Some did but many did'nt

Hebrews 4:2

“For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.”

Wow, did you get that, I read over that many times, and it is the first time I grasp what is being said and the ramification for the local church.  If I understand, some listened and by faith believed and yet others refused to receive the message of faith, they wanted programs, charts, and ways to measure the results.  So we have the ones who listen and receive by faith and received the benefit, and a much larger group that also hear the message, but received nothing because they would not faith it. 

Now I said the ones who heard the message, but did not receive any benefit, is consistence with what took place in Moses time, and a good example is the manna that God sent with instructions on when to gather it and what to do with any that was left over.  Here are the instructions from God, passed on by Moses to the people; “Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”  However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.”  (Exodus 16:19-20)  Now we know that on the sixth day God gave different instructions, on that day they were to gather twice as much as needed because God would not send any on the seventh day.  Did that stop them from going out on the seventh day, no way, and many did not follow the instructions together twice as much on the six, so they heard the message, but they were full of knowledge, without the benefit of applied faith.  Picking up the story in verse 28, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?”

I believe the Lord is still asking that question of His church, of you and me who are His hands and feet, are we not His body, are we not His church?  Often, way to often, I have to confess that I have a very small faith in a great an mighty God, and that I’ve been in the group that does not keep commands and does not follow instructions to often.  I’ve stated many times that we have a faith problem, we have a belief problem, and we have a history of people just like us. 

Do you recall the account of Jesus appearance in another form to two of his disciples after his resurrection and they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.  In the gospel of Mark 16:14-16, we have this report; “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked then for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  Yes, you and I fall into a very select group of unbelievers, but take heart, they listen, and they received the Holy Spirit power.  And by faith, they became not only headers of the word, but doers, they were world changers and so can we.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice