11) Hebrews - Enter His Rest
Notes
Transcript
“Be Reconciled to God” Root of Fruit Sin addressed “Unbelief, Pride, Selfishness”
Gathering - Community Announcements
Fires / Families / Prayer
Disaster Relief / Help for families Love offering / Mark Anderson/Denum Dad Passing Cleanup/ New Member class
Call to Worship
Saving Faith
By this faith Christians believe to be true everything revealed in the Word, recognizing it as the authority of God himself.4 They also perceive that the Word is more excellent than every other writing and everything else in the world,5 because it displays the glory of God in his attributes, the excellence of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his activities and operations. So they are enabled to entrust their souls to the truth believed.6 They respond differently according to the content of each particular passage—obeying the commands,7 trembling at the threatenings,8 and embracing the promises of God for this life and the one to come.9 But the principal acts of saving faith focus directly on Christ—accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.
Corporate Prayer -
Worship through Song
Scripture Reading
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! 11 All the angels stood around the throne, and along with the elders and the four living creatures they fell facedown before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen.
Worship through Song
Worship through Song
Sermon
Prayer
Introduction
Introduction
We are coming to the main point that the author of Hebrews has been working up to. The first 4 and a half chapters are the authors first discourse to the Jewish Christians. He started the book with who Jesus is. He is who God speaks through today. He is the heir of all things, all things that were created through him. He is the radiance of the Glory of God and the exact expression of his nature and he sustains all things through his powerful word.
After he performed the ceremonial cleansing as a mediator and priest he sat down at the right hand of God.
He then takes the angels whom the Jewish people had an exalted view of and went through old testament scriptures to prove that Jesus’ name as Son is higher than then theirs.
In the beginning of Chapter 2 he calls for the people to pay attention to what they had heard because of who Jesus is. What was testified about him. He warned that by neglecting and letting the message of salvation slip away that they would receive the just punishment for their sins. He points out the signs and wonders that God did to validate the testimony of the witnesses that they had heard from.
He writes that man who has fallen from the place of glory and honor that he had at the beginning before man had sinned and fallen to low place that sin brought all people too. Adam had sinned and so all men have fallen. But that will be restored through Jesus taking on a nature of humanity, the incarnation and that by his death men will be sanctified, made holy, by the most holy one as sanctifier.
As Jesus passed through death because he had no sin, and that he had flesh and blood in common with men he conquered death and the one holding death - the devil.
He accomplished what nothing else could, he became the atoning sacrifice and appeased the wrath of God that men had earned because of their sin. Because he had met every temptation and never fell into sin then his perfect life was sacrificed on the cross. He paid the penalty for all men’s sin as the full punishment was put on him and the full penalty of death was charged to his account. But death could not hold him as death is the punishment for sin. As he passed through death he then gave those that are his brothers and sisters his righteous life as it was imputed to believers.
The author continues to build with a comparison to Moses. Not how Jesus is good and Moses was bad but how Moses was a great faithful servant to the people of God and how no matter how great Moses’ faithfulness was he was still part of God people, part of the household, but Jesus is faithful as the Son and is over the household. He has a position that Moses could never attain because of who he is.
He says that those that are part of the household of the Son will have confidence in this hope of salvation and will endure.
The author comes to the warning that we looked at last week.
Watch out, hear the voice of God. Hear what he is saying.
12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception. 14 For we have become participants in Christ if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.
Church, encourage each other every day so that none will have an evil, heard, unbelieving heart. A heart that turns from the living God. Do not be deceived by sin. He used Ps 95 and the account of Israels rebellion as they came to the promised land. The land of Canaan. They had come to the edge of this place
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested me, tried me, and saw my works 10 for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.” 11 So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”
He reaches out to them and says, see the example of our past. They came to the place of God promise and In their rebellious hearts refused to enter.
16 For who heard and rebelled? Wasn’t it all who came out of Egypt under Moses? 17 With whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
It was unbelief that prevented then from entering his rest and this is where we come to today.
1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short. 2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith. 3 For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what he has said, So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest,” even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. 5 Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest. 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, 7 he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.
Disobedience and Unbelief
Disobedience and Unbelief
Who was it that heard and rebelled? It was those people that had no excuse. The Israelites had seen God’s works. Had heard him speak. Had family tradition of God involved in their history. Who did not enter the rest? It was the disobedient. Those that failed to hear the voice of God. His word and to submit in obedience to them. Disobedience was the action but unbelief was the cause.
Therefore
1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.
The author brings the promise to the Israelites to the new testament church. The promise to enter into God’s rest was still available to the readers of Hebrews.
Let us beware, let us fear, that none of you be found to have fallen short. The CSB translates this “to be found to have fallen short” this is different than many other translation like the ESV
1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
The literal translation is “to seem to miss out.” He says this promise still exists and we must beware that no one even seems to miss out, to fail to have reached the rest of God.
2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith.
We have recieved the good news that we can enter into God’s rest but this message did not benefit them. Why did it not benefit them? Because the message was not united in faith. It was not united in belief. They did not believe the promise was true or the one who gave the promise to be trustworthy. So it did not benefit them.
What does that look like? What if a politician walked in hear and promised that they promised to stand up for your desires and views. Who here would believe that? Why or why not? It depends on if you believe in them or not. Everyone believes in something, either themselves, or their bank account, or false idols, false gods, baals and mollecs and other things like this. People believe in their doctors and nurses. It is a bad place to be when you don’t trust doctors.
It is very easy to see what a person believes in by what they obey and who they listen too. He says they did not believe and trust in God and it showed by their lack of faith.
3 For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what he has said, So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest,” even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. 5 Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest.
He claims that those with faith and belief have entered the rest. He said that the rest in view here is not just any rest it is quoted as “MY REST” which is God’s rest. God’s rested. God’s rest is a rest of completion not a rest of exhaustion. When God had finished his creation through the Son, he said it was good and then he rested from to work of creation as there was nothing more that he willed to be created.
The rest available to those who believe is also a rest of completion, it is not a life of in activity. of an easy lazy life. Those who hear the good news of Jesus and unite it with faith will immediately enter into the rest discussed here.
The Israelites spoken of were not punished for failing to conquered the promised land. They were not given a task that they failed to achieve. They did not put their work on the scales and have it measured and it was not found to be wanting. They were punished for not entering. For not believing and obeying. They would have entered his rest immediately, even though there was much work to be done after they entered.
It is the same for the church that recieved this letter as it is today. There is nothing to accomplish, there is nothing to earn, nothing to clean up, there is just the message and belief, faith alone.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’
There will be many that work everyday of their lives in the hope that they will be found acceptable. and the will be tragically aware of the consequence of unbelief. The Israelites had this realization and found out results.
39 When Moses reported these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome with grief. 40 They got up early the next morning and went up the ridge of the hill country, saying, “Let’s go to the place the Lord promised, for we were wrong.” 41 But Moses responded, “Why are you going against the Lord’s command? It won’t succeed. 42 Don’t go, because the Lord is not among you and you will be defeated by your enemies. 43 The Amalekites and Canaanites are right in front of you, and you will fall by the sword. The Lord won’t be with you, since you have turned from following him.” 44 But they dared to go up the ridge of the hill country, even though the ark of the Lord’s covenant and Moses did not leave the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived in that part of the hill country came down, attacked them, and routed them as far as Hormah.
When Today is over it is over.
The Warning
The Warning
6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, 7 he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.
The rest still remains… There were some that may have believed that since they lived after Israel’s time, they had missed the opportunity to enter in, others may have believed that they lived a life of such debauchery that they were not worthy to enter. There are probably many other reasons people had come up with but the author is encouraging them that today is not over, and reminds them that David spoke of this in his Psalm that was long after promise and punishment of unbelief.
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.
Joshua lead the Israelites into the promised land. If he had given them the final rest then David would not of spoken of it.
We come to the first “Let us” he joins in with the community and says let us make every effort. Let us work to enter that rest so that no one will fall into disobedience or unbelief. This is not a statement on maintaining salvation or earning salvation. We are to be examples of faith and belief. We are to be obedient and even though the spiritual work is finished in the believer there is work to be done here. We are to be reflections of our savior as we are sanctified into his likeness.
12 Don’t let anyone despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
Jesus’ Rest
Jesus’ Rest
The rest in the old testament spoke forward to the rest in Christ. It is through Jesus that we enter his rest.
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
We find rest for our souls in the yoke of Jesus. God finished his work of creation on the 6th day and rested on the 7th when all of creation was completed. Jesus finished his work on the Cross.
30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
And we find rest in belief and faith.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is also the final rest that is spoken of in revelation in times to come and when enter heavenly rest but as this is the climax of the 1st 4 chapters of hebrews which has focused and honed in on who Christ is and what he has done that he is speaking of the rest found in Jesus and Jesus alone. The rest in our souls.
This is the same call out today. Are you a person who has been restless. Uncomfortable. You are in church or exploring God but you have not come to the point of saving faith. You have not surrendered and beleived.
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes, 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them. 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame, 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 16 But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.
Faith comes from what is heard and what is heard comes through the message about Christ. This is what the author of Hebrews is saying. We have heard the message. The message is Jesus as savior many have believed and have found God’s rest. But there are others that are still working for their salvation. they are doing many good things but they do not believe. For it is through belief that a person enters into spiritual rest.
As a pastor I get the privilege to be part of some of the biggest moments in peoples lives. Two of these times that come along frequently are marriages and funerals. I have been suprised to find that many pastors would rather do a funeral over a wedding. I have not quite figured that out. I really enjoy weddings because of the opportunity to share God’s words to them and plant as much of the word in their hearts early on in the marriage. Funerals are a little harder for me. For one I struggle seeing everyone's sorrow even if it was good that the person is no longer suffering in this world.
I think the hard part for me is navigating the question that many have. Was this person saved? No one has ever put it this way but “Did the enter God’s final Rest”?
When we leave this world and take our last breath it will not matter what is written on our tombstone or what was said in our eulogy. It won’t matter how many people show up.
All that will matter is did you believe? Did you enter into God’s rest. The legacy that we leave will be the impact we showed and testified about that belief to others. Will people come to your funeral and have the question, I wonder what they believed?
As you life is examined would your actions demonstrate a belief in God or a belief in something else in the world. Everyone believes in something. Just look at where a person spends their time, energy and money and you can starts to get an idea of what a person has put their trust in.
Only God knows the heart of a person. But maybe here today you feel a little uncomfortable, you realize that you are restless and the things you are doing are not solving that. That you see that belief in Christ as savior is the only way for peace. I ask you to come find me or someone you trust to walk you through any questions you may have. Don’t let today slip away. I am here for the potluck if you want to meet even today.
Maybe you are a believer but your actions do not show that belief, there is a warning to you today.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. 20 Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?
We are not to be senseless people. We are to be obedient as an outpouring of our faith. Our works will demonstrate that. What is it in your life that needs to be removed, what areas do you need to grow in. I would love to help you in those areas.
Let us come to GOd in prayer today that we will hear the voice of God and respond to his words today.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 equip you with everything good to do his will, working in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.