The Eternal Rest of God-Wayne Barber

Hebrews Pt 1: THE ETERNAL REST OF GOD
Dr. Wayne Barber

REST = cease from works with the idea of release from anxiety, worry, insecurity. This is what is offered to us in Jesus Christ. (ED: See in depth article on REST IN THE BIBLE.)

When applied to Israel, rest applied to Canaan, a land. Israel was an earthly symbol of what Jesus offers us of a heavenly kingdom. Josh 22:4+ speaks of "rest" in Canaan. For believers "rest" refers not to a land BUT to a life, to all we have in Christ. Wayne feels that some in the audience do not yet know Christ, reasoning from the conditional "if's", the subjunctive mood, and the 5 warnings in Hebrews 1st: Hebrews 2:1-4+ Warning against neglect. 2nd: Hebrews 3:7-4:13+: Warning against unbelief. 

What does the "40 years" refer to? Nu 13:25ff+: The spies into Canaan had begun to look at their circumstances and taken their focus off what God has promised. When they took their eyes off of God, fear began to enter in. They so provoked God that they were denied the very thing that they had wanted. So Israel's "rest" was a land but they were refused entry to Canaan bc they failed to believe God. 

Failure to Believe is not ignorance but stubbornness as they refused to obey God and thus they were refused rest. 

1). We must receive the promise of God's rest while it is still time:

"Promise remains" is present tense, passive voice meaning "caused to remain" but when God decides the time is up, it is over. 

Why fear? "Fear" in Heb 4:1+ is aorist tense, passive voice meaning bc of what happened to Israel, take this to heart and let it cause you to tremble. This is serious. Have you heard and heard what God has said but you've never really heeded, never embraced Christ, never entered into His rest. Then you are in Heb 4:1+. Peter said we need to make sure of our calling and election (2 Pe 1:10+). If you've missed the promise, then come on in. The promise remains. 

"Seem to have come short" means to essentially to be found to come short. "Come short" is same as Ro 3:23+ ("come short of the glory of God"). When you "come short" of something, you can miss it an inch or a mile, but you still miss it! So those in Ro 3:23+ have missed it a "mile". There are others who have missed it by only an "inch". E.g., the man Mk 10:21+ And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, "One thing you LACK…" where "lack" is the same word for "come short". Jesus was telling him "you are coming short in just one thing". Isn't it amazing how some can come so close…they're in a good church, they know the Bible, they know the message, they're "good" people, but they lack one thing…they have never confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life (Ro 10:9-10+)! 

Coming to Bible study means nothing
if Christ is not in your heart.

When you come so close yet are still short, you might even presume that you have entered into the rest, and so this is why it is so important to continue to encourage one another daily while there is still time (Heb 3:13+). Coming to Bible study means nothing if Christ is not in your heart. You can know a lot in your head but the real issue is to make certain of your calling and election. Many will say to Jesus in that day "Lord, Lord" but He will say "I never knew you." (Mt 7:21-23+).

2). God has a way for us to enter His rest: 

First you must hear (Heb 4:2…have had good news preached). When you hear Ro 10:17+ occurs so that when God's word is spoken to my heart, faith is energized. We have to respond, to believe, to be fully persuaded to the point that I am willing to wholly commit. Jesus explained this truth to Nicodemus…it's not enough to "know' but you must "believe". Faith comes from hearing. What is the response? Mt 16:24+ Jesus said ""If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." Jesus teaches the same thing in Lu 14:27+. We come on His terms not ours. The fullest expression of faith is obedience. James says that if you say you have faith, show me your works. You don't get saved by works but the works prove that you are saved. When you hear, faith is energized but one still has to respond to what God said. "United" describes the "mixing" of that faith in an inseparable union. 

3). We must humbly receive His rest: 

"Enter that rest" is present tense expressing the idea that we continue to enter that rest and middle voice is our own choice. So the rest of God does not cease when you enter into salvation. 

"Finished" = we entered into something that was a finished work from the foundation of the world…all that was necessary has been provided. But you never find a person who has entered into the rest of God who goes around bragging about it. Ps 40+ describes a man in miry clay (which was to keep the animals from getting out and the harder they tried to get out, the deeper they sank). We are like that helpless animal, crying out from our helpless estate and He inclined His ear unto us and delivered us from the miry clay, setting our feet upon the rock, placing a new song in our heart. A true realization of the sovereignty of God in salvation and the fact that you have just become a part of His plan humbles the person who has just become a part of His finished work. 

 Man was made to enjoy His rest: Gen 1:24ff+: describe God's creation activity on the 6th Day. Then God rested on the 7th Day so the first day of man's existence on earth was experiencing God's rest. Man was created in the finished work of God's rest. Adam and Eve lived totally dependent on God…that is rest. No anxiety, no fear, etc, but from Gen 3+ on you see a restless man after he sinned. When you see a sinful man apart from God, he is restless. 

4). The Rest in Hebrews 4:6-7+ is graciously offered only for a time:

In Hebrews 4:6+ "some" may be referring to Jews. Ro 11:5+ refers to a remnant of Jews getting saved and the time is still open. 2 Co 3:14-15+:"But their minds (referring to Jews) were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart".  But the writer is saying there is still opportunity. There is still a remnant so don't go back under the Law, because when Moses is read there is veil over your heart and you will shut down the very opportunity you have to enter true rest, when the veil is taken away (2Co 3:16+). "Through David" probably refers to the Psalms. Heb 4:7 "fixes" means that He places a boundary on the day. 

5). When we enter salvation, we have entered His eternal rest:

In Hebrews 4:8 he refers to Joshua to emphasize that Canaan was not the ultimate rest. Jesus is our Sabbath rest. Mt 11:28+ Jesus said: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Find a person who has not entered His rest and you've got a religious person who is as miserable as you can find. We can partake of Christ's life as our very life as we are willing to take His yoke upon us, yielding to Him. This is the crucified life of Gal 2:20+. And this life in His rest is not passive, because He will wear you out. But now it's not you from now on but all Him. His rest is ceasing from self-effort. Ps 46:10+ "Cease striving and know that I am God." Three tenses of God's rest (Three Tenses of Salvation):

(1) Salvation = rest from the penalty of sin (no condemnation) and we don't have to "do" something to make sure we're in.

(2). Sanctification = Where daily we continue to enter His rest by abiding in Him, with the result that we are resting from the power of sin in our life. We all have a war going on inside: spirit against flesh. When I chose to remain at the Cross, He will give me rest. Gal 5:16+ says when we obey (walk by) the Spirit, then we will not carry out the desire of the flesh, but can rest from that fleshly desire. Have you ever tried to overcome sin in your own power? Have fun! You won't last long. Instead, just get up tomorrow and acknowledge that the victory is not me overcoming anything because all my self-effort make me weary and heavy laden. The victory is Jesus overcoming me. "Lord Jesus, I just want to look at You today. Whatever happens I'm just trusting You. You be my life. You live Your life through me." What is that life? Peace, just as the angels announced : "Peace on earth. Good will toward men." Relax. Rest. Finally we'll rest when we are freed from the presence of sin in glory, the ultimate rest. So what's the message? Abide in Him. 

ENTER HIS REST