The Superior Rest
Notes
Transcript
Rest
Peace
What is it? How can we get it?
physical comfort? psychological counseling? Religious activity?
Is rest eternal salvation?
Is rest when we get in the future when we are with the Lord?
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me, As on the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers put Me to the test, And saw My works for forty years.
“Therefore I was angry with this generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways’;
as I swore in My anger, ‘They certainly shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end,
while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
Example from Israel’s Past
Example from Israel’s Past
40 years in the wilderness… about 40 years from Christ’s death to the writing of this letter.
No Rest because of Unbelief
No Rest because of Unbelief
Unbelief led to disobedience
This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
So the Lord said, “I have forgiven them in accordance with your word;
however, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.
Certainly all the people who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice,
shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who were disrespectful to Me see it.
But as for My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
They were forgiven… they were still God’s chosen people… but they would not receive the promise...
By no means will you come into the land where I swore to settle you, except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.
When you cross the Jordan and live in the land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,
Later they did enter rest...
And the Lord gave them rest on every side, in accordance with everything that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them.
And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan.
Now it came about after many days, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their enemies on every side, and Joshua was old, advanced in years,
But is that all that was meant by rest?
This is the background for the exhortation found in Hebrews 3.12-15
Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.
But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called “today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we keep the beginning of our commitment firm until the end,
while it is said, “Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”
Encourage one another daily
Encourage one another daily
Notice the brothers and sisters… he was speaking to believers.
He knew their struggle, but he was still calling them brothers and sisters.
Loss of salvation is not what is at stake.
But loss of the promise of rest.
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses?
And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?
And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
And the loss of the promise of rest is due to unbelief. Unbelief leads to wrong thinking, leads to sin / disobedience.
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith.
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Fear lest some fall short
Fear lest some fall short
Fear… who wants to fall short of receiving the promise of God?
Again, those who believe enter the rest.
Those wanting to go back to the work and ritual of Judaism were in danger of losing out, falling short of entering the rest.
But what is the rest he is speaking about?
For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, “As I swore in My anger, They certainly shall not enter My rest,” although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;
and again in this passage, “They certainly shall not enter My rest.”
Believers are entering that rest
Believers are entering that rest
Psalm 95… today… it is on-going action in the present.
Each day we face the prospect anew of whether we will live by faith...
God’s Rest
God’s Rest
The answer is going to be fleshed out here in this chapter, we see the glimpse of it in verses 3 and 4…
God rested from his work.
But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
not cessation of all activity…
God rested from work of creation because all was completed… it was good… it was very good
Satisfaction and enjoyment (Kent)
They shall not enter my rest… They will not be satisfied… they will not enjoy what I have for them...
For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.
Consequently, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Therefore let’s make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience.
Rest for Believers
Rest for Believers
verse 11 - NIV: perish, literally to fall. Not a loss of salvation, but a falling from the grace in which we stand, falling from sharing in the rest from God’s promise
verse 11 - make every effort… do what it takes, give diligent attention
We enter by faith. Faith is not a passive reflex. Faith is an active choice
Verse 9 - sabbath rest - different from the word for rest in the rest of the passage...
It gets to the root of what the rest is...
resting in the provision of the Lord
Resting in his presence
Resting in his blessing
Resting in his promises
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Rest because God cares for us
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
rest that we are never alone
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus is with us
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
he will guide us
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
he will give us inner peace, confidence
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
rest in death, no fear of death
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
Not that we are done with all work… we still are called to to good just as God continues to do good even on the sabbath…
Rest from striving
Rest from working to survive, doing everything yourself...
Doing good not to earn righteousness. but doing good because we enjoy the blessing on having been given righteousness by God!
Doing good out of joy of having received, not out of the burden of trying to achieve
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
there are things to be done… burdens to bear, but Christ’s burden is light
how do we rest? what has God given us to aid us in this rest?
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
God’s Word and Rest
God’s Word and Rest
living… and able to give life…
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
it is still as relevant today as when it was written
active...
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
penetrating…
judging… It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart… the purposes of the heart
We need to pursue on-going, diligent study of the word of God.
It will test us, our motives, our purposes.
It will show us the promises of God
It will lead us in truth
Without it, how can we know and act properly? How can we experience rest in a promise we do not know?
faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
God’s Word and Rest
God’s Word and Rest
He not only gives us the Word of God… but the very living word of God, Jesus
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus our High Priest of Rest
Jesus our High Priest of Rest
What about me?
What about me?
What robs me of rest?
business?
conflict
grief
guilt
sickness
am I spending time in the word to know the promises
am I going to Jesus, my high priest to receive the mercy and grace I need when I need it?
Have to do? Get to do?
