The Ultimate Rest
Notes
Transcript
What do you think of when you think of rest?
Now remember the word is both a verb, and a noun.
As a verb the word is defined as:
REST
cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. “He needed to rest after the feverish activity.”
be placed or supported so as to stay in a specified position. “Her elbow was resting on the arm of this sofa.”
As a noun, the word is defined this way:
An instance or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in strenuous or stressful activity. “You look as though you need a rest.”
An interval of silence of a specified duration.
REST
REST
This word is central in our passage this morning. Clearly it is something to be desired, it is something to be sought after.
The author of this letter begins this section with these words:
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.
Now we’ve already talked about the word, “Therefore”. “Whenever you see a “therefore” you need to find out what it’s there for.” It’s not the greatest sentence grammatically, but it is a great reminder for us and reminds us again that the author is developing an argument here.
Quick review:
Ch. 1 - the author begins his letter reminding us that Jesus is God’s Son, higher than the angels.
Ch. 2 - THEREFORE - we must pay closer attention. Not only is this God’s Son, but we’ve heard from him and he paid for the sins of the people.
Ch. 3 - THEREFORE - Jesus, the high priest of our confession, is worthy of more glory than Moses. So encourage one another so none of you may be hardened by sin.
When we started we learned that there was going to be a sort of encouragement followed by a warning. Each warning seems to be getting more emphatic and more stern. After receiving the exhortation from chapter 3, we get to the warning of chapter 4…
Ch 4. - THEREFORE - while the promise of entering [God’s] rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
It’s another warning. v.2, Hebrews 4:2
For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.
This message of a place to rest came to the people long ago - going all the way back to Genesis. But the message they heard did not benefit them, why? because they were not united by faith with those who listened. In other words, they didn’t listen!
Do you hear the warning? Are we listening?
Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
The receivers of this epistle well knew the Hebrew Bible. They knew how God had spoken commandments and how the Israelites had not listened, and the results of not listening.
Now the author of this epistle reminds them that just as they had not entered God’s rest because of their disobedience of God’s Word given to them through Moses and the prophets, how much more were they to be held liable for not listening to the Word Himself, Jesus, God’s Son?
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Once again the author reminds us that the Israelites did not enter the promised land because they hardened their hearts, they failed to look at themselves and too often took it upon themselves to sit in judgment on others.
Jesus reminds us in His sermon on the mount that we are not to judge, and he gives us a dire warning:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.
What is Jesus doing here? He’s turning the mirror back on us again. As I said last week when I quoted from Matthew 7:3
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
In v. 12 the author writes: He 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
When discussing this verse on Monday in our Bible Study it was shared how sobering this verse is in speaking of the word of God. It is living and active - Remember the Gospel spoke of Jesus as the Word of God, the living Word, the Word incarnate. Jesus is active!
Sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow - When I think of God’s Word as a two edged sword I remember that anytime I seek to cut someone with the edge of God’s Word, there is an edge pointing directly back at me.
Am I seeing the speck in my brothers eye and ignoring the log in my own?
And then that last bit, “discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Wow. that does cut to the heart of it, doesn’t it? The Word of God cuts to our intentions, our innermost thoughts.
This is something that is never said of the deceiver, of Satan knowing our thoughts and intentions, but God does. No wonder the author goes on to write in verse 13:
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Doesn’t that take us back to the garden?
We may cover ourselves up, we may think that our intentions are hidden, but they’re not. They are exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. No matter how we might cover ourselves, we are “Naked” and “exposed” before God.
God knows our intents. God knows our thoughts. We are “naked and exposed” before him. Knowing that, what is our response? Is it like that of Adam and Eve in the garden narrative of Genesis?
We read in Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
And then we get to Genesis 3:10 (11 verses later) and we read: Ge 3:10
And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Are you hiding? Perhaps behind a tree? Is that tree a log in your own eye?
The author of Hebrews really gets to the heart of this when he calls us to the same listening that Adam failed to do, that the Israelites failed to do, and yet there is continually that offer of rest.
Jesus invites us: Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
It’s not about slapping a Jesus sticker on something and calling it Christian, are we truly coming to Jesus? That is our call.
The author of Hebrews has compared Jesus to Moses and the Promised land. Neither Moses nor the promised land provided the rest that was promised. But the promise of rest is still there in Jesus.
I want to remind you not to get discouraged in this rhythm here between the exhortations elevating Jesus and warnings that make us uncomfortable. Clearly this is one of the warnings. There are lots of them in the Scriptures.
The question for us is do we take God’s Word seriously? And if so, do we take Jesus seriously in our lives?
As we go into Memorial Day, tomorrow we remember those who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Today, let us think of all those who gave their lives that we might know God’s Word.
Think about the many around the world who are not allowed to share their faith in Christ publicly: thousands gather in underground churches, millions do not enjoy the freedoms we do. Do we just take this freedom for granted? What might God be calling you to do individually? What might God be calling us as a church to do?
Whatever it is, as we continue to press on to take hold of that for which Jesus took hold of us, as we press forward seeking to be a Growing place - it is to be all to God’s glory. If you’re feeling called - respond. Don’t just sit there.
To God be the glory! AMEN!