to this time of getting together and fellowshipping, the Lord Jesus.

Now, he's not asking us to go to the synagogue. I used to hear a preacher on TV. Sunday afternoon, Dad would turn on the TV, and we'd listen to that preacher, and you know, at the conclusion of every one of his messages, what he said? Now, since you've been saved, go to the church or synagogue of your choice. Now, he'd already wanted to the Lord on that service. He had a whole host of them come forward.

Well, here in the book of Luke chapter four, Jesus Christ is not asking us to go to the synagogue, but he is sharing with us a principle that he had during his ministry. It tells us here in the book of Luke chapter four, verse 16, and he came to Nazareth. where he had been brought up. And as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. Now, if you read this in the original language, you'll find out he just didn't stand up on his own.

He was invited to do it. That's why these words are there. He was invited to stand up and read that day. And they delivered unto him the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place that was written. And he read this passage of scripture And in the conclusion of reading that, he told everybody that was in that synagogue that day, when he went there, as his custom was, he did this probably on a weekly basis, and yet he said, this passage has been fulfilled in your ears today.

Well, as we go back over to the Book of Acts and follow out Saul of Tarsus for just a bit, the Book of Acts chapter 9, and there we want to get to verse 27. We follow this through here. Verse 27, Barnabas took him. Verse 28, he was coming in and Going out at Jerusalem, he was in fellowship with those saints, he was in fellowship with Peter and James and John, the rest of the disciples that were there.

And then it says in verse 29 of Acts chapter 9, and he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. It had not been that long, he was after people who believed that. But what a change God had made in this person. And it was a work of grace. It was not something that Paul got educated into him, but it was a work of grace that he knew about this. And he says, he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And he even got to the point he was disputing with Gentiles, the Grecians, but they went about to slay him. which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea." Now, what is Caesarea? It's a shipping place. It's a coastal place. And they came down there and sent him forth to Tarsus. Now, what is in Tarsus? Saul's hometown. They sent him home for a reason, to protect his own life.

Then we find what a verse in verse 31. This is where I'd like to spend some time today. This verse is just chock full of spiritual blessings for us to behold today. There in the book of Acts chapter nine, verse 31, it says, then had the churches rest throughout all Judea Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."

God blessed them in such a mighty way. Not only did he give them rest, but he gave them himself, walking in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost. The rest that we find here, as is spoken of, is the tranquility, a state of mind, that they were at peace. And you know, when Saul of Tarsus was saved, it changed them for a season, at least, about people who were after them.

There are three kinds of rests we'd like to talk about this morning that are found in this verse of scripture, and they all apply to us even today. The rest that they had, it tells us they're the churches that then had the church's rest throughout all Judea. What a blessing.

But there are three regions that are mentioned here that are having, what it says, the churches through Judea and Galilee and Samaria. You know, at first thought I said, well, those are just like states here in the United States. But we find out that those three groups of people that lived in those three areas did not get along with each other. They were always looking down their nose at one another, particularly those who lived in Jerusalem or Judea looked down their nose towards those in Galilee and they looked down their nose really seriously to those in Samaria. What was it that made it so those folks that God had saved in those places could get along and have rest?

It's the grace of God that changes us. I'll never forget a missionary coming to our church. Now, he did not know the gospel, but he made a point for me. He had a picture of some of the people that were in his church down in South America, and someone pointed out the color of some of the folks that were in that picture. And that missionary, instead of arguing over it, just walked over and says, now that's brother James, and that's brother Bill, and that's brother Thomas, you know, just went down. He made no attempt to correct the incorrectable. He just mentioned, these are brothers in Christ. Now, I don't know whether they were or not.

If they didn't know the gospel, they weren't, but they were a symbol. Now, when God saves somebody, they're gonna be able to look at God and to look at God's people without having a jaundice eye. They're gonna be able to look and say, I have fellowship with them because they are like me in Christ Jesus.

So these folks that were there, the Galileans, you know, Nazareth was in Galilee. And you remember what that one disciple said about Nazareth? When they brought news that they'd found the Messiah and where he was from, and he said, can any, this is a Christian talking. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Now that's like saying is can any good thing come out of Dufur or New Pine Creek? or Redding or the Dalles by people that don't like those places or the people that live there. Can any good thing come out?

In the book of Matthew chapter 26, this Galilee comes up because, you know, Peter was from Galilee and what betrayed him? He lied three times, denied Christ three times, but what betrayed him? All right, turn over here, if you would, to the book of Matthew, chapter 26. In the book of Matthew, chapter 26, we're talking about somebody that's from Galilee. Galilee was looked down on by those people from Judea, from Jerusalem, and it tells us here in the book of Matthew, chapter 27, Matthew, chapter 27, and there in verse 73. In verse That's all it is.

26, excuse me, Matthew chapter 26 and verse 73. The young maiden said there, and after a while came unto him they that stood by and said to Peter, now Peter has denied the Lord, he's going to three times. God, the Holy Spirit, through the Lord Jesus Christ said, you're gonna deny me three times.

You know, the wonderful thing about it is that as we heard sung in that song, God's not going to require two prices. One that was put on the sun and one from us. I am so thankful there is no double jeopardy with God. Once sin is paid for, it is paid for. It will not be brought up again.

The first thing that Jesus said to Peter was peace after he came out of the tomb. So here we have Peter denying the Lord. He's not doing any more or any less than Judas did. And since Judas was not one of the Lords, he was taken care of as God had promised in the Old Testament. It would be better that he were not born.

All right, what does it say here? And after a while came unto him they that stood by and said to Peter, surely also are one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee. We identify people, I was listening to someone yesterday on the TV that was from probably New Hampshire up there in the New England states, they talk so funny. They talk so funny. Or someone from the South, they just talk so funny.

When I was in Dallas, Texas in 1971, I got on an elevator to go up to work and they're talking about concrete farms. And I knew what a farm was, and I knew what concrete was, but I didn't know what concrete farms were. And finally, I just had to ask, what are you talking about? Well, you know, those wooden things, they put concrete in. I said, oh, concrete forms.

That's what I've been saying all along is what he told me. You know, thy speech betrayeth thee. He was a Galilean, and they looked down their nose at Galileans. and then the Samaritans. You know the woman at the well, Jacob's well, the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well that Jesus Christ had purpose to go see because he must needs go through Samaria. When he came up there, it wasn't he that said something, it was she that said something. How you being a Jew would speak to me who is a Samaritan who you have no dealings with. That's the kind of attitude that most people had towards the Samaritans.

They were part Jew and part Gentile. They had had their forebears, many of them taken out, and a lot of foreigners brought in, and they married and had children, and now they're impure. So we have the Samaritans, we have the Galileans, and we have the people from Judea and Jerusalem who are the upper crust. They're the ones with the old money, as we talk about. And you know what happened?

When God saved people out of every one of those areas, what was it that they could do? they could meet together in church capacity, in services serving the Lord, and not look down their nose at one another. What a blessing took place as recorded. Turn with me back there, if you would, to the book of Acts, as we just read that verse of scripture one more time about these three parts of what at one time had been all Israel, because that's the property that God gave and Joshua went through and fought for and distributed among the Jews. Here in the book of Acts chapter nine, and there in verse 30, is it 31? Let's just look there in verse 31, and then had the churches, the assemblies of the saints, the people that God had saved. He didn't leave them just out alone. He caused them to gather together and be encouraged in one another and encourage people who were having problems. He encouraged them. They put them together.

They preached the gospel. They rejoiced in the Lord Jesus Christ as an assembly. But all of these assemblies, in Judea, what does it say, and Galilee, and Samaria. The churches rest throughout. These people that had looked down their noses at one another for so long were able to get together in one person, in one sacrifice, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

He saved us from our sins. He is by grace. He has done this mighty work and they could get along. And they were edified. They were built up in the most holy faith as the gospel was declared. What a blessing took place here in this passage of scripture with regard to the people of God in those three areas of what at one time had been Israel.

The word that caught my eye was the word rest. They had then had the church's rest. Now, one reason that they had rest is Saul of Tarsus was saved. They no longer, for the moment, they no longer had to fear political or religious activity against them. They were at rest. They didn't have to worry about Saul of Tarsus coming with his notes from the high priest, dragging them off. They were at rest.

There was political and religious rest for them, for a season at least. I was visiting with a friend of mine the other day, and he was giving a group of people in the world down the road because they're being so mean. The Muslims, yes, they are. But I'll tell you what, you check your religious history and you'll find out that any religious group that becomes in the political power, they also become mean. The Spanish Inquisition was not a fun place to be. England was not a fun place to be if you knew anything about the gospel. France was no good place to be.

Your life was in the balance according to them. And many of our forebears in the faith lost their lives by good people that are mocking these people now that are doing the same thing. Now I'm not making an excuse for them, but I'll tell you there's only one thing that will ever change anybody, and that is the gospel of God's free and sovereign grace and his salvation. And then we can get along. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There has been from the beginning. It will be here when he comes again. There has been, there will be until he comes again.

So they have rest for a season. You know, for 250 years plus, we've had rest in this country against almost all kinds of unrest. I have never had to watch the door of the church building, whether I was attending a false church or this church, I've never had anybody put at the door to make sure that someone we don't want in here comes in here. We've been at rest. We don't have to worry about it. There may become a time when we will not have that kind of rest. There may be a religious unrest, there may be political unrest, and that may stir us up a little bit, but it's still all appointed by God. But these folks, for a short time at least, were given rest.

In 8070, when the Roman legions came in here, the Lord had already warned a bunch of his people, get out when you see these things happening. flee to the mountains. And most of them left Jerusalem and left Judea and left Samaria and left Galilee before anything happened because they believed the word of the Lord.

They got out. All right, so they had rest. Now there's another kind of rest that they had, and that's an internal rest with one another. They were able to get along because of Christ. They didn't have the political or religious unrest against them, so they had that rest. And they had a rest with one another. The Judeans, the Galileans, and the Samaritans could get together in Christ Jesus the Lord. It didn't matter the color of skin or their language barriers. If they didn't understand someone's language, they could ask, and it didn't put them out over it.

All right, turn with me, if you would, to the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter four. The book of 1 Thessalonians chapter four. In 1 Thessalonians chapter four, verse nine, we read this. I love this verse of scripture. I have it hanging in my study. At the time I had it hung up, my printer wasn't working and Mike run it off of his printer. I wanted it in there because I had heard all my life that we have to love one another. Brothers and sisters in Christ have to love one another. You know what the Bible teaches us? God gives us that love for one another. I don't have to work up a thing. It says here, but as touching brotherly love, Ye need not that I write to you Samaritans, Galileans, and Judeans. I don't have to write to you about loving one another. Why?

For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. That comes with salvation. That is a gift that God gives his people when we are saved. We are taught of God to love one another. What a blessing that God gives that takes care of that rest. We can be at rest with one another. How pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. And the illustration is pouring oil on Aaron's head and running down over all of his garments, clear to the floor, which is certainly a picture of Christ there, I realize, but it also says that that gracious salvation that God gives his people covers a multitude of language. and sin. So they were at rest, not only politically and religiously, for a season, but they were also at rest with one another as believers. They could congregate together.

You know, as I was visiting with our missionary brother Lance Heller down there in Papua New Guinea, and I just mentioned how easy it is to talk to someone halfway around the world. I was on Sunday when I talked to him, but I was speaking into the future because it was Monday there. And he shared sometime in this month, I believe, and it might be the first part of May, they were going to have a fellowship meeting. You know, those folks down there, when they have a fellowship meeting, they walk because there is no roads.

There has to be an interest to go someplace to hear the gospel. And they're going to other tribes. And those tribes in history past, were with machetes after one another. And before the machetes were introduced, they were with clubs and everything else. That was their lifestyle. And you know now, those folks that God has saved from those tribes, when they meet together, they fellowship in one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brother Lance shared with me one time when he went back down there to visit, you know, these other missionaries have brought all kinds of nonsense down here and you brought us Christ. That's the greatest compliment Brother Lance could ever have. as he preached Christ and him crucified to those people. He didn't preach economics, he didn't preach buildings, he didn't preach hospitals, he didn't preach all this other stuff that is counted as mission work. He preached Christ and God has saved some people and now they're going to get together.

He shared with me one time that there were a thousand of those folks got together one time. A thousand believers got together. Now they said they were believers. Never once in a while, you know, we find out that we weren't. I found that out. I made a profession of faith at 12. I was 35, 36 years old before I ever heard the gospel and was saved by the grace of God.

This rest. So they had an external rest. They had an internal rest. but the most important rest that God gives is not political rest or religious rest or rest with one another in a fellowship, but the rest we have in Christ. When God gives us the knowledge that the battle with God is over, we're no longer his enemy, but we've been made children when he brings us to a saving knowledge of what he has done and he's taken the fear away and we can approach him boldly in prayer and in the study and working of his word.

In the book of Luke chapter 11 is a passage of scripture and I shared this one time when the Lord saved me, he gave me a new word, context. Don't just take a verse of scripture out of context and make that your theology. And the same has been applied to this passage of scripture, but we wanna read the context. In the book of Matthew chapter 11, we read this, that the Lord Jesus Christ said about himself in Luke chapter, or excuse me, Matthew chapter 11, verse 25, we read this.

Jesus said this. At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes. Isn't that interesting language? that God would hide something from some and reveal to others? You know, it goes right along with the disciples asking one time, why are you always teaching in parables? And the Lord's answer was, it is for you to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but it's not for them to know. Well, what kind of God is that that would hide from some and withhold from some, a sovereign God?

Just take it to the bank, don't argue with it. Verse 26, even so father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my father, and no man knoweth the son, but the father, neither knoweth any man the father, save the son, and notice this last phrase, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him. And then he says these wonderful words after he has said that. Context means something with this passage of scripture.

Don't just go out and yell, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden. Keep in mind that only those that God gives the understanding to will ever come. We're not asking people to come forward. We're not asking people to sign cards. We're not asking people to confess Christ. We're asking for God to save his people from their sins and let them acknowledge that, and then we can have true fellowship. And you know what? They'll stick it out. All right.

Jesus then says, come unto me. all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. There is no easier yoke and no lighter burden because we find out that everything God required, he furnishes in his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And that, he says, you will find rest. I will give you rest and you shall find rest. What a blessing. On that same light, would you turn with me back to one verse of scripture in Psalm 37, in Psalm 37. As we think about rest, the rest that God gives, the rest that he allows us to have, that we can rest in him, rest in his word, rest in his purpose, rest in his savior, rest in his attributes and characteristics. Rest in Him. Not be all concerned all the time. I shared with a lady recently that, you know, before the Lord saved me, I'd go fishing and I'd say, Lord, if I'm saved, let me catch a fish.

Now that's not rest. That's just having a terrible time. A terrible time. Life is not, there's no firmness in that kind of religious life. There's just nothing. You're just bent all the time. It tells us here in the book of Psalm 37, verse seven, rest in the Lord, rest in the Lord. Wait patiently for him. Fret not thyself because of him who prospers in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Rest in the Lord. Be at peace in God. Let Him. And you know, we really don't even do that. He does it on his own, and then we say, thank you, Lord. So rest in the Lord.

And then if you turn with me back to the book of Joshua, Joshua chapter 21, we find that the Lord shares this kind of knowledge with us throughout the scriptures, as in Joshua chapter 21, verse 44, shares with us about God's blessing of rest. Here we have Joshua, a picture of Christ. Joshua, the captain of the host of Israel.

And there was only one time in all the battles that they ever fought that they ever lost anybody. They only had funerals at one battle. And that was at the Battle of Ai. And the rest of the time, they came home and had no funerals. Every fighting man came back to his family. There's no record at all throughout all those times of war to defeat all the people that were in that land that God had given Israel. There's not one time except that one time that anybody was buried. They all came back.

All right, notice this. And the Lord gave them rest roundabout. Now this was political rest. This was physical rest. But we look at it from time to time and say, you know, that's just like the spiritual rest I have. The Lord gave them rest roundabout.

Our entire being, God takes care of that. Now that does not mean that we don't worry and get concerned at times. You know what? Our old flesh raises up every once in a while. Paul mentions that. Oh, wretched man that I am. What does he say? There's times that I haven't been quite at rest. Now God has been at rest, and that's the rest that is important. God's rest given to us. We don't take that like it is intended.

The Lord gave them rest round about according to all that he swear unto their fathers. Every word that God had ever given to Israel, he fulfilled it. Oh, I've been troubled on every hand by people are looking around and trying to say that God did not fulfill all of his word to Israel and therefore that's why they must have that land. Then go to the Bible and prove that because the Bible proves that God gave them everything he promised. Now whose word are you going to take? Some charlatan on TV or the word of God? Which are we gonna take? I have to take the word of God.

It says, he swore unto their fathers and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them. The Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. And you know what? We get to say yay and amen because every enemy of the church was put on Christ Jesus the Lord on the cross and he paid for them in full. took care of them, everyone in full.

The rest that God gives us in Christ Jesus is truly a rest that those people had. I'm thankful that for a season they had their religious and political rest. I'm thankful for a season they had rest in their churches. But all the rest that God gives to his people, that permanent spiritual rest, is the most valuable. We can have people at the door if God so purposes. And we can have upheavals as God purposes. But when it comes to the rest that we have in Christ Jesus, He cannot and He will not take it away. It's ours on a permanent basis.

Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Hebrews. I have just enough time to finish up, I think, in the book of Hebrews about this wonderful statement of rest that is mentioned there. In the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews is explaining a lot of what went on in the Old Testament, particularly the writings of Moses.

The Pentateuch, Deuteronomy and Leviticus are mentioned here, not by name, but by what they had to write about. What did those sacrifices mean? What was the intent for them? The book of Hebrews explains that very clearly. Well, here in the book of Hebrews chapter three, Hebrews chapter three, beginning with verse 11, we read this. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. Who was that?

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." When those 10 spies came back with the report that we can't do what God said we can do, and two of those spies came back and said, we can do what God said we can do. Those guys are not a problem. God's given us the land. Well, those 10 spies convinced most of the people that were in that company that we can't do it.

And God said this, they died in unbelief. There was no rest. They were related to Abraham, just like everybody else. They were one of the tribes of Israel, just like the rest of them. And God had worked with them and fed them and given them water and given them quail and given them manna and led them by light by day and fire by night, just like he did everybody else that was a believer. But he finally said, these died in unbelief.

Verse 12, take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief. You know, we all have an evil heart of unbelief until God gives us belief. Faith, he's the author and finisher of our faith. We'll go to our dying day in unbelief unless he intercedes. We cannot accomplish that on our own. It is in him, he worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So this faith, now let's move through here.

Verse 13, but exhort one another daily while it is today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. He that begins the race is not the winner. He that ends the race And who gives grace to do that?

We've all seen people that started off well, look like, oh my goodness, what a blessing. My cousin's been saved. My friend's been saved. And you know, in time, where are they? And then you say, what are they doing? Where are they going? Oh my goodness, that's a denial of the faith in Christ Jesus. How could they do that? My youngest brother has been baptized four times. And one of the times that I was visiting with him last couple of years, he said, Norm, I want to let you know this. There's nothing in religion. And I said, Robert, you are right. There is nothing in religion. Everything lies in Christ. Everything.

Verse going down, it says, Verse 18, to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believe not. So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Chapter four, verse one. Would you look at that? 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. You know, in some way, God preached the gospel through somebody to all those folks. Moses was a preacher of righteousness. Joshua was a preacher of righteousness. Caleb was a preacher of righteousness. He preached the gospel unto them just as much as he has unto us. They're not ignorant people.

They had the truth given to them, and they still walked away. Why? In unbelief. What makes the difference? Who gives us belief? Only God can give us belief. The Lord goes on down through here, you know, verse four, and he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his work. Oh my goodness, you know what some commentators, God got tired. That's not why he rested on the seventh day. He's leaving us a wonderful picture, a type and a shadow that we have in Christ Jesus that as he sees from his works, so must every believer sees from theirs. That's why it's required. He is our Sabbath. And if He is our Sabbath, we cease from our religious works to make us better with God. It doesn't matter the socks you wear. It doesn't matter the shirt you wear. It doesn't matter the food you eat. It doesn't matter. Those things do not matter religiously. The thing that matters is Christ Jesus, the Lord.

And in him we have rest. And as he pictured there as the Sabbath, that God rested on the Sabbath, so must his people. I just want to go down here. In verse eight, if Joshua, that word Jesus should have been translated Joshua, had given them rest, then there would be not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, for he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. So if you've entered into God's rest, You have been caused to cease from depending upon works of righteousness that we do. They are not applied. They have no interest.

You know what? When we're saved, we serve him out of love, not for reward. Not to be better with God. I don't know how many people I've had tell me, I do this because I want God to love me more. You know, that is a terrible situation. That's a situation, that person's not at rest.

A person's at rest is the person that knows that God will not change his love toward us. That's a person at rest. A person at rest is someone that knows that God will not change. A person at rest is a person that understands that God rules, that God is over salvation.

God has everything to do with it. And so, as we conclude this morning, We think of those three different groups of people there in Galilee, Samaria, Judea, that could get along in Christ Jesus, have rest politically and religiously, have rest with one another, but most of all, they were given rest from God. We rest in his great salvation. We rest in his great peace. We rest in His work of righteousness. We rest in His sanctification. We rest in Christ.