What Are You Waiting For? Series

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Hebrews 4:1-11

Pastor Jim Bohrer

June 1, 2008

MAY 28th

WELLINGTON, New Zealand-

Grant Stubbs and Owen Wilson, were flying up the sloping valley of Pelorus Sound in New Zealand admiring the beautiful panoramic view. Then there was a cough, “Bless you Owen.” “For what Grant?” Your cough. I didn’t cough. Oh, then there was a wheeze and a sputter then silence as their micro light plane engine died. Both men turned out to be Christians. They told the Associated Press that they both immediately prayed to God for help.

He said he prayed during the ill-fated flight Sunday that the tiny craft would get over the top of a ridge and that they would find a landing site that was not too steep — or in the nearby sea. Wilson said that the pair would have been in deep trouble if the fuel had run out five minutes earlier. "If it had to run out, that was the place to be," he said. "There was an instantaneous answer to prayer as we crossed the ridge and there was an airfield — I didn’t know it existed till then." After Wilson glided the powerless craft to a landing on the grassy strip, the pair noticed they were beside a 20-foot-tall sign that read, "Jesus is Lord — The Bible."

"When we saw that, we started laughing," Stubbs said.

Friends, that is a beautiful story of the Lord working in the lives of two of his children. But, they were never in any real danger. They are Christians and no matter what happened, they would be with Him forever. Unfortunately, the majority of the world and I believe, even the majority of those attend religious services are waiting for a sign from God before they will put their faith in Him.

If you are here today and you cannot confidently say that you know Him, what are you waiting for?

If you are here today and you say you know Him, but you don’t tell anyone else about Him, what are you waiting for?

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

"So I declared on oath in my anger, ’They shall never enter my rest.’"

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."

6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

I. THE SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SPEAK AGAINST THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION BUT AGAINST THE PRESUMPTION OF SALVATION.

A. The Scripture does not say, “fall out of rest” but rather “fall short.” It does not say, “They lost their faith in the message,” but rather, it “was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”

Satan loves to trick us with appearances and politeness. Let’s not question our salvation. Let’s not examine our faith. Let’s not see if

1. Professing is not the same as Possessing Christ. (Matthew 7:20-23)

I’m a Christian syndrome in America. Be careful of the false confidence offered with the easy believism in America. While receiving Christ is very simple, the result will be a changed life of belief, faithfulness, being a ministering church member etc... Spoke with a young man this week... do you know the Lord? O yes. I got saved in lock up with such and such preacher. I said, “Well, if you died today where would you go?” I hope heaven... BINGO. Folks, if anyone ever says, “I’m a Christian and I hope to go to heaven.” You can be certain that 99.9% of the time they are not a Christian. They are LOST. Don’t get angry at me for saying that... I said, young man, may I share with you some verses from the Bible. I did, I shared with him the need for repentance and a changed life.