Resting in God's Promise!

Rest for the Weary: Trusting in God's Promise

Bible Passage: Hebrews 4:1-10

Introduction

A Philippine pastor told a story to his congregation about a driver of a carabao wagon, caraboa being a swamp type water buffalo, and as this large buffalo was pulling this empty wagon, as the driver was on his way to the market for some goods, he came across an old man who was carrying a heavy load on his shoulders. After seeing him, and taking compassion on him, the driver invited the old man to ride in his wagon. Grateful for his invitation, the old man accepted his offer and climbed into the wagon. After a few minutes, the driver turned to see how the old man was doing. And to his surprise, he found him still straining under the heavy weight, for he had not yet taken the burden off of his shoulders. The driver had invited the old man into his wagon with the intention of providing him with rest from the struggle of carrying the weight of his load from upon his shoulders, and yet the old man had sense enough to climb into the wagon, but he had not sense enough to put down the weight from upon his shoulders and rest in the comfort the driver provided. Now many of us can look at this story and say why in the world would this man climb into the wagon, and instead of putting down the weight, sit in the wagon with the weight still on his shoulders. But don’t beat the old man up too bad, and don’t judge him too quickly, because just like the story of the driver and the old man, Jesus Christ has Himself too invited us to rest within himself, as for us He is both the driver and the wagon, and yet many of us come to Christ, and we’re in Christ and yet we still carry weights upon our shoulders that Christ has invited us to rest from. He said it in Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Christ has invited us to rest, but it seems as if we’ll rather carry the weight of our problems! Christ has invited us to rest in His peace, but we’ll rather carry the weight of our anxieties! That’s why we lose our minds worrying about things that we can’t even control! Christ has invited us to rest in His salvation, but we’ll rather carry the weight of our sins! That’s why we wrestle with the guilt and the shame of our shortcomings and we allow the enemy to trick us into thinking that because we messed up, God don’t love us anymore! What sense does it make to be in Christ our burden bearer, and still trying to carry the weight of the world! Jesus Christ has already overcome the world, and all we have to do is put our complete faith and complete trust in Him! And I came to tell somebody today, to release every weight, every headache, every heartache, every struggle, turn it over to God and get you some rest! Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pains we bear, all because we will not carry everything to God in prayer!

Summary: In Hebrews 4:1-10, the author emphasizes the theological significance of God's rest, connecting it to human longing for peace amid life's struggles. The text shows how God’s promise of rest is readily accessible to believers today, offering relief from the burdens of sin and toil. It contrasts the hard-heartedness of earlier generations with the faithful response required to enter into this rest, emphasizing the ongoing nature of God’s invitation to find rest and sanctuary in Him.

In a world full of turmoil and chaos, sometimes it can be hard just trying to find a place of peace and rest! We look for it in our neighborhoods and communities, but sometimes can’t find it! We expect to find it in our church houses, and even then sometimes it is lost to us! And truth be told, sometimes we can’t even find it in our own homes! But if you can’t find rest anywhere else, I want to tell you that you can find it in God Almighty! Psalm 91:1 in the amplified version says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand]

Application: This passage of scripture invites us as believers to consider whether we are carrying burdens that prevent us from experiencing God's rest. It serves as a reminder that true peace comes from trusting God rather than relying on personal strength or achievements.

This text ultimately tells us that it’s not about our personal achievements. It’s not about how much money we give, we can’t buy our way into this rest! It’s not about how many charitable deeds we can do, we can’t earn our way into this rest! This rest is given to us and the only way we can enter into this rest is by faith!

Teaching: The teaching can elucidate that entering into God's rest is an act of faith and obedience, requiring believers to relinquish self-effort and place their hope in Christ's redemptive work. It emphasizes the shift from striving for righteousness to resting in the sufficiency of Christ, highlighting that genuine belief brings about transformative peace.

Recommended Study: When preparing for the sermon, consider examining the Hebrew concept of 'rest' in relation to the entire narrative of Israel's experience in the wilderness. This will help in understanding the fullness of what it means to enter God's rest. Utilizing Logos, you might explore the different Greek and Hebrew terms for 'rest' and their implications for the audience. It may also be fruitful to investigate how various historical theological perspectives have interpreted this passage concerning faith and works.

1. Persisting Promise of Peace

Hebrews 4:1–3 “Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

I want to tell you brothers and sisters, that God’s promise of rest remains open to all believers, as long as we embrace faith rather than hard-heartedness! This promise of rest the scripture would suggest is only for those who do believe! That’s evident in the fact that he said right there in verse 3, “For we who have believed do enter that rest!” And if we go back to chapter 3, we’ll find out that it was unbelief, that kept a generation from entering God’s rest, in the promised land! The writer says plainly in Hebrews 3:19 “So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Understand that when we doubt God, it keeps us from entering God’s rest! And please know that I’m not just talking about salvation, but I’m also talking in terms of the fact that when we doubt God, it keeps us from enjoying God’s rest in the form of the peace that comes with having a relationship of faith in Jesus Christ! And having a relationship of faith in Jesus Christ is not just about believing in Him for salvation, no, faith must go beyond that, this faith says Lord, I put my complete trust in and I’m relying upon you! The old folks use to say it like this, “Let go and let GOD!!!” And for me it’s more emphasis on the Let GOD, because if you don’t learn how to let God, then you’ll never let go in the first place!!! And if you never let go, then you’ll never truly experience the peace that God gives! Doubt leads to fear! Faith leads us into restful peace! If you haven’t found out by now, or nobody has told you, let me inform you, that life will hit you in all kind of ways that will rock you and shake you to the core! And if you’re trying to go through life by yourself and on your own power, then you’ll quickly discover the difficulty of trying to navigate this rough terrain alone! But I’ve found it a lot easier to go through this thing called life with God on my side! Because when I should have lost my mind, God kept me! When I should have been crazy, God kept me! When I should have been dead, sleeping in my grave, God kept me! He promised to keep me in perfect peace, if I keep my mind stayed on Him! And the thing about the peace that God gives, is that it don’t even make sense! It goes beyond all of our understanding!

2. Responding to Rest's Call

Hebrews 4:4–7 “For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.” Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.””

Israel responded to God’s invitation to rest with doubt and disobedience! And because of their unbelief and their disobedience, they were unable to enter into that place of rest! And so how should we respond to God’s call to rest? With faith and obedience! It was shared with me a time ago, that it you really want to witness the power of God on your life, be obedient to His Word! And it’s not being obedient for the purpose of trying to make yourself right with God! Because you can’t make yourself right with God! But it’s being obedient because I believe in who He is and I believe in His Word! It is our faith in God that should lead us into a life of obedience! If we believe God like we say we believe God then we would respond with obedience to His Word! Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments! And so responding to God’s call to rest, is a matter of the heart! That’s why His Word says, “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts! Israel’s unbelief lead to disobedience! Their disobedience lead to hard hearts! And their hard hearts left them unable to receive God and God’s Word into their heart! You’ve got to get it into your heart! The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.” When I have God in my heart, I’m able to enjoy the rest that He provides! Because when I have God in my heart, I’m not concerned external works trying to prove who I am in Christ! When it’s in your heart, it’s sincere, it’s genuine, your worship is for real! It’s effortless, because what’s inside of you will come out of you!

3. Fulfilled Rest in Christ

Hebrews 4:8–10 “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”

Maybe these verses should inspire the congregation to understand that while formal observance like Sabbath rest has been practiced, complete fulfillment is found in Jesus. Suggest focusing on how believers enter a continuous state of rest through Christ, overcoming strenuous striving. Perhaps emphasize Christ's role in completing this promise of rest and challenge listeners to live daily through faith in His accomplished work.

Conclusion