Not Those Who Shrink Back

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NKJV Strong’s) 19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Introduction:

Last week we saw that God has designed us to need rest both in the natural and in the Spirit:

Heb 4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest,

The rest referred too is both for now and not yet.

1.So let us *strive* to enter my rest

Hebrews 4:11 (ESV) Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

• This sounds like a conundrum at first take – strive to enter rest.
• “let us strive” indicates a task not being easy. Lots of distractions. Lots of potential excuses.
• Requires a determination, scheduling, and pushing through.

2. Rest, in His Presence, balances the load we are carrying through life.

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV) Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

1.1. Learn from me, from Jesus. 1.2. Take my yoke.

1.2.1. A Yoke is a balanced beam. 1.3. Shifting the weight around.

1.3.1. Ela… carrying something heavy really requires that the load be balanced. A load not balanced can make carrying it impossible.

1.4. A balanced load goes from: 1.4.1. From heavy to light.
1.4.2. From our shoulders to His. 1.4.3. From laborsome to easy.

3. Rest is to recover one’s strength.

   Matthew 11:28 (ESV) ……. I will give you rest.

   3.1. There is rest in hearing and responding to God each time.
   3.2. This rest is found in the presence of God.
   3.3. Ela… Running in the heat drains you quicker than running in the cool

   breeze. Drinking electrolytes after to restore that energy.
   3.4. Ela… You cannot run indefinitely every day. There are days for running

   and days for resting… one cannot run indefinitely or their body simply does not recover.

4. We are the sort that draws near.

Hebrews 10:22 (NKJV) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

4.1. With true heart.
4.1.1. In full assurance.

4.1.2. We are those who believe

4.1.3. We Are Those Who Keep believing 4.2. Be aware of the roamings of our heart.

4.2.1. Never leave With Our Heart Hurt, Broken or Offended when it is in our power to do so.

4.2.2. It is hard to be loved when we refuse to be loved.

4.2.3. Too often people make decisions at the lowest point in the battle.

4.3. John Bevere – Drawing Near “We must lose our lives for his sake and the gospel. We must live our lives for his desires. We must love what he loves and hate what he hates. What is important to him must become important to us, and what is not so important to him let’s not be so important to us. We must have his heart!”

4.4. The goal of drawing near is to enter the Holiest, which is a place of intimacy with Christ.

5. We are not the kind who shrink back.

Hebrews 10:39 (ESV) But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

5.1. Shrink back and are destroyed. 5.2. Stealthily retreating.

5.2.1. Shrink = Draw Back; the timidity of one stealthily retreating

5.2.2. Ela… Stealthy retreating. People who disappear from their walk with God without a word. They do not want you to fight for them.

6. Intimacy with God is always a matter of the heart over mind.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

6.1.1. Keeping Your Heart With All Vigilance.
6.1.2. From our heart flows life.
6.1.3. Keeping your heart with all vigilance: to guard, watch, watch over, keep to preserve, guard from dangers to keep, observe, guard with fidelity to guard, keep secret to be kept close, be blockaded watchman (participle)

6.1.4. Ela… to place a guard post around the entrances to our heart.

6.1.5. Intimacy with the Lord results from getting our hearts in the right place.

7. If we cannot get our heart in the right place no part of our life will follow.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

7.1. Once the heart goes sour it is hard to make sense of any conversation.

7.1.1. Very intelligent people get caught up in rambling loops like a GIF.

7.1.2. Those things which we see and hear do affect our heart and our soul.
7.1.3. People often time want to act like everything is ok and normal even when their heart is astray.
7.2. Keeping our hearts soft and pliable.
7.3. We make a pledge with our hearts to seek the Lord.

7.3.1. to pledge is to make a promised exchange for something we desire to obtain.

7.3.2. Ela… when it is our hearts desire to buy a house and we have the bank approval to do so then we must commit to the mortgage. At some point in the journey if you decide you do not like the mortgage it does not really matter. You are committed to the mortgage. No changing now unless you are able to pay it off, decide to sell, or down size, go back to renting, or move into a tent. we exchange our money, even our comfort, for a future ownership and taking possession.

Conclusion: this is the pledge we make. We are not ones to shrink back from our pledges but instead draw near to the Lord to find the needed rest for our souls.