Entering God’s Rest (Hebrews 4:1–13)

Introduction

We’re continuing our series in the book of Hebrews, and today, we’ll be talking about entering God’s rest. Rest is available for your soul, and we need the rest that comes through faith in Christ.

Speaking about getting rest made me remember how I love a good nap. There are three kinds of naps that you can take during the day. There is a power nap, which is about 10-20 minutes. They say a power nap helps improve focus and enhance your mood. There is a moderate nap, which is 30-45 minutes. Taking a moderate nap helps improve memory, problem-solving, and creativity. Then, there is a full sleep cycle nap, which is about 60-90 minutes and is best for memory consolidation, emotional regulation, and muscle recovery.

I have not figured out how to take a power or moderate nap. My naps go for two hours, and then I wonder where the day went. Now, if you like a good nap, I only ask that you do it before or after church. Please do not nap here, as soothing as my voice might be.

But there is something incredible about the effects of rest on the body. Without rest, we have a weakened immune system, increased risk of heart disease, we can experience weight gain, and a higher risk of mood swings and depression. Eventually, if you went a week or more of total sleep deprivation, it could be fatal.

Like physical bodies needing rest, our souls need to rest in God. We cannot thrive spiritually without the rest that God provides. We become people who are spiritually exhausted when we try to do life on our own without God. God offers spiritual rest that is found only in Jesus Christ. How can we people who embrace the rest that our souls need in Jesus? We’ll be in Hebrews 4:1-13.

Scripture Reading

Hebrews 4:1–13 CSB

1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short. 2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith. 3 For we who have believed enter the rest, in keeping with what he has said, So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest,” even though his works have been finished since the foundation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way: And on the seventh day God rested from all his works. 5 Again, in that passage he says, They will never enter my rest. 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news did not enter because of disobedience, 7 he again specifies a certain day—today. He specified this speaking through David after such a long time: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

Pray

Hebrews 4 is a continuation of warnings given at the end of Hebrews 3. At the end of Hebrews 3, it warned us to be people who listen to God's voice and to be people who have open hearts to God. It cautioned against having a hardened heart.

The last chapter gave the example of the Israelites in the wilderness. The Israelites, who were wandering around the desert after the exodus from Egypt, failed to have faith in God and were prevented from experiencing God's promises in the promised land. They did not enter God's rest because they failed to believe in God.

In many ways, Hebrews 3 was both a warning and an invitation. Failing to have faith in God results in not entering God's rest. If you do have faith in God, you will experience his rest.

The concept of the invitation to experience God's rest is more fully explored in Hebrews 4, and that's where we are today.

The first point in this passage is,

Transition

I. Beware of Missing God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:1 starts with a warning for us,

Hebrews 4:1 CSB

1 Therefore, since the promise to enter his rest remains, let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.

Remember that for 40 years, the Israelites were surrounded by the activity of God. They were led through the desert by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They were fed by God through manna from heaven and quail meat. God’s presence was among them as God spoke to Moses at the tent of meeting and Mount Sinai.

Yet, all of the activity of God was not enough for the Israelites to have faith in God. Ultimately, their lack of trusting God resulted in them not entering the promised land. Psalm 95 described that as failing to enter God’s rest.

Hebrews 4:1 expands the meaning of God’s rest to something more than the promised land of Israel. It tells us that for us,

A. The promise of rest still stands.

Hebrews 4:1 begins with the word "therefore," connecting it with what's come before in Hebrews 3. That chapter taught from the example of the Israelites, saying since they failed to have faith, and by failing to have faith, they did not enter into God's promised rest. Therefore, we should also pay attention and learn from them.

What should we learn? We should first understand that God's promised rest is still a promise for us. Psalm 95 connected God's rest with the promised land of Israel. Hebrews 4:1 says that it's more than that.

This verse is perfectly consistent with what Jesus says in the gospels. Jesus takes the concept of God's rest and places it in himself. He says in Matthew 11:28-29,

Matthew 11:28–29 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Indeed, the promise of God’s rest is bigger than a portion of land in the Middle East. God’s rest is ultimately located not in a land or something people own but in a person: Jesus Christ.

God’s rest is the fullness of entering by faith into Jesus Christ. There are many incredible similarities between the Israelites entering the promised land and Christians entering by faith into Christ.

God gave his promise to Israel, but they had to enter the promised land by faith. Similarly, God gives his promise of salvation, but a person must enter salvation through faith in Christ.

For Israel, the land was a gift from God, not something they earned. Similarly, salvation is a gift from God and not something we earn.

For Israel, unbelief prevented many from entering the promised land. Similarly, for the world, unbelief prevents many from salvation in Christ.

For Israel, entering the promised land required obedience and trust in God’s leadership. Similarly, faith in Christ involves surrender and trust in his leadership as Lord.

For Israel, those who entered the promised land experienced rest from wandering. Christians experience rest from striving and spiritual unrest.

Therefore, as we proclaim the gospel to the world, we say that the promise of God’s rest still stands.

Hebrews 4:1 also warns about,

B. The danger of falling short through unbelief.

The verse doesn’t just tell us that God’s rest is still available, but it also warns us by saying in Hebrews 4:1, “Let us beware that none of you be found to have fallen short.”

The word translated “beware” comes from the Greek word φοβέω (phobeō), which is where we get the word phobia from. A literal translation would be “let us fear” so we don’t fall short. I like how the NLT translates this by saying in Hebrews 4:1, “God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.” There is a reverent fear that should motivate our urgency for the gospel.

Falling short of God’s rest is like being hungry and standing at the door of a huge feast but never walking in. It’s right there on the owner’s table, and the owner’s inviting you in, but you’ve got to listen to him.

Israel stood at the edge of the promised land, yet many never entered because they didn’t have faith. In the same way, many people have Christians around them in their workplaces and communities. Maybe they’ve come to church and heard the gospel but don’t know what it means or are unwilling to believe it to enter into God’s rest through faith in Christ.

While the primary meaning of this warning is directed toward unbelievers, there is also a practical truth for believers in this text. While as a believer in Jesus, you will not fall short of salvation, there are times in our walks when we fall short of embracing the fullness of God’s rest that we have in Christ here and now. We may fall into a period of sin, self-reliance, and worry, where we don’t rest entirely in Christ. This is why we have passages such as Philippians 4:6-7,

Philippians 4:6–7 CSB

6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We need reminders that there is the peace of God here and now. There is an active nature to entering God’s rest today that we Christians must embrace fully.

Ultimately, this verse points to those in the congregation who may be physically present with us but have not fully embraced salvation in Christ. The point he makes is that,

C. Hearing the good news is not enough. Faith is required.

Hebrews 4:2 reinforces this by saying,

Hebrews 4:2 CSB

2 For we also have received the good news just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith.

The gospel's message is only talk if you're not embracing it through faith. The people of Israel were surrounded by godly activity and still did not trust God for salvation. You can grow up in church and miss salvation. You can know all the correct answers, able to recite the gospel verbatim, and not be saved.

The gospel is like a life-saving rope thrown out to the drowning. The sad truth is that not everyone will grab the rope to be lifted out of the waters and saved. Some are going to question the rope. Some are going to try and find another way out of the water.

But there is no other way. You must take hold of the rope. You must embrace Jesus Christ in faith and follow him to be saved.

We've heard about the warning against missing God's rest, but what does entering God's rest look like? That's the second point of this text, that we,

Transition

II. Believe and Enter God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:3-10 shifts from a warning to an invitation. He says,

A. Those who believe enter God’s rest.

Faith is the key that opens the door to God’s rest. I love what Jesus says in John 6:29,

John 6:29 CSB

29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.”

Faith is “in keeping with what he has said.” Faith in God has always been the criterion for humanity, going back to creation. In the Garden of Eden, there was a law. God said in Genesis 2:16-17,

Genesis 2:16–17 CSB

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

Why was this command there? The command was there because faith has always been the criteria for a relationship with God. The command not to eat from the tree was a word to humanity saying, "Do you trust me?"

B. God’s rest has been available since creation.

The author of Hebrews ties in salvation with the Sabbath. He quotes from Genesis 2:2, where it says,

Genesis 2:2 CSB

2 On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

This verse is where we get the biblical concept of the Sabbath. Honoring the Sabbath is reinforced in the law. We are told in Exodus 20:8 to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” The Sabbath day is a day to rest from work. The Pharisees criticized Jesus and his disciples for working on the Sabbath. In regards to Jesus, they referred to him healing people on the Sabbath day. Jesus responded to them in Mark 2:27-28,

Mark 2:27–28 CSB

27 Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

What does all of this mean? It means that when God rests in Genesis 2:2 from all his work, he does not rest because he is tired. God’s rest is for man. It is an invitation to experience the blessings of being with God.

Christians honor the Sabbath on Sunday (described in the New Testament as the Lord’s day) because it is the day Jesus resurrected. By gathering together as the body of Christ and worshipping him, we celebrate the blessing of faith in Jesus. Through faith in Jesus, we have entered into God’s rest.

When unbelievers fail to believe the gospel, they are like the disobedient Israelites who were kept from entering God’s rest. As Hebrews 4:7 reminds us, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” The invitation to rest in Jesus Christ still stands. As 2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us,

2 Corinthians 6:2 CSB

2 For he says: At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!

Every day has time. Each of us is given a certain amount of time in a day. We all know that the day does not last forever for any of us. This day will finish. Sunday will come to an end, and your life will come to an end. Today is the day to embrace salvation through Jesus Christ.

The Sabbath was made for man, and,

C. The true Sabbath rest is found in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews makes this point in Hebrews 4:8-10,

Hebrews 4:8–10 CSB

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his.

Joshua leading the people of Israel into the promised land was not the final rest because God’s rest is not found in a land or on a day. The true Sabbath rest is in the finished work of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Imagine if you tried to swim across the ocean in one trip. The best swimmers in the world could never make that trip alone. One swimmer, Ben Lecomte, made it across the Atlantic Ocean, but he constantly stopped for rest and supplies.

It’s humanly impossible to cross an entire ocean alone, just as it is impossible to enter God’s rest by our effort. We need rest on this journey of life, and rest is found in the finished work of Jesus.

Finally, we’re told in this last point to,

Transition

III. Be Diligent to Enter God’s Rest

Hebrews 4:11 is going to tell us to,

A. Make every effort to enter God’s rest.

It says,

Hebrews 4:11 CSB

11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

At first glance, this might seem contradictory. You might say, “I thought we were saved by grace, not by works. What is this effort that we’re making? It sounds like we’re doing something.”

The word translated as “make every effort” means to be zealous or eager. Entering God’s rest does not mean passivity. Faith requires action. The lifeboat is provided for you, but ignoring it won’t do you any good. You must get in the boat. In other words, be eager to trust Jesus Christ by faith.

Without an eagerness to trust Jesus, passivity will leave you like the Israelites in the wilderness, where you hear about the works of God and wonders, but you are never willing to trust in God and enter his rest.

Faith is not a one-time deal. It is an active, ongoing trust in Jesus Christ. You will know the condition of your faith through the Word of God because,

B. God’s Word reveals the true condition of our hearts.

In one of the most powerful verses on the effectiveness of Scripture, Hebrews 4:12 says,

Hebrews 4:12 CSB

12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

What's impressive about the Bible is that it is a 2,000-year-old text written to an ancient audience and is still relevant today. Not only is it relevant, but it cuts. I was conversing with someone who said that he didn't like it when he first picked up the Bible because it was too convicting. It exposed too much of himself.

How is that possible? The Hebrews writer explains that the Bible "is living and effective and sharp." The term "living and effective" is active. It means that it is always at work. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to meet us right where we are. It is effective because it accomplishes what God intended.

What is the intent of Scripture? The purpose of Scripture is that it would pierce your soul, convict you of sin, and point you to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. It's very much like a surgeon's scalpel. A surgeon cuts into your skin, and you need all kinds of numbing agents to numb the pain. But at the end of the day, the surgeon's scalpel is necessary to bring healing to your body.

In the same way, the Word of God cuts into your soul to bring healing to your spirit. We need the Scriptures to judge our thoughts and intentions for our good. That is why the psalmist said in Psalm 139:23-24,

Psalm 139:23–24 CSB

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.

We need to make every effort to enter God's rest, and God's rest comes through the good news of Jesus Christ. It comes through the gospel. We need God's message to do God's work in our hearts. We need an openness to his work. We need God to search our hearts and expose offensive ways within us because we need his healing.

We know that,

C. Nothing is hidden from God. We must give an account before him.

This is what Hebrews 4:13 reminds us,

Hebrews 4:13 CSB

13 No creature is hidden from him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

If the Word of God has such power to expose our hearts, what will it be like when we stand before God and realize that he knows everything there is to know about us? Every word, every sin, everything good or bad. If that is convicting for you, know it’s convicting for all of us. No creature is hidden from him.

The psalmist describes this in Psalm 33:13-15,

Psalm 33:13–15 CSB

13 The Lord looks down from heaven; he observes everyone. 14 He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth from his dwelling place. 15 He forms the hearts of them all; he considers all their works.

We can hide our deeds from others. We may have our friends or family fooled. But God knows everything about you.

It’s like walking into a room full of mirrors, where every angle of you is exposed. You think you know how you look, but then you look around at the mirrors, and it’s not the picture you had in mind.

God knows the real you on the inside, with every flaw.

Isn’t it amazing that he loved us anyway despite knowing our deepest flaws? Despite knowing how we would disappoint and make mistakes, he sent his Son to the cross for you anyway because he loves you. That is why the gospel is such good news. God doesn’t see the world through rose-colored glasses. No one fools him. Yet, despite all of the mistakes, God went to the cross for you.

This is why we must be eager for the gospel. This is why we must fully embrace the rest we have in Jesus Christ. Our exposure before God means we desperately need his grace and love.

Always remember God’s grace. Since nothing is hidden before God, we also know that there is nothing in your life that the cross will not cover. The Son of God died for every sin in your life.

Conclusion

We began talking about our need for physical rest. Without physical rest, our bodies break down. We need God’s spiritual rest even more. The restlessness, the burdens, the strain in your soul comes from a human spirit that is not resting in Jesus Christ.

Where are you today? Nothing is hidden from God. He knows everything about you and still invites you into his grace. Nothing in your life is beyond God’s grace. If you place your trust in Jesus, his rest will cover every burden, every mistake, and every sin.

Prayer

Last Song

Doxology

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

24 “May the Lord bless you and protect you; 25 may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’

Jude 24–25 CSB

24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

You are dismissed. Have a great week in the Lord!