Good morning. As we open scripture today, I'm reminded of what worship is. I have this friend. You guys might know him. His name is Vody Bauckham. And I say he's my friend because I got to shake his hand this week, or last week. And there's a picture to prove it. But Vody Bauckham says that worship is setting our mind's attention and our heart's affection the saving work of God. And so we've already worshiped in song, and then now as we turn to his scripture, we worship him by setting our minds' attention and our hearts' affection on the word of God and the preaching of his word. So will you pray with me? Father, we thank you for the opportunity to gather as a church, as your people, as your called out ones. And we gather so that we can worship your name, worship you for what you have done, and where you have brought us. You have saved us and redeemed us from sinfulness and rebellion and turning away from you and running away from you and you've transformed us. You have redeemed us by the blood of your son and his death and his conquering resurrection. You've redeemed us to yourself, called us to yourself, and called us to a life that honors and glorifies you. And so as we open your word today, as we hear your word read, may nothing stand apart from your word. And it is truth, and it is for us, and for our edification, and for reproach, and encouragement, and discipline. And so as we read it today, may it fill us with your spirit as we read it and understand it. In Jesus' name, amen. So if you're new to Trinity, if you're not familiar with how we structure our sermons, we start with an Old Testament text, and then we move into a New Testament text, and then we move to our sermon text, where we preach through a book of the Bible. And currently, we are preaching through the book of Hebrews, and we are at chapter four. So in order for us to start with chapter four, we need to remember a few things. We need to summarize where we have come in the book of Hebrews so far. We have seen that the Book of Hebrews is written primarily to a Jewish audience. This Jewish audience would be very familiar with the Old Testament texts. They would be familiar with the Pentateuch, or the Torah. They would be familiar with the writings, the Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and they would be familiar with the prophets. They'd be very familiar with those. Some of them would have memorized them. So as a primarily Jewish first century audience, they would have much more familiarization with this Old Testament and where the context of the book of Hebrews comes from than we would. So we need to go back and read this and study it and become more familiar with it. And in the book of Hebrews so far, we've learned that Jesus is the Son of God. He's declared the Son of God in Hebrews chapter one. And he's declared the Son of God by being better than Moses, being better than the angels, and he's been the sacrifice and the substitutionary atonement for us. So if you were at Sunday school this morning, we went over last week's sermon, and you can probably put in your earbuds and check out for the next half an hour or so, because as we walk through Hebrews chapter 4, we need to go back. We need to look at numbers, which we studied in Sunday school this morning. We need to look at Hebrews chapter 3, where Hebrews chapter 4 builds off of. So, that's a joke, don't check out. We, much like the children of Israel, have seen God's goodness and we rebel time and time and time again. So, it would behoove us to listen and remember over and over and over again the Word of God and the authors of Scripture, the Holy Spirit towards us. We are going to begin with our Old Testament reading today in Numbers chapter 14. Bob brought us there last week with Numbers 13 and a little bit 14, and we are going to go right back there today because we need to see the context of Hebrews chapter 4, Hebrews chapter 3 and 4 really, in order to grasp what's going on in Hebrews chapter 4. So as you turn to Numbers chapter 14, specifically verses 26 through 35, I kinda wanna set the scene of where we are in the context of numbers. Again, if you were in Sunday school this morning, Ryan took us exactly where I'm gonna take you. We have the people of Israel, they've been in bondage in Egypt for 400 years, as prophesied to Abraham in the book of Genesis. They're in bondage for 400 years, slaves to the Egyptians, and God has delivered them. We see this in the Exodus. God delivers them through 10 plagues. They witness God's miraculous power 10 times. And then the people of God plunder the Egyptians. They take all their wealth, all their riches, and they leave Egypt. And as they're leaving Egypt, the Egyptians and Pharaoh decide to follow them and get them back as their slaves. And God delivers them once more through the Red Sea. They witness the walls of water, who knows how many feet, hundreds of feet on either side, as they walk through on dry ground. And then the Egyptians are drowned as the the Red Sea crashes down on top of them and the whole Egyptian army is wiped out. We've seen God, they have seen God deliver them time and time again. They go on in the wilderness. God leads them through with a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. They were provided manna from heaven every day, water from the rock, God gave them as a law, This law was given to them as a gracious thing so that they could honor and serve him and follow him best. He said his presence among them in the tabernacle, in the Ark of the Covenant. And God was leading them to the land of promise, just as he had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God has done this numerous times. He has delivered them over and over. So in Numbers 13, they're on the cusp of the land. They're about to walk into the land. And God instructs them to take 12 spies and send them into the land. They go for 40 days spying out the land. And ultimately, the spies bring back a bad report. Save two, Joshua and Caleb. We'll get to them in a moment. So this bad report they bring back, we talked about in Sunday school, that The land was good, but it was filled with fortified cities and people of great size, and they failed to trust that God would deliver them. And they said that they weren't able to take the land. And so I want to remind you of what they said. Numbers 14, 1 through 4. This is not our Old Testament text yet. This is just still setting scene. So then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night due to this bad report. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would that we had died in this wilderness. Why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt. This is their rebellion. They have seen God deliver them time and time again. They have seen God deliver despite their circumstances. And God is sovereign. He is in control, and He is bringing them to the promised land, and He has done everything. And yet, they still rebel. So imagine going through everything that they've gone through. They've seen God deliver over and over again. Ryan said 19 times up to this point where God has miraculously delivered them. And now, as they're about to take the land of promise that they have been promised through the patriarchs, and they fail to believe. They don't see how God is going to deliver them and ultimately they lack faith and trust. And so as modern readers, we read something like this and we know the story. And so we look back at the Israelites and we say, how could they? How could they've seen God physically with their eyes do these miracles? And yet they don't believe and they don't trust. They don't trust that he will take them into the promised land as he has promised and as he has said. And we're kind of disgusted, and we say, how could they? But don't we do the same thing? Haven't we, in our lives, seen God's providence and his provision over and over again? Not only in our own lives, but in the lives of our families, generationally, we've seen God's providence and provision. And yet, we lack faith and trust in God. And even more than that, More than just his providence and his provision, we've got his full and final word. We have scripture. We have the whole story. We have the good news of Jesus Christ proclaimed to us in scripture. That good news is that we are hopeless sinners under the wrath of God. And Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has been sent on our behalf. He died in our place, and we, Despite this best of good news, we'll retreat back to our own sin, thinking it's better for us. We will fail to trust in God. So in my opinion, we should be pitied more than the Israelites, because this news that we have is even better. Our ultimate problem, sinfulness, our disobedience to God, has been remedied through his son, through Christ, and we so easily turn our backs on it. So back to our story in Numbers. After the people's rebellion, Joshua and Caleb speak to the people. Again, some more background. This is Numbers 14, verses seven through 10. This is Joshua and Caleb. They've torn their clothes. They disagree wholeheartedly with what the other spies and what the people, how the people have rebelled against God. And so they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel saying, The land which we pass through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey." Also translated, our food. Essentially, it's going to be a piece of cake. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. This is how the people responded to Joshua and Caleb, putting forth the glory of God, his hand in saving them. God will do it. He has said it. He will do it. And yet they seek to stone them. So after this, God decides to dispossess his people. He says, I'm going to wipe away, in the next part of chapter 14, I'm going to wipe away this people. They will no longer be my people. And Moses, I'm gonna start a new nation with you. And Moses intercedes on behalf of the people, appealing to God's glory, saying, God, for your glory, for what you have promised, don't dispossess this people. And God, obliges Moses because of his sovereign plan, and he pardons the people in a way, and decides to eliminate the generation from 20 and on. And so this is where we're gonna go to our Old Testament text for today. Important for us to understand this context as we go into Hebrews chapter four. So if you would stand with me on numbers 14, 26 through 35. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation, who are grumbling against me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against me. Say to them, as I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will surely do to you. Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number, from 20 years old and upward, who have grumbled against me. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun. Your children, however, whom you said would become a prey, I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Your sons shall be shepherds for 40 years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness until your corpses lie in the wilderness. According to the number of days which you spied out the land, 40 days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even 40 years, and you will know my opposition. I, the Lord, have spoken surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against me. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die. You can be seated. Okay, so from our Old Testament text today, I want you to see two things. I want you to see God's wrath, and I want you to see His grace. It's easy for us to see His wrath. We see His wrath towards those whose trust is not fully in Him. Notice again in verse 28 through 30. He says, as I live, just as you have spoken in my hearing, so I will surely do to you Your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to the complete number from 20 years old and upward. You have grumbled against me. Surely you shall not come into the land which I swore to settle you. So their trust was not in God. They had seen his provision and his protection and his guidance throughout the wilderness thus far and their deliverance from Egypt. And they have failed to trust in him. The entire congregation from 20 years old and up, this would have been hundreds of thousands of people, would be destroyed in the wilderness. And God will have no mercy on those who fail to trust in him. So first we see his wrath, his wrath against those who fail to trust in him. And then we see his grace, that's number two from this text. So despite his wrath, God is still gracious to his people. In verse 30 and 31, if you'll see that, he says, except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, and your children, however, whom you said would become a prey, I will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. God is gracious, even in his wrath, eliminating a vast portion of the population of the people, he is still gracious. He's gracious to Joshua and Caleb for their full trust in him, and gracious to the people by letting those 20 and younger, those who are not adults, to enter the promised land. In verse 14, 24, if you'll go up, speaking of Caleb and by implication Joshua, But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring him to the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. So Joshua and Caleb did not have the same spirit as the rest of the people. They alone had a different spirit, and that spirit's characterized by fully trusting in God. They trusted him fully. Remember back to their admonition for the people. They said, God will do it for us. He will take the land for us. He will protect us. But they failed to listen. And because of their full trust and their different spirit, God is sparing them. So God is gracious to those whose trust is fully in Him. So from Numbers 14, and the story of Numbers that Hebrews chapter three and Hebrews chapter four relies so heavily upon, there's two main things, God's wrath for those who fail to trust in Him, and God's grace for those whose trust is fully in Him. All right, so now we're gonna move to our New Testament text. If you'll turn over to Hebrews chapter three, I know Bob preached on this last week, but again, like I said earlier, we are so quick to forget, just like the Israelites, what has taken place. So I wanna go over this one more time, because it's so important for us to understand what's going on in Hebrews chapter three, especially verse 12, in order to understand Hebrews chapter four. The thought just continues to flow from three into four. So if we don't understand chapter three, verses 12 through 19, we're not gonna be able to understand chapter four when we pick up. So, if you would stand with me and we're gonna read Hebrews chapter three, Verses 14 through 19. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance, firm until the end. While it is said, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked me. For who provoked him when they heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. You can be seated. So as we study scripture in general, we need to remember and apply two principles of hermeneutics. Big word for interpreting the Bible. And these are especially important in the book of Hebrews because it relies so heavily on other scripture. So the first is we must understand the context. We've just went through Numbers chapter 14, and we've read bits of Numbers 13 from Sunday School this morning, so we should be well aware of the context of Hebrews 3 and 4. And then the second principle is we must let Scripture interpret Scripture. The author of Hebrews, specifically at the end of chapter three and into chapter four, he's providing the best interpretation, the best commentary on Numbers chapter 14. He is explaining what the implications for the events of Numbers 13 and 14 are for us and for his original audience in the book of Hebrews and for us as the church. In light of Christ, specifically. So, now that we understand the context of Hebrews chapter three and four, and that that's from Numbers 14. The author of Hebrews interprets those events, and he gives us one clear takeaway from this portion of Hebrews chapter three. And that takeaway is, enduring the wrath of God, sorry, enduring the wrath of God as he makes us unable to enter his rest due to unbelief. So the wrath of God is for those, the wrath of God is failing to enter his rest, and that's due to unbelief. He has this stern warning in verse 12. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. This is a warning. Don't fall into unbelief. If you fall into unbelief, you'll fail to enter His rest, and that's the wrath of God. God's wrath, again, is for those who don't trust in Him, and God's grace is for those whose trust is fully in Him. So what's the thrust of this warning in verse 12? It said, not be any one of you with an unbelieving heart. And he goes on, as he goes on to recount God's judgment in verses 14 and following through the end of chapter three, he links unbelief with disobedience. In verses 18 and 19, it says, to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. So they didn't enter his rest because of disobedience, and they didn't enter because of unbelief. Disobedience and unbelief are inextricably linked. So, as in Numbers 14, the people of Israel failed They failed to believe God. And just the author of Hebrews is warning us, disbelief always ends in disobedience. And that always results in the wrath of God. And here in this context, that's the inability to enter his rest. And the author makes that abundantly clear as we've read in 18 and 19. So for us, it's no different. Our disbelief in God, And in our case, a lack of full trust in his saving power that leads to disobedience. And we, like the people of God, cannot enter his rest without full trust in his finished work. The end of Hebrews chapter three paints a very negative picture. So are we without hope? Chapter three leads us in this negative direction. Is there any hope for us? As the book of chapter four, or as the book of Hebrews chapter four opens up, there is this element of hope, and that's where we're going to turn next. Hebrews chapter four, verses one through five. So we saw the wrath of God for those who didn't believe. We see the grace of God for those whose trust is fully in him. In Hebrews 3, we saw the inability for those who didn't believe to enter His rest. In Hebrews 4, we're about to see the only hope of entering His rest and receiving mercy. And that's the unwavering trust in the power of our saving God. So if you would stand with me for Hebrews chapter 4, verses 1 through 5. Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering his rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed, we have had good news preached to us, just as they also. But the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as he has said, as I swore my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has said somewhere concerning the seventh day, and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again, in this passage, they shall not enter my rest. You may be seated. Now, before we jump into the details of chapter four, I kinda wanna look at the chapter as a whole, how it is organized, and that would help us to break it down and to interpret what's going on. So the first thing I want you to see, the chapter's broken up. We didn't read the entire chapter, but as I will point out, you'll see this chapter's broken up in these series of their fears. In verse one, therefore, let us fear. In verse six, therefore, since it remains, In verse 11, therefore, let us be diligent. And then in verse 14, therefore, since we have a great high priest. These statements, therefore statements, break up chapter four into more manageable chunks for us to deal with the passage. And so we're gonna take that first chunk, therefore, in verse one, all the way through verse five. The next note that I want you to see is the author's comment on the events in the wilderness. In Hebrews 3.12, go back there for a second, it says, take care, brethren, that there not be any one of you in an evil, unbelieving heart. This is a warning. And this opens up the discussion on what happened in the wilderness in Numbers 14. And that discussion ends In verse 11 of Chapter 4, so 312 through 411 is one cohesive thought stemming with from the same context of Numbers Chapter 13 and 14. So in order for us to. Break this down to understand to get the most out of this specific text. We need to understand the whole of the text in the context of that text. And so the last thing, kind of notes of how the text is organized before we jump into specifically verses one through five, is that 4.1 and 4.11 form these brackets. It's called an inclusio statement. In 4.1 it says, let us fear if while a promise remains of entering is rest. And then in verse 11, it says, therefore, same language, let us be diligent to enter that rest so that no one will fall. So these two statements kind of encapsulate everything within it, all one same thought, a stern warning, and then an encouragement and admonition at the end, using almost identical language. And so as we turn to verse one, understanding these texts for understanding, interpreting the scripture and understanding the context of Numbers chapter 13 and 14 and Hebrews chapter three, we can turn to the meat of verses one through five. So verse one again, therefore, let us fear if while a promise remains of entering his rest, anyone of you may seem to have come short of it. So in verse one, the author immediately links everything that he has just said in chapter three to what he's about to say with the word therefore. He says, therefore, because of everything I've just reminded you of, all the events of Numbers chapter 13 and 14, let us fear. This is another warning to believe. what's the ultimate fruit of this belief that He is urging us towards? That is entering His rest. And that entering His rest, His rest is something that still remains for us. That period of entering His rest, from Numbers chapter 13 and 14, there's something more to that. Because that promise still remains, even though the people of God failed to enter, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and then they entered, Even though that has already taken place, there's still a sense of a promise of entering into a rest, and we'll go into that here shortly. So that promise still remains. I'm reminded of a verse in scripture of Deuteronomy. You don't have to turn there, I will. Deuteronomy chapter 30. the people of God, after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, until that whole generation dies out, the covenant is reaffirmed, and God is giving commands to the people of Israel through Moses. And in 30 verse, let me find it, verse 11 through 14, For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you. So we're thinking in the lens of the promise still remains, entering as rest still remains. For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven that you should say who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it that we may observe it, nor is it beyond the sea that you should say who will cross the sea for us to get it. for us and make us hear it that we may observe it. But the word is very near you in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it. This call to believe in and trust and obey God is not something that is too far off. It is not a place that we cannot reach. That promise still remains that we can enter the rest that he has promised. So what's the hope of entering into this promise? We go on in verse two. For indeed, we have had good news preached to us. First part of verse two. We have had the good news preached to us. The readers of Hebrews had had the good news preached to them. And we have had it preached to us. Again, also, we have it in his word. And we have the good news of Jesus Christ, and I want to share with you what that good news is. The book of Ephesians, one of my favorite books, and then one of my favorite passages in all of scripture, clearly, concisely, and comprehensively gives the entire gospel, the good news, the best good news that we could ever reach in chapter one, verse three. It says, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. In Christ, just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the kind intention of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the beloved. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us In all wisdom and insight, he made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his kind intention, which he purposed in him, with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth, in him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to his purpose, who works all things after the counsel of his will. to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who has given as a pledge of our inheritance. with a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory. This is the gospel. This is the good news that we, as he goes on, as Paul goes on in Ephesians, we're dead in our trespasses and sins. He has made us alive together with him by grace through faith. This is the gospel. Sinners, wretched sinners, Oh, nothing but the wrath of God have been given hope and mercy and grace through the Son of God at his own expense. That's the good news that has been preached to the Hebrews. That's the good news that has been preached to us. And so as we move on, we might be thinking, well, what about the Israelites in Numbers? Did they have the good news? What was their hope? And the author goes on in, at the end of verse two, he says, just as they also, they also had the good news preached to them. What was that good news? That good news was God's unwavering saving power towards them. They had seen it. We've demonstrated over and over again, 10 plagues, Red Sea, manna from heaven, water from the rock, deliverance over and over and over again. Now they're on the cusp of the land and they rebel. God can't do it. They fail to trust. They had the good news also. They had witnessed God's saving power over and over and over again. But what was the problem for them? The word they heard, at the end of verse two, the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard. They witnessed God's saving power time and time again, as we've said. They believed what they saw. They were the beneficiaries of it. They saw it with their own eyes. How could they not believe the miracles that they saw? They believed it. but they lacked faith that God would and or could continue his saving power on their behalf. It's not merely belief that gets us to his promised rest. Remember James 2.19, for even the demons believe and shudder. Belief is not all that is required. There is an aspect of belief, but that belief transforms into something else. So according to to Hebrews 4 verse 2, the good news must be united by faith. So then you may say, what's faith? Well, the author of Hebrew answers that. If you turn over to Hebrews chapter 11, verse one, it says, now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. That's the definition of hope. the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Based upon what we know about God, based upon the word of God for us, for the Israelites, based upon seeing what God had done over and over again, they should have unwavering faith and trust in God who will deliver them from anything and carry them to his sovereign end, but they failed to trust They did not have this faith. They had a mere belief. They understood what God had done. They had seen it. They believed God could do it, but they didn't have trust that he would continue to do it over and over again. So only Joshua and Caleb had this kind of faith. Numbers 14, 24, we read this earlier. He says, but my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit, has followed me fully. This description of Caleb, and again, by implication, Joshua, they followed him fully. They trusted him fully. If you think about David, as I was preparing, wasn't going to come up with another example, but I thought about David. David, did David have a faith like Joshua and Caleb? And you might remember the story of David and Goliath. David goes to visit his brothers. This is in 1 Samuel chapter 17. David goes to visit his brothers, and they're standing in front of the army of the Philistines. They're not going to war, they have Goliath. And so the people of, the armies of God there are terrified, and they don't want to go fight. And David, what is his response? 1 Samuel 17, verse 27. David says, not verse 27, I'm sorry. Verse 26. For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the living God? This is what David says. Who's gonna taunt the armies of the living God? And then David goes on to say in verses 34 through 37, after they're questioning him, He says, your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him and rescued it from his mouth. And when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God. And David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. David had the same kind of faith as Joshua and Caleb. just like Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes and spoke to the people of Israel saying, don't rebel. God will do this. He will deliver us. He will fight for us. He will go before us. He already has. David's saying the same thing before the army of the Philistines and before this giant Goliath. He's saying, God has delivered me time and time again. What do I have to fear? I serve the living God. This Philistine does not. God will deliver me. God will deliver us from the hands of the Philistines. David had this same type of faith. So Joshua and Caleb and later David and so many others throughout the pages of scripture demonstrated an unwavering faith in the saving power of God. All you have to do is go again to the book of Hebrews chapter 11. And after this definition of Faith, the author of Hebrew goes on to list what we call the hall of faith. Not a hall of fame, but a hall of faith. These men who were empowered by God and they had great faith, and it details what they did by faith, what God did through them by faith. So we come to verse three. For we who have believed enter that rest. So here's our hope. We had this negative, no hope, unbelief, unable to enter His rest, distrust in God, and now we're starting to see the hope, the hope in the good news that was preached to us, and those who have believed in that good news enter His rest. So we not only who just believe, but possess faith, as we just described it, and unwavering trust in the saving power of God, that saving power is through the good news the gospel of Jesus Christ already preached to us. It's because of him that we get to enter into his promised rest. And then verse three, the rest of verse three through verse five, we'll read again. Just as he has said, as I swore my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Although his works were finished from the foundation of the world, for he has said somewhere concerning the seventh day. And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again in this passage, they shall not enter my rest. So as we finish up our text for today, we need to deal quickly with this idea of rest. This is an idea that has begun in chapter three and it will continue through the rest of chapter four. And I hope and I know that John will go into later this idea of rest that begins in the garden where God rests from all his works. There's no morning and there's no evening on that seventh day. God just rests and his rest continues. And then you have the people entering the promised land into his rest. And then now we have Jesus who says, my burden is easy. My yoke is light. Enter my rest. And now the author of Hebrews is saying the same thing. that this promise of entering his rest remains. So this idea, the theme of rest that runs all throughout scripture will need to be dealt with more in some detail. But just for us today, we will deal with it quickly. So what's the nature of this rest? What does this rest mean? Is it just a Sabbath rest that we understand that we now observe on Sundays because We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on that day. Is it something deeper? Is it something more? So much more could be said. Hopefully we're gonna get into that. But as we close, I just want to hear what famous pastor John Gill from the 18th century, this is what he said. This rest, this is spiritual rest in Christ under the gospel dispensation, which is a rest from the burden of the law of Moses and from all toil and labor for life and salvation by works and lies in an enjoyment of much inward peace of soul, notwithstanding the world's troubles and Satan's temptations. And such who believe the gospel or word preached, and Christ in it, not with a general and historical faith, or only in profession, but with the heart, and in truth, these enjoy his rest. So as we close today, let us turn from our disbelief and our distrust, and let's have faith in the saving power of God through the good news of Jesus Christ that has been preached to us. Only faith in and reliance upon this completed work It will take us from a place of God's wrath and his judgment and a failure to enter his rest into his grace and his mercy and a welcome into his promised rest. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for reminding us over and over and over again of your goodness, of your mercy, of your provision, of your protection, of your works just displayed for us over and over again. How easily we forget like the people of Israel. How easily we turn back to our old sinful ways. How easily we think that in our pride we can solve or fix something. How quickly we fail to trust in you. God, as we have studied your word today and we have seen the encouragement to trust and to believe in your saving power, that we would lean fully on that, that saving power is through the good news of Jesus Christ, that we who were sinners deserving of your wrath, we can be pardoned, and we can be given this eternal life and ushered into your eternal rest, free from our works of trying to save ourselves. God, we thank you for the grace that you have shown us, and we pray that, as with the author of Hebrews, we would strive to enter that rest. As we have worshipped in song, and as we have worshipped in the hearing and preaching of your word, may we worship indeed as we go from here today. May we set our minds' attention and our hearts' affection, not only to understanding your word, but being obedient and doers of your word. We pray all this in Jesus' name, amen.