The Hebrews Series - Message 1 - The River Crosser

[0:00] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to another faith-building message by Pastor David Entry. Faith comes by hearing and by hearing the Word of God.

[0:12] May your knowledge of Jesus Christ increase as you listen. Be blessed. Hebrews. Someone say Hebrews. Hebrews. The meaning of Hebrews is a river crosser.

[0:26] Tell someone we are river crossers. We are river crossers. Say it again. Say we are river crossers. Let me take you to Genesis. Genesis chapter 1.

[0:39] We understand from verse 3 that, and God said, let there be light. And there was light. We understand from verse 2 that the earth was without form and was void.

[0:53] And darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

[1:05] In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And the verse 2, the only thing we found out on the earth was darkness on the face of the deep.

[1:19] And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

[1:29] Then God said, let there be light. And there was light. God divided the light from the darkness. Because there was darkness over the face of the deep.

[1:41] You need the Old Testament to be able to appreciate the details in the New Testament. And actually, Hebrews is a book of comparison.

[1:52] It's a book of comparison. Compares every important thing in Judaism and in the Old Testament with Christ. And it compares it with we, the believers.

[2:04] So, one outstanding and overarching word in Hebrew, actually, if you want to use one word, which runs through Hebrews, is better.

[2:15] The word better, better, better, better. Bible says that God created, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In verse 2, it says that the earth was without form. That's all we know about the earth was without form.

[2:27] The earth was without form and void. And darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Say it over the waters. Say it again.

[2:38] Say it over the waters. And God said, let there be light. All right. So, God started with light. All right. In John chapter 1, verse 1, John also talks about in the beginning.

[2:51] But there are two beginnings here. The beginning that Genesis talks about is a natural beginning. The beginning of nature. The beginning that John talks about is not actually the word just beginning.

[3:06] It is in the dateless past. So, the beginning before the beginning began. So, in the beginning was the word. There was something that was always existing before time actually began.

[3:18] So, Genesis is the beginning of time. John is this eternal past before time began. That is why the Bible says that he predestinated us before to be adopted, to adoption as son before the foundation.

[3:36] In Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4 and 5. Before. It's very interesting. When you are dealing with God, there is always before adoption as son according to himself.

[3:47] Verse 4. Verse 4. See, just as he chose us in him when. Just very interesting. Before the foundation of the world. Before time began.

[4:00] Guess what? You and I have been chosen by God. How can you explain that by science? Okay. Science is restricted to natural order. To time. The Bible. The first statement.

[4:12] Opening comments of the Bible. The first verse fits all that. In the beginning, that's time. God, that's false. Created, that's action. The heavens, that's space.

[4:24] And the earth, that's matter. As simple as that. Science was defined from the first. Science, you see, faith and science are no opposite.

[4:39] Faith and science are no opposite. Our faith is a reasonable faith. It's based on facts that are verifiable. It has content.

[4:50] You can't deny that God created the heavens and the earth. Please prove it. Before you tell me to prove it. Because it's more difficult to falsify than to verify. Yeah. So if you're telling me I'm falsifying it.

[5:02] That's a lot more work. Nobody. Doesn't matter how intellectual or intelligent they may perpate to look or be. Has been able to disprove God.

[5:14] You can't. So, Bible says. It's only God who is able to choose you. Far before your great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents were born.

[5:27] And he chose you to be here at this time. That's right. Praise God. That's right. That's right. Let me put it another way. All I'm trying to say is you are not an accident.

[5:39] That's right. That's right. That's right. Your parents might have not planned you. But you are not an accident. Amen. Amen. You are here on purpose. You are here for an assignment. God says in Jeremiah, I know the thoughts that I have for you.

[5:53] They are thoughts of good to bring you to an expected end. Expected end. He said in Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5 that before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you.

[6:07] Before you were born. Before. Shall before. Shall before. God is the only one who is able to work this out before. Anyone knows they are about to show up. Before you were formed.

[6:19] That word before, it's loaded with philosophical significance. He said before you, before I formed you. So before the sperm met the egg.

[6:34] Before you were formed. I knew you. Before. Before your father met your mom on that very wonderful day.

[6:50] Wherever it happened. Whether it was through force. Whether it was through coercion. Whether it was through drunkenness. Those of you get drunk.

[7:01] Whether it's through drunkenness. It doesn't matter how it came. You are just an intention of God. Amen. Amen. You are.

[7:13] You may look like people don't like you. It's their problem. Amen. God liked you enough to bring you. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Now, now tell me. If God likes you and somebody doesn't like you, can you imagine?

[7:28] If the prince says, I like you for the job. The job you are doing. Or your boss. Let's say the chief executive says, I like you. But your supervisor doesn't like you. Let's say the chief executive doesn't joke with you.

[7:40] He actually comes to your house to visit you. I mean, he always wants to have a chat with you about the job you are doing. It's fantastic. And your supervisor is jealous. Doesn't like you. Why are you so worried about that?

[7:51] When God likes you, those who don't like you are putting themselves in trouble. Because when he likes you, he picks on those who don't like you. I think God likes everybody.

[8:04] The abiding love of God is for all. But for your information, God has favorites. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Before the two boys were born, Jacob and Esau, he said, Jacob have I loved.

[8:18] Esau have I hated. And he says, so are you going to question God? He said, who are you, O man, to question the choice of God? In John chapter 1 verse 1, Bible says that in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.

[8:33] And the same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him. Without him was not anything made. That was made. And then he says that in him is life, and the life is the light of men.

[8:45] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in darkness, and darkness comprehended it not. Verse 5, darkness did not comprehend it.

[8:57] All right. Now, verse 6, that's where we all normally stop. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. Verse 7, this man came as a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe.

[9:12] Look at the verse 8. He was not the light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. Now, he realized that the light is capital L. That light, talking about Jesus. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God.

[9:25] Now, he started by saying that was the word, and he said that the word is light. Yes. All right. Hallelujah. So, to bear witness, and then he said, that's nice word I've been trying to get to. That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming.

[9:40] You know, even though human beings sometimes may fault, God said that everyone is the light that lights everyone who comes into the world, including those who believe and those who believe. Don't believe. Everyone.

[9:50] Those who came by accident of parental, parental accident. Those who didn't come by prayer. Those whose parents waited for them and prayed and whatever, searched and tried everything. Those who came via IVF.

[10:02] And those who came by ABC. Either you came via in-vital fertilization or in-vivo fertilization. However you came, Bible says that you have to be lightened before you show up.

[10:16] Other than that, you don't have validity on earth. Say light. And so Bible says that when the earth was without form and void and darkness covered the deep and the spirit of God hovered over the waters.

[10:31] I love that. Say waters. Hovered over the waters. And then God said, let there be light. And there was light. And God separated the light, the darkness, and called the light there.

[10:41] And then now verse 6. And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of what? In the midst of the waters.

[10:52] And let it divide the waters from the waters. Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.

[11:02] And the spirit of God was moving over the waters. And let them divide the waters from the waters. Praise the Lord. So the first judgment that came on man was the judgment of water.

[11:15] And the last of it all is called lake. What is lake? Lake. It's made up of water. But this one is a lake of fire. Hallelujah.

[11:31] That's what people who don't know Christ don't want to hear. If you don't have Christ, you're actually going to burn in hell. You will not be annihilated. You will burn forever.

[11:41] Because your soul will not be destroyed. So you will still be in existence, but in eternal condemnation and eternal punishment. How will people be wailing?

[11:54] Ow. Ow. Get your dancing moves ready. You will do more. So since everybody will die, and much of your time will be spent outside this earth, why don't you use this short time you've got on this earth to get it right?

[12:13] Yes. Yes. That's common sense. Yeah. Use the time you've got on this earth to get it right. Sort yourself out. Bible says in 1 Timothy chapter 6.

[12:24] Verse 6 and 7. He said, for we came into this world with nothing. And it is, I like the way you, he said, it is, go to verse 7 and 8. Verse 7. It is certain. I like that. And it is certain that we can carry nothing out.

[12:36] That's why you do well. Why are you going to take it away? Solomon, he said, this is one thing I don't understand about life under the sun. That's talking about life within time.

[12:47] All right. Someone will labor and labor and amass so much wealth and leave it so fast. Another person who has not labored and come and mess it up. That's life. See, that's life. No, that life is not all here.

[12:58] He said, for we brought nothing into this world. And it is certain that you are going to go naked. So God separated the waters from the waters. All I've been trying to say, which I haven't even hinted it yet, is there's something about waters and God.

[13:17] And so, that's why baptism is important. There's something about baptism. You have to go, your whole body must go through the water. It's not just your head, your forehead.

[13:29] When you are bathing out, you just bath your forehead. The whole body must go through the water. Baptism is like death and burial.

[13:40] So, being buried under something, immersed into the Greek word baptizo. It has to do with immersion. You immerse something into something. Okay.

[13:51] So, the way in those days, when they were dying a cloth. We are dying a cloth. Maybe I have white handkerchief and I want to dye it purple. All right.

[14:01] What I do is, I take the purple dye and then make sure everything is dipped into it and bring it out. And then it's purple and color dry it and it's purple.

[14:12] That is how. So, baptism was a common, normal, everyday Greek language. Word that they were used. It wasn't a religious terminology.

[14:23] Just like ecclesia, church. It wasn't a religious terminology. It was a normal, everyday language. Just like redemption. Redemption was a commercial language. All right. So, baptism means that you are being immersed into something.

[14:38] And when you are immersed into it, you come out wet or colored. Or stained. Wet, colored, and stained. To the standard, after a long time, even then you'll get dried.

[14:49] But your color has changed for good. Oh, someone didn't get it. Didn't get it. Get stained by the Holy Spirit.

[15:00] Get baptized. All right. So, baptism. Now, so when he delivered them from Egypt, they could have gone to Cana land. Because that's where Abraham was before.

[15:11] You know, Abraham, Bible says that in Genesis chapter 13, there was famine in the land. And Abraham tried to travel to Egypt. All right. And then God told him he shouldn't go.

[15:22] And then Isaac repeated the same thing. In Genesis chapter 26, the Bible says, Isaac tried to go to Egypt. God told him don't go. Abraham actually went. And that's where he went to have an immigration problem.

[15:33] And he went to lie about his wife. And I said, oh yeah. Immigration started with Abraham. That's the reality. That's the reality. But Abraham lied and God didn't notice it.

[15:44] And someone went for his wife. He said, why did you go for the wife? He said, he said, sister, you are a dead man. Go and give the man's back. He said, prophet. Go. The first day, Abraham lied. God said, he's a prophet. Before you start judging people, be careful.

[16:02] You don't know who God is. See, he said, before I formed you, people don't know you, but God already knows you. Before you go around pointing fingers, this one's hand, this one's hand, this one.

[16:15] You're a yellow card. You are in church with a yellow card in your pocket. And you have it. Your red card. You have it in your, and then you are looking during the praise and worship. You remember this lady. I saw her in the nightclub, drunk.

[16:27] Yellow, red card. You cannot be here. And then you look at this one. This one, you can't worship. Look at this one. It's in church. Your red card. Never get so bothered about other people's sins. It won't help you.

[16:39] Drop it. Leave them for God. Now, all you can do is you live the right life. Yes. And so that you can provoke them. Yes. So Abraham lied.

[16:51] And Egypt. So Abraham went to Egypt without crossing any water. But when God called Abraham, do you know where Abraham comes from? Hebrews chapter 11 from the last three verses of Hebrews chapter 11.

[17:04] It speaks about how Abraham called God from beyond the rivers. The place, the Mesopotamia means city between two rivers. God called him to cross the river.

[17:16] So in Genesis chapter 14 verse 13, it says that, Then one who had escaped came and told Abraham who? Abraham who? Abraham who?

[17:27] Abraham who? That's the first time that word Hebrew was used in the scriptures. It was used with respect to Abraham. Abraham was called to be the Hebrew. Now, what does he mean? Because it's not like a tribe which you can define like Jews.

[17:39] At least you know what Jews mean. But Hebrew, where? All we knew is Abraham the Hebrew. What do you know about Abraham? God called him and he had to cross the river. That's why I went on to talk about water.

[17:52] Because there's something about crossing of water. The Bible talks about Ephesians chapter 5 verse 24, 25, 26, 27.

[18:02] It talks about how husbands should love their wives. Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. Verse 26. Why? That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.

[18:17] So, Christ gave himself for us so he would sanctify and cleanse us with the washing of water. So, in the tabernacle of Moses and in the temple of Solomon, there was always water.

[18:29] In the tabernacle of Moses, before you can go into the tabernacle, there was this brazen lever with water inside. And you have to wash yourself before you go. And anytime the priest was going to offer sacrifices, first of all, the priest has to wash himself.

[18:44] And that is why if you go to an unbeliever's house in Jewish times, which some of them still practice, if you go to an unbeliever's house, when you come back home, everybody's house has some water. So, Jesus Christ, those days, going to somebody's house, when you are coming from town, there should be water in the house to wash your feet.

[19:01] You know, there are certain truths that people will hijack, like the world, music. And music will be hijacked by the world as though it's from the world. Music is from heaven. And Satan was thrown out of heaven, and he brought a replica of what was happening in heaven to influence the musicians.

[19:17] Yes. Hallelujah. All right. So, water is important. So, when we talk about Hebrews, the actual definition of a Hebrew is a river crosser. That's all I've been trying to get to.

[19:29] From Genesis, there has always been water. Maybe next week I'll go a bit more into that. From Genesis, there have always been water. Even before physical earth was mentioned, it's a water.

[19:39] And the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God was moving over the waters. There's something about water that when you are coming to God, you must pass through water. So, all those of us who are born again, even if you have not been baptized, spiritually, you have come through water.

[19:53] So, we are river crosses believers. We are the true Hebrews. Yes. Amen. Bible talks about, ah, let me talk about one more lie in the Bible.

[20:07] Now, in Exodus, Bible talks about there arose a certain Pharaoh who didn't know Joseph. And so, began to persecute the Jews, the Israelites, persecuted them.

[20:18] And Bible says that he gave an order because the Hebrew women were producing at a very fast rate. And they were thinking ahead that 20 years, 50 years from now, these guys will have so many.

[20:30] They will outnumber us and overpower us. So, you know what? Let's kill the male child. Kill them from young. Kill them from young. Kill them from very young.

[20:43] And so, one of the things that will warrant greatness in life is discipline. And ability to submit to authority. Discipline. No discipline. Can go to work today and next week is stopped.

[20:53] So, I'm tired. And so, they can put you in an ocean of wealth, but they know you mess up. Because what it takes to rise in life and sustain success, you don't have it. It has been switched off.

[21:05] That is what some of us are called to do. To switch it back on. It's my life. It's my life. No one tells me what I have to do. That is a sign of a foolish failure.

[21:32] Why don't you subscribe to our YouTube channel at Karis Church? And subscribe to our podcast. So, you are always up to date. Be blessed.