Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
3. I'll be preaching from Hebrews
chapter 4, but my text runs a little bit back here in chapter 3. It begins back in verse 6, Hebrews
chapter 3, talking about Moses and talking about Christ. 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
are we if we hold fast to confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm
unto the end. Wherefore, as the Holy Ghost
saith, Today, if you'll hear his voice, harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation. What's he talking about? What
is this provocation? Well, he's talking about Israel
back in the wilderness. God spoke to them, told them
what to do, and they wouldn't do it. Harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness,
when your fathers tempted me. proved me and saw my works forty
years. Wherefore I was grieved with
that generation, and said they do always err in their heart,
and they have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath they shall
not enter in to my rest." God said, you're not coming in. It
wasn't forty years, it was just a few months. After Pharaoh and
his army grounded in the sea, it was just a matter of months
before they were at the edge of Canaan and sent spies into
the land. And they came back with an evil
report. And right after that, he said,
I swore in my wrath, your carcasses are going to fall in the wilderness.
And Israel went back out into that wilderness for 40 years.
And every one of those men died in the wilderness. Take heed, brethren, lest there
be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and departing from
the living God. But exhort one another daily
while it's called today. You notice today is capitalized. It is back in verse 7. It is back in the Old Testament
that he's quoting from. But exhort one another daily
while it's called today, lest any of you be hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin. For we're made partakers of Christ
if we hold the beginning of our competence steadfast unto the
end. While it is said today, if you'll
hear his voice, harden not your hearts as in the provocation.
For some, when they had heard, did provoke, howbeit not all
that came out of Egypt by Moses, but with whom was he grieved
forty years. Was it not with them that had
sinned, whose carcasses fell 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 that they could not
enter in because of unbelief. Now watch this. Let us therefore
fear, lest a promise being left to us of entering into his rest,
any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was
the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached
did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it. For we which have believed do
enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath,
if they shall enter into my rest. That is, that they shall not. 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 in
this place again, if they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore,
it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it
was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again
he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long
a time, as it is said today, if you'll hear his voice, harden
not your hearts. For if Jesus, who's he talking
about there? Joshua. Joshua. Joshua is the Old Testament
name for Jesus. For if Joshua had given them
rest, then would he 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 hath ceased from his
own works, as God did from him. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. For the word of God is quick,
powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and joints and marrow, and is a discerner
of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any
creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things
are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have
to do." Will turn back with me to Hebrews
chapter 4. In our reading a while ago in
verse 14 of chapter 3, he said, For we are made partakers of
Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto
the end. What is the beginning of our
confidence? Christ. Christ. We have no confidence in this
flesh. That's what Paul said. We're
the circumcision who have no confidence in this flesh. How
could you find confidence in this flesh? You can't do anything
to please God. There's none righteous, so there's
no righteousness in it. There's none good, so there's
no goodness in it. There's none that understand
it, so there's no wisdom in it. And there's none that seeketh
after God, there's no willingness in it. We don't... Believers know that
there's no confidence in the flesh. Our confidence is completely
in Christ, in God's provision for us in Christ. If any man
be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things passed away, all things
become new. Of God are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. You see what I'm saying? All
of our confidence is in Him. But we need to gain, no, no you
just need to hang on to that. And that's what he's saying,
you may partakers of Christ, if you hold that confidence,
Dead fast to the end. This past Thursday, I preached
a memorial service for a dear friend, faithful brother in Christ,
Brother Merle Hart. When I first went to Danville,
I went to work for Brother Merle. He was a trim carpenter, expert
trim carpenter. And I worked with him off and
on. I worked for him for a while,
and then he worked for me for a while. all how we enjoyed each other's
company. It's a blessing to do what you
like to do, but it's a double blessing when you get to do it
with somebody of the same mind and heart. And he was a faithful
member of Grace Baptist Church where Brother Don was pastor
for so many years. And he served as a deacon in
that assembly until his passing last Saturday morning. And having
been asked to do this, immediately two texts came to my mind. His
daughter, Teresa, asked me to come up and speak at a memorial
service that they were going to have for him, that it was
his wish for me to do that. And two texts immediately come
to my mind. The first is found in Revelation
chapter 20 and verse 6. Now you all are familiar with
this. I'll read it to you. and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection. On such the second death hath
no power. Now I don't know if you've ever
really thought about that scripture, but there is a first and a second
death. The Bible said by one man sin
entered into the world and death by sin, that's the first death. And so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned." Spiritual death. That's the first
death. It makes a man or a woman unable
to do anything for themselves concerning salvation. The rich young ruler, I don't
know if he was prodded to do it, or if he just wanted to do
it, or he did it to be seen to men. I don't know which. But
the rich young ruler came to Christ and said, good master. And boy, the Lord stopped him
in his tracks, didn't he? He said, why callest thou me
good? Do you know what you're saying
when you use this religious philosophy, good brother? Huh? That's what the Lord... He just
stopped him. Why are you calling me good? There's none good but God. Are you saying I'm God? Huh? You call somebody good brother? You believe he's God? Then quit
calling him good brother. Unless you're talking about him
being good in Christ. This man came to Christ and he
said, what must I do to be saved? What can I do to assure myself
of salvation? What must I do to be saved? The
Lord knew where he was coming from. And here's what he told
him. He said, well, you can keep the
law. Oh, he said, all of this have
I done from my youth up. Really? They people believed that. Paul
did. Well, he said, you won't have
no trouble with this then. This was a wealthy man. He said,
sell all your property, all your fields, send all your men home,
sell everything you got, give it to the poor, take up your
cross and follow me. Boy, he thought about that. and
walked away with his tail tucked between his legs. And the disciples,
this man had every potential in the world. And he's walking
away empty, and they said, who then can be saved? And here's what the Lord said,
with man it is impossible. That's what this first death
is all about. A man cannot, in spiritual death,
do anything for himself concerning life. Everything has to be done
for him. When he took that old prophet
out to teach him something about the ministry, he took him out
in a bone-dry desert. And he said, son of man, what
do you see? He said, I see bones. Dead, dry bones. He said, can these bones live? Well, that's the question. But
that's not how we minister. We minister to folks as though
they weren't dead. If you're going to minister for
God, He's going to teach you that there's nothing out there
but dead, dry bones. They're dead. You had to be quick
and knew were dead. How'd I know that this death
passed on me by yonder and adder? Because of all the sins. Spiritual death is the first
death and it makes a man or a woman unable to do anything for themselves
concerning their salvage. Now when a man or woman dies,
life goes on. What are you saying? I'm saying
there's air to breathe, food to eat, words to hear, medicine
to be administered, but the dead man's unable to partake of the
benefits. Why? Because he's dead. He's dead. Man in the fall is totally depraved. He cannot, by reason of his sin,
partake in the benefits. First thing God has to do, he
has to be born again. First thing. If he don't give
him life, he ain't gonna hear, he ain't gonna understand, he's
not gonna receive anything. Natural man receiving not the
things of the Spirit of God. He can't. But even if he could,
he wouldn't. Because that will not is just
as much a part of his depravity as the rest of it. Our Lord said,
you search the scriptures, in them you think you have eternal
life, and they are they that testify of me, but you won't
come to me that you might have life. You got a head knowledge of the
scriptures, you can quote the minor prophets word for word,
but you won't come to me. And to me give all the prophets
witness, but you won't come to me. He told them on one occasion
back in John 6, he said, I say unto you that you have seen me,
and believe not. Oh, by nature children of wrath even
as others. To be partaker of the first resurrection
is to be a partaker of the benefits of it. To be born of God, raised
out of spiritual death, given life in Christ. And the second
death, are you listening? The second death is eternal death. In the first death, as long as
the body continues in this world, there's hope of eternal life.
God may speak. The Holy Spirit may give you
that ability to become sons of God. But once this body's gone,
now there's a second death. It's a permanent, everlasting
death, eternal death, no escape, no hope, no mercy, no salvation,
everlasting punishment. It says where the worm doth not,
blackness and darkness forever. And that's why he said blessed
is. Blessed is the man. that hath
part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath
no power. No authority to condemn who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect. No power to punish
who is he that condemneth his Christ to die. No power to deceive,
we know the truth. No power to deny, we're accepted
in the blood. No power to corrupt, we're righteous
in Him, perfected forever, sanctified once for all, blessed of God.
Blessed is the man who hath part in that first resurrection. And according to my text, that
text there in Revelation, they're holy. That's a difficult word
to define, you know it, holy. And while he can in certain places
refer to lives of believers and their conduct, overall it has
to do with the whole character of God. God's character is what
constitutes his divinity. His character is therefore called
his perfections. Let me give you a few examples. He's perfectly righteous. He's perfectly just, perfectly
good, kind, gracious, merciful, and on and on it goes. The whole
character of God maintains a continuous harmony, and at no time is one
attribute compromised to manifest the glory of another. When God
saves a sinner, the glory of His grace is exactly the same
as the glory of his justice is perfect. Perfect. That's holiness. Godliness. Godlikeness. Paul said great
is the mystery of godliness. What happened? God was manifest
in the flesh. To forgive sin, justice must
be satisfied. To accept into favor, righteousness
must be wrought. And that's what prompted Paul
when he said we're justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that's in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation through faith in his blood, now listen, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins. That he
might be just and justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. The whole of God's character
is in perfect harmony and the accomplished redemption of Christ.
His Son is holy and He chose us in His Son that we might be
holy. His gospel is holy. His people
are holy. Everything that has to do with
God is holy. And every saint that has part
in the first resurrection is blessed and holy. He set apart. By the sanctification
accomplished in the death of Christ, the scripture said, once
for all, so that the second death hath
no power on anyone justified in the resurrection of Christ. And oh, what a text to offer
a morning sanction. Oh, can't you rest in him? Now
I'm telling you, there's a judgment out there, a real judgment. And there's no rest from it except
in Christ. Or maybe this one over in Revelation
14, you might offer some rest in this. Listen to this. This
was on his, whatever you call that, the obituary. Revelation
14, 13, John said, And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto
me, Right blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth. He blessed forever. Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their
works do follow them. All spiritual blessings are in
Christ, and apart from Him are no blessings at all. All hope
is in the Lord. And your death is a blessing
if you die in the Lord. It's a blessing. The only thing
you're going to leave in this world is sin. That's right. Boy, we just kick and scratch
and do everything else and stay here one more minute. Why? You're
in a graveyard. Your life's a blessing if you
live in Him. And what constitutes the blessing
is being in Him. Being in the Lord. Now listen
again to this blessed verse. Blessed are the dead that die
in the Lord from henceforth. They may rest from their labors.
What are their labors? Well, if salvation is by grace,
what in the world is he talking about, their labors? Turn over
to Hebrews chapter 4. This is going to bring me to
my text. Hebrews 4, 11. He said, Let us
labor, therefore, to enter into his rest. There remaineth, Hebrews 4, 9,
therefore a rest to everybody. No, that's not what that says.
A rest to the people of God. There are two references in this
rest in Hebrews chapter 3 and 4. The first is concerning typical
Israel not entering into the promised land. In no time at
all, They passed through that wilderness, came up right up
to the edge of Canaan. And spies were sent into the
land, and they brought some evidence of its bounty. It said they had
one big pot of grapes, and they had to put it on a pole and bear
it between two men. That's some fruit, ain't it? Nothing like that out here in
the world. But in this promised land, Their fruit, astounding
fruit, marvelous fruit, supernatural fruit. Evidence of its bounty and fruitility. But overall, they returned with
an evil report. Well, what turned their report
evil? They said the people be strong
that dwell in the land. I don't know what they thought
was going to be in there when they walked in there. Bunch of pygmies or something.
I don't know what they thought. They thought it was going to
be a pushover. They walked in there, and man,
they said, these people are strong. Their cities are walled. You can't get through the wall.
The wall's 30 feet high, 16 foot thick. You can't, they're walled cities. Not only that, they're protected,
they're armed. And there's giants in the land. We just, we look like little
nothings before those sons of eight, nine feet tall, 10 feet
tall. And then they said, hit plum
full of people. Plum full. The Amalekites dwell
in the land to the south, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites,
they all dwell up in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the
sea. It's fully occupied. And here's the gist of their
complaint. We'd be not able to go up against the people, for
they're stronger than we are. Now, my friend, salvation is
by grace. You know why? Because your enemies
are stronger than you are. This rest was promised of God. He didn't say, you're going to
get rest, but you're going to have to go and lick these people.
You're going to have to go in there and whoop them. You're
going to have to take it with you. He said, I'm going to give it
to you. But that's not what they did. They walked in and looked,
and they said, oh, we can't do this. We can't do this. Salvation is by grace. It's not
a works with any man should boast. And any man with any experience
with sin, experience with the world and religion, knows that
with man, salvation is impossible. The minute he's confronted with
the power and obstacles of this world, he throws up his hands
and he runs back to where he come from. Now listen to these verses. Let
us therefore fear, lest the promise being left of
entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it. Why? For the same reason. I can't
do this. I told you that the first time
I ever preached to you. If God don't do this, it can't
be done. I don't know how many times I
have to tell you, but I keep on telling you. You can't do
it by yourself. God has to do the work. We hold
the beginning of our competence. Well, when He runs you out of
competence, when He runs you down to where you're poverty
stricken and shows you that you're nothing and have nothing and
can do nothing, and then He reveals Christ to you and you lay hold
of Christ, you just stay right there. Stay right there. lest any of you should seem to
come short of it. How? For unto us was the gospel
preached as well as unto them. What have I preached to you?
For seventeen years I've preached to you the gospel. I've pointed
you to Christ. Ain't no hope anywhere else.
Ain't no hope in you. Ain't no hope out there. Ain't
no hope. It's all Christ. Only Christ. But the word preached didn't
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard
it. Now watch this. For we which have believed, have
I? Have I believed? I know I know
some doctrine, but have I believed? We which have believed do enter
in to rest. What rest? I rest in Him. I rest in Him. God went with
them. Who did they think slayed Egypt
back at the sea? That was God. Who turned them
bitter waters sweet? God did. God provided, protected, fed
them, gave them drink. He was with them the whole time. But they go over and see a bunch
of, they see all these walled cities and they, We can't do
that. Well, you couldn't have done
that back in the wilderness. We which have believed do enter
into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath. I'm not going
to enter into my rest. Now the scripture says this,
and I believe it to be so. I've seen it manifested. He that
believeth not Christ shall be damned. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. He'll
never see it. And God cursed those unbelieving
rebels, and they were... And listen to me, when he did,
fire didn't fall from heaven. It did on occasion, but it didn't
then. He cursed them, you're not ever
going to enter into my rest. But the fire didn't fall from
heaven, David, and burn them up. Fiery surface didn't come
down and bite them and they all died. The ground didn't swallow
them up like it did Cora Dathan and Abiram. Nothing happened. Nothing happened. Just the word
of God, you'll never enter into my rest. And these folks went
back to the congregation And they went back into the wilderness,
and on a certain day, they'd bring their lamb and give it
to the priest. On a certain day that was called
a holy day, they wouldn't work. They donated to causes, they
helped neighbors, they went right on back to life as usual. Didn't interrupt their religion
one iota. But they never entered into the
rest because God swore they wouldn't. Huh? Why are you talking to us that
way, preacher? Because this is a warning. Let us fear. That's what he said. Lest the
promise being left to us of entering into any of you should seem to
come short of it. He gave the whole nation the
promise. Here it is. We're going over here. I'm going
to give you candy. But they couldn't go in because
of unbelief. They went back to their old lives
and ways, brought their lambs and goats to the priest, and
kept all the holy days. They had, as far as they were
concerned, a disagreement over this issue, but still lived as
though they were God's children. And yet God swore in His wrath
that they'd never enter into His rest, and they could not
enter in because of unbelief. Now let me tell you something.
This thing of entering into God's rest is about resting in the
person and work of Jesus Christ. That's what it is. Now the second
part of this text is about the rest that God Himself has entered
into. He talks to us about this rest,
this promised rest, this rest that's received by faith. And
then he talks to us about a rest that God himself entered into.
Hebrews chapter 4, verses 10 and 11. For he that has entered
into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works as God did
from his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. The Scripture said God created
the world, and on the seventh day rested from all his works. I've used this many times, but
permit me a few minutes to use it one more time. Didn't he know
that man would sin and plunge the whole race into total depravity? Didn't he know that every imagination
of man in a few generations would be only evil continually? Didn't
he know that man would settle in a little place called Babylon
and there try to build a tower into heaven, a way into heaven
by his own work? Didn't he know that even the
coming of his son would be rejected and his son suffer and die by
wicked hands, crucified and slain? So how could he rest on the seventh
day? Same way we do. He rested everything
in the hands of his son. Huh? He's talking about this
rest. We've ceased from our works.
the same as God did from him. He that is entered into his rest,
he also is ceased from his works as God did from his. God didn't
cease from his works because of his disability. No disability
on his part or inability to do what he purposed to do. He ceased
from his works that the glory of God might be manifested by
his Son in whom he trusted fully to do his will. Those of us who have obtained
an inheritance in Christ have been enabled to do so to the
praise of the glory of him who first trusted in Christ. And
we cease from our own work as God did from his. We have obtained
this inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
And it is the purpose and counsel of God to manifest His glory,
the glory of our salvation in Christ, His person, His Word. God rested in His Son because
He saw in Him the full sufficiency of His person. Have you done
that? He's able. Huh? He's able. He's able to save
to the uttermost. those who come unto God by Him.
He's able. God looked at His Son. He saw
the full sufficiency of His purpose. He saw a love from which His
people could never be separated. Their love and His love for them
would be secured in the person of His Son. And you can never
be separated from He looked at his son and saw
a righteousness equal to his own. He looked at his son and saw
a justice so great that it satisfied his wrath, the perfection of
his wrath. He saw a mercy so free that it
embraced the chief of sinners. He saw a grace so effectual that
it saves to the uttermost. He saw a kindness so far-reaching
as to extend His hand to every seeking sinner. This is a faithful
saying, Paul said, worthy of all acceptation. Christ Jesus
came into this world to save sinners. He's the brightness, the Scripture
said, of the Father's glory and the express image of His person.
Now watch this, Ephesians 1.13. It said, in whom you also trusted
after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation. My friend, all those that hear
and believe do enter into his rest. And they do so for all
the same reasons God did. And this man, he said, when he
by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of God. What's that mean? Our rest is
not in hoping that God will have His way. God always has His way. Oh, I sure hope God has His way.
He always has His way. He doeth His will, it said, in
the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the world.
None can stay His hand or even question what He's doing. Our rest is in God's Son who
is the way. Our rest is in our victorious
Savior who's seated at the right hand of God. And we're not hoping
to be accepted. We're already accepted in the
blood. What's your hope? I'll go to heaven. You better
read Ephesians chapter 2. We're already seated with him
in glory. My entrance into heaven, if I'm a believer, my entrance
into heaven is secured in Him. And let me tell you something. This is real. We're going to
have problems. I know people right now going
through horrible problems or struggling. I'm trying to give
you some help. There's rest. But there's just
one place to rest. And our rest, the believer's
rest, are you listening, is suited to our needs. Some of you don't know this. I haven't slept in a bed in 42
years. You don't know how I'd like to
lay down on a bed. Just stretch out on a bed and
sleep the night. I sleep in a chair. And at much expense to me, I've
learned that the chair has to fit, not just any chair. The chair has to fit. If the
chair don't fit, I don't rest. I rest in Christ, fits the sinner
perfectly. It meets our every need. He's
the perfect Savior. It became Him, the Scripture
said, in bringing many sons to glory to make the captain of
their salvation perfect through suffering. He's the perfect Savior. Not only are we made perfect
through His sufferings, but by way of His sufferings, He's the
perfect Savior and He can identify with our sufferings. So much so that he goes on to
say this after he said that, that both he that sanctifieth
and they that are sanctified are all one. I rest in him because I'm one
with him. You talk about fit. You talk
about rest. I'm one with him. It's not me
laying in his arms. I'm one with Him. Now let me
ask you something. Do you need rest for your weary
soul? I ain't talking about your body,
I'm talking about your soul. Your eternal soul. Don't you
need rest for your soul? Then listen to the words of Christ.
Come unto me. All you that are weary and heavy
laden, and I'll show you where to rest. Come unto me, all you that are
weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Nowhere else can you find rest
for your soul except in Him. He said, take my yoke upon you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find
rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light. Oh, I tell you, I want in on
that, don't you? I want in on that. And if I've
obtained it, if I have it, I want to maintain it. And one day when
I'm lying silent in the box or in the ground or wherever they
put me, I'd love for somebody to stand up and tell my children
that I rested in Christ. And that's where the rest is.
All right. Thank you.