Entering God's Rest Through Faith

Hebrews 4:1-16

Key Verse: Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

I. The Search for True Rest

It isn’t difficult to imagine the constant running, relentless pursuit of more, quick meals at the drive through, instant communication in the palm of our hands, all driven by the need or want of more. Exhaustion is everywhere from the time we get up feed the kids, feed the animals, clean up the house, get ready for work, endless sports for the children, or grandchildren, and endless laundry that need washed, dried and folded. If anything today the technology that was supposed to make life easier has only made it busier in the never-ending cycle of more and more. People are getting burned out both physically and spiritually.

Even when we try and take vacations they are filled with itineraries of all the things we can see and do. The search for rest is endless, for all too often it becomes filled with more things we can do, rather than just stepping back and taking a rest. Then because our lives are so entrenched in this rat race we call life, we begin to think that this is all there is, do more to get more. Society is built around the more you do the more you get, and the effort you make will in turn yield the result, and do not get me started on the victim mentality that is directly related to this, that will be a topic for another time. This has spilled even into the church, and has turned many back to that false religion of work equals reward, and so we slip back into that question the rich young ruler posed last week, what must I do to be saved?

The question itself as we have shown contains the issue, thinking that we can somehow gain by our works, our own merit, our own righteousness leads us in the wrong direction only to a shipwrecked faith. No we only find rest from life, both physically and spiritually when we disconnect the thinking that we trade our efforts in order to receive the reward, and accept the salvation freely given by God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

That is what we come to today in what Hebrews 4:1-16 speaks of the "rest" God offers to His people, a rest that goes beyond physical relaxation. It's about spiritual rest—a peace that can only come from trusting in God’s promises.

II. The Promise of God's Rest Hebrews 4:1-5

Hebrews 4:1 ESV

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 promise of God's rest is still open for us today. The rest that God offered the Israelites in the Promised Land was a symbol of a greater, eternal rest that He offers us now through Jesus Christ. But there’s a warning here: just like the Israelites missed out on the Promised Land because of their unbelief, we too can miss God’s rest if we harden our hearts and refuse to trust in His promises.

Remember the Israelites in the wilderness? God had brought them out of slavery in Egypt, shown them miracles, and provided for their every need. Yet, despite everything, they doubted God. Because of their unbelief, they never entered the rest of the Promised Land. Psalm 95:11 says that God swore in His anger, "They shall never enter my rest."

The warning to us is clear: unbelief will keep us from entering God's rest. Today, many people miss out on this rest because they are still trying to earn God’s favor through their own works, instead of trusting fully in what Jesus has done.

Hebrews 4:2 ESV

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.

Hebrews 4:3 (ESV)

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.

We see that just as we said that it is belief and unbelief, they are the difference between salvation and condemnation, from heaven or hell. Will you enter the rest or keeping to a never-ending cycle.

Now this next part tends to get overlooked but is very important for it binds this whole thing together and gives a glimpse into the infinite nature of God.

Hebrews 4:4–5 (ESV)

For he has somewhere spoken of 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.”

This we know is from Genesis, when God had completed all his work in creating everything he rested on the seventh day. Interesting this day also coincides with the third day in which Jesus is in the tomb, resting, for his work was completed. If the work is complete what is left to do, well there are many who will still try, they will even try and convince you, and will trouble your faith by getting you to question God’s word, which leads to doubts, and doubts give way to unbelief. As we have said it is the unbelief that condemns.

III. The Nature of God's Rest Hebrews 4:6-11

Thus leading to the very next passage then Hebrews 4:6

Hebrews 4:6 ESV

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,

Hebrews 4:7 (ESV)

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.”

We talk about this all the time of hardening of hearts and it comes up quite often in Hebrews and refers to the unbelief that gets you to the point of a callousness or hardened heart that you no long have conscience of sin, and therefore no repentance leading to point of apathy where you no longer even care. Do not fear if you have any thoughts you have committed this unpardonable sin, you haven’t for even to worry shows a sign that the Holy Spirit is still at work in you.

Hebrews 4:8–9 ESV

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God,

Hebrews 4:10 ESV

for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

There it is for us, clear as day, whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

At this point we should say hallelujah, praise the Lord, we have no work left to do, and we rest in Christ Jesus for he has done it all for us. Salvation is accomplished the victory is won!

IV. The Living Word Exposes Our Hearts Hebrews 4:12-13

Then that old nature wants to come back up in us, the old foe fights on another day, and ask that age old question “Did God really say?” so then we ask but how to we know this, are we certain the victory is one, well of course it is, because God’s word makes it very clear.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

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.

This book, these 66 books are more than just mere words written down by men to tell us what they think about God, they are the very source, the very word of God, they are living and sharper than any two-edged sword. That word which became flesh and dwelt among us, John 1:1 says this

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

An unbelieving world finds this hard to believe, how can God be a word, or how can a word be God, then we read on further that this word became flesh and dwelt among us, and the darkness couldn’t overcome it, or couldn’t defeat it, depending on the translation and both are correct and so I always like the phrase the darkness didn’t get it. Meaning the same. This word is powerful, changing hearts, convicting, transforming, creating and recreating.

Thus why we call it recreation, rest, creating a new, through rest.

Hebrews 4:13 ESV

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.

Now this word exposes everything, and thus why the darkness fights so hard against it, it exposes, it lays bare, it shows the truth. There is nothing more offensive to lies than the truth. Thus why the evil always tries to call into question everything God has said, why it questions the word, why it questions what we believe, and why it always starts the same way dressed up in some many designs. Questions everything from the creation story to the virgin birth to the resurrection.

V. Our Great High Priest Brings Confidence Hebrews 4:14-16

Hebrews 4:14 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Again it comes down to belief, thus why we make our confession of faith, the words that we say each week, I believe, you now the rest of the words for the creeds. It is making this confession of faith, it is saying what we believe, so that we can with confidence draw near the thrown of grace, for Jesus is our high priest who has passed through the heavens. All the doubts that are thrown out by the evil one come down to one single thing, Jesus dying and resurrecting on that third day, for this single event changes everything, and the evidence is so overwhelming that is one fact that no real scholar can reasonably refute. Leaving us no option that to say that Jesus is who he says he is and that our sins our paid in full, we are forgiven and the victory is one, and no we can rest for our work is done.

So no we close with those final verses of Hebrews 4:15-16

Hebrews 4:15–16 ESV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Amen