03-24-2019 – Keith Cozort – Let Us Part 1 – (PM Sermon)

Certainly appreciate, appreciate you being here this evening. As they say it was raining up a storm just a few minutes ago, and now it’s not doing anything out there, but that’s okay. We’re glad you’re able to be here. And I intended to let you know what you could read for tonight. Sorry, Barb. And I thought of it as we were seeing the invitation song.

And by the time we got finished, I forgot about it, but I will let you know before we get started that I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I noticed this morning that my voice was cracking. We were complimenting how that this is the first time in a long time. I’ve preached the gospel median and my throat was fine the whole week long.

And, but it decided to let me know that I preached the gospel meeting last week and I needed to be careful. So because of that, we’re going to try to tone down the intensity. They’ll probably it. Wasn’t going to be very great tonight anyway, but also we will be limiting our time this evening, probably more so than normal. Anyway,

open up your Bibles with me. If you will, to Hebrews chapter four, Hebrews chapter four, we’re going to notice part one tonight of what the Hebrews writer speaks of here in this particular chapter. When he says, let us Horace, by the very fact that he’s saying, let us, that means it’s something that he himself is to be involved in as well as those to whom he is writing to,

but go with me through this chapter and notice what he says. Let us therefore, fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest. Any of you should seem to come short of it for under us, was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

And we which have believed do enter into rest. As he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works, which were the works were finished from the foundation of the world for he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works and in this place,

again, if they shall enter into my rest seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter and they, to whom it was first preached, entered, not in because of unbelief. Again, he limited a certain day saying in David today, after so long, a time, as it is said today, if you will hear his voice harden, not your hearts for if Jesus had given them rest,

then would he then would he not afterward have spoken of another day? There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God for he that is entered into his rest. He also has ceased from his own works as God did from his, let us labor, therefore, to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing,

even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joints and Morrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and open under the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed into the heavens Jesus,

the son of God, let us hold fast. Our profession for we have not in high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin, let us therefore come boldly under the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The Hebrews writer on several occasions in this book is going to exhort the people and he is going to exhort them to greater faithfulness,

which by the way, as we are reading this, it’s going to be expectations to us as well to greater faithfulness. These expectations to the early church are certainly profitable would have been profitable. We’re profitable for the early church, but they’re profitable to the 21st century church also. But notice here in verse one where the Hebrews writer begins this chapter as it’s divided up anyway,

let us therefore fear. Notice the word, therefore the word therefore is showing to us that he’s referring to something that he’s previously said. And so it’s urging us to look back, to see the reasons for his conclusion that he brings out here in verse one, that we should have fear. When you go back to the end of chapter three, the latter verses of this chapter,

you find recorded the sad demise of those in old Testament times who were led out of Egypt by Moses. And then most of them, he speaks concerning. Most of them developed unbelief verse 12 and they re rebelled, or as in the King, James says provoke verse 16. And so in the wilderness, they literally were those who fell short of the rest that was promised under them verses 17 and 18 to which they were headed because they believed not verse 18 or they were disobedient.

Or again, it says unbelief in the King, James in verse 18. And so those things being true, he’s looking to the old Testament. He’s looking to the children of Israel, who’ve come out of Egypt and how that God promised them the promised land, the place of rest. And yet they didn’t receive it. At least the majority of them did not receive it.

They didn’t receive it because they didn’t believe they reached the promised land. If you remember, and God having instructed them to send the spies in, to spy out the land and those 12 men went and spied out the land for 40 days. And when they come back, 10 of the 12 said, it’s everything that God said that it would be it’s everything that he promised to us,

but there’s giants in the land and we can’t take it. Joshua and Caleb of course were the two that said, it’s everything that God said it would be, but we can take it because God will us. But the people listened done to the other 10. And thereby they decided that since they can’t take the land, they’ll go back to Egypt and God,

of course, going to a forest, many of them to die as a result of that, because they’re going to rebel against him again, when he says, no, you’re not going back into Egypt. And therefore they said, okay, well then we’ll go in and take the land. He said, no, you’re not going to do that either.

Rather you’re going to wander in the wilderness for 40 days because of your lack of belief, your unbelief. And as a result of that, Josh twin Caleb were the only two men over the age of 20 years when they came out of Egypt two years before who were allowed to enter into the promised land. Yeah. Hebrews writer says, let us therefore fear very point that he is going to be making,

as we’ll discuss here is there is be, be fear in us fear that we will lose the rest that has been promised to us, but also fear as it relates toward God himself. And so he says, let us fear. We are to be those who are anxious concerning God’s promise to us his promise of salvation, his promise of eternal life, for those who are obedient unto him.

And for those who are faithful and there, of course, is the qualifier. The qualifier is a two-prong qualified fire in that. First of all, we have to be those who are obedient to the gospel. But secondly, we have to be those who are faithful unto death, even in the face of death, in order to receive the promise life,

which is a reference to eternal Life, children of God have this promise that Others do not as long as they are outside the body of Christ. When you turn over to first John chapter two and in verse 25 there, the apostle Okay. Says, and this is the promise that he has promised us even eternal life. We have the promise of eternal Life,

but it isn’t Conditional promise just as many of the promises that God made were those who that were conditional. The conditions were not always stated, but they were certainly implied just as the children of Israel were promised that they would have this land eternally, but it was conditioned upon them being faithful. And to God, it was conditioned about them not going into idolatry,

which of course they ended up doing not once, not twice, but multiple, multiple times. They ended up going into idolatry and they ended up turning their back upon God. And As a result of that, God said, you will not have this land End. You look at second Peter chapter three. And in verse nine passage that we mentioned quite often When Peter said,

Lord is not Slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but as long suffering to us word, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. God does not want man to be lost. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost, but there are conditions he asked to meet in order to keep from being lost. And so Peter here speaks concerning the fact that he’s not Slack.

He’s not one who is unconcerned about the promise that he has made to mankind, but there are those conditions that have to be met by man in order to receive the promise, including repentance, The Hebrews writer here in chapter four. And in verse one, let us therefore fear. What does he mean by fear? Well, the word fear here as it is used is meaning reverence toward God being of watchful conduct humble.

Therefore again, let us fear. Well, we have to, we have to meet what it is that he’s talking about in order to have the possibility of receiving this rest that is discussed in these first few verses of the fourth chapter. There is a danger of us coming short of the promised land just as the children of Israel. Many of them came short of receiving the promised land back in old Testament times.

And so it is that we are to always be on guard concerning these things and to be watchful concerning our own activities, to make sure that we are living in such a way that it is in accordance with God and with his word in Matthew chapter 22. And in verse 14, Jesus says for many are called, but few are chosen. The gospel is out and available for everyone.

Certainly we understand that, but few are those who are going to find it few or those who are going to accept it. And therefore few are going to be those who will be chosen because only those who are going to accept it. Only those who are going to be obedient to it are those who are going to be the chosen ones. So we are to be anxious concerning God’s promise to us as it relates toward our salvation.

He uses this example and we’ll, we’ll notice this again, but he uses this example of the children of Israel in order to try to cause those that he’s writing to who are Jewish Christians, who are considering going back under Judaism, turning their back upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, turning their back upon Christ himself in order to go back under that, which they were familiar with that being the old law,

the old commandments of Moses, but the example here of Israel is to attempt to cause us to be more concerned about that salvation, realizing that there is also the possibility that we can lose that. And it’s so interesting with what the Hebrews writer is doing here in using the children of Israel as the example and the motivator, if you will, for what we are to guard against.

And then we have those in the religious world today, the majority of those anyway, who say once saved, always say that once you’re saved, there is absolutely no way that you could be lost. Well, that’s completely to what the Hebrews writer is bringing out completely contrary to what the apostle Paul and Peter and John bring out in their writings and even the words of our Lord himself.

And yet they continue to teach that very thing. Those in old Testament times were those who too were promised a rest, that being the land of Canaan and the Hebrews writer brings it out more than once. She turned over to Hebrews chapter 11 there and in verse nine where the Hebrews writer in the hall of faith there, as we, as I like to call it anyway,

says in verse nine, speaking concerning Abraham by faith, he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in Tabernacles with Israel and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Abraham was one who served sojourned by faith, by faith. He sojourned in the land of promise.

This is the land that God promised to give to, to Abraham’s descendants. He originally promised it to Abraham, but he said, I’m not going to give it to you. I’m going to give it to your descendants that are going to come after you and such as exactly what he did. And so Abraham and Isaac and Jacob were those who dwelt in Tabernacles or tents.

And they were dwelling in the promised land, but they didn’t own any of it. Not until Abraham bought the cave of Mac Piela to bury Sarah in. Did he own any part of this Bland? And that is One of a couple of different areas of land. Jacob’s going to own a little piece of land As well, but This is all of this promised land of Palestine that they had any right to,

that they had any inheritance of. And yet God is going to promise them all of this land all the way up to the river Euphrates. But there are conditions That have to be meant. They had the Promise, but they lost the promise in that they did not hold it in belief. Now it is going to be true. As we know, from the history of the children of Israel,

where eventually they are going to receive the land after the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. But to those who originally came out of Egypt, only two of those over the age of 20, that being Joshua and Caleb are going to enter into that land. Even Moses himself would not be allowed to enter into the land because of his disobedience of the will of God.

They fell in the wilderness. You remember right before they come out of Egypt, Moses is going to number all the men over the age Of 20. And there’s going to be 603,550 men that are over the age of 20. That’s going to make up their military force too, by the way, 603,550. And of that 603,550 603,548 of them never even they’re going to enter into the promised land.

They’re not going to receive it. It was a promise. Yes, but it was a conditional promise. And just as they did not receive it. So it is possible for those of us, even us who have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, that we can reach a point where we will not receive the promise rest as well. It’s not guaranteed to us.

It is conditioned upon our obedience and our continual obedience to the gospel of Christ. Again, we went back to chapter three, but notice verses 16 and 17 here as the Hebrews writer is writing, he says for some, excuse me, for some, when they had heard, did provoke, how be it not all that came out of Egypt by Moses,

but with whom was the, was he grieved 40 years? Was it not with them that had sinned whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? Of course, he’s going to make the promise that with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, every single one of them is going to die in the wilderness wanderings. They are not going to be allowed to enter into the land.

Moses of course is going to live all the way up until they come to the area to be ready to cross over into Jordan. But God’s not Going to allow him to enter into the land. And it’s going to be such that God is going to end up burying Moses someplace where the children of Israel never even knew where he was buried. They would never be able to go back and mourn and weep and lament over the fact that here lies Moses because they don’t know where Moses is.

They don’t know where he was buried. And therefore, Moses, the great, The law-giver from the old Testament, the one who promised them that God was going to send one Wyke unto him from among their own people that they were to follow. They were to accept. They were to believe that of course being Jesus Christ. And yet they rejected him.

Also in first Corinthians chapter 10, the apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth is going to use this entire chapter to remind the Christians in the city of Corinth concerning what happened to the children of Israel back old Testament times. And so he says here in verses five through 11, he says, but with many of them, God was not well pleased.

And he’s talking about the children of Israel again for, they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples to the intent. We should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted neither be idolaters as were some of them, as it is written. The people sat down to eat and drink and Rose up to play. Neither let us commit for an occasion.

As some of them committed and fell in one date three in 20,000, neither let us tempt Christ. As some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur, ye is some of them also murmured and were Edward destroyed, destroyed four of the destroyer. Now all these things happen unto them for in samples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come.

So Paul will go back. He’ll, he’ll refer them back to the old Testament. Learn from those old Testament. Examples, learn from those people who were on their way to the promised land. And even after they entered into the promised land 40 years later, but learn from them, learn from the mistakes they made, because it’s possible for you as brothers and sisters in Christ to make the exact same math mistakes.

And to end up with the exact same result of missing the promised rest. And so it is the Hebrews writer here in Hebrews chapter three is one who is going to state that the lust of the children of Israel verses 18 and 19 of chapter three, the lust of the children of Israel and those who were disobedient was that which was counted against them because of their unbelief.

But these Are the chosen people of God. These are the children of Israel. These are the children of God. Yes they were. But that wasn’t enough. They had to be those who were faithful Under God and Because of their unbelief, they are going to lose the promise rest. And so the Hebrews writer brings out that their belief was not mixed with obedient faith.

And so in verse two of chapter four, he says for unto us, was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Now here, of course the gospel is not meaning the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it’s meaning concerning the good news, the promises that were made available to them and how that they were not able to take advantage of that because they did not hear them with,

In them faith in to do What was right. And so the apostle Paul, again in Romans chapter 16, as he is closing out that great book of Romans says in verses 25 and 26 now to him, that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

but now has made manifest. And by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting, God made known to all nations or the obedience of faith, obedience of faith, we’ve made mention on several different occasions, how that the majority of the religious world goes to the book of Romans in order to try to teach the idea of saved by faith only.

And yet the book of Romans doesn’t teach we’re saved by faith. Only it teaches we’re saved by faith, but it’s not faith. Only the book of Romans begins in chapter one, speaking concern concerning obedience to the faith. It speaks concerning ah, in chapter six, how that they have obeyed that, which was delivered under them. And then it closes in chapter 16,

speaking, concerning being obedient of faith. The obedience of faith, the book Romans is not teaching concerning faith only, but it is teaching. We must have faith. We must have faith in obedience to the will of God. If we are going to be those who are going to be accepted by God. And so Hebrews writer brings out here in chapter three,

verses 10 through 13, he says, wherefore, I was grieved with that generation and said they do all way earlier in their heart. And they have not known my ways. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. Take heed brethren lest there be in be in any of you, an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living.

God take heed lest you also, the Hebrews writer is say less. You also ended up in the exact same situation as those of old Testament times, there is a rest. There is a rest of God for those who believe and believe here carries with it. The idea of believes. So as to old Bay, it’s not again, not enough just to say,

well, I believe that doesn’t do the job belief in the scriptures most times is that which carries with it, the idea to believe so as to do believe so as to obey. And that’s exactly the kind of belief that is wired, a more desirable rest than that of Canaan is for those who are spiritually right with God, that being a spiritual rest and he terminal rest that is promised to us When you speak of the joy,

Children of Israel were so anticipating going into the promised land, going into the land of Canaan. But at first They’re going to be turned away because of their lack of belief. And then they’re going to be required to Wander in the wilderness for the next 38 years. They come to the wilderness or come to the promised land in the second year, when,

after they left Egypt, they’re going to have to wander for another 38 years. And this time they come anxiously anticipating being allowed to enter into the promised land because these who are now the children and grandchildren, in some cases of those who originally came out of Egypt are now the ones who going to be allowed to enter into this land. This spiritual Canaan Is what we Look forward to.

You know, we have a song in our songbooks that we sing sometimes, and I’m not sure if it’s in this one or not, but You know, marching To the land of Canaan. Canaan’s promised land well, we’re not children of Israel. He’s not promising us, literally that land of Canaan, but it’s using the physical to represent the spiritual, the spiritual land of Canaan,

the spiritual promised land. And that it is to be a thrill to our souls. For those who are children of God, you turn over to revelation chapter 21 next to the last chapter in the new Testament, revelation chapter 21 there in inverse for the apostle John, by inspiration speaking, those words of the Lord says in verse four, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying. Neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away. Those things that are descriptive concerning heaven are those things, which are basically the exact opposite of what we see here in this life. There is not going to be any more tears. There’s going to be nothing to cry about.

There’s not going to be any more tears. There’s not going to be any more death or sorrow or crying, and there’s not going to be any more. Okay. Isn’t that something to look forward to? I certainly it is. And even though we have some who say, yeah, but if my loved ones are not there, I don’t think I can be happy.

Well, Then the problem was with you. It’s not with God because God said those who are going to receive it, there is going to be a land of joy. It will be spiritual. Canaan is that which will be a thrill to our souls. If we make it there, if we receive that place of reward. And so the Hebrews writer here in chapter four says in verses three and four for we,

which have believed, do enter into rest. As he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, for he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. It’s interesting how that the Hebrews writer here several different times speaks that God says,

this is my rest. This is my wrist, which we will be allowed to participate in. And to be a part of this rest of his, it is speaking concerning the idea of peace. It is speaking concerning the idea of beauty it’s being concerning. The idea of serenity it speaking concerning the idea of glory. What is there not to look forward to as it concerns this rest,

Israel did not find the rest of God. And the rest of God remains for the faithful to enter into my rest. God says becomes the rest of those who are obedient to the faith, obedient to the word of God, striving to live faithful unto death. Even in the face of death, revelation, chapter two, verse 10, in order to receive the crown of life.

When this life is over, let us that Hebrews writer says, let us therefore fear, fear, not as to be shaking in our boots, but to realize that we must be those who are obedient to the will of God. We are obedient to the word of God so that we can receive the promises that have been made by God that are conditional because to miss those promises,

to miss those promises is going to be devastating. You’re outside the body of Christ this evening. Having reached an age of accountability, we plead with you to consider the fact that if you do not do what God says must be done, which is to become a child of God. And then to be obedient unto him, to remain faithful unto him. You will miss the rest that is promised by God.

There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You will miss it. If you die in that condition, having reached an age of accountability, therefore the invitation that is always extended by our Lord, that we must hear the word and then believe it, John six, verse 45, Mark 16 verse 16, that we must be willing to rippit Luke chapter 13,

verses three and five acts two verse 38 that we must be willing to confess our faith in Christ X, our Matthew chapter 10 verse 32. And that we must be willing to be baptized, to be immersed in water in order to receive the remission of our sins to have our sins washed away. Mark 16, verse 16, Matthew chapter 28 verses 19 and 20.

I acts chapter two, verse 38, acts chapter 22, verse 16. And we can go on the imitation song is selected to encourage you to do that. If you need to, if you’re already a member of the body of Christ, you’ve already become a Christian. And yet you’ve turned your back upon God and turn your back upon the church. We plead with you to come back and repentance,

praying to God for forgiveness, begin walking in the way of righteousness. If we can help you, will you come as together? We stand and as we sing.