Renewing our Minds to Receive the Promise of Rest
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1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
My assignment in this season is to teach and preach the Kingdom we have have as believers. There are over 3000 promises that we need to renew our mindsets to receive.
As believers in Christ we have certain inalienable rights given to us when we become citizens of God’s kingdom. The term unalienable me rights are promises that cannot be violated or denied by those that are in good standing with the governing authority.
The Promises of God are Yes and Amen- Yes-because God cannot lie- he cannot make a promise that he cannot keep.
Amen - so be it; it is written so let it be done.
Today we will focus on the promise of REST.,,,
To understand the promise of REST we must examine it Biblical meaning in the Past, Present, and Future.
The first use of the term REST is in Gen 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
According to verse rest is a time to cease from labor ,decree blessings, and set apart for God pleasure and presence.
Therefore God has design us in His image we should take time to set aside of self from work and labour to decree and declare blessing and bask in God’s presence.
Life should have sacred rhythm of work and rest.
Entering in God’s rest was meant to be a time of refreshing to restore, renew our souls, to realign out thinking to reflect on kingdom priorities.
Past use of rest represented a land
30 Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath That they should not enter into my rest.
Past- In the past God promise to deliver His people and take this to a promise land filled with milk and honey..... Cannan a land were they could rest from the bondage of Egypt.
— The people murmured
--- Did not believe God because saw the giants.
Current and Future - comes through Christ
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
. (4:1) Warning—Rest—Fear: the warning is direct and forceful-fear lest you should come short of God's rest.
What is God's rest? What is the rest that is offered us in God?
The meaning of the believer's rest is seen by looking at the illustrations in He. 4:4-9. Rest does not mean inactivity. God has not been inactive since creation; He has been very active. He has been administering the universe and working out the salvation of man (see Jn. 5:17; Ro. 8:18).
Rest is Not inactivity
Therefore, when the Bible speaks of rest for the believer, it does not mean a state or life of inactivity for the believer. It does not mean that the believer sits and lies around or goes about relaxing and doing what he wants. It does not mean that the believer is freed from duty and responsibility.
What is Rest
Contrariwise, the believer's rest means something far more meaningful and hopeful. In fact, it offers the most glorious hope imaginable to man.
There is the rest of satisfaction and pleasure with one's life and work. This is seen in God's rest after creation (He. 4:3-4). After God created the world, which took six days, He rested on the seventh day. As said above, this does not mean that God stopped all activity after creation.
The very opposite is true: He has been looking after the universe since creation, and He has been very busy working out the salvation of men.
This is not a rest of inactivity, of doing nothing. When Scripture says that God rested after creation, it means that God was pleased and satisfied with the work of creation.
The job of creation was done and it was completed. There was a sense of completion and satisfaction within God; the sense of completion and satisfaction rested within the soul of God. He was at rest and at peace with what He had done.
Therefore, the believer's rest is a sense of completion, of satisfaction, of pleasure with his life and work. When a believer really believes and trusts God, he receives the rest of God, a deep sense of fulfillment with his life and work.
Wilderness experience:
b. There is the rest of deliverance and of salvation. This is the rest of Canaan (He. 4:5-6). In the Bible...
• the promised land of Canaan is a type of heaven and of the eternal rest God has promised to believers.
• the enslavement of the Jews by Egypt is a type of the world's bondage and enslavement of man.
• the wilderness wanderings are a type of the daily struggles and trials and temptations and storms of life that a person has to pass through in this life.
Therefore, the believer's rest means the most glorious deliverance and salvation imaginable-so glorious that a person must not fail to secure this rest.
⇒ The believer's rest means the deliverance and salvation from the slavery and bondage of this world (Egypt), from its sin and death.
⇒ The believer's rest means the rest of conscience when one has ceased his struggle in the wilderness wanderings of life-the trials, temptations, and storms of life.
⇒ The believer's rest means the rest of conquest and triumph while one is entering and conquering the enemies of the promised land of heaven-day by day.
"And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (Ex. 33:14).
Warning not to miss God’s rest like the Isreal did in the wilderness.
There is the rest of a new day, of another day that shall be far better than this day-a day that will bring perfection and eternal life to the human soul (He. 4:7-8).
It is the rest of confidence, of assurance, of knowledge, of hope, of perfect peace in the future. All the bondages and enslavements of this life have been conquered in Christ, even death.
And there is now hope of eternal life-of heaven, of an eternal and perfect rest for the people of God.
"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Re. 14:13)."And it shall come to pass in the day that the lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve" (Is. 14:3).
The point is this: we can miss God's rest; we can come short of it. Israel did and we can. Therefore, we must fear lest we miss it. The word fear means that we should be actively afraid and concerned lest we miss God's rest. The matter is of critical concern; it is a matter of life and death, of eternal life and eternal death.
The WORD must be mixed with faith.. so we would can experience God’s rest.
This gospel-the glorious message of God's rest-was preached to Israel, and it has been preached to us. But note the warning: the Word did not profit Israel. Why? Because Israel did not mix the Word with faith. They did not believe in the Word of God. They rejected the promise of God's Word that promised a rest to the soul of the believer.
Thought 1. The warning is clear: we must believe the Word, the gospel of God's rest, or else we shall miss His rest. And we must never forget: we are much more responsible because of Jesus Christ. God's own Son, One far greater than Moses, is the One who has brought us the message of God's rest.
The God kind of Rest is only for Believers in Christ
3. (4:3) Rest, Believer's— Warning: we can come short of God's rest because God has sworn that unbelievers shall not enter His rest. This verse is clear: the person who believes enters God's rest, but the person who does not believe does not enter. And the tragic fact is conclusive: God has sworn that the unbeliever shall not enter His rest.
The unbeliever has no hope, nothing to look forward to in this life except trials, sufferings, emptiness, loneliness, disease, accidents, temptations, and death—a life without permanent meaning and significance and purpose. He has nothing to look forward to in the future life except judgment, condemnation, and alienation from God. God has sworn: the person who does not believe in His Son—that eternal rest, deliverance, and salvation are in Jesus Christ—shall not enter into His rest.
There shall be no peace, no deliverance, no salvation, no new day for the unbeliever.
Rest, Believer's— Warning— Word of God: a person must make every effort to enter God's rest. We can come short of God's rest because a person can fall into disobedience. Note three points.
a. First, a person must labor to enter God's rest or else he will fall into disobedience. The word labor (spoudazzo) means to endeavor, give all diligence, be zealous, strive eagerly, exert ones self, and make haste. There is no place for sleepiness or laziness, complacency or lethargy. Unless a person labors with all diligence, he will fall just as Israel fell. And remember Israels experience: the people would labor for a while and then fall back for awhile; labor again and then fall back again. Israel lived an up and down life, and the nation was not allowed to enter God's rest. There is no place for inconsistency, no place for living an up and down life—not in God's rest. Diligence—laboring every day—is an absolute essential. We must labor or else fall from God's rest as Israel fell.
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Lu.13:24).
"And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corrupt
Example of Rest- Shummite womam all is well- she was at rest even when her child died .— The situation look dead but she had faith’ 2 king 4
Elisha was being attacked_ lord open His eyes 2 king 6
Centurion - lord send your Word
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me. 6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest. 7 Lo, then would I wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah. 8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.
The Holy Spirit can to fly away and escape the care of this world as we trust and obey Him.