subject this afternoon is entering into his rest from Hebrews chapter 4 and I can say that 70 years ago in 1949 when I was 70 years younger than I am now I first came into contact with the Bible League and The first Bible e-quarterly I saw was in fact April 1949. And the leading article in that magazine, 70 years ago, was the four lets of Hebrews 4. And I was rather fascinated with the article. I know that's all 70 years ago when I read it, but I thought it was good at the time. But it did give me an interest in the way in which the Apostle does use that word let in his epistle. You have got it four times in Hebrews 4. You will see it in verse 1. Let us therefore fear. You will see it in verse 11. Let us labour. My allocation today is up to verse 13 but it is in verse 14. Let us hold fast our profession or confession as we might say. And in verse 15, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace. And if you go through the book of Hebrews, you will find these exhortations quite frequently. If you turn to chapter 10, for instance, there are three verses in a row. And they're very interesting verses, really. In verse 22 of chapter 10, let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith. You know, the apostles there speaking about drawing nigh to God, our attitude to God, our relationship with God. And then, in verse 23, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. And that really gives our connection with the world, generally. In a world, in a world that is far from God, the Apostle says, let us hold fast the profession of our faith. And then in verse 24, let us consider one another to provoke to unto love and to good works. That's our relationship with one another in the church. So I think they're very interested in these little exhortations. We are told there our attitude to God, our attitude in the world and our attitude to fellow believers. It should be an attitude of love and good works. That's what we read there. If you go over to chapter 12, it talks there about let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does, in verse 1, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. And to go to the end of the chapter, verse 28, it says there, let us have grace. Well, we all need grace, don't we? And in the last chapter, verse 13, we've got let us go forth without the camp, bearing the reproach of Christ. And then in verse 15, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God. Well, it's outside my subject, you might think, just now, but I think it's good to think about this because it is an epistle of exhortation. I believe it's written by Paul. Paul wrote to these Hebrews, and do remember, these Hebrews were Christian Hebrews, Christian Jews, And those Jews that weren't Christians weren't very favourable, you know that in the days of the Apostle, they weren't very favourable to the Christians. And the Gentile world generally wouldn't be very favourable to the Jews, let alone Christians who are Jews. So Paul is writing here to a people who don't find easy. But he's saying, let us, let us. Did you like that first hymn we had this afternoon? It was written by Mr Kirk. I don't know whether you saw the name at the bottom, whether it meant anything to you at all. Number 8 it was. Edwin Kirk. Edwin Kirk was chairman of the Sovereign Grace Advent Testament for some years. You don't get the date of his death in the hymn book because he hadn't died when the hymn book was printed. But he lived till 1987. He died on Spurgeon's birthday in 1987. and he reached the grand age of 104 and his mind was still intact. But he wrote several of the hymns in the book. But it's a lovely hymn, isn't it? It reminds us of our subject this afternoon. Let us. Let us think about this rest. And here in our particular passage we have let us fear and we have let us labour. And that's all to do with the rest. Now, I know it was emphasised last month, but I can't help emphasising it again because it just comes out, doesn't it? This word, therefore. It's there in verse 1. Let us therefore. And our old minister used to say when I was a boy, whenever you're reading the Bible and you find a wherefore or a therefore, just have a look and see what it's there for. And it's there for a reason. But it does mean it's all linked together. So Chapter 4 is linked with Chapter 3. So I don't want to reiterate what was said last month, but it's very, very true that it's all wrapped up with what is said in Chapter 3. And of course we'll see as we go through, I trust, that some of these things that are in Chapter 4 are also written in Chapter 3. But really you can see the connection of the whole book because Chapters 2 starts with, therefore, And in verse 17 it says wherefore. And chapter 3 starts with wherefore. And verse 7 says wherefore. And verse 10 says wherefore. Which reminds us that Paul is bringing an argument in and in a way it makes it very difficult for all the speakers this year because we've been allocated with a certain passage and yet it's all linked. It's all linked together. And if you wanted to go through you'd find the same, I mean we've got therefore in our chapter, isn't it? It's there in verse 1, it's there in verse 9, the remaining therefore, it's there in verse 12, 11 rather, therefore, let us labour therefore, and chapter 6 starts with the same word and well you can look at your Bible and you'll see it goes on, on, going on. Paul is bringing here to these Hebrew believers, he's bringing them in view of the truth which we've sought to preach, the truth which is expounded in God's Word, therefore it ought to affect our lives. And we can say, let us do the right thing. I don't want to be long this afternoon because we were late in starting, but there are three things that I'd like to bring out. And first of all is the exhortation. And that is, of course, let us fear and let us labour. That's an exhortation which Paul gives. He's thinking of this rest. We should think of this rest and strive to enter into that rest. That's what Paul is saying here. So that's the first thought, the exhortation. And secondly, I'd like to mention the example, because he gives the example, and it's a bad example generally speaking, isn't it, of the Israel nation. And the way in which God had called them to go into Canaan, he had brought them out of Egypt, and that was the pathway set before them, to enter into Canaan, to have a country of their own. where they could rule themselves, look after themselves. There had been slaves in Egypt for a long, long while. And they fared miserably. So it's a bad example in a way that is given to us here. And then lastly, I'd just like to talk about the experience of entering into God's rest. It is an experience which God's true people will know, do know in a way, because it's talking in the present as well as the future, isn't it? I know we think of the future and all that's prepared for us, and we should mention that. So there are the three little thoughts, the exhortation, the example, and the experience. Now, with this With this thought, in verse 1, let us therefore fear. That's the exhortation, to fear. We should fear, lest we have a promise, which is left to us, of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Or as we have in verse 11, let us labour, therefore, to enter into His rest. That is the exhortation. It's really a question, isn't it, of giving diligence in our lives here below to make sure that we are amongst those who will eventually be in heaven. You know, I don't know about you, but I've been recently to some funerals of neighbours, worldly people, And at the funerals you would think they go to heaven, whether they're religious or not, whether they've got the right religion or not. And sadly, the so-called ministers of today, ministers of religion, give that impression that God is a God of love. Did I not read in the BBC this week that the World Council of Churches are having a conference about God is love? Well, God is love, of course. But they seem to think He's such love that He's not a God of justice. Well, that's not so, is it? So, what Paul is saying to these Hebrew believers is, let us fear about this. Let us labour in this. We've just been singing about Golay Bron, haven't we? That's the exhortation that Paul has given to us here. Now, you might think to yourself, why should Paul say, let us fear? Is fear something that Christians ought to have? Well, I think we understand from this word that Paul uses it in the right sense. If you turn to Romans 8, verse 15, He says there, we have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. Therefore we could say, why should Christians fear? That's not the spirit of a believer, to be fear, to be fearing. Or again in verse 39, he says there, there's nothing can separate us from love of Christ. Nothing at all. Well in verse 38 really, Nothing, neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of Christ. So why should we fear? Why should we fear when you read chapters or verses like that? And yet, we are exhorted to fear in the scripture. If you turn over to Hebrews, chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 verse 15 it talks about there being very diligent that we ought to look diligently to ourselves lest any of us fail of the grace of God And this is the emphasis that we have in chapter 4. In this particular verse, it reminds us of Esau. Well, it goes on to be, that word, lest, comes in verse 15 and in verse 16, lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau. You know, Esau, Esau was the son of Jacob. Jacob was the child of promise. Jacob was the son of Isaac. Isaac was the child of promise. Isaac was the child of Abraham. Abraham was the one to whom God gave many promises. And I suppose Esau thought because he was in the family, everything would be well for him. He despised his birthright, he didn't worry about that. But he wanted the blessing. And when it came to the time when Isaac wanted to give him the blessing, He wept, because he lost it. Jacob went in first. Now we know, you know, I know, that God had intended that Jacob was the one who was to be blessed. We read in Malachi, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated. And in Romans chapter 9, I think it is, 10, one of those two chapters, there's an explanation of these words. Paul writes the Romans saying that there's no unrighteousness with God, but it's a fact. There are those whom God loves and there's no reason why he should love them. No reason whatsoever. But he loves them because he loves them. Then there are those whom he leaves to go on in the pathway they want to go. And that's how it was with Esau. He saw a strapping fella going out, doing his hunting, enjoying life generally, doing what he pleased, but really not concerning himself with things that were eternal. He wasn't concerning himself with the birthright. And he despised it, sold it just for something to eat, because he felt hungry at the time. So now Paul is writing to these Hebrews and saying, you be diligent, unless you're like Esau. You just think you're in amongst God's people, and perhaps you're not saved. Be diligent about this, think about it. And this is a word for all of us, isn't it? Be careful that you're not like Esau. The Bible does talk a lot about the fear of the Lord and of course I would take you to the book of Proverbs and you would know that wouldn't you anyway? In Proverbs chapter 1 verse 7 it says the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge. If you want to have a right knowledge, if you want to know things, you need the fear of God. And this is the kind of fear that Paul is speaking about here in Hebrews 4 when he says, let us therefore fear. If you turn over a few chapters to chapter 9, you'll see in verse 10 there that it says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And of course, you can't have wisdom without knowledge. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. So what the wise man is saying is, we need the knowledge of God and we need to be wise, we need to apply that knowledge of God. It's no good being forgetful about the things that God has said in his word. So this is the right kind of fear to have. The apostle says, let us therefore fear. If you turn to Acts chapter 10, you will see there that, it's just an example of course, it's an example of Cornelius. Now he was a Roman, he wasn't a Hebrew, he wasn't a Jew. But it says about Cornelius, in verse 2 of Acts chapter 10, that he was a devout man and he's one that feared God. I don't know whether you get the message here. Here's a man, he's not brought up, he's not brought up amongst the Jews, but he feared God. He didn't know God. He didn't know about the Lord Jesus Christ. But he had that fear of God, that reverence, that proper attitude. He knew there was a God. How different from the attitude in the world today, isn't it? And sadly in the church. I sometimes think there aren't many people who have the fear of God. I may be wrong and I don't wish to judge others. But that's what it says of Cornelius, he feared God. And it's interesting, when you turn over the page to verse 22, you find that when these representatives came to Peter, they said there, Cornelius is a just man, and they described him as one that feareth God. Feareth God. What I'm suggesting to you this afternoon is that this fear of God is a very important thing and that is what Paul is speaking about in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1. Let us therefore fear. It's not a question of having religion as a kind of backstop and thinking that we can come lightly into God's presence but it's something which is real something which is earnest in the heart of every true believer. If you turn back to Psalm 130, in verse 4, it says there, there is forgiveness with thee, a well-known text, that thou mayest be feared. That thou mayest be feared. So if you've been forgiven your sin, it wouldn't be surprising if you fear God. In fact, that is a natural thing. For a person who's truly forgiven their sin, they fear God. They don't think of God as just somebody they can treat as another man, but they come to him reverently, thoughtfully, earnestly, prayerfully. That's the true fear of God. One or two other references I'd just like you to turn to before we finish on this little thought about fear. And that is in 1 Peter 1, 17. 1 Peter 1, 17. Peter says there, about the time of your sojourning here, how you ought to use it and spend it, in fear. That's Peter writing this time. He's writing to strangers scattered all over the place in the vast empire of Rome. But what he's saying to them is we need to fear. And then just one other reference and that's in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12. Philippians chapter 2 Verse 12, where it says, My beloved, as you have always obeyed, not in my presence also, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So we do get an emphasis on this in the New Testament, don't we? that we should fear about these things. We don't just presume that we're all alright for heaven. We're concerned about it. And every true believer, I believe, has that concern. So, let us therefore fear. Can I say this as well? It's very notable, isn't it? It says there that it's his rest, Do you get that in verse 1? I promise being left of you entering to his rest. And that comes in in several verses there. In verse 5, there's a quote about my rest, a quote of God, my rest. And it says in verse 9, a rest for the people of God. I'm sure there's another one that I guess I can't put my eyes on just at the moment, where it talks about being his rest. This is a rest that God is giving. It's a God that, it's a rest that God has secured for his people. They don't deserve it. It's a rest which he has secured for his people. And when you start thinking of that, you can't help but think, I don't know whether you want to turn to it, it's a well-known verse in Matthew chapter 11, verse 28, where the Lord Jesus Christ then said, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Now that's a very simple verse, isn't it? It's a very well-known verse. But the Lord Jesus Christ says that, come to Him. Come to Him if you want that rest. I think our problem is we don't really come to Him, like we ought to come to Him. But that's the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Come unto me, and I will give you rest. And I think, too, of those words of the psalmist in Psalm 55, where David says there, in Psalm 55 and verse 6, Oh, that I had wings like a dove, that I could fly away and be at rest. Now that's really what we're thinking about this afternoon, isn't it? To not be entangled with the things of the world, not be taken up with all the things of the world, but fly away and enter into His rest, to be at rest. I think that's a lovely thought. But then you'll notice that that rest is not ease. We've been singing about let us labour. And that's what our verse 11 said, isn't it? Let us labour. Let us labour to enter into that rest. How do you labour to get into rest? If you want rest, do you labour? And yet this is what the Word of God says to us. Let us labour. Life here below is not one of ease and just sitting back and taking things comfortably. It's a pressing on, it's a difficult way. God's people are called to be soldiers of Jesus Christ. I found in life that many Christians like certain terms that they have. I mean there are nice words aren't there? Christians and believers. But when you say you're a soldier, that's not so good is it? To fight for the Lord Jesus Christ? To stand up for truth in this wicked world? But that's what we're called to do. And Paul says to Timothy, doesn't he, about enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. So, we read here, we are to labour to enter into that rest. It's something, it comes back to what we said about fearing, isn't it? It comes back to that. We need a diligence about these things. Be diligent to make your calling in election sure. And that's really, really what we're talking about this afternoon. Now, as regards this exhortation into rest, what is the rest? Well, Paul makes emphasis here on the word today, doesn't he? And he did in Chapter 3. Let's go back to Chapter 3. I brought a big print Bible here, which makes it easier for me. But in Chapter 3, if you turn back, you'll see then, and we were told about this last month, But in verse 12, take heed, there's another word, take heed, brethren, lest, there's that word lest again, lest there be in any of you a heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, but exhort one another daily while it is called today, today. And verse 15, while it is said today. That really means, if words mean anything at all, that we're told in our verse 7 of chapter 4 that this particular time was written by David. That's not given in the heading. There's no heading to say that in Psalm 95. But that's what we've read in Psalm 95. It is a Psalm of David. We know that from this verse here, verse 7. What David said in Psalm 19 was, today, today if you will hear his voice, I want in a moment to talk about Israel in the past. But really, what the Holy Spirit is saying through David is this, that the message is for us today. It was for people in David's time. It wasn't just talking to the people of that generation in the life of Moses or Joshua. It was today. And so it comes down to us. It applies to us today. Today we should fear. Today we should labour. And I expect you noticed really, I haven't brought it out at all, but I probably should have done, that word faith or belief. We had it in chapter 3, didn't we? It says in verse 12, about this any of you who should have an even heart of unbelief, Really, the fearing and the labouring is to believe what God says. And you've got it in verse 18. There were those that believed not. But you've got it here in chapter 4 anyway, haven't you? Because it says they didn't profit because it wasn't mixed with faith. They didn't believe. They should have believed God. In verse 3 it talks about we which have believed. In verse 6 it talks about those who had unbelief. And in verse 11 it says if we follow their example of unbelief. So there's a great emphasis there really on belief, faith in God. Dear friends, our labouring in this matter doesn't bring us to be saved by our works. But if we are saved we will want to work, that's what Paul is saying. But really our acceptance, well it rests on the blood of Christ, but in a way it's made known to us by our belief, by having faith in the things that God has said. And perhaps I ought to emphasize that. It is the things that God has said because Look what it says in verse 7. If ye will hear His voice, God's voice. It's not listening to the voices of men. It's not listening to the voices of preachers, however good they might be. It's listening to what God says. God has given us a Bible so we might know what He says. And if we are going to fear and to labour to enter into that rest, it comes to the fact that we need to believe the Bible. Believe what God has said. It was so in olden time. The people should have believed what God has said. Well, we'll come on to that in a moment. But they didn't believe what God has said. But did you notice as well, I know we're going through this at great speed, That word remaineth. It remaineth. I can see it there in verse 6 of chapter 4. I don't know whether that's the only place it is. But it's there anyway. This rest still remains. To my way of thinking it must be something future. It remains for the people of God. They labour here below. The rest remains, which isn't a rest of ease. Jesus said, my father worketh hitherto, and I work. And we have to work, and we are called upon to work. And even in heaven, there'll be a serving of God. But it's a wonderful rest. I was just going to take you to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 7 verses 16 and 7. It gives a little bit of a description, doesn't it, of what it will be like. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sunlight on them, nor any heat For the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and He shall lead them into living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. You won't be crying when you get to heaven. God's going to wipe away all tears. So, we're talking about a wonderful rest. I've just chosen those two verses to speak about it today. But there's the exhortation before us. Let us fear, let us labour. What is it we're labouring to do? We're labouring to hear His voice. That means we read the Word of God, we study the Word of God, we take notice of what God has said, we listen to good expositions of Scripture. And when we hear those things, we seek to do what God has said and live according to the Scripture. We don't take our example from other believers because other believers make mistakes. It's no good you following me because I make mistakes. I'm just a poor human creature. We must take what we believe and what we seek to do from God's holy word. That's the thing that really counts. So that's the exhortation. Now let us look at the example, shall we? If you turn back to the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy in chapter 12. This is Moses rehearsing what has happened just before he's going to go to heaven. Just before he's taken from this earth. And he's going through all these things in Deuteronomy. And this is what he says in verse 9. Deuteronomy chapter 12 verse 9, make sure I read it properly. For you are not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Jehovah your God gives you. But when you go over Jordan and dwell in the land which Jehovah your God gives you to inherit, and when he gives you rest, there's that same word twice there isn't it, from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety. That is really what God had given to the people of Israel. He brought them out of Egypt and this is what he was saying to them, when you go into the land of Canaan it won't be any of this trouble anymore. You'll have a country of your own, a country where you can rest. If you turn over to Joshua chapter 22, this was the time, you know, when after the Reubenites and the Gaddites and the half-tribe of Manatta, they had been allocated land on the east side of Jordan. They wanted that land. And Moses said to them, well, you can't just take over that without going and fighting for your brethren. The other nine and a half tribes have got to fight for the land of Canaan. You must go with them. And so these two and a half tribes did go. And they overcame the land of Canaan to a large extent. And so now Joshua was able to say to these two and a half tribes, and we have it there in verse four, the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren as he promised them. So now they could roam back to the east side of Jordan and have their passage there. God had given them rest. They'd gone into the land. Turn over if you will to 1 Chronicles and read what David has to say. 1 Chronicles 28. There are lots of other scriptures we could turn to, but I've just chosen these few for the time being. 1 Chronicles 22 verse 18. Talking to Solomon. Solomon is about to take over the throne from David. Is not Jehovah your God with you? And hath he not given you rest on every side? For he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand, and the land is subdued before Jehovah and before his people. David looking back, he could say that God had given them rest. that entered into that promised land. Now turn, if you will, to Psalm 132. Psalm 132, where God speaks about His actions. Psalm 132 and verse 13, Jehovah hath chosen Zion. he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever. Here will I dwell, for I have desired it. That was God's purpose for Zion, that it should be a place of rest. But what about these Israelites? What happened? What did happen? Turn back to Deuteronomy chapter 1 and we shall see. Again We have this rehearsal by Moses telling the people of Israel. And this is what he says in chapter 1 and verse 6. Jehovah, our God, spake unto us in Horeb, saying, You have dwelt long enough in this mount. Turn you and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the seaside, to the land of the Cainites, and unto Lebanon, and to the great river of the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you, go in and possess the land which Jehovah sware to your fathers, Abram, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them, and to their seed, and to them." That's what God had for the people of Israel. And we could really go on reading those verses. But you know what happened, don't you? God had said, I'm giving you this land. Perhaps we ought to read another verse, because it does say somewhere there, doesn't it, about the way in which they came to... Verse 22. You came near unto me, every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search out the land, and bring us word again, by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. Moses says in the same, please me well and I took twelve men of you, one out of a tribe and we know that's what happened. They came to Moses and said we'll send men to spy out the land. Now that wasn't bad because it was a question of finding out what they would do to conquer the land. What they would do as soldiers, that's what soldiers do isn't it, plan what they're going to do. And Moses was quite pleased with this. But you know what did happen, don't you? If you turn back to Numbers 13, there it is, that when the spies went into the land, they didn't just look to see how they were going to carry out their warfare. They saw the children of Anakbeor, and they were big giants. And they saw the walls of the cities, that they were very high. And they said somewhere there, didn't they, in this, you look at this Numbers 13, if you will. You know, I must point out verse 20, because Moses had said to them before they went in, be of good courage. That's what Moses told them to do, be of good courage. But they weren't of good courage. But what they said was, it's all big. We can't fight these children of Anna. They were in Hebron actually, the children of Anna. And we know that later on, Caleb went in and took that for himself, just Caleb. But they said we can't do it. The trouble was, they didn't believe God. If they'd have said, God has promised us this land, all we've got to do is go in and take it, let's see what's the best way. But they didn't do that. They go in and they see, and they said somewhere in that chapter, I can't see where it is just now, but it says that we were like grasshoppers. We were like grasshoppers in their sight, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight. We seem so small and insignificant. We can't go in. Now this is of course where faith comes in, isn't it? If they could have believed God and said, God has given this land, we don't worry about children of Anak. Yes, the children of Anak are big, but God is bigger. The walls are high, but God is higher. That's all they had to say, but they didn't. They said, we can't go in there, we can't go in there. It's an impossible task. And they didn't believe God. And that's the emphasis that God is bringing out here in Psalm 95 and carried over into Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4. They didn't believe. And Caleb tried to steal the people. You've got that, haven't you, in one of those verses? Verse 30. Caleb stealed the people and he said, let's go. We are able to overcome it. He was one of the spies. Caleb was. And he stood there almost alone. Joshua later stood with him. But there he stood. But the people wouldn't listen to Caleb. We can't go in there. We can't go in there, they were all saying. And the people followed the ten spies that brought up an evil report. Because they didn't believe in God. Now that's all very significant in a way, isn't it? Because Paul is now saying to these Hebrews You fear, you labour, lest you be like them. You look at these verses in Hebrews chapter 4. He says there, today, verse 7, after so long a time, as it is said, today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts. For if Jesus, you will know that word Jesus is just the Greek way of the Hebrew word Joshua and it's talking about Joshua. If Joshua had given them rest, then would not he afterward have spoken of another day. David is talking of a later day. But they didn't have a rest. But they failed That's what they did because of unbelief. That's what it says in verse 11. They failed to enter into God's rest. Unbelief is a terrible thing, isn't it? It's a terrible thing not to believe God. The world doesn't believe God. And sadly many so-called Christian ministers don't believe God. And sadly there are lots of people who profess to be Christians who don't really believe the Word of God. You find it, don't you? People say, I can't believe, I can't believe that, although it's in the scriptures. Take for example what it says here in Hebrews, look, it says, Verse 4, God did rest the seventh day from all his works. He laboured six days and rested on the seventh day. Isn't that very, very simple? Can you think of any more simple statement that could be made? Now you laugh, but it's true, isn't it? And yet there are people who just don't believe that God made the world in six days. And on the seventh day he rested. I was reading a story in next month's Friendly Companion. I think it was taken out of Cheering Words. I'm not sure. It might have been taken somewhere. Next month's Friendly Companion talks about a man who was so scholarly, so clever. And he saw a woman reading a book. And he said, what's that book? She said, it's the Bible. And he said, well, that's not true. You don't want to believe that. And he said, you know, scholars don't believe that in these days. So the woman said to him, well, what came first, the hen or the egg? And he said, well, the hen, of course. Well, how did the hen come without the egg? So he said, oh, I made a mistake. The egg must have come first. And she said, well, how did the egg come without the hen? Of course, whatever it was that came first, God made it. We know it was the hen, not the egg. But he didn't know that, you see. But it's so simple, isn't it? It's so obvious there's a creator, and that's what we read in Psalm 19. And here's a simple word, but people don't receive it. They don't believe it. And many, many people in the pulpits today, men in the pulpits, and there's women in the pulpits today as well, they don't believe. what Genesis 1 says. And Genesis 1 is what God says. And God's likely to know what happened because he was the only one that was there. These scientists weren't there, they don't know. They're only guessing. But God knew what happened and he made everything in six days by the word of his power and all very good. But it's in general things, isn't it? People harden their hearts. You know, I find with our little Sovereign Grace Advent testimony, we believe that what God says He means, it's been the slogan of the SJAT, we don't use the word slogan, but that's what the SJAT has said for the last hundred years. God means what He says and says what He means. And we believe that. But people, there are many, I find many people, even who call themselves Reformed today, who don't believe what God says. Simple things that God has made so plain in His Word about the end of this age, that it will end in apostasy, as it is happening. God said it would happen. That the Lord Jesus Christ would come when sin was at its worst. It would be worse than it ever has been. An opposition to believers, an opposition to God, that is really, will be worse as the days go on. But the Lord is coming and he will subdue all his enemies, put them beneath his feet and he shall reign on the earth for a thousand years. It says that in the Bible. It says a thousand years six times and men say well it doesn't mean a thousand years. I can't understand why it doesn't mean a thousand years when God says it means a thousand years. But there's hosts of men who don't believe it. They say it just means a long period. And there are other things that people say, aren't there, that they just don't believe. But do you notice what it says here? And I think this is very solemn. Those who don't believe, they're hardening their hearts. When we say we can't believe literally what God has said. As I see that, what this scripture is teaching us, it's hardening our hearts. And that's a solemn thing, to harden our hearts against God's Word. But men are doing it. We were reading at home this morning, those last three chapters in the book of Daniel. And I was reminded, I can't remember the exact words now there, but It did bring out this fact that there will be a general turning away and people won't receive and then it gives the contrast but the wise, the wise will understand. And I believe true believers will be brought to believe the Word of God. And if men in the pulpits or wherever they might be won't believe what God has said, to me that will be an evidence that they're not true believers. They'll come to believe the Word of God. It's hardening of heart. But that's what we read here. Take heed, take heed. Fear, labour to enter into His rest. And it's by hearing His voice, hearkening to the Word of God. Now, just the experience of it all. Perhaps I ought to turn you back to that passage in Revelation. Revelation chapter 7. What a wonderful thing it is to enter into the rest of God. To hunger no more, thirst no more, don't worry about the sun or any light. We'll have much better light than that. The Lamb, he shall lead them and feed them. It's all a wonderful picture, isn't it? And there are other pictures in the scripture. I could have chosen other verses, and you know that. I could have chosen other verses. And they all teach us what a wonderful rest it is that God has prepared for those that love Him. But in the meantime, it's a question of laboring. It's a question of laboring. Now, I don't want to go into the subject tonight, but I do think these lets are connected Let us therefore fear, let us labour, we read, we have read. But the one in the 14th verse says, let us hold fast our profession. And verse 15 is talking about coming boldly, let us come boldly to the throne of grace. You know, the Bible clearly teaches us, and we have this in 2 Thessalonians 2, amongst many other places, that Paul says, verse 3, that no man deceive you, for that day shall not come except there be a falling away. The word there is apostasy, you know, in the Greek. There come a falling away first. The man of sin, the Antichrist, be revealed, who's the son of petition. And I believe the Antichrist is the son of petition. I think he is the one who is described in the Bible as the son of petition. That's clear to me from this text. When you read about the son of petition, It doesn't refer to Judas Iscariot, as I see it, it refers to the Antichrist. But the son of perdition shall be revealed, that's what it says there, doesn't it? And he will oppose and exhort himself above all that is called God, or all that is worshipped, So that he has God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now, just to say, the temple of God is not in Rome. Never was in Rome. The temple of God will be in Jerusalem. There are three temples in the Bible, of course. The temple of the Lord's body, the temple which is his church, but the temple which wasn't Jerusalem. And this man will sit in Jerusalem, trying to make out he's God. It'd be worse than any Pope. Every Pope is an Antichrist, but no Pope is as bad as the Antichrist will be, this last figure who will be revealed. And we really don't know how quickly it might come to pass the way things are going on in the world today. The nation is at a turmoil. They're ready really for a man like this, a superman to arise, a devil-empowered man, the Antichrist. Well he's going to be worshipped. He'll sit in the temple there in Jerusalem, showing himself that he is God. But that will happen and it will be a working, it says in verse 9, of Satan, Satan working with all power and signs and lying wonders to deceive, with all deceivableness. So we know that that's the kind of thing that's coming on the earth. It may happen in my lifetime, it may not. It may happen in your lifetime, particularly those of you who are younger, it may not. We don't know how quickly things might happen, but it is coming to pass. So how important is that we should take notice of these exhortations to fear, have a true fear of God, to labour, labour on, spend and be spent, not enjoy to do the Master's will. But I can't help connecting with these other ones because it says, let us hold fast our profession, or that really is our confession. I live in a denomination where they've thrown away their statements of faith and brought in new ones. Perhaps I don't live in that denomination now, but we were a denomination. We were a denomination that had statements of faith. that were plainly set out according to scripture. But that's what's happening everywhere, isn't it? They're throwing away the creeds, they don't want the creeds. They say it doesn't matter, all these things divide us, they say. We don't want them now. We want to all be one, all joined together, whatever we believe. And that's what will happen in the last days, it will happen like that. So can you see why Paul is saying here, and perhaps Mr Humphrey will bring it out tonight, I don't know, but we need to hold fast to our confession, the things that we believe. Hold on to them tenaciously. We want to hold the truth and sell it not, whatever we might gain. And we can't do that ourselves, can we? We're such poor weak beings. I couldn't stand up to a feather. You know, we're all so weak. So I think the last exhortation does come in, let us come boldly to the throne of grace. There's a throne of grace there, we can always go to that. And we can always go boldly because of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we can always ask that God will help us, God will uphold us, God will keep us, God will cause us to stand. I've gone into many situations in my life with fear and trembling, wondering whatever's gonna happen. But God has always upheld me and helped me. And God is always faithful and yet we find it so easy not to believe in Him. So these words here in Hebrews chapter 4 are wonderful really, aren't they? Let us fear and let us labour to enter into God's rest. I don't know what you think about that story we referred to in numbers, but I love the story of Caleb, don't you? We read that he wholly followed Jehovah. He was one man, of course Joshua stood with him later, but he was one man who stood up and he said, we're well able to overcome these people. If we believe in God, God's promised us this land, there'll be no difficulty to walk in and take it. And Caleb was right. And do you know what happened? What we read here in Hebrews 4? There were those who did not enter into his rest. All those people that believed that God was not with them and they couldn't go and take the land. They all died, every one of them, in the wilderness. So the oldest two to go into the land of Canaan were Joshua and Caleb. It was the young ones, the children, that these men had said, oh, our children, it would be terrible for them. But God showed it was lovely for them. They were the ones that went in. But Caleb stood out as one that believed God. We're well able, we're well able to conquer this land. Let's go in. One man on his own. So in a way, that comes to us as well, doesn't it? If we find we're very much in the minority, and we are in these days, if we find we're very much in the minority, don't worry about that. Did Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego worry about it when they were in Babylon? You're what to burn if you don't bow down and worship this image. They said, we're not worried about that. OK. We're going to do what our God tells us to do. And that's how it is for us, isn't it? Let us fear. Let us labour. Let us be concerned about these things. Concerned about eternal things. Concerned about God. Concerned about sin. Concerned about forgiveness. Concerned about judgement to come. Concerned about the things that really matter. Not taken up with the things that the world worries about. What football team is going to win tomorrow? Is there a match tomorrow? I don't know. Or what's going to happen? It's not that. That's not the thing that is labouring and fearing. It's going on with the Lord. It's really what he said of Caleb, holy, following the Lord. I did just bring along a hymn which John Kemp wrote. I thought you might like to hear it. For weary saints, the rest remains in heaven from all their toils and pains, where seas of joy, eternal flow, without a taint of mortal woe. There, from all sin and sorrow free, They spend a long eternity, No more to strive with flesh and blood, But cease from sin and rest in God. Eternal love this rest ordained, To soothe the breast with sorrow's pain, And fold his lambs from harm secure, Long as eternal years endure. O sacred rest! For this we groan and bid the wheels of time roll on to bring that hour when we shall rise to join the chorus of the skies. That's very nice. Charles Wesley says, Lord I believe a rest remains to all thy people known, a rest where pure enjoyment reigns and thou art loved alone. And he finishes with this, remove this hardness from my heart this unbelief remove. To me the rest of faith impart the sabbath of thy love.