Hebrews 4:1-13 - Jesus Brings Us a Better Rest

So before I begin with those sermon, I want to take a moment because of the assassination attempt yesterday on former President Trump in the murder that happened to the wickedness that went down in our nation. And I'm sure all of you are aware of I want to take a moment to reflect on what is our perspective is Christian's on that incident. First we know that murder is evil and wicked because men and women are created in the image of God and a life was lost two others are in critical condition and dumb. It is wicked and evil 1st. Timothy 212 for says that Paul tells them I urge that supplications and prayers and intercessions and Thanksgiving be made for all people for kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful in a quiet life Godly and dignified and every way this is good and pleasing in the sight of God our savior who desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. And so what we need to do more than anything is being prayer prayer for our leaders prayer for President Biden prayer for former President Trump in this election cycle. The last time we had an assassination attempt was 40 years ago in our nation with the President Reagan and we are in a culture in a time where It's not as evil as it's always been in the entire world. We know that we know the Roman Empire was a wicked nation and Christianity flourished in the Roman Empire was the nation in charge when Paul said to pray for those who were Kings and those in authority and probably evil emperor Nero was in charge when Paul said to pray for him and so we want to pray for our leaders pray that God would save them the God would bring them to a knowledge of the truth pray that in our politics and in all of this that it would lead to us living a peaceful in a quiet life Godly and dignified and every way why not because this is our home but because that kind of piece leads to a advance of the Gospel, we're not being persecuted for the sake of Christ. And it's good and it's pleasing in the sight of God our savior who desires all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. So be praying that God would use this wicked incident for his glory. I want to pray now. I know that over the last two years since we started from time to time. We do pray for our religious. I mean are not religious or political leaders of those in Authority. We don't make a lot of political statements here at Trinity. But this is something that has is beyond the scope of the normal news. And so I want to pray now father. Thank you for the reality that you're on your throne as we're going to see in Hebrews that you're Seated on your throne and Jesus is seated at your right hand and we can come to your very presence and we can pray to you and we know that you hear us. And so father we lift up. Our leaders are political leaders some that were. We don't agree with wheat, we believe they make evil Wicked decisions and yet father. You've commanded us to pray for them. You desire that they would come to a knowledge of the truth that you desire all would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth 1st. Timothy says and so father would you do a work through this?

Father pray for the family of that is lost their husband and their father this retired fire chief who was 50 years old who was murdered yesterday. I pray for this family that you would bring them Comfort. I pray for those who were in critical condition that you would heal them. I pray that you would use this time to cause our country to reflect on the direction. They're headed in the path are headed and that we would turn away from the path of wickedness and violence and we would turn back to the path of peace and quiet dignity in godliness. As your word commands. We are dependent upon you to do this father by your spirit. Would you do this? May we be praying for those in leadership is so much easier to curse them than to pray for them. But Jesus commanded us to pray even for our enemies. those who mistreat Us in spitefully abuses and so father we do what you command not because it's easy, but because you told us to do it and we trust that it's for a good reason and it turns our hearts back to you. Then Genesis yours, you will repay. We don't have to take Vengeance into our own hands and so we can entrust ourselves to a holy God the one we sang about.

bless our hearing of the word now made come with power and conviction.

Are singing or responding later The Taking of the table communion meal May adjust unite us together in Christ.

Be with us. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen, well now to the book of Hebrews. Today we see in chapter 4 of Hebrews that Jesus brings us a better rest. Now. This is a section. I split it in half from last time sermon to now but the reason I did so it was very long section and what the author of Hebrews is doing is he's reflecting on Psalm 95 and he's pulling out a couple words and he's using this example of Israel in the wilderness to compare it to our life journeying through this Wilderness that worrying. Is it worth? And The Exodus events become a a type of the Christian Life in the pastor who's preaching this sermon to the Hebrews. He Likens it to the Wilderness generation. There's a danger of succumbing to Temptation. There are some who are shallow Believers in the promises of God. In fact, we I said it last time there's five warning passages in the book of Hebrews and we see one of them here before us today. And last time we talked about our hope is not in following Moses, but following our leader Jesus that Jesus is better than Moses Moses LED them right up to the edge of the Promised Land. But they couldn't enter in because of unbelief and Moses couldn't enter in because of Disobedience. And so there's a better rest. There's a better Promise Land. There's a better leader and Moses was faithful. We don't want to disparage Moses. He was one of the greatest men who ever lived. But the author is turning now in chapter 4 from the faithfulness of Moses and Jesus to the unfaithfulness of Israel. And he's applying it to his hearers. I said this when we had the first warning passage that this book of Hebrews is a sermon meant to be yours was preached at one time and I'm chopping it up into 19 sermon. And so we want to make sure we get the big context that we don't just lean into this warning passage and leave you with a bunch of heavy burdens leaving here feeling like there's no hope because the author's whole point is that there is a rest there is hope there is a better rest in Jesus and he's a better high priest and the author is preaching on Psalm 110 about Jesus being this high priest at the right hand of the father. And so we see this reality that unbelief is always deadly and for those of us who were weak and weary in the wilderness. We need to be warned of unbelief. But for those of us who have believed what he's going to say is we have a better hope then is real because Jesus is better than Moses and he leads us. He's better than Joshua. He leads us to a better rest than Canaan the promised land. He leads us to his very presence into the kingdom of God. And so the author wants us to know where true rest is Found It ultimately not even found in a place though. We talked about the kingdom of God true rest is found in Jesus a person. He is our rest. That's what chapter 4 is all about. And so resting in Jesus today might be exactly what you need to hear why you're here today is that you need to hear that you need to find your rest in Jesus not in your circumstances not in the trials of this life not in the promises of hope that this world offers, but you need to rest. In Jesus, and he's the kind of Savior who will never fail you. He will never disappoint you in fact, he seated at the right hand of the father and we're going to see at the end of chapter 1 the middle of chapter 4 here. I guess it is at the end of chapter 4 the end of our sermon that what does he say in verse 16, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we fight May find what grace and mercy to help in our time of need. Do you need grace and mercy today? Do you need it for your life? You feel like you're swamped like you're barely treading water in the waves are threatening to overwhelm you You have grace and mercy to help in your time of need and you can approach the throne of grace because Jesus is a better savior who brings a better rest. That's the author's whole point here. So verses 1 through 11 of of Hebrews chapter 4 therefore Wala promise of entering his rest still stands. Let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it for the good news came to us Justice to them. But the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not United by faith with those who listens for we who have believed enter that rest. As he has said as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Although his Works were finished from the foundation of the world for he has some wear spoken of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all his works and again In this passage, you said they shall not enter my rest 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 for if Joshua had given them rest. God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then their remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works. As God did from his let us therefore strive to enter that rest. So that no one may fall by the same sort of Disobedience for the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of Soul and Spirit of joints and Marrow and Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart 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. So this really is verses 1 through 11 is the second half of his explanation of Psalm 95, and then he's got a concluding thought in verses 12 to 13 about the word of God and all tie those things together. But you have versus 125. The father has promised a resting place both to Israel in the old Covenant and to us in the New Covenant. That's what we see in versus 125 back in verse 1 Israel's unbelief caused them to miss out on the rest in the promised land there for a while the promise of entering his rest still stands. Let us fear lest any of you should have seen should seem to a failed to reach it. So unbelief in Christ. What are you getting at is if you don't believe in Jesus, you're going to miss out on this eternal rest. That's why he says let us fear the solution to missing out is fear that that's an interesting fear is not something that you know, you often hear preached about in a positive way very often you think of fear as something to be inferior to love or something that should be avoided back where you might even hear the scripture perfect love casts out fear and yet here were told to fear let us fear. And we know in the Proverbs that says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So how do we reconcile what scripture teaches us about fear? Well, there's a difference between a paralyzing unbelieving fear and irreverent fear. Difference between fear that causes us to shrink away in fear versus fear that causes us to draw near to someone. Let me first quote John Owen and then I'll give you an example but John Owen in his commentary on Hebrews. John Owen was a theologian scholar Pastor who lived in the 1600s of the Puritan Era. He says this kind of fear this Godly fear Reverend fear is not a fear of doubting or wavering or uncertainty about our obedience. This happens too many people but no one is commanded to be like this that kind of fear is the fruit of unbelief. So it cannot be our duty neither. Can it be a fulness about difficulties opposition or danger? After all, it's the fear of the sluggard the lazy man who cries out there's a lion outside. I shall be killed in the streets. Never hear that proverbs 10 Proverbs. The lazy man says there's a lion outside I shouldn't go out today. I might be killed in the street didn't mean it was really a lion just met there might be a line outside now for us that is a really lazy person because the odds are there are no lions in the street outside, but for the record for the Jewish World in the Book of Proverbs evidently lions were roaming around the Middle East and you know, it was someone might say well that's legit. I mean there might be a lion I better not go outside. Sorry. I'm late too much of that. Let's move on. I've always thought that was a remarkable proverb. To cast out this kind of fear as the fear that weakens people's Christian profession is one of the main purposes of this letter of the book of Hebrews. That's what John Owen says. The fear intended in this verse is a combination of two things. He says first it's a reverend understanding of God's holiness and greatness and his severity against sin and second. It's using the means of Grace carefully to avoid the evil of unbelief in Disobedience. So, Here's here's an illustration that might help us if I am a criminal I fear the police for a very good reason because I'm a criminal and I know that if they find me they're going to arrest me and if I resist they might kill me. It's a legitimate fear. The fear, that's not this kind of fear. But now if I have the fear of a loving father knowing that I know that his discipline is always consistent and fair and then if I disobey I will get disciplined. But if I obey and I love and I draw near to him, there is no pushing away. But rather of bringing near that's the kind of fear. So what Owen is saying is when we understand the Holiness of God that he's perfect and then he can't have sinned in his presence and yet he's given us a way to draw near to him cuz that's what the author is going to say in a few verses is draw near to the throne of grace. The Jesus is the solution to God's holiness by taking our punishment upon himself so that we can draw near it doesn't remove all fear. But instead it's a reverend fear that causes us to worship and praise to say God. I know I deserve your punishment and yet you've shown me Grace and so I wanted I'm near to you because I love you, but you're still the Holy One in heaven your God, and I'm not. See our culture, it dislikes Authority in every form and fashion started with the some of you the generation of some of the older folks in the room. It sure seems like you know that that baby boomer generation that was like the hippies. They were like, you're not the boss of me and then I suggest an exercise we were like, you know reject Authority. We don't like it and then you Millennials same thing and then you like it's just the heart of man to say, we don't like Authority. You're not the boss of me. You don't tell me what to do. I'm the boss of me. So the idea of a reverent fear of an authority that has the right. And the power to bring judgment that's foreign to our culture. But we think about who God is he's the one who made us and he told any of these far above us. We have a good reason to fear and yet this fear is not a fear that drives us away from the father but brings us to him. That's what the author is getting that. In fact, he says in verse 1 the motive of this fear. Is that a promise of entering his rest remains? So it's really a fear of like I might miss out on this rest. You know what? That's like. Some of you aren't so far removed from school when you woke up on that Monday morning and realized. Oh that is due today. And that fear causes you to all of a sudden pay attention and hustle and get that thing done so that you might enter the rest of passing your grades and moving on or perhaps it work you all of a sudden realize I have a fear that my annual review might not go well and that my raise might not come in and so I know the annual review is coming up in a couple weeks. I've been lazy all for 4 months and boy, I'm going to really shine these next 3 weeks cuz I have a fear. I'm going to miss out on that raised that bonus whatever it is. It's at that's a far pale comparison to what he's talking about. But he's saying let us fear lest we miss look at that inverse one. Let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. But nevertheless of Promise of entering his rest still stands It's Still Remains. I'm reminded of Augustine confessions. Augustine was a pastor who lived in the 400s. I was taught that Augustine is a city in Florida and Augustine is a church father. So I'm rolling with that Augustine. He wrote a book called The confessions and it's a famous book even penguin has a published version of it. If you've never read his confessions, you should read it. It's not really a biography of his conversion though. He talks about that the Latin word confessio means a word of praise to God and he writes the whole thing to give praise to God for what he's done in his life and right at the beginning. He makes the statement that's very famous. You have formed us for yourself and our heart is restless until it finds rest in you. This is what the author of Hebrews is talking about. There is a promise of rest today offered to you. And if you're Restless, if you don't have rest in peace, it might be because you've not entered into the rest of God and the author of Hebrews is going to tell us how we enter that rest, but I don't want to get ahead of myself.

The hope is great because the rest that is offered to us today is not just a promise land in Israel. It is divine Eternal rest turn over the Hebrews 8:6

8:6 but as it is Christ has obtained a Ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the Covenant e mediates is better since it is enacted on better promises. There's a promise remaining of entering into rest in the author is later in his sermon going to say Christ. Jesus has a better Ministry because it's a better Covenant that has better promises. So as good as the promise was to Israel that they're going to go into the land flowing with milk and honey that they're going to receive rest in the promised land of Canaan and it's going to be sweet and it's going to be a pay everything that they've been longing for while they were slaves in Egypt this rest This Promise is so much more better. That he's going to say 9:15. You can turn over there. Therefore. He Jesus is the mediator of a New Covenant so that those who are called may receive the promised Eternal inheritance. So this rest is not temporary its Eternal since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first Covenant. Will that death occurred was the death of Jesus he paid for our sins to the fullest so that we could enter into this rest. This is the good news. So back in Hebrews chapter 4, how do we enter this rest that's waiting for us verse to 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 for we who have believed in true that rest. As he said as I swore in my wrath, they should not enter my rest of those Works were finished from the foundation of the world. So, how do we enter this Rest by faith? In the old Covenant if Israel would have believed the promises they would have entered into the promised land. How do we know that Joshua and Caleb believed the promises they were the two spies who went into the land and saw the good though. There were giants in the land. They said Gods with us will take them and we believe that God's going to give us this land and of all that generation of Israel the only two that entered in to the promised land where Joshua and Caleb so too if we have believed he says in verse three, we have entered that rest. We're in Jesus we have the rest. It may not feel like it because we are in this already not reality that we have not yet. Got to the kingdom. We're not yet in the presence of God. We only experience it in part now, but we're going to realize it in glory but we have entered that rest and the author of Hebrews isn't done talking about faith. He devotes a whole chapter Hebrews 11 and it starts with now Faith is the Assurance of things hoped for the conviction of Things Not Seen. Isn't that at the heart of the issue is real when they were in the wilderness. They heard about this promised land. They knew it was out there, but they couldn't see it and they didn't hold for it. Until they didn't believe it. They said let's go back to Egypt. There's better food in Egypt. We lived better in Egypt as slaves were going to die in the wilderness. Sometimes it's tempting to think we'll Jesus promises eternal life, but I don't see it. That hope seems too good to be true. And so I won't believe it. This is what the author is saying is don't fall away to unbelief, but fear let you fear that you've missed this opportunity.

And he says that he's not overly concerned that all of them are going to fall away as if they're going to lose their salvation is not interesting because what is he connected to Faith? So if you have believed you have entered the rest, that's what he goes on to say in versus 325. He says we who have believed have entered that rest as he said I swear my rat they shall not enter my rest. Although his Works were finished from the foundation of the world fries somewhere spoken on the seventh day in this way. And God rested on the seventh day from all his works and again In this passage, he said they shall not enter my rest. So he's quoting Psalm 95. He's continuing to run through this example of Israel and then he runs over to Genesis 22. Why did he turn to Genesis 22? Well little bit hard to kind of figure out from the passage itself. But here's what I think's going on. I had to read some other Scholars and commentators and but to show here's why to show that the promised land of Israel was not the final rest just as there was a rest in creation God rested on the seventh day, but that rest is ongoing and It ended so too. There is a final rest not in the promised land but in the Kingdom of God in this future Kingdom in the Redemption, that's to be consummated when Jesus returns. So what are you getting at? Is he saying is real should have understood that even the promised land was not the final offer of rest, but that there's this greater rest offered in Jesus. That's why he mentions it turned over to Hebrews chapter 12 almost the end of this book this sermon and in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 18. Listen to how he describes it here.

I want you to listen to the promise of entering the rest. I want you to listen to The Hope and I want you to see that it's connected to Faith and believing verse 18. You have not come to what may be touched a blazing fire and darkness and Gloom and a tempest in the sound of a trumpet in a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them for they could not endure the order that was given if even a beast touches the mountain it should be stoned indeed. So terrifying was the site that Moses says I tremble with fear she talking about when God gave the old Covenant, it's Ian I in the wilderness the same picture You haven't come to that old Covenant. You haven't come to that fear. You haven't come to what that what is real came to in the wilderness. But no verse 22. You have come to Mount Zion to the city of the Living God to the Heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable angels in Festival Gathering into the Assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven and to God the judge of all into the spirits of righteous made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of New Covenant and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the table. Why does he mention Abel because that's the first martyr in the Old Testament in the pentateuch the book of Moses in Genesis. A Jesus his blood is better than Abel because Abel's blood as the first martyr didn't save anybody but Jesus blood is able to save us to the uttermost.

See that you do not refuse him who speaking for the if they did not Escape when they refused him who warned on Earth much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from Heaven at that time his voice shook the Earth at the mount cyanide, but now he's promised yet once more I will shake not only the Earth but also the heavens in this phrase yet. Once more indicates the removal of things that are shaking that is things that have been made an order that the things that cannot be shaken May remain therefore. Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe. There's your fear for our God is a consuming fire. What a picture how have we come to Mount Zion? We've come in Jesus. We've come with his blood speaking better things than the blood of Abel so we don't come in fear anymore. That's a paralyzing fear. Moses says I tremble with fear we come with a reverence and awe that says I'm drawing near to this gathering in heaven this future Kingdom and my name's been enrolled. I'm on the list. I'm on the invitation to the party. I'm going to be there. I'm rsvp'ing yes by faith. I will be there. This is where the author of Hebrews is going to the end of the book and here in chapter 4 when he brings up this idea of RS10 promise in the Eternal Kingdom. He's saying all if you've believed you have entered that rest by faith, but yet you haven't seen it yet. You haven't fully experienced that yet, but don't shrink away continue believing continue striving. He's going to stay here in verse 11. Look at the language Let Us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of Disobedience time believing but like Peter so often don't we say Lord? I believe help my unbelief. Oh, I believe but the the weight of this world weighs me down temps me not to believe but help my unbelief.

And of course, he does doesn't he because he's a better high priest than the old Covenant high priest. He's a better savior. He's a better leader than Moses or Joshua and he brings better rest because he himself is our Sabbath rest and so versus 10:54. The author of Hebrews is bringing in this warning and this application and he's basically saying enter into the rest of Jesus by faith, like any good sermon, he's giving an opportunity to respond to what has been heard in the first four chapters and he's going to get 2 verse 11 that I just read. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest. But how does he get there versus six and seven he reminds his audience that we have time to respond while it's called today. So while it's still called today, we can respond by faith the offer is there.

Back to you. It said in 3:13 exhort one another every day as long as it's called today so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of thin and so he's quoting Psalm 95 and he saying that David since he's talkin after Joshua and they entered the promised land is still saying today enter into his rest at a day remains. So he's giving argument for why today is still today and they're still an offer of this rest verse 9. He says there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. I brought a fascinating that he brings in the word Sabbath here. He's been talking about rest, which we would think corresponds to the Sabbath, but now he brings in a word. That in the Greek is pretty technical. It's a long compound word. I won't quote it, but it's not just talking about a resting place like a rest stop up on the mountain right above Vallejo. There's one. I don't think I've ever stopped at that rest stop right above Leo. The idea is of observing the Sabbath so not just resting but observing the Sabbath. So let's take a moment and think about what did it mean to observe the sabbath? Will the Sabbath was always a time of Celebration and festivity in worship even in the old Covenant Passover, we might think about the Lambs that were killed to cover sin of the high priest going into the holy place that was a part of Passover. But what would pass over for the nation? It was a holiday? Yes, they would offer the sacrifices, but they would also gather and they would throw a celebration reminding them that God delivers them out of Egypt and brought him into the promised land. It's like our Christmas or our Thanksgiving a time when people would gather together in to have great celebration. Of course with regard to the Sabbath it wasn't like are our American celebration of Christmas can so often be divorced from worship or from Jesus but us Christians who celebrate Christmas. What do we do? We very often say Jesus is at the center of it. We have traditions in our family whether it was with my mom and dad. My dad would have the the youngest kid read the Luke account and I think it was I'm not certain but I think it was because Kevin had memorized the portion of it when we did the Peanuts Christmas play when we were children, then he had a raspy little voice and he talked about angels appearing in the sky bringing Good Tidings of great joy that would beat all the people so we have that tradition in and on my other side of the family Jen's parents, we would read the same account, but everybody would get a verse and we'd read in the circle. Why because we wanted to make sure we worshiped as we celebrated. This time of Christmas together as a family is reflecting that same idea you remember but Hebrews 12, I just read it to you verse 22. It says we come to Mount Zion to the Heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable County. You can't even count on the numerable angels and it says there in Festival Gathering there in party clothes. They're gathered waiting for the party of this ultimate Sabbath when the kingdom of God comes to Earth. Is that incredible thought and this is what we're coming to it's the picture of a holy party. C.s. Lewis the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'm sure a lot of you have read that CS Lewis came up with this line that I think is incredibly profound in regard to this other Faun. Mr. Tumnus in the very first chapter when Lucy meets if she goes to the Wardrobe and she meets this van and he's skittish and fearful and he says it's winter in Narnia and it has been forever so long always winter but never Christmas. always winter but never Christmas and what a thought that there would always be the deep in the dark and the cold of winter but never a celebration and of course, you know the story Aslan the lion is a picture of Jesus who comes and he he dies on this table for all of them and he breaks the curse of winter and Christmas Comes even Father Christmas comes into the story, which is super jarring for that whole world he built but whatever that's another side note, but what's he getting at this idea that holidays festivities are not just a time of rest, but a time of Celebration think about your own idea of the Theology of rest. American if I don't have a Theology of rest your theology of work, It's all we do is work or industry has the American dream in yet scripture teaches us that there is a great Theology of rest from the very beginning. God rested from his own works not because he had to he doesn't grow weary. Why did he do it as a picture for us to rest from our work and the rest isn't just it is a good gift to us that we would have find rest and enjoyment in God, but it's also a picture of the Gospel of this sabbath rest to come in Jesus that we're still waiting for when the kingdom of God comes to Earth. So as you think about every end of work week, traditionally Friday Friday night the joy that happiness works over. I'm not working for the man anymore. I'm I am the man I work for myself. But anyway Friday night, it's time to rest. It's time to celebrate we start. Do we go out to eat? Do we go to the movies? Do we do this? Do we do that? Why because we want to rest and we want to take enjoyment in our rest every vacation every holiday even every night when you lay your head down to sleep. All of these are Shadows of the future rest that awaits Us in the presence of God our Father. Sometimes our rest is not celebratory. It's not joyful because we live in a fallen world. But at the right hand of the father is fullness of joy and Pleasures forevermore and his rest is the ideal rest and the worship that we're going to do. It's going to be a holy party. It means it's both rest and a celebration it is the ultimate PTO. You rest and you get paid for it in Jesus. You've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly Realms in Christ. So by the time we get two verse 11 and his application. He says let me catch us up here verse 84 is Joshua had given them rest. God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then their Remains the Sabbath rest for the people of God for whoever has entered Gods rest his rested from his works. Just as God did from his let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of Disobedience by the time we get two verse 11 and we hear this language of driving of making every effort to take great pains what the author is intending us to think is not that we have to strive to take great pains to earn our Salvation. God forbid. That's not what he's talking about it all he saying we take great pains to enter into this rest. What does he mean looking forward to participating in joyous celebration around the Throne of God? Revelation 14 13 says it this way I Heard a Voice from Heaven saying right this blessed are the Dead who die in the Lord from now on blessed indeed says the spirit that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them and what happens in Revelation, they get a great reward and they're with God in Christ forever in the lamb seated at the right hand of the throne in the they're in their presence in the rivers of living water flowing from the him who sits on the throne and from the land and the water the tree of life that's for the healing of the Nations and we rain and serve forever. This is what we're looking forward to this is what we want to strive to enter into by faith is this party this coming? By the way, it's why we take communion every week. That's a meal together. That's meant to be a joyous celebration of the finished work of Christ reminding us that there's a rest to come because we do it as often as we do it until he comes again.

The author wants us to look forward to make every effort and strive to enter into this Rest by faith. He already said it was by faith over and over and if we have believed we already have entered into the rest. We just don't yet see the fullness of it. And so we need to as he's going to say in Hebrews 12 fix our eyes on Jesus the author and Perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before him endure the cross despising its shame in a sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high so big picture the book of Hebrews is a sermon on Psalm 110 Psalm 110 says the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet. Jesus is our King ruling and reigning with the greatest Authority. He's our high priest interceding for us and he's able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to Faith draw near in faith to him and the Salvation he brings is this rest in the presence of God Forever This Mount Zion this heavenly Jerusalem this innumerable company of Angels in Festival Gathering the firstborn whose names are enrolled in heaven. This is where we're coming and we're coming to Jesus the mediator of a better Covenant. And so yes, we fix our eyes on him and we run the race with endurance. We strive to enter into that rest. We put effort in labor at it. Not because we fear judgment or that we're going to lose this rest, but because we want to be there we don't want to miss out. Nobody nobody likes to miss a party.

Not a good one your welder with Miss a bad party a company party you might miss cuz you're like I work with them. I don't want to be with them at a party later. But you don't want to miss a good party. The one you've had circled on the calendar all year. You're not going to miss that you're going to make every effort to get there. You're going to go sick and lie and say you're not sick must be allergies. I'm there. I'm not missing it. Here we have this glorious celebration the Fulfillment of all of the Sabbath holidays the Fulfillment of all of the festival gatherings in Jesus, and he's our rest and then he ends in verses 12 and 13 by saying the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of Soul and Spirit joints and Marrow and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart and no creature is hidden from his side, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. Why does the author tag this on? Because he says his real died in the wilderness due to unbelief and he's preaching to an audience and he says let us fear lest you fall in short if you have unbelief and so is pastoral application is are you really believe in Jesus and you could lie about it to the pastor but you can't lie about it to God the word of God is living and active and it's able to fly US Open and expose us. The warning is real. We can't fake out God. We can't Juke him. We can't Juke his word. It doesn't happen. All eyes verse 13 no creatures hidden from the sight all or naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account. You see his word is personified hear is living and active and the delivery of the message by the mouth is pictured as a two-edged sword and its able to go deep into the human heart the dividing of Soul and Spirit even Discerning thoughts and intents. He said in chapter 3 don't Harden your hearts as in the Rebellion verse 8 verse 12. Take care lest there be an evil unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the Living God and he says the word of God is able to expose that hard heart to play it open cut it wide open and show you where you're at. So don't don't lie about where you're at be honest with where you're at with the Lord be honest to yourself. And the solution is to believe the promises so that you would enter into the rest. If we're not believing if we're disobedient, we're only faking our Christianity in the word of God will lay us bear. But if we're believing look at how he moves on versus 14 to 16 since we have such a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is in every respect been tempted as we are yet without sin. What's he saying? There's a difference between unbelief and weakness. Unbelief in and and doubts and struggles. There's a big difference unbelief is a hardened heart. That means you'll miss out on the rest of God. You need to believe in the Lord Jesus and it's a command not an option believe so that you would be saved. But if you're doubting if your week if your weary Jesus knows he's a perfect high priest. He has been tempted in all ways yet without sin. Look what it goes on to say verse 16 and what's our solution lettuce with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and Grace to help in our time of need. We're completely at the mercy of God in the more desperate. We feel underneath his All-Seeing all-knowing gays the more we should draw near to the father in Christ and find grace and mercy to help in our time of need. This is why we need to be together every week encouraging one another to persevere in faith. It's why we seeing it's why we pray is why we hear from the word. That's why we have a communion meal together. It's a reminder to strive to enter the future Eternal resting place in the presence of our father through our Sabbath rest Jesus, and we do it by faith believing the promises that all of God's promises are yes, and amen in Christ. Let's pray father. Thank you for this time your word what a reminder what a warning.