{"id":11865,"date":"2023-11-05T17:03:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T22:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/?post_type=message&p=11865"},"modified":"2023-11-14T17:07:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T22:07:26","slug":"a-greater-rest","status":"publish","type":"message","link":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/message\/a-greater-rest","title":{"rendered":"A Greater Rest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Below is an automated transcript of this message<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Good <\/i><\/span> morning church; it is good to see you this morning! You look pretty good out there. You got an extra hour of sleep, right? You didn’t use it by staying up an hour later last night, did you? Did you change your clocks last night? I was looking at the crowd at our 9:15 service; they looked so tired. They got too much sleep; I don’t know what happened there. Maybe that’s you today.

Speaking of tired, that’s what we’re talking about today. We’re talking about how Jesus offers a greater rest. That’s what we’re going to be talking about in just a minute, but before we do, I want us to just reflect for a second on what the implication of Jesus being greater is as it regards the Great Commission. The Great Commission is that we’re to go and make disciples of all nations. We take that very seriously as a church, that we are to be a disciple-making church.

Because <\/i><\/span> of that, a couple of years ago, we wrote a workbook called \u201cLife On Life Discipleship.\u201d I hope that many of you have been through this process with us. In fact, 256 people, to date, have been going through this process and we’re really excited about that. It’s a 21 session process, where we learn to become more and more like Jesus, to first of all, be a disciple of Jesus, but then also to be trained to know how to make disciples of Jesus.

Speaking of being trained to make disciples, we have three new disciple makers as of October. I want to recognize them; they are Dwayne Raper, Tyler Dean and Jackie Atkins. Everyone, give them a hand. They started their first time as disciple makers, fresh from being trained to do that. We <\/i><\/span> want to make sure that we recognize what’s happening in our church, that we’re a church that’s serious about being disciples of Jesus, following Jesus, but also being disciple makers.

The thing that we want to be able to do is, not just be a church that’s a \u201ccome and see\u201d church where you come and hear the Gospel, but the kind of church that’s producing disciple makers that go and tell. We encourage you, if you have an interest in being part of our Life on Life Discipleship ministry, that you would indicate that on your connection card today. We will connect you with a trained disciple maker to help you get started.

Let’s dig in. We’re in part six of our series, \u201cJesus Is Greater.\u201d Our theme verse is in Hebrews 1:4 (NLT) \u201cThis shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.\u201d This is where we get our series theme.

Today, we’ll be looking at chapter four of Hebrews, verses one through 13 <\/i><\/span>. You’ll notice that the word, \u201crest,\u201d is in those thirteen verses ten times. For those of you that wonder, How does Gary come up with his themes and his title?

One way I do it is, I count repetitive words. What’s this passage about? God, help me to understand what it’s about. I saw the word, \u201crest,\u201d ten times. I’m thinking that this message could possibly be about \u201crest.\u201d He is talking about the word, \u201crest, in these thirteen verses.

It reminds me of the invitation of Jesus. It’s found in Matthew 11:28 (NLT) Then Jesus said, \u201cCome to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.\u201d

I wonder, how many of you are here this morning and you need some rest? You need some rest. Maybe, you’re saying, \u2018I’m weary. I have heavy burdens. I need rest.\u2019 Probably, the kind of <\/i><\/span> rest that you need is probably more than just a nap. You need more than an hour of extra sleep. You need more than an all inclusive family vacation, although, I\u2019m sure that you would like to have that, but when you got back home, you would be right back where you were.

There’s a deeper need that is unmet today. In fact, have you heard the new name for today’s young generation? They’re called \u201cThe Tired Generation.\u201d I read a recent article entitled: \u201cThe Tired Generation: Why Gen Z and Millennials Are So Exhausted All the Time.\u201d It gives four reasons why GenZ and millennials are so exhausted all of the time; it gives four reasons why they’re so tired. We’re talking about our young people. I know why we old people are tired all the time. We have an excuse, right? But why are the young people so tired? Here are the four reasons:

The first is \u201dtechnology <\/i><\/span> takeover.\u201d It says in this article, \u201cMore than 8 in 10 millennials say they sleep with a cell phone glowing by the bed, poised to disgorge texts, phone calls, emails, songs, news, videos, games and wake-up jingles.\u201d \u201cTechnology takeover\u201d is causing us to be tired.

The second is \u201cHustle Culture.\u201d Martin Reed, a certified clinical sleep health expert, says, \u201cIf we constantly check our email when we get home in the evening, we make it harder to unwind and prepare for sleep,. We may even be tempted to take our work home with us and finish projects in bed at night.\u201d With more and more people working from home these days, is that you? Are you working from home? You can’t tell the difference between the workplace and the home place; they just kind of bleed together, so we find ourselves as being part of the hustle culture. We’re tired.

The third is \u201cMoney Worries.\u201d Young people today have student loans. They’re struggling with student loans, inflation, medicalinsurance <\/i><\/span>costs and saving to purchase a home\u2026 The average 25-34 year old has $42K in unsecured debt. That\u2019s why they\u2019ve also been called \u201cThe Anxious Generation,\u201d not just the tired, they’re tired and worrisome.

The fourth is \u201cPoor Coping Behaviors.\u201d Fast food, little to no exercise, overly dependent on medications, overconsumption of alcohol and caffeine to get by. We could call the young generation \u201cthe most medicated generation.\u201d

I would say that, all in all, it’s not just the young people who are tired. Perhaps, this whole generation of Americans today could be lumped into the category of the exhausted, tired generation. We need some rest. We need real rest; rest that really lasts and Jesus offers it.

I wonder if we can answer two questions today. I want you to listen to see if you can answer them. One is, \u201cWhat is this rest that Jesus offers?\u201d Then, secondly, \u201cHow do <\/i><\/span> we get some rest? How do we enter into this rest that Jesus alone offers?\u201d

We’re going to be looking in the book of Hebrews, chapter four, verses one through thirteen. In this book of Hebrews, the author of Hebrews is primarily addressing Jesus background believers; they have an awareness of the Old Testament. You’ll see the author preaching from the Old Testament and explaining to them why Jesus is greater and why Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. The author continues this in chapter four and he encourages them to find their rest in Jesus.

I think that today, we can find real rest in Jesus. As we look at the text, we’ll see how to enter into this rest, God’s rest. Let’s dig in.

Hebrews 4:1-13 (ESV) 1 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. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them,because <\/i><\/span> they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, \u201cAs I swore in my wrath, \u2018They shall not enter my rest,\u2019\u201d although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: \u201cAnd God rested on the seventh day from all his works.\u201d 5 And again in this passage he said, \u201cThey shall not enter my rest.\u201d 6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 again he appoints a certain day, \u201cToday,\u201d saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, \u201cToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.\u201d 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did <\/i><\/span>did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 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. 13 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.\u201d This is God’s word. Amen.

HOW TO ENTER INTO GOD\u2019S REST:

1. Understand the urgent necessity of entering by faith.

The preacher of Hebrews continues his sermon that he had begun in chapter three and he continues in the same text. He continues to preach from Psalm 95. This is the psalm that he’s quoting. In chapter three, his emphasis was on hard hearts, with a warning against having a hard heart so that you don\u2019t harden your <\/i><\/span> heart towards God’s promise.

Now, he shifts his emphasis from the warning about a hard heart to a warning about missing His rest. This rest is offered to us; it’s available to us. There’s a warning that you should fear missing out on this rest. He’s preaching from the same text from Psalm 95, but he has a different emphasis here about His rest. Notice the urgency of this warning. He has some \u201ctime\u201d words here.

If you look in verse one of chapter four, \u201cTherefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.\u201d While this promise is still available, make sure you get in. Make sure you pursue it.

Verse one begins with the word, \u201ctherefore,\u201d and as we know, anytime we see the word, \u201ctherefore,\u201d we should always ask, \u201cWhat’s it there for?\u201d It’s always like an \u201cequal sign\u201d <\/i><\/span> of the text, pointing to something prior.

If you have your Bibles, you can look back in chapter three; the last thing it said was, \u201cso we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.\u201d They were the people of Israel getting ready to enter into the Promised Land, but then, because of their unbelief, they turned back and God caused them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. They were unable, because of their unbelief, to enter into this rest.

Now, he says to us today, in chapter four, \u2018therefore, be aware of something \u2013there’s still a rest available because that rest was never really the ultimate fulfillment rest that God was really talking about all along. It’s still available. It still stands, so don’t miss out on it.\u2019 There’s a sense of urgency and it’s a necessity.

What’s the necessity? This place of rest that you’re invited <\/i><\/span> into, what’s the key that unlocks the door to get into this rest? Well, make no mistake; he points it out. He says in verse two, \u201cFor 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.\u201d

The Greek word for \u201cGospel\u201d is \u201cgood news.\u201d He says that there was good news that came to them and there’s good news that’s coming to us. \u201cThey\u201d is speaking of the people who turned back and didn’t believe in God. They missed out on the rest because they heard it, but they didn’t fulfill the necessity of the key that turns the lock on the door.

What’s the key? The key is faith. You see, it came to us just as it did to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith.

It goes on to talk about those who do believe. Verse three, \u201cFor we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, \u201cAs I swore in my wrath, \u2018They shall not enter my rest,\u2019\u201d although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.\u201d That’s the key. You can’t enter into this rest by your own self <\/i><\/span> effort. It can only be received. There’s two components of this. There’s a message to be heard. There’s a necessity of hearing the good news about Jesus, but hearing alone will not cause you or enable you to enter His rest. They heard, but they died in the wilderness, so there’s something more than hearing that is necessary.

There’s an urgent necessity of entering by faith; you must believe. This is not passive faith. This is not just the esoteric, \u2018Yeah, I believe it,\u2019 but it’s active, obedient faith that stakes your life on it. It\u2019s the kind of faith that says, \u2018Yes, I’ve decided to place my faith in the Good News that Jesus is the only way.\u2019

Now, when we speak of rest, it’s in this passage ten times. It’s in verses one, three, four, five, eight, nine, ten and eleven. The word, \u201crest,\u201d is throughout this passage. If you look it up in the Hebrew, if you look it <\/i><\/span> up in the Greek, if you look up in the English dictionary, the word, \u201crest,\u201d is a rich word. It has several implications.

Let me give you five descriptions that I found in the Oxford dictionary. The first one that comes to mind, perhaps for you, is \u201cto cease from work or activity, to rest from activity.\u201d The second one is \u201cto be placed or supported in a specific position,\u201d like \u2018My Bible is now resting on this podium.\u2019 A third meaning would be \u201cto be based on, grounded in or depending on.\u201d \u2018I rest myself on the Constitution of the United States.\u2019 I \u201crest\u201d in Jesus means that I depend on Him. Here’s a fourth meaning, \u201cto relax, to be refreshed, to take a nap;\u201d that’s rest. Finally, there is this one; maybe you haven’t <\/i><\/span> thought of this one \u2013 \u201cto conclude a legal case.\u201d \u2018And so the defense rests,\u2019 which means they’ve concluded. They’ve laid out their case and they’ve concluded. It means \u201ccompletion,\u201d so the word, \u201crest,\u201d can mean that you’ve come to a place of completion.

All of these might be worthy of our study today. It’s not the study that we’re doing today because we’re following what the preacher is saying here in Hebrews, chapter four, but it might be worthy of our consideration to rest on the Word. Rest for a minute and just think, Jesus accomplishes all this for us. He causes us so we can cease from our own self. Attempts at righteousness always fall short because of that fifth description of \u201crest.\u201d He rests His case because He has completed all of the work necessary. He can say \u2018the defense rests\u2019 because He’s already accomplished all that’s necessary.

We can, also, say that we can relax in Him. We can lean back and rest in Him because He is Lord and He is <\/i><\/span> God. He made us.

There’s just so many aspects of this word, \u201crest.\u201d I would encourage the study of the word, \u201crest\u201d and ask yourself, \u2018Where is your heart restless today?\u2019 If you’re a believer today, if you have believed the Good News and placed your faith in Jesus, where are you restless? Wherever that is, it\u2019s the place that you’re not resting in Jesus, because His invitation is not to a promised land but to a promised Person. He says, \u201cCome to me and I will give you rest.\u201d

This rest is found in Jesus and there’s a timing to it. He uses a word here that you might find surprising in verse one, \u201c… let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.\u201d \nThis idea of \u201cfailed to reach it,\u201d in the Greek, has the idea of \u201cto be left behind,\u201d \u201c to be running a race and fail to reach the finish line.\u201d Uh <\/i><\/span>

He uses the word, \u201cfear.\u201d Now, this gives us trouble, doesn’t it, as believers. Wait a minute, doesn’t the Bible contradict itself on this? In the Bible, doesn\u2019t 2 Timothy say, \u201cGod has not given us a spirit of fear?\u201d There are things that are right things to fear and there are wrong things to fear, so be careful when you study God’s word. Don’t just pull one verse out and read the whole thing in context. There are things that God wants you to fear and there are things that God doesn’t want you to fear. The fear of man he warns against, but he says, \u201cthe fear of God leads to wisdom and eternal life.\u201d

In this passage here, he says that you should fear missing out on the peace of Christ. That should shake you up that you would miss out on <\/i><\/span> this wonderful opportunity to enter into the peace of Jesus because, after all, we’re the \u201ctired generation.\u201d

My wife and I have ten grandchildren. Sometimes, we have all of them around us at the house and sometimes, we might want to cross the street with them. Now, we can put a couple of them in our arms. We’ve only got so many arms between us and then we can have one or two little ones hold hands with some of the older ones, but there’s always those \u201ccrumb snatchers\u201d that get loose. Do you know what I mean? There are those ones you can’t get a hand on, they’re moving and, if you’re going to go across the road, you should fear that a car might come and hit one of your grandkids and you want them to have the same fear. I’m trying to teach them. You should fear crossing the road without looking both ways. That’s a positive fear . <\/i><\/span> That’s a good fear. You should fear not just wandering out into traffic without looking both ways.

Where are you restless today? Where\u2019s your heart not at peace? Where are you wringing your hands? Where are you biting your nails? Where is that place you’ve yet to enter into the rest of Jesus because He offers real rest. This entry is by faith alone.

We see in Romans, the necessity of hearing and believing. Romans 10:14, 17 (NLT) \u201cBut how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? \u2026 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.\u201d \nThere’s an essential of hearing, but hearing alone will <\/i><\/span> not \u201cturn the lock\u201d for opening the door to rest. There must be hearing plus believing to enter into His rest.

This is what we see in the first three verses, \u201clet us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.\u201d Let us fear missing out on this. Let us enter into it with urgency.

HOW TO ENTER INTO GOD\u2019S REST:

2. Recognize the ultimate fulfillment found only in Jesus.

We’re going to be working on the latter part of verse three through verse ten. We’re going to take a \u201cbig bite\u201d right here on the second one, \u201cRecognize the ultimate fulfillment found only in Jesus.\u201d

In the three chapters prior, the preacher of Hebrews has already told us that Jesus is greater than all. He’s greater than the prophets before Him. He’s greater than the angels. He’s even greater than the founder, Moses, and now he’s going to keep going. He’s going to say who else Jesus is greater than. He’s greater than Joshua and not only that, He’s greater than the Sabbath <\/i><\/span> itself. He’s greater than the Sabbath. Do you know why? Because He’s the ultimate fulfillment of all and that’s what he’s going to be saying here in these next few verses.

In the latter part of verse three, he shifts gears from Psalm 95. He turns back to that first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. He goes back to Genesis, chapter two, verse two. The quotation is in verse four.

Now, this is funny to me. Here’s this guy; he’s preaching to a Jewish audience and he doesn\u2019t remember what book of the <\/i><\/span> Bible that talks about God creating things.This is a play on words. He knew he was quoting Genesis. Well, of course, that’s the first scroll; that’s the book of Genesis. You don’t even have to read, but two chapters and you’re there. I don’t think he forgot the address of Genesis 2:2. It’s just a way of saying that he has spoken of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all of His works. He’s taken this word, \u201crest\u201d and he’s driving it deeper than we ever expected. He takes it all the way back to creation. How about that? He’s gone past psalm 95. Now he’s done, dialed. He’s dialed the clock back. He’s climbed in the time machine <\/i><\/span>, taking us all the way back to creation so that we can understand that God had something deep in mind. When He rested on the seventh day, He had something very powerful in mind and he’s dialing it in right here.

We could actually find this. I’ll put it up on the screen for you to remind you. Genesis 2:2-3 (ESV) 2 \u201cAnd on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.\u201d In other words, He completed creation and so the word, \u201crest,\u201d also has the idea of \u201cto complete\u201d a thing. Now, He’s rested from it because He completed it, but it was more than that because this is before the Fall. This is before Adam and Eve sinned. He called the seventh day, \u201choly,\u201d before they sinned <\/i><\/span>.

If you think about it from that perspective, he’s dialing back here. He’s given us something to really consider, that this idea of Sabbath precedes even the ten commandments when it was written down. So, he’s dialing all the way back here.

The author of Hebrews keeps going. He’s talking about this in verse six. He says, \u201cSince therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience,\u201d He’s just reminding those people that wandered for forty years in the wilderness and neglected to believe.

In verse seven, he goes back to Psalm 95. He’s going to wrap this up in a second. Don’t get confused. Let’s go back to Psalm 95. He wants to emphasize the word, \u201ctoday\u201d and he wants to make the point that David was writing centuries after the book of Genesis was written and he’s <\/i><\/span> wanting to let us know that David was writing centuries after the book of Genesis. He’s writing centuries after Joshua. He’s saying that there’s a rest that’s still available that still hasn’t happened. God was talking about it back there in Genesis. He was telling Joshua. Joshua led the people into the Promised Land, but they didn’t really find rest once they got there. Verse 7 says, \u201cagain he appoints a certain day, \u201cToday,\u201d saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, \u201cToday, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.\u201d

In verse eight, he says, \u201cFor if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.\u201d Joshua wasn’t able to do it. This was a play on words too. Some of <\/i><\/span> you might have the King James version of the Bible with you. It actually says, \u201cfor if Jesus had given them rest,\u201d but it’s not talking about our Jesus. It’s talking about Joshua.

Do you know that \u201cJoshua\u201d is the same word in the Hebrew, \u201cYeshua.\u201d It means \u201cGod’s salvation.\u201d Joshua’s name is the same in the Greek as Jesus, right? When we say, \u201cJesus,\u201d it’s the same name.

Joshua, the one who led them into the Promised Land, failed to give them the rest that God promised. So, why is David talking about this place of rest? It\u2019s because it’s still laying out there, available. Someone hadn’t come along yet to fulfill it.

In verse nine and ten, it says, 9 \u201cSo then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.\u201d \nThis is the good <\/i><\/span> news. There’s still a rest that’s still laying out there. He’s saying to this Jewish background audience, \u2018I know you looked up to Moses. I know you looked up to Joshua, but all of them were foreshadows of Jesus. I know you make a big deal about remembering the Sabbath and so you should, but I want you to know something. There’s one greater than the Sabbath. He’s the fulfillment of the Sabbath. He is our Sabbath rest. His name is Jesus. He is our Sabbath rest. He is the One who fulfills it, so that we can rest, just as God has rested.\u2019

Mark 2:27-28 (ESV) 27 And he said to them, \u201cThe Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.\u201d He’s the Lord over the Sabbath. He’s over the Sabbath; He’s not under it.

In Matthew, He talks about His fulfilling of things. Matthew 5:17 (ESV) \u201cDo not think that I have come to abolish the Law orthe <\/i><\/span>Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.\u201d He comes to even fulfill the law of the Sabbath. \u201cRemember the Sabbath and keep it holy.\u201d He is our Sabbath rest.

He comes to fulfill that portion of the law. Thus, in the book of Psalm we see this instruction, Psalm 37:7 (NKJV) \u201cRest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him\u2026\u201d Rest in Jesus. He is our Sabbath rest.

Now, I want you to consider something for a moment; keep yourselves engaged. I’m getting ready to fly at 35,000 ft. I’m getting ready to go high because that’s what this Hebrews author has done. He wants to give the broad view of the word, \u201crest\u201d and he takes it all the way back to Genesis and then he dials forward again and goes through Joshua and then he comes all the way back to David, in Psalm 95 and then he brings it to today. So, if you think about this whole overarching theme of \u201crest ,\u201d <\/i><\/span> you could say it’s creation. It’s the Fall. It’s the season of redemption, and then, that future season that hasn’t come yet called glory.

Can I just carry that thread of rest through for just a second? Would you hang with me for just a second? Back in Genesis, during the season of creation, Sabbath meant this \u2013 He had finished everything. So now, Adam and Eve lived in permanent Sabbath. They lived with a permanent Sabbath rest and they fellowshipped with the Lord in the cool of the evening. Sabbath, for them, was a complete connection to Him and fellowship. So they focused on Him, with the full enjoyment of God in their life and also a complete dependence on Him because every need was met. There was no worry, there was no trouble, there were no tears, they were at complete rest in that season of creation. He rested and it was a perpetual rest, until they sinned. When they sinned, they rejected God’s Sabbath. They rejected His rest <\/i><\/span>. They believed the serpent, that they could be like God and that they could do it their own way and then,the Fall came. Now, we’re in this \u201csecond economy,\u201d if you will, of reality. This is the economy of the Old Testament because now it makes sense why God gave them the fourth commandment, \u201cRemember the Sabbath and keep it holy\u201d because they had fallen, but if they could take the seventh day, if they could take the seventh day and rest from their labors and focus on God, they could get a foretaste of what they had lost. They could focus on God. They could read His scriptures. Even in the wilderness, He gave them enough manna on the sixth day, so they didn’t have to gather on the Sabbath. They were to focus on fellowship with God and, and remember that they were dependent on Him and for His provision, so that they rested one day a week . <\/i><\/span> They were just as busy as anybody. They were farmers. They had to work.

If you’ve ever worked on a farm, it’s hard to rest any day of the week. I remember spending summers with my grandfather and getting up at 4 a.m. to milk the cows. I thought it was fun, but I was only 11 years old. It wasn’t fun for long, but it was fun then.

It’s hard to rest when you’re working in an agricultural environment, but they rested because they recognized God as their provider. He was teaching them during the Fall. It’s an explanation for why there was a fourth commandment, \u201cObserve the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you.\u201d

Now, we move into a season that was inaugurated by the coming of the Lord of the Sabbath, the one Who came to give us true rest. That’s the season of redemption that we live in now. Now, we’re invited to live in Sabbath rest because the Sabbath is not a place nor a day of the week. It’s a person <\/i><\/span>; His name is Jesus. When you enter into Him, you enter into Perpetual Sabbath, which is a foretaste of what some theologians call \u201cthe already, not yet.\u201d You already have it, but not yet because you’re still surrendering parts of your life that are still restless, but as you surrender them to Jesus, you find rest in all of those places. So, we’re in that season of redemption.

Christ completes his work of redemption. He rests on the seventh day in the tomb and then He gets up and is raised on the first day of the week, which is the day that we worship. We worship on the first day of the week because we live in the age of redemption. The lost treasures of the Sabbath are restored in jesus. Whatever was temporary about the mosaic Sabbath is left behind for the perpetual Sabbath of Jesus. He is Lord Sabaoth; He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

We celebrate on the Lord’s Day, but truly, we should celebrate every <\/i><\/span> day. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate on the first day of the week? It is because that’s the day He conquered sin, death and the grave. He got up.

There’s no command to keep the Sabbath in the New Testament. Do you know why? It\u2019s because He fulfilled it; He is the Sabbath. He is your Sabbath rest. If you want to find rest, look to Jesus. That’s where your rest is. It’s in the name of Jesus. He is our Sabbath rest and He’s not finished because we have this \u201calready, not yet\u201d because there’s a rest to come. Oh, it’s better and it is the season of glory that is right around the corner. It’s going to be better than creation. It will be similar to creation because we will have fellowship with the Father. We will be with the Lord always and every <\/i><\/span> need will be met.

It will be better. It will be better than it was for Adam and Eve because Adam and Eve were innocent, they’d never shed a tear. They’d never had a trouble, they’d never suffered. They took for granted the rest that God gave them, but we won’t. We’ll live in glory. He’s going to wipe away our tears. He’s going to give us a new glorified body. There’s a heavenly rest. We already, in Jesus, have a foretaste of it and we have the assurance that this is coming, this heavenly rest.

I received another video from my buddy, Mickey, who’s been my tour guide on every trip I’ve taken to Israel. He sent us another video yesterday to pray for Israel. He taught us a little song; Robin <\/i><\/span>, you probably remember this little song. It’s an easy song that we would sing on the bus, especially on Sabbath Day \u2013 \u201cShabbat Shalom, Shabbat Shalom, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat Shalom.\u201d We sang this little song on the bus. Maybe, one day we can go back.

Here’s something that Saint Augustine said as he was considering this rest. He says, \u201cThou hast made us for thyself, oh Lord and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.\u201d\n\nDo you have a restless heart today? You need to enter that rest <\/i><\/span> and that rest has a name \u2013 it’s Jesus.

HOW TO ENTER INTO GOD\u2019S REST:

3. Give unblinking diligence to applying God\u2019s Word.

The preacher of Hebrews concludes with a kind of exhortation in verse 11, \u201cLet us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.\u201d Strive to rest seems paradoxical \u2013 work to rest? Labor to rest? How does that make sense?

There is a sense in which the best rest comes after labor, that it is the best rest. If you just lay around the house all day, don\u2019t you kind of feel worn out afterwards? Yeah, I’m more tired now than when I took a nap. There’s a kind of rest that we need, that’s deeper than the body. Sometimes, laboring, actually checking off some boxes that you’ve been worried about, actually will bring you rest.

Perhaps, there are places that I can think of where you can work and then rest makes sense, but here <\/i><\/span> he seems to have something else in mind. He has the idea of being diligent, not taking your eyes off, having an \u201cunblinking diligence\u201d about remaining in the rest of Jesus. You get to where you more quickly recognize when you’re walking in the flesh instead of walking in the spirit. You recognize your heart more quickly. Oh, wait a minute, why am I restless right now? Why am I nail biting again? Why am I worried? But why am I not at rest?

He has this idea and, at first read, it gave me difficulty. Maybe it does for you, too.He’s been talking about rest and then he, all of a sudden, in verse 12 decides to start talking about the word of God. It almost looked like he started a new topic, but he introduces it with the word for an explanation. He is basically <\/i><\/span> saying that what he just said will explain how to do this by striving and being diligent.

The word, \u201cstrive,\u201d could also be translated, \u201cto study.\u201d The Greek word could be translated \u201cto labor,\u201d \u201cto study,\u201d \u201cto be diligent,\u201d \u201cto strive to get in that rest and stay there for the word of God.\u201d I don’t think that’s an accident. I think he’s teaching us that right now. Do you know what’s going to help you stay in the rest of Jesus? It is to get in the Word. Get in it and don’t just get in it, just hear it and just read it for intellectual purposes, but get in there and start letting the Holy Spirit apply it to you for the word of God is living. That’s the Greek word that we get the word, \u201cZoe,\u201d from. It\u2019s this kind of life that’s full.

He says the word of God is alive. It’s not like any other <\/i><\/span> book on planet Earth. It’s alive.

If you go back to the passage there, he was quoting David in verse seven when he’s talking about Psalm 95, but if you go back to chapter three, when he was preaching on Psalm 95, he said he was quoting the Holy Spirit. Which is it, preacher? It’s both. He’s teaching us something about the word of God, that the word of God is both divine and human. It’s 100% divine. It’s 100% human because the Holy Spirit inspired men of God to write as He directed. Each one of them wrote according to how he was directed. It would be like me picking up different colored pens. I’d be the same guy writing, but here I’m going to write in black. Here, I’m going to get myself a red pen and write in bold. Here, I’m going to get myself a highlighter. See, I could pick up different pens and they would all look different, but it’d be the same words.

Godused<\/i><\/span>over forty human authors over a period of 1500 years in 66 unique books. There’s no other book like it.

The author of Hebrews is talking about this book here. He says it’s living and it’s living right now because I’m living and I’m talking to you about it. The fact that I’m reading it brings it into the present. So it’s incarnation, it’s brought back into life as I read it and when you read it and study it, the Holy Spirit enlivens it to make it alive for you. It’s not a dead book. It’s a living book. It is active and it’s living.

The Greek word for the word, \u201cactive,\u201d is \u201cenerg\u0113s.\u201d It’s where we get the word, \u201cenergy.\u201d The word of God is energetic. It’s effective. It produces results.

He’s not finished. He says it’s like a two-edged sword and he begins to do surgery with it, \u201csharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow <\/i><\/span>of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.\u201d This is a scalpel. He’s talking about a scalpel. Who is it that’s going to do the heart surgery, because it’s about the heart? It is Jesus. Do you know who is the best heart surgeon of all? It’s the spirit of Christ, with the scalpel in his hands right here. It is this two-edged sword, this scalpel and He takes it.

If you let Him apply it to you and say, \u2018Lord, search me and know me. Why am I restless right here? Why am I worried? Why am I wringing my hands right here?\u2019 If you let Him, He’ll bring a word to you. He’ll bring the word of life, the word of God to you. If you’ve got a place of unbelief, the reason that there’s restlessness is because there’s unbelief underneath it. There’s a place you’re not trusting <\/i><\/span> God for provision. There’s a place where you’re not trusting God with your future. There’s a place of unbelief and when the word of God is applied to you it\u2019s applied to your heart. I’m not talking about just reading it for knowledge’s sake. It’s applied to your heart. He uncovers, He discerns, He judges your thoughts, intentions, motivations and inner workings that you’re not even aware of \u2013 the things that are motivating you to think and feel the way you do. He cuts all the way to the \u201cquick.\u201d

Verse 13 says this, \u201cAnd no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.\u201d No one can hide from Him. Nothing is hidden. This scalpel is kind of like a laser. It lights everything up; everything comes to light. This is how you strive. You study to apply what The Great Physician who uses to help you understand what’s making you tick so that you can give it <\/i><\/span> to Him and find rest. It shouldn’t seem strange that striving and resting go together.

Let’s read the rest of Christ’s invitation. We read the first part but let’s read the whole thing now in Matthew chapter 11, \u201cCome to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.\u201d We stopped there at the beginning but let’s keep reading, \u201cTake 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.\u201d There’s still work to be done. He’s done all the hard work. He’s done all the \u201cheavy lifting,\u201d but now He gives you this \u201clight work.\u201d It’s the work of following Him. It’s the work of resting in Him. So we work at resting in Him.

If you’re a mama and you’re changing diapers, you can rest in Jesus as you do it. You have a <\/i><\/span> newborn, you’re not getting a lot of sleep, but you can rest in Him knowing that you’re doing what He’s called you to do. I could keep going. You have a job that you have to put in long hours. You can work, resting in His strength. Lord, give me energy to do this. Whatever you’re facing today, you can get at it in a new way, with a new heart and new motivations, so that you’re energized to do the work that He calls you to do because you’re resting, you’re supported, held up in Him and He makes you stand. He allows you to do it.

Where are you today? Were you wringing your hands? Were you biting your nails? Were you worried and upset? Were you anxious and unrested? Give \u201cunblinking diligence\u201d to God’s word. Allow the surgeon, which is the Holy Spirit, Who loves you, to expose to you the motivations of your heart so that you might turn it over to Him.

I’ve been trying to think <\/i><\/span> of hymns to close these sermons over the last couple of weeks. One came to me this week, while I was working in the yard. I couldn’t think of one when I was writing the sermon, but just a short little line and I can’t find it anywhere online. The only way I know this song is from the Willow Branch quartet, which was my mama’s quartet. She’s with the Lord now. I don’t know if the name of the song is \u201cAt the end of the road,\u201d which speaks of that glory phase.

At the end of the road, many loved ones I’ll see\n There with Jesus, my Lord, I forever shall be. \n I will ever press on to the blessed abode. \n There’s a heavenly rest at the end of the road.

We have a foretaste of Jesus right now, but the full thing is coming. Oh, glory. It’s coming at the end of the road.

Let’s pray. Lord, thank You for Your word <\/i><\/span>. Thank You that we have rest in Jesus. Oh, my friend, have you given your life to Jesus? You can find real rest in Him. You can do it today. The entry, the key is faith. You must place your belief in Jesus and you can express your faith by prayer. Would you pray with me? \u2018Dear Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins, that You were raised from the grave and that You live today. Come and live in me. Forgive me of my sins and make me the person that You want me to be. I want to be a child of God. I want to follow You. I believe in You as my Lord and Savior. I give You my life.\u2019 If you’re praying that prayer, believing, you’ll find rest in Jesus. You’ll find salvation in Jesus. Others are here today and you believe in Jesus. You’ve given Him your life. You’re <\/i><\/span> a Christ follower, but you’re restless today. You’re exhausted. Are you carrying something that you’re not supposed to carry? There’s something to give to Him, that heavy burden, that weariness we are to give to Him and He wants to replace it with something built for us \u2013a work, a calling. Are you wringing your hands over something? \n\u2018Holy Spirit, right now, would you examine my heart? Examine my heart. Where am I not at rest? Is it some expectation I’ve had that’s unmet? Is it some concern about provision where I am not at rest? Lord, help me, today, to find my complete rest in Jesus.\u2019 It’s in His name we pray. Amen. \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you weary and heavy with burdens today? Are you struggling with an aching kind of exhaustion that no amount of napping can cure? No vacation spot can alleviate? Let us consider two questions today: what is this rest that Jesus offers? And how do we enter into this
\nrest?<\/p>\n

In the book of Hebrews chapter 4:1-13, the author encouraged Hebrew background believers to strive to enter God\u2019s rest. We can strive to enter God\u2019s rest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":11866,"template":"","tags":[2019],"series":[2938],"scripture-book":[1325],"scripture-chapter":[1337],"speaker":[2007],"class_list":["post-11865","message","type-message","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-exposition","series-jesus-is-greater-an-exposition-of-hebrews","scripture-book-hebrews","scripture-chapter-1337","speaker-gary-combs"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/message\/11865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/message"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/message"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/message\/11865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11865"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=11865"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-book?post=11865"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-chapter","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-chapter?post=11865"},{"taxonomy":"speaker","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garycombs.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/speaker?post=11865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}