Hebrews chapter six. Here's the
continuation of the falling away statement declared earlier that
we looked at the first hour. The writer gives us a contrast,
gives us the definition of why one falls away as often our Lord
did. Here he gives us the contrast
of that which bringeth forth herbs unto the earth that was
dressed and the ones that bring forth briars and thorns to the
earth that was not dressed. And who's the one that makes
the difference? It is the Lord. Our Lord gave a parable somewhat
similar in Matthew chapter 13. He said, the kingdom of heaven
is likened to a man who had a field of wheat. The servants had went
out and sowed the seed of wheat, but in the night the enemy came
and sowed tares among the wheat. And so whenever the wheat began
to sprout up, so did the tares sprouted up with the wheat. The
servant was asked by the man that owned the field, did we
not use good wheat seed? And the servant said, we did
indeed, Lord, your enemy has done this. Your enemy has done
this. And the servant said, would you
like me to uproot them? And the owner of the field said,
no, if you were to uproot the tares, you would also uproot
the wheat, but let them grow together. And when harvest time
comes, bundle them separately, bundle the wheat and bring it
into the barn, but into the tares, bundle them and burn them and
burn them. We have a similar contrast here.
At the very end, it actually says that the briars and the
thorns are nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned. It's
the same thing, isn't it? So let's read our text here,
Hebrews 6, seven through nine. For the earth which drinketh
in the rain that cometh oft upon it and bringeth forth herbs,
meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God.
But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected. and is
nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned. But beloved, we
are persuaded better things of you and things that accompany
salvation, though we thus speak." I've titled this message, The
Blessing from God. The Blessing from God. Here,
the contrast being described is the earth being dressed, bringing
forth herbs. Then we have the earth not being
dressed, bringing forth thorns and briars. Now there's always
a spiritual application, isn't there, in the word of God. The
Lord gives the physical, and he also gives the spiritual unto
his people. The disciples asked the Lord
in the same chapter of Matthew 13, why do you speak to them
in parables? Why do you speak to them in parables?
And the Lord said, it is given to you to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, It is not given. It
is not given. Understand the Lord must be the
one to dress the ground. He must dress the ground of our
stony hearts. He must till it. He must make
it ready to receive the rain that falls and the good seed
that springs up into eternal life. The Lord must be the one
that does that. The rain here is also found in
many other places. It's indicative of the Holy Spirit,
isn't it? The Holy Spirit that falls upon the Lord's people.
The dressing is the preparation of the heart by the Lord's power,
by his gospel, according to his will. If our stony heart is not
dressed, we will bring forth the curse. That's what thorns
and briars are, isn't it? I would remind us in Genesis
chapter three, whenever Adam had sinned against God, The Lord
said unto him, the earth, you think about this, can you imagine
the earth just bringing forth the garden back in the garden
of Eden and you just going and getting the vegetables and the
fruit all the time and never having to prune it, never having
to weed it, never having to worry about thorns and thistles, never
having to break a sweat, because that's what Eden was. And after
the curse, what happened? The Lord said, the earth is no
longer gonna yield her strength unto you. The earth's not gonna
yield its strength unto you, but thorns and thistles shall
it bring forth. And by the sweat of your face,
you will eat bread. That was the curse for man. That
is the curse for man. You ever heard the expression,
if you don't work, you don't eat? Well, God's the one that
said that first. The Lord's the one that said
that. By the sweat of your face, you will eat bread. So thorns
and thistles, thorns and briars, that's what the curse was that
was given. That's what sin that entered
into the earth did. This is what we bring forth by
nature, isn't it? It's what we bring forth by nature. Our very best is but thorns and
briars. Now the dressing here is the
blessing. What's the blessing of the Lord? I'll just come out
right and tell you the dressing is the blessing, the dressing.
That's the Lord's work. That means to plow, to plow up,
to make ready. That's the blessing. If the Lord
does that, he only does that for his people. He only does
that for his elect, for his beloved. He does not dress someone. He does not plow the stony heart
of someone just to leave them with a choice at the end of it
saying, well, you choose me now. Will you accept me now? Will
you? No, he says, receive ye the Holy
Spirit. And we receive him, don't we?
Just as the earth receives the water, can the earth reject the
water? Can the earth say, no, I'm not
going to receive this water falling from the sky? No, the earth receives
it. But the Lord is the one that
maketh us to differ. He's the one that has to prepare
the heart to receive his water, his Holy Spirit. The dressing
is the blessing. God in his sovereignty, God in
his sovereign will, his omnipotent will, must choose to plow the
heart. He must choose to plow the heart.
Otherwise it will remain deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked. In order for us to receive his
word, In order for us to receive his spirit, God must plow the
heart. Some of you may be able to relate
to this. Do you remember whenever you
first heard the gospel from the time whenever you, and now the
first time I heard the gospel, and maybe this is not the same
for you, but first time I heard the gospel, I didn't say, yep,
that's it. That's not what happened to me at all. First time I heard
the gospel, I got angry. And as time went on, the Lord
kept plowing the ground. And that's what he did against,
you remember Saul on the road to Damascus. That's exactly what
the Lord said when he shone the light forth. He said, it's hard
for you to kick against the pricks. What were those pricks? The pricks
of the heart. Lord was plowing that heart.
And he does that by his gospel. His gospel is undeniable. His
gospel is undeniable. And it's the only salvation for
sinners. God's gospel. He just pricks
our heart a little bit at a time until one day he chooses in his
omnipotent purpose, his glorious will, by his sovereign grace,
he says, live, live and we receive and we're made alive. Everyone
else will only yield the curse. They'll only yield the briars
and the thorns. This is the curse. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Curses that we are born in sin,
shapen in iniquity. But by the grace of God, there
is a cure for the curse. I could have called this the
cure for the curse. That'd have been a good title too, wouldn't
it? That's the blessing. That's the blessing of God, the
cure for the curse. It's not found in you and I.
Can you imagine going to the doctor having, and I don't make
light at all of cancer. I've seen the devastation of
it so many times in my family, family members have died from
it. Can you imagine someone with cancer going to the doctor and
saying, I have cancer, but I also have the cure? And they obviously
don't have the cure, but they believe that they have the cure.
I'm going to let, the doctor has the cure. Let's say the doctor
has the cure. Now, do you think that that individual
is going to be like, well, I'm going to let you. I'm going to
let you heal me. Did anybody ever come to the
Lord and say, Lord, I'm going to let you heal me. This lame
man crying out, Lord Jesus, thou son of David, I'm going to let
you heal me. No, no, Lord, you have the cure. You have the cure. I don't. And
if we were. I use the term cancer, that's
something we don't really have the cure for. We have treatments,
but we don't really have a cure for it yet. And that's the point.
If we see our sin as the cancer that it is, the corruption, the
pollution that it is, and we see him as the cure, the great
physician, the savior, will we not come to him and say, Lord,
have mercy on me, the sinner. Lord, cure me of my leprosy. Cure me of this sin that I am. Lord Jesus Christ is the cure.
His sin atoning blood redeemed his people from the fall. You
know, we're no longer fallen. Have you ever thought of that?
We were dead in trespasses and in sin, but you have been quickened,
made alive. Think about that. Now our flesh
is going back to the dust from whence it came, but as far as
God is concerned, we were resurrected with Christ. We've been made
one with him. We're seated at the right hand of God in Christ
in the heavenlies right now. That's not a fallen state at
all, is it? No, that's a perfect state. We just get to experience
it one day soon. It was the Lord's sin atoning
blood that ransomed his people from the fall. He redeemed his
elect from the curse, being made sin for us who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He was made sin
so that you and I could be made righteous. He became sinner substitute
on the cross of Calvary, that you and I could be made the very
righteousness of God in him. That sin's gone. He put it away. He owned it. He owned that sin. This is the blessing of God,
isn't it? That is the blessing. Men say,
well, God wants to bless you with health, wealth, and prosperity.
God wants you to have a good life and all these things that
men come up with. The blessing of God is found
in one place, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the blessing of
God to his people. For all God's chosen vessels
of honor, He dressed the ground of his people. He dresses the
ground. To receive the rain and to yield
fruit unto him, he is the vine, the scripture says, we are the
branches. Listen to Hosea 14, eight. Ephraim shall say, what
have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him and observed
him. I am like a green fir tree, from
me is thy fruit found. from me as thy fruit found. Are
you saying I bear fruit? Am I saying you're producing
fruit? If you're looking to Christ as
all of your acceptance before God, yes. Yes, you're bearing
fruit. If you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ as your salvation, yes, you're bearing fruit. If you
find no merit in yourself, but you are entirely and completely
dependent upon God saving you, yes. You bear fruit unto him. Why? Because he's dressed the
ground. He did the tilling. He did the
saving. He did the calling and he does
the keeping. Freely bestows it by his amazing grace. Now the Thorns and Briars, on
the other hand, preach that God can't save us unless we do something. Well, that means he logically,
I said this the first hour, So logically, if he can't save us
unless we do something, he can't condemn me either, unless I let
him, right? You'll never hear him say that, but that would
be the same thing. So he doesn't have the power
to save me, but he does have the power to throw me into hell,
that's what they say. So, wait a minute, now if he
doesn't have the power to save me if I don't let him, he doesn't
have the power to throw me into hell either. I can choose to not go
to hell then. That's pretty simple. No, that's
thorns and briars talking. That's not the Lord's people.
That's not what the Lord dresses in the heart of his people and
teaches us. For by grace are you saved. For by grace are you called. For by grace are you kept. Not of yourself. It is the gift
of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. God does all the work. God is
God, salvation's of the Lord, and it is finished. I can rest
in a gospel like that, can't you? Turn with me, I want us
to look at the parable of the sower. Turn with me to Matthew
13. Now this is the same chapter that we just talked about the
wheat and the tares from, but we're gonna be looking a little
bit previous to that. So when we get to the stopping
point here, that's the next parable, would be the tears and the weep.
So I want to make sure we stop there. But the parable of the
sower, and some of you may know, he's given the explanation to
the disciples at this point. They didn't understand it. And
that's whenever he said, for you, it is given, but to them,
it's not given. But the parable of the sower was this, that a
sower went out to sow seed and some fell by the wayside. And
then he said that some fell among the stony ground, and some fell
among the thorns, and the ones that fell by the wayside, they
were snatched away. The ones that fell among the
thorns were choked out, and the ones that fell among the stony
ground, they couldn't take root. And the disciple says, what are
you talking about? We don't understand what you're
saying. They asked for an explanation. He says this, look in verse 18
through 23, Matthew 13. Hear you therefore the parable
of the sower. When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one that catcheth
away that which is sown in his heart, this is he which receiveth
seed by the wayside. But he that receiveth the seed
in stony places, the same as he that heareth the word, and
anon with joy receive it. That means immediately. Immediately,
he with joy, he receives it. Yet hath he no root in himself,
but deareth for a while, For when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He
also that receiveth seed among the thorns is he that heareth
the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of
riches choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that
receiveth seed unto the good ground is he that heareth the
word and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit and bringeth
forth some hundred, some sixty, some thirty. He also says in
this passage right here, he that hath ears to hear, let him hear. He that hath ears to hear is
to let him hear. This is the blessing from the Lord. The one
here that is described, the one that received, the good ground
that received seed, the one that heard the word, the one that
understand the word, the one that bore the fruit, that's the
good ground that the Lord has plowed himself. I remember in
religion, men talking, don't have a stony heart or that seed
won't be able to take root or don't live your life a certain
way and the thorns or that seed won't be able to take root or
you better not, you better not live wickedly or the evil one
will snatch that seed away. That's not what this is talking
about. Now this is saying the Lord prepares the heart of his
people and they receive that seed gladly. And then he sends
the rain forth and that seed comes forth And it bears the
fruit of the one of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the gift
of God. This is the blessing of God.
This is the work of God in the hearts of his people. This is
why David prayed this. Create in me a clean heart, oh
God. Renew in me a right spirit. Otherwise we know the Lord's
words will fall on deaf ears, don't we? Lord, if you don't
cause me to hear, your words will fall on deaf ears, I'll
never hear. Lord, if you don't change my heart, then that seed
will fall on my heart of stone. Lord, if you don't dress, if
you don't dress this ground, all I'm gonna produce is thorns
and briars. Look at the response of the thorns
and briars whenever they heard the Lord's words. Go over to
verse 53 through the end of the chapter. It came to pass that when Jesus
had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when
he was coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue
insomuch that they were astonished and said, whence hath this man,
this wisdom and these mighty works? Now that's a question,
isn't it? Whence hath this man? If you find the answer to that,
if you find the truth to that, and the Lord causes you to believe
it, it's all gonna be for his glory and honor. But that's salvation. Where did he get that power from?
Where did he get these words from? Where did he get this wisdom
from? From his father. Because he's God. And the only
way you and I will believe that is if he has dressed the ground,
sent his Holy Spirit, and planted the seed, Whence hath this man
this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's
son? Is not this the mother? Is not
his mother called Mary? And his brother James and Joseph
and Simon and Judas and his sisters? Are they not all here with us?
Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended
in him. They were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, a prophet
is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own
house. And he did not many mighty works
there because of their unbelief. Whence, whence then hath these
men these things? And they were offended at him. Those that do not believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ are offended at him. And it's all by his grace
if we are not offended at him. Our natural, stony, cold hearts
producing thorns and briars hates the truth, hates the gospel,
Natural response to the gospel. When you hear salvation is all,
I mean, salvation is all of God and it is finished, when your
natural man hears that, you know what we would do if we were just
in our natural state and the Lord was on trial with Pilate
and we were standing there presently, left to ourself, you know what
we would do? Away with this man. We would have been part of the
mob that crucified him. Away with this man. Let his blood
be upon us and on our children. We would have. But thanks be to the Father and
to the Lamb and to the Spirit, He does the work of dressing
the ground of the hearts of His people. I go back to our text
in Hebrews chapter 6. Am I saying that it's all by
His will? Salvation's all by His will.
Salvation's all by His choice. Salvation's all by His work alone.
Salvation's all by His power. That's exactly what I'm saying.
That's exactly what I'm saying. Hebrews 6 verse 7. For the earth
which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it and bringeth
forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed receiveth
blessing from God. But that which beareth thorns
and briars is rejected. and is nigh unto cursing, whose
end is to be burned. But beloved, we are persuaded
better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though
we thus speak." He creates a heart after his own and his people,
because it came from him. He gives us a new heart. bestowed all by grace. He plows
up the ground of his people and makes them dressed, makes them
dressed. I like, you know, you spell dressed
the same way. There's two applications that
were addressed. One means to plow up or to make ready, but
dress also means to be clothed, to be, isn't that ironic to be
clothed? And is that not what he does
for his people in preparing us? He just, he says, bring forth
the robe. Bring forth the ring. This is
my son. He's returned. The Lord returns
his people by giving them a right mind like the prodigal and robes
us in his righteousness. That's what he does all by grace. Makes his people partakers of
the heavenly calling, washing them in his blood, giving them
his spirit. robing them in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is what Christ accomplished on Calvary's cross. This is what
the blood of Christ achieved. This is what his death was purposed
for and accomplished. It wasn't an attempt. He successfully
redeemed his people. This is what electing grace of
God accomplished for his people. This is what the love of Christ
has done for his people. This is what our Savior did all
by himself. And because of this, we have these words, read verse
nine again. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things
that accompany salvation. I could have titled this things
that accompany salvation too. What accompanies salvation? Grace
upon grace upon grace, everlasting mercy, everlasting love, peace
with God, Does that not accompany salvation? Peace with God. You
have peace with God. You have forgiveness of sin with
God. That accompanies salvation, doesn't
it? This is the blessing from God. We have grace for today
and hope for tomorrow. What could be more valuable to
a sinner than to hear? Remember, we talked about David
the first hour after he had sinned with Bathsheba, he committed
adultery, he committed murder. And what was the Lord's word
after that? Fear not. The Lord hath put away your sin. What greater words could a sinner
ever hear than fear not. The Lord hath put away your sin. You shall not die. You shall
not die. But I'm guilty. But I'm guilty. Fear not. The Lord hath put away
thy sin. you shall not die. What could
be more of a sweeter sound than to hear the master say, come
unto me, all ye that are labored and are heavy laden, come unto
me, I will give you rest. What other blessing is greater
than to know that your name is written in the Lamb's book of
life and nothing, nothing, no one has the power to erase it,
no blemish can be put upon it, And it can't be sponged out,
why? Fear not, the Lord hath put away
thy sin. You're no longer guilty, you're
innocent. More than innocent, you're perfect,
you're holy, you're righteous, you're sanctified, you're justified. Because the Lord Jesus Christ
successfully put all our sin away, He's the one that saved
us. He's the one that called us.
He's the one that keeps us. This is the blessing of God to
his people, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, dress us, plow the ground
of our heart, send your reign upon us, Give us seed that it
may spring up into everlasting life, cause us to believe you
in Christ's name. Amen. In closing, let's