Can You Lose Your Salvation?.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Village Church, take your Bibles and open them to Romans chapter 8. [0:05] We’re going to start there, we’re definitely not going to end there. [0:08] Most of the scripture will be up on the screens today. [0:11] Last week we started this series [0:14] called Cow Tipping, knocking over some sacred cows [0:18] that often we don’t like to talk about

[0:22] because usually if we don’t want to talk about them it’s because we don’t like the [0:26] answers we might get. [0:27] But we here at the Village, our mission is to bring glory to Jesus and be under [0:33] the authority of His Word. [0:34] And if His Word talks about it we need to talk about it. So we’re talking about [0:38] those things. Last week we started by asking the question

[0:41] do you need to go to church to be a good Christian? [0:46] And we talked about the fact that it’s about so much more than going to church [0:50] but rather it’s about being [0:52] the church and that it’s impossible to follow Jesus [0:56] apart from what He is passionate about. It’s impossible to follow Jesus apart [1:01] from the work that He is doing that following Jesus will lead us to be a

[1:06] part [1:06] of His church. And this week we’re going to tackle a subject [1:11] that throughout my life has been one of those questions [1:15] that kind of dogs Christians and kind of sits in the back of your mind and [1:20] you hope and think and pray that you have the answer but quite often [1:25] if we’re honest with each other which is what I hope will be

[1:28] we struggle to really answer this question. And that’s the question [1:32] can you lose your salvation? Can someone [1:36] who has been redeemed by Jesus [1:41] either through sin or through [1:43] a choice, can they [1:47] walk away from that redemption or even

[1:50] worse yet can they lose that [1:54] redemption that God has gifted them with and we’re gonna deal with that today [1:58] I can’t promise you this morning [2:02] that you’re gonna walk out of here the same [2:07] person that you walked in here. I can’t promise you this morning that you’re [2:11] gonna walk

[2:12] out of here without a weight on your shoulders [2:16] and a question in your mind about how [2:20] you are living and the direction that your life is [2:23] because quite frankly as I’ve been studying this over the past few [2:28] weeks I’ll just be transparent with you this morning [2:30] it has been very weighty on me and it has brought

[2:35] about repentance in my life [2:39] alright and I’ve been dealing with it [2:42] and if it’s doing that to me I can’t say [2:45] well if it does it to me it’s obviously gonna do it to you. But what I’m saying is this morning is if it’s doing it to me [2:50] and it’s bringing me closer to Jesus I pray it does that to you this morning [2:54] I pray that God will deal with us this morning

[2:57] because this is not a question because quite frankly our temptation is to say [3:03] can you lose your salvation and then just say yes or no [3:07] and here’s a list of references for [3:10] to prove my point of view because there are two extremes here [3:13] that we’re gonna have either in here this morning and maybe its extremes in [3:17] here because we’re a newer church and quite frankly some of you

[3:20] are here for the first time I have no idea what you believe in this subject [3:23] so there’s probably two extremes there’s extreme [3:26] a which says that a follower of Jesus [3:30] or somebody that follows Jesus made a free [3:33] choice to say yes to Jesus [3:37] and that other people make a free choice to say no to Jesus

[3:41] and if our choice to say yes to following Jesus is of our own free choice [3:45] then obviously as we are following Jesus [3:48] we can make a choice to not follow him anymore [3:53] and that’s one extreme but then there’s another extreme [3:56] that says the believer is eternally secure [4:00] in his salvation and if you come to Jesus

[4:04] and you pray a prayer and you ask him to forgive you of your sins and let you [4:09] into his heaven [4:10] then you are eternally secure and no matter what direction your life takes [4:15] after that [4:15] no matter what decisions you make after that you have this thing called [4:20] eternal security and no matter what you do

[4:23] you can’t lose your ticket to heaven

[4:28] and it’s been my experience [4:30] because I’ve been in church for most of my life it’s been my experience [4:36] that there really isn’t much middle ground that people take

[4:40] these are the two extremes that we have [4:43] and there aren’t many people that are going to give you a middle ground in [4:46] between that [4:47] you’re probably one or the other and quite frankly in this [4:50] area I would say you’re probably closer to saying [4:53] eternal security is absolutely true no matter what I do

[4:57] Jesus don’t say no to me you know Jesus is the boyfriend that never breaks up [5:01] with you [5:02] Jesus is the husband that’s always faithful even when you are a harlot [5:07] alright and what I’m gonna tell you today right now this [5:12] don’t tune me out after I say this the first thing I want to let you know that [5:16] you can biblically

[5:19] it’s called proof texting you can proof text [5:23] either extreme you can [5:26] you can go in the Bible and find verses [5:29] to say eternal security is true and you can go in that same Bible and find [5:33] verses that say [5:35] don’t fall away if these people fall away

[5:40] if these people fell away don’t you think it’s possible for you to fall away [5:44] they’re both in the Bible is one right [5:48] and the other God was just having a bad day God was just irritated with the [5:53] church when he wrote that [5:55] they’re both in there and so what I really want to do today is I want to [6:00] deal

[6:00] with all of it and in the next 45 minutes [6:04] you hope

[6:09] I know what it’s like lunch man you want to get there [6:13] I’m gonna try not to take rabbit trails today because seven jokes just came in [6:16] my mind about that and I’m ignoring them all

[6:21] but I’m gonna try to lay [6:23] God’s word out on the table and say this is what [6:26] God says this is what we have [6:30] to believe because quite frankly I have to believe both [6:34] right so I hope you found your way to [6:38] Romans chapter 8 because the biggest danger that we have in dealing with a

[6:43] subject like this this morning [6:45] is that if we say yes or no [6:48] to can you lose your salvation what you are probably doing [6:52] and some of you are doing it right now you’re going into this default [6:56] mode where you learned one of those two beliefs [7:00] all through your childhood or even through your adulthood as you’ve been

[7:04] in church maybe you didn’t go to church when you were a child [7:07] but you’ve learned one of those two [7:10] and you’re going into the Bible with a presupposition based on that [7:14] and no matter what I read in scripture you’re gonna read it in light [7:18] of what someone at some point taught you [7:21] I’m gonna ask you to do one of the hardest things possible today

[7:24] I’m gonna ask you just for a few moments [7:27] forget everything you have ever been taught [7:30] and just let God teach you I’m not saying [7:35] I’m the authority here don’t let me [7:39] teach you do I think I have you know some credibility in teaching scripture [7:43] well why else would I be up here but don’t just take my word for everything

[7:49] I’m saying in any week [7:51] but rather just let God bless you [7:54] and teach you and humiliate yourself under the hand of a mighty God as [7:59] first Peter says [8:01] just let him teach because quite frankly [8:04] you believe one or the other based on your own comfort level

[8:07] and I like to set a really comfortable atmosphere so that we can get really [8:10] uncomfortable for a few minutes together [8:12] so let’s do this together in Romans chapter 8 I want you to begin reading [8:17] with me in verse 28 [8:18] and you probably know this if you’ve been in church [8:21] and we know so Paul starting off real quick saying

[8:27] we know this and we know that for those [8:31] who love God all things work together for good [8:34] for those who are called according to his [8:38] purpose alright Greek class [8:41] and for some of you this may be an old joke some of you’ve never heard it [8:44] before and I’m talking to the ones that have never heard it before

[8:46] there’s something that I learned in Greek class and that is when you’re [8:50] reading the New Testament understand that whenever you see that word all [8:54] all okay it’s fairly safe to say [8:57] that the root meaning is all okay so when God says in [9:03] all things he’s talking about the entire litany [9:07] of things in your life even down to your very soul

[9:11] okay so this is a promise of God where God is riding through the apostle Paul [9:16] and Paul is saying [9:17] because God has told me this we know [9:21] that all things work together for good to those who love God [9:27] and to those who are the called according to his purpose that’s like [9:30] King James verse and A and ESV put together

[9:32] but because that’s what I memorized everything in I went to a Iwana sorry [9:35] but I want you to know this morning that [9:38] I’m ignoring the screens for some reason I don’t know why I do that but [9:41] what I want you to know this morning endurance is a gift [9:45] of God that’s where we have to start if you wanna understand anything in the [9:53] scripture it’s pretty safe to start with the author

[9:55] God but then you have to understand [10:00] what Paul is talking about here is this vision that you have [10:03] of the end of your life of the end of all things [10:07] and what Paul is saying is God has promised that at the very [10:11] end of everything everything [10:14] will work together for good to those who love God to those who are the called

[10:20] according to his purpose those are the two people that can claim the two types [10:23] of people that can claim this promise and both of them have to be true of you [10:27] but what he’s giving you is this concept of endurance [10:31] this concept that you cannot live your life based on what you’re feeling and [10:36] what you’re thinking right now but that in the end you can [10:40] eventually you can ultimately trust God

[10:45] and this word endurance has to come into your mind [10:50] because what Paul constantly talks about especially in first Corinthians [10:55] when he says I run the race I beat my body into submission [10:59] for the cause of Jesus Christ he’s using this Greek word called gymnasium [11:03] which is literally I’m sweating it out [11:07] if any of you have ever run

[11:10] alright which I unfortunately have before [11:14] I got tricked last year into running 10k [11:18] I didn’t know that was six miles not too good at the conversion there

[11:24] but I learned very quickly on day one of training [11:29] and some of you are like he didn’t do that I promise [11:33] quit judging me

[11:37] I learned on day one if I was ever gonna get to the goal [11:42] I was gonna have to endure there was a lot of enduring [11:46] it’s like mile five of that final day [11:49] I really had to endure that and so when you’re talking about these promises [11:56] that are due at the end of our life that God has promised something at the end [12:01] will be true

[12:02] between now and then I’m gonna have to endure [12:05] through life and what God is saying in this passage is that eventually you’re [12:12] gonna see [12:13] what’s promised right now so if God makes [12:18] any promise and we have to build a foundation here I’m not even getting the [12:21] actual question

[12:22] alright any promise that God made [12:25] he’s going to deliver it so [12:28] ultimately the promise is contingent upon one person [12:32] and that’s God if you were here for the story series we dealt with that in the [12:36] life of Abraham [12:37] when God promised redemption he was the only one that actually signed the

[12:42] contract [12:44] so endurance is ultimately [12:46] on God look at first Corinthians it’ll be up on the screens first Corinthians [12:51] chapter one verses seven through nine here we’re gonna read so that you are [12:55] not lacking in any spiritual gift [12:57] as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ

[13:00] so what Paul is writing in first Corinthians here is this view of the [13:04] end again he’s gonna get more specific he says as you’re waiting for Jesus to [13:09] return [13:09] as you’re waiting for God to fulfill all of his promises [13:13] you have to understand who [13:18] will sustain you to the end

[13:22] so he’s saying you’re waiting for Jesus to come back [13:26] you’re waiting for him to reveal himself but who is going to give you [13:32] the endurance to make it to the finish line

[13:38] Jesus so the promise is ultimately contingent on Jesus [13:42] and then he says guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by [13:49] whom you were called into the fellowship [13:51] of his son Jesus Christ our Lord [13:56] so this thing that we’re waiting on this endurance [13:59] that we’re trying to have because if anyone has tried to live a Christian

[14:04] life [14:04] I’ll tell you right now it’s hard Jesus wasn’t lying when he said [14:08] hard is the path and narrow is the road but that if you make it if you see this [14:15] promise come to fruition [14:17] it’s not you that’s doing the enduring [14:20] by your own strength it’s God

[14:25] when you come to Jesus Christ for redemption [14:29] when you believe the gospel when you come to him and say [14:33] your death was for me your resurrection [14:36] was for me you have expiated or taken my sin away from me [14:41] and you have given me your righteousness and that is the only thing that gives me [14:45] right standing before God

[14:46] is you then the life that comes out of that [14:50] is not out of you it’s out of God himself [14:55] and he says you [14:58] left to your own power won’t make it [15:02] to the end so I will sustain you

[15:08] I will take you [15:11] keep you to the end but then

[15:18] Philippians [15:19] chapter 2 we see another side

[15:25] and it’s these kind of verses [15:27] that when you’re one of these people that is like yes God will sustain me [15:31] it’s not me it’s him then you come to these passages and you’re like huh

[15:37] don’t even know I do that too [15:40] in Philippians chapter 2 Paul the same guy that’s been writing all this other [15:43] stuff he writes [15:44] therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed so now [15:49] only as in my presence but much more in my absence [15:53] work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

[15:59] so he’s like God’s gonna sustain you [16:01] that sounds really good right because I’m the type of person I don’t like a [16:05] ton of responsibility [16:06] I don’t like for everything to depend on me maybe you’re like me maybe you’re not [16:10] maybe you’re like [16:11] a control freak you want everything to be dependent on you not I

[16:14] okay I just like to have everybody else and if you get to screw up it’s like [16:19] okay as long as I don’t get blamed [16:22] alright we’re good I’m not getting the blame alright sounds great [16:26] so Paul goes from that but then he says this he says [16:30] in my absence you make sure [16:34] you’re working out your own salvation

[16:38] with fear and trembling that doesn’t sound to me as if there’s no effort [16:44] required on my part [16:46] doesn’t seem to contradict but then [16:51] look at how he ends it he says for it is God [16:55] who works in you both to will and to work [16:58] for his good pleasure here’s where we really kick it in the high gear this morning

[17:07] okay because [17:08] the promises of God are totally dependent on God [17:12] salvation the promise of God therefore salvation [17:16] is totally dependent on God fulfilling his promise and not [17:20] on me but here’s where we never think in here’s the problem [17:24] with most of us in church our biggest problem is is that we want to treat

[17:28] church [17:29] and we want to treat God and we want to teach treat scripture the same way we [17:33] treat everything else [17:34] we want to be able to come in get an answer [17:37] turn our brains off in never have to actually think [17:41] through the implications of the answers that we get

[17:44] we came to the wrong place this morning because I’m gonna ask you to turn it on

[17:51] when he says in this passage [17:53] to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling that is not just some [17:58] hypothetical question [17:59] some hypothetical reality where he’s saying it’s kinda like you’re working it [18:04] out but it’s God said don’t really worry about that fear and trembling part [18:08] no Paul is literally saying you need to pay attention to your life

[18:14] you need to work out your own salvation [18:17] with fear and trembling it’s going to have to require an intentional [18:22] lifestyle where you’re actually putting forward effort [18:26] in your life where you’re actually doing something but understand [18:30] as you’re doing it

[18:35] God will sustain you [18:39] God is the one who’s giving you the power [18:41] God is the one who’s working out the salvation [18:47] through you but here’s our problem is we usually don’t bridge that gap [18:54] we usually put the load on God and say well then I don’t have to do anything [18:58] that’s not what the scripture’s saying right here

[19:02] when we say that God is the only one that has to keep the promise [19:08] we rarely look and say well how does he go about keeping it [19:14] what are the means that he uses [19:18] to make sure that endurance [19:21] happens

[19:25] you do not [19:26] in any way earn your salvation through your effort [19:30] nor do you keep it through your effort that’s based on God and Jesus [19:34] but here’s what God does that changes everything and it’ll mess up your life [19:38] if you don’t love Jesus [19:39] is that God uses your

[19:42] efforts as a means to endure you [19:46] through to the end that’s what Paul’s talking about

[19:51] that’s why Jesus says things [19:53] like narrow is the road hard is the path [19:56] he says if you want an easy life yeah good [19:59] that’ll get you hell. Wide and easy [20:03] is the path that leads to hell but long, excuse me, but narrow and hard is the road that leads to God [20:10] this is what he’s talking about

[20:14] so there’s the intro now let’s get down to brass tacks [20:20] turn in your scriptures to Hebrews chapter 3

[20:24] Hebrews is a book [20:27] written to a church [20:30] some people think Paul wrote it some people think Luke wrote it [20:33] I tend to think Paul wrote it. Hebrews is a book written to a church [20:39] that’s in Jerusalem. It was written in a time [20:42] that was really hard for Jerusalem. If you read the book of Acts towards the end of the book of

[20:49] the first two chapters, it says that Jesus comes in Jerusalem and they come under some pretty heavy persecution [20:52] they come under some pretty heavy suffering under the hands [20:55] of their own brothers and sisters often their own family members are [20:59] persecuting them [21:00] and making them suffer. Christians are being killed [21:03] for following Jesus and leaving the historic traditional

[21:07] practice Judaism and so what’s happening in the church that’s [21:12] inside of Israel is that people are beginning to quit [21:17] okay people are not having anything like they’re not coming together [21:22] they’re not having fellowship because if you remember back in Acts chapter 2 [21:26] the main designation of what it was to be a part of the church [21:29] fellowship with other Christians was a huge part of that

[21:32] but what’s happening now is that people are being killed when they fellowship [21:36] with other Christians [21:37] so they’re saying well in order to not be beaten to death [21:40] I think I’ll just ignore you for the rest of your life and then I’ll be able to live

[21:46] and so they’re not coming together they’re not enduring at all people are [21:51] starting to deny Jesus [21:52] people that have claimed faith in Jesus are denying it [21:56] people that are still claiming Jesus are getting lazy [21:59] because if you are to practice your faith and evangelize [22:03] to other Jews will you come under strange scrutiny and sometimes you’re

[22:08] dragged out of your house in stone to death

[22:12] and so Paul or someone [22:14] writes the letter of Hebrews to this church [22:17] and he’s going to point by point show them [22:21] what their life must look like and he begins by saying [22:25] Jesus is greater than any suffering that you can ever go through [22:31] because Jesus is supreme his sacrifice is supreme

[22:35] Judaism will not get you anywhere only Jesus [22:39] will keep you and gain you the eternal life you look for [22:42] and then he follows it up at the end of chapter one and he says [22:46] our hope is only found in Jesus alone and then he starts chapter two with [22:52] since this is true therefore you live like [22:55] this and he goes on for eleven chapters

[23:00] laying that out for them

[23:05] but this concept of can you lose your salvation [23:09] it gets very thick in Hebrews chapter 3 [23:14] ok and I want to start reading in verse 12

[23:19] in Hebrews chapter 3 starting in verse 12 he says take care brothers [23:23] lest there be in any of you an [23:26] evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away [23:30] from the living God

[23:34] uh oh, gotta think about that one don’t you? Calls them brothers [23:39] then he says take care unless [23:42] you have an evil unbelieving heart and you fall away from God

[23:49] he says but exhort [23:50] one another every day as long as it is called today that none of you [23:55] may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin for we have come to share in Christ [24:00] if indeed we hold our original confidence [24:03] firm to the end

[24:09] followers of Jesus will [24:12] endure, followers of Jesus will endure [24:17] you can bank on that [24:20] what Paul is laying out for us right here is [24:23] that when you become a follower of Jesus [24:26] there must come inside of you a true

[24:31] and an overwhelming confidence in Jesus [24:35] that changes your life it changes how you view life [24:39] it changes why you live life and in the end [24:43] during your life you will not come to the end and say [24:47] I didn’t follow him so hopefully he’ll love me you come to the end and say [24:51] I followed him and I know he loves me

[24:57] he’s saying [24:59] if you do not [25:02] endure until the end you [25:06] will not be saved

[25:14] if you’re a Bible scholar out there read that and tell me how else I can [25:19] interpret it

[25:25] because you have one of two possibilities possibility number one is [25:29] Paul’s just having a bad day and he’s trying to scare them [25:32] because attendance is down

[25:36] or B [25:38] this is God’s word [25:42] those are your two possibilities [25:45] and if this isn’t true [25:49] and what is true in there

[25:57] Paul writes and he says

[26:01] be careful

[26:05] because if you’re not following Jesus [26:08] how do you know you have them

[26:13] in John chapter 6 let’s go to some words of Jesus what does Jesus say [26:17] in John chapter 6 [26:20] the apostle John writes the words of Jesus he says for I have come down from [26:24] heaven not to do my will but the will of him who sent me [26:28] and this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing [26:32] of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day

[26:36] for this is the will of my father [26:39] that everyone who looks on the Sun and believes in him [26:44] should have eternal life and I will raise him on the last day [26:48] notice Jesus is making some outright promises here [26:52] he’s saying if you look on me if you believe in me [26:57] I will endure you to the end

[27:00] I will raise you up on the last day [27:03] you can bank on that but here is how quite often we read passages like this [27:07] we read passages like this and say [27:10] right there in verse 40 when he says everyone who looks on the Sun and believes in him [27:16] we want to look at one point in our lives and say [27:19] at that point I looked at Jesus I liked what he had to offer

[27:23] I didn’t want to go to hell he said through him I could go to heaven [27:27] so from him I got this golden Willy Wonka ticket [27:30] when I looked at him and said yes I believe in you [27:33] and I put that ticket in my back pocket and that’s what I’m banking my future on [27:38] that was a strange example right there I don’t know where it came from [27:43] I didn’t plan to point I don’t know

[27:45] but I’m banking my entire faith [27:49] on that one moment that is not what Jesus is saying [27:54] Jesus is saying if you believe in me and look upon me

[28:02] and keep looking

[28:06] and live your life [28:09] in the glory [28:11] of the cross

[28:17] and it overcomes you [28:20] that word believe [28:23] notice that Jesus says if you believe

[28:28] that word is not an academic knowledge

[28:36] I believe

[28:41] that there are medicines that cure certain diseases

[28:47] but I haven’t taken them [28:50] that’s not the same belief Jesus is talking about here [28:54] the term he is using for belief here [28:57] is this term for trust

[29:02] because he wants you to understand that believing Jesus is trusting Jesus [29:07] and when you look on the cross

[29:14] and you believe [29:16] it changes everything [29:20] and you now live your life [29:23] in view of the cross [29:27] of Jesus Christ [29:28] and his followers don’t look away

[29:32] but rather they build their lives [29:35] around a trust and hope that is on Jesus Christ [29:39] who is our solid rock [29:41] we sang it earlier [29:42] Ephesians chapter 2 calls him a sure foundation [29:45] and he is the cornerstone

[29:47] he is the one upholding it [29:48] and what do you do to a foundation [29:50] you build a house on top of it [29:52] because if you build your house not on that foundation [29:54] guess what it’s going to fall [29:55] it might sink into the ground

[29:57] but what Jesus is saying when he says if you look on the cross [30:00] and you believe in the cross [30:01] what he is saying is looking and believing [30:03] equals building a foundation on me [30:06] and living your life in light of who I am [30:09] and if you do not do that according to Paul

[30:12] in Hebrews chapter 3 [30:13] you don’t have him

[30:17] you are lost

[30:20] in the words of Paul be careful

[30:25] then in John chapter 10 he says [30:27] my sheep hear my voice [30:30] and I know them [30:33] and they follow me [30:35] I give them eternal life [30:37] and they will never perish

[30:39] and no one will snatch them out of my hand [30:43] if we look at that verse [30:44] there is such a great hope [30:47] in the hand of God that he is the one [30:50] that sustains me [30:51] he is the one that keeps me

[30:54] he is the one that endures me [30:56] he is the one that strengthens me [30:58] but then he says [30:59] my sheep hear my voice [31:00] and they follow me

[31:05] Jesus is giving you comfort [31:07] but then he is saying [31:08] this is what happens [31:10] if you want my comfort follow me [31:14] you cannot live a life [31:16] in which you look at the cross

[31:20] and say give me the ticket [31:23] and go back to your life

[31:26] but I got my ticket [31:29] it is not a ticket

[31:33] it is a life [31:36] if you look at the cross [31:39] he gives you his life

[31:44] in Galatians 2.20 Paul again [31:47] puts it this way [31:48] he says I have been crucified with Christ [31:51] yet I live [31:54] not I [31:55] but Christ lives in me

[31:59] and the life I now live [32:02] I live by faith in God [32:06] through the son of God [32:08] who loved me [32:09] and gave himself for me [32:13] the cross changes everything

[32:21] believing Jesus is trusting Jesus [32:25] it leads to this life [32:27] in which our faith is tested [32:31] our trust is tested [32:33] if your trust in Jesus has never been tested [32:35] you need to get out more

[32:39] watch the news

[32:42] and here is what I am talking about [32:44] some of you are going to think [32:45] that pastor doesn’t trust Jesus all the time [32:48] kind of pastors that [32:50] go back to Hebrews 3.15 [32:54] it says in verse 14

[32:56] back up to there [32:57] for we have come to share in Christ [32:59] if indeed we hold our original confidence [33:02] firm to the end [33:04] as it is said today [33:06] if you hear his voice

[33:07] do not harden your hearts [33:08] as in the rebellion [33:09] for who were those who heard and yet rebelled [33:13] was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses [33:16] and with whom was he provoked for 40 years [33:21] was it not with those who sinned

[33:23] whose bodies fell in the wilderness [33:25] and to whom did he swear [33:27] that they would not enter his rest [33:29] but to those who were disobedient [33:32] so we see that they [33:34] who were unable to enter

[33:36] because of unbelief

[33:41] a lot of people don’t like the book of Hebrews [33:43] because they are always talking about the Old Testament [33:45] so you have to know the Old Testament [33:47] to really get some of the stuff in Hebrews [33:48] but what Paul is talking about here [33:50] he is saying

[33:51] you will be delivered by God [33:53] if you are confident in your faith until the end [33:56] and then he uses this analogy from the nation of Israel [33:59] all the way back to the book of Exodus [34:01] where they had been led out of Egypt [34:04] out of slavery by Moses

[34:06] they had seen the Red Sea parted [34:08] they had seen manna fall from heaven [34:10] they had seen dirty water be turned into clean drinking water [34:14] they had seen the most amazing things by the hand of God [34:19] and then they came to the end [34:21] they came to the finish line

[34:23] they came to the sea [34:27] where they just had to cross over [34:28] excuse me the Jordan River [34:29] they just had to cross over it [34:30] into the promised land [34:32] and they were there

[34:33] and they sent some spies in [34:35] and ten of the spies came back and said [34:36] there are giants in there

[34:40] I don’t know about you [34:42] but I am not as strong as a giant

[34:46] and the whole nation said

[34:51] we can’t beat them [34:54] this is too hard [34:58] we can’t make it [35:00] I can’t live in light of the promises of God [35:03] in the face of these undeniably difficult circumstances [35:07] I trust him but I don’t trust him that much

[35:13] and so God turned [35:16] his eternal GPS system off

[35:22] and said [35:23] then this entire generation [35:25] will die [35:27] without ever entering into the promised land

[35:34] the whole time it looked like [35:36] they trusted God [35:39] if it was a church they certainly were in the choir [35:43] they were the elders [35:45] they were the deacon board [35:47] they were the greeters

[35:48] they were the ushers [35:49] a few of them were in the band [35:52] and it looked like they were going to make it [35:55] they loved God [35:56] they trust God [35:57] and then a test came

[35:59] that was too hard for them to say [36:02] I trust God [36:03] and God said

[36:06] then you can’t have it [36:10] and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years [36:13] and Paul says [36:14] it was because they never really trusted God [36:18] because trust in God translates into a life [36:22] lived in light of his promises

[36:24] or even in the face of undeniably difficult circumstances [36:29] you say [36:29] but my God will endure me to the end [36:32] he will deliver on his promises [36:34] and I’m going to live and follow him [36:37] because while everything else might be hard

[36:39] and everything else might say no [36:41] God says yes I’m following him

[36:46] this is what John is talking about [36:48] in 1 John chapter 2 verse 19

[36:52] when he is writing in 1 John [36:54] if you ever want to struggle through a book [36:56] go through 1 John [36:57] it’s tough [36:58] in 1 John chapter 2 [37:00] he talks about a few people that left the church

[37:03] but they didn’t just leave the church [37:05] they said Jesus wasn’t God [37:06] and they left the church [37:07] and this is what John has to say about them [37:10] he says [37:11] they went out from us

[37:12] but they were not of us [37:14] for if they had been of us [37:16] they would have continued with us [37:18] but they went out [37:19] that it might become plain [37:21] that they all are not of us

[37:25] my mother used to have this term [37:29] if you are from the south [37:30] maybe you have heard it [37:31] the proof is in the pudding [37:32] no I have never found any proof in actual pudding [37:35] but I think this is the type of situation

[37:37] that that is talking about [37:40] what John is saying is [37:42] that there are going to come some people [37:45] who are going to raise their hands [37:47] and praise his name [37:48] and sing songs to Jesus

[37:50] and love in Jesus [37:51] and then walk right out the door

[37:56] and go into lives of continual perpetual sin [38:00] do much dangerous and hurtful things [38:04] to the church of Jesus Christ [38:05] and then maybe even come to the point [38:08] where they deny the name of Jesus [38:10] and John says right there

[38:12] he says they went out from us [38:13] but they certainly weren’t of us

[38:17] because they did not believe

[38:22] believing Jesus is trusting Jesus [38:26] understand this morning [38:27] that if you are living a life

[38:32] where you are perpetually in sin [38:35] you are just constantly in sin [38:37] but then you want to have this promise [38:40] applied to your life [38:41] but you are not showing any signs [38:44] any endurance that you love God

[38:46] understand that you do not trust Jesus [38:49] and you should be deathly afraid

[38:54] in 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5 [38:58] Paul writes he says examine yourselves

[39:02] to see whether you are in the faith

[39:07] test yourselves [39:08] or do you not realize this about yourselves [39:13] that Jesus Christ is in you [39:16] unless indeed [39:18] you fail to meet the test

[39:23] commentator Thomas Schreiner says [39:25] perseverance or endurance [39:28] is the test of authenticity

[39:33] we have to come to grips [39:36] that passages like 1 John [39:38] 2 19 that we read a few minutes ago [39:41] show that people who come into a community of faith

[39:47] and do not endure inside of faith in Jesus [39:51] their faith was not real [39:55] this is what Jesus was talking about [39:57] in the book of Matthew [39:59] I think it is chapter 15 when he talks about [40:01] a sower going out to sow seeds

[40:03] and he goes out and some seeds fall by the roadside [40:06] and spring up really quickly [40:07] but then when the storms come around [40:09] they wither and die [40:10] and then some seeds they go into the weeds [40:13] but then the weeds come up and choke them out

[40:16] which represents [40:18] the pleasures of this material world [40:20] coming up [40:22] and strangling their hope out [40:24] these are not faulty passages [40:26] these are real warnings

[40:27] because we have to come to grips [40:29] that love for Jesus gives life to endurance [40:34] so how do we endure to the end [40:37] if we are to be careful [40:38] if we are to live lives of trust [40:40] how do we endure

[40:41] look to Hebrews chapter 4 verse 1 [40:44] it is right after chapter 3 [40:47] since and that word therefore [40:49] what he is talking about [40:50] since some will not enter [40:53] because ultimately they do not believe

[40:54] he writes while the promise of entering his rest stands [40:58] let us fear [40:59] lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it [41:03] for good news came to us [41:05] just as to them [41:06] but the message they heard did not benefit them

[41:09] because they were not united by faith [41:11] with those who listened [41:13] for we who have believed [41:15] enter that rest

[41:20] and then quickly in Hebrews chapter 10 [41:23] he says [41:24] let us hold fast to the confession of our hope [41:27] without wavering for he who promised is faithful [41:29] it is dependent on God [41:31] and let us consider

[41:33] how to stir up one another [41:34] to love in good works [41:36] not to be deceived [41:36] not neglecting to meet together [41:37] as is the habit of some [41:39] but encouraging one another

[41:40] and all the more as you see the day drawing near [41:43] for if we go on sinning deliberately [41:45] after receiving the knowledge of the truth [41:48] there is no longer remains a sacrifice [41:50] for sins [41:51] but a fearful expectation of judgment

[41:53] and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries [41:57] anyone who has set aside the law of Moses [41:59] dies without mercy [42:00] on the evidence of two or three witnesses [42:02] if that is true then how much worse [42:04] do you think will be deserved

[42:07] by the one who has spurned the [42:09] son of God and has profaned the blood [42:11] of the covenant by which he is sanctified [42:13] and has outraged [42:15] the spirit of grace [42:16] for we who know him have said

[42:18] vengeance is mine I will repay [42:20] and again the Lord will judge his people [42:22] it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands [42:25] of the living God

[42:29] we see passages like [42:31] 2 Corinthians 13.5 [42:33] that tell us to test ourselves [42:36] we see passages [42:37] like Philippians chapter 2 [42:40] that say

[42:41] work out your salvation [42:44] 2 Peter chapter 1 [42:46] it says make sure your election

[42:50] and most often

[42:53] a lot of us [42:56] want to turn that off [42:58] say I want to deal with that [42:59] that is hard [43:00] just give me a simple yes or no

[43:04] then in Hebrews chapter 10 [43:06] it says if you go out those doors [43:08] if you just sin deliberately [43:12] and often and frequently [43:14] and there is nothing [43:16] inside of you that says don’t

[43:21] there is nothing inside of you [43:23] that says stop [43:25] there is nothing inside of you [43:27] that says [43:28] do you really love Jesus?

[43:34] it says then you [43:36] are making a [43:38] mockery of the cross [43:40] of Jesus Christ

[43:44] that is what he means when he says you have spurned [43:46] the son of God [43:49] most of you are probably here [43:50] this morning [43:52] because you don’t want to see that happen with your life [43:55] that is my hope

[43:59] God will endure you [44:03] if you are really one of his followers

[44:07] but throughout our lives [44:09] we have to often look in the mirror [44:12] and say what is going on in my life [44:15] that shows that I am one of his followers [44:18] if you can go a month [44:21] without being in God’s word

[44:23] if you can go a month [44:27] without praying

[44:30] if you can go a month [44:32] without coming together with other believers [44:34] to worship Jesus [44:35] and to be discipled by other believers

[44:40] if you can do that [44:42] and have nothing inside of you [44:44] that says something is wrong [44:46] be afraid [44:50] if inside of you [44:52] you avoid fellowship

[44:54] with other Christians [44:55] the church [44:57] if you avoid your bible [45:00] if you avoid worshiping God [45:02] if you avoid prayer [45:04] because you don’t like it

[45:09] be afraid

[45:14] because if you are in here this morning

[45:20] and you are saying [45:21] I have to test my salvation [45:25] I have to make sure of my election [45:28] that is going on inside of you [45:30] I think that is a spark of desire

[45:35] but if you are in here this morning [45:38] and in your head [45:39] you are fighting [45:41] what I am preaching

[45:45] if you are fighting and saying [45:47] but I prayed [45:50] that can’t be true [45:51] I don’t have to endure [45:54] I think I am saved, I hope I am saved

[46:01] you are not [46:04] you are not

[46:08] can you [46:09] lose your salvation

[46:13] no [46:15] as long as you endure

[46:22] there are people in here right now [46:27] you are not enduring

[46:31] but it is not because God is not faithful [46:34] it is because you don’t know Him [46:37] to know Him is to endure

[46:42] scripture says to know Him [46:44] and the power of His resurrection [46:46] if you know that power you know Him [46:48] but some of you don’t [46:51] and you are grasping at straws [46:53] of hope right now

[46:54] because you don’t want your life [46:57] to change [46:58] well if you want Jesus it is going to change

[47:03] Romans chapter 6 verse 14 says

[47:08] that if we follow Jesus [47:11] we will no longer be slaves [47:15] and submit ourselves to sin

[47:23] if you are here for the first time [47:26] it is a hard Sunday to be here for the first time [47:28] I know [47:31] but God brought you here for a reason

[47:34] some of you have been here for a year [47:37] same thing is true for you [47:40] some of you aren’t enduring

[47:43] some of you are avoiding community

[47:47] some of you are avoiding God’s word [47:49] like it is a plague

[47:54] what is it going to take?

[47:59] be afraid

[48:02] be afraid [48:04] but I want to tell you [48:06] if you are here this morning and you are afraid

[48:11] you don’t have to be

[48:16] you can know Jesus [48:18] but some of you want to look back [48:20] to something that happened in children’s church [48:22] that didn’t change your life [48:25] you have been living your life [48:26] as if that wasn’t even true

[48:31] come to Jesus

[48:35] know Him today [48:36] some of you do believe [48:39] but you are living a life [48:42] that denies it because of your sin [48:45] but inside of you there is that spark [48:47] there is that I don’t want to sin anymore

[48:49] you can stop

[48:55] Joey is going to play for a few minutes [48:57] and here is what I want to see happen [49:00] I just want you to sit here [49:02] give me 4 minutes

[49:06] just pray [49:08] if you are a believer pray that [49:10] God would reveal the sins [49:12] that you are struggling with [49:14] and He will give you the strength of the resurrection [49:16] of Jesus Christ

[49:17] to live lives in light of the cross

[49:23] if you just straight don’t believe in God [49:27] spend the next few minutes [49:28] just do me a favor [49:29] I believe you are what is called a seeker [49:33] just ask God to reveal [49:34] He will reveal Himself to you if He is there

[49:37] but some of you are sitting in here [49:39] and you are just an outright conviction of the Holy Spirit [49:42] you need to get saved this morning [49:44] you need to come to Jesus [49:46] come to Jesus [49:49] I am going to be right over here

[49:50] I want to embarrass you [49:53] I promise I won’t parade you [49:56] I just want to pray with you [49:59] I want to take you through some scriptures [50:01] and I want you to know [50:03] that the fear can end today

[50:04] and a new life in Jesus Christ [50:07] can begin tomorrow [50:09] or as soon as you walk out [50:12] so for the next few minutes just [50:15] pray [50:17] if you are lost

[50:19] I am going to ask you to literally come up [50:21] and come to Jesus

[50:34] I am going to pray for you [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35]

[50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35]

[50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35]

[50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35] [50:35]

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