Hebrew 4.1-16 A Profitable Mixture

Intro: We saw in our study of Ch.3 that the writer of Hebrews was pointing out to these Christian Jews that Jesus was Super. To Moses

A)Now Moses was their hero / Moses was the man who led them out of the land of Egypt but was incapable of leading them into the land of Promise

B) Reason the Gen. That was delivered from Egypt didn’t enter into the promised land was because of UNBELIEF.

C) Now this is amazing to me – because I would have thought that the reason would have been a lack of Devotion /Dedication/ Piety or Purity

1) But it wasn’t any of those things – What kept them from entering into that Land of Rest was simply a failure to believe it & Receive it

D) Those other things – their disobedience / rebellion/ hardness of heart were all symptoms of their UNBELIEF

So to for you & me The thing that will keep us from enjoying the life of Rest & Blessing that God intends for us to live

A)Is not our lack of Dedication/ Devotion / Purity or Piety it is simply our failure to believe that God wants to bless us

B) Failing to Believe in the goodness & Grace of God

C) Now when we talk about blessing in the biblical sense – what that means is for God to impart Supernatural favor

1) When we ask for God’s blessing upon our lives it is not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves

D) It is crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to know about or to give us

Prov. 10:22 The Lord’s blessing is our greatest wealth. All our work adds nothing to it!

Happy is the day when a person gets this / that the Blessing of God in his life is not based on his purity / Piety / Devotion or Dedication

A)But simply the Goodness & Grace of God – that he Knowing He loves to bless His Kids – loves to give good gifts to his Kids

B) We enter into that life of Blessing – by believing what God has said and acting upon it & resting in it / standing on / walking in the Promises of God

¹Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. ²For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

C) The word fear here speaks of a serious dread – what should we fear / what should be our serious Dread ?

1) Simply this Not receiving not embracing / not entering into this Rest

D) In PSA 78 we are told that Israel LIMITED the Holy one because of Unbelief

1) We are told that in Naz. Jesus home town that no mighty works occurred there because of their UNBLEIF

E) We are told that Jesus Marveled at Unbelief

That is what this is saying here in this verse is the fear – that we would fail to believe

A)That we would say in our hearts wrongly – this is just to good to be true

That is what Israel did at Kadesh

B) Spies Joshua & Caleb preached Gospel – good news This is too good to be true - the good news wasn’t mixed w/ faith

1) Spurgeon calls this a PROFITABLE MIXTURE

C) The Good news of God / the Promises that God gives to us in Christ / Promises Galore - when mixed w/ faith good thing – Profitable Mixture

1) But if not believed they do us no Good

God says that He will provide for all my needs / God says that all things work together for Good …../ Give Power / Give the H.S. / Never leave

A)God that his eyes are going to & fro throughout the earth seeking those that He can show Himself strong on behalf of …hearts loyal to Him

B) God says here is the Good news – I can believe it walk in it or I can say where is the Hitch – I know there is a Hitch in this

1) Things in the Mail – give aways – Hitch – go to Seminar or let us come to your house

C) We carry that mentality into our relationship w/ the Lord – This can’t be true – where is the Hitch - FINE PRINT

1) Or we think – might be true for him / her – but not for me

What does it mean Practically to Mix it w/ Faith ? Acts 12 Illustrate

A) Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.

Took James – arrested / beheaded

B) Saw how that gave him favor in the eyes of the Jews – He went for Peter as well – put him in prison

1) James arrested – no record of Church praying – Why? No Use ?

Peter was arrested – Constant prayer

C) So Church is praying fervently – all night – Peter in prison asleep like a baby – although going to be executed the next day

1) Angel is sent to wake him – Arise quickly chains fell off – Peter you are free – get out of here

D) Now Peter could have sat there thinking – this is too good to be true / or I don’t deserve this or just a dream

1) He could have thought – I know Jesus sets the prisoners free – but I didn’t think it meant this

E) Or he could get up & Go – believing I am free – Which He did

Paul Romans 6 Freedom in Christ Know / Reckon / Present

I can believe that – walk in it – Present that area to God

A)Pornography – Present my eyes to you – believing that I am free

But many Christians stay seating in the prison / put chains back on

B) Because of Fear or Unbelief – really too good to be True

1) Eph. Paul Prays – Know the Power – Yours

C) How much faith is needed ? Not much – Back to Peter – he leaves the prison goes to the house where everyone is praying – Please Release Peter

1) Knocks on the door – Young girl –Rhoda answers – Runs in Peter’s outside - You are seeing things / Angel – Please release Peter

D) They were praying but they didn’t have much faith – mustard seed worth

1) Jesus said that was enough to move a Mt.

The Promises of God / the good things of God the blessings happen when you take the word & mix it w/ faith – say ok – step out

A)Instead of saying – well this doesn’t apply to me or my situation so v.3-7

B) Now the Jewish person would say – wait we have a REST – the Sabbath day is our Rest – day instituted by God

1) But what the writer points out here is this – That is not the rest that God was speaking of – NOT IN A CERTAIN DAY

C) Because 1,000 yrs after the Sabbath was instituted God declared in Psa.95 that some would enter into His rest v. 6 / others wouldn’t –Unbelief

1) This signified that this future rest that the Psalmist spoke of was not the rest found in the Sabbath day

D) Purpose of the Sabbath – Resting in the Provision of God

1) Pictures the Finished work of Christ – Our need to rest in the Provision that God has made for our salvation – thru his Son

E) So it is not the Rest of the Sabbath day – spoke 1,000 yrs later of another

Well the Jew would say - then it must be the rest of the Promised Land Joshua took them into the Land of Promise – Rest

⁸For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

A)Same problem – Joshua spoke of another day – the rest isn’t found in a Place – because Joshua spoke of another day

B) Canaan Rest represents – Spirit filled / Led / Empowered life

1) God accomplishing what He wants to do IN YOU & THRU YOU

C) He would do the work – but they had to partner w/ Him

1) 1 Sam.14 neat picture of this

D) That is what Canaan pictured – that Life of Active Rest – following the Lord allowing Him to work thru my life

1) So the rest is not in a day / not in a Place

⁹There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

A)Rest that is not found in a place – or a Day – but a Person

B)It is not Creation Rest – Sabbath day – Not Sat. / Not Canaan Rest a special place – vacation spot / IT IS CHRIST REST

C) It is the rest that is found in finished work of Christ upon the Cross

1) And the Rest that is found in the continued power & Provision of the Resurrected Christ – now living in His people & thru His people

D) Tomorrow go to work thinking – Christ is in me / Christ is desiring to live thru me

1) We step out believing that to be so – radically affect the way you live/ the impact that you have on others / the way you conduct yourself

Sanders Christ for us is the Basis of our Salvation / Christ in us in the Basis of our Sanctification READ V.10

Cease from His works – ceasing from our self effort / trying to do things to earn the Blessing of God

A)Realize the blessings of God are available to you in Christ – so seek Him and step out believing He is w/ You – in You / For You

B)Resting in the finished work of Christ for Salvation –

1) Resting in the Continued work of Christ for – Sanctification / growth / maturity / Service & Needs –

¹¹Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

A)Diligent = make it your priority to get this down

B) KJV – Be diligent to labor – to enter into the rest – Labor = work at it

1) Why work at it ? couple of things

C) First because your flesh will want to resist this– we want to be safe / we want to be in Charge / control

1) 2^nd It makes no sense to my flesh – because my flesh thinks the blessings of God are obtained the old fashioned way – EARN IT

D) So the writer says be diligent – make it your priority – work at it

1) Work at believing the Promises – work at believing the work is complete – work at believing that God really does want to bless you

When we seek God’s blessing as the ultimate value in life, we are throwing ourselves entirely into the river of His will& power & purposes for us. All our other needs become secondary to what we really want which is to become wholly immersed in what God is trying to do in us thru us and around us for His Glory

V.12,13

Now as we come to verses 12,13 familiar verses but they almost seem to be out of Context here – often quoted w/ no connection to the context

A)Verses that can stand on their own – Truth about God’s word – lets consider them isolated from the context for a moment / then apply

#1 – It is the Word of God - Inspired - God breathed!

Think of every line you read that God is speaking to you. Thomas Watson

Karen's mother was startled to find her five-year-old going through a new Bible storybook and circling the word God wherever it appeared on the page. Her first reaction to reprimand the child for defacing a book, but she quietly asked,

"Why are you doing that?" Karen's matter-of-fact answer was: "So that I will know where to find God when I want him." (Child like faith)

Wouldn't it be nice to have her confidence that all we had to do was open up this book and find God waiting for us?

A) Takes child like faith

#2 - Result of that- Inspired - IT IS LIVING! - ALIVE!

A.) Bookshelf - 25000 books - (Beauty Beast Library)

1.) Only one could say "It is alive"

B.) Reason: The author is not dead! He is the Word of life

1)Jesus disciples - will you leave me too? - "Where go in you are words of eternal life!"

C)Not just a book about life or that points to eternal life - but it is alive! Word of Life! Teaches us and points us to the Author - Bread of Life! -

#3 - IT IS POWERFUL - Sharper than any two edged sword

A.) Word instructs: "How can a young man keep way pure, by keeping it according word!" Thy word have I hid …… against you

B.)"This book will keep you from sin - sin will keep this book" It instructs:

C.) It equips: 2 Tim.3: ¹⁶All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

D) Profitable for doctrine(what is right) for reproof (what is not right) for correction (how to get right) for instruction (how to stay right)

The story has been told of a South Sea Islander who proudly displayed his Bible to a G.I. during World War II. "We've outgrown that sort of thing," the soldier said. The native smiled back, "It's a good thing we haven't. If it weren't for this book, you'd have been a meal by now!"

D.) According to C. H. Spurgeon, "A Bible which is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't!"

The Word is Powerful because it Edifies - Builds up/ Spiritual Muscles

#4 - IT IS PIERCING! PENETRATING!

A.) Divides between soul and spirit - joints and marrow

1.) man is comprised of body, soul, and spirit

B)Word is piercing - it cuts to very core of man - divides between - soul and spirit - exposes innermost being

1) That piercing can kill you or heal you depending on how you respond

Run or repent!

Men do not reject the Bible because they find faults in it, but because it finds faults in them. John Blanchard

C) Penetrating the more get into it the more it gets into you!

1) Affects the way we live / attitudes actions

#5 - WORD IS REVEALING: Discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart! Nothing hidden

A.) Motives - actions - exposes it all!- Mirror that doesn’t lie !!!

B) CONTEXT: Ok so these verses tell us that about God’s word – but why are they placed here in the Context of Israel failing to enter God’s rest ?

C) Really obvious – They didn’t enter into – because of Unbelief – they failed to believe the word that was preached the promise of God to them

1) Now I read their story & it can pierce me – as their story reveals the areas & times where I have done the same thing – this week

D) So that is why it is here – The word can help you or hurt you depending upon your reaction to the word that is given

So I read their story & I am pierced – Lord Help me not to do what they did – help me to enter in – work at – be diligent mindful of it

A)What does He say – v.14-16 –

B) This was our focus on Sunday – note a few things

#1 We have a High Priest – ownership – He is ours

#2 Where He ministers – Passed thru the Heavens

#3 What He does He sympathizes w/ our weaknesses – he Knows first hand the struggle of the flesh w/ the will of God

#4 His Invitation – Come Boldly = Access – pour heart out

A)Throne of Grace