This sermon can be viewed at:
https://youtube.com/live/HpqqUHXmg2o?feature=share
From what are you looking forward to rest?
Work?
People you work with?
Body aches and pains?
Temptations?
Sinful behaviors?
The Hebrew writer is talking to Christians who are being tempted to leave Jesus Christ and go back to the religions that were popular in their culture at that time. But the writer is urging them to reconsider their thinking because Christ and His gospel are supreme above all! Let’s feed our spirits on Hebrews 4 as we study the supremacy of Jesus.
FEAR WITH FAITH – 4:1-2:
It seem like a contradiction to suggest that we should “fear” with faith. But notice what the writer is saying. Because Israel did not enjoy the rest that God had promised them, because of unbelief and disobedience (3:17-19), so Christians need to fear that we don’t fall from our relationship with God. And the reason why Israel fell is because the word coming from the mouth of God was not united with faith in the heart of the Israelites. Some fear is healthy; there are things we need to have a healthy fear of, like rattlesnakes.
BECAUSE WE ARE ENTERING THE REST – 4:3-10:
In verse 3, the writer quotes from Psalm 95:11, just as he did at 3:11. But then in verse 4, the writer adds to the quotation from Psalm 95 a quotation from Genesis 2:2. The point is that God rested on the seventh day of the week of creation and He quit creating anything new. God has invited His children to join Him in rest, but the Jews could not do that because of their unbelief and disobedience.
The Hebrew writer’s main point is in verse 9: There remains a Sabbath rest – a rest comparable to God’s rest on the 7th day of Creation week – for the people of God. Once we enter God’s rest, then we can rest from our works as God did from His on the 7th day.
LET US BE DILIGENT TO ENTER THAT REST – 4:11-12:
Notice in verse 11 that the writer draws another conclusion: “Therefore.” Again, we see that we do not have that rest yet. We need to “be diligent” to enter that rest. The word translated “be diligent” means “to make every effort,” “to strive,” “to do all we can” to make sure we stay faithful to Jesus Christ. Because we don’t want to fall away just like the Israelites did.
The main application for today is clear: Christians need to nurture and develop a consistent devotional life. Reading the Bible should be a habit we incorporate into our daily and weekly routines. When we approach Scripture, we should come with expectancy, openness, and receptiveness, ready not only to hear from God but also to obey him.
LET’S STAY FAITHFUL! – 4:14-16:
Again, the writer draws another conclusion: “therefore.” He will spend more time later in the letter talking about Jesus as our high priest and the writer has already mentioned this a couple times before. But, since we do have a high priest who has “pass through the heavens,” that is, Jesus has already entered heaven, then “let us hold fast [tightly] the confession of our faith.”
Why? Because our high priest is not unsympathetic to what we experience in trying to stay faithful to God. Jesus does sympathize with our weaknesses. But He is also the one who was tempted in all things, but He was without sin. Incidentally, this point also proves that Jesus was 100% human since God cannot be tempted.
The final conclusion (this is the 5th one in this chapter!) – therefore (ver. 16) – let us “draw near” with confidence! You can make it to heaven! You can be pure and blameless and holy in the eyes of God! “Draw near with confidence!”
Why? Because His throne is a “throne of grace.” The throne on which God sits and rules is the throne that is characterized by grace! No, you don’t deserve to come into God’s presence. You will never, on your own, be able to make it into God’s presence! But, by His grace and through the blood of Christ, then we can come before Him with confidence and find mercy and grace to help us in our times of suffering and temptations.
Fear, with faith, because we are entering God’s rest! Let’s be diligent and stay faithful.
Paul Holland
