http://bible.com/events/49584495

Ignorance Is NOT Bliss - Hebrews 4:11-16

1. God Offers Us Bliss (Rest)
2. Adam & Eve - Gen 3:6-8
3. Isrealites - Exodus & Hebrews 3-4

1. Bliss (Rest) Doesn’t Come Without a Fight (v.11)
2. Resting in the salvation of Jesus and following Him is simple but it is not easy. 
3. 1 Cor 1:23
4. Luke 9:23, 14:27
5. Matt 10:38-39
6. Why is it so hard? 
7. Our unredeemed logic and understanding opposes the way of Jesus. (Prov 3:5 & 2 Cor 5:7) 
8. You live in a world that opposes Jesus. (John 15:18)
9. Suffering/Difficulty can hinder your faithfulness of Jesus. (John 16:33)  
10. We prefer easy over hard. (Matt 7:13-14)
11. True Rest…hard, narrow path leads to life
12. False Rest…easy, wide path leads to death
13. Failure to rest with God is a possible outcome. 
14. What He calls us to He provides the way.  
15. Phil 2:12-13

1. God’s Means for Bliss (Rest) is Exposure (v.12-13)
2. God’s tool of exposure…the Word of God. (v.12) 
3. It's living and active. His Word is His voice, and it can change you.
4. It pierces and discerns the hidden and unseen.
5. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
6. Reality: You are ALREADY exposed before God. (v.13) 
7. The world exposes you to shame, ridicule, & cancel you.
8. God exposes you to heal and redeem you.  But how?

1. Exposure is the Beginning Not The End (v.14-16)
2. God sends us a High Priest (Jesus)…your representative before God (v.14).
3. Our High Priest understands/sympathizes with us in our fight with temptation and sin (v.15).
4. Our High Priest meets the requirements that qualify us to be accepted before God.
5. Propitiation (1 John 2:1-2 & 4:10). A two-sided coin. 
6. Jesus takes away our sin.
7. In Christ, God no longer holds your sin over your head because there is no more sin. His sinlessness is applied to you.
8. Jesus satisfies all of God’s righteous wrath. 
9. In Christ, God is not waiting for an opportune time to strike you down because there is no more wrath. 
10. The Work of Christ means we are invited to come to God confidently (v.16).   
11. We find grace, mercy, & help
12. Not condemnation, scorn, or rejection.
13. He’s a compassionate Father.
14. Psalm 103:11-14
15. Luke 15:20-24

Questions to ponder for Application:

1. How is believing in Jesus and following Him difficult for me? 

• Reframe your expectations. It’s supposed to be hard.
• Put your faith in action and push through the difficulty in obedience. 

1. How am I allowing the Word of God to instruct my knowledge of God and my knowledge about myself?

• Remind your mind about God’s Word.  It’s an invitation, not a duty. 
• Just start reading it. Don’t overcomplicate “the how” initially. 
• Think spiritually before thinking intellectually. Invite the Holy Spirit into your Bible reading. 
• John Piper’s IOUS Prayer
• I - Incline my heart to your testimonies (Psalm 119:36): Asking God to direct desires toward His Word rather than selfish gain.
• O - Open my eyes to behold wondrous things (Psalm 119:18): Asking for spiritual insight to see the glory of God in Scripture, not just intellectual understanding.
• U - Unite my heart to fear your name (Psalm 86:11): Asking for a single-minded, undivided focus on God, rather than a distracted heart.
• S - Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love (Psalm 90:14): Asking to be fulfilled by God's love, enabling joy that lasts all day.

1. What do I normally do in the moments I see myself for who I really am? 

• We don’t…
• Give excuses and blame others.
• Compare our sins to those of others.
• Promise God we’ll do better next time.
• Run from God and God’s people in shame/despair. 
• With confidence in Jesus…
• We see, mourn, confess, & repent of our sin.
• We see what Jesus did for our sin.
• We rejoice & rest in Jesus.