BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
Acts 16:30-31, “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31-And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Hebrews 3:7– 4:16
Introduction:
This is a lesson in Hebrew history. God uses what happened to Israel in the days when Moses led them out of the land of Egypt to teach us a lesson today.
Consider what happened to Israel when they did not believe the man of God when he spoke the message of God to them.
I. THE CATASTROPHE OF UNBELIEF
A. Israel saw the works of God first hand, Hebrews 3:9, “When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.”
1. They saw what God did to the Egyptians, Exodus 19:4, “When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.”
2. They had seen God open the Red Sea so that they could pass on dry land, Exodus 14:14-16, “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 15-And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16-But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.”
3. They saw that God talked with Moses from Heaven, Exodus 20:22, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.”
4. They had seen all of God’s great acts, Deuteronomy 11:7, “But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which he did.”
B. Israel hardened her heart against the Lord, Hebrews 3:7-8, “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8-Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:”
C. The CATASTROPHE of unbelief struck, Hebrews 3:19, “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
1. Because of their unbelief that whole generation of men died in the wilderness, Numbers 14:22-23, “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23-Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:”
2. Because of unbelief they never knew God’s ways, Hebrews 3:10, “Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.”
II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNBELIEF
A. The Word preached did not profit them, Hebrews 4:1-2, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2-For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”
1. The Gospel was preached to them.
2. But it was not mixed with faith, Hebrews 3:18, “And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
B. There was no rest for those who refused to believe, Hebrews 4:3, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
III. THE CURE FOR UNBELIEF
A. The Word of God, Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
1. They should have listened to the man of God, Hebrews 13:7, “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”
2. God knew their need, but they refused to trust Him.
B. Jesus is our Great High Priest, Hebrews 4:14, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”
C. Jesus can be trusted to keep His Word, Psalms 4:5, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.”
CONCLUSION:
Psalms 18:8 says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Israel trusted 10 spies and lost their lives.