Would you turn with me to the
fourth chapter of the book of Hebrews? Tonight, I'll be speaking on
this subject, the mind of Christ in you. Hebrews, chapter four, let's
read these first 11 verses together. Let us, therefore, fear, lest a promise being left us
of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit
them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we
which have believed do enter into rest. As he said, as I've sworn in
my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, or they shall not
enter into my rest, as we read in Psalm 95. 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, or they shall not 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 said, Today, if ye will hear his voice. Harden not your
hearts. For if Jesus or Joshua had given
them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another
rest. 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
his. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief." Our subject for this morning is a subject that everybody
is interested in. Rest. There's not one person in this
room or anywhere else in the world that doesn't have some
interest in this subject. Rest. Now, this is more than physical
rest. We all know what that is and
everybody's interested in that, but the rest he is speaking of
is the opposite of unrest. feeling unsettled, worry and
anxiety, a fear regarding the past, a fear regarding the present,
a fear regarding the future. Rest is the opposite of that. It's the feeling of peace, satisfaction
and contentment. Verse 3 says, For we which have
believed do enter into rest. Verse 9, There remaineth therefore
a rest, a Sabbath keeping to the people of God. The rest of
knowing everything is taken care of. Not being anxious to be able
to truly say all is well. Now only the believer has true
rest. Nobody else does. I think of that song that a believer
can sing, When peace like a river attends my way, When sorrows
like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to
say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should
buffet, though trials o'ercome, let this blessed assurance control
that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed
His own blood for my soul. My sin, O the bliss of this glorious
thought! My sin, not in part, but the
whole, has been nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!"
Now, that's the rest that I'm speaking of. Peace with God. Isn't that something to be desired? The rest of freedom from the
toil of salvation by works. When have you ever done enough? The rest of freedom from the
law. The rest of liberty, the rest
of ceasing from your own works. I love what verse 10 says, for
he that's entered into his rest hath also ceased. from his own works as God did
from his. The rest of the true and genuine
satisfaction where you're not looking for something else. You know, there is a song that
came out 10 or 12 years ago, I still haven't found what I'm
looking for is what it was called. I have. And I'm not looking for
anything else if I have this rest. Now, do you find rest attractive? People spend millions of dollars
on counselors and therapists looking for some measure of rest
and peace. Religion promises it, but it
does not deliver. All this emphasis on self-fulfillment,
and inner healing and spiritual highs leave people with more
unrest than they had to begin with. Faith, listen to me, faith
is the only way of entering into this rest. I just read that passage
of Scripture. They which have what? Believed. They which have believed do enter
into this rest. Nothing else avails but faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's look at this passage
of Scripture together, because I am so vitally interested in
myself having this rest and you having this rest. It's the most
glorious rest there is. Are you interested? I surely
am. And verse one, The writer to
the Hebrews says, ìLet us therefore fear, lest a promise being left
us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come
short of it.î Now, this is a warning regarding presumption. ìLet us
fear the thought of not really entering into this rest, having
a faith that is not saving faith, having a type of faith, but it
has the wrong object. You see, strictly speaking, and
you know, understand what I'm saying, strictly speaking, it's
not your faith that saves you, it's the object of your faith
that saves you. And your faith believes that. Now, if your faith
has the wrong object, it won't do you any good, will it? Not
at all. You know, if I get on a plane,
It's not going to the place I want it to go. Let's say I get on
the wrong plane. I may sincerely believe it'll get me to the right
destination, but it won't, will it? It won't. I must be on the
right plane. I must have the right object
of faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm paranoid about this. I should be. And He tells us,
don't be presumptuous. Let us fear. He's talking to
believers. Well, believers ought not to.
Let us fear. Lest the promise being left us
at the very end of his rest, any of you should seem to come
short of it. And you never really, truly rest
in Christ. I don't want to be that person
to you. I don't want to miss Christ. I want to have a real
rest. Now, look what he says in verse
two. For unto us was the gospel preached. What a blessed privilege. 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. Now, he's talking about the Israelites
who never entered the promised land. Look back in chapter 3,
verse 17. 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, I don't want to be in that
crowd. It says they had the gospel preached to them as clearly as
you do, but it was not mixed with faith in them that heard
it. brings me to ask this question.
And you know, I'm asking myself this question all the time. I
know the answer to it, but I always re-examined. What is faith? What
is faith? It says they heard the gospel,
they heard the truth, but it did no benefit at all because
it was not mixed with faith in them that heard it. So what is
faith? I must know. Let me try to give an illustration
of this faith. is having confidence in something,
isn't it? If you have faith in something, you have confidence
in that which is the object of your faith. When you leave here,
you believe your car will get you home, don't you? You believe
it will get you there. If you didn't believe it, you
wouldn't bother to get in your car, would you? But you believe it
will get you there. If you didn't, you'd ask to ride
with somebody else. Your faith in your car is not
going to make it operate properly, is it? As to whether or not you get
there, it's not how much you believe your car will get there.
It has to do with the car and its ability to get you there.
It's not your faith in the car. It's the car himself or itself,
whatever you want to call it, that's going to get you there.
You believe that? You believe that? That's faith. Now, it's not faith by itself. You'll get in heaven by faith.
Understand that. The Lord said, by faith save
me. That's a good way to say it. The Lord said it. But understand
also, it's not the act of your faith that saves you. It's Christ
that saves you. And you believe that. You believe
that. You rest in him. Faith is believing
on him. It's trusting his blood to get
me to the destination. It's trusting His righteousness
to get me to the destination. Paul put it this way in 2 Timothy
1.12. He said, I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded,
I'm convinced that He is able to keep that which I've committed
to Him against that day. Now, that's what faith in Christ
is. You trust Him to bring you into the desired destination.
Do you trust Jesus Christ to bring you into glory? Now, that's
what faith is. Now, these people had not this
faith. They heard the gospel, but it
was not mixed with faith, and therefore it did them no good
at all. They never entered into his rest.
Now look in verse 3. For we which have believed do
enter into rest, this rest of peace with God, nothing to do.
As he said, as I sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into
my rest. Now, look back in chapter three,
verse 11. I swear in my wrath, they shall
not enter into my rest. That's the same thing there.
It's translated, they shall not enter my rest. And that's what
this is a reference to when it says, if they shall enter into
my rest, it can just as easily be translated. They shall not
enter into my rest. Although the works were finished
from the foundation of the world. Now, you hear the gospel message
and believe. Believing we rest. Now he speaks of those who will
not enter his rest. He's talking about what that
passage of Scripture we looked at in Psalm 95. To whom swear
I that they would not enter into my rest, but those that didn't
believe. They never entered into his rest. Now he says, We which
believe have entered into his rest, and I swore to my wrath
regarding those who will not enter my rest, although the works
were finished from the foundation of the world." Now, what is he
talking about? The works were finished from the foundation
of the world. Well, before the foundation of the world, God
chose a people to be saved. 2 Timothy 1.9 says, He saved us
and He called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which were
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. God willed the
salvation of a particular people, the elect of God. That's who
Christ died for. That's the folks who are going
to be saved. Now, God's will is so supreme that when He willed
the salvation of the elect, Their salvation was finished before
the foundation of the world. Notice he doesn't say it's as
if it were finished. He doesn't say that at all, does
it? He says the works themselves were finished from the foundation
of the world. Now, somebody says, do you mean
to say that the rest spoken of? This complete rest, this salvation
that's already done, was done before creation and was actually
finished before creation, before I had any experience. Are you
saying that? Yes. Yes, I am. Yes, the Word of God
is. If you believe, you're one of
those ones who was ordained before the foundation of the world to
believe. As many as were ordained to eternal
life, believed if you believe your salvation was finished it's
history now you're talking about rest there's nothing for you
to do it's already completely been done that's what he's speaking
of when he's talking about this all the works were finished from
the foundation of the world I had a wonderful illustration to me
it was a wonderful illustration this week I'm a big baseball
fan Everybody knows me. I love the Cincinnati Reds. I'm
having such a hard time this summer. They've been so bad.
But at any rate, they've had a terrible problem in the eighth
inning, if you're a Reds fan. The eighth inning, there have
been more meltdowns. As a matter of fact, last night, they gave
up eight runs in the eighth inning. It's bad stuff. But at any rate,
I was watching them. I was watching a game this week, and I was on
pins and needles in the eighth inning. I was just on pins and
needles because they'd blown it so many times in the eighth
inning. And the pitcher came in and got it. Oh, I'm so relieved. But I'd
never seen this before. The next day, I didn't even know
they had this on TV. It was called Red Rewind. And
they showed that game again. And I watched it again in the
eighth inning. And every time the eighth inning
comes around, I'm on pins and needles. But this time, I already
knew the outcome. And I enjoyed that. Each pitch
I enjoyed. I wasn't worried. The works were
already finished. They'd already won. And I didn't
have anything to worry about. And I could just watch it and
It was great. I just enjoyed it. No late inning
meltdown here. I mean, the pitching staff held
out. I wasn't a bit worried because
I already knew the Reds won. Now, this is exactly what he's
talking about. It's already finished. What do you got to worry about? What do you got to feel unrest
about? It's all ready. This is how supreme God's will
is. If God wills something to happen,
it doesn't mean it's going to happen. It has happened already. Can you explain that to me? No.
I can't. And I feel no need to do it.
But I believe this with all my heart. When God willed my salvation
before time began, my salvation became history. Christ is called
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I'm not asking
you to understand that. Believe it. God... I want to say this reverently.
God's a big God. He's a mighty big God. And when
he wills something, it becomes history before it even takes
place. Now, isn't that wonderful? I mean, is that something you
can rest in? We're resting in a finished work. There's nothing for me to stress
about. I've already been given the victory. I'm before the foundation
of the world. That's what he's referring to.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said,
as I've sworn in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Although
the works were finished from the foundation of the world,
verse four, 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. Now, let's turn back to Genesis
chapter one. This is where that rest is first
spoken of Genesis chapter one. Verse thirty one. And God saw everything that he
had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and
the morning were the sixth day. Thus, the heavens and the earth
were..." What's the next word? Finished. Finished. Was there anything
left to do? Not a thing. God looked at His
creation and it was very good. It could not be improved. What a creation. It was finished. And all the host of them. And
on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made and
He rested on the seventh day from all work which He had made.
And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that
in it He had rested. from all his works which God
had created and made. Why did he rest? He wasn't tired. He wasn't worn out. There was
nothing left to do. The rest of God is a response
to his finished work. There's nothing to be anxious
about. There's nothing to have anxiety over. All is well. He finished the work. Verse 5 of Hebrews chapter 4. And in this place again, if they
shall enter into my rest or they shall not enter my rest. He's
talking about these people who did not believe, who died in
the wilderness, who never really entered into the rest of the
kingdom of the promised land. They never entered that rest.
Now, verse six, seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter
therein. How come some must enter therein?
Well, because he's ordained it. Remember the works are finished
from the foundation of the world. It goes very much like what our
Lord said in John 6, 37. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. They're going to come to me because the Father
gave them to me. Same thing here. They shall, there's a lot that
shall enter into this rest because he's ordained it. Verses 6, seeing
therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they
to whom it was first preached entered not in. Because of unbelief,
these people did not enter in simply because of their unbelief.
They failed to have confidence in Christ. Verse seven, again,
he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, today, after so long
a time as it said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not
your hearts. Now you listen to me real carefully.
The time for you to believe. is right now. Faith is always in the present. If I'm looking back to something,
well, I think I'm saved because I remember when I first repented
of my sins, I remember when I first I heard the Gospel. I remember
how I felt at that time. And I remember my response. And
I must be saved because I remember when I was baptized. I remember
when I first came to this understanding. I remember that's not faith.
That's not faith. As a matter of fact, if you're
looking back to something that happened, you're just trusting
some kind of experience or work. See, faith in Christ is always
in the present. In faith in Christ, I'm not looking for tomorrow.
Today, if I'm going to believe tomorrow, If I say I'm going
to believe tomorrow, what I'm saying by that is faith is within
my power and I can believe any old time I want to. So tomorrow
I'm going to believe. Huh, we'll see. Faith is the
gift of God. It's not something you can just
up and work up at any time. And if you think, well, I'm going
to believe tomorrow, all you do is prove you believe in salvation
by works. You've never really believed
in grace in the first place. Tomorrow's not the day to believe.
Don't look to yesterday to some experience right now. Today is the day of salvation. Today, if you will hear His voice,
harden not your heart. Believe the testimony of God
right now. My dear friend, do you believe
that who Jesus Christ is and what He did is enough to save
you? Believe right now. Don't wait until you understand
more. Don't wait until you have a better experience because that's
going back to work once again. Believe the gospel right now
and you will enter this rest. If you believe, you do enter
into rest. For if Jesus, and that is actually
Joshua, that's not talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, that's
talking about Joshua during the one who let him about for forty
years in the wilderness. For if Joshua had given them
rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day, another
day. Joshua never really gave him
rest. Verse 9, there remaineth therefore a rest, a true Sabbath
keeping to the people of God. That's what he means, a true
Sabbath keeping. Now, what's the Sabbath all about?
Well, we've already read the account in Genesis chapter 1.
It happened before the giving of the law when God did rest
the seventh day from all of his works. But turn with me to Exodus
chapter 20, the giving of the law. Verse 8, Remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and
do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord
thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work. thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter,
nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger
that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested
on the seventh day." Why did he rest? Because it was finished.
There was nothing left to do. Therefore, the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and hallowed it. No work. As a matter of fact,
this rule No work was so strict. There's examples, scriptures
of a fellow picking up sticks on Sabbath day. And they caught
him and they brought him before Moses and they said, what are
we doing this fellow? He was actually working on the
Sabbath day, picking up sticks. You know what they did? They
stoned him. They stoned him. They put him
to death for doing that. Oh, what's this thing about not
working all about? Is it God wants you to have a
day off so you can rest your body? Is that what that's all
about? You know better than that. It has absolutely nothing to
do with a day of physical rest, although I'm thankful for a day
of physical rest. I mean, everybody needs it, but that's not what
he's talking about when he's talking about don't work. He's
saying don't work. Salvation is by grace, not by
works. If you think it has anything
to do with your works, you've missed it. You'll be stoned.
There's a rest. Not working by grace, are you
saying, through faith in that not of yourselves, gift of God
not of works, lest any man should boast. Salvation is not by works. It's not by what you do. And
if you think anything you do is going to save you, you've
missed Christ. It's a rest. They which have
believed do enter into rest. They're not working. They are
resting. What this is talking about is
grace. There's works and there's grace. It really is that simple. Is
it really that simple? Yes, it is. There's works and there's
grace. Nobody's going to be saved by
what they do, what they intend to do. Anything that comes from
you is a work and it won't save you. And then there's grace.
By grace, ye are saved. Now let me show you the first
time that word is mentioned in the Bible, grace. What a wonderful
word. Turn to Genesis chapter six. Verse eight. Noah, Genesis chapter six, verse
eight, Noah, he found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now look
back up in verse 5. And God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth and that every, every, does that
mean every? That's exactly what it means.
Every. Imagination. He's not even talking
about the works. He's talking about what goes on in the mind,
in the heart. Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil. Non-stop. And that's God's testimony
of man. Now, let me ask you a question.
Was Noah included in that bunch? Would this describe Noah? You
better bet it would. Somebody says, well, Noah was
just more righteous. That's why God... No. Noah was right in here with
this bunch. Noah found grace unmerited, completely
unmerited, unearned, unsought, unasked. Noah found grace in
the eyes of the Lord. That's how Noah was saved. Grace. Electing grace. Redeeming grace. Justifying grace, sanctifying
grace, calling grace, life-giving grace, preserving grace. Grace.
There's only two ways grace works. If it's grace, it's all of grace.
Every bit of it. If it works, it's all of work.
But there's no hybrid between the two. It's one or the other. I'm mighty thankful it's one.
Salvation is by grace. Verse 10, back to our text, Hebrews
chapter 4. For he that is entered into his
rest, God's rest, the rest of a finished work, He also had
ceased from his own works as God did from his. Now, entering
into the rest of the finished work, there's nothing for you
to do. There's nothing for you to feel anxious about. Not a
thing. The work's already finished.
What were the last words of our Lord from the cross? It is finished. I mean, there's nothing to stress
about. It's already done. It is finished. Now, he that's entered into his
rest, that's the rest he's speaking of, the rest of the finished
work. He that's entered into his rest, what's he done? He
has also ceased from his own works as God did from his. When God finished the work of
salvation, it was ended. It was finished. No other work
to do. Now when you enter His rest,
here's what you do. You cease from your own works. You cease. You rest is the literal
word. You rest from your own works. You rest in His finished works. When our Lord said it is finished,
certainly there was nothing left for him to do. He finished his
work. But I've heard preachers say
God's done all he can do. He's done his part. Now you need
to do your part. You need to do your part. There's not a drop
of salvation in that message, not a drop. It's not God's done
all he can do now. No. Rest in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said in John 17, verse
4, I've glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work
thou gavest me to do. And I rest in his. I'm resting right now. I'm going
to put out a big sign. Do not disturb. Resting. Resting. Don't bother me. I'm resting.
I'm resting. Every believer rests in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Entering his rest is believing
you're complete in him because he finished the work. There's
nothing for you to do. And look what it says in verse
10. For he that's entered into his rest, he also has 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. Now, what Does that person do
who is entered in? He ceases from his works. Literally,
you rest. Have you ever? I'm asking myself
this question, I'm asking you. Have you ever thrown away all
your works? All your experience. All your
religion. And trusted Christ alone. You know, it's the hardest thing
there is to do. To do nothing. And trust Christ
alone, it's the hardest thing there is to do, and yet it's
the easiest thing there is to do when you see your works for
what they are. If you really believe that all
your works are no good, you really believe that you're not just
you believe it. It's easy to trust Christ as
your righteousness before God when you really believe that
you have no personal righteousness. It's easy. It's the hardest thing
in the world to do, but it's the easiest thing in the world
to do. I tell you what, it's simple for me to trust Christ right
now. I got nothing else, and I'm plumb satisfied to simply
be saved by him. I really am. It delights my heart. Turn to Hebrews chapter 9 for
a moment. Verse 12. Let's begin in verse 11. For Christ,
being come and high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place. He's not talking about a holy
place made with hands, but into the very presence of God, the
true holy of holies. He entered once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For the blood
of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, how much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit
offered Himself without spot to God? You purge your conscience
from dead works. Dead works to serve. the living God. Hebrews 4, verse 11. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into His rest. Work to not work. Work to not work. Let us labor to enter into His
rest. Make sure that you're one of
these people who truly believe, who truly rest in Christ. And
make sure you're not one of these people who never really believes. Labor to enter into this rest. And understand this. My life's work is to not work. And my life's work, I'm willing to labor like any
slave to make this message known. That's our purpose, to make this
message known. Let us labor to enter this rest,
Let us labor. Let us give ourselves everything
about ourselves to preach this message to this generation. Let's labor to enter into that
rest. Our life's work is to proclaim
the message of salvation without works. Isn't rest wonderful? I love to rest. I feel tense. I wish I wasn't
like this, but I feel tense a lot of times. I can feel the tension
in my body for whatever. I don't know what's wrong with
me, but I do that. But then when I think of resting in Christ,
I feel the tension leave. I feel loose as a goose. Carefree. Carefree. Let us labor to enter
into His rest. Let's pray.