Sermon: Sabbath Rest

Spray before we open God's word together this morning.

Father even as we just sung. We've now we say in prayer that.

Many of us that come here this morning burdened.

the news that we received in the last 24 hours or trials and tribulations or struggles that we have had over past day or weeks maybe even the conflict that we are in this morning.

We are in need of your ministry to us in a way that only you can Minister as each of us has need. Come before you as weary Souls. We pray that in your Bountiful Grace that To administer to us according to your mercy. And that as you minister to us that even as we sang Our Hearts would swell and we would find that we are looking to you and trust and in faith. It's a great Sovereign God of goodness. And Grace that is worthy of our trust.

We pray all this and strong name of Christ. amen Hebrews chapter 4 verses 1 through 5. This is the holy inerrant sufficient. word of God

therefore while the promise of entering his rest still stands Let us fear lest any of you should seem to failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them. That the message they heard did not benefit them. Because they were not United by faith with those who listen. For we who have believed? Enter that rest. As he has said I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest. Although his Works were finished from the foundation of

the world. For he is somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. And again in the passage. He said they shall not enter my rest. the grass withers the flower fades word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

learned a lot of things over the years as a pastor. There are different things that have come. realization more and more to me in the pastorate and one that was very early. That I saw and there's only just become more and more of a reality in my world. Is that I've come to the conclusion that every single person is suffering everyone

some of you this morning are reeling from different suffering that you've experienced a relaxed day week hours.

and all of yesterday ministering to people that were suffering this morning ministering to people that were suffering. Ah, everyone is suffering. everyone

It's equally true that because of that every single person I've ever met. Is seeking rest. everyone you were all seeking rest this morning. The right of Hebrews as we get to this portion of of Hebrews is bringing this. front and center is the need that you and I have for rest and the provision of God for our rest. And we're going to look at it this week. We're also going to look at it next week next week. We'll spend a lot more time

thinking about heaven together in that rest. But this morning what I want to do is I want to look at three things from this past this morning three points this morning. There is a right fear of missing out. There is a holy rest to come. and there is a holy rest to be observed now, so First there's a right fear of missing out second. There is a holy rest to come and third their is a holy rest to be observed. Now first.

There is a right fear of missing out our passage begins with the word that is common in the New Testament therefore and that points us back to the previous discussion. If you look back at the end of chapter 3 verse 19, you see so we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Again, as we've done in previously weeks. Let's review a little bit of what's Happening Here In this passage with the writer of Hebrews is addressing the

Jews during the time of The Exodus. They had been let out of bondage in Egypt bondage and slavery in Egypt and they've been let out into the Wilderness and as they were out in the wilderness. They began to operate an unbelief. They were longing for the days when their bellies were full back in Egypt and then you get to the brink of the River Jordan when they are ready to go into the land the promised land that God had given to them and Caleb and Joshua come

back and they make a good report about the land at the land that is Flowing with milk and honey. Here is the promised land before us. And because of their circumstances and their trials and their tribulations and their fears. The people they looked at that and they said the land the people in the land are too big. They're too numerous. And they responded and unbelief. They refused to receive the good news that was proclaimed to them and

The psalmist was saying in Psalm 78 he was say they did not believe in God did not trust his saving power and due to that unbelief. They missed out. It really missed out.

we often talk about watershed moments The Watershed, well you think about the The Rocky Mountains there in the west and you think of a raindrop drops upon the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. If it if it drops just to the east of the peak then it will flow down and oming with all mingle with other water and it will flow into a stream and eventually it will make its way most likely to the Mississippi River and it will flow out

to the Gulf of Mexico and become part of the Atlantic Ocean. If it just Falls just to the west of the peak of Iraqi mount. Then it mixes with water and flows into streams and rivers maybe the Colorado River and eventually makes its way out to the Pacific Ocean. It's going to flow one way or another. It's a watershed. And what the writer of Hebrews is saying is that as the word goes out even as it goes out this morning. It's a

watershed moment. The word the good news as he calls it here in verse 2 or the message as he calls it in verse 2. There are only two options as it goes out. It is either received and belief. That is faith. Or it's received an unbelief belief Faith leads One Direction unbelief lack of belief leads another Direction. It's a water shed moment.

The watershed moment this morning.

The writer is pointing out is that when the gospel goes out? It has attached to it both promises and threats. The promises are to Believers. The threats are to unbelievers verse 2 the message. They heard did not benefit them because they were not United by faith with those who listen. How you and I respond to the promises of God as they are declared to us is a water shed moment. What you do this morning with this word that is proclaimed you

is the most important thing before you this morning? your entire life

do we respond with faith? Or unbelief to God.

just preached And Faith two weeks ago on Sunday evening, so I'm not going to rehash all of that. That was Preached to weeks ago, but the entire argument from the scriptures is that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone Faith looks away from self to utter dependence upon God in the person of a son Christ Jesus utterly depending upon him for or salvation trusting in Him. Verse 2 for good news came to them but the message they heard did

not benefit them. Why because they did not receive it in faith. They had ears to hear as Jesus will say but they did not hear and because of their unbelief they received the threat instead of the promise. They failed to enter into the Promised Land.

There's a right fear.

Kids these days call fomo. John Anderson had to explain it to me fomo. the right fear right fear of missing out This is the one thing you don't want to miss out.

promise of rest from God

don't want to miss this.

again Writer Hebrews is preaching the Jewish Christians who are facing persecution. And as the church, they are in the wilderness just like the Jews that were being led out of Egypt were in the wilderness. And now that this Church New Testament churches in the wilderness, they are facing tribulations and trials and some hardships and some sufferings. And so there is this pull to unbelief is God actually worthy of my trust.

Are the promises that he has declared that I have heard that word that gospel that good news that promise. Is it really worth believing in? Some of you are there this morning.

and a hard 24 hours

How can this thing be allowed to happen? my family member my sibling my child my grandchild my grandparent my spouse me

see really worthy of my trust.

So many start off so well. This was true of the Jews and The Exodus. This was true of this church and the New Testament they start off well So many church today start off well, but to carry forward a thought from last week. It's not just starting off. Well, it is ending well. So let me diagnose. one of the problems that that often happens here. It is this that when we are young in the faith God our Father handles us with Incredible gentleness and

tenderness. To summarize the point that Archibald Alexander once made he said that the young Professor of Christ is like a child that has been set upon the knee of his father. He he's bouncing on the knee of his father and all of the harms that are below or are kind of beside him. He can't see them. He's not he's not put in the way of them. It's just safe upon his father's knee. Young confessing Believers are often full of life.

They are often filled with joy because of this, but they often too much rely upon their experience.

filled with Zeal frankly it is It is a great encouragement to be around young people that have. recently professed faith in Christ and confessed him because there is so much energy.

as often that their faith is Still malformed it's uninformed. There's more heat than there is light. In fact in their Zeal, they often surpass older Christians. They burn brighter. They shine with more Sparkle. They course with energy often those newly confessing Christians struggle. They look at older people in the church and they see them as old old fuddy-duddies because they're just not quite as passionate. Often what happens is then young people just want to be together.

This old fuddy duddies don't seem to understand the excitement of this. So let's just be together and just sing together and just pray together.

The life that seems to be lacking in the rest of the church. But then things begin to change. If it's just a graduation from high school or matriculation from college, or maybe it's your girlfriend. No longer wants you to be her boyfriend. Maybe your friends move away in a little bit of suffering a little bit of trial.

And they look back. And begin to blame themselves for being too enthusiastic and would often happens as they run headlong in the opposite direction.

This is what the Jews and The Exodus were doing it all was good and fine as God in this tender Mercy was sparing them and sparing them and sparing them and leads them out of Egypt and then once they're in the wilderness and a little bit of trial a little bit of suffering now, they're longing to go back. It's what's happening to the church here in the New Testament. It's in the wilderness. It's suffering now a little bit of the persecution just a taste

of that which is going to endure even more severely and so there is a harkening back. And so often it happens in the church.

So you among newly confessed believers?

What they do is they begin to enjoy the things of the world more. They attend worship less and less they neglect their time in word and prayer and then before they know it they look back and they consider all that Zeal that they once has is just a phase that they went through.

my friends in the wilderness are faith will be tested. to guarantee

God in his tenderness often spares us from those tests in our early days the fact that they come by degrees is a mark of his kindness, but they come so don't you be surprised? So many make a shipwreck of the faith that they confess because of wrong expectation. Don't be surprised.

It says let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. There is a right fear of missing out. There's a right fomo to have.

Oh, I begin to doubt his promises because of the hardness is in my life. And then I miss out on the great rest.

second there's a holy rest to come. He says in verse 3 for we who have believed enter that rest. Now. What does that mean that rest? Maybe it's most helpful to think about it in the context of what these Israelites were promised and what they were offered. What was it? It was the Promised Land. And what was the promised land it was a place of rest? It was a place of fruitfulness. It was a place flowing with milk and honey. It was a place of life. It

was a place of protection. It was a place of abundance. And this is what is offered to you in Christ. The land was always. Always to be a shadow of Christ to come. That everything that was promised there all of that was going to be realized in the Messiah who kind came and as you were United to him all of that fruitfulness all of that security all of that life all of that. Peace you now have it in Christ. Jesus said come to me.

All you who are we're in heavy laden. And I will give you rest. And we begin the service. When you come to me. You get rest.

He said I can't I came that they might have life and that they might have life abundantly for we who have believed enter that rest. There's the promise you heard the threatenings. Here's the promise he say.

You want that rest?

an amazing fact to me that God cares and wants us to have rest.

In fact, this leads the author of Hebrews in verse 4 reflect upon this fact by going back to Creation. He says for he is somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way. And God rested on the seventh day from all his works. The writer is looking back to Genesis 1 and 2 and he's looking at the days of creation saying look in the days of creation. God created it on the seventh day. He rested in creation itself. God has you and I in mind.

And as he has you and I in mind, he knows that we need rest and so on the seventh day he rests. And there's a fascinating thing that happens in Genesis 1 and 2 with the days of creation you have day one and then it says it was morning and it was evening you go to day two and it says it was morning it was evening you get to the seventh day and there's no there's no evening.

Why because it's just a continual Sabbath. God just continues in his rest. And the writer is quoting from the Old Testament. He's again quoting from Psalm 95 that we looked at last week and he's saying you enter not simply into rest. That's not what's promised to you. Not just a general rest you are entering into God's rest. He uses a personal possessive pronoun there twice in verses 3 and 5. It's my rest.

That's the promise to you. You enter my rest.

My children were little. and they would be scared of the dark and there would be a night where they would erupt in Terror and having a nightmare. I would walk up the stairs and I would go into their room and I would quietly sit on their bed, or I would quietly sit in the chair next to their bed. I would just be at rest.

And they would be at rest. Because I was at rest. They entered into my rest.

God promises to those who are his in Christ Jesus not just some kind of General rest. It's not a limited rest like a vacation. It's not a limited rest like the promises of retirement or that Sunday afternoon nap that some of you are looking forward to or some of you are trying to grab right now. I see you.

Is his rest? to full rest it's a complete rest. It's an abundant rest. It's a Divine rest. It's a cosmic rest.

Enter into my rest.

There's rest.

You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. You enter into that rest. That's an ironclad promise. As Jesus will say in John 10 my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand those who hear his voice

and follow him or safe Eternal rest of theirs and nothing. Nothing can take that away. You say but what about Satan and what about demons and what about the trials and tribulations in my life? What about Sin? What about death? What about hell and Jesus says line them all up. Put them all together. They're not greater than my father.

None can snatch them out of my

because the father holds them in his hand I and the father are one.

Rest that can't be taken away.

That's great preacher. What about rest now?

hard now

And weary now.

We live in the already but not yet. There's rest now. It's absolutely true that that rest to come. Is that full abundant Cosmic rest that it's just on the horizon. It's the thing that we're waiting for say, ah, but I I need rest now. You see you have rest. It's incredible rest now. You have rest from the guilt of sin you have rest from the Dominion of sin you have rest and that you have peace with your living God. You have rest that no matter the trials and the tribulations

and all the different struggles that are surrounding you now that seem to be pressing in on every side there is rest because you know that you're in the palm of his hand. Dress now.

often think about An account in the gospels when Jesus is in the boat with the disciples. He is asleep as Mark will say in the stern of the ship and has his head on a pillow and the the disciples are freaking out because of the storm and finally Peter awakens him and he charges and he says do you not care that we are perishing as he wakes Jesus and you have to think to yourself. How is it that Jesus can be asleep and they are fretting for

their lives and believe that they're perishing and the answer is this because he knew He was in his father's hands. He knows he's in his father's. so even in the midst of a storm

be at peace.

dressed now for the Christian because you're in his hand.

leads to her final point To think about God Desiring our rest. Thinking upon our rest loving to see us have rest. There's a holy rest that said be observed now.

May feel a little bit like this is disjointed, but I don't think it's disjointed at all. We don't have a lot of opportunities to speak about this. And so that's why I want to. Address it this morning, but I want us to think about the Sabbath together this morning in light of this. The writer of Hebrews in anticipation of the Eternal Sabbath and that's the word that he uses that Eternal Sabbath that Eternal rest. His mind goes to the present Sabbath

that you and I are to enjoy here. That is that the Sabbath we enjoy hear is giving us a foreshadowing of the Sabbath that we will enjoy there. And so I want to think about the Sabbath day together next week. We'll spend more time thinking about that Eternal Sabbath together and think about heaven together, but want to think about our Sabbath here together because God cares that you rest. Now I know that there are theological traditions and

I know that there are theologians that will say well the Sabbath seized with the Mosaic Covenant or with that Mosaic dispensation. We are now people of the New Covenant and so as people the New Covenant there is no longer a binding Sabbath but notice here that the Sabbath is rooted in creation. It's a creation ordinance. God has us in mind as he is creating and he rests on the seventh day so that you and I would see the need for rest. It wasn't

simply given to Moses and part of the Mosaic Covenant. If it was then it could possibly have ceased with the nation, but it's grounded in creation. And as it's grounded in creation, it is something as binding upon us as we continue in this world in whatever dispensation it is. Whatever economy. It is of God's working. If you even think about the giving of the Ten Commandments and you think in the giving of the Ten Commandments as Moses

is giving them God inspires him in the giving of him when he gets to the fourth Commandment, even when he's giving the fourth Commandment. He Roots it in creation. He says you are to rest because God rested on the seventh day. Even in the moral law it's rooted in creation. How strange would it be even if we take all of that we say, okay, but If we were to take one of the Ten Commandments that is a summary of all of the moral law and say all of them continue to

be binding except the fourth Commandment. That one no longer, but all the rest. makes no sense furthermore the New Testament Church understood that one day was to be set apart from all the others. They gathered on the first day of the week. It was moved to the first day of the week because the Lord Jesus rose from the grave on the first day of the week. In fact, we often call that day the Lord's day we call today the Lord's day or the

Sabbath but we often called the Lord's day because it's the day on which the Lord rose from the grave and that's a fine. Way to call it because that's what John calls it in Revelation 1 he says in the Lord's day. I was caught up in a vision. It's the Lord's Day. And notice that by calling it The Lord's day. He's saying that there is one day that is distinct from the other six days. It has a different name because it's

Unique. It's set apart. It's holy. It's the day on which the church would gather together to worship and celebrate the resurrection of it's God. Clear one day is set apart for God's people. And the Sabbath is ultimately a sign of that which awaits us in Christ that Eternal Sabbath that Eternal rest and as a sign we should expect that the sign remains until the sign gives way to the reality. But the reality hasn't come yet.

It's not completely consummated yet. So we still have the sign. So we anticipate the Eternal Sabbath. by keeping this Earthly Sabbath so we rest. We rest on the first day of the week. Notice we rest before we work in God's exceeding kindness. What he is doing is he's giving you and I a vision for all of our life and all of Salvation you rest before you work you work for by Grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your

own doing. It's not a result of work so that no one may boast and then we're creating Christ Jesus. To do work good works. rest work first day of the week you rest. And then you go about your work. Again, God is concerned with our rest. This is a good thing. to give As we talk about this I want to understand I want you to understand with me that the Sabbath is a gift. It's not a burden. to meant to lift a burden

for not observing the Sabbath it's because we think too much of ourselves. And that's a burden. We're bearing too much. We're doing too much. You're meant to lay it down one day a week so that you're forced to look to God and observe that you know what this world isn't dependent upon me. It's dependent upon him you rest. You rest in God.

For Sinclair Ferguson say multiple times. that Sabbath is not just about one day of the week. It's about seven days. I think that is right we We often ask the question. Can I do this or can I do that on the Sabbath? I'm often asked that question as a pastor. Someone will say they're convicted of the Sabbath day and they say okay, but can I do this? Can I not do that? Love Ferguson for them? Say this a couple times that

Like any Pastor he gets asked that a lot and he said that person asked him the question. He just turns it around. And he said I asked them I said well, what is it that you want to do on the Sabbath day? Said they list whatever it is and he said well, why is it that you want to do that on the Sabbath day rather than the other six days and he said the answer is always the same. The answer always is is because I can't find the time

to get it done on the other six day.

And he says so his reply to them always as your problem is not what you do one day of the week. The Commandment is about every day of the week. You see what he's telling them. You aren't using the rest of your week. Well enough to get what you need to get done done. You say well I have too much to get done on six days of the week. Well, then you're doing too much.

God's trying to tell you that.

You aren't God. The Sabbath is God's way of reminding you of that. He's stopping you and I from killing or so, and he's stopping you and I from killing one another with undue expectations you need rest.

remember the first time I heard the Sabbath preached on I was Seminary Student. sending a PCH church in Dallas and Pastor got up and he had the goal to preach on the Sabbath. Through so in a convicting way. and I remember he was. talking about the Sabbath and I was thinking through my week and thinking about how Sunday afternoons and Sunday evenings were my best block of time to get Papers written and to do research and

I remember thinking in my mind. This preacher has an awful lot to say but he doesn't know what it's like to be a student.

and then he decided to illustrate do an illustration in a ceremony said now when I was a student and my heart sunk.

He said that he remembered when he was convicted about the Sabbath day. He said when he was a student, he came to the conviction that whatever it is that you're doing during the week that God has assigned you to do during the week in your station of life. that that's Especially what you're not supposed to do on the Sabbath day. So if you're a homemaker, you're a housewife you don't do laundry and you don't do dishes on the Sabbath if you're a

businessman, you don't sit down and do your finances and do your payroll on the Sabbath and that means that if you're a student. You don't study and you don't write papers. on the Sabbath he said he came to that conviction and he thought oh Lord. Grades are going to be much worse because of this. So he prayed that the Lord would make up for the time that he lost and he said to a surprise his grades got better.

I changed my life when I heard that the young Seminary Student.

Changed the Sabbath from their own.

You need rest. Today meant for rest for worship for acts of Mercy you needed. Your souls needed so you don't think what you do is indispensable. Your bodies need it. So you don't push it to the limits. Your neighbor needs it. So you actually look out for them instead of your to-do list. We live in a world in which every moment of rest and peace and quiet is being encroached upon. Especially need a Sabbath in this generation.

I've often thought I wonder if the rise that we've seen over this past generation among Christians and seeing depression and Melancholy and anxiety and all of these things flare up more and more among Christians. I wonder how much of that could be attributed to the fact that the church has lost its view of the Sabbath day. We don't just rest.

God knows you need rest. He knew it in creation.

Thomas Watson said a beautifully. He said when the falling dust of the world has clogged the wheels of our affections that they can scarce move towards God the Sabbath comes and oils the wheels of our affections and they move swiftly on. God is appointed the Sabbath for this end. The heart which all week was frozen on the Sabbath melts with the word. The Sabbath is a friend of religion. It files off. The rust of our Graces. It is a spiritual Jubilee.

We're in the soul is set to converse with its maker. Another best ways not to miss out on the Eternal Sabbath. Is to maintain this Earthly Sabbath as a means of Grace to your soul so that you keep on keeping on and finish well.

Give just a few applications and clothes and they're all about the Sabbath. deal with Heaven next week Sabbath application first work hard rest toward This is a good right righteous way to live so often we are engaged halfway and so our work necessarily bleeds into our rest and our rest necessarily bleeds into our work when we do half measures. We shouldn't be surprised when time set apart for the other is encroached upon. If you don't work hard, you can't rest

toward if you don't rest hard you can't work hard. work hard restored Sabbath is for all seven days. second make the Sabbath day a true Sabbath. worship rest Do acts of Mercy. The Sabbath is not I don't get to that's not what it's about. The Sabbath is I get to I get to worship. I get to rest. I get to minister to others needs around me. It's a gift as Jesus said man was not made for the Sabbath. But the Sabbath for man.

God knows you need rest rest. entire day

I'm not godly enough to miss the Sabbath. I'm not mature enough. That I can do without it. Neither are you?

third bookend your Sabbath day with worship. bookend your Sabbath day with begin the day in worship and in the day and

The most encouraging things to me or less year year and a half year or see? It's been there have been more more of you coming back for the evening worship service.

That encourages me.

I don't believe it's a rule set down in Scripture that you have to go to morning worship and have to go to evening worship. There was some that will make the argument and say well there were morning and evening sacrifices in the Old Testament. And so because there are morning and evening sacrifices in the Old Testament. Therefore, it's prescriptive that there is to be morning and evening worship for the church. I don't

buy. I just think it's wise. I just think it's good. I just think it's healthy. It's helpful for you. It's helpful for me. Remember years before I got to URC. I was pastoring another church and we didn't have evening worship. I was in a car ride with a group of pastors and they were all trying to encourage me to begin evening worship at the church. I was serving and I was making the argument with him that I'm not going to begin evening worship. People are

already too busy. They need time with their family at home in the evenings. And then I came to URC and I experienced it.

and I think the fact that their lives were so busy was the reason that we should have had evening worship. not the reason we shouldn't have see what it does when you book in the days it helps you set up the whole day. It's good for you. So often what we do is we will come in the morning and we put in our good hour and a half and then we're home and then what happens your mind begins to race? You start to think about the week.

I made the mistake this morning of looking at my calendar. for next week I'm preaching on the Sabbath this morning. I looked at my calendar this morning and I'm getting ready with Leah in the bathroom and I say to her I am overwhelmed thinking about everything coming this week, and she turns me and she says Jason. Go to church and worship and rest. I'm preaching this and I was doing it this morning.

mind starts to raise but when you're coming back in the evening. Just quiet you down a little bit. Just stops you it helps to book in the day to make the whole day set apart as worship to God.

Heather is Just a rest tears isn't there? Ellison I understand there are Sunday afternoons that I think about coming back here and I don't want to. I want to turn on a game. Kick up my feet.

But there's never been a time that I've come. And I've regretted it after I came. I once I miss it when I'm not here. I don't get to be here tonight because there's a funeral I need to go to and I'm gonna miss it. There's a refreshment that just happens with the people of God as we commune with God. There is a measure of his Spirit like nowhere else when we're gathered together and worship among his people. There's just a

rest.

David and Psalm 42 will talk about this. He will say that. Like a deer pants for flowing streams. So Pence is so after God and we often quote that as some kind of this is him talking about private worship and his desire to be with God, but that's not what it's about. He says that he longs to be among the people of God. He wants to be in the house of the Lord with the people of the Lord and here my friends. This is the kicker. Do you not understand

that what we're doing this morning? What we will do this evening that all of this is just a foreshadowing. It's just a little appetizer. of that Eternal rest This is what we will be doing. with each other eternally

need observed the Sabbath and just rest. rest with God's people rest with God

amazing reality to me that God cares about our rest.

those in prayer

father we are thankful.

as weary Souls we rebodies that you care for a soul and body. You know what we need and you know the rest that we need body and soul.

Thankful that you are such a gracious and kind God it even in creation. You had us upon your mind. And that which you knew we would need. in Christ that great promise and Hope that never lasting Sabbath rest.

There's no God Like You. Though we are in the wilderness and though there are Temptations and trials and those things would seek to lead us to unbelief. We choose belief. Who else shall we turn? There is no good. God Like You. We give you praise. Christ's name and