For our scripture reading this morning, please turn to the book of Hebrews. I'd like to begin this morning by reading the first four verses of that book, Hebrews one verses one through four, and then after that, we'll look at our text for this morning in chapter four. It's important as we look at Hebrews to remember these first four verses because they open with a glorious declaration of the supremacy of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. So let's look at these verses, Hebrews one beginning in verse one. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. And then please turn over to chapter four. This morning, we'll be looking at chapter four, verses 11 through 16. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace. that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you that we know that it is true and certain and that in it we find everything necessary for life and salvation. And so we ask this morning as we look at your word. That we would hear it in that way that we would hear. The authority of it. And that we would heed your word and that it would be a blessing to us, we pray this in the name of Jesus Christ and then. In the book of Hebrews, we see a letter that was written to Christians who faced difficult and dangerous persecution and temptation. They were threatened even to their life, threatened with death because of their belief in God and their hope and trust in the Savior, Jesus Christ. And so in this book, the writer of Hebrews tells us, first of all, about the person and the work of Jesus Christ, the great Savior and the great Mediator. And with those words about Jesus Christ, this glorious message of the supremacy of the Son of God, he combines that with warnings to persevere in obedience, to avoid apostasy and to hold fast your confession. And so this book that was written to the believers at the time of its writing is also very important for us today, isn't it? As we face persecution, as we see a church that struggles, that struggles to uphold the Word of God, that struggles to live every day as God has called us to live, we need these warnings and these comforts as well. For how can we withstand temptation and persecution? How can we remain faithful to our God? How can we obey Him as we live in this world? Depending on your own strength, you would have no hope for faithfulness, no hope for perseverance. For such a committed faith is only possible when your eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, that great High Priest. When your eyes are fixed on the author and finisher of your faith. Who died on the cross so that you might have life, who was raised so that you might have forgiveness and justification and who is ever living to make intercession for his people so that they might live a life to the glory of their God. And so this warning to the Hebrews and this comfort to the Hebrews is a warning and comfort for us today. When we face persecution and when we face temptation, when we face difficulties, our only strength. Our only hope to stand strong in our faith is to fix our eyes on that great high priest. The person of Jesus Christ is your foundation for a sure confession and faithful obedience. Cling to him. In this passage in chapter four, it begins with a warning. It says in verse eleven, let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. The warning is to persevere to our rest, to our eternal rest. As opposed to falling, according to the example of the Israelites. And what was the example of the Israelites? Why did they not enter the rest promised to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob? Well, the writer of this book told us about the Israelites earlier at the end of chapter three in verse 16, it has some questions about the Israelites. For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked 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 ultimately, they didn't enter the rest, because they disobeyed a list of rules and regulations. Is that the answer to the question? God told them specifically how to act and they responded with rebellion, with sin and with disobedience. That's why they didn't answer, right? Well, the explanation in verse 19 of chapter three is somewhat different. They were denied the promised rest due to unbelief, it says in verse 19. So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. In fact, this is explained in more detail in chapter four, verse two, for good news came to us just as to them. But the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listen. God had clearly given the gospel to the Israelites. He had clearly given them the gospel, but it did not profit them. because their hearing was not accompanied by faith. Isn't that what Moses prayed for the Israelites? That they might have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand. Their lack of faith and their unbelief was the reason they never entered the rest. Certainly, they sinned against God. But their rebellion and their disobedience were symptoms. They were results of hearts that did not believe in God. Despite God's words of instruction, despite his deliverance of them from their enemies, despite providing for them in the wilderness, they still did not have faith in the salvation that God had promised to them. When faced with persecution, with temptation and with opposition, they turned from their God. They turned from their God in sin and rebellion. That was why they were denied the rest that God had promised to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob. But doesn't that sound familiar? How often do we forget our God? How often, when faced with persecution and temptation, do we forget about our God? Do we forget about our Savior? Our high priest who intercedes for us. And do we forget about the Spirit of God dwelling within us? And so we must understand this message as well. We must be reminded of the great salvation that was purchased by Jesus Christ and our eyes must remain fixed on him. The Israelites were given a list of rules to follow, but they could never fulfill those rules perfectly, could they? Those systems and rules were intended to point them to their need for salvation through the Savior that God had promised, that Savior who would fulfill all these priestly systems and all the sacrifices of the temple. Strict adherence to a program was not their hope, for that could never be achieved. Their hope came through the promises of God's salvation through the person and work of the perfect mediator that was being foreshadowed. This bears repeating because it is so important for us to understand Jesus Christ is our only source of hope to enter eternal rest. That is the message of the gospel from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus Christ, our hope for salvation. Faith and belief in the salvation of God through the saving work of Jesus Christ, the mediator that God provided, is our only hope for salvation. How can we strive to enter that rest? How can we keep from falling like the Israelites? Trust in Christ, rest in Christ, cling to Christ. Once we understand this standard, the standard of belief, the warning that continues in verses 12 and 13 becomes very intimidating. Look at verse 12. It says, For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The word of God is described as living and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. The sword is so powerful that it can penetrate through joints and marrow to the very depths of your soul. That's a pretty terrifying physical image of the spiritual power of the word of God, a sword that can penetrate all bodily impediments to the very depths of your soul. My son, William, we put him in fencing lessons for a while and we were a little bit concerned when we did this. He was about six years old and here we were teaching him how to use a weapon. But if you've seen fencing, you've seen the kind of weapon they use, and so the first time I went and saw him, he used this foil and every time he hit someone with it, it bent. About the only way you could hurt someone with that foil would be to poke them in the eye. That's not the image that we have before us, is it? This is not a sword that is easily broken or bent. This is a sword that is so strong and powerful. That it can penetrate to the depths of your soul. It's a pretty terrifying image, isn't it? Of the spiritual power of Scripture, the sword of the spirit. And think about this image in relation to unbelief. It's pretty easy for us, isn't it, to give the impression of obedience to those around us, to do the things that we are told to do and to seem as if we are obedient to our God. And yet even sometimes when we obey outwardly, our hearts are hard, aren't they? And our thoughts and our motives are not pure. It's often easy to give the impression that we are faithful and obedient to God because other people can't see our hearts. But the Word of God digs much deeper than that to the depths of soul and of spirit. The Word of God exposes those areas of our life, bringing to light motives and attitudes and desires and our will. We might be able to fool other people, but the word of God shines a light on the deepest part of your soul. And as the word of God penetrates to the soul, it tells us in verse 13 that no creature is hidden from the sight of God, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. You might remember that answer in the children's catechism. Nothing can be hid from God. It's a simple phrase, isn't it? So simple that our little children can understand it. Yet it's an importance and it's a sobering truth. We might be able to fool men, but God sees and understands all things. His word penetrates to the depth of our soul. John Calvin described it in this way. Whenever God's word is set before us, we must tremble. Because nothing is hidden from him. How easy it is to remind our children that nothing can be hid from God. But how often we forget. How often we fail to remember that our hearts and our souls are open before God. Husbands, when you are watching a football or a basketball game and your wife asks you to come put out the trash. You might do it, but what are you thinking as you do it? Your wife might not know, but your heart is exposed before God. And wives, while they're watching that football game and you have something for them to do, what might you be thinking? Why can't he get off that couch? Why isn't he helping me? Your heart is exposed before God. When you're angry with your boss, because he asked you to do something that you don't want to do. Their hearts is exposed before God. Simple examples, maybe, but a reminder of this sobering truth. And it's frightening, isn't it? Because the heart and the mind cannot be manipulated. We can't manipulate it like outward obedience for the heart exposes our true feelings and our priorities and our desires. That's where we find belief or unbelief, the standard that God requires. And if we're honest with ourselves, we know we continually fall far short of God's standard in our hearts when faced with temptation, when faced with persecution, How often do we respond with unbelief in the great promises of God? We are rendered hopeless when we come face to face with our creator and our Lord. Like Adam and Eve, we are naked and exposed before God. So what hope is there? How can we be diligent to enter that rest? How can we actively seek a right relationship with God when we are unable to come into his presence due to our unbelief? It is because just as the word of God is living and active, so also we have a high priest, Jesus Christ, who is living and active. God's people have always needed a mediator to stand between them and their God, a priest who offer a sacrifice of blood for the covering of sin. Only by this covering are they able to stand in right relationship with their God. This was true for the saints of the Old Testament and is true for the saints of the new. But there is a stark contrast between the priestly office of the old and the priestly office of the new. For we now have a great high priest that exceeds anything that the Old Testament saints experienced. It would obviously take us hours to study and to fully grasp this contrast. Indeed, the writer of Hebrews takes five or six chapters to discuss the superiority of Christ as our high priest. But the last three verses in chapter four summarize the greatness of our high priest and the benefits that he brings for his people. Let's look at verse 14. It says there, since then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. The writer begins by saying we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens. Jesus, the son of God. The high priest of Israel was required once a year to pass into the holy of holies, a place built by human hands and to offer a sacrifice for the people. But our pride priest has passed through the heavens into the very presence of God. And notice, there's no mention of his return since his sacrifice was complete and perfectly acceptable. He didn't need to return and to offer a new sacrifice every year for the people of God. We no longer need a priest in our midst in the same way to offer sacrifices, because Christ's sacrifice perfectly paid the penalty for our sin. And so, as we read earlier in Hebrews one, verse three, once he purged our sins, Christ sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And there he sits interceding for his people. He's still acting as a high priest, but instead of serving here in our midst, he is dealing with the living God on your behalf. Later in the book of Hebrews, the writer tells us that Jesus Christ ever lives to make intercession for his people. He constantly pleads our case before the living God. He constantly holds up his acceptable sacrifice as the payment for our sin. And he constantly gives grace for his people to remain strong in their faith, to remain strong as they face temptation and difficulty. Jesus Christ is the great high priest because he is the very son of God. And because he is the perfect son of God, his sacrifice is acceptable and complete. The priestly system in the temple, those institutions that brought stability and blessing to the Israelites when they maintain them properly, those systems are no longer necessary, for we now have a great high priest who has eclipsed the usefulness of such systems. What a blessing our great High Priest is. But the writer of Hebrews also balances the greatness and the glory of our High Priest with his sympathy for the people of God. For what does it say in verse 15? For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses But one who in every respect has been tempted, as we are yet without sin. I believe the new King James puts it this way, for we have not a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Now, we don't usually speak that way in English, that double negative that's used in the King James. But in the language of the Bible, double negatives are put there for emphasis. And in this case, we are driven to see the seeming contradiction of the character of Jesus Christ. While he is the great high priest and the very son of God, he can also sympathize with the weakness of the human soul. Think about that, the great high priest, the son of God, and yet he sympathizes with his people. In junior high, we had a set of twins that came into our class at school, and most of you know that I'm a twin as well. One of these twins was dying of leukemia. Our teacher thought that I would be a good person to talk with his brother because he was struggling with this situation. She assumed that if since I was a twin, I might be able to sympathize and understand what he was going through. But I found out quite quickly that I couldn't sympathize with him. I couldn't understand the struggles that he had. But our Savior can understand every struggle, every temptation, every persecution and provide sympathy and comfort and support for his people. He can sympathize with our weakness and give us the strength to stand on this temptation. Now, this is a familiar concept, the idea of Jesus Christ being a high priest who can identify with our weakness. But it's sometimes difficult to understand, isn't it? How can a perfect man, the son of God who was without sin, how can he understand the struggles that I have? How can he sympathize with my weakness? But when you think about it, Jesus Christ suffered more temptation than we could ever sustain. You remember his temptation in the wilderness as Satan attacked him over and over again. temptation that we could not stand. And yet Jesus Christ was strong in his heavenly father. And what about the temptations of the cross, the struggles that he knew he would suffer through? And yet he went and obeyed the will of his father. And during the cross in obedience to his to his father, Through all these difficulties, more temptation than we could ever comprehend. He continued without sin. There is no doubt that he was tempted in all points as we are and more yet without sin. So even in his humility, our great high priest exemplified his superiority, his superiority over the old priestly order. While the priests of the Old Testament continually sin and had to even offer sacrifices for themselves. We have a high priest who is our sinless representative. Our high priest is living and powerful, he is sinless, and in that it makes his sacrifice acceptable before God. He has passed through the heavens. He is seated at the right hand of God and he continues to make intercession for us, giving us comfort in temptation. What an advantage we have. So what should be our response to the work of our great high priest? Well, first, as we've already read in verse 14, we're told to hold fast our confession This is exactly what the Israelites failed to do and therefore they failed to enter the rest. They had been given everything they needed from God. He blessed them with protection and physical and spiritual blessings above any other nation. Yet they rejected the promises of his covenant. Their unbelief and their lack of faith meant that they never entered the rest promised to their fathers. Yet, as we have seen, the people of the new covenant have been given an even greater gift than that of the old. While the Old Testament people were given sacrifices, a temple, manna in the wilderness, you have received the fulfillment of all those blessings in Jesus Christ. How much more should you respond in faith to the redemptive work of your great high priest? And along with such faith comes a firm commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter the difficulty, no matter the opposition, no matter the persecution, you must hold fast the confession of the son of God, your great high priest. The audience of the Book of Hebrews faced physical persecution that we can hardly imagine. They were arrested, beaten, mocked and killed because they believed in one God. Because they believed in one way, the way, the truth and the life, the one way of salvation. For that, they faced persecution and death. They were asked to renounce, to compromise their faith in order to protect their lives. And some did. That is why the writer of Hebrews finds it necessary to urge them to not turn from their faith and unbelief, because it would be so easy to turn. And yet, how often we turn when faced with the smallest of temptations or persecutions. And when we face those temptations and persecutions, we must remember our great high priest. who is tempted as we are, yet without sin. He faced the cross, yet he never forsook his father. Remember what the writer of Hebrews says later in chapter twelve, verses one and two. Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight And every sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. And how can you run with endurance? It goes on to say, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith before the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Fix your eyes upon Jesus. Only then can you stand strong in him. But how is that possible? Where can we find the strength to hold fast to our confession no matter the obstacle? Where can we find the strength to remain fixed on Jesus? And once again, that strength comes through the work of our great high priest. For what does it say in verse 16? of chapter four, it says, Let us then with confidence drawn near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Because of Christ's great sacrifice, we are now able to approach the throne of grace with confidence. If that phrase that we read there, to boldly approach the throne of grace, doesn't fill you with amazement, you need to stop and read it again and think about it. The Old Testament saints were never able to approach that throne of grace because of the obstacle of sin. In fact, even the high priest could only approach the mercy seat once a year. And think of the Israelites in their time at the foot of Mount Sinai. They were not even able to approach or to touch that mountain because of their sin and the perfect holiness of an almighty God. Yet we are now told to not only approach that throne of grace, but to approach the throne of grace with confidence, with boldness, Remember that Jesus has passed through the heavens, that he now sits at the right hand of God, his sacrifice being perfect and acceptable to pardon our sins. Because of the covering of his blood, because of his sacrifice, you are now able to boldly approach the throne of grace. And as you approach, you obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. What a great blessing that the covering of Christ's blood enables you to again be in God's presence. You no longer need an earthly priest because Christ is the everlasting priest and we are now all priests as we are united to the person and to the work of Jesus Christ and as we are indwelt by his spirit. And what do you receive at the throne of grace? First, you receive the mercy of God. Your sins have been pardoned through the blood of Christ. Those filthy rags of your self-righteousness have been torn off and replaced with the robe of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We have mercy from our heavenly Father who accepts us because of the righteousness of Christ. But secondly, you find grace to help in time of need. He never allows you to be tempted above what you are able. That's what Paul tells us. He never allows you to be tempted above what you are able, but provides power to resist the devil and to flee temptation. This boldness that we can have before our heavenly father is not in human strength or ability. For we can never stand before God on our own. It is only because of Jesus Christ that we are able to approach in confidence. When we come in faith, we have no doubt that God hears us, that he listens and that he answers. And so we approach with reverence and godly fear. But we do not approach in terror because we have a great high priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So we can pray with confidence because God has told us to boldly approach the throne of grace. We can pray with confidence because our God has promised to answer prayers and to protect his people. We can pray with confidence because our prayers are covered in the blood of Jesus Christ. And we can pray with confidence because we are united to Christ by his spirit. And not only do we pray in confidence, but we can worship this morning and approach God's throne because of our great high priest, Jesus Christ, who is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God, ever living to make intercession for his people. Brothers and sisters in Christ, grab hold of that promise. Boldly approach the throne of grace and hold fast to your confession in the confidence of your high priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As you cling to Christ strong in faith and belief in his saving power, you will enter the eternal rest promised in Scripture. Let's pray. Almighty God, we come to you this morning in the name of Jesus Christ. And we thank you, Lord. That you have saved us, that you have delivered us from sins, that you have clothed us in the righteousness of Christ so that we might be able even to pray to you this morning, boldly approaching your throne, knowing that you hear us and that you answer. And so we ask on this your day that you would strengthen us to serve you in everything that we do and everything that we say, that we might glorify your name in all of our life. We pray this in the power and in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.