Sermon – “The Promise Remains”

Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.” 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

Does God’s grace still amazed by is God’s grace is sufficient for all of our sins all of our sins are is no sin that we can commit the guts grace is not sufficient to cover other than sin a blasphemy to deny him. Amen God is so good all and all the time. God as good a man. God’s grace is so amazing it’s just when we stop and think about it. So amazing he is such a loving God such a compassionate God the promise remains that’s a title that I gave my sermon this week the promise remains for God’s people must grips or comes from Hebrews I added a few verses what David going to put up there is going to be. Chapter four verses one through ten. I added a few verses at the end of three so you’ll catch up with me when I get to the first verse of chapter for a man hear the word of the lower while it is said of the game verse fifteen of chapter three. Today if you will hear his voice. That’s a good word for our nation is a good word for the church is a good word for the people to day if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who having heard rebelled indeed was that not all who came out of Egypt led by Moses Now with whom was he angry forty years was it not with those who sin whose corpses fell in the wilderness and to whom did he swears that they would not enter his rest but to those who did not obey so we had so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Now picking up with verse one therefore since they promise remains of entering his rest. Let us fear. Let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it for indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith in those who heard for we who have believed do enter that rest as he said so I swore my wrath they sell not enter my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Free spoke in a certain place of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all His works and again in this place they shall not enter my arrest since therefore it remains that some must enter it and those to whom it was first preach did not enter because of disobedience. Again he designates a certain day saying in David today after such a long time as as it has been said today if you will hear his voice do not harden your hearts for of Joshua had given them rest then he would not it not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains there for a rest for the people of God for He who has entered his rest has himself also seized from his work as God did from his they got out his blessings to the here and in the reading of His Holy Word. Let us go to Lord’s Prayer follow God We do thank you and praise you for your word and father I know that your word is breathed by your spirit it is the Living Word father got I thank You for got I just pray that your presence would be in this place today Father God that our hearts will be solved to receive what you have force to day let our hearts not be hardened Lord but Lord let them be open for what you have today. Got I pray that your will would be done toward it every word spoken would be for your glory in your honor the north I just give you the praise in the green yonder in Jesus’ name amen there’s a lot of talk about rest in this passage. And it says that God rested from his works we know that you know we’re so blessed to know that at the end of each week we have a daily Sabbath rest the waiting us you know God rested from his work for six days he worker aiding the earth creating the creating the oceans in the trees and the cattle and the birds in the fish. Creating man we know that God worked for those six days and on the seventh day he rested to set the example for us the example and I think it is such a blessing you know every week we know that as we go through the week we have the cares of the world to take care of we need to take care of our homes we need to take care of our children we need to take care of our jobs we have all that we have that keeps us busy. The world keeps us busy for the six days but we have that rest on the Sabbath the rest from the world but that’s not really I’m not my focus is not on the Sabbath today the day our passage in Hebrews carries us way back to the Old Testament it reflects on the things that happen to the nation of Israel why they were held in bondage an Egypt it speaks to the rest that was awaiting them if they were faithful to God The rebellion of course in which the writer speaks of is the rebellion where they did not have faith anough to enter into the Promised Land they didn’t have faith enough to believe that God. Could deliver their enemies into their hands if they could defeat the America exam right sort of the Canaanites heed they did not a faith enough to believe that God could do it. I’m not going to go back and read a story but you all know the story you know it was meant to be an eleven day journey whenever God sent Moses in a delivered to people out of Egypt it was meant to be an eleven day journey to get there to the Promised Land they sent to spies in and they come back what did they come back and they bear they come back and bore false report they said the people were like giants we are like grasshoppers in their sight. There’s no way we can defeat them all but two spies you do you know the story. Joshua and Caleb says we can do it. God has given us this land but they re Beldin because it was not mix with faith they did not believe that God could dilute God could deliver them so instead of a eleven day journey. They wanted in a wilderness for forty years forty years what could have been an eleven day journey but today I also want to focus on the how in the why how did they wind up in Egypt. How did Israel wind up in Egypt in the first place we know you’ve heard that story I’m sure many time also because Joseph brought Jacob his father and all his family to Egypt remember the Joseph wound up in Egypt. Sold into slavery Bryant by his brothers was on just Lee. Condemn put in prison. God said Favre on him while he was in prison he got out of prison and was second in command only to Pharaoh for was the only one greater in Egypt then Joseph So we know that he brought his family down there to preserve his family to protect them from the famine so we know that when they entered into the land that because of Joseph they were given some of the best land of all Egypt they were given the land of Goshen where they could raise their herds they could form they can produce crops they could live in comfort and peace when they first entered Indy Gyp correct you know that but it didn’t last very long. From what I searched and can find out I think the peace that they endure or enjoy meant to say in Egypt. Lasted for about thirty years and here’s why I say that and accept or seven verse six and says But God spoke in this way that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land and that they would bring that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them for four hundred years so we know that they were oppressed they were in slavery there in bondage for four hundred years but in Exodus Chapter twelve versus forty eight reads now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years so I believe that the first thirty years they were just neighbors they live there they lived in peace they farm they did what they enjoy doing but after that period of thirty years a spirit of hatred began to grow toward the children of Israel a spirit of resentment. And Exodus Chapter one reveals why it says now there are Rose a new king over Egypt who did not know Joseph and he said to his people look the people of the children of Israel are more and my dear then we they were greater in number does anybody remember how many entered in about seventy and tradin Jacob and his family numbered about seventy when they entered in and now they are more and my dear then we those of Egypt Come let us deal shrewdly with them lest they multiply and it happened in the event of war that they also join our enemies in fight against us and so go up out of the land therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens and they built for Pharaoh supplies cities Python and Ramses But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel the more they oppress them the harder they made their labors the more they multiplied they thought were going to wear them down the time they get home at night to be too tired Well guess what they multiplied all the more they became even greater in number and add that was a little on me there. Taskmasters treated them very cruelly they wanted to make their lives miserable. I mean they made them build cities and we were talking last night with Mike in Terry about all the buildings and everything in Italy and I don’t know how in the world did they do all this. Thousands of thousand years ago or when they didn’t have giant cement mixer is like we have all will slaves Well how did they build their cities in Egypt with the slaves the Israelites the more they work in the more they multiplied so that’s the how they wind up well and up there in Egypt but the why the wise may not be quite as easy to figure out why did God allow Israel to spend such a long time and bondage Have you ever asked yourself that question why did God allow them to go there now Wanda being in bondage Why did he allow them to be treated so cruelly. There could be a number of answers. Could it be that God was preparing Israel for there are no heritance through all their labors because through all the labours that became stronger didn’t a perseverance trials and tribulations does what it makes you stronger doesn’t it. It builds character. We don’t like going through them but it does build character doesn’t it. When we suffer when we endure things could it be that such a long time in bondage that’s a long time in hard labor and the time in the wilderness also would make them enjoy this the promise land that much more would it make it that much sweeter when they found the entered in. It would make them the kind of people that God needed them to be that they would appreciate. Could another reason be found in Genesis fifteen it says but in the fourth generation they shower return here for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Gotta told a brand that is seed that his seed should sojourn and sojourn in a strange land for four hundred years he said but in the fourth generation they should return to Canaan and then the iniquity the Amorites would be filled up the sins of the Amorites would be filled up the time for God to do one judging with the Amorites was not yet fully ripe if you will it wasn’t complete so God allowed his children to live in bondage. Until the Amorites sin was complete when I read that and I’m thinking wow I wonder when America’s Sin is going to be complete. Have mercy on us oh God a man he lived in the stay there till they was ready as a nation to be his instrument to destroy that evil wicked nation there is a third possibility as to why God allowed the descendants of Abraham to suffer such indignities and trials at the hands of the Egyptians and again the book of Genesis reveals it could it be that the treatment of Joseph by his brothers was being punished. Could it be. Could it be that his brother’s got to reap what they sowed. What did they do with Joseph they sold into slavery word did he go. Egypt Genesis thirteen says well maybe that’s not it but it says that the sins of the people will be given to the third and fourth generation the third and fourth generation. Could it be that his brothers because of selling Joseph in the slavery we’re now reaping the harvest of what they have sown. They were carried into slavery in Egypt they went down free but yes they wound up being slaves in Egypt it was not God’s desire that the children of Israel would stay in bondage in Egypt. Nor was it his desire that they would wander in the wilderness for forty years it was God’s desire that they would be obedient to His word that they would be faithful to him that they would hear his voice that they would not rebill it was his desire that they would enter in to the promised land. Verse two from our passage is a key point it says For indeed the Gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit not being mixed with faith and those who heard it the people heard the word of God They knew what God had promised they knew that God promised them rest from bondage they knew that God promised them that I’m going to send the liver or he’s going to get you out of Egypt did you away from the slavery set you free they heard that but it was not mix with faith. Canaan was the promised rest for the nation of Israel. Rest from their labors. Moses was a deliverer. He was a symbol of Christ. Canaan was the land of rest. Moses was of the liver but they did not accept that by faith it was not mixed with faith. Canaan represents rest it represents peace it represent represents separation unto God he was they were his own special people to be separated unto him. They alone was a growing we’re going to live in that land and be the nation with God demonstrated his love and mercy through but they did not mix it with faith did not believe. Today Jesus Christ is our rest a man he is arcane and he is our rest there are so many that have heard the word of God they have heard the gospel message the plan of salvation but they like the nation of Israel refused to step across that Jordan and receive the promise of arrest. I’m talking about the rest from the bondage of sin. Egypt represents sin represents the world. Canaan represents rest with God a reprimand. Represents God’s salvation. Represents peace rest from the the world that’s just a rest from the world crisis or arrest that rest that promise arrested all remains today for those who accept Christ to explain been him the meaning of rest in the Greek is cut topless sis probably didn’t pronounce it right but it means to pause it needs to stop working it means to cease action but it also is described in other ways freedom from worry do we have freedom from worry we can have because that promise of rest remains if you are in Christ you can have freedom from worry it also means to lean on for support he is our strength was thing about it but do we live it. God wanted them to lean on him to trust in him and he still wants us today to lean on Him and trust in Him That’s the only way that we can have that promise rest Israel sinned they did not believe in God but what he did not allow them to go back to Egypt Diddy. He did not allow them to go back to their Egypt instead he’s Instead he sent them out into the wilderness. What does a wilderness represent it represents a cleansing that represent the time of preparation time preparing their hearts they’re still separated from Egypt are separated from the sin so it’s a time alone with God to prepare them for two years in Exodus Chapter sixteen verse three it said in the children of Israel said to them. Oh that we had died by the hand the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by or pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole with Semele with hunger they long to go back to Egypt. Can you imagine four hundred years in bondage and now they’re laid they long to go back to go back and set bother part of me and had their bread that’s what they knew exactly that’s what God gave me. They behave they had become accustomed to life in bondage and that’s the problem with many in America today we have become accustomed to life in bondage to sin. And only he can set us free a man how do you become accustom to life in bondage How do you even along for it. They long for it we need to turn from it because the promise of rest or remains today in this Jesus Christ Jesus says in Matthew eleven twenty eight come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest and that rest is freedom from your sins. Freedom them that which hold huge Bondi told you captive the bits of things of the world which is what Egypt represents he will set you free from it. Release you from it from the hold at the world has known us Hebrews for real little bit more of a Hebrew such as Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the Word of God is living living live and hope is living in you the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit and of the joints and morrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intense of the heart and there is no creature hidden from his sight but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him whom we must give account. Nothing is hidden from God It is all open to the one in whom we must give account seeing that we have a great high priest who has passed to the heavens. Jesus the Son of God. Less hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness but was an all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may have taken mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. The promise arrest remains for us today we had that promise of eternal rest with him we have the promise of to eternal life for God so loved the world that it gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. That promises there do you believe God’s word to be true. Yes it is true it is faithful you can stand on the promises of his word and you can enter into that rest when you believe when Jesus Christ in turn from your Egypt Leggo of Egypt. Grab a hold of that rest of God gives us and Jesus Christ amen.