Enter into God's Rest
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Introduction: Last time we were in Hebrews we took a look at the children of Israel and their response to the ministry of Moses. Does anyone remember the Jews’ response to the ministry of Moses? Their response to the ministry of Moses was rebellion. The warning to us is that since the Jews’ response to the ministry of Moses was that of rebellion and their rebellion resulted in their death then how much more accountable are we since we have the truth of the ministry of Jesus who is infinitely more valuable than Moses.
Ultimately, we are warned that if we respond to the ministry of Jesus with an evil heart of unbelief then, like the Israelites, we will not be able to enter into God’s rest.
Rest from trying to please God by our fleshly works
Rest from those things that worry you
To rest is to be settled and secure
To rest is to be confident
The rest spoken of in and 4 includes all of these types of rest. It is satisfying and peaceful, and it is what God offers to every person in Christ. The Israelites never fully entered into Canaan rest because of their unbelief, and just as the Israelites never entered into Canaan rest so soul after soul has missed God’s salvation rest because of their unbelief.
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The Opportunity for Rest (4:1)
The Opportunity for Rest (4:1)
Once again the author of Hebrews starts off this passage with the word therefore. So, let’s take a look back at what we already know in order to better examine what the author is trying to teach us. We know that Jesus is better than everything and everyone; He is better than angels and He is better than Moses. Being the creator of all things, all things bear witness of Him, and the wages for rejecting creation’s witness and the witness of angels and the witness of Moses about Jesus is death. Now if the condemnation for rejecting their witness concerning Jesus is death then how much greater the accountability must be for rejecting Jesus Himself.
So since all of this is true let us fear because there is a promised rest that is available to us and we really do not want to come short of it. Now Christians have no need to fear missing the promised rest of God. The fear that overwhelms the Christian is not of missing God’s promised rest but of overwhelming reverential awe for who God is. The fear of the Christian is the fear of respect and honor and love, not of condemnation. This passage, however, speaks of the fear of terror. To be lost and face the reality of eternal separation from God is definitely a cause for great terror. The problem though with rebellious hearts is that they do not fear what they should fear. A rebellious heart raises itself up and says, “I have no need to fear. I can control the circumstances of my life.” The Bible declares the sovereignty of God and the rebellious heart whispers, “Has God really said? Is God really in control over my life?” So the writer pleads with those who are lost to be afraid of facing eternity without Christ.
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For those who are lost there is great hope because the promise remains, and because the promise remains there is still the opportunity to be saved. Now Hebrews is written to the Hebrews - imagine that, and there are some who, even today, would say that God has forsaken Israel as a nation. This is not true and perhaps one of the strongest passages that shows us that is .
But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
So, the writer of Hebrews is speaking words of urgent encouragement to Jews who may still be unbelieving. If God should reject and set aside any people group it is the Jews, but God is rich in mercy and the opportunity for salvation is still extended to Israel, and if the offer of salvation is still available to Israel who rejected God all throughout the Old Testament and ultimately rejected and murdered the Prince of Life then the offer of salvation is still available to all who are still sensitive to the Spirit’s calling.
Example: In the early 1900’s there was a man named Mel Trotter. In his younger years Mel was a hopeless alcoholic and, because of his addiction to alcohol, his children often went starving because he would spend all of their money on alcohol. Things got so bad that his four year old daughter eventually died of malnutrition. Feeling badly for the family, a kind neighbor bought her some new clothes and a casket so that she could at least have a decent burial, yet Mel was a hopeless addict. In the middle of the night Mel broke into the mortuary, took the clothes off of his dead child, and exchanged those new clothes for a drink. The good news though is this: not long after this Christ got a hold of Mel’s life and he became one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century.
If Mel could be saved then you can be saved. The offer of God’s rest is available if you will receive it.
The Necessity of Rest (4:2-10)
The Necessity of Rest (4:2-10)
Hearing the gospel is essential in order to accept it by faith, but hearing the gospel is not enough. The Israelites in Moses’ day heard the offer of salvation but it did them no good because they did not accept it. It doesn’t do any good to hear and yet not believe. That is the point the author is making here. Hearing the good news of the rest of God is of no benefit if it is not “mixed with faith” in those who hear it. Hell will be full of people who knew.
Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
speaks of those who knew the truth and acted religiously but yet never humbled themselves in accepting faith. This is what Jesus warned the people about saying
They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.
What were the saving works of Abraham?
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Example: Breaking the law even though you know what it says
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For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.
Being a true Jew under the Old Covenant was not just a matter of having the law but of obeying it. Being a true Christian under the New Covenant is not just a matter of knowing the gospel but of trusting in it. Reading your Bible, taking it to church, knowing it, and even teaching from it does not make us Christians. Only by trusting in Christ of whom the Bible testifies makes someone a Christian.
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Those who know the gospel being mixed with faith will enter into God’s rest while those who do not believe will not enter into God’s rest.
Our Rest is God’s Rest (4:4)
Our Rest is God’s Rest (4:4)
The rest that those who are in Christ experience is the same kind of rest that God experienced on the seventh day of creation. It is not a rest of weariness but is the rest of a finished work. God’s works were finished from the foundation of the world. Sabbath rest was instituted as a shadow or a symbol of the true rest to come in Christ. This is why Jesus still worked on the Sabbath and why the Sabbath was eventually set aside altogether in the New Testament. When true rest came - Christ - the symbol was no longer of any use.
So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Before the fall, Adam and Eve were at rest. They walked and talked with God regularly and as naturally as a human being can. They relied on God for everything and because they fully and completely trusted in Him they were not anxious. Then when the serpent came something terrible happened. When the serpent questioned the word of God Adam and Eve chose to trust the serpent’s words rather than God’s words. They lost their trust in God and with it they lost their rest in Him. The rest of the Bible then unfolds this one central theme: God is at work in order to restore man to a place where he can enjoy God’s rest.
In order to restore man to a place of rest in God God had to remove the obstacle that separated man from God’s rest and that obstacle is sin. Through Christ’s death men are again offered life and by choosing to place our trust in Christ we are restored to a place of rest in God. Man’s rest was disrupted when he chose to distrust God and rest can only be restored when individuals choose to place their trust in God for salvation.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Israel rejected Canaan rest because they did not trust God and so do all who do not place their faith in Christ reject eternal rest.
God’s Will and Man’s Responsibility (4:5-10)
God’s Will and Man’s Responsibility (4:5-10)
Again, the author pleads that since the promise of rest remains do not be like the Israelites who disobeyed but instead be among those who must enter in. God has decreed that there always be a remnant of believers. Even when most disbelieve there has always been a remnant of believers.
Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
The way of God’s rest has always been narrow, and relatively few people find it, but some must enter in because God’s purposes will be fulfilled. God designed for rest to be restored to man and there will be some that enter. In order to know whether you are part of that some that will enter in you must act. God has fixed a certain day, “Today.” Opportunity for God’s rest is available but it will not always be available. Individually there will come a day when the offer has expired - when we refuse God there is a day when God refuses us. For mankind the offer of salvation will expire at the end of history. Grace is free but it is not forever. This is why we are responsible to act immediately to the call of salvation. Immediately is the only opportunity that we can be sure of for salvation.
Final rest is in Christ and was not realized in Joshua’s day because Joshua spoke of another day of rest. So, the rest still remains and for those who have entered into His rest their works have ceased just as God has finished His own work.
The Urgency of Rest (4:11-13)
The Urgency of Rest (4:11-13)
Again, the need to enter into God’s rest is urgent lest we fall into a pattern of disbelief. The author then describes the word of God.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Hebrews
In the immediate context these verses point out that we must be diligent to enter into God’s rest because the Word of God is alive. The Word of God saves, nourishes, comforts, and heals, but the Word of God is also an instrument of judgment and execution. In the last day God’s Word is the standard of salvation and the Word of God will expose every thought and intent of the heart. God’s Word is the perfect discerner. The sword of the Lord will analyze every fact perfectly along with every motive, thought, desire, and belief. The sword of God’s Word will make no mistakes, all disguises will be ripped off and no creature will be hidden from His sight. All will stand before God exposed by the Word of God and to Him we must give an account.
Conclusion: Because of all of this we must consider the invitation to enter into God’s rest. The only reason we will not enter is because of disobedience and rebellion of heart. The offer of rest in Christ is extended to all. To those who have knowledge mixed with faith we can rest knowing that the standard of God’s Word will expose us as having the righteousness of Christ, but to those who have only knowledge the sword of the Lord will expose everything in the last day where you will receive the just reward for your rebellion.