We'll be reading this morning out of Hebrews chapter number four. Hebrews chapter number four this morning, how he praised the Lord for the word of God. The word of God ought to be precious to every one of us. in the Old and the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse number 11 says this, Now all these things happen unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. According to that verse, all the scriptures, both Old Testament and New Testament now, are profitable for our learning. We can learn from the Word of God. The Bible that we hold in our hand is an amazing book. It is a powerful book. It is a supernatural book. It is a book that changes lives. It is a book that has all of life's answers and how we praise the Lord for the Word of God. There are many accounts in the scriptures that are exciting to read. You start reading through the scriptures to read about a giant by the name of Goliath, who a young boy named David faced and was able to slay that day using a sling and a stone because we serve a mighty God. We read about Daniel who was thrown into a lion's den and three Hebrew children who went into a fiery furnace. And all four of them lived to talk about it and to share their story of God's provision and protection. We read about Samson, a man of supernatural strength. We read about a man named Jonah who spent A couple nights in the belly of a fish and lived to talk about it. We read about a man by the name of Moses. And in Hebrews chapter 3, it's kind of rehearsing about the story of Moses. Moses, of course, is the man who God chose to lead Israel out of Egypt. Israel had spent over 400 years in bondage. 400 years as a slave there in the land of Egypt. And it was getting rough at this time. There arose a pharaoh that knew not Joseph. And Joseph, of course, they had been kind to Israel for many years. But now they were in slavery. Now things were rough. Now they were being beaten and whipped and given all kinds of just terrible laws and regulations. There was a rule that their sons should be killed that were born. And Israel began to cry out to God. And God sent a man by the name of Moses. And we know what happened. Moses went. He was a faithful man. In verse number five of chapter three, it says that Moses barely was faithful in all his house. He was a servant. He went and did what God told him to do. And of course, they led Israel and they came up to the Red Sea. And God told Moses to lift his rod over the Red Sea and the Red Sea divided. And Israel crossed over that day. The waters were then released and all the Egyptians were drowned that followed Israel. And Israel went, and they went to the promised land, a land that God had promised them, a land in Hebrews chapter number 3, referred to as the rest. All their slavery would be over. Their time of torment would be ended. And they went to this land, to the very edge there at Kadesh Barnea. And they could go into their land and they sent 12 spies in. You probably know this story. 12 spies went into Canaan and they came back. Joshua and Caleb, they said, we can do this because God said we could. We can go in and have this land and enter into our rest. But there were 10 spies who had a very negative attitude. 10 spies who said that they could not do it, there were giants in the land, there were two fenced cities, and too much opposition, and that they would surely be killed. And all of Israel listened to those 10 negative attitudes, those 10 negative reports, and they decided to throw their hands up and to quit, and they fell short. They were right there at the line, at the promised land, but they did not get to enter. In chapter number three, in verse number eleven, it says, So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest. They did not get to enter the promised land. So for 40 years they wandered in the wilderness and one by one, that generation who did not believe God, they died in the wilderness. But then they came back after 40 years. This time something was different. They believed God. And they went in. They went into that rest. You say, why did you go over all that? Because Hebrews chapter 4, this is where it took all of that teaching, as we read, it's an example for us, and now it's making an application in chapter 4. It says in verse number 1, 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 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. 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 we spake in a certain place on 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 therein, and they to whom it was first preached enter 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 not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Let's pray this morning. Father, I thank you, Lord, for the scriptures. Father, I just pray that you would speak to our hearts this morning. If there be someone this morning that listens to this message, that does not know you as their personal savior, I pray today would be the day that they put their faith and trust in you. Please, Father, give me the words to say, and I pray that it would fall upon receptive hearts and ears. We love you. We thank you for your son. And in his name we pray. Amen. Here in this passage of scripture in chapter number four, we read about that rest that God has for his people. I want to point out a few things this morning. We keep in mind what took place in the Old Testament with Moses, what took place with those who did not fully believe and they fell short. They were right there at the boundary of that promised land, but they did not get to enter because of their unbelief. And in chapter number four, we're told that this is important for us. We need to understand this account in scriptures and then apply it to our lives today. I just want to point out very quickly three things. Number one, you see a required fear. It says there in verse number one, let us therefore fear. Now that word fear is if you look up the Greek word, it's the word phobia, which we get our word phobia from. I don't know about you, but a lot of people have phobias. They're afraid of things. And by this, it doesn't just mean you've got to be unnerved about it. It means to be frightened, to be greatly afraid of things. I don't know if you have any phobias. I don't really think I have any phobias. There's some things I don't like. I don't like snakes. Amen. We don't like those. Spiders, they don't bother me. Some people, they do. Mice, they don't really bother me. People like Brother Carr, he'll stand up on a table and scream like a girl. You don't like mice. You know, but you know, we there's different things. It's true. There's different things we don't like. All right. But different people have different phobias. Now, I don't think none of us like being scared. It didn't used to bother me that much, you know, but the older I get, the more something that happens that scares me, it takes me longer to get over it. I don't know if that's true for everybody else. The other day I was walking down my hallway and Alex decided he would scare me. And so he got into the bathroom and didn't turn the lights on. He's in the hallway bathroom, just waiting for me. I come walking down the hall and all of a sudden he jumps out. It scared me. I had to sit down. I've never had to do something like that. He said, are you OK, Dad? I was like, I'm OK. And it was actually funny. And I enjoyed that. That was fine. But I noticed the older I get, it takes me longer to get over those frightening experiences, all right? Now, many people have phobias. Or many people have fears, maybe afraid of heights, or afraid of the dark, or afraid of crowds, or whatever it may be. Different people have different things. But here is something that God said we all should be greatly afraid of. Here is something that says, notice, let us therefore fear. Let us therefore have a phobia. Let us be frightened about something. You say, what is it talking about to be afraid of? There are some things that we ought to be afraid of today. When I was a teenager, one of the big things and probably some of you can relate to this, there was a slogan and I still say it once a lot today, but no fear. T-shirts, everyone wore T-shirts, said no fear. People had in the back of their car. No fear. I saw, you know, bumper stickers. No fear. You know, it's all over the place. No fear. And, you know, sold a lot of stuff, I guess. But. You know, there is something we ought to be afraid of. So what is it that we should be afraid of? Living your life. And dying without the Lord Jesus Christ. Living your life. You know, there's many people today that are out there living their life. the way they want, living their life to the fullest. Many people who are going around with basically the philosophy of life that he who dies with the most toys wins. My friend, that is a great error. That is a lie of the devil. The Bible is the truth. And it says in Mark, chapter eight and verse thirty six, for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? There is nothing in this world that can compare to the value of your soul. And there's many people today that are living their life just wanting to make themselves happy as long as they can find one pleasure after another pleasure. And they keep having to find themselves, find new pleasures to keep themselves happy. I'm glad that we don't have to live according to happiness. But we can live according to joy. And a joy is a joy and a peace that is there in our life that Christ gave us the day that we accepted him as our Savior. It is what the Bible describes as a joy unspeakable. You can't describe the joy you have since the day you got saved. Amen. Now, that's not to say that life every day is perfect, but still in our hearts, because we're saved, we know that God's going to see us through and everything's going to be just fine. If you're on the Lord's side, you're a winner. Amen. We have something to rejoice about. But those without Christ, they have something to fear. You say, well, preacher, I don't know what you're talking about. I've got a wife. I've got two children. I've got a good job. I've got a dog and a retirement fund and a swimming pool and two weeks vacation coming up. I've got security. I have nothing to fear. If you're without Christ, you have something to greatly fear. So I've got, you know, I prepared, I've got my life and my family taken care of for generations. That's fine. But you still have something to fear. because there is a life to come. You see, the Bible says here, let us therefore fear. Dying without Jesus Christ as your Savior is something to have a fear about. Now, if you're saved, aren't you glad you don't have that fear? But if you're lost this morning, hear me, you have something to fear. You say, what do I have to fear? Well, there is a place called hell. Many of the world's philosophies and even some religions will tell you there is no hell, but that's not what God's Word says. And God's Word is truth. The Bible teaches this, let God be true, and every man a liar. If you ever hear anything that doesn't line up with the Word of God, then that person is in error, because God's Word is truth. Luke chapter number 16 describes hell. It describes hell as being a place of torments, a place of awful pain, A place of where there is in a flame, a fire that shall not be quenched, a place of mourning, a place of weeping, a place of gnashing of teeth, a place of anger, a place of fire, a place of brimstone, a place of eternal separation from God, a place where a memory is still there. You see, there is a rich man, the Bible teaches, that went to hell and in hell he remembered He remembered his family. He remembered those who were righteous. He remembered the times that no doubt he could have, but he denied Christ. And in that flame, you know what he was consumed with? Please tell my brothers that they not come to this place. Some people tell you that they're going to have a hell party in hell and have a good time in hell. That's a lie. Even the rich man said he didn't want his brothers to come there. Hell is an awful place of darkness. Hell is a real place and a place to be feared. The Lord spoke much more in the New Testament about hell than he did even heaven. You know why? Because there is something to fear. He said, well, I am saved. Notice it says, let us therefore fear. So what should we fear? Why should we be afraid of hell, preacher, if we're saved? Because we too may have family. who's not ready. We should fear for our brothers. We should fear for our sisters. We should fear for our parents and for our children, for our family, for our neighbors. We should fear for our co-workers. We should fear for our relatives. We should fear for all those who do not know Christ as their Savior. There is a hell. I don't like preaching about it, but it doesn't change the fact there is a hell. A place of utter darkness. I believe the Bible teaches that hell is in the center of this earth. In hell, when they're weeping, they're crying out. A little over a week ago, there was a terrible accident in Kansas. Some friends of ours. The man was able to get his one son out of the car. His other son, this man, was a medic. In his days in the service. When he saw his other son in the car, he just sat on the side of the road. He knew he's gone. The police soon pulled up and the lady that had hit them, her car had burst into flames. She was crying out. Over 95 percent of her body was burned, third degree burns. She just this past Friday passed away from those injuries. And I hope she was saved. I believe that young boy is in heaven today. But if that lady was not saved, the pain that she endured those five days is nothing compared to the eternity in hell. See, sometimes we don't want to think about it, but hell is a reality. Sometimes we don't want to talk about it, but God said differently. We ought to think about it. We ought to warn people about it. Friend, listen to me today. We ought to fear it. If you're lost, you ought to fear it for yourself today. Let us therefore fear. If you're saved, we ought to have a fear of hell, not for ourselves, because once you're saved, there is no condemnation. Amen. We've got friends and families and neighbors and co-workers and relatives who must be shared the gospel with. Hell is real. Let us therefore fear, there's a required fear, but don't you see this in verse number one, there is a remaining promise, lest a promise being left of us entering into his rest. I'm glad today that I do not have to preach that there is a hell. And we have no choice. We're condemned there. There is a promise of rest. Amen. There is a promise of rest. There is a promise of eternal life. We have hope this morning. I used to be I live my life or I wasn't a bad person. I was saved at age 14, but before that, even though I wasn't allowed, and given permission to do some terrible, wicked things, I still was sinful. I still was ornery. I still tried to get away with everything I could. I still was focused upon living for myself. But the day that I got saved, I praised the Lord, my life turned around. I praised the Lord that day when I heard the gospel and I accepted and believed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, my life changed. You see, in verse number two, for unto us was the gospel preached. Aren't you glad the gospel was preached to you? Aren't you glad you heard the truth of God's word? Aren't you glad and thank the Lord for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Romans chapter number one in verse 16 says this, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. I'm so thankful this morning for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Understand this, this morning, that we are not saved by our own power. The Bible says in that verse in Romans 1 16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. We are saved by the power of God. We are saved through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And if you're saved today, you ought to be thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you're lost today, you need to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Before the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I was lost and on my way to hell. But I'm thankful for the day that I believe the Gospel. Before the Gospel, I had no relationship with God. Since the day I believed, I've had a relationship with God. Before the Gospel, I was unrighteous. Since believing the Gospel, I was made righteous. Before the Gospel, I was unforgiven. When I believed the Gospel, I am forgiven. Before the Gospel, I was living in condemnation. After believing the gospel, I was justified. Before the gospel, I was heading towards hell. Since believing the gospel, I'm heading towards heaven. Aren't you thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ? It is the power of God unto salvation. I was teaching in my Sunday school class this morning, and I want to point this out. Keep your finger here, but go back to 1 Corinthians, please, in chapter number 1. There are many people this morning and many religions even out there that will tell you that you have to be a good person to go to heaven. Many will tell you you need to be baptized and that being baptized, you'll go to heaven. Well, that's not true. Now, we know this from Romans chapter one and verse 16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto what salvation. What is the power of God unto salvation? It is the what? The gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, look at this verse in First Corinthians, chapter one and in verse number 17. This is the Apostle Paul speaking. He said, First Corinthians 117, For Christ sent me not to baptize. But to preach the gospel. If the gospel is the power of God unto salvation, and Paul said, I didn't come to baptize, but to preach the gospel, then it is clear through scriptures that your baptism does not have anything to do with you being saved. Amen. Paul made that clear that Paul's not against baptism. He taught that you ought to be baptized after you're saved. He wasn't against baptism. He taught that it is a way of identifying yourself with a risen savior. It is your way of telling others that you are a child of God. But he didn't come. to baptize, he came to preach the gospel, and it is the gospel that saves people. It is the gospel that saved my soul. You say, what is the gospel? 1 Corinthians 15 says this, for the gospel of Jesus Christ, Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Paul said this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Understanding this, say, how can I be saved? By believing in the gospel. By putting your faith in the gospel. That Christ Jesus came to this world and He died for our sins. Substitution. He took our place upon that cross and He died for our sins. He was buried. Because of our sins, He faced death. He paid the penalty of death and He died for our sins. But praise God, on the third day, He arose victoriously and showed His power over death. He showed His power over hell. He showed His power over sin. And that's why Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, after he resurrected, death, where's your sting? Grave, where's your victory? You have nothing! Because Jesus Christ conquered it. That's the gospel. And the day that I believed that I'm a sinner, I know I can't pay for my sins, for all of sin to come short of the glory of God. I myself cannot meet the penalty that's required for sin. So I've been a good person. All of our righteousness is this filthy rags, the Bible says. I was a good kid. I told you that. I tried. I was still ornery, but I sure wasn't wicked, I don't think, in the world's eyes. In God's eyes, I was. But I tried. I behaved. I said, yes, sir. I said, yes, ma'am. I didn't go places that I shouldn't go. I didn't do those things, but I still needed to be saved. All my good works, going to church all my life, from the time I was five days old, I started going to church. And I never missed church. I grew up in church. I went to Sunday school. I memorized my Bible verse. I went to a Christian school. And I did all those things. But if I would have died in those first 14 years of my life, I would have died and gone to hell because I did not believe the gospel. But I praised the Lord on August 14, 1989. I, Travis Burke, the gospel of Christ, convicted me and I said, Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I realize my sin and I believe that you died for me. And I made a choice that day at 644 Maple Hill Drive, West Carrollton, Ohio, and my daddy's room on his bed with his Bible open in front of me. I made a choice that night to put my faith in the gospel. God saved my soul. There's a promise. There's a promise of rest. So what is that rest for the child of God? It's heaven. I love that verse that we read in Hebrews chapter number four and verse number nine. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. There is a rest. For the people of God, it is heaven. I talked a little bit about hell and the awfulness of hell. But I'm glad I can tell you this morning. There is a heaven. And heaven is wonderful. Heaven is a place of holiness. Heaven is a place of beauty. Heaven is a place of peace. Heaven is a place of glory. There is no unpleasant thing in heaven. There is no more separation in heaven. There is no more sorrow in heaven. There's no more sickness in heaven. There's no more sin in heaven. I have spent every day this week. at the hospital. Every day this week, I have spent time at one of these hospitals around here. I've prayed by the beds of many. I've walked past many hundreds of other people that are sick. When we get to heaven, there'll be no more of that. I've got a grandpa who's suffering. His health is getting poor. I've got a dad who's not doing well. But there comes a rest for the people of God. There's many sitting in front of me this morning. You're tired. You're weary and well doing. There remaineth a rest for the people of God. No more sickness or pain or sorrow. No more separation. I recently drove by a cemetery. My dad's father and mother are buried. My great grandma are buried. There came a time on this earth when I had to tell them goodbye. There's coming a time in that rest where we'll never have to say goodbye again. There is a rest for the people of God. Let me make this clear. It's through the gospel. Ephesians 2 says, For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. If it was based upon how good a person we were, we'd all get to heaven and be proud of ourselves. Because we made it. But I got news to you, that's not what heaven is. When we get to heaven, we'll be given all the glory to Jesus Christ. Because it's only because of Him that we enter into that rest. There is a fear that's required of all of us. There's a promise that remains for all of us. Let me close in reading verse number one, the last part. There's a real tragedy, though. So as any of you should seem to come short of it. 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, he's using Moses as the illustration. They left Egypt. God separated the Red Sea. They're on their way to the land that God said, this is yours. It is the promised land. It's a land of rest. All that slavery, all that Egypt and the world was doing to you, you have this land. It's yours for a rest. And they walked up to the boundary, sent ten spies, twelve spies in. Ten came back and said, we can't do it. They, the chosen of Israel, because of their unbelief did not enter into that rest. That close, but did not enter. What a tragedy. Yet the writer of Hebrews refers to that in saying when it comes to that rest that God has for his people. Now listen to me as I close. There are many who sit in good churches every week. Many who know the gospel. They've heard the gospel. There's many who even can quote Bible verses to you. But they've never put their faith. They've never put their belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. So what are you trying to say this morning? Just what the writer of Hebrews was saying. There are many who are coming up tragically short. of entering into that rest one day because they do not believe. It is not profiting you this morning to hear me. If you do not put your faith in the words that are spoken. You must believe in the word of God. The Bible teaches that Joseph Israel didn't profit them not being mixed with faith and then that hurt it. You see, you can listen to this message this morning. And still die and go to hell. You can sit in church every week and still die and go to hell. You can be raised in Sunday school like I was and still die and go to hell. Not because what you heard was false, but because you did not mix your faith and put your trust in the Word of God. You must believe. And I guess this morning what God burned my heart about was the tragedy of all tragedies. That you can know the truth and still come short of entering into that rest. You can be a church member in churches today and still fall short of entering into that rest. So how is that possible? Because you did not believe. You know what Jesus Christ, his first sermon that he preached was? Repent ye and believe the gospel. Repent and believe. You know, even in this passage of scripture, it tells you the perfect day to get saved. So what is the perfect day to get saved? Well, it says it here in verse number seven, chapter number four. Again, he lived in a certain day, saying in David, today, today, Harden not your hearts. Today, you say Sunday is the best day to get saved? No, today. You know what tomorrow will be? Today. Let me get there. You know what Tuesday will be on Tuesday? Today. You know what scripture is teaching? You know when you ought to put your faith and trust in the gospel? Right now! Right now is the day of salvation. Right now is the greatest time to be saved. If you've never put your trust in the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ right now, my friend, be saved. The Bible says this and I'll close in John three thirty six. He that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not the sun shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Can I say this? God has done His part. He has given to us eternal life. He has given His Son to die for our sins. We can have a relationship with God. We can have peace with God by believing the Gospel. But according to that verse, we must do our part. He that believeth. You must put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and the Gospel. You see, We have a choice. And I pray that everyone hearing this message has made the choice to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you've never made that choice today, you know what happens if you don't? You know what you've done? It warns us in verse 7, you've hardened your heart. And the Bible teaches us elsewhere in scriptures that the more you keep hardening your hearts, eventually your conscience gets seared. So what's that mean, preacher? It means right now the Holy Ghost is convicting you. Right now you feel, boy, you know what? I do need to get saved. Right now I should get saved. Right now I should put my faith and trust. But if you say no, no, no, and months and years go by, if you say no to God eventually, you know what's going to happen when you hear this gospel? You won't even think about it. You've tuned it out. You've hardened your heart. Can I say this? By believing, by believing, we enter into his rest and we have peace with God. Here's a whole nother message, but I'll just say it. Christians, by obeying and by faith and submission, we follow the Lord, his rest enters into us. Don't fall short. Would you bow your heads this morning, please, and close your eyes?