very good participation in the song service. We'll dismiss our children to go with Mrs. Short to their class. And Jacob, it's good to have you in church today. I'm glad you're here, buddy. And the rest of us, please open up our Bibles to Hebrews chapter six. And if you have a church Bible, it's page 1246. So if anyone's using the black church Bibles this morning, 1246 or Hebrews chapter 6. Hebrews chapter 6. We're living today in days of great apostasy. What apostasy is, apostasy is a formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. One who undertakes apostasy is known as an apostate. So somebody that they were believers in God, they were maybe believers in the word of God, but they turned their back on God. That person is what we would call an apostate. And Scotland is becoming, sadly, an apostate nation. It's a nation that used to believe in God. It's a nation that used to obey the word of God, but more and more apostating from God. An example of that was in the news this past week. You might have seen it. But Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, came to the United Kingdom. And this isn't just Scotland, but he was coming up to Scotland to visit in Glasgow. But the venue that was hosting the event canceled because of the outcry of what would be a minority of people against him coming because of what the Bible says about homosexuality. Alright, so the BBC article that I read said this, the US Evangelist event in Glasgow has been cancelled following pressure from the council and religious groups. Franklin Graham, The eldest son of the late preacher Billy Graham said he believes homosexuality is a sin. And by the way, even in that statement, they put quotes around sin, as if he says it is sin, as if we don't even know if there is such a thing really as sin. But I mean, if it's sin, we'll put that in quotes. A petition was launched calling for the events at the Hydro on 30th of May to be scrapped. Organizers reconsidered following recent adverse publicity. Mr. Graham denied promoting hateful speech after events in Liverpool and Sheffield were cancelled this week. His visit to Glasgow was part of an eight-city tour of the UK. Earlier this week, the Reverend Brian Kerr, a Church of Scotland minister in Lanark, launched a petition to pressure the SEC to rethink Mr. Graham's appearance. Backed by Glasgow's LGBT and Interfaith Network, it said Mr Graham's views were not mainstream and did not sit comfortably with many Christians in Scotland. Mr Kerr said, This is what he said. As the Bishop of Sheffield recently said, Mr. Graham's rhetoric is repeatedly and unnecessarily inflammatory, and in my opinion, represents a risk to the social cohesion of our city. Pastor Graham said himself, it's said by some that I am coming to the UK to bring hateful speech to your community. This is just not true. I'm coming to share the gospel. And he must have been asked another question, I think, because of the way this statement ends. But another statement says, the rub, I think, comes in whether God defines homosexuality as sin. The answer is yes. But God goes even further than that to say that we are all sinners, myself included. I'm not coming to the UK to speak against anybody. I'm coming to speak for everybody. You're absolutely welcome. And the reason I say that sounds like a quote, it sounds like he was asked who can come to these meetings. And he's responding and saying, everybody's welcome to come. But an apostate nation and apostate people are saying, no, you can't come. It's shocking. Stop and think about it. A Baptist preacher from the United States that is very well known, whose dad ministered greatly in this nation, and I won't go into the The things that I could say about Billy Graham Sr. to understand this, I do not agree with a lot of the things that he did. But he was a bold evangelical that preached to thousands in the United Kingdom. His son is here. And they said, you can't come. That's a scary thing for us to understand. We live in a day of apostasy. They're rejecting, by the way, God. not evangelist Graham, because that's what God's Word says, and a preacher is a preacher that says, this is what God says. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it, it doesn't matter, this is what God says, and that's certainly what Graham would do if he came and preached here. And so, what should we do? in a day of apostasy. Hebrews chapter 6 is really a warning against apostasy. It's a warning against rejecting God, turning away from God. And so what should we do when a nation around us is going apostate? My message this morning is this. We must not stop, but continue on for Jesus. We must not stop, but continue on for Jesus. And so we need to ask ourselves, am I pulling back? Or am I moving forward for God? Am I starting to turn, or am I all out for God? May God help us not to become apostate, but be on guard against apostasy and a day of apostasy. So Hebrews 6, 1-12 is our text. Let's pray, and then we'll get into our text this morning. Father, we thank you. that your spirit is able to work in a dark day. It's a sad day when a preacher from the United States that is a Baptist preacher, Father, he's not going to be exactly the same as we are, as independent Baptists. But Father Amanda is a strong voice for evangelical Christianity, and Father, a gracious man, who simply because he identifies that the Bible says homosexuality is sin, is vilified, is hated, is despised himself by those that preach a message supposedly of love. But Father, we understand that. God, give us grace to put our eyes upon you. I pray, Lord, for your protection for our church in days of apostasy. Certainly, Father, the last thing that we want to see is somebody in our church turning their back on God, walking away from God, and destroying the things that they once said they stood for. And so, Father, may the Spirit of God give liberty in the preaching and teaching of this passage. I pray, would you help me as I speak? I can't speak without your enablement. Any ability that I have to convey the truth of the Word of God is an ability that you've given. I pray that it would be an ability that's enabled by the Spirit of God with the gifts that you've given to me when you call me to preach. And, Father, in the ministry that you've given me as pastor of Free Baptist Church, And Father, I pray today, give us ears to hear. Father, this is a valuable text. And Father, if one here today doesn't know for sure that Jesus Christ is their Savior, may the preaching of this passage open their eyes to what salvation is and what took place, to examine whether or not they've got it. And Father, as believers, that by the grace of God we leave after this message saying, by God's grace I'm not going to stop, but I'm going to continue on for Jesus. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. So we must not stop, but continue on for Jesus. Three points this morning from our text, do not stop growing, do not stop believing, and do not stop serving. Those will be the three things that we'll visit as we go through this passage. And so the first one is do not stop growing. Do not stop, but continue on for Jesus. Do not stop growing. And we can say it like this, you got saved, great, keep growing. You accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, wonderful, but keep growing. And so it says in verse 1, therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying a hand in the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. Christ, as we've studied on Sunday nights, we're studying Christology, Christ is the Messiah. We've talked about who he is, that he is God. Jesus Christ is God and he came and entered into his creation, becoming fully man, that as a man, as we'll look at tonight more specifically with what Christ did, as he goes to the cross, as he rises from the dead, as he is the only way of salvation, so somebody gets saved, they believe the doctrine of Christ, they repent of their sin, and they're born again. Praise God, that is the beginning. Keep growing. The Bible says it's the beginning. John 3, verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, Truly, truly, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Anybody that's saved, anybody that's on their way to heaven, is a person that put their faith in Jesus Christ, who received God's gift of everlasting life. And they were born anew. They had a new life that they didn't have before. The Bible calls it being born again. John 3 verse 7 says, Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. 1 Peter 1.23 speaks about it being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God that liveth and abideth forever. Born again. You know, I've been on a maternity ward six times. And every time we leave with this little package, you know, that wiggles and swerves and cries and stuff. But it's an amazing thing to hold a newborn baby. You got that little life that is in your hands. But you know what? Every time that we had a baby that was born, none of those kids, as we walked out of the hospital, said, Dad, give me the keys. I want to drive. None of them said, you've got these nice little outfits everybody's giving to you, let me choose. And I like that one, and I'm going to put that on. Hey, let's go mom and dad and grab our hand and out we go. I mean, that'd be kind of neat to see. It happens with animals. You've got an animal that is just born, that animal kicks its legs, gets up, and takes off running. And as parents, We just thank God that's not the way it happens in humanity, right? That the kids take a little while. That the birth is just the beginning. You've got some time to get ready to catch up with them. But you know, spiritually, that is us too, isn't it? When somebody gets saved, they're not going to stand up here the next Sunday and preach. They're not going to necessarily be out with us knocking on doors, inviting people to church. They might, but they're not going to be mature enough to handle that conversation at the door and be able to lead somebody to salvation. Why? Because they just got it themselves. They're just a newborn baby. And so there's a process of growth. 1 Peter 2 verse 2 says, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. So you got saved. Great. Don't keep looking back and saying, I've got to get saved again and again. Born again is once, not born again and again. It's just that point in time where somebody received Jesus as their Savior, but they're not supposed to stay there. They're supposed to get in the Word of God and that growth begins to take place. Praise God. You got saved? Keep growing. Secondly, you learned some basics? That's good. Keep growing. Discipleship, as some of you say, they begin to take in the basics about Christianity, that's good, but keep going beyond that. Verse two says, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying out of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And so it says you receive Christ, and that's great, and then you learn these doctrines, good, but don't stop there, keep going beyond that, as we'll see, it says in verse three. So it speaks about baptism. What is baptism? Baptism is a basic teaching. It's a teaching that anybody that gets saved in our church ought to hear pretty early on in the conversation. It's a teaching that was so familiar, as it were, in the days of Christ, that some that got saved apparently already had an understanding about what baptism was and their need to be baptized. You remember the story of the Ethiopian eunuch, as Philip, the evangelist we talked about on Sunday School, came and brought the gospel to him. As he's coming to faith, he says, see, here is water. What doth hinder me from being baptized? He understood that as a follower of Christ, he was to pass through the waters of baptism. That was just something that, even as a person that is getting saved, he understood. Philip said, thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. and he believed in Jesus Christ, they went down to the water and he was baptized. Others were taught of the day they got saved by the men that led them to Christ, apparently, as they gave them the gospel. You remember Cornelius and his family that we also talked about in Sunday School, when they got saved, they were Gentile believers that the preacher, the Jewish preacher, Preacher Peter came and gave them the gospel. But as they got saved, remember, they received the Spirit of God. It was evident by the speaking in tongues that same sign gift that God had given on the day of Pentecost. And as they evidenced that, Peter looks at them and said, they need to get baptized. And he says, can any forbid water that they should not be baptized, just like us? Right? The Philippians chapter 16, verse 31. As they're preaching the gospel to that man that almost took his life, but then God's Spirit, they said to him, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in my house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and took all that were in his house, and he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straight way. Somebody gets saved, they know they need to get baptized, they need to take that step of obedience to God. Why? Because they shouldn't stay in their infancy of, I've just been born again. They ought to step beyond that to the doctrine of baptisms and what does the Bible say about being baptized and identifying with Christ in His death, His burial, and His resurrection. But that's basic. That's something that we're, as a church, we're going to seek to instruct people in very quickly after they get saved. He speaks about laying on of hands. And in that culture, and what they experienced, this was apostolic ministry. They saw the preacher, apostle, putting his hand on somebody, and that person, by faith in Jesus Christ, being healed of disease and things. And that was a very common way in which they saw that take place. In our day, we might have laying on of hands in a dedication ceremony. I mean, I might hold a baby up here if somebody would oblige and have a baby. I might hold a baby up here and have a dedication ceremony where we don't bring this baby into the church, we don't sprinkle the baby, but we just pray and ask God to have his hand on that life and that God would bless the parents. We might put our hands on the parents as we're praying and say, God bless this couple. Give them wisdom. Raise this child for God. We might have a commissioning service someday or an ordination service. where a young man is called to preach and he passes his ordination and we lay hands as a church and church leadership on the shoulders of that man and pray for God's blessing upon him. It's a very basic truth that in their day was more familiar, perhaps even in our day, but it's just the laying of hands. A resurrection of the dead in hell, and these are both fundamental to salvation. If somebody's going to get saved, they need to understand Jesus didn't stay in the grave, he rose from the dead. They need to understand that there's an eternal lake of fire that is a real place that if you don't repent of your sin and trust Jesus Christ, you're going to spend eternity there. So even as they're getting saved, they're understanding this. We had a young lady that was a neighbor when we lived at S Bank in a townhouse. there by the roundabout S thing, the townhouses, that was the first place that we lived. My wife was shocked on Easter, around Easter, to meet a neighbor, a 21-year-old girl, that my wife had the privilege of sharing with her that Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead. And she didn't know that. She didn't understand that. But she, even as an unbeliever, she began to have Bible studies at her house, by the way, when we had midweek service at her house. She would come to that, but she began to understand things even before she got saved about those doctrines. And so Paul says, hey, go beyond that. And by the way, if I speak about Paul as the author of Hebrews, it seems that he was, though we're not exactly sure. So if I say that, forgive me, I might try to say the author. But the thing is, when somebody is to that point, they're to go beyond just taking in truth to where they can actually teach truth. Hebrews 5.12 says, For the time you ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. It's like there are people that got saved, but it's like a baby that's not, what's the word for it? Not thriving. Not thriving. A baby that's just, the weight's not there, and you're concerned about it, you're worried about it. What's wrong? Why isn't this child growing? God desires when somebody gets saved, they're on a national, you gotta expect it as a church, that there's gonna be a process of growth in that person to the point where they can begin to do things for God. And so he took that discipleship, praise God, but keep growing. And then thirdly, you are maturing, wonderful, keep growing. You're maturing, that's great, but take it on to full maturity. And so Paul says that in verse one, he says, let us go on unto perfection. And then verse three, and this will we do if God permit. In other words, get to that full end point of being an adult, as it were, spiritually. Perfection, in God's word, that word, verse 1, is moral or mental completeness. Moral or mental completeness, that is maturity. I understand this, I get this, and I can express this because I've come to that place of maturity. Growing up, our toy store back then was Toys R Us, which I guess has gone into administration or whatever, sadly. But Toys R Us, that was the toy store. If you remember the jingle that they had, the little song that they would play for their theme song, it was this. I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid. There are millions of toys at Toys R Us that I can play with. They've got the best for so much less, you'll really flip your lid. They worked hard on those lyrics. From bikes to trains to video games, it's the biggest toy store there is. I don't want to grow up. You know, I remember thinking that way as a kid. I don't know, my kids haven't told me, if they think the same way. I remember thinking as a child, I don't want to grow up. I've got it pretty good. Somebody else feeds me. Somebody else buys my stuff. Somebody else makes decisions. Somebody else works. A kid has it pretty good, that's a great way to be, but God doesn't expect us to stay there in a church where everything is being done for us and we're just being kind of pushed along. God desires us to get to the point where by God's grace we're mature and we're doing the work of the ministry. I also remember going to college and thinking, if I am an adult, why don't I feel grown up? I don't know. Sorry to tell you this, but your pastor has just recently come to the age where I feel like I'm an adult. And it just takes that time. As an 18-year-old, you're not fully developed mentally. You're not fully developed in your thinking and understanding of life. And so there is a process, rightly so, as a church, where we say, I want to mature. And I want to come to that point where I really am grown up in Christ. The Bible speaks about this as Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3. where he says, but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, there's our word, truly furnished unto all good works. God's word in our lives, as we take it in through the preaching and teaching of the word of God, through our personal Bible study, that is what is going to bring us up to this point, by God's grace, of full maturity. And God doesn't want us to stop short of it. But there's that process of growth and seeking that growth. You know, that is a great guardians apostasy. God, I'm not going to turn my back on you, I'm not going to abort this thing, partly through the process. I'm going to continue on and I'm just going to seek to grow after God. So be on guard against apostasy. Do not stop growing or you could turn away from Christ. And then secondly, do not stop believing. Do not stop growing. Secondly, do not stop believing. You know the great problem that is in an apostate world is unbelief. They don't believe it. Our last flyer that I wrote for our church is entitled, The Answer to Unbelief is Faith. The answer to unbelief is faith. And it sounds simple, but that's really the reality that the problem our world has is that they are in unbelief and they need to come to faith. Revelation 21 verse 8 says, But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And it's Saturday, there's all these people that I don't believe. And because I don't believe, it doesn't matter. If I don't believe it, it doesn't exist. And if it doesn't exist, I'm just going to die, I'm going to go to grave, and that's it. But the reality is not that. The reality is that our unbelieving apostate world, just like we talked about in Sunday school, without Christ, they will perish. They need Christ. The problem is unbelief. You know, I asked you this morning, have you experienced true salvation? Have you truly received Jesus Christ into your heart by faith in his death and his resurrection, having tasted of all the things that God desires you to have? Our family has recently watched some interesting sports activities. It's called X Games, if you're familiar with that. These X Games are guys on BMX bikes, you know, the pedal bikes, or on skateboards that hurl themselves down a 75-foot ramp, go off a jump across a 65-foot chasm, Land on another ramp, go down a hill, and up a 27-foot half-pipe to go 20 feet, potentially, up in the air while doing acrobatics. I mean, it's amazing to watch. And you listen to commentators. I'm listening to commentators, and they'll say, that guy just did a blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, and they see it because they've done it, and they know it. But I'm watching it in real time, and it's like, it's too fast. And so they've got to stop it, slow it down. And when they slow it down, you watch it, and you see the guy go off the jump on his bike, and he's doing a backflip. While he's doing the backflip, he kicks his feet off the pedals and swings the bike around three times while he's doing the backflip. And then he lands on the bike. Incredible stuff. And I'll say, he just did this. If you were brave enough, and you went down that jump, and you say, close your eyes, and you're like, whatever, and you got back on your bike somehow, and you landed it, and you said, I did this trick. I would say to you, well, let's go back and let's see what you actually did. And I may probably crash and burn. And I don't know how I would think I'd actually stay on the bike. But what you think you did may not be actually what you did if after you slow it down and really examine it, you see what you actually did. In this part of the passage, what the author here has done for us is he slowed down salvation a bit. He's made it so that we can examine our experience, and in our experience, compare it with what the, I don't want to say trick, but what the actual thing is, so that we can look at it and say, have I truly done that? My goal today is not to cause anyone to doubt their salvation, I'd rather firm up in our hearts the truth about salvation, but certainly, if somebody was here today that was not truly saved, it would be great to examine what is the experience. salvation as Paul gives it to us. And so do not stop believing, keep believing that which, and here's the experiences, opened your mind to God's truth. Do not stop believing, keep believing that which opened your mind to God's truth. It says in verse 4, for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened. Enlightenment is eye-opening. It's like the light goes on. All of a sudden, I see things I didn't see before my eyes had been opened. And you know, many as a person that when they got saved, they'll say something like this. I don't understand why I didn't see that before. I wish I would have seen that earlier. They kind of say, I wish I would have got saved earlier. I wish I would have understood that. But they haven't had that moment of enlightenment. They haven't had that moment when their eyes were opened. It's what the author of Amazing Grace, John Newton, wrote about when he said, I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see. That was me before salvation. I didn't get it. I hadn't a clue. But now that I'm saved, I get it. I understand it. Like the blind man of Bethsaida, who was twice blind. I've always wondered about this story. His blindness is not just he's blind, but then he needs to have his eyes opened a second time. In Mark 8.22, Jesus coming to Bethsaida, and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. And he looked up and said, I see men as trees walking. After that, he put his hands again upon his eyes, made him look up, and he was restored and saw every man clearly." Interesting, isn't it? Twice. I mean, that Jesus healed his eyes, now he can see, but then Jesus touches his eyes again, and he can see clearly. Interesting. But you know what? Unsaved man is twice blind. Unsaved man is, first of all, blind completely, so that there's no light. The Bible speaks about that in 2 Corinthians 4-4, when it says, "...in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ Who is the image of God should shine into them. The first blindness is so dark that they can't perceive anything. You know what I mean? The God of this world has blinded their eyes. The gospel is the light. Jesus Christ is the light. But the light can't penetrate because there is intense darkness. That's us before salvation. If somebody was here today and they're not saved, that's the condition that they're in. They're in a position where they can't see anything spiritually because they have no ability to see spiritually. God has to open their eyes. Secondly, we're twice blind. First, completely. Secondly, we need our eyes open so that we can see clearly. It's called spiritual discernment. 1 Corinthians 2.14, it's not just that Satan has blinded men's eyes, but the Bible says the natural man, the man without Christ, Receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. So there's a spiritual discernment that a person needs, an understanding that you can pick up the Bible and say, you know what, we're talking about doctrines and things and learning more doctrines, well this is what the Bible teaches about the second coming of Christ. This is what the Bible teaches about the end times. This is what the Bible teaches about the sin that's taking place in our world right now. Romans chapter 1, they rejected God, and we see it in society. They can see it clearly. It's what, when I heard the story of David O'Gorman's salvation, he expressed it this way, before I got saved, reading the Bible was like reading a phone book, but after I got saved, it was like, wow, it was like a love letter that God wrote to me. Let me ask you this morning, has that been your experience? When you got saved, that's what happens, that your eyes of understanding are opened up and you suddenly see truth that you couldn't see before. Is that your experience? Then let me say this, having had that experience, how can somebody turn their back on God? How can somebody turn and walk away when the eyes of their understanding have been enlightened and they could see? And so, don't stop believing. Keep believing that which opened your mind to God's truth. Secondly, keep believing that which was given you from above. It says in Ephtesis of the heavenly gift. have tasted of the heavenly gift. You know, this heavenly gift is what Jesus Christ, we talked about the humanity of Christ last Sunday night, and I said, where was Jesus when he met the woman at the well? He was sitting. Why? Because he was weary with his journey. And so there, as he's weary with his journey, sitting there, a woman comes to him, and he says to her, can you get me some water? But then he says to her a statement about the gift that the Bible is speaking about right here, and he says the word give three different ways, and gift once, in John 4 verse 10 and then verse 14. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me a drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. And in those two verses, four times, the Lord uses these words. Gift, given, give, give. And it was something that they would take in, right? Something that they would taste. Have you had a drink from the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you tasted what Jesus as a Savior can give? Remember the first miracle that Jesus did? It was, anyone know? Water into wine. Remember that marriage that was taking place. And Jesus is there at that wedding. And the Bible says in John 2 verse 9, when the rulers of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not whence it was, But the servants which drew the water knew, the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and said unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when man is well drunk, then that which is worse. But that was kept a good wine until now. We talked before as a church, when you see positive about wine, it's non-alcoholic. You see negative, it is alcoholic. Jesus made grape juice. It was the best. And so this man at the feast, as it's brought to him, he didn't know about they poured in water and it was turned into wine. He didn't know that. But he knew he was drinking something that was out of this world. He had tasted good grape juice before, but this was really special stuff. Why? Because it came from the hand of the Savior. Is it possible today that somebody has received the drink of everlasting life? and not understood it. Is that possible? It's an experience, isn't it? So if you've gotten saved, if you're truly saved, there should have been a satisfying time where you thought, wow, this satisfies. This is great, this is real, and I'm saving this morning. If that's not your experience, then I wonder if you've truly tasted and seen that the Lord is good. But if that has been our experience, then how can I turn my back on God? How can I walk away when I've had such a blessing given to me? Keep believing that which was given you from above. And then third, keep believing that which gave you God's Holy Spirit. Keep believing that which gave you God's Holy Spirit. It says, and we're made partakers of the Holy Ghost. Partakers is something you do with somebody else, to partake. You join with them in taking a bath, and at some point, when we got saved, at the point of salvation, we were made partakers of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit, as you know as a person, He is also called the living waters. We talked about this morning, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. He dwells every person who has been born again. Every person. I found out recently that I have muscle fasciculation. It's a twitch. And I call it a twitch. You might call it something else. Muscle spasms. I get them in my eyes. I get them in my tongue. I get them in my cheek. It's something I've been praying about. And so I've been trying to go to the GP and find out about it. Turns out, not something you do anything about. Thankfully, it's better right now. All right? But the other night this past week, I had one in my gut. And I said to my wife, I said, the baby's kicking. It's amazing to me to hear stories about a woman that was pregnant and didn't know. If you ever read that, you just think, impossible. But there's stories. You know, where a woman gets hurt, wakes up fine, you know, shocking. But we can't fathom that. Why? Because how could you not know that another person is in your body? I mean, that's incredible. That infant is there. That child is there. Let me ask you this. How can you not know today that the Holy Spirit is inside of you, unless you don't have the Holy Spirit? It's one of the great proofs of salvation, that God gave us this Holy Spirit, that we have partaken of the Holy Spirit. Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Do you not know that? He says, do you not understand that? In 1 Corinthians 6, 19. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? There ought to be, in our heart, an awareness that something happened. When I got saved, the Spirit of God moved in. Do you have that? How can you turn away from God if you've experienced that? And then keep believing that which gave you appetite for God's Word. It says, and have tasted the good Word of God. Have tasted the good Word of God. How many of you like sardines? All right, Raj, you come over to my house, buddy. We'll have some sardines. My kids don't really like them, all right? And some of them have tried. But I occasionally like a can of sardines. But as soon as I, you know, it's 10, as soon as I do that, everyone's like, you know, wrinkling up their nose, and oh, that's horrible, whatever. How many of you like chocolate cake? Alright, good. Blueberry muffins. At Costco they've got the muffin packs, you know the big muffins. I mean big, and if you're hungry, forgive me. But they come in six packs. And you gotta buy two six packs. You get a dozen for like five pound fifty. It's not a commercial, it's just the best place to buy muffins around. Although sometimes I'll get them for my family. And when I bring those home, if I'm going to eat one, listen, I don't need to ask anybody else to join me. Everyone flocks to that and eats that. Why? Because they love that. Let me ask you today, what's the Bible like to you? Is it like sardines? The pastor's preaching again. Like sardines? Or is it like, wow, you know what? That's the Word of God. I love that. That's satisfying. See, that's what he's saying. That's what we've got to look at and say, you know what? These people tasted of the goodness of God, the good word of God. How can they turn away? But if that's not your experience, I would ask you this morning, have you truly been saved? How can you be saved and not have an appetite, which is what gives you life and gives you growth and gives you strength? How can you not desire it, as Peter said, unless you're not saved? Keep believing that which gave you an appetite for God's Word. Keep believing that which gave you a taste of the power of God. It says, and have tasted the powers of the world to come. It's like a little bit of heaven in your heart. Tasting the power of God and salvation and changing your life. Paul said in Romans 1.16, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it. 1 Corinthians 1.18, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us which are saved, it's the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1 24, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 2 5, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. When we got saved, we experienced something life-changing. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. There is a power that by the grace of God was unleashed in our life. Back when we were raising support to come to Scotland, we also pulled a Caribbean, like we're going to do when we go back this time. And so pulling that, I needed a lot of power. I had a Dodge diesel truck that had a diesel Cummins engine, the same engine that is used in Caterpillar loading equipment. But at a lower, it's set to run at a lower power. But there's a thing you can get called Superchip, you plug it into the computer under the dash of your vehicle, and it changes the way your vehicle works. And it is a super chip. It's pretty neat. I put it in. The assistant pastor at the church we were at, I said to him, I said, hey, want to go on a ride? And so we hit the super chip button, got in the Dodge Quad Cab diesel truck. And literally, if you wanted to, I could have peeled out, like, whoo, screamed my tires, because I had so much power. That was amazing. And he asked me today, what's your experience of the power of God? See, if it's just dull, nothing's happened, nothing's changed, no experience, you gotta look at that and say, have I truly received Jesus Christ into my heart? But if that is my experience... How can I turn my back on the God that gave me that and walk away? Keep believing that which gave you taste of the power of God. Keep from turning in unbelief from Jesus the only way of salvation. And this brings it all together, okay? Keep from turning in unbelief from Jesus the only way of salvation. For notice what it says in verse 4, it says this, For it is impossible for those who are once enlightened and have gone through those experiences that we just talked about, okay? And I believe I'm speaking about true believers, I'll tell you that. It's a difficult passage, can you read it? And we'll go to where it's difficult. For it's impossible for those who are once enlightened, but verse six, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." Oh, what's he talking about? How can a true believer become apostate? Is apostasy possible? Can a believer turn away from God? Well, let me say this, the illustration is hypothetical. It's hypothetical. It's saying, if this were to happen, not that it can happen. And let me explain. Is it possible for a believer, a true believer, to turn his back on God and lose his salvation? As this passage would indicate, if it were possible. Well, we talked about it already this morning in Sunday School, but Matthew 24, 24 says, There shall arise false Christs, false messiahs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very latter. The apostasy is going to become so great, and listen, we're getting close to that point, that if it were possible, even a believer could be deceived and go, what is going on? But the passage suggests it's not possible. All right, another text that we already talked about. Or no, not this one, but the next one. John 10, 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them to the eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. And so what is the passive seeking? Well, Barnes' commentary says about this, if it were possible, it's like this. Somebody that's tasted this, has this, has what is life-saving, and turns their back on it and rejects that, what else are they going to get? That's it. And for anybody today that looks at the cross and sees the crucifixion of Christ and says, I despise that. Listen, you're despising that. You're damning your soul. Right? Because that's the only way. And so that's how great and how strong a statement the author of Hebrews is making. How can you, when you have had this, and it's so good, and it's so right, and it's so everything, how can you turn and walk away? Now praise God, that kind of apostasy I don't believe is possible, but I believe it is possible for somebody to live in rebellion against God. And that is sad. At best, it's concerning. At its heart, I would question this, are they truly saved? And I think that's the idea. The text says, are you genuinely converted? Because if you've had this, listen, and you walk away from this, this is it. So don't stop believing. Don't stop growing. And then lastly this morning, do not stop serving. Do not stop serving. In our children's classes, we have fun children's songs that we do. I don't know if we do this one here in our slang school or not. I'm not over there. But it's this. If you're saved and you know it, clap your hands. All right? Or if you're saved and you know it, stomp your feet. If you're saved and you know it, turn around. You know, all those things. When we come to this part of the text, it's if you're saved and you know it, put on a towel and serve. If you're saved and you know it, put on a towel and serve. Do something for God. Be like your Savior. Mark 10 45 says, Jesus came to serve. Listen, if Jesus Christ was in our church, he would be the church servant. Right? And we ought to aspire to be like our master. Our master came and he came to serve. He came to invest his life in God's work. You know what? It ought not be different for us in our Christian experience. We don't want to be apostate. We want to turn our back on God and walk away from God. Listen, let's get involved in the work of God. Let's do something for God. So I can say it this way this morning if you're saved and you know it Certify it prove it prove that genuine verse 7 Says for the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh off upon it And bringing forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed Receiveth blessing from God. I'll tell you the illustration that is being used by the author is that of a God-blessed field that is very evidently growing for God's glory. Okay, it's obvious that that is God's blessing. But in contrast, verse 8, but that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned. When it speaks about that cursing, it is casting it off as worthless, is the idea. They would take that field and they would burn it so that they could destroy all the wastedness and all the variness and all the thorns and thistles and things and just get rid of it, because it wasn't valuable. But then Paul says this to the author of Hebrews. He says, but beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. All right, so get the context. He said, praise God, you got saved, go on, grow, go further. And then you've tasted all these things, these good things. How can you turn your back on God? But some, it appears, have turned their back on God. And he comes to this, and he says, there's a field that's blessed of God, And I feel that's cursing God. And it's kind of like making them think, which are we? But then he said, but I'm persuading better things than you. It's comforting. You know, he's brought him to the edge of, oh, is that me? Because... But then they say, but I'm not saying this to just make you afraid, but I want you to stop and think. You need to be the God-blessed field. You need to be. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and notice the statement, and things that accompany salvation. Paul said this, I expect to see in your life evidences of that experience that I just told you about. That experience was your experience, but I expect to see this in your life, and what he expected to see was service. He expected to see them doing things that accompany salvation. This past week, one of the great blessings of this past week, on a purely physical level, was walking into a charity shop and finding a print, which is valuable, of a Thomas Kinkade painting. Thomas Kinkade is an American painter that is very well known. He was a morning believer, but he's passed away. But his... He's got studios in malls in the United States, you walk in, it's just gorgeous works of art. And so I looked at this in this charity shop, I saw this down there, and I almost went past it, and then I saw, Certificate of Authenticity. Look at the front, it's a Thomas Kinkade, I got it for a fiver, and it's worth several hundred pounds, okay, is the idea. So, but anyway, that Certificate of Authenticity is DNA ink. And by the way, it's from 1995. In 1997, Thomas Kinkade started using an auto pen. This is actually a pen that he would have physically held and wrote his name with. It's an autographed painting in a limited edition anyway. But it's genuine. Listen, are you genuine? Is there a certificate of authenticity that people look at and say, look at what they're doing for God. It's so obvious that they're saved. Certify it. Certify it by serving God out of love for Jesus. Certify it by serving the church out of love for Jesus. Certify it by serving the church in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister. They had served God, they were serving God by serving others. They were involved. You know, there's some people that look genuine when they first get saved, but they turn away. In Mark 4 verse 16, it says, These are they likewise which were sown on stony ground, who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness. or says they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time afterward, when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And I mean, they look real. And they're like, pastor, what can I do? And they're getting involved, and then persecution comes, and they go forget it. And it looks like this, apostate, right? Why? Because it wasn't genuine. It wasn't there. It looked like it was there, but it wasn't there. And they turned and they walked away from God. We're uncomfortable with thinking about that, but that's the reality of what the Word of God speaks. Not everybody that says, I've accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior is actually saved. So what do we need to, what do we desire, rather? That's to see evidence. To continue on through God, being faithful to God. And so, verse 18 says, these are they which are sworn among thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things, come in and choke the word, and become unfruitful, and again, they look like they want to serve God, they're gonna go for God, but then they're like, the world, demons have forsaken me, having loved this present world. And they're too embraced and enamored with the things that the world has to offer, whether it be sin, or whether it just be pleasure, or things. That's their life. It's not about God. And again, you've got to wonder, is that genuine? Do they truly get saved? The Bible says here that wasn't genuine. But praise God, those that are sown on good ground, such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some 30-fold, some 60, and some 100. What are they doing? They're serving. Has to be. Has to be. How are they going to bring forth fruit? How are they going to have a bountiful harvest that we talked about this morning in our Sunday School class? How shall they hear without a preacher? Where are the people that are telling them about Christ? Where are the people that are serving? If I'm saved, one of the great things is Paul, or Ophiuchus, challenged me and said, hey, get involved. Get involved. If you're saved and you know it, prove it. Certify it. If you're saved and you know it, show it. Verse 11. Notice this strong statement, and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Now, I mean, that's a, that verse, we ought to stop and look at that, and that is this this morning. I came with authority as a preacher of the gospel, saying if you're saved today, then the reality is that every one of you do show the same diligence unto the full assurance of hope, unto the end. That means perpetually, right? That means the rest of my life. It ought to be a characteristic of my life that I am showing that diligent saying, God by your grace, I want to serve. That's what the author of Hebrews says. If you're saved and you know it, show it. And if you're saved and you know it, get with it. Verse 12, get with it. That you be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Okay. That you be not slothful. Now, let me ask you, and I'm just being straight up honest with the Word of God this morning. Can you be slothful in ministry? Yes. That's the reality at the heart of what the author is saying is don't be lazy. Listen, we stand in the day of lazy Christianity. I've heard this statement said 10% of the people in the church do 90% of the work. I question the numbers and that's just a statement, but you stop and think about it. What do I do for God? I'm saved. How am I investing my life in God's work? And if I'm not, may I stop and think about it and say, please tell whether that excuse will stand before a holy God and a holy God will say, it's fine. You didn't have time. You didn't have talent. You didn't have ability. It's okay. No. It says, stand before God someday with shame on your face and praise God if you weren't actually apostate. And we've got to wonder, am I apostate or why am I not serving God? If I've had all those experiences of the grace of God and God working in my life, why am I not doing something for God? Paul looked at it, I think, and he thought, man, I labored more abundantly than they all. Why are others on fire for God, saying, God, by your grace, I'm going to do something about this. That ought to be our heart before I pull you down. You know what, that's going to keep me from being apostate. I'm not going to turn my back on God if I'm serving God. Hey, listen, if I'm faithful to the house of God, investing in the work of God here, financially investing in the work of God with my life and my talents and abilities, I'm not going to easily turn my back on God. I'm not going to be apostate. Because I'm going to keep on going out for God. Satan wants us to stop. He wants us to walk away in a day of apostasy. You know what it is, a day of apostasy. There's a, I guess the Superbowl is tonight. But there's a commercial that we watch, and I want you to watch it as well. I'll put it on the church Facebook page. But it's about abortion. And you know what's interesting, and I'm talking about apostasy here, is this. They will play tonight a commercial about wicked men who dress up like wicked women, and that's okay, that's not offensive. But they have refused to air this commercial that is pro-life. With people saying this, can you look me in the eyes and say that I shouldn't live? Can you look me in the eyes and say that I should have died on that day so long ago? Can you look me in the eyes and say I have no right to be here because I was aborted, but I lived. It's powerful. And that proves that those people were living people that were abused in the womb of their mother, but by the grace of God lived. Listen, we're living in a day of apostasy when a pro-life, pro-God honoring thing can't be put on the telly, but a bunch of filth and junk can be promoted and applauded. But what am I going to do? What about me? Am I going to stand in a day of apostasy? Listen, praise God, we can. We can. But listen, it's going to dishearten us as a people. We're going to see people come, people go. It happens in a church. By God's grace, we determine it is not going to be. Being me, I'm gonna grow. I gotta say praise to God. I wanna get baptized, I get baptized. I'm gonna go on from God beyond that. Discipleship, I'm gonna go beyond that to maturity where I can know my Bible, disciple somebody, encourage somebody, teach a Sunday school class, get involved in ministry. Cause I wanna be a posse. I wanna grow, I wanna go beyond this. Don't be apostate. Keep growing. Do not stop believing. Never stop remembering the grace of God that took place in your life when you received salvation and all those things that we looked at. And listen, if that's not your experience this morning, I challenge you with the fact that you may not be saved. Because that's the experience of somebody that gets saved. They have an appetite for the word God. They tasted the power of God. They know that somebody resides inside of them. It happened. And then third, don't be apostate, don't stop serving. Don't stop serving. We're not work salvation in our church. Listen, if we were, we'd have people get here at 5am and get on their knees and pray like the Muslims and sit the face of God, right? But because we're not a work-based religion, we have this low standard that says it's okay just to be a carnal Christian because at least I'm going to heaven! You gotta stop and think, you know, but what about becoming what God intends me to be? And saying, by God's grace, I'm gonna serve, I'm gonna do something for God. And so may God help us to give our best to God. May God protect us in the day of apostasy. Let's pray. Father, I pray that the Holy Spirit would touch our hearts. Father, we need the truth that this passage contains. It might be today that the Spirit of God is speaking to somebody's heart, and in the heart of hearts, they're not, first of all, sure if they're saved. Father, they didn't get that settled. But there might be some that are sure that they're not saved. And Father, I pray that they realize if they push that board away, they're pushing away that which alone can save them from hell. Father, we pray for their salvation. And Father, those of us that are saved, praise God, we experience tasting the goodness of God, receiving the water of everlasting life into our soul and the Holy Spirit and the Word of God becoming a great source of blessing and encouragement to us and the power of God in the heart as you changed us into the image of the Son of God and took away our sin and broke the bondage of sin. And Father, if somebody here today hasn't had that, may they question their salvation. Father, if we have had that, how can we turn our backs on God? And then, Father, the author of Hebrews is very clear that we're to be serving, that every one of you do show the same diligence unto the full assurance of hope unto the end that we give ourselves to God. Not because we have to, but because, God, we get to. Father, it's a natural outflow of our Christian life. So I pray today, Father, it might be somebody you're speaking to about serving. Father, or not going back from God, but going forward from God. Maybe they started to go back from God, I don't know. But I pray, Lord, may we make a decision that will say, I will follow Thee, my Savior, where'er the pathway may go, that our eyes will be on Christ, for me to live is Christ to Thy esteem. By the blessed word to our hearts this morning, it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. In 387, I will follow. 387, I will follow.