back to index2019-07-28 Let Us Be Diligent to Enter the Rest
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And so what happens is that the many examples that Israel, we could have chosen, 00:00:09.000 |
or God could have chosen as an example of their apostasy, of their idolatry, 00:00:16.000 |
about defilement of the temple, all of these things that he could have chosen, 00:00:19.500 |
he goes to the Genesis, the beginning of this apostasy, was their constant grumbling, 00:00:25.000 |
discontent with God. And he says to let us fear. Let us fear whatever these things that are 00:00:32.000 |
the beginning processes of drifting away from God to take this seriously. 00:00:36.000 |
Well, today, last week it was about the attitude. Today it was about action. 00:00:40.000 |
If we are fearing, if we begin to notice these symptoms, he says in verse 11, 00:00:46.000 |
"Let us be diligent to enter the rest, so that no one will fall through the following 00:00:52.000 |
the same example of disobedience." So, just as a quick review, last week we talked about 00:00:56.000 |
the rest that he is referring to is just another word for salvation. 00:01:02.000 |
The rest that he's referring to is an invitation to re-enter the Sabbath 00:01:06.000 |
that our Heavenly Father entered into on the seventh day. 00:01:10.000 |
To find that rest that was broken because of our sins, because we couldn't be in the presence of God. 00:01:16.000 |
So, Sabbath is an invitation back into restoration with the God of this rest. 00:01:22.000 |
I think the best way for us to understand this rest is the difference between a house and a home. 00:01:28.000 |
If you've ever traveled for a long period of time, a week, maybe a month, 00:01:32.000 |
you may have gotten a very nice hotel or you got an Airbnb, maybe even better than your own house. 00:01:39.000 |
And so when you first enter into it, it has better amenities, it has a better stove, 00:01:43.000 |
it's a better location. And you say, "Wow, this is great, we're going to enjoy it." 00:01:46.000 |
But after about two, three weeks, it gets tiresome because it's not your home, 00:01:50.000 |
it's not your bed, it's not your refrigerator. And so, you know when you come back home 00:01:54.000 |
and you open the door, and it may not be in the best place, it may be a one-bedroom apartment, 00:01:58.000 |
but you sit down, unpack your stuff, get into your comfortable clothes, 00:02:02.000 |
and you sit on your couch, and then you feel at rest. 00:02:06.000 |
And it's not because it's better facilities, it's not because it's a better house, 00:02:10.000 |
it's just your home. That's the difference between having all the peace 00:02:16.000 |
that the world can give you externally, but not being at home. 00:02:20.000 |
And that's the struggle for a Christian. That when we are constantly living 00:02:24.000 |
to make this place our home, we are going the opposite direction of where God is taking us. 00:02:29.000 |
He's actually pulling us away from these distractions to make sure 00:02:34.000 |
that our rest is found in Christ and Christ alone. 00:02:37.000 |
So when he says, "Let us be diligent to enter that rest," 00:02:42.000 |
he's not simply talking about taking away all the things that causes turmoil in our life, 00:02:50.000 |
"Let us be active in our faith," to remind us again that we are aliens and strangers in this world. 00:02:58.000 |
It doesn't matter if you have a large house, it doesn't matter whether your bills are paid, 00:03:02.000 |
or what kind of position that you have at work, and you can have all the best friends 00:03:06.000 |
and all the peace that the world can offer, we will still be aliens and strangers in this world. 00:03:13.000 |
And the minute that we forget that, the minute that we are striving to make this place our rest, 00:03:19.000 |
that's where the turmoil increases for a Christian. 00:03:22.000 |
He says, "We must be diligent. We must labor to rest," 00:03:27.000 |
which on the surface sounds like a contradiction. 00:03:30.000 |
It sounds like one cannot do the other. I mean, if you are working, you are not resting, 00:03:35.000 |
because typically when we say, "Hey, relax," it means drop whatever you're doing and just sit. 00:03:45.000 |
You're going to go turn on the TV, watch Netflix, and you're just going to do nothing. 00:03:52.000 |
But here he says, "To work. Let us work. Be diligent to enter the rest so that we would not fall." 00:04:00.000 |
Well, that language is not unique to Hebrews. 00:04:03.000 |
All throughout Scripture, we are challenged to labor, to work, for whatever the reason— 00:04:10.000 |
there it goes—for whatever the reason, we have misapplied or misunderstood the grace of God 00:04:17.000 |
to mean that therefore we don't need to worry about anything, because the grace of God covers all of it. 00:04:24.000 |
And yet, all throughout the Scripture, we are called to labor because of this grace. 00:04:31.000 |
After three chapters of Paul expositing and encouraging about election, about adoption, about predestination, 00:04:41.000 |
about how God stepped off of his throne and pursued us completely sovereignly, unilaterally, he loved us. 00:04:51.000 |
At the conclusion of explaining this, he said, "The application of this grace in chapter 4, verse 1, 00:04:58.000 |
"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called." 00:05:06.000 |
He doesn't say, "You know what? Since God elected you, since you've been adopted, since God predestined you, 00:05:16.000 |
The application of the grace of God and sovereignty of God and predestination is, 00:05:20.000 |
"Therefore, since God has given you what you didn't deserve, let us live up to the calling. 00:05:32.000 |
In fact, again, in Philippians chapter 127, "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." 00:05:38.000 |
Isn't the root message of the gospel that God did what you could not do? 00:05:45.000 |
So how can he tell us to live worthy of the gospel? 00:05:49.000 |
Because the whole purpose of the gospel is to teach us that we're not worthy of the gospel. 00:05:53.000 |
How can any one of us be worthy of the blood of the son of Jesus Christ? 00:06:01.000 |
That's the fundamental, foundational message of the gospel. 00:06:06.000 |
And yet Paul says, "Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." 00:06:12.000 |
Because of this paradox, a seeming contradiction, people have chosen either one or the other. 00:06:20.000 |
Some people have taken the grace of God and said, "Well, because it is by grace, we don't really have to worry about this other part." 00:06:35.000 |
And anybody who begins to challenge us to labor and say, "Well, that's legalistic." 00:06:39.000 |
Anybody who focuses on, "We need to do the work of God." 00:06:43.000 |
They say, "That's legalistic. It's by the grace of God." 00:06:46.000 |
And they've chosen to come to this side to the extent that we begin to ignore passages like chapter 4, verse 11. 00:06:54.000 |
And then you have the people who are on the other side that we need to work so hard. 00:06:58.000 |
And we forget about the grace of God and we begin to squeeze the life out of every individual. 00:07:03.000 |
Well, the language in the Bible never excludes either. 00:07:11.000 |
It is the grace of God that is the foundation in which we build our diligent work. 00:07:19.000 |
It is not the grace that causes us not to do anything. 00:07:22.000 |
And it is not the hard work that says, "Well, we need to earn ourselves into the kingdom." 00:07:27.000 |
It is because we have been given what you and I don't deserve, it gives us the fuel to labor. 00:07:33.000 |
I think the perfect illustration for me is... 00:07:37.000 |
Once a soldier is enlisted into the army, whether he is a seasoned veteran who's been to multiple combats, 00:07:45.000 |
or he just got recruited and it's his first day in basic training. 00:07:54.000 |
Whether you are a general or whether you are a foot soldier private, you are a soldier. 00:08:00.000 |
But a soldier who just enlisted is beginning to learn and get basic training to act like a soldier. 00:08:07.000 |
And so when he gets enlisted, they will begin to train him and say, 00:08:10.000 |
"Now that you are the soldier of the United States, now begin to act like it." 00:08:18.000 |
Basic training is to teach a soldier who is already a soldier how to act. 00:08:28.000 |
We have been given something that you and I could not possibly earn. 00:08:34.000 |
You have become an adopted child that God loves. 00:08:37.000 |
And as a result of that, because you have been given something that you cannot possibly earn, 00:08:44.000 |
Act like a soldier now that you've put on the robe of Christ on you. 00:08:48.000 |
And that's the language we see all throughout Scripture. 00:08:54.000 |
"For this reason, endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, 00:08:58.000 |
so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with it eternal glory." 00:09:05.000 |
He says he understands that God has already chosen them. 00:09:09.000 |
But for their sake, he says, "I'm going to labor hard." 00:09:13.000 |
So God's election never negated Paul's hard work. 00:09:18.000 |
"Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." 00:09:22.000 |
If the salvation was by grace, why do we need to work it out? 00:09:26.000 |
See, salvation by election never negated Paul's hard work. 00:09:34.000 |
"We proclaim him admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, 00:09:37.000 |
so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 00:09:41.000 |
For this purpose I labor, striving according to his power which mightily works within me." 00:09:48.000 |
Apostle Paul doesn't say, "I'm going to work so hard." 00:09:51.000 |
No, in my labor, I recognize the only reason why I'm able to labor 00:09:55.000 |
is because of his work that is already working inside of me. 00:10:03.000 |
It wasn't like, "I'm saved by grace, so it doesn't matter. 00:10:06.000 |
I'm going to work hard so that I can deserve this grace." 00:10:18.000 |
Because laboring and striving is a part of Christian life. 00:10:22.000 |
When we begin to drift, you don't need to do anything to drift. 00:10:27.000 |
Drifting happens by somebody who just sits there and does nothing. 00:10:30.000 |
He's not rowing. He's not headed anywhere in particular. 00:10:34.000 |
He's not concerned about where he's going to end up. It doesn't matter. 00:10:38.000 |
Drifting happens when you're just not anchored. 00:10:41.000 |
And so when there isn't a current, when a storm is not there, 00:10:45.000 |
you may not drift far because there's nothing happening, 00:10:48.000 |
but as soon as the water begins to move up and down, 00:10:57.000 |
and next thing you know is you are miles and miles away from shore. 00:11:01.000 |
And if you do that for a year and multiple years, 00:11:05.000 |
one day you wake up and you realize you don't even recognize where you were. 00:11:17.000 |
If the gospel that you heard means anything to you, 00:11:27.000 |
and if you see yourself drift, if you've seen yourself drift, 00:11:48.000 |
Verse 12 is a passage that probably many of you have already memorized. 00:11:51.000 |
For the word of God is living and active sharper than any double-edged sword. 00:11:55.000 |
It is able to divide between joint and marrow, spirit and soul. 00:12:02.000 |
It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our heart. 00:12:06.000 |
But we need to recognize this first in the context of which it is being said. 00:12:11.000 |
In and of itself, right, you've probably heard many, many sermons on this text itself. 00:12:18.000 |
But if you want to understand the full context of this first, 00:12:20.000 |
you have to understand why this is written in this verse, in this context. 00:12:25.000 |
He begins by saying for the word of God is living and active. 00:12:29.000 |
The word for connects us to the idea that he was saying in verse 11. 00:12:37.000 |
And a challenge to be diligent so that we do not drift. 00:12:41.000 |
And so the verse 12 is written as the motivation of why we should not drift. 00:12:52.000 |
How is verse 11 connected to verse 12 and 13? 00:12:56.000 |
For the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword. 00:13:02.000 |
I think the best way for us to understand that is go back to the book of Amos 00:13:08.000 |
And I think that application will make more sense. 00:13:11.000 |
Before I read the passage in the book of Amos, 00:13:14.000 |
the history behind Israel during the period that Amos is prophesying, 00:13:25.000 |
They had probably more wealth than they've ever known, at least in their history. 00:13:29.000 |
So there was a lot of religious activity that was going on at the temple. 00:13:36.000 |
And yet Amos is sent to the nation of Israel because everything was done externally. 00:13:41.000 |
And God repeatedly says to them that all of your many sacrifices, 00:13:54.000 |
"I didn't ask you to make many sacrifices because he loved the smell of burnt animals." 00:14:00.000 |
"He just happens to like to see blood flow on tables." 00:14:04.000 |
And so he says, "All of these things that you're doing, they are meaningless to me." 00:14:11.000 |
"Externally you are doing everything religious, but internally there is no true worship going on." 00:14:16.000 |
The reason why he commanded them to make these sacrifices 00:14:20.000 |
was that through the sacrifice to humble themselves before a holy God 00:14:23.000 |
and acknowledge that they are in need of forgiveness. 00:14:27.000 |
To come and genuinely in their repentance find forgiveness by the blood of these animals. 00:14:35.000 |
But to them it became a source of righteousness. 00:14:41.000 |
And it is to these people that he sends the prophet Amos, chapter 7, verse 7 and 8. 00:14:46.000 |
"Thus he showed me and behold the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plum line in his hand." 00:14:52.000 |
"The Lord said to me, 'What do you see Amos?' and I said, 'A plum line.' 00:14:56.000 |
"Then the Lord said, 'Behold I am about to put a plum line in the midst of my people Israel and I will spare them no longer.'" 00:15:04.000 |
Plum line is a modern day, equivalent to a modern day leveler. 00:15:09.000 |
A leveler, if you ever use that, no you put it against anything that you build 00:15:14.000 |
that you want to be vertical level. It has to be perfect. 00:15:18.000 |
Because if it's even a little bit crooked and you put any kind of weight on it, it's going to collapse. 00:15:25.000 |
And so a plum line is basically a leveler that even though by their naked eye it looks straight 00:15:32.000 |
you put a plum line next to it with a weight on the bottom with a string 00:15:41.000 |
So the plum line that God is referring to is showing Amos is the Word of God. 00:15:47.000 |
That everything on the surface looks religious. 00:15:56.000 |
But when the Word of God is open to them, they have drifted so far away from God 00:16:03.000 |
And therefore he says that judgment is coming upon Israel 00:16:07.000 |
because everything that they were doing was superficial, was external. 00:16:14.000 |
He said the reason the warning is given, why we need to be diligent 00:16:21.000 |
And it is easy to fool ourselves when we are active in the church. 00:16:25.000 |
It is easy to fool ourselves when we are doing our duties. 00:16:30.000 |
But we know deep in our hearts that we've drifted. 00:16:33.000 |
We know deep in our hearts that everything has become a burden. 00:16:36.000 |
And it's been a long time that you've actually worshipped God. 00:16:41.000 |
It's been a long time since you've run to God for refuge because you needed Him. 00:16:46.000 |
You did it out of obligation. You did it out of duty. 00:16:48.000 |
You did it because other people are watching. 00:16:54.000 |
And that's why he says for the Word of God is living and active. 00:16:58.000 |
You can fool your wife. You can fool your children. 00:17:09.000 |
That's what he means. For the Word of God is living and active. 00:17:18.000 |
You know what's interesting is in the Greek construction of this verse, 00:17:23.000 |
for the purpose of emphasis, when an idea should really pop out, 00:17:28.000 |
one of the things that they did was they would do it in repetition. 00:17:32.000 |
They would say Peter, Peter or Holy, Holy, Holy. 00:17:36.000 |
Another tool that they used is they would use whatever was to be emphasized 00:17:43.000 |
And so in the Greek, the word for living is in the front. 00:17:47.000 |
So if we were to translate it exactly the way that is written in the Greek, 00:17:51.000 |
it would say living is the word. Living is the word. 00:17:57.000 |
So the emphasis is that the Word of God is not just an ancient document, 00:18:02.000 |
even though it's written in three different languages, 00:18:12.000 |
In fact, ancient Hebrew was already pretty much dead by the time of Christ. 00:18:17.000 |
So only scholars and scribes used ancient Hebrew at that time. 00:18:21.000 |
That's why when we study the Old Testament, usually we go to the Septuagint, 00:18:26.000 |
So all three languages, Aramaic and even the Greek, it's Koine Greek. 00:18:31.000 |
It's not the modern day Greek that is being used today. 00:18:33.000 |
So all three languages are not languages that are being used today. 00:18:37.000 |
So even though the Bible is written in dead languages, 00:18:40.000 |
it was written 2,000, 3,000 years ago, respectively, 00:18:51.000 |
2 Timothy 3, 16, all Scripture is inspired by God. 00:18:55.000 |
The word inspired literally means God breathed. 00:18:58.000 |
And the reason why the Word of God is active and it is living, 00:19:02.000 |
it is because his very breath has been placed in this word. 00:19:10.000 |
So we're not just reading an ancient document. 00:19:17.000 |
and many people have a difficult time reading the Bible because it's just literature to them. 00:19:22.000 |
But anybody, even if you are illiterate, if you receive a love letter, 00:19:29.000 |
They said that 95% of the people who finish school, 00:19:36.000 |
95% of all Americans never read a book after they graduate. 00:19:43.000 |
So if you've ever read a book after you graduated, you're 5%. 00:19:46.000 |
Part of the reason why so few people know what the Word of God is, 00:19:59.000 |
If all you see the Bible as is just literature, 00:20:07.000 |
95% of the world, we're not going to be able to reach with the Word of God. 00:20:14.000 |
If all you see is a book, then yeah, we're basically screwed. 00:20:23.000 |
The very breath of God has been invested in here. 00:20:28.000 |
the Bible is the primary way that we hear His voice. 00:20:39.000 |
Those of you who've been with us for more than 10 years, 00:20:45.000 |
we've actually studied the book of Philippians. 00:20:50.000 |
So this is actually the third time that we're studying. 00:20:54.000 |
we actually, the whole church memorized the book of Philippians. 00:20:57.000 |
So every once in a while, you'll see some of us Pharisees 00:20:59.000 |
with green T-shirts with the book of Philippians on our chest. 00:21:04.000 |
So Tanya actually designed it, and it says, I think it says "Rejoice" on it. 00:21:10.000 |
It has a theme of Philippians, and then the whole book of Philippians. 00:21:17.000 |
But we have those T-shirts, if we still have it, right? 00:21:21.000 |
When you look at that, you say, well, we've studied through that already. 00:21:29.000 |
I guarantee you, you can study it for the next 40 years. 00:21:34.000 |
How you read Philippians will be very different 00:21:38.000 |
as a 10-year-old, 20-year-old, 30-year-old, 40-year-old, 50-year-old. 00:21:44.000 |
It will sound very different when you're married and when you're single. 00:21:47.000 |
When you have children or multiple children and don't have children. 00:21:50.000 |
When you're in time of despair and when you're in time of rejoicing. 00:21:56.000 |
When your life is filled with friends or when you feel lonely. 00:21:59.000 |
The Word of God will seem very different because you change. 00:22:16.000 |
But because it's living and active, it is constantly changing. 00:22:23.000 |
but because it is constantly speaking to every part of our lives in different parts. 00:22:28.000 |
I don't know how many times I would sit and do quiet time over the same passage. 00:22:32.000 |
I mean, I've preached through pretty much the whole Bible. 00:22:34.000 |
So I've read multiple commentaries on every single text, 00:22:37.000 |
even though I don't remember most of this stuff. 00:22:40.000 |
I've gone through it enough where I'm familiar with superficial stuff about the Bible. 00:22:45.000 |
About the general knowledge of what the Word of God says. 00:22:48.000 |
But I don't know how often I sit in front of it and I am just amazed. 00:22:59.000 |
You know, during summer retreat, one of our workshops is inerrancy. 00:23:07.000 |
And so a lot of people have already signed up for that. 00:23:10.000 |
It's about basically how do we get the Bible, why is it reliable, why is it authoritative. 00:23:15.000 |
And so our Elder James is going to be teaching that. 00:23:18.000 |
I think it's going to be a very useful seminar to be in. 00:23:22.000 |
But the ultimate test of the Word of God is in the Bible itself. 00:23:29.000 |
You've already heard, the real author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit. 00:23:35.000 |
And so on the surface, when you study it like literature, you can see Paul's personality, Peter's personality. 00:23:42.000 |
You can kind of debate over who wrote the book of Hebrews. 00:23:45.000 |
And like, who's Moses, what is his personality like. 00:23:50.000 |
But when you really begin to dig through the Word of God, it is so crystal clear that there is one author. 00:24:00.000 |
There is no way a human being or many human beings, no matter how many lives that they lived, could have put this together. 00:24:10.000 |
And it's not something that I'm going to be able to convince with my words until you get into it yourself. 00:24:14.000 |
You know how often I sit in the middle of quiet time, I feel like I see him. 00:24:30.000 |
Over and over, year after year, decade after decade, generation after generation, it is living and it is active. 00:24:41.000 |
In Psalm, chapter 1 to 1 to 3, the word active is energes, where we get the word energy. 00:24:49.000 |
But if you look at Psalm, blessed is the man. 00:24:53.000 |
The whole book of Psalms, it starts with Psalm, chapter 1, and it kind of prepares the reader for what's coming. 00:25:03.000 |
You know, happy, blessed, these are all just different words for somebody who is in the Sabbath. 00:25:09.000 |
Somebody who is at rest. He is no longer in turmoil. 00:25:12.000 |
But happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. 00:25:19.000 |
His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. 00:25:25.000 |
If you read that and you don't like reading, you're in trouble. 00:25:31.000 |
Because he said, happy is the man who delights in the law of the Lord. 00:25:37.000 |
Oh man, every time I read the Bible, I fall asleep. 00:25:42.000 |
There are some people who really delight in studying, these theological nerds. 00:25:47.000 |
They love to read many chapters and talk about theology. 00:25:56.000 |
Not the new hip term basic, but just the old understanding of basic. Fundamental. 00:26:12.000 |
When I see Psalm 1, it's a description of somebody who's in love with God. 00:26:20.000 |
It's a description of somebody who delights in the law because he hears his master's voice. 00:26:34.000 |
He's not talking about a Pharisee who likes to dissect what does the Sabbath mean, how far can we go, 00:26:43.000 |
He's not describing somebody who likes to dissect what it says. 00:26:47.000 |
He delights in the law of the Lord because he knows who he is. 00:26:51.000 |
He sees and he's experienced the breath of God. 00:26:55.000 |
And he wants more. He delights in the law of the Lord. 00:27:00.000 |
And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water. 00:27:04.000 |
He's an individual who's drinking of this water and is being filled with life and energy 00:27:09.000 |
which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not wither. 00:27:14.000 |
He's not an individual who's just determined to do the right thing. 00:27:18.000 |
He's an individual who has tasted the goodness of God and wants more. 00:27:25.000 |
And he begins to bear fruit as a result of this delighting. 00:27:40.000 |
The whole book of Hebrews, our retreat theme is about anchoring in Christ. 00:27:46.000 |
Because until we are anchored in Christ, this will be a burden to you. 00:27:54.000 |
If you don't have any affection for God, studying the word of God is an obligation. 00:28:01.000 |
Some of you guys just like reading for no reason. 00:28:04.000 |
Maybe a few of you just want to know more theology. 00:28:08.000 |
You want to be able to debate and put the people in their place. 00:28:15.000 |
But if all it is, if studying the Bible, all it is, is just to gain more knowledge, this is a burden. 00:28:22.000 |
But this is not a description of just doing the right thing. 00:28:29.000 |
That's why Jesus says, "My sheep, they hear my voice and they follow." 00:28:34.000 |
When they hear my voice, it perks up because it's not simply like, "Oh, there's his voice and I better do this." 00:28:41.000 |
It's because they want to be there because that's where food is. 00:28:44.000 |
That's where safety is. That's where they feel protected. 00:28:47.000 |
That's where when the wolves come, that their shepherd is going to protect them. 00:28:52.000 |
So when they hear the Master's voice, they automatically perk up and go. 00:28:57.000 |
"My sheep, they hear my voice," and his voice has been put into his word. 00:29:01.000 |
It's his very breath. It's living and active. 00:29:04.000 |
That's why Paul says, "Preach the word in season and out of season." 00:29:09.000 |
Because fruit comes from hearing his voice being near him. 00:29:14.000 |
Fruitfulness does not come because of technique. 00:29:18.000 |
I hear so many people who say, "You know what? We've tried this and people don't want it." 00:29:23.000 |
"They're not going to come if we do it this way." 00:29:26.000 |
So they begin to look for techniques and they begin to change things here and there. 00:29:30.000 |
And so there's nothing evil about any of that. 00:29:34.000 |
But fruit does not come because of technique. 00:29:38.000 |
Fruit comes because his word is preached and his sheep hear his voice and they want more. 00:29:46.000 |
That's why he says, "Preach the word in season and out of season." 00:29:49.000 |
Whether they listen or don't listen, whether people gather or don't gather, 00:29:53.000 |
whether people feel loved or don't feel loved, whether they're encouraged or not encouraged. 00:29:58.000 |
He said, "Preach the word in season and out of season." 00:30:00.000 |
Because there are some times it's going to come a period of time 00:30:04.000 |
when people are going to be sick and tired of listening to words that are discouraging, convicting. 00:30:14.000 |
When that happens, when that period comes, you stick with it. 00:30:21.000 |
Because the very breath that he has placed to convict us, to motivate us, to challenge us, 00:30:35.000 |
He said, "The word of God goes forth and it will not return until it has accomplished its purpose." 00:30:39.000 |
Sometimes the purpose of God's word is to divide. 00:30:43.000 |
It's to divide between bone and marrow, between spirit and soul. 00:30:46.000 |
It's to divide between those who believe and those who don't believe. 00:30:50.000 |
And so when the word is preached and unbelieving hears it, he is irritated. 00:30:58.000 |
If you're a child of the darkness, the word of God is the light being turned on. 00:31:02.000 |
And God's presence, his holy presence comes into our life 00:31:05.000 |
and the reaction of a creature who belongs in the dark 00:31:09.000 |
is trying to find a hole where he feels comfortable. 00:31:15.000 |
But if you're a child of the light and you have been in the darkness, 00:31:18.000 |
you're going to thank God that the light is turned on. 00:31:21.000 |
Because now you can see where your master is and you can go. 00:31:24.000 |
And that's why he says, "Preach the word in season and out of season." 00:31:30.000 |
Because that's where, it's the word of God that's living and active. 00:31:34.000 |
Not the technique, not the organization, not some new discipleship program, 00:31:40.000 |
not the friends around you, not a single pastor, not a group of leaders, 00:31:44.000 |
not a particular generation, not a particular book of opinions, 00:32:01.000 |
The two-edged sword that he's referring to is a combat sword. 00:32:07.000 |
And he said every single one of us is engaged in the spiritual battle. 00:32:12.000 |
And the word of God is the primary tool that he's given us. 00:32:17.000 |
I don't want to sidetrack about, is there spirit and soul? 00:32:28.000 |
Because I think in the end we missed the point 00:32:30.000 |
because it's just a hyperbole to say how sharp and effective the word of God is. 00:32:35.000 |
And it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 00:32:40.000 |
That's exactly how the word of God was preached in the early church 00:32:43.000 |
when Apostle Paul, without hesitation, in boldness, 00:32:49.000 |
he begins to preach the same gospel that Jesus preached, 00:32:52.000 |
and he begins to indict them that the author of life that you proclaim to worship, 00:32:59.000 |
And he says this to the same people who crucified Christ, 00:33:02.000 |
probably expecting that he's going to be crucified as well. 00:33:11.000 |
"Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart." 00:33:16.000 |
"Their thoughts and intention was judged and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 00:33:21.000 |
Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ 00:33:27.000 |
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" 00:33:30.000 |
The word for cut here in Hebrews 4.12 is to cut or agitate violently. 00:33:43.000 |
When you're in hand-to-hand combat, you don't want a dull sword. 00:33:46.000 |
You don't want a sword that is inappropriate. 00:33:51.000 |
In Amos 8.11-12, it basically says in the end, 00:33:54.000 |
after he has spread the word, he said when the famine comes, 00:34:00.000 |
People are going to be staggering from place to place, wanting to hear from God, 00:34:03.000 |
connect with God, but God's final judgment is the word will not be taught. 00:34:09.000 |
So when the word goes forth and it begins to cut, 00:34:16.000 |
It's God's love being patient and drawing us to him. 00:34:20.000 |
2 Timothy 3.16, all scripture is inspired by God. 00:34:23.000 |
God breathed, and it is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, 00:34:28.000 |
for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequately equipped 00:34:36.000 |
Every time something happens and it doesn't work and we're frustrated, 00:34:41.000 |
But he said it's the word of God that is profitable, that's useful, 00:34:48.000 |
For whatever the reason, we think in order to do missions, 00:34:50.000 |
we have to learn anthropology, contextualization, 00:34:53.000 |
we have to be able to maybe do a little bit of marketing, 00:34:56.000 |
get a business degree, and know how to manage. 00:35:02.000 |
And again, there is a place for all of that stuff. 00:35:06.000 |
But this is being applied by people who don't know the scripture. 00:35:17.000 |
if you're not that familiar with the word of God, 00:35:20.000 |
before you learn technique of how to answer apologetic questions, 00:35:26.000 |
how to use verbal judo to take somebody who's asking these questions 00:35:30.000 |
and flip them around and attack them with the word of God, 00:35:36.000 |
if you're not familiar with the book of Leviticus, 00:35:41.000 |
If you don't know what the book of Numbers is for, 00:35:45.000 |
The word of God says it's his word that is useful to rebuke, to train, 00:35:56.000 |
You could have all the training in the world, all the technique, 00:35:59.000 |
all the experience in the world, but the word of God is not in you. 00:36:15.000 |
I'm talking about his connection with the Father. 00:36:18.000 |
You take an individual where the living water is just overflowing in him, 00:36:42.000 |
But you take an individual, no matter how old, no matter how young, 00:36:54.000 |
You know, we're trying so hard to share the gospel with our children. 00:36:58.000 |
When your heart is filled with the love of God, 00:37:02.000 |
see if that conversation just doesn't happen. 00:37:07.000 |
You know when somebody is like a crazy Lakers fan, crazy Lakers fan, 00:37:16.000 |
We have somebody who loves Jeremy Lin like that at our church. 00:37:28.000 |
He didn't have a plan to let you know that that's what it was. 00:37:31.000 |
He didn't have a flow chart of what he needs to do to get the word out. 00:37:50.000 |
If you fall in love with Christ, you will become the best evangelist. 00:38:09.000 |
It is the Christ in you who will bear witness through you. 00:38:13.000 |
We, our natural tendency is to give credit to creation rather than the creator. 00:38:21.000 |
So whenever something doesn't work, we think we need to do more. 00:38:28.000 |
"Am I abiding in Christ? Have I drifted away from him? 00:38:34.000 |
Is it because I haven't been anchored, why I sense this frustration?" 00:38:40.000 |
The word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. 00:38:43.000 |
It's the word of God that judges the thoughts and intentions of our heart. 00:38:47.000 |
And then in verse 13, "And there is no creature hidden from his sight, 00:38:51.000 |
but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do." 00:39:01.000 |
and either it will cause you to feel anxious and suffocate it. 00:39:07.000 |
You know the word for open, "triclitzo," where we get the word "tracheotomy." 00:39:13.000 |
Basically, you know the procedure when somebody can't breathe, 00:39:16.000 |
and they puncture a hole, and then they make sure they breathe directly out. 00:39:19.000 |
That's where the word comes from, "triclitzo." 00:39:22.000 |
It's to be open, open so that they can breathe. 00:39:26.000 |
And then the word for laid bare, "gymnazzo," where we get the word "gymnasium." 00:39:30.000 |
So today, when we think of gymnasium, we think of lifting weights and becoming healthy. 00:39:34.000 |
But at that time, "gymnazzo" is basically where two athletes, male athletes, would come, 00:39:41.000 |
And that's where the word "naked" comes from. 00:39:44.000 |
And the reason why they're naked is because it was meant to be a pure competition. 00:39:52.000 |
It was just flesh to flesh that they would wrestle with no encumbrance. 00:39:57.000 |
And that's the word that is used here, that before God, we are all open, and we are all bare. 00:40:04.000 |
Now, if we don't understand that in the context of what he is saying, 00:40:07.000 |
we can hear that and say, "Wow, God, we're completely naked before God. 00:40:13.000 |
Let me read Psalm 139 with you, up to verse 18. 00:40:19.000 |
"How you receive this may be evidence of where you are with God right now." 00:40:27.000 |
Psalm 139, if you guys know, it's about David who's proclaiming that God is omnipresent, and he's omnipotent. 00:40:34.000 |
In Psalm 139, verse 138, "O Lord, you have searched me and known me. 00:40:43.000 |
You scrutinize my path and my lying down and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 00:40:49.000 |
Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it all. 00:40:54.000 |
You have enclosed me behind and before and laid your hand upon me." 00:40:58.000 |
If he stopped right there, he knows everything. 00:41:13.000 |
If you look at verse 6, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. 00:41:18.000 |
Where can I go from your spirit or where can I flee from your presence? 00:41:23.000 |
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there. 00:41:26.000 |
If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, where can I possibly run? 00:41:34.000 |
But in verse 10, "Even there your hand will lead me and your right hand will lay hold of me." 00:41:41.000 |
The point of this is like, no matter where I try to run, I can't hide from you. 00:41:49.000 |
I mean, you would think that that's what he would say, but he doesn't say that. 00:41:55.000 |
Even my words, he knows me better than myself. 00:42:04.000 |
"Because of that, I know that he will lead me." 00:42:10.000 |
There is no place that I can go where God is too far to reach. 00:42:22.000 |
There is nothing that I'm doing now where God is not present. 00:42:25.000 |
And so, if you are drifting and you don't care, it is very suffocating. 00:42:30.000 |
Because he's basically saying you can't run from God. 00:42:32.000 |
The word of God will judge the thoughts and intentions of your heart. 00:42:36.000 |
But if you hear his voice, no matter how far you have drifted, no matter what you have said, 00:42:42.000 |
no matter what you have done, he says, "The Lord is there and he knows how to lead me." 00:43:00.000 |
Verse 11, "If I say, 'Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,' 00:43:05.000 |
even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night is as bright as the day. 00:43:09.000 |
Darkness and light are like to you, for you form my inward parts. 00:43:22.000 |
"I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:43:25.000 |
Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well." 00:43:33.000 |
See, when he was hiding his sin, and he was running from God, he felt this weight of his sin. 00:43:41.000 |
But as soon as he acknowledged it, and he came before God, and he repented, 00:43:46.000 |
I try to hide, I try to run, but I realize that I can't run from you." 00:43:51.000 |
And that's what brought him to repentance, and because of this repentance, he said, 00:43:54.000 |
"Thank God you know how to lead me, even in my own deception. 00:43:59.000 |
Even though I try to deceive the whole world, the whole kingdom, as the king." 00:44:06.000 |
And he probably even forgot himself, when the prophet was given an illustration 00:44:11.000 |
of this evil man who took advantage of his servants. 00:44:20.000 |
And yet, when the word of God was given to him, God led him out of that. 00:44:26.000 |
And that's what's leading him to pray, "I will give thanks to you, Lord, 00:44:32.000 |
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, 00:44:35.000 |
and skillfully wrought in depths of the earth. 00:44:37.000 |
Your eyes have seen my uninformed substance, and in your book were all written 00:44:41.000 |
the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. 00:44:59.000 |
He's a man who delights in the law of the Lord because he found rest in Christ. 00:45:03.000 |
That no matter how far he tried to run from God, there he was. 00:45:07.000 |
No matter how far he tried to run, no matter what hole he crept into, there he was. 00:45:25.000 |
The rest that we have that God offers can only be found when we are near Christ. 00:45:34.000 |
You know, when you first get married--well, I'll start with the dating. 00:45:39.000 |
When you first date, everybody puts their best foot forward. 00:45:44.000 |
If the first date you go out and the guy comes out with sweatpants, just walk out. 00:45:57.000 |
So if he comes out to a date, he's presenting the best that he has. 00:46:01.000 |
He brushes his teeth, does his hair, puts the best suit on, whatever it is, 00:46:05.000 |
that he's going to come out and he's going to present the best. 00:46:08.000 |
As you get comfortable, it's going to start creeping out. 00:46:13.000 |
You don't have the best hygiene, whatever it is, and your bodily fluids, 00:46:20.000 |
So some of you who have been dating for a while, you've been holding it in for so long, 00:46:31.000 |
So when you first get married, there's some nervousness. 00:46:41.000 |
You held the gas in for long, but you're going to be living together. 00:46:45.000 |
Some of you guys just didn't care right off the bat. 00:46:55.000 |
And not only that, I'm just using that as an example. 00:46:58.000 |
But in your honeymoon stage, you're trying still. 00:47:04.000 |
All your idiosyncrasies, all your bad habits, your hygiene, all of it is going to begin to leak out. 00:47:10.000 |
And there's this awkwardness of like, "Oh, my God, I didn't know that about her. 00:47:17.000 |
But after you've been married for a long period of time, there is nothing hidden. 00:47:30.000 |
Even before I open my mouth, she starts to mimic my sermon. 00:47:35.000 |
But there's a sense of comfort and rest in that. 00:47:51.000 |
And so we feel comfortable because we don't have to pretend. 00:48:00.000 |
No matter where I go, we're not pretending before God. 00:48:09.000 |
Whatever mistakes that you have made, however far you have drifted from God, past, present, or future, 00:48:18.000 |
The reason why he came to die for us is because he knows you. 00:48:25.000 |
He knew that none of us could have made it by our own effort. 00:48:31.000 |
He didn't die so that we would no longer sin, even though that's what he calls us to do. 00:48:39.000 |
And then he tells us to now do your best to live up to that. 00:48:47.000 |
True freedom in Christ that you will not find in any relationship, any kind of security, in any kind of job, any kind of praise. 00:48:58.000 |
There's this living water that only Christ can give. 00:49:06.000 |
He says, "Do not drift, for the word of God is living and active. 00:49:12.000 |
But there is freedom in that if we receive it and come to him." 00:49:17.000 |
And so that is my prayer, and that is the exhortation of the author of the book of Hebrews. 00:49:25.000 |
Are you one of those people who are working hard saying, "You know what? 00:49:30.000 |
I need to at least be a C student before I can come to church and become a member or fellowship with these people. 00:49:38.000 |
Or if I can be any kind of use to God, I need to at least make myself to be a B." 00:49:45.000 |
The whole reason why God called us in the first place is because we could not. 00:49:48.000 |
Every single one of us is deserving of the judgment of God by our own righteousness. 00:49:54.000 |
If you found yourself drifting, let me conclude with this one encouragement. 00:50:00.000 |
It's probably one of the biggest epiphany that I had through the word of God. 00:50:05.000 |
And for the sake of time, I'm not going to get into it. 00:50:08.000 |
But the only Christian who fails is the one who quits. 00:50:13.000 |
Only Christian who fails is the one who quits. 00:50:20.000 |
Let's take some time to pray as we invite our worship team to come.