The Pew and the Pulpit a 2nd Look

You ever wonder what it means to wander?  The church is full of people just wandering around in there spiritual life, or lack of it.  The children of Israel were sentenced to wander for 4o years – this wasn’t just a case of being between where you are and where you need to be.  They refused to believe God’s promise to give them the land of Canaan – they rebelled against God.  God’s judgment upon their unbelief is that they would not enter the promised land but would die in the desert.  They would not be allowed to enter His rest.  This was a severe warning to all of us of the danger of unbelief.
Hebrews 3:18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Its was because of unbelief that God left these rebellious children to wonder and die in the desert.  they would not enter the rest God had for them.  They heard the promised but refused to believe.  Week after week people come into churches across this country.  They may or may not hear the truth of God’s word preached.  Many preachers seek to please the people not God (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  There will be some that preach some truth, yet hold back the hard sayings.  Still others will preach the whole counsel of the word of God (Acts 20:25-27).  Some preachers and teachers will have blood on their hands yet some will have a clear conscience before God.
Bothe the pew and the pulpit have a responsibility in this thing we call belief.  The pulpit must declare the unadulterated truth of God, the pew must receive and act upon the truth with faith that causes action.  There is a rest still left for men.  It is this thing we call Heaven.  The is a judgment for those who exercise unbelief (disobedience) – wandering in this life apart from the favor of God until you die and then judgment.  The bible calls it the second death ( Revelation 21:8 ).  Heaven and Hell are real places that will last for an eternity.  Where are you headed?  What does your life and actions say you believe?  The consequences are great.
Hebrews 4:6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.
sherman