Entering God's Promised Rest

Rest is Entered By Faith (1-10)

The Need for Rest - Mattress sale story and the Sleep Dr.

The author directs the attention of his reader away from just a physical rest to the much greater need of entering spiritual rest.

Israel failed to enter the Rest of the Promised Land because of unbelief.

Rest involves a ceasing of work.

God ceased from His Creative Work to being the work of Sustaining.

Rest is Enjoyed By Obedience to His Word (11-13)

Let us therefore be diligent to enter His rest, lest we fall into the same pattern of disobedience.

The Canaan rest for Israel is a picture of the spiritual rest we find in Christ when we surrender to Him. When we come to Christ by faith, we find salvation rest (Matt. 11:28). When we yield and learn of Him and obey Him by faith, we enjoy submission rest (Matt. 11:29–30). The first is “peace with God” (Rom. 5:1); the second is the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:6–8). It is by believing that we enter into rest (Heb. 4:3); it is by obeying God by faith and surrendering to His will that the rest enters into us. - W. Wiersbe

Matt 11:28-30 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

God’s Word is the instruction for our soul, correcting us where wrong and encouraging us in what is right. It exposes the true nature of our hearts so that we may find healing and peace with God.

When a believer refuses to follow the Word of God they will have internal conflict and sorrow. When we submit to God’s Word then we find rest and peace!

Rest is Empowered by Christ (14-16)

We are told to hold fast to our confession, because we have a Better High Priest.

Jesus is a Better Messenger than the Angels, a Greater Prophet than Moses, and a Better Leader than Joshua. His rest is permanent.

Matt 11:28-30 “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

Jesus has provided us with grace and mercy. He has given us the Holy Spirit and the power of prayer to enable us to live for Him.