Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Hebrews 4:1-11
Transcript
- 0:00Hebrews chapter 4.
- 0:06So this morning I would say that I'm especially thankful this morning that this is the work of the Spirit.
- 0:12! It feels like this week everything that could have gone crazy did go crazy just in preparation and just in different circumstances in life.
- 0:23But I'm thankful that we're preaching God's Word.
- 0:26It's His authority here. It's His Word that is inerrant and it is profitable for us this morning.
- 0:33So I'm thankful for that.
- 0:36And yeah, so in Hebrews 4 is where we'll be.
- 0:40So just a reminder of where we have been at is that last week we took that break for Mother's Day, preached that sermon.
- 0:49But before that we're in the end of chapter 3 of Hebrews where Nathan preached a sermon all about assurance.
- 0:55We talked about the realities of pressing on in our faith and by God's grace persevering to the end.
- 1:02We talked about a really scary reality of beginning really well and then coming to a really poor end.
- 1:09We talked about the reality of sin's deception and how quickly it can eat away at us if we're not rooted in good soil.
- 1:18We talked about how the passage is so clear about the church exhorting one another, especially in verses 12 and 13 of chapter 3 about constantly pressing each other on towards holiness, towards Christ-likeness, and leading each other away from sin.
- 1:35So as we persevere, we prove that that faith that God Himself is preserving in us is that good soil.
- 1:47And we talked about how such a sad example was given here about the children of Israel not reaching that appointed rest.
- 1:55But we also saw why.
- 1:57It didn't leave us guessing as to why they didn't get to that rest.
- 2:01It was very, very, very clear.
- 2:03And it was because of their unbelief.
- 2:05Unbelief is why they didn't reach that rest.
- 2:08And so with all of that context, that's kind of where we're at today.
- 2:11So we've just talked a lot about persevering to the end, the dangers of falling away.
- 2:17And so we have our passage today continuing along those kind of lines.
- 2:21So let's go ahead and read it, and we will jump in from there.
- 2:25So Hebrews chapter 4, we'll go ahead and read the first 11 verses.
- 2:31It says,
- 2:32Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear, lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
- 2:40For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
- 2:47For we who have believed enter that rest, as He has said,
- 2:51As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest, although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
- 2:57For He has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way, and God rested on the seventh day from all His works.
- 3:03And again in this passage He said,
- 3:04Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,
- 3:12Again, He appoints a certain day, today, saying through David so long afterwards, and the words already quoted,
- 3:18Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
- 3:21For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
- 3:26So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,
- 3:29for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from His works, as God did from His.
- 3:34Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
- 3:39So before we go any further, let's pray.
- 3:44God, I acknowledge that anything said here this morning or heard here this morning is of no value apart from Your grace, Lord.
- 3:53And so we ask for Your grace this morning.
- 3:56I ask that You would guide my tongue.
- 3:59You would give me the proper words to speak that Your church needs for its building up, Lord.
- 4:04And You would truly bring Your word to fruition in our lives, Lord.
- 4:09And guard my tongue against saying anything falsely, Lord.
- 4:12And just let Your word be truthfully proclaimed this morning.
- 4:17In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
- 4:20So, for y'all that really like organization and planning,
- 4:24I'd like to go ahead and give a little bit of the structure for what we're going to look at.
- 4:27And there are four aspects I really want to look at about God's rest.
- 4:31So these are the four aspects.
- 4:33So four aspects of God's rest.
- 4:35First one is the available rest.
- 4:38The available rest.
- 4:41Secondly, the nature of that rest.
- 4:44The nature of that rest.
- 4:47Thirdly, the rest now and the rest later.
- 4:49And finally and fourthly, the striving necessary to enter that rest.
- 4:57The striving necessary to enter that rest.
- 5:01So we'll begin with the available rest.
- 5:04Verse one makes the comment that the promise of entering God's rest still stands.
- 5:09It then gives us a warning that we should be very careful lest we fail to reach it.
- 5:13In other words, we should be very diligent to make sure that we enter this rest.
- 5:17In verse two, notice that it describes two different types of people who hear the good news.
- 5:22Those who hear it and it benefits them.
- 5:24And those who hear it and it doesn't benefit them.
- 5:26And it also, again, like it did in chapter three,
- 5:29shows the difference between if you benefit or if you don't.
- 5:33And that difference was one thing.
- 5:35It was that they were united with faith, right?
- 5:37It says they were united by faith with those who listen.
- 5:40So that is the difference on whether this actually benefited or didn't benefit, right?
- 5:45It was those who were united by faith.
- 5:46Now, thinking back to chapter three and thinking about the context of this passage,
- 5:51let's try to remember who the them is that is being referred to because that will help us a lot.
- 5:57This is post-Exodus Israel, right?
- 5:58The Israel who were freed from the Egyptians, crossed the Red Sea on dry ground,
- 6:03followed God's direction by a cloud and fire, right?
- 6:06Given manna to eat.
- 6:08And then they were given a couple of faithful messengers, like Caleb and Joshua,
- 6:11who said, like, we've made it to the promised land, right?
- 6:13We are here.
- 6:14We can conquer these people.
- 6:16The Lord is on our side, so we can do this.
- 6:18This is going to be a piece of cake to take this land, right?
- 6:20God is on our side.
- 6:22But the people were afraid.
- 6:23They said the men were giants.
- 6:25Like, we can't do it.
- 6:26We can't conquer them.
- 6:28And so these were the folks that could not enter the promised land, that rest, right?
- 6:32Entering that promised land because they were not united in faith with those who did listen.
- 6:38So in this passage here in verses 1 and 2, it's comparing us to being in the same situation.
- 6:43We have good news of rest, just like they had good news of rest in their promised land.
- 6:49And we have that option today as well.
- 6:52But there's also similarities there and differences.
- 6:56The big similarity is we obtain it in the same way, by faith.
- 7:01It's as simple as that.
- 7:02We may enter that rest simply if we have faith, and we'll get more into what that faith looks like
- 7:08and what that rest looks like a little bit later.
- 7:10But we have that same option.
- 7:12It's not as if we're inheriting a promised land in the exact same way,
- 7:16but we are inheriting a beautiful inheritance in the Lord that is that rest.
- 7:20So we'll get more into what that looks like later.
- 7:22But for now, in verse 1, it makes it really clear that that rest is available.
- 7:27Okay, so that rest is available.
- 7:28So with that rest being available, let's talk a little bit about the nature of that rest.
- 7:33That's point 2, the nature of this rest.
- 7:36For Israel, it was the promised land, what it was talked about here.
- 7:39And it is similar for us.
- 7:41But let's look at verses 3 through 5 and look at kind of what it is explaining to us.
- 7:46Before studying this passage a little bit, I honestly was very confused about the way in which those quotations are used.
- 7:54And it really benefited me to study it this week and try to understand that.
- 7:58And what I want us to notice is the word my in both of those quotations.
- 8:03Both in verse 3, as it says,
- 8:05I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.
- 8:09Then down in verse 5, they shall not enter my rest.
- 8:12That word my is pretty subtle, but I think it's very, very, very important to noticing what is actually being talked about.
- 8:20That's God speaking there.
- 8:21He says that there is a way by faith to enter His, right, His rest.
- 8:26Not just any rest.
- 8:27His rest.
- 8:28The same rest that God Himself enjoys.
- 8:31This is not like a rest that we enjoy here.
- 8:35Like a nap after a long day of work.
- 8:39Or a good afternoon reading in a hammock.
- 8:41Or a nice hike after being in an office.
- 8:43Or a hike where you get like poison ivy, like I do.
- 8:46Or anything like that.
- 8:47Right?
- 8:48It's God's rest Himself.
- 8:52And it's such a greater rest because it's God's rest.
- 8:57Let's reread that again down in verse 3.
- 9:00For we who have believed enter that rest, as He has said,
- 9:03As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest,
- 9:06although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
- 9:10So what is it saying with,
- 9:11although His works were finished from the foundation of the world?
- 9:15Let's think about what that looks like a little bit.
- 9:17Well, in six days, God created the world, right?
- 9:20And then on the seventh day, He rested.
- 9:22Let's turn over to that Genesis passage and look at it a little bit.
- 9:26So turn with me to Genesis 1.
- 9:28We're going to look at the very end of Genesis 1 and the beginning of 2.
- 9:32So let's pick up in verse 31 of chapter 1.
- 9:47Then we'll jump down some into chapter 2 as well.
- 9:51So verse 31 of Genesis 1 says,
- 9:53Now, we see the seventh day here that God is resting on.
- 10:21And back in Hebrews in verse 3,
- 10:23notes that His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
- 10:26So God rested on the seventh day after He created everything.
- 10:31And today, in some way, He's resting from those same creative purposes that He did then.
- 10:35He's not creating the world in the same way as He did then.
- 10:38And it says in our passage that what it's saying is that some will enter the same type of rest by faith
- 10:44and others will not because of disbelief and disobedience.
- 10:48Note that God had done so many great things before He chose to rest.
- 10:50If you look just above in the Genesis passage,
- 10:53we can read and hear about all the majesty of the things He made.
- 10:56And something I've always loved about that passage is how it talks about God seeing each thing,
- 11:01and He says it was good.
- 11:02And then if He'd keep going down after He'd created humans and everything coming together in His whole creation,
- 11:07He said it was very good.
- 11:09So the Lord had done all these magnificent things before He chose to rest.
- 11:13But what does that look like for us?
- 11:15So let's think about Sabbath for us as Christians and what it looks like for us now.
- 11:20And because of that, like in verse 6, right, in Hebrews, if you'll jump back over there,
- 11:25that it remains for some of us to enter it.
- 11:27So, turn with me to Matthew 11.
- 11:30Sorry, I'm going to have you flip a few places this morning.
- 11:33This is a super often quoted passage on this,
- 11:36but I think it will really give us a good understanding of this idea of Sabbath now.
- 11:45I'm going to blame Seth if my voice goes away.
- 11:48I was camping with him and breathed in a lot of campfire.
- 11:50So, in Matthew 11, towards the end of it,
- 11:57we're going to look at verse 28 and then go all the way down into verse 8 of chapter 12.
- 12:02So join me there in verse 28 of Matthew 11.
- 12:07It says,
- 12:07At that time, Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath.
- 12:25His disciples were hungry and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
- 12:29But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him,
- 12:31Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.
- 12:35He said to them,
- 12:35Have you not read what David did when he was hungry,
- 12:38and those who were with him,
- 12:39how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the presence,
- 12:42which is not lawful for him to eat,
- 12:44nor for those who are with him,
- 12:45but only for the priests?
- 12:47Or have you not read in the law on the Sabbath,
- 12:49the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless?
- 12:52I tell you, something greater than the temple is here.
- 12:54And if you had known what this means,
- 12:56I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
- 12:58you would have not condemned the guiltless,
- 13:01for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
- 13:04There's a lot here in this passage,
- 13:06but quite a bit of it is really relevant to our topic here in Hebrews.
- 13:10Note first, in the end of chapter 11,
- 13:12that so often quoted passage of Jesus calling us to come to him,
- 13:16saying his yoke is easy and his burden is light.
- 13:19He encourages us who labor and are heavy laden to come to him
- 13:23and find that true rest in him.
- 13:25And then just after these beautiful words about rest,
- 13:28Matthew records the story here about Jesus' disciples taking some food to eat
- 13:33while they're walking through a field on the Sabbath.
- 13:35And when the Pharisees saw this, they were not having it at all.
- 13:38It seems that they had finally, no matter how many times they had tried before,
- 13:42had caught Jesus.
- 13:43They're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, they're grabbing the food.
- 13:45It's not okay.
- 13:46You're breaking the law again.
- 13:48And how does Jesus respond?
- 13:50Well, firstly, he reminds of a couple of instances where the laws have been broken,
- 13:56but for necessary reasons.
- 13:58The laws need to be broken for some reason.
- 14:00And when he responds, he doesn't lessen the law,
- 14:04but instead reminds of its true purpose.
- 14:07And then check it out in verses 6 through 8 here.
- 14:10It says,
- 14:10Jesus says that something greater than the Sabbath is here.
- 14:26And what does he say next?
- 14:27That if they had known the meaning of I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
- 14:32you would not have condemned the guiltless.
- 14:34I feel like this is a common theme in the passages we read in the Lord's Supper
- 14:39and in the scripturing before the songs.
- 14:42Jesus is again pointing to the heart.
- 14:45Right?
- 14:45He's taking them back to the heart of the law, the heart of the issue.
- 14:49And it says that he's saying that he is the Lord of the Sabbath.
- 14:53So putting all that together,
- 14:55Jesus offering us rest, being Lord of the Sabbath,
- 14:58and caring about our hearts when thinking about the law.
- 15:01And then going back to Hebrews and seeing verse 3,
- 15:06where it says,
- 15:06We who have believed have entered that rest.
- 15:09And verse 6,
- 15:10it reminding us that those who did not enter that rest,
- 15:13failing to enter because of disobedience.
- 15:16And then down in verses 9 and 10,
- 15:18reminding us about the reality of this rest remaining available to us.
- 15:22So what is that rest?
- 15:25I think it, from those passages,
- 15:27is becoming clearer and clearer and clearer
- 15:29that what Jesus said in Matthew 11,
- 15:32that this beautiful rest that is available to us,
- 15:34that is being talked about here in Hebrews,
- 15:36is salvation found through putting faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
- 15:42That's what this rest is referring to here,
- 15:44our salvation and its outflows in the Lord.
- 15:47So why was the word rest chosen?
- 15:53Think for a moment with me about the perspective of unbelievers,
- 15:57people who have not found our Lord.
- 16:02Many seem careless.
- 16:04Many seem to not think about the future,
- 16:06the time after this life.
- 16:07But if they're honest,
- 16:09many seem to think about it.
- 16:12And I'd like to talk a little bit about
- 16:13some of my own experience recently.
- 16:16For those of y'all that don't know,
- 16:18I teach high school math.
- 16:21And I've had some really good opportunities
- 16:23to talk to students about faith this year.
- 16:25The later it gets in the year,
- 16:27it tends to open up a lot more.
- 16:30I think naturally all of us,
- 16:31as we tend to know someone better and better and better,
- 16:34we tend to be much more open with them.
- 16:36And at this point,
- 16:37I've gotten to know them for a long time.
- 16:40We only have one week of school left,
- 16:42and that means that I've been with them for 175 days,
- 16:46for like at least an hour a day.
- 16:48And that's a lot of time.
- 16:50That's a lot of time.
- 16:50So I've gotten to know some of them really, really well.
- 16:53And some of them have gotten to know me really, really well.
- 16:56And they know that I'm a follower of Christ,
- 16:57and they know that I take that seriously.
- 17:00They know that I'm super involved in church here,
- 17:03and a few know that I'm preaching today
- 17:05and will probably ask me all about it tomorrow.
- 17:07But it's taken all year to get to that point.
- 17:10People don't just immediately open up as a general rule.
- 17:15But anyway, back to the point on that.
- 17:17I have some students who really think a lot
- 17:20about their spiritual life
- 17:22and their life after this life,
- 17:24but in a totally different way than we do.
- 17:29I haven't got a super straight answer
- 17:31about what they would like for me to call them,
- 17:35but the most straightforward answer that I can get is
- 17:37I've been amazed at the amount of, let's see,
- 17:40members of the Church of Latter-day Saints
- 17:42that I have in my classes.
- 17:44And I've been able to talk to quite a few of them.
- 17:49And many parts of their belief system is really tricky
- 17:52because they use the same words that we do,
- 17:55but for totally different meanings.
- 17:57And after, like, many, many conversations,
- 18:00I think I've gained an understanding that
- 18:02they believe some things come from grace,
- 18:04but in reality, most of their thinking about salvation,
- 18:07and this is all coming from the, like,
- 18:09perspective of high school kids, right,
- 18:11is works-based.
- 18:14And it's terrifying.
- 18:16So much is based on what they believe they can do
- 18:19and how they're going to earn these different levels of, like,
- 18:24heaven and these different things.
- 18:26And all works-based.
- 18:31It's sad and it's scary.
- 18:33And they are so diligent
- 18:35in trying to do what they have been told
- 18:38is the correct thing to do.
- 18:40So diligent.
- 18:41I've talked to so many who, like,
- 18:44tell me they go to seminary,
- 18:45is what they call it, seminary,
- 18:47every morning at 5.30,
- 18:49and then they come to school all day,
- 18:50and then they do other things after,
- 18:52and all this stuff, it's crazy.
- 18:55So, so dedicated.
- 18:58Now, they are working so hard.
- 19:00I don't think any of us would deny that,
- 19:02but they are working so hard
- 19:03in a super-false, super-twisted way.
- 19:07Super-false, super-twisted way.
- 19:10Let's think a little bit about the context here in our passage.
- 19:13Let's think about what the Pharisees were doing
- 19:15that Jesus was talking to in Matthew.
- 19:19Weren't they doing similarly?
- 19:21They were twisting the law of God
- 19:23to make it about outward appearances
- 19:25and trying to keep something
- 19:26that, in reality, we all are aware of
- 19:29that we cannot keep perfectly.
- 19:31They were working hard.
- 19:33They were trying to keep their misinterpretation
- 19:35of the law to a T.
- 19:37But they knew they couldn't keep it.
- 19:39They knew the reality that they
- 19:41and all of us know that,
- 19:43in our flesh, we aren't that great.
- 19:44In fact, we're awful.
- 19:47Naturally, we don't seek the good of others
- 19:49above our own.
- 19:50We're selfish.
- 19:51We are prideful.
- 19:53We could just go on and on
- 19:54about the reality of the nature
- 19:56of our souls apart from Christ.
- 19:58But I believe the point's being proven.
- 20:00Apart from trusting in the work of Christ,
- 20:02we're forced to try to do something
- 20:05we simply cannot do
- 20:07to seek to earn our own salvation.
- 20:11And that may take many, many, many forms.
- 20:13Whether it be an LDS member
- 20:15trying to amass all these works
- 20:16to get the best reward they can,
- 20:18or a Pharisee trying to perfectly keep the law,
- 20:21or one of the believers in Hebrews
- 20:23tempted to go back to the old system,
- 20:26or someone of the weird view
- 20:27that somehow still persists so often
- 20:30that if you do enough good,
- 20:31it somehow outweighs your bad,
- 20:32then you're good.
- 20:34Or the, me and God, we're good,
- 20:36we've got a deal worked out.
- 20:38Or the person who simply tries
- 20:40and tries and tries and tries
- 20:41to ignore or suppress their thoughts
- 20:43about a life after this one.
- 20:46So many of those systems,
- 20:47all of those are in some way works-based.
- 20:50All of them.
- 20:51There's a hope that if they do just well enough
- 20:53that they're going to be all right,
- 20:54they'll have the eternal blessing.
- 20:56They're relying on their own works.
- 20:58And because of the reality
- 21:00of all of our struggles with sin,
- 21:03and they know it too,
- 21:04they know they can't earn blessing.
- 21:08They're relying on their own works
- 21:09and it's not going to get them anywhere.
- 21:12And so, getting back to this rest word,
- 21:16this rest that's being offered
- 21:17is a perfect word to use
- 21:19because we are ceasing
- 21:20from trying to earn our own salvation.
- 21:22Because we have seen
- 21:24the work of Christ, right?
- 21:26We can stop trying to earn
- 21:27God's favor
- 21:28and simply accept
- 21:29in real faith,
- 21:30through acting out faith,
- 21:32that our Lord died for our sins,
- 21:34took our sins upon Him,
- 21:35that in Him
- 21:36we can have His righteousness.
- 21:38He canceled our sin debt
- 21:40and gave us His righteousness.
- 21:41We can trust in that
- 21:42and not try to earn our way
- 21:44to something that we could never earn.
- 21:48So it's a rest in
- 21:49stopping trying to earn favor
- 21:51and just accepting
- 21:52that we are found in Christ.
- 21:54We are washed in the
- 21:55soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb.
- 21:58Our sins are forgiven
- 21:59because our Lord Jesus
- 22:00bore the wrath of God
- 22:01that our sins deserved.
- 22:03Now that's such great rest.
- 22:05That's the perfect word.
- 22:07That's rest found in Jesus.
- 22:09We no longer seek to earn favor
- 22:11but rest in God's salvation.
- 22:14But,
- 22:15I've been here
- 22:16at Christ's Family
- 22:17for about six years now.
- 22:19And I can look around
- 22:21and say that there are
- 22:22a lot of people I know
- 22:23really well.
- 22:24Some people I know
- 22:25but not super well
- 22:26and there's some that I
- 22:27don't know to my shame.
- 22:30And if I narrow this room down
- 22:32to just the people I knew
- 22:33really well
- 22:34or honestly if I
- 22:35narrow down the room
- 22:37to just my own soul,
- 22:39I think I can say
- 22:41with confidence
- 22:42that we,
- 22:44even as God's people
- 22:45resting in this salvation,
- 22:46don't always feel
- 22:48that our yoke is easy
- 22:49and our burden is light
- 22:50as we seek to follow
- 22:52Jesus well.
- 22:53It's hard.
- 22:55Right?
- 22:55We often don't
- 22:56feel that way.
- 22:58This life is a tough one
- 22:59and that brings us
- 23:00to our third aspect
- 23:01of God's rest.
- 23:03The rest now
- 23:04and the rest later.
- 23:06The rest now
- 23:07and the rest later.
- 23:08So it's true
- 23:12that we experience
- 23:12like a beautiful foretaste
- 23:14of God's rest now
- 23:15and simply
- 23:16ceasing from our
- 23:18trying to earn favor
- 23:19and just accepting the Lord.
- 23:21Having rested from our works
- 23:22because we have no ability
- 23:24to earn it
- 23:25and have come to terms
- 23:26with Jesus
- 23:27giving us our great salvation.
- 23:30But this life still
- 23:30isn't easy
- 23:31but we can rest in the Lord.
- 23:33Remember that the same Jesus
- 23:35who said that
- 23:36his yoke is easy
- 23:37and his burden is light
- 23:38also said in Mark 8.34
- 23:39if anyone would come after me
- 23:41let him deny himself
- 23:43take up his cross
- 23:44and follow me.
- 23:46I think that's puzzling
- 23:48immediately
- 23:48like when we think about
- 23:49the passages
- 23:50in contrast to one another.
- 23:53Denying ourselves
- 23:54taking up our cross
- 23:55right?
- 23:56These don't always
- 23:57feel restful.
- 23:58In fact
- 23:59much of it
- 24:00shouldn't feel restful.
- 24:01But
- 24:02the Christian life
- 24:04is one of striving
- 24:04as well.
- 24:05Right?
- 24:05It's one of denying ourselves
- 24:06putting
- 24:07our flesh
- 24:08our old desires
- 24:08our sin to death
- 24:09it's one of suffering
- 24:10but it's also one of rest.
- 24:13It's a rest of
- 24:14trusting in God
- 24:15through those hard
- 24:16circumstances.
- 24:17It's a rest
- 24:18that's often confusing
- 24:19to non-Christians
- 24:20a rest that
- 24:20will
- 24:21make people wonder
- 24:23like
- 24:24why are they okay
- 24:25through these hard
- 24:26circumstances?
- 24:27Why do they have this
- 24:28abiding trust in
- 24:29God?
- 24:32So think about
- 24:32Philippians 4
- 24:34in fact
- 24:34please go ahead
- 24:35and turn there with me
- 24:35Philippians 4
- 24:36Let's look briefly
- 24:47at verses 4 through 7
- 24:48here.
- 24:53Super
- 24:53common passage
- 24:54again
- 24:55it says
- 24:55rejoice in the Lord
- 24:56always
- 24:56again I will say
- 24:57rejoice
- 24:58let your reasonableness
- 24:59be known to everyone
- 25:00the Lord is at hand
- 25:02so do not be anxious
- 25:02about anything
- 25:03but in everything
- 25:04by prayer and supplication
- 25:06with thanksgiving
- 25:07let your requests
- 25:08be made known
- 25:08to God
- 25:09and the peace of God
- 25:11which surpasses
- 25:11all understanding
- 25:12will guard your hearts
- 25:13and your minds
- 25:14in Christ Jesus.
- 25:16Remember what Paul
- 25:17was going through
- 25:18when he wrote this
- 25:19and what he had gone through
- 25:20before he wrote this
- 25:22and what he would.
- 25:24He was writing this letter
- 25:25while in prison
- 25:27for the faith
- 25:27and if you want
- 25:29a big long list
- 25:30of what he had suffered
- 25:31he spelled it out
- 25:32really well
- 25:32in 2 Corinthians 11
- 25:34but he describes
- 25:36this peace
- 25:36that we can have
- 25:37no matter what
- 25:38we're going through
- 25:39later in chapter 4
- 25:40Paul discusses
- 25:42learning how to abound
- 25:42in every circumstance
- 25:43this is that same
- 25:46rest right
- 25:46that same peace
- 25:47that we can have
- 25:48in the Lord
- 25:49through trusting
- 25:49in his work
- 25:50we're not promised
- 25:52a completely perfect life
- 25:53all the time
- 25:55but we are promised
- 25:55a rest in him
- 25:56through tough circumstances.
- 25:59Remember that
- 26:001 Peter right
- 26:01that all who desire
- 26:03to live a godly life
- 26:04in Christ Jesus
- 26:04will be persecuted
- 26:05but remember also
- 26:08the great salvation
- 26:09we have in the Lord.
- 26:11So let's talk about
- 26:12that great salvation
- 26:13a bit more.
- 26:15This here in Hebrews
- 26:18particularly like
- 26:19in verses
- 26:209 and 10
- 26:21and back in Hebrews 4
- 26:23sorry I'm making you
- 26:24flip everywhere
- 26:25oops
- 26:26in verses 9 and 10
- 26:28it says
- 26:29so then there remains
- 26:29a Sabbath rest
- 26:30for the people of God
- 26:31for whoever has
- 26:32entered God's rest
- 26:33has also rested
- 26:34from his works
- 26:35as God did from his.
- 26:37Now yes
- 26:37there's that rest
- 26:38we're experiencing now
- 26:39despite our circumstances
- 26:40but these seem to imply
- 26:42our future rest as well.
- 26:44There's a future
- 26:45Sabbath rest
- 26:46remaining for us
- 26:47that all of our works
- 26:48from this earth
- 26:48will be done
- 26:49and we will be
- 26:50with our Savior
- 26:51forever.
- 26:53I remember at
- 26:54some point
- 26:55during college
- 26:56I was listening
- 26:57to a sermon
- 26:57by I think
- 26:59it was John MacArthur
- 27:00about 1 Corinthians 15
- 27:03and the later part of it
- 27:04of longing for eternity
- 27:05and that death
- 27:06has lost its sting
- 27:08right
- 27:08it was just rejoicing
- 27:10in the Lord
- 27:11who has given us
- 27:11victory over death
- 27:12and he made a statement
- 27:14about the song
- 27:15in the sweet by and by
- 27:16that we have to go
- 27:17through the nasty
- 27:18now and now
- 27:18to get to the sweet
- 27:19by and by
- 27:20right
- 27:20and the reality
- 27:21of that is that
- 27:22that is true
- 27:22we have such great
- 27:24things to look forward
- 27:24to
- 27:25think about 2 Corinthians
- 27:264 verses 17 and 18
- 27:28where it says
- 27:30for this light
- 27:30momentary affliction
- 27:31is preparing for us
- 27:32an eternal
- 27:33weight of glory
- 27:35beyond all comparison
- 27:36as we look
- 27:38not to the things
- 27:39that are seen
- 27:39but to the things
- 27:40that are unseen
- 27:41for the things
- 27:42that are seen
- 27:43are transient
- 27:43but the things
- 27:44that are unseen
- 27:45are eternal
- 27:45we have such a great
- 27:47rest to look forward
- 27:48to
- 27:48we have such great
- 27:51rest to look forward
- 27:52to
- 27:52we must remember
- 27:54like that during
- 27:55our time here
- 27:56even as we're
- 27:58experiencing God's
- 27:59rest it may be
- 27:59really really tough
- 28:00as we fight
- 28:02against our own
- 28:03sin
- 28:03as we talked
- 28:04about this morning
- 28:05as the world
- 28:06pushes back
- 28:07against our sharing
- 28:08of the gospel
- 28:08as we often
- 28:11just get really
- 28:12caught up in
- 28:12legitimately hard
- 28:14circumstances
- 28:15it can be so
- 28:17difficult
- 28:17but we should
- 28:18remember that
- 28:19a rest remains
- 28:20here
- 28:21and a perfect
- 28:23rest remains
- 28:24in eternity
- 28:25it's described
- 28:26here in 1 Corinthians
- 28:27as an eternal
- 28:28weight of glory
- 28:29beyond all comparison
- 28:30and right after that
- 28:31note what it says
- 28:32that the rest
- 28:33we're looking forward
- 28:33to is eternal
- 28:34these things we see
- 28:36here are so temporary
- 28:37it's described
- 28:38as momentary
- 28:39momentary
- 28:40think about how
- 28:41little time we
- 28:42have here
- 28:43in this life
- 28:44compared to
- 28:45eternity
- 28:45that should
- 28:47remind us
- 28:47to use our
- 28:48time
- 28:48we'll not
- 28:48be so bogged
- 28:49down in
- 28:49these circumstances
- 28:50but long
- 28:51for that
- 28:52eternal
- 28:52weight of
- 28:52glory
- 28:52to set
- 28:54our minds
- 28:55on things
- 28:55that are
- 28:55eternal
- 28:56to set
- 28:56our minds
- 28:57on our
- 28:57eternal rest
- 28:58in Jesus
- 28:59our sweet
- 29:00Sabbath rest
- 29:01does remain
- 29:02to get a
- 29:04little bit
- 29:04even more
- 29:05excited about
- 29:05that rest
- 29:06turn to
- 29:06Revelation 21
- 29:07Revelation 21
- 29:09look at the
- 29:27first four
- 29:28verses here
- 29:28it says
- 29:32then I saw
- 29:33a new heaven
- 29:33and a new earth
- 29:34for the first heaven
- 29:36and the first earth
- 29:36had passed away
- 29:37and the sea
- 29:38was no more
- 29:39I saw the holy city
- 29:41new Jerusalem
- 29:41coming down
- 29:42out of heaven
- 29:43from God
- 29:43prepared as a bride
- 29:44adorned for a husband
- 29:45I heard a loud voice
- 29:47from the throne
- 29:48saying behold
- 29:48the dwelling place
- 29:49of God
- 29:50is with man
- 29:50he will dwell
- 29:51with them
- 29:52and they will be
- 29:52his people
- 29:53and God himself
- 29:54will be with them
- 29:54as their God
- 29:55he will wipe away
- 29:57every tear
- 29:57from their eyes
- 29:58and death
- 29:59shall be no more
- 30:00neither shall there
- 30:01be mourning
- 30:02nor crying
- 30:02nor pain
- 30:03anymore
- 30:03for the former
- 30:04things have
- 30:04passed away
- 30:05I believe
- 30:08if we just
- 30:08had the reality
- 30:09of knowing
- 30:09that the dwelling
- 30:10place of our God
- 30:11is with us
- 30:12I think that would
- 30:12be enough
- 30:13for us to get
- 30:14excited about
- 30:14that eternal rest
- 30:15but look elsewhere
- 30:16in this passage
- 30:17too
- 30:17all things being
- 30:19made new
- 30:19with a new heaven
- 30:20and a new earth
- 30:21the holy city
- 30:22coming down
- 30:23wiping away
- 30:24every tear
- 30:25from our eye
- 30:26death being
- 30:28gone forever
- 30:29no mourning
- 30:31no crying
- 30:31no pain
- 30:33how beautiful
- 30:35of a Sabbath rest
- 30:35do we really
- 30:36do have to
- 30:37look forward
- 30:37to
- 30:37so we have
- 30:40a great
- 30:40Sabbath rest
- 30:41in confidence
- 30:42in Jesus
- 30:43now
- 30:43and putting
- 30:44our trust
- 30:44in his
- 30:45salvation
- 30:46and a beautiful
- 30:47inheritance
- 30:48and glory
- 30:48eternally
- 30:49so beginning
- 30:51to tie
- 30:51that together
- 30:52a bit
- 30:53thinking about
- 30:54our sermon
- 30:54from two weeks
- 30:55ago
- 30:55from chapter
- 30:56three
- 30:56we talked
- 30:57a lot
- 30:58about that
- 30:58persevering
- 30:59to the end
- 30:59and being
- 30:59so careful
- 31:00to be sure
- 31:01we truly believe
- 31:02and do make
- 31:03it to that
- 31:03point
- 31:03we talked
- 31:04about
- 31:04encouraging
- 31:04each other
- 31:05because of
- 31:06the deceitfulness
- 31:07of sin
- 31:08how easy
- 31:09it can
- 31:10ensnare
- 31:10us
- 31:11so remembering
- 31:12that
- 31:12let's look
- 31:13a bit more
- 31:13at some more
- 31:14aspects of
- 31:15today's passage
- 31:16so back
- 31:16in Hebrews
- 31:17notice something
- 31:18in the middle
- 31:22of our passage
- 31:23there are
- 31:24all kinds
- 31:25of topics
- 31:25about the rest
- 31:26we have in God
- 31:27but in verse
- 31:29one
- 31:30and in verse
- 31:30eleven
- 31:31we see something
- 31:32a bit different
- 31:33I think that
- 31:34brings us to our
- 31:35last aspect
- 31:36so fourth one
- 31:37the striving
- 31:39necessary
- 31:39to enter
- 31:40that rest
- 31:41the striving
- 31:43necessary
- 31:43to enter
- 31:44that rest
- 31:44so let's
- 31:47note verse
- 31:47one
- 31:47verse one
- 31:49says
- 31:49therefore
- 31:49while the
- 31:49promise
- 31:50of entering
- 31:50his rest
- 31:51still stands
- 31:52let us
- 31:53fear lest
- 31:53any of you
- 31:54should seem
- 31:54to have
- 31:54failed to
- 31:55reach it
- 31:55let's note
- 31:57verse eleven
- 31:57let us
- 31:59therefore
- 31:59strive to
- 32:00enter that
- 32:00rest
- 32:00so that
- 32:01no one
- 32:01may fall
- 32:02by the
- 32:02same
- 32:02sort
- 32:02of
- 32:03disobedience
- 32:03so
- 32:05this
- 32:06passage
- 32:06starts out
- 32:06warning us
- 32:07to be so
- 32:07careful
- 32:08that we
- 32:09don't
- 32:09fail to
- 32:10reach
- 32:10the rest
- 32:10then it
- 32:12explains
- 32:12that why
- 32:12people fail
- 32:13to reach it
- 32:13is because
- 32:14of unbelief
- 32:15then it
- 32:15explains
- 32:16that the
- 32:16rest
- 32:16we're being
- 32:17offered
- 32:17is God's
- 32:18rest
- 32:18his rest
- 32:19right
- 32:19talks about
- 32:21how
- 32:21our
- 32:22ceasing
- 32:22trying to
- 32:23earn
- 32:23God's
- 32:24favor
- 32:24is similar
- 32:24to God
- 32:25resting on
- 32:26the seventh
- 32:26day
- 32:27and how
- 32:27we have
- 32:28a future
- 32:28perfect
- 32:29sabbath
- 32:29rest
- 32:30and then
- 32:31all the way
- 32:31down
- 32:31verse eleven
- 32:32that we
- 32:32should be
- 32:33striving
- 32:33to enter
- 32:34that rest
- 32:34and be
- 32:34careful
- 32:35again
- 32:35that we
- 32:36don't
- 32:36fall
- 32:36by the
- 32:37same
- 32:37sort
- 32:37of
- 32:37disobedience
- 32:38so
- 32:39this
- 32:40passage
- 32:40is kind
- 32:40of
- 32:40bookended
- 32:41right
- 32:42we have
- 32:42a
- 32:42similar
- 32:43exhortation
- 32:44in verse
- 32:44one
- 32:44as we
- 32:46do
- 32:46down
- 32:46in
- 32:46verse
- 32:47eleven
- 32:47right
- 32:48the
- 32:49exhortations
- 32:49are to
- 32:49be sure
- 32:50that we're
- 32:51entering
- 32:51that rest
- 32:52and notice
- 32:53that that's
- 32:53a common
- 32:53theme
- 32:54from chapter
- 32:55three
- 32:55as well
- 32:56right
- 32:56that's
- 32:56that same
- 32:57kind
- 32:57of idea
- 32:58that was
- 32:59communicated
- 32:59there
- 33:00and remember
- 33:00again
- 33:00this is a
- 33:01letter
- 33:01right
- 33:01it was
- 33:02originally read
- 33:03continuously
- 33:03so we should
- 33:04expect
- 33:04thematically
- 33:05to flow
- 33:06like that
- 33:07so we're
- 33:10continuing
- 33:10to be
- 33:10encouraged
- 33:11to persevere
- 33:12to make
- 33:12it
- 33:12to the
- 33:13end
- 33:13to hold
- 33:14that faith
- 33:14strong
- 33:15keep going
- 33:16keep going
- 33:16right
- 33:16and with
- 33:18all this
- 33:18striving
- 33:19with this
- 33:21putting our
- 33:21flesh to
- 33:22death
- 33:22we're denying
- 33:23ourselves
- 33:23we're taking
- 33:24up our
- 33:24cross
- 33:24right
- 33:25all the
- 33:26striving
- 33:26on our
- 33:27part
- 33:27look again
- 33:29at verses
- 33:2912 through
- 33:3014 of
- 33:30chapter 3
- 33:31where it
- 33:31says
- 33:31take care
- 33:32brothers
- 33:33lest there
- 33:34be in
- 33:34any of
- 33:34you an
- 33:34evil
- 33:35unbelieving
- 33:36heart
- 33:36leading you
- 33:37to fall
- 33:37away from
- 33:37the living
- 33:38God
- 33:38but exhort
- 33:38one another
- 33:39every day
- 33:40as long
- 33:41as it
- 33:41is called
- 33:41today
- 33:42that none
- 33:42of you
- 33:42may be
- 33:43hardened
- 33:43by the
- 33:43deceitfulness
- 33:44of sin
- 33:44for we
- 33:45have come
- 33:45to share
- 33:45in Christ
- 33:46if indeed
- 33:47we hold
- 33:47our original
- 33:47confidence
- 33:48firm to
- 33:48the end
- 33:49this warning
- 33:51encouraging
- 33:51and exhorting
- 33:52each other
- 33:52this holding
- 33:53firm
- 33:54right to
- 33:54the end
- 33:54it's all
- 33:56really intense
- 33:57stuff
- 33:57that's falling
- 33:59on us
- 33:59right
- 33:59and with
- 34:02all that
- 34:02really intense
- 34:03exhortation
- 34:03right
- 34:04that's falling
- 34:04on us
- 34:05can we
- 34:06still have
- 34:07assurance
- 34:07note that
- 34:10verse 1
- 34:10and verse 11
- 34:11are encouraging
- 34:12us to be
- 34:13sure
- 34:13to have
- 34:14that assurance
- 34:15so it's
- 34:16absolutely
- 34:17possible
- 34:18right
- 34:19let's look
- 34:21at 1st
- 34:21John
- 34:221st
- 34:24John 3
- 34:24and that's
- 34:25I promise
- 34:25the last
- 34:26place I'm
- 34:26going to
- 34:26make you
- 34:26turn
- 34:27pretty sure
- 34:28because this
- 34:38passage here
- 34:38in Hebrews
- 34:39right
- 34:40is encouraging
- 34:40us to
- 34:41have that
- 34:42assurance
- 34:42it's what
- 34:431st John
- 34:43is all
- 34:44about
- 34:44right
- 34:451st John
- 34:45is about
- 34:45testing
- 34:46whether we
- 34:47are in
- 34:47the faith
- 34:48to bring
- 34:48assurance
- 34:49of being
- 34:49in the
- 34:49faith
- 34:50or to
- 34:50even
- 34:50bring
- 34:50conviction
- 34:51of a
- 34:52reality
- 34:52of not
- 34:53being
- 34:53in the
- 34:53faith
- 34:53okay
- 34:55so
- 34:55let's
- 34:56look at
- 34:561st John
- 34:563
- 34:57probably
- 34:58the most
- 34:59common
- 34:59passage
- 34:59that is
- 35:00used
- 35:00when
- 35:01talking
- 35:01about
- 35:01this
- 35:01topic
- 35:02I want
- 35:03to
- 35:03just
- 35:03look
- 35:03at
- 35:03verses
- 35:034
- 35:04through
- 35:0410
- 35:04says
- 35:07that
- 35:07everyone
- 35:07who makes
- 35:08a practice
- 35:08of sinning
- 35:09also practices
- 35:10lawlessness
- 35:11sin is
- 35:12lawlessness
- 35:12you know
- 35:13that he
- 35:13appeared
- 35:14in order
- 35:14to take
- 35:15away
- 35:15sins
- 35:15and in
- 35:16him
- 35:16there
- 35:16is
- 35:16no
- 35:16sin
- 35:17no
- 35:18one
- 35:18who
- 35:18abides
- 35:18in
- 35:18him
- 35:19keeps
- 35:19on
- 35:19sinning
- 35:19no
- 35:20one
- 35:20who
- 35:20keeps
- 35:20on
- 35:20sinning
- 35:21has
- 35:21either
- 35:21seen
- 35:21him
- 35:22or
- 35:22known
- 35:22him
- 35:22!
- 35:27is
- 35:27righteous
- 35:27as
- 35:28he
- 35:28is
- 35:28righteous
- 35:28whoever
- 35:29makes
- 35:29a practice
- 35:30of sinning
- 35:30is
- 35:30of the
- 35:31devil
- 35:31for
- 35:32the
- 35:32devil
- 35:32has
- 35:32been
- 35:32sinning
- 35:33from
- 35:33the
- 35:33beginning
- 35:33the
- 35:34reason
- 35:35the
- 35:35son
- 35:35of
- 35:35God
- 35:35appeared
- 35:35was
- 35:36to
- 35:36destroy
- 35:36the
- 35:37works
- 35:37of
- 35:37the
- 35:37devil
- 35:37no
- 35:37one
- 35:38born
- 35:38of
- 35:38God
- 35:38makes
- 35:39a practice
- 35:39of sinning
- 35:40for
- 35:40God
- 35:40for
- 35:40God
- 35:40seed
- 35:41abides
- 35:41in
- 35:41him
- 35:42and
- 35:42he
- 35:42cannot
- 35:42keep
- 35:43on
- 35:43sinning
- 35:43because
- 35:43he
- 35:43has
- 35:44been
- 35:44born
- 35:44of
- 35:44God
- 35:44by
- 35:45this
- 35:45it
- 35:46is
- 35:46evident
- 35:46who
- 35:46are
- 35:46the
- 35:46children
- 35:47of
- 35:47God
- 35:47and
- 35:47who
- 35:47are
- 35:47the
- 35:47children
- 35:48of
- 35:48the
- 35:48devil
- 35:48whoever
- 35:49does
- 35:49not
- 35:49practice
- 35:50righteousness
- 35:50is
- 35:50not
- 35:51of
- 35:51God
- 35:51nor
- 35:51is
- 35:52the
- 35:52one
- 35:52who
- 35:52does
- 35:52not
- 35:53love
- 35:53his
- 35:53brother
- 35:53so
- 35:56let's
- 35:57note
- 35:57some
- 35:57stuff
- 35:57about
- 35:58that
- 35:58firstly
- 35:58it's
- 35:59really
- 35:59intense
- 36:00right
- 36:01really
- 36:01really
- 36:01intense
- 36:02says
- 36:02that
- 36:02no
- 36:03one
- 36:03who
- 36:03abides
- 36:03in
- 36:04him
- 36:04keeps
- 36:05on
- 36:05sinning
- 36:05whoever
- 36:07makes
- 36:07a
- 36:07practice
- 36:08of
- 36:08sinning
- 36:08is
- 36:08of
- 36:09the
- 36:09devil
- 36:09super
- 36:10intense
- 36:11right
- 36:11notice
- 36:12a couple
- 36:13things
- 36:13though
- 36:13about
- 36:14it
- 36:14it
- 36:14says
- 36:14makes
- 36:14a
- 36:14practice
- 36:15and
- 36:16it
- 36:16says
- 36:16keeps
- 36:16on
- 36:17right
- 36:17that's
- 36:19important
- 36:19to note
- 36:19because
- 36:19are we
- 36:20going
- 36:20to
- 36:20have
- 36:20bad
- 36:21days
- 36:21are
- 36:21we
- 36:21still
- 36:22going
- 36:22to
- 36:22struggle
- 36:22against
- 36:22our
- 36:23flesh
- 36:31but
- 36:31should
- 36:31it
- 36:32have
- 36:32a
- 36:32trajectory
- 36:32of
- 36:33moving
- 36:33towards
- 36:33him
- 36:34absolutely
- 36:35otherwise
- 36:36we
- 36:36have
- 36:36some
- 36:36things
- 36:37we
- 36:38need
- 36:38to
- 36:38check
- 36:38we
- 36:39need
- 36:39to
- 36:39ask
- 36:39ourselves
- 36:39some
- 36:40things
- 36:40so
- 36:41I
- 36:41just
- 36:41looked
- 36:42through
- 36:42this
- 36:42passage
- 36:42and
- 36:42tried
- 36:43to
- 36:43pick
- 36:43out
- 36:43some
- 36:45questions
- 36:45that I
- 36:45think
- 36:45might
- 36:46be
- 36:46helpful
- 36:46to
- 36:47ask
- 36:47in
- 36:47thinking
- 36:48about
- 36:48assurance
- 36:48so
- 36:50here's
- 36:50a few
- 36:50of
- 36:50them
- 36:51is
- 36:52my
- 36:53life
- 36:53characterized
- 36:53by
- 36:54habitual
- 36:54continual
- 36:55sin
- 36:55do
- 36:59I
- 36:59love
- 36:59the
- 37:00church
- 37:00do
- 37:03I
- 37:03love
- 37:03the
- 37:03world
- 37:03with
- 37:04the
- 37:04gospel
- 37:04and
- 37:07do
- 37:07I
- 37:07see
- 37:07myself
- 37:07growing
- 37:08in
- 37:08holiness
- 37:08so
- 37:11is
- 37:11my
- 37:11life
- 37:11characterized
- 37:12by
- 37:12habitual
- 37:13continual
- 37:13sin
- 37:14do
- 37:16I
- 37:17love
- 37:17the
- 37:17church
- 37:17do
- 37:20I
- 37:20love
- 37:20the
- 37:20world
- 37:20with
- 37:20the
- 37:21gospel
- 37:21and
- 37:23do
- 37:23I
- 37:23see
- 37:24myself
- 37:24growing
- 37:24in
- 37:24holiness
- 37:25think
- 37:27about
- 37:27those
- 37:27think
- 37:28about
- 37:29this
- 37:29passage
- 37:29we
- 37:31can
- 37:31have
- 37:31assurance
- 37:31so
- 37:33we
- 37:33really
- 37:34need
- 37:34to
- 37:34test
- 37:34ourselves
- 37:35I
- 37:36just
- 37:36want
- 37:36to
- 37:36remind
- 37:36at
- 37:37this
- 37:37point
- 37:37that
- 37:37whether
- 37:39we're
- 37:40in
- 37:40the
- 37:40faith
- 37:40or
- 37:40not
- 37:41in
- 37:41the
- 37:41faith
- 37:41right
- 37:42the
- 37:43Christian
- 37:43life
- 37:43is
- 37:44a
- 37:44life
- 37:44of
- 37:44repenting
- 37:45and
- 37:45believing
- 37:46turning
- 37:47away
- 37:47from
- 37:48our
- 37:48sin
- 37:48right
- 37:49treasuring
- 37:51Christ
- 37:51in
- 37:51our
- 37:51heart
- 37:52is
- 37:53greater
- 37:53than
- 37:53sin
- 37:54and
- 37:54therefore
- 37:54turning
- 37:54away
- 37:55from
- 37:55it
- 37:55turning
- 37:55to
- 37:55God
- 37:56in
- 37:56faith
- 37:56!
- 37:56remember
- 37:58the
- 37:58sinless
- 37:58Savior
- 37:58died
- 37:59so that
- 38:00we can
- 38:00be
- 38:00counted
- 38:00as
- 38:00his
- 38:01righteousness
- 38:01and I
- 38:03hope
- 38:03this
- 38:03morning
- 38:03that
- 38:03we
- 38:03do
- 38:04have
- 38:04such
- 38:05great
- 38:05confidence
- 38:06Nathan
- 38:07said
- 38:07something
- 38:07a couple
- 38:09weeks ago
- 38:09that I
- 38:10was
- 38:10thinking
- 38:10about
- 38:11and I
- 38:11think
- 38:11is very
- 38:12true
- 38:12that there
- 38:12are so
- 38:13many
- 38:13people
- 38:13looking
- 38:15out
- 38:15that I
- 38:15can
- 38:15really
- 38:16see
- 38:16the
- 38:17Lord
- 38:17having
- 38:18done
- 38:18such
- 38:18great
- 38:18things
- 38:19through
- 38:19and
- 38:20you
- 38:21should
- 38:21know
- 38:21that
- 38:21you
- 38:22should
- 38:22have
- 38:22such
- 38:23great
- 38:23confidence
- 38:23because
- 38:24of
- 38:24what
- 38:25your
- 38:25life
- 38:26looks
- 38:26like
- 38:26the
- 38:26trajectory
- 38:27of
- 38:27it
- 38:27remember
- 38:29too
- 38:29that
- 38:30those
- 38:30good
- 38:30works
- 38:30are
- 38:30evidence
- 38:31that
- 38:31the
- 38:31Lord
- 38:32is
- 38:32working
- 38:32know
- 38:33that
- 38:34your
- 38:34true
- 38:35desire
- 38:35for
- 38:35him
- 38:35shows
- 38:36that
- 38:36he's
- 38:36begun
- 38:36to
- 38:37work
- 38:37in
- 38:37you
- 38:37and
- 38:38our
- 38:38Lord
- 38:38has
- 38:38promised
- 38:39that
- 38:39he's
- 38:39going
- 38:39to
- 38:39complete
- 38:40those
- 38:40works
- 38:40right
- 38:41so
- 38:42persevere
- 38:42and
- 38:43the
- 38:43Lord
- 38:44will
- 38:44sustain
- 38:44you
- 38:45so
- 38:46grab
- 38:49there's
- 39:00a
- 39:00quote
- 39:00on
- 39:00there
- 39:00from
- 39:00a
- 39:01Puritan
- 39:01pastor
- 39:02Richard
- 39:02Baxter
- 39:02I want
- 39:04us to
- 39:04look at
- 39:04it
- 39:04together
- 39:04it
- 39:07says
- 39:08sit
- 39:08not
- 39:08down
- 39:08without
- 39:09assurance
- 39:09get
- 39:11alone
- 39:11and
- 39:11bring
- 39:11the
- 39:12heart
- 39:12to
- 39:12the
- 39:12bar
- 39:12of
- 39:13trial
- 39:13force
- 39:14it
- 39:15to
- 39:15answer
- 39:15the
- 39:15interrogatories
- 39:16put
- 39:16to
- 39:16it
- 39:17set
- 39:17to
- 39:17the
- 39:17excuse
- 39:18me
- 39:18this
- 39:18is
- 39:19old
- 39:19stuff
- 39:20sorry
- 39:20force
- 39:21it
- 39:21to
- 39:21answer
- 39:21the
- 39:22interrogatories
- 39:22put
- 39:22to
- 39:23it
- 39:23to
- 39:23set
- 39:23the
- 39:23qualifications
- 39:24of
- 39:24the
- 39:24saints
- 39:25on
- 39:25one
- 39:25side
- 39:25and
- 39:26the
- 39:26qualifications
- 39:26of
- 39:26thyself
- 39:27on
- 39:27the
- 39:27other
- 39:27side
- 39:28and
- 39:29then
- 39:29judge
- 39:29what
- 39:29resemblance
- 39:30there
- 39:30is
- 39:30between
- 39:31them
- 39:31yet
- 39:32be
- 39:32sure
- 39:33thou
- 39:33judge
- 39:33by
- 39:33a
- 39:34true
- 39:34touchstone
- 39:34and
- 39:35mistake
- 39:35not
- 39:35the
- 39:36scripture
- 39:36description
- 39:36of
- 39:36a
- 39:37saint
- 39:37that
- 39:37thou
- 39:38neither
- 39:38acquit
- 39:38nor
- 39:39condemn
- 39:39thyself
- 39:40by
- 39:40mistake
- 39:40to
- 39:42truly
- 39:42test
- 39:43yourself
- 39:43be
- 39:44sure
- 39:45we
- 39:46can
- 39:46have
- 39:46such
- 39:46great
- 39:47assurance
- 39:47and
- 39:47it's
- 39:47sad
- 39:48that
- 39:48we
- 39:48so
- 39:48often
- 39:48go
- 39:49along
- 39:49without
- 39:50it
- 39:50wondering
- 39:51that
- 39:51are
- 39:51we
- 39:51truly
- 39:52in
- 39:52the
- 39:52faith
- 39:52because
- 39:54we
- 39:54can
- 39:54have
- 39:54it
- 39:54because
- 39:54the
- 39:55Lord
- 39:55is
- 39:56the
- 39:56one
- 39:56doing
- 39:56all
- 39:57the
- 39:57work
- 39:57right
- 39:58the
- 39:58Lord
- 39:58is
- 39:58the
- 39:58one
- 39:58sustaining
- 39:59us
- 39:59and
- 39:59helping
- 40:00us
- 40:00to
- 40:01walk
- 40:01in
- 40:01those
- 40:02good
- 40:02works
- 40:02and
- 40:02giving
- 40:02us
- 40:02those
- 40:03good
- 40:03works
- 40:03to
- 40:03walk
- 40:03in
- 40:04as
- 40:06truly
- 40:06think
- 40:07about
- 40:07it
- 40:07continue
- 40:10to
- 40:10study
- 40:10these
- 40:11passages
- 40:11because
- 40:12we
- 40:13can
- 40:13have
- 40:13such
- 40:13great
- 40:14rest
- 40:14through
- 40:15having
- 40:16confidence
- 40:17in the
- 40:17Lord's
- 40:18salvation
- 40:18that
- 40:19we
- 40:19don't
- 40:19have
- 40:19to
- 40:19try
- 40:19to
- 40:20earn
- 40:20any
- 40:20favor
- 40:20because
- 40:21he
- 40:21has
- 40:21given
- 40:22it
- 40:22to
- 40:22us
- 40:22so
- 40:23rest
- 40:23in
- 40:24the
- 40:24Lord
- 40:24in
- 40:24that
- 40:24and
- 40:25let's
- 40:26pray