Hebrews 4
Mike Barnett -
Hebrews
4:1-16 says:
1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest
still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short
of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us,
just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because
those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a] 3Now we who have
believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "[b] And yet his work has been finished since
the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken
about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested
from all his work."[c] 5And again in the
passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
6It still
remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel
preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7Therefore
God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke
through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."[d] 8For if Joshua had
given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own
work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore,
make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following
their example of disobedience.
12For the
word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all
creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before
the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
14Therefore,
since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,[e] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to
the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been
tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. 16Let
us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Notes:
·
Since the
wilderness generation failed to enter, it must still be available for somebody
else.
·
His “rest”
does not just refer to the rest in
·
This rest
ultimately refers to salvation.
·
Those who
have believed in the Lordship of Jesus Christ have entered that rest.
·
Just as
entering physical rest in
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The
wilderness generation did not enter it. (See Psalm 95:11)
·
Neither did
the children of the wilderness generation whom Joshua led into the earthly promised land. (Hebrews 4:8 referring to Psalm 95:7-80
·
THEREFORE
THIS REST IS STILL AVAILABLE
·
This rest
does not just refer to eternity and the new heaven and earth where there is no
suffering.
·
The rest is
beyond creation.
·
Believers are
already receiving this kingdom.
·
God offers us
this rest of blissful fellowship with himself.
·
Within the
Old Testament the earthy promised land was called rest because it was the place
where God’s people would be at rest from the oppression of their enemies and
from other hardships.
Deuteronomy 12:9-10 says:
9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and
the inheritance the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But
you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the LORD your God is giving
you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around
you so that you will live in safety.
·
They would
live in the rest of intimate fellowship with Him.
·
Thus the
earthy promised land was the appropriate type of picture of the eternal rest
that God has for his people.
·
The eternal
rest is the ultimate goal for God’s people both before and after Christ.
Insights learned from
Hebrews 4:
·
This rest
that the Hebrews’ author is speaking of is primarily salvation which includes rest
here and now on earth as well as in Heaven for all eternity.
Matthew 11:28-29 says:
28"Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
QUESTION: Does your soul need rest? If so, then come to Christ, just not for
salvation one day, but for strength today.
·
This “rest”
is available to us in Christ and is best received in a daily quiet time
consisting of Bible reading, prayer, meditation and thanksgiving.
·
·
When most of
us think of meditation, we think of Buddhist Monks doing yoga with incense.
·
·
To the
Christian, meditation is simply being still before God and focusing our
attention on Jesus and the truths he taught!
Hebrews 3:1 says: “FIX YOUR THOUGHTS ON
JESUS” – That is a meditation!
2. It is possible to fall
short of God’s rest through thinking wrong thoughts. To enter this “rest” a
person’s thoughts must be in alignment with God’s truth proclaimed in the
Scriptures. Vs. 1-6
3. Whereas unbelief and
doubt keep us from experiencing God’s rest, belief and faith in God’s promises
bring us into God’s presence, both here on earth and in the kingdom to come.
Vs. 1-5
4. God speaks to sinners
through grace – and the proper response is humility combined with faith. Vs.
1-3
Ephesians 2:8-10 says:
8For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not
by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.
James 4:6 says:
6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture
says:
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."[a]
5. The prerequisites for
entering God’s rest are rightful thoughts that lead to faith in Christ that is deliberately
acted upon. Vs. 1-6
1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest
still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short
of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us,
just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because
those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a] 3Now we who have
believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "[b] And yet his work has been finished since
the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken
about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested
from all his work."[c] 5And again in the
passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." Hebrews
5:1-5
·
Both have had
the gospel, God’s news preached to them. (4:2)
·
Both groups
make up the household of God and are heirs of God’s promise to Abraham.
·
The most
fundamental difference between the wilderness generation and Christians today
is not a difference in the gospel preached to each group.
·
The most
fundamental difference is the difference between the “believer” and “non
believer”, by definition it is one of unbelief and faith – it is not the
message.
6. If you try to intellectually
make sense of God’s promises you will struggle to believe – if you receive the
message by faith you will be given understanding and the eyes of your soul will
be opened as you continue to grow spiritually in Christ. Vs. 1-16
·
That’s why
the apostle Paul prayed an amazing prayer in Ephesians 1:16-20:
Ephesians 1:16-20 says:
16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering
you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may
know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes
of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which
he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which
he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly realms,
7) BIBLE KNOWLEDGE IS
USELESS UNTIL IT IS COMBINED WITH FAITH AND APPLIED TO MY LIFE. Vs. 2-5
2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just
as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those
who heard did not combine it with faith. V. 2
·
They did not
believe and it is we who have believed who enter that rest. (4:3).
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The
wilderness people did not believe, but there were Old Testament people who did.
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During their
lifetimes, these Old Testament faithful looked forward to God’s eternal rest. (
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We, however
who have believed after Christ’s coming actually enter that rest.(4:3)
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