1 00:00:00,100 --> 00:00:03,700 We're going to continue and Hebrews will be reading chapter 2 00:00:03,700 --> 00:00:07,500 4, verses 1 through 13. Therefore since the promise to 3 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:09,800 enter his rest remains, let us beware that. 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:12,200 None of you be found to a fallen short. 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,200 For we also have received the good news just as they did, but 6 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:19,500 the message they heard did not benefit them since they were not 7 00:00:19,500 --> 00:00:25,300 unite United with those who heard in the faith for we who 8 00:00:25,300 --> 00:00:29,000 have believed entered the rest and keeping with what was said. 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,100 So, I I swore in my anger, they will not enter my rest even 10 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:35,600 though his Works have been finished since the foundation of 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,700 the world for somewhere. He has spoken about the seventh 12 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:42,400 day in this way and on the seventh day God rested from all 13 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:46,800 his works and again in the passage he says they will never 14 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,700 enter my rest therefore since it remains for some to enter it and 15 00:00:51,700 --> 00:00:54,800 those who formerly received the good news, did not enter Because 16 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,600 of Disobedience. He again, specifies a certain 17 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,800 day. Today, A he specified this 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,400 speaking to David, after such a long time. 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:10,600 Today, if you hear my voice today, if you hear his voice, do 20 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:13,500 not Harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them 21 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:16,800 rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 22 00:01:17,100 --> 00:01:20,100 Therefore a Sabbath, rest remains for God's people. 23 00:01:20,700 --> 00:01:24,200 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own 24 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,700 works, just as God did from his, let us then make every effort to 25 00:01:28,700 --> 00:01:31,600 enter that rest. So that No one will fall into 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,500 the same pattern of Disobedience. 27 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:39,100 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than 28 00:01:39,100 --> 00:01:42,800 any double-edged sword. Penetrating as far as the 29 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,500 separation of Soul, and Spirit joints and Marrow, it is able to 30 00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:50,700 judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,400 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and 32 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,100 exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. 33 00:01:58,100 --> 00:02:00,900 This is the word of God. Good morning. 34 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,100 It's been a minute since I have been able to share with you from 35 00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:11,200 up here. The last time that I was headed 36 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:16,700 towards getting to share a sermon with you, I have kidney 37 00:02:16,700 --> 00:02:24,000 stone and so I thank all of you who texted in and called in and 38 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,300 sent messages that you were praying for me. 39 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:30,100 I desperately needed it. I would affirm that. 40 00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:31,900 Those are no fun to have for the holidays. 41 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 Yes. And it was something that took 42 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,400 me to a level of pain that I had never quite experienced before. 43 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,800 And so, when I got up this morning and everything felt good 44 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,600 and realized I was walking upright, I decided I would come 45 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:52,800 on in and enjoy this. I am Kevin Perry and I get the 46 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,900 pleasure of serving alongside Joel here at new Eden. 47 00:02:56,100 --> 00:02:59,900 And I am I get to be the pastor for shepherding for you guys. 48 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,500 And I thoroughly Boy, what it is that God allows me to do on a 49 00:03:04,500 --> 00:03:06,600 regular basis. And I really do enjoy it when I 50 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,500 get to come up here and share normally Joel's the fuck, the 51 00:03:09,500 --> 00:03:13,100 person who is here on a regular weekly basis, but I enjoy the 52 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:19,000 chances to pitch in as we have, looked at the book of Hebrews 53 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,200 and I told Joel this when we first started looking at it, 54 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,400 this has been a difficult book for me in my Christian Life. 55 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:31,300 These may be some of the first time that I've ever gotten to 56 00:03:31,300 --> 00:03:35,500 the place. Swear the warnings to some 57 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:39,500 degree began to make sense growing up. 58 00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:42,500 I had a lot of friends who were not from my little Southern 59 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:45,600 Baptist bubble who did not believe in perseverance of the 60 00:03:45,608 --> 00:03:48,700 Saints. And so they would often quote 61 00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:51,000 Hebrews to me. And of course I would put up a 62 00:03:51,008 --> 00:03:53,800 really good public front, you know, I was tried to defend what 63 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,600 I believed, but I had to admit that there were times in my 64 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,200 private moments that really makes you wonder and so I I have 65 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:07,100 thoroughly enjoyed trying to sit with the Holy Spirit and come to 66 00:04:07,108 --> 00:04:09,600 an understanding of to what degree. 67 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:15,400 Do we take the warnings in and to what degree do we hold on to 68 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:17,300 the hope that stands on the other side? 69 00:04:18,700 --> 00:04:21,600 Joel laid, some groundwork for you last week, kind of gave you 70 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,700 a some lenses that these passages can be looked seen 71 00:04:25,700 --> 00:04:30,100 through, and I tend to agree with Joel, I'm going to have to 72 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:33,300 lean in on the side of A mixed audience. 73 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:39,600 And I believe this is to something that we who preach 74 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,600 have to understand that even when we're talking to a crowd 75 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:48,300 who in general, we would refer to as brothers and sisters and I 76 00:04:48,300 --> 00:04:52,000 believe that the the preacher is right to refer to them that way. 77 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:57,400 We can only see what we can see. We can't see the heart and so we 78 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,300 don't know if there's something there that desperately need this 79 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:03,200 warning. I know that Jesus said in 80 00:05:03,207 --> 00:05:07,300 Matthew chapter 7, that there's going to be those that have 81 00:05:07,300 --> 00:05:11,000 testified of how they prophesied and cast out demons. 82 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,100 And we even worked miracles in Jesus name and yet, they never 83 00:05:16,100 --> 00:05:23,000 came to know Jesus. And so, while we hope for the 84 00:05:23,008 --> 00:05:26,800 best and look forward to the best, we also acknowledge that 85 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,800 the word of warnings If needed are incredibly important and 86 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,200 must be heated one of these days. 87 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,600 I hope that, you know, look forward to the time when it's 88 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:47,000 affirmed that we are all in the family and so let us look into 89 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:48,800 that from that standpoint this morning. 90 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,000 We were in a passage last week, the Joel made pretty clear was 91 00:05:53,100 --> 00:05:56,900 passage of warning and it really continues right on into this 92 00:05:56,900 --> 00:05:58,700 one. We do have to remember that the 93 00:05:58,700 --> 00:06:02,700 breaks in between chapters or something that we've added for 94 00:06:03,700 --> 00:06:06,800 ease and finding things not necessarily the way that the 95 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,800 writer would have broken it. Had he been Speaking to us. 96 00:06:10,500 --> 00:06:15,100 So I want us to look back one verse into chapter 3 to just 97 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:18,000 kind of set up and remind ourselves of the context of 98 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,400 chapter 4 and chapter 3 verse 19, the preacher stated in his 99 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,900 conclusion. So we see that they were unable 100 00:06:25,900 --> 00:06:30,800 to enter because of unbelief so now it makes sense that chapter 101 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,400 4 starts the way that it does. Let's read verses 1 and 2. 102 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,200 Therefore since the promise to enter his rest remains Let us 103 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,600 beware that none of you are found to have fallen short. 104 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:47,700 We've also the receives a good news just as they did, but the 105 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:50,800 message they heard did not benefit them since they were not 106 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,400 United with those who heard it in faith. 107 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,800 So the pastor the preacher is continuing to unfold this 108 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,000 warning but it is laced with really, really good news. 109 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:06,500 The promise to enter the Lord's, rest remains it is not something 110 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:10,300 that has gone by the wayside do. Those who may have previously 111 00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:15,700 misunderstood disbelieved or even rebelled against it or not 112 00:07:15,700 --> 00:07:19,900 too late to receive? It is a warning but is an also, 113 00:07:19,900 --> 00:07:24,400 an opportunity for those that heat it, the good news benefits. 114 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,300 Those who believe it. The message is still valid We 115 00:07:29,300 --> 00:07:31,400 look in verses 3 & 5 3 through 5. 116 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,400 We understand just how long this has been available. 117 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,900 For we who have believed in to the rest in keeping with what he 118 00:07:39,900 --> 00:07:42,600 has said. So I swore in my anger, they 119 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:46,400 will not enter my rest even though his Works have been 120 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,300 finished since the foundation of the world for somewhere. 121 00:07:50,300 --> 00:07:53,600 He has spoken about the seventh day in this way and on the 122 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,400 seventh day, God rested from all his works. 123 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,800 And again in that passage he says they will never enter my 124 00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:05,100 rest. We who have believed have 125 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:10,400 entered into the rest of God. Into a rest that has been going 126 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,700 on since the foundation of the world. because on the seventh 127 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:21,100 day, God rested. And the cool thing is that even 128 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:24,700 though he is still moving his purposes forward, he is still at 129 00:08:24,700 --> 00:08:28,300 rest. I mean, when we read about all 130 00:08:28,300 --> 00:08:33,799 this swearing and anger, It could lead us to see God the way 131 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:36,799 that we see humans when they're responding and anger. 132 00:08:38,100 --> 00:08:41,400 But, see the thing about it is angry humans are rarely walking 133 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,100 in the spirit. I'm not saying it's impossible. 134 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:47,400 Jesus did it? Jesus was fully in the spirit 135 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,600 and he was fully angry. But for us, most of the time 136 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,900 it's generated and it's energized by our insecurities, 137 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:04,300 the lack of getting it my way. Hurt feelings, fears of loss. 138 00:09:05,300 --> 00:09:09,400 See, here's what's wonderful. God doesn't suffer from any of 139 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:14,600 those weaknesses. God is not insecure in himself. 140 00:09:15,300 --> 00:09:19,200 He is not worried. He is not rattled even when we 141 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:21,400 think things are absolutely coming unglued. 142 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,800 It's absolute chaos. It does not mean that there has 143 00:09:26,500 --> 00:09:29,700 been worried any kind of doubt in heaven. 144 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,000 God is it rest? He knows exactly how all of this 145 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:41,200 turns out. when God's angry, he has chosen to be it's a 146 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:46,100 controlled response to the sin which is marred, his creation 147 00:09:46,600 --> 00:09:51,600 and created enemies out of those that He Loves He has good reason 148 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:57,400 to be angry and it is righteous. So the Preeti the preacher wants 149 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,700 his audience to be warned but also it's pretty clear that he 150 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:03,700 continually shifts. The focus back to Good News. 151 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:08,900 Mean we pick up in verse 6, Therefore since it remains for 152 00:10:08,900 --> 00:10:13,100 some to enter it and those who formerly received the good news, 153 00:10:13,100 --> 00:10:15,600 did not enter Because of Disobedience. 154 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:20,800 He again, specifies a certain day today he specified this 155 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:25,200 speaking through David, after such a long time today, if you 156 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:30,200 hear his voice, do not Harden your hearts for his, Joshua had 157 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:33,300 given them rest. God would have not spoken later 158 00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:36,600 about another day. Therefore, a Sabbath. 159 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,300 Rest remains for God's people. There are more who are going to 160 00:10:42,300 --> 00:10:45,000 enter. So for the third time in the 161 00:10:45,008 --> 00:10:50,900 last 21 verses the preacher repeats, his exhortation The one 162 00:10:50,900 --> 00:10:55,500 where he says today is the day for you hearing this warning 163 00:10:55,500 --> 00:10:58,800 today is your day. Today is the day to respond. 164 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:05,700 It's not too late and the rest is something far greater than 165 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:10,400 you can ever imagine. Joshua, led the children of 166 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,600 those who fell in the wilderness into the Promised Land. 167 00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:18,200 But that didn't fulfill all that God has in store. 168 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,600 That was not the final rest. The Sabbath rest is still to be 169 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,300 had God began his rest on the seventh day. 170 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,700 It's never stopped and it's never going to stop. 171 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,400 And we enter this rest when we believe the good news and verse 172 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,800 10. Helps us on how to understand 173 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,600 the evidence. You know, I mean, it's one thing 174 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,100 to say, I believe it's another thing to know in my heart from 175 00:11:46,100 --> 00:11:48,600 proof in front of me that I have believed. 176 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,300 How's that done? Well, verse 10 tells us for the 177 00:11:51,300 --> 00:11:56,100 person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, 178 00:11:56,700 --> 00:12:04,100 just as God did from his Can we know that, can we evaluate 179 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,500 ourselves and determine whether that's true? 180 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,500 Do we have the ability to look in our heart and just answer 181 00:12:11,500 --> 00:12:15,800 honestly. How true does it feel to say 182 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:22,000 that I am at rest in the Lord? I mean if you just sit in that 183 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,500 like literally close your eyes and you marinate. 184 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,800 How true does it feel to me don't have to share with anybody 185 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:29,200 else? Nobody's going to know what I 186 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:33,200 answer, but how true does it feel to me to say that? 187 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,000 I'm at rest. How true does it feel to say 188 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:41,200 that? I'm his in the same way even 189 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:46,300 greater than I know I belong to my father and my mother here in 190 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:51,800 this life. Can I also feel that same sense 191 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,800 of security knowing that I belong to God? 192 00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:59,000 When I think of the way God looks at me. 193 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,500 What's the expression on his face? 194 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:08,100 I mean, you know, there are times that I have spent a lot of 195 00:13:08,100 --> 00:13:11,400 time. Walking all the way back from 196 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,900 the far country and I've been practicing the speech in my 197 00:13:14,900 --> 00:13:18,600 head. I'm already used to the look on 198 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:20,400 my dad's face. I know it's not going to be 199 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,200 good. He's going to look disappointed. 200 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,300 He's going to look so just maybe even ashamed of me, right? 201 00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:29,500 And I'm just asking for a pittance. 202 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:31,500 I'm not asking to get the whole thing back. 203 00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,700 I'm just asking for a place to sleep, just my hard work, I can 204 00:13:35,700 --> 00:13:39,700 do so that I can eat. And I've walked all the way back 205 00:13:39,700 --> 00:13:42,000 from the far country and a come over there. 206 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:48,000 Ice. And I look and my dad is doing 207 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:53,000 something insane. My dad has jumped up off the 208 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:58,100 porch. He has hiked his long robes and 209 00:13:58,100 --> 00:14:01,400 he is running in my direction. This doesn't make sense. 210 00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:04,300 Jewish men. Don't do this. 211 00:14:05,500 --> 00:14:14,200 And what's the look on his face? I can't read that story and make 212 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:15,700 any of it. Make sense. 213 00:14:15,700 --> 00:14:20,300 If the look on his face is, I am so disappointed in you. 214 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,800 I am so done with your shenanigans. 215 00:14:27,100 --> 00:14:30,300 Do you remember all that you took from us and have 216 00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:32,600 squandered? It's gone. 217 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:38,700 It is not to be returned. I cannot make that story make 218 00:14:38,700 --> 00:14:42,300 sense. If that's the look on that 219 00:14:42,300 --> 00:14:45,400 father's face. None of the rest of what he 220 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,600 does. Makes any sense So what do I 221 00:14:50,600 --> 00:14:52,300 think? When I close my eyes and I think 222 00:14:52,300 --> 00:14:55,100 about God, looking at me, what's the look on his face? 223 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:03,400 Do I know the truth? What if anything must I still do 224 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,100 to be acceptable to God, like what's lacking? 225 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,100 What I mean is there more punch list? 226 00:15:11,100 --> 00:15:14,200 I've got to go through before, he's going to be satisfied with 227 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:21,700 me. If my heart still striving, then 228 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:23,800 what I need to be honest about this. 229 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,900 I'm still trying to enter his rest on my own. 230 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:33,300 I'm still trying to do the work. I'm so confused about who does 231 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:39,400 the heavy lifting? Just like those Israelites who 232 00:15:39,700 --> 00:15:42,000 after God had said, you will not enter. 233 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,700 Then they decided, okay, now we'll go, we'll go now that did 234 00:15:46,700 --> 00:15:51,700 not work out well for them. Them trying to get into God's 235 00:15:51,700 --> 00:15:54,000 promise land on their own efforts. 236 00:15:54,300 --> 00:15:57,400 That that was a that was just chaos. 237 00:15:58,100 --> 00:16:04,700 That was a Slaughter. Am I willing to give up? 238 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,400 Am I willing to admit? I don't believe I'm there. 239 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,600 Lord Hannah don't believe I can get there. 240 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:22,200 So, so you got help? The preacher now exhorts himself 241 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,800 and his audience and what to me just seems like a very strange 242 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:32,400 sounding appeal. Just listen to verse 11, let us 243 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:39,300 then make every effort to make every effort to enter that rest 244 00:16:39,900 --> 00:16:43,200 so that no one will fall into the same pattern of Disobedience 245 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,100 make every effort. Okay I looked this up the Greek 246 00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:52,400 word means labor, make haste bees Zealous to do something 247 00:16:53,100 --> 00:16:55,900 especially as manifested in diligence. 248 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,500 Earnestness to the utmost. I can't help it. 249 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:04,500 I find this a little humorous. There. 250 00:17:04,500 --> 00:17:10,500 We are exhorted to labor work. Give all we have to rest. 251 00:17:14,099 --> 00:17:17,000 If entering In My Own Strength is not possible, then this or 252 00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:20,599 excitation seems difficult to understand, but how do I make 253 00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:25,400 this fit work hard so that I don't work hard. 254 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:32,300 What can I get busy doing? That would not be me trying to 255 00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:37,300 get in by my own power. The preachers telling us all 256 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:41,000 those who have entered God's rest and those who still need to 257 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:45,300 enter that we can pay attention to the patterns that we're 258 00:17:45,300 --> 00:17:48,700 producing. If we want to know whether we've 259 00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:53,100 entered the Lord's rest and affirm that we're abiding in it. 260 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:56,700 Then we just need to look at her own heart. 261 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,700 We have what we need to evaluate ourselves. 262 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:07,200 First 12 makes it very clear. For the word of God is living 263 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:12,400 and effective sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating 264 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,000 as far as the separation of the Soul, and Spirit joints and 265 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:21,900 Marrow, it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the 266 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:26,800 heart. For Bethel. 267 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:32,500 Are it's a little word that also can mean because sometimes 268 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:35,800 things become clearer. If we just replace for with 269 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:48,300 because because the word of God, The logos of God is alive. 270 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:54,100 We have a person. Who is ready to show us the 271 00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:58,000 judgement of the thoughts and the intentions of our hearts. 272 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,600 In John's gospel, he just straight-up personifies in from 273 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,300 the get-go. Same words being used logos. 274 00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:10,400 Capitalizes it. So that we understand, he's 275 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:14,200 talking about Jesus. The preacher has already 276 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,000 declared this truth in his opening lines. 277 00:19:17,300 --> 00:19:19,100 Think back to Hebrews, 13 with me. 278 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:24,800 The son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression 279 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:30,000 of his nature sustaining. All Things by his powerful word, 280 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:36,500 The word of God includes everything he has said in 281 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:40,500 scripture, but it is so much more. 282 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:45,100 The Sun, the radiance of God's glory. 283 00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:49,300 The exact expression of the nature of God, Jesus Christ 284 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:54,300 cannot be contained in limited by a scroll or buy a book. 285 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:58,200 What has been revealed is necessary? 286 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,400 It is exactly what we needed to have revealed so that we could 287 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,800 know him. Put, it does not draw a box 288 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,300 around. All he is and all he will be. 289 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:17,400 The words of scripture are eternally, true and accurate. 290 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,700 But the Living Word of God. Jesus Christ. 291 00:20:22,300 --> 00:20:24,100 He's the ones going to lay our hearts bear. 292 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,700 What we see is the exact representation of the harder. 293 00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:37,100 God Heart Of God as he looks at our hearts, he's the person from 294 00:20:37,100 --> 00:20:44,400 whom none of us can hide. Look at verse 13. no creature is 295 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,700 hidden from him but all things are naked and exposed to the 296 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:55,600 eyes of him to whom we must give an account I've spent. 297 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:03,500 So much time in my life. Trying to hide what it was that 298 00:21:03,500 --> 00:21:06,200 was going on in my heart from God. 299 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:12,500 It's the outside looking in, you people all be laughing. 300 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:20,200 That is just a little bit silly. That any of us thinks that we 301 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,700 got a shot at keeping anything hidden from God. 302 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,500 If we thought our mothers were hard to get past, What in the 303 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:34,900 world are we up against with someone who sees everything? 304 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:39,800 Half the time. My mother was just trying to 305 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,500 convince me. She saw everything. 306 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,800 And because I was unsure, you know, a lot of times I had to 307 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,400 fess up. But with God there's no 308 00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:53,700 confusion when he asked me a question. 309 00:21:53,900 --> 00:21:55,500 There's nowhere to run. There's nowhere to hide. 310 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:59,900 I just have to answer it. I just have to be honest. 311 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:07,400 Because I know that lying is going to seem really comedic in 312 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:13,000 the moment. The preachers in agreement with 313 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:18,800 John the words a person. Jesus is the one that we were 314 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,000 naked and exposed in front of what can we do? 315 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,900 What is it that we can get busy doing? 316 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,700 You know, making every effort. Laboring. 317 00:22:32,300 --> 00:22:34,400 What is that? What can that be? 318 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,200 It's listening to the Revelation, he gives us of our 319 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,600 own hearts. It's turning our attention to 320 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,900 him. It's focusing on what he is 321 00:22:44,900 --> 00:22:49,300 revealing to us. And then I just need to agree 322 00:22:49,300 --> 00:22:54,000 with him with brutal honesty. I don't need to try to reword it 323 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:59,400 or rephrase it, okay? If it's in, just call it what it 324 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,700 is. The older, I get, you know, old 325 00:23:03,700 --> 00:23:06,200 people lose filters, you all aware of that. 326 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:09,500 Okay, everybody's all about adding filters these days. 327 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,800 Oh people, we're in the process of getting rid of them. 328 00:23:12,300 --> 00:23:15,400 All right, we get to the point. We don't know how to put the 329 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,000 filter on some comes out of somebody's mouth and before we 330 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:20,900 even know it, we've told them the truth. 331 00:23:22,900 --> 00:23:26,200 You know, I made this mistake whoa with it was what? 332 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,300 It was an accident. Okay. 333 00:23:31,100 --> 00:23:34,500 Alright, what you did was you just accidentally fell into 334 00:23:34,500 --> 00:23:39,200 that. Well, no, I chose it. 335 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,500 Okay. Well then let's find a word in 336 00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:44,700 the English dictionary. That means what you're trying to 337 00:23:44,708 --> 00:23:48,400 say. Why don't we look and see if 338 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,600 what you need to be saying is I send straight up. 339 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:55,200 That's what it was. It is rebellion against God. 340 00:23:55,300 --> 00:23:57,600 It is exactly what he told me not to do. 341 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,700 It was me telling him, no, and I knew exactly what I was supposed 342 00:24:01,700 --> 00:24:03,100 to do. That's what it was. 343 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:05,300 It was just send. That's, that's what it was. 344 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,800 Okay, well, at least. Now we're having an honest 345 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:16,200 conversation. I've struggled with this 346 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:19,200 passage. This is, this has been hard. 347 00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:23,700 I mean I'm not embarrassed to admit. 348 00:24:25,100 --> 00:24:28,000 This word document was blank at 10:30 last night. 349 00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:35,100 This was some begging and pleading with God, lord, hi, I 350 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:38,800 just don't have anything. I don't have the first word to 351 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,500 say, I have studied and I've read and I Brenda preaching team 352 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:46,200 and I've read the commentaries and I have just exhausted myself 353 00:24:46,300 --> 00:24:49,200 trying to gather information. Then I don't have the first 354 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:50,800 thing. I feel like I need to say about 355 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,900 this passage So, you don't have to help. 356 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:00,900 I've struggled with it. And part of the reason is 357 00:25:00,900 --> 00:25:05,800 because while rest in God, is something that I believe I have, 358 00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,200 it's also something that I'm continuing to learn. 359 00:25:10,500 --> 00:25:16,000 It's like both at the same time. I got it, I'm in your rest but 360 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,100 at the same time, I need to rest better. 361 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,500 And I'm not talking about how I sleep or you know what I'm doing 362 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:28,200 with my time, every day I can do absolutely nothing sometimes and 363 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:33,400 not feel rested. Why I need to learn to respect 364 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:36,300 her. I need to continue to learn to 365 00:25:36,300 --> 00:25:40,200 what it means. I set four years in church pews, 366 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:45,500 Before they were chairs, there were these long benches that we 367 00:25:45,500 --> 00:25:48,200 call pews, and that's what I'm referring to. 368 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:53,800 I sat in church, pews for years, white-knuckling them, okay, 369 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:57,300 especially when they're singing Just as I am because I need to 370 00:25:57,300 --> 00:26:00,500 go do it again. I need to go get saved again 371 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,100 because it didn't work the first time, and it didn't work. 372 00:26:03,100 --> 00:26:07,800 The second time, it's still not working and my heart is still 373 00:26:07,900 --> 00:26:11,400 messed up. And I'm scared. 374 00:26:15,300 --> 00:26:19,400 What did I feel while? Sitting there singing that I 375 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,300 felt all sorts of stuff that I wasn't feeling. 376 00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:25,600 Somebody asked me to sing. I surrender all. 377 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,100 And I'm like, what? I should have said about us 378 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:29,900 being honest. I can't can't say that. 379 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:31,800 So, what I'd like to do. Can we change the words? 380 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:33,700 I'd like to surrender all. Lord. 381 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:38,400 What I was feeling on the inside. 382 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,000 So often disagreed with the words of the song, or the words 383 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,500 in the passage, or what the pastor was saying, when I looked 384 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:50,300 inside, what I found was, shame and worry and a lot of times 385 00:26:50,300 --> 00:26:51,800 just a really deep sense of failure. 386 00:26:53,700 --> 00:26:56,500 Maybe everybody else gets this but somewhere along the line, I 387 00:26:56,508 --> 00:27:02,700 missed it. I would read, I'd be sitting by 388 00:27:02,700 --> 00:27:06,400 myself. Reading scripture and I would 389 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,900 read one of these doxologies were Paul's Just Waxing own 390 00:27:09,900 --> 00:27:12,200 about all this. That he's just exploding with 391 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,400 that. He's feeling about God and I'm 392 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,600 thinking, I'm glad for you, but I just don't have that and I'm 393 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,800 beginning to get a little aggravated by. 394 00:27:21,500 --> 00:27:25,000 Okay, this Christianity stuff is hard work. 395 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,200 Putting up a facade. That makes everybody think I got 396 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:32,100 it all together and I'm okay on the inside is exhausting. 397 00:27:33,100 --> 00:27:37,300 And I am burning so much candle at both ends trying to keep this 398 00:27:37,300 --> 00:27:40,400 thing up. And Paul, you're talking, like 399 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,800 it's something you were actually experiencing like you were 400 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,400 actually feeling that way. Well, I didn't want some of that 401 00:27:47,400 --> 00:27:50,600 or I want out. Okay, that's where I developed. 402 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:54,500 Such a strong belief that apostasy is not possible. 403 00:27:56,500 --> 00:28:01,700 For me, personally. I begged him on more than one 404 00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:05,200 occasion, get out. You are making my life 405 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:09,400 miserable. I can't enjoy anything you or 406 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,900 anything else. Please just let me go. 407 00:28:12,900 --> 00:28:17,500 I'm not worth it. And then he smiled again. 408 00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:35,900 By God's grace, that came a moment. 409 00:28:35,900 --> 00:28:39,500 After years of outwardly following Jesus, did he just 410 00:28:39,500 --> 00:28:45,900 dawned on me? I'm his I'm still a mess. 411 00:28:47,300 --> 00:28:49,900 There's still a bunch of stuff inside of me that doesn't line 412 00:28:49,900 --> 00:28:59,000 up with him. but I can't get around the fact I'm his Thank 413 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:00,900 you, Lord. I don't know what to say. 414 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:04,100 What am I supposed to do with that? 415 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:11,200 Other than glorify you. And just tell you the juror 416 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:13,900 obviously a whole lot more awesome than I even understand 417 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,300 because I wouldn't have put the effort that you've put into me. 418 00:29:19,100 --> 00:29:20,900 I wouldn't have put that effort in myself. 419 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,000 I would have found somebody that was better. 420 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:32,200 That had a better return. That was the beginning of my 421 00:29:32,200 --> 00:29:36,300 rest. Standing in the back realizing. 422 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,400 I don't actually need to respond to this altar call. 423 00:29:42,700 --> 00:29:45,100 Meaning, if I respond to the altar call, it would be just to 424 00:29:45,100 --> 00:29:47,600 go up and tell the pastor that everything was awesome. 425 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,700 That is messed up as I was. I was gods. 426 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:03,000 My rest has grown Beyond, just the Assurance of my salvation. 427 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:07,200 My rest is grown in a bunch of other areas of life, all sorts 428 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:10,300 of different things, finances and relationships, and jobs, and 429 00:30:10,300 --> 00:30:13,300 careers, and children, and there's all sorts of things to 430 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:18,700 be unrestful about And yet, every time I turn to God, he 431 00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:24,900 keeps saying, I got it. I got it if you'll just trust 432 00:30:24,900 --> 00:30:28,800 and Obey I'll take care of the outcome every single time 433 00:30:29,700 --> 00:30:31,200 there's never going to be a time. 434 00:30:32,700 --> 00:30:34,500 Then I'm going to call you in from the sidelines and go. 435 00:30:34,500 --> 00:30:37,000 Hey hey you got to figure this one out. 436 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:47,700 It's on you. My wrist is not been less than 437 00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:49,800 believing. I am United with Jesus, but it 438 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:51,500 has definitely become a whole lot more. 439 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,200 I was raised believing that Jesus was nothing more than a 440 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,600 choice between right and wrong. Since it was the only since it 441 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,700 was only a choice, all the responsibility was for own me to 442 00:31:03,700 --> 00:31:07,600 decide and for others to decide for themselves. 443 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,000 The wait was unbearable. What if I did it wrong? 444 00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:16,400 What if I wasn't as committed as I needed to be what if I didn't 445 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:20,700 truly ever understand? What if it was too late in my 446 00:31:20,700 --> 00:31:23,200 window for finding Jesus was gone? 447 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:30,800 I had no realization. That in lowly gentleness. 448 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,100 Jesus was asking me the same question that God asked Adam in 449 00:31:35,100 --> 00:31:39,700 the garden. Hey, Kevin, where are you? 450 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,800 What's going on on the inside? He wasn't asking because it 451 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:52,400 needed more information. He was just giving me the 452 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:55,900 opportunity to speak. The same way we do with our 453 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:59,200 children. There, anything that you want to 454 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:00,300 let Mommy and Daddy? No. 455 00:32:04,700 --> 00:32:06,500 How would you like to start this conversation? 456 00:32:16,500 --> 00:32:19,200 Jesus was giving me an opportunity just to tell him 457 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:23,800 what was going in my heart. Regardless of, whether it made 458 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:27,300 sense. Was right wrong or indifferent. 459 00:32:31,100 --> 00:32:35,000 Me, think about it. Most of the stuff we go digging 460 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:37,400 around and turns out. It's messed up. 461 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:43,900 Otherwise, we would be better. It's not surprising that we find 462 00:32:43,900 --> 00:32:48,000 crud when we go digging. Stuff that God wants to 463 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:51,900 sanctify. It was in the quiet of admitting 464 00:32:51,900 --> 00:32:55,500 to Jesus all my doubts and worries and failures and the 465 00:32:55,500 --> 00:33:00,000 hopelessness that I was able to hear him finally comfort me 466 00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:05,300 speak, truth into my darkest places and clothed me with 467 00:33:05,300 --> 00:33:09,600 himself. Tell me I was his and assure me 468 00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:14,900 that he would never cast me out. These were all truths from 469 00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:17,700 scripture. I had heard them before, I had 470 00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:23,100 read them numerous times. but when his Spirit spoke him into 471 00:33:23,100 --> 00:33:29,200 my heart, I believed I believe they were true. 472 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:33,100 They became mine. I actually owned them for the 473 00:33:33,100 --> 00:33:38,400 first time ever. In my believing was not an act 474 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:43,200 of my will. I wasn't at Walmart, trying to 475 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:48,500 choose the best option. I was desperate. 476 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:53,400 I believe because he spoke his heart to mine. 477 00:33:56,100 --> 00:33:58,700 Realizing what I needed from Jesus changed the way I viewed 478 00:33:58,700 --> 00:34:02,200 others. Previously, I thought they ought 479 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:06,300 to quit being so hard-headed and just choose to believe. and that 480 00:34:06,300 --> 00:34:09,300 tone comes out if that's what you actually believe on the 481 00:34:09,300 --> 00:34:14,500 inside that will bleed through It does not spawn, great 482 00:34:14,500 --> 00:34:19,199 conversations. Realizing their blindness was 483 00:34:19,199 --> 00:34:21,000 not something. They could fix gave me 484 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,500 compassion for their condition and it changed the motive. 485 00:34:24,500 --> 00:34:28,500 And the content of my words, relating to those who need his 486 00:34:28,500 --> 00:34:31,600 rest became an exercise in exploring, where they were, 487 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:34,800 instead of trying to push them in the right direction. 488 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:40,699 I had ways. I thought they ought to go. 489 00:34:42,100 --> 00:34:45,699 I just realized that I didn't listen till I heard Jesus. 490 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:50,800 Wrestling. And what they were going to find 491 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,199 when they got to Jesus made care in a corner there. 492 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:55,900 Blanket kind of an exercise in anticipation. 493 00:34:57,000 --> 00:34:59,300 It's like, Matt is going to be good when you get there. 494 00:35:00,700 --> 00:35:03,700 When he tells you the truth, your eyes are going to roll back 495 00:35:03,700 --> 00:35:09,700 in your head. My plea, this morning. 496 00:35:11,100 --> 00:35:13,900 Don't run away. If what you find is unrest. 497 00:35:15,300 --> 00:35:18,300 If you look inside your heart and the honest answer is, I am 498 00:35:18,300 --> 00:35:21,400 not at rest, don't run away from that. 499 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,300 Take the realization of your unrest and set it in front of 500 00:35:26,300 --> 00:35:29,400 Jesus. Tell him the brutal truth of 501 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:33,600 what's in your heart. You will not be giving him any 502 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,900 new information. But you will be agreeing with 503 00:35:37,900 --> 00:35:42,200 what he already sees. And far from condemnation, what 504 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,700 you will find is a gentle embrace. 505 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:52,900 And his words of understanding. You'll be able to hear him say. 506 00:35:52,900 --> 00:35:56,000 I know you're weary and heavy laden. 507 00:35:59,900 --> 00:36:06,100 And I want to give you rest. Jesus has been and will forever 508 00:36:06,100 --> 00:36:08,200 be true. Rest. 509 00:36:09,300 --> 00:36:12,600 The experience and expansion of that is never going to end. 510 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,100 For the his followers. One day, I'm going to draw my 511 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:19,400 last breath, or Jesus will appear. 512 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,600 And my wrist is going to advance to another level. 513 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:29,500 And then another day. When all is made new. 514 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:34,400 My wrist is going to join with the rest of everyone who has 515 00:36:34,400 --> 00:36:38,900 entered his rest. And my prayer is that on that 516 00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:42,200 day. Every last one of this is there. 517 00:36:40,700 --> 00:36:42,200 Every last one of this is there.