I. There remains a promise of entering His rest

A. Adam and Eve failed to experience it because of their unbelief and disobedience

B. Israel failed to enter into the rest of the promise land because of unbelief and disobedience

C. The writer of Hebrews is addressing Jewish believers who have heard the gospel of Christ but, because of persecution and doubt, are considering returning a possible return to Judaism (apostasy)

D. The rest is our final state of the fullness of salvation (Rom. 8:24-25)

II. Let us fear lest we come short of it

A. Lest any one come short of His rest (miss it)

B. The gospel was preached to us

C. The gospel was preached to them (Israel in the wilderness)

D. The word they heard did not profit them, because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it

1. They experienced the blood of the Passover (Salvation)

2. They experienced the Baptism of the Red Sea (Baptism)

3. They did not believe the promise and rebelled

4. They determined to choose leaders who would take them back to Egypt

5. They gave in to sin (1 Corinthians 10:1-10)

a. They lusted after evil things

b. They became idolaters

c. They committed sexual immorality

d. They tempted Christ (Psalm 78:18)

e. They complained against Moses and Aaron

E. Faith is not just a matter of belief but of obedience

III. Those who have believed (Belief with corresponding actions) do enter His rest

A. The works were finished from the foundation of the world

B. There is no record that the seventh day ended in Genesis (the work of redemption was finished from creation)

C. Jesus is our Sabbath rest

D. God did not create man to help Him with creation. Man was created last and then God rested. God’s intent was relationship. The works were the gift of God to man, not man’s gift to God.

IV. There remains those who have not entered His rest

A. Because do not enter because of disobedience

B. Their disobedience was based in unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). You live by what you truly believe.

C. Their unbelief was turned to hardness and refusal to obey God. “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart.”

D. Four types of disobedience

1. Those who have substituted religion for repentance and faith

2. Those who expect to be saved by their own righteousness

3. Those who intend to get right with God some day

E. Those who believe but refuse to give Christ the Lordship in their lives

V. Those who have entered His rest have ceased from their works even as God did from His

A. Not trying to work for our own righteousness

B. We cannot create paradise, we can only live in it

C. We must remain obedient to stay in it

D. Our labor is to believe and obey the Lord

E. One day we will enter our eternal rest with the Lord in heaven

VI. Let us be diligent to enter his rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience

A. Many in the past have failed to enter His rest because of their unbelief and disobedience

B. We are in danger of not entering His rest because of unbelief and disobedience

C. We should be diligent (Hebrews 12:12-16)

1. To allow God’s word to evaluate our spirit, soul, and body

2. To look to our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ

3. To hold fast our confession

4. To come boldly before the throne of grace so that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.