Jesus Superior to Joshua

Intro:

- Last week Ben walked us through chapter 3. And one of the main things that we were looking at was how Jesus was greater than Moses.

- You remember that the book was written to Jewish believers who were returning to the Jewish faith either because of persecution or fear. They were going back to their old faith, to their old religious traditions.

- So the writer is working to prove that Jesus is much better and superior than the law. Matter of fact not only is he greater but He is a fulfilment of the law.

- This is what we saw in chapter 3. Looking at God use Moses as an instrument used to bring God’s law, but Jesus would be the fulfillment of that law.

- Now as we got to the end of chapter 3 there is a warning that the writer gives. Matter of fact, the writer gives 6 different warnings to these believers in the book of Hebrews. Remember that he is trying to get them not to leave their faith, not to walk away from God in order to pursue the law. So these warnings are meant to get a hold of their attention and their heart.

- And the main warning here was the danger of disbelief. There are two words that we began to look at last week and will be what we continue to look at today.

- Disbelief & Rest

Transition

- Now the writer warns the readers of having disbelief that leads to walking away from their faith. And leaving the faith would lead to not entering into a rest.

- now when the writer is talking about rest here, he is talking about a spiritual rest, talking about our salvation and the promise of salvation, eternity with God.

- There was a danger of these believers walking away from their faith in order to pursue a false sense of security, in the keeping and practicing of the law and the traditions.

- And in order to make this picture clear, he uses an illustration from the old testatment to help them understand. Remember the letter was written to Jewish believers, they knew very well the stories found in the old testament

Read v. 3:16-19

- The story he is talking about is found in the book of Numbers 13. And it is the story of the children of Israel being lead by Moses in the wilderness after they fled from Egypt.

- You may remember the story, Moses would send out 12 spies into the land of Canaan, which was the land that God had promised the Nation of Israel.

- So the 12 spies went out to spy out the land and to bring back a report. And what you had was 10 spies came back with a bad report . The people are too many in number, they are too great, there is no way that Israel can defeat them they would say

- 2 of the spies had a good report, Joshua and Caleb. These men also saw the difficulties but they understood that God would be with them, so they believed that God could do a great work. They tried to persuade the people to go forward, yet because of the unbelief of the people, they believed the 10 spies and did not go not the land.

- as a result, you had the people wander in the wilderness for 40 years. And during these 40 years you had so many problems and issues that could had been avoided had they obeyed and believed God.

- God had promised the people to take them into the promise land, the land filled with milk and honey, this would be the place of rest. Yet this generation never got to go into this land because of their disbelief. 600,000 men died in the wilderness because of this disbelief.

- Disbelief caused them to miss out on the blessing of God, disbelief ripped them off and it cost them their life.

- God would have to raise up Joshua who would be able to lead the people next generation into the promise land. Only Caleb and Joshua would go into the promise land from this generation, all others died in the wilderness.

- So as we continue in chp 4 today, it is a continuation of what we are talking about.

I. Faith is Required to Enter into Rest (v. 1-3)

A. Coming short of the Promise (v. 1)

- Now the writer is telling us that the promise still remains of entering into His rest. What the author is talking about is not a physical place or a physical rest like with the children of Israel would enter into

- But he is talking about a spiritual rest. And this is mainly talking about our salvation.

- See for the Jewish people including the nation of Israel, they had an old covenant with God that consisted of the people fulfilling the law of God.

- the keeping of the law would be a way for them to have a right standing with God. There was work required to obtain a right standing, whether it was by keeping of the law or the sacrifices. There was work that a person had to do

- but all this work would never be enough to satisfy the requirement of the law because you and I are not perfect. Perfection is what is required. So our sins had to be dealt with. This is what Jesus did on the cross for us.

- He went to the cross willfully for you and I, in order to pay the price for our sins. That once and for all , our sins would be washed away and atoned for.

- And now you and I don’t have to do any work to obtain salvation, all we have to do it to believe in Jesus and what He did for you and me. This is the gospel message.

Transition

- This is the rest that he is talking about here. That we don’t have to do anything anymore other than believe to be saved. We can rest from trying to obtain salvation through works

- And he even tells the people to have fear of coming short of that salvation by trying to work for our salvation. Remember the believers had started to go back to do the traditions of the Jewish faith. So he is still warning them of coming short of that very salvation they are looking for.

- Salvation would only be found in placing their faith in Jesus, not by fulfilling works.

B. Promises mixed with Faith (v. 2-3)

- Now looking back to the story in Numbers with the Children of Israel, the writer tells us that they and us have received the gospel.

- gospel- in the original language is “good news”. So he is saying that the children of Israel received good news. For them, the good news was that they could enter the promise land that God had given them but faith was required.

- For us the good news is the gospel message, that we are sinners and this sin has kept us from God. But God loved us that He sent Jesus die for our sins, to take our place….. and all we have to do is to believe in Him as our Lord and Savior in order to be saved.

- What the writer is saying is that both us and the children of Israel received good news, but that good news or the word in and of itself was not enough. What was required was for them to mix the good news with faith in order to receive the good news.

- The people would have to believe that God would take care of them when they would enter the promise land, but then they would have take steps of faith and go into the promise land.

- Today the same thing is true for us. We can have knowledge that God exists and that Jesus died for us on the cross for us…. But having knowledge is not enough. We have to believe, we have to place our faith in Jesus.

Transition

- I am reminded of Acts 12:1-11

Acts 12:1–11 NKJV

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”

- Here Peter is in prison for preaching the gospel message and at night while the church was praying for him, an angel came to him and struck him and told him to get up and to follow him. Peter follows the angel out of the prison.

- And we are told that Peter thought it was a vision, or in other words, he thought it was a dream…. But Peter got up, took a step of faith and then he realized that it was not a dream but was real, and he knew that it was from God. God had step him free.

- But Peter would never had known that it was from God, if he wouldn’t have taken a step of faith. It was only after he took the step of faith that God was leading him, that he received the blessing.

- Same principal is at work in our lives. There may be things that God is calling us to do, things that God puts on our heart. To Reach out to your friend, share with that person you see all the time, take that new job, go in that new direction, to place your faith in Jesus, whatever it may be…..

- In order to receive the blessing of God on the matter, we have to mix his word, his promises with our steps of faith.

- And this is what the writer is trying to get across to the readers, a need for them to step in faith moving forward with God, not to turn back to the old ways because of their disbelief.

II. Jesus made a way for that Rest (v. 4-10)

A. Rest after Completion (v. 4-5)

- Here the writer tells us that even God rested when He created the world, speaking of the account in Gen. God created the heavens and the earth within the 6 days, and after he rested on the 7th day.

- The picture is not that God was tired and needed rest, but that the work was completed and finished, so He rested. The writer continuing to point to the fact that just as God rested after HE completed the work of creation, so we are to rest in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. There is no need to work for salvation.

B. Today is the day of that Rest (v. 6-10)

- Since there are still people who have not entered that rest, but are still working to try to obtain a right standing with God, today is that day of salvation.

- in other words, don’t wait until tomorrow, but today anyone can enter into that rest of salvation by putting their faith in Jesus.

- The writer is quoting Ps. 95:7-11 here. David wrote about the failure of the people to enter into the promise land. Speaking of today being the day needed to surrender our hearts to God, he would say…. “do not harden your hearts”.

Psalm 95:7–11 NKJV

For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. For forty years I was grieved with that generation, And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts, And they do not know My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Transition

- Now it is neat because it is as if the writer knows the objections that the readers would bring.

- he keeps saying that the nation of Israel did not enter into that rest, but the objection would be….. wait a minute…. Don’t you remember that Joshua eventually took the people into the promise land. They did enter rest

- And that was true, Joshua did lead the people into the promise land. But the writer is saying look, if Joshua would have lead the people into a full rest of salvation, then there would be no need for David to write about it in the book of Ps. 400 years after Joshua, and say there is a need for rest.

Transition (v.9-10)

- Verse. 9 tells us that there still remains a need for rest for the people of God.

- What we have to understand is that everything in the old testament, in the old covenant was a picture or a symbol, the bible would call it a shadow of things to come.

- Everything from the law, the temple, the furniture in the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices….. they were all meant to point us to the one who would be a fulfillment of all of these things.

- These were just a picture of Him who would come.

- So while Joshua would take the people into the promise land physically, they would not have rest in the land. They still had to fight battles, they still had to remove the enemies from the land.

- Joshua was simply a picture of Him who would come who would lead us into a spiritual rest. Joshua lead the people into a temporary rest…… Jesus came to offer us an eternal rest.

- A rest for working for salvation. The work is finished at the cross. All you and I have to do with that promise is to mix our faith with it….. to place our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savoir and believe. This secures our eternal rest in heaven with God.

- There is no greater peace or rest, than knowing that I don’t have to do anything for salvation, just believe.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

III. The Word of God(v. 11-13)

- Again we see the encouragement to enter into that rest. But the writer speaks of entering with diligence, or earnestly, being disciplined and working hard to enter that rest.

- this is not a contradiction, he is not saying we have to work hard for salvation…… but to work hard to take those steps of faith and believe in Jesus as the one true savior and therefore enter into that rest.

- He then goes on to speak about the word of God in this great verse. Speaking about the power of God’s word. Remember the context of what the write has been saying. The promises of God, the good news given by God….

- It is this word of God that he is talking about

The Word of God

1. Is living and Powerful

- He is saying that the word of God is alive, it is powerful…

- Many people believe the bible is an old book that was meant for a different time and it really has no purpose in our live. But what we need to understand is that the word of God is living…… It was not only for a time hundreds of years ago, but it speaks to us today.

- God is trying to speak to us today. He is using His word to reveal Himself to you and I, to a lost world. His word is powerful and has the ability through the Holy Spirit to transformer lives..

- Sometimes we read the stories in the bible and think that these were some awesome times but God doesn’t work like this today. We are wrong. God is longing to work in the lives of people today. HE wants to work in your life. And it is through His word that He brings transformation and He leads us to accomplish His will.

- This is why we make it a point to teach the word of God in all of our gatherings. Because I can’t transformer your life with my stories or with our retreats….. but it is the word of God that will transform your life.

2. Sharper than a Two Edged Sword

- The picture of the word of God here is of a 2 edged sharp sword. A sword that can cut right through the hardest surfaces.

- I was watching a video not that long ago of a Japanese butcher. He had this huge tuna fish that was just caught. It must have weighed hundreds of pounds.

- And this guy had this huge blade that looked like a sword. And he began to cut this tuna fish with a clean swipe. This sword was cutting through the hard flesh, the scales of the fish even the bones. It was making the cleanest and easiest cuts into this hundred pound fish like it was butter.

- This is the picture that we are given here of the word of God. As we read the bible, as we sit in bible studies ….. as we have our devotion time….. the word of God is acting like that sharp sword and it is cutting away the hardness of our hearts.

- It can penetrate even the hardest heart, the person who does not want to know about God, who doesn’t care about others…. The word of God can begin to soften a person, the word of God is cutting away the hardness of our hearts.

Transition

- I grew up in a non Christian home. We went to Catholic churches but we were not devoted. I was a bad kid. I was a troublemaker.

- I had really never read the bible . I had read some passages given to me during some classes but never had held a bible and read it.

- At the age of 16 I was a harden kid already. I had done a lot of drugs, I had been arrest and in jail, I was on probation, I had committed serious crimes , I had tattoos. I didn’t really care about anyone but myself.

- Now Natalie actually meet in our 7th grade science class. We were friends and dated in high school but we drifted and I went a different direction. We stopped speaking for sometime.

- Somehow one day we started texting. Matter of fact it started by me texting her to tell her off. I was told she was talking junk about me so I laid into her in this text.

- And so we started talking again. I didn’t know that during this time of us not talking, she had become a Christian and was a part of the youth group.

- She began to invite me to events and to church but I didn’t want to go. One day she came over to drop off a sweatshirt she had borrowed.

n When I wen inside to my room, I felt something in my sweatshirt. It was a bible. She had wrapped a bible in my sweatshirt.

- And you know what, for the first time ever, I began to read the bible. And It blew me away. I started to go to church after sometime and little by little, God began to cut my heart with His word and to soften my heart towards him. IT was the word of God that was able to penetrate my hard heart and it transformed me.

3. The Critic of our thoughts and heart

- We are told that it is the discerner of our thoughts and intents of our hearts. In other words, as we read the word of God….. it will test our thoughts and motives.

- It will tell us what is right and what is wrong. IT will reveal what are the things in our lives that are according to God’s will and the things that are not pleasing to God.

- The Holy Spirit will often bring convictions on our lives when we are reading God’s word…. God is telling us look that one thing that you are doing or about to do is not good, don’t do it.

- Or you should reach out to that friend and see how she is doing, or share with that friend you have. IT Is the word of God that will reveal what is in our thoughts and our hearts……