In this day and age we've only heard the word concerning eternal life. This word has gone out to most of the world, that Jesus died so that we might have eternal life. This word is truly good news (gospel) but is still only a portion of what the whole gospel is all about. Romans 10:13-17 (Amplified) states that we can only believe what we hear, and asks how can we hear without someone to preach the Word? verse 16 (Amplified) says "But they have not all heeded the gospel; for Isaiah says says 'Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us?'" Isaiah 53:1 (Amplified) sums it all up saying, "so faith comes by hearing (what is told) and what is heard comes by preaching (of the message that came from the lips) of Christ (the Messiah Himself)."
It's nearly impossible for the people to believe in the power of the resurrected Christ if they don't hear it preached. In the last message we read Hebrews 4:2 (Amplified) "for we have had the glad tidings )gospel of God) proclaimed to us just as truly as they (the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them) but the message they heard didn't benefit them because it was not mixed with faith (with the leaning of the entire personality of God in absolute trust and confidence in His power,wisdom and goodness) by those who heard it: neither were they united in faith with the ones (Joshua and Caleb) who heard and believed.
Hebrews 10:8-9 (Amplified) mentions a rest ( that was not a reference to the Israelites entering into Canaan) because if Joshua had given them rest, then He (God) would not speak afterward for another day.
verse 9 (Amplified) says "So then, there is still awaiting a full and complete Sabbath rest reserved for the (true) people of God." verse 10 (Amplified). Genesis 2:2 (Amplified) says "For he who has once entered into (God's) rest also has ceased from (the weariness and pain) of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly his own."
This rest that he speaks of in Hebrews is the gospel that Jesus preached in Luke 4:18-19 (Amplified) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the anointed One, the Messiah) to preach the Good News (the gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are down trodden,bruised,crushed and broken down by calamity) verse 19 (Amplified) "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound). Isaiah 61:1-2 (Amplified).
How are we to have faith in that which we have not heard? And, how are we to hear unless someone will preach it?
In this day and age we have become afraid to preach this to the people because either we're afraid it doesn't work or we're afraid we will upset the people. We have been content to allow the enemy to ride roughshod over God's people and to watch them become broken rather than teach the place to rest. Most people don't rest (even in the fact that they're righteous) because we keep preaching sin and recommitment instead of faith in the righteousness of Jesus. We still walk under condemnation from the past instead of liberty in the new man.
If we preach the whole truth in Jesus, then it will upset some of the people that is true, but it will set free the other part which still holds out hope of God's deliverance here.
If we learn to put our faith in the same Jesus who gave us eternal life, we can also put our faith in the rest of what He paid for on our behalf.
Hebrews 113:8-10 (Amplified) tells us that "Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is (always) the same; yesterday, today, and (yes) forever (to the ages)." verse 9 (Amplified) "Do not be carried away by different and varied and alien teachings; for it is good for the heart to be established and enabled and strengthened by means of grace (God's favor and spiritual blessing) and not to be devoted to foods (rules of diet and ritual meals) which bring no profit to those who observe them." verse 10 (Amplified) "We have an altar from which those who serve and worship in the tabernacle have no right to eat."
If you think that we were the first to doubt, then read Matthew 28:17 (Amplified) after Jesus had risen from the dead, He came and talked with the people verse 17 "when they saw Him, they fell down and worshiped Him; but some doubted."
Just preach it! " God will confirm His Word by the signs following." Mark 16:20 (Amplified)
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