Sermon: The Rest to Come

And let's go ahead and pray. For we open the word up together this morning.

My father we do pray.

That your word would go out this morning and that it would not return void.

That you would work your Sovereign purposes in our minds and our hearts and our souls. We would hear you. thundering from the heavens

we might be pointed to you. Might see upon the promise that you've extended to us in Christ Jesus. Pray all of this in his strong name. amen Hebrews chapter 4 verses 6 through 11. This is the holy inerrant sufficient word of God. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it. And those who formally received the good news failed to enter Because of disobedience. Again, he appoints a certain day. today saying through David so long afterward and

the words already quoted today if you hear his voice do not Harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest. God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. for whoever has entered God's rest as also interested from his works as God did from his let us therefore strive. to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sword of disobedience. the grass withers

the flower Fades the word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

Last week we considered the rest of the Sabbath day in this week. We consider the rest of the Sabbath day to come. Verse 6 takes us all the way back to versus one and two what the writer of Hebrews is doing is bringing his argument full circle here to us. And this passage. The argument has come full circle that God has promised the future rest to his people. That rest has been provided for as we saw last week all the way from the beginning when God

created all things in the space of six days and he rested on the seventh day going all the way back to Creation. He had worked in it that there would be a future Sabbath rest for his people. and the writer of Hebrews is now making it clear that the way is still open for that future rest to those that he's writing to and also to those of us that are here even this morning and he makes that argument by citing one word from

Psalm 95 This is a good reminder that inerrancy matter that the historicity of the scriptures matter. He takes one word from Psalm 95 that David wrote this one word he make he makes his argument from the word today. David speaks and not so Psalm 95 about this rest being open and he says that it is open today. And because it is David speaking and David comes after the nation of Israel entered into the land under Joshua

that Promised Land he is speaking many years later generations later and he's saying today it's possible to enter into this promise rest. That means that promise rest couldn't be fulfilled when Joshua went into the Promised Land. That's his argument.

It was a place of promised rest. But it was not the promised place of rest. Don't get lost in the Old Testament promises the land the ceremonies even the weekly Sabbath were all Shadows meant to point you forward to the rest that is found in Christ alone. Verse 9 he gets at the Crux of his argument. So then There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. That's the argument. And so it leads him then to the exhortation in

verse 11. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest. So he said last week we would focus this week on Heaven that Heavenly rests that great Sabbath rest that awaits us. And that's what we're going to do this morning. I want to do it this morning by asking for questions as we think about that future Sabbath rest our first question. Is this sabbath rest? given to all people Is this sabbath rest given to all people? Well our text this morning says no.

Just as some of the Israelites failed to enter into the Promised rest. So some will fail to enter to the promised rest to come. There are two common wrong assumptions that are often made. The first is that because all people who were creating God's image all people will enter this res. Or because everyone will eventually appear before God. They will therefore be reconciled to God as image bearers of God. And so therefore will enter into this rest

to come heaven to come. It's true. It's true that every single person will appear before God. It is true that every single person will recognize him as the One Sovereign God. It is true that every tongue will confess and it's true that every knee will bow, but it is not true that every single person will enter into heaven. Not everyone will enter into this rest.

sat through Dozens of funerals some of you have sat through these as well. Or someone will get up sometimes as the preacher God forbid. Sometimes it's the preacher. the times this when someone gets up and gives a testimony or reflecting back on the life of the person and they will say I so thankful because this person has gone off to a better place. or they'll say I and thankful because they are now finally at rest.

not all people Are at rest? You don't enter Heaven by simply being a human being. That's a wrong assumption. A second wrong assumption is even more important for us in this room here this morning. And is that all those who are part of the worshiping Covenant Community all in the church will enter his rest that also is not true. The Jews of jesus' Day thought that because they were offspring of Abraham. They were safe. They

were Temple attending they were tithe offering they were sacrificed giving they were law abiding people and yet they failed to enter that rest. The Jews whom we are speaking of in this context. The writer of Hebrews is speaking of that word redeemed out of the land of Egypt that had seen God do great Miracles. They worshiped him in the wilderness. They did not enter that promised rest.

It's a wrong assumption. Being part of the visible worshiping Community a churchgoergoer having been baptized even coming to the Lord's table even singing with full voice in worship weaken and week out is not to guarantee that you enter into this rest. wrong assumption

leads to our second question Who is this promise rest for them? The writer tells us in verse 9. It is a Sabbath rest for quote the people of God. We've seen in previous weeks as we've been going through the book of Hebrews here that the people of God are those who have believed to have not hardened their hearts. Who have placed their trust in God it is they alone who receive rest for they enter into the rest of God. Remember this from last week? It's God's rest.

That's what we pointed out last week. It's his rest. So it's a rest for those who are in God his people and the only way to be in God is to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ his son.

Fact it seems the rider is doing a little play on words here in verse 8 that word for Joshua is the word iaesus which can be translated Joshua or Jesus what Joshua provided in seed form Jesus provides in full he gives rest to his people.

third question What does it mean? He gives rest.

will rest supposes that there is motion that we're moving and we're all moving. We're moving from here to there. We're all pilgrims going through this world. We're all going somewhere. We are fighting as the Apostle Paul wolf and say we are toiling we are striving even as the writer will say here in verse 11. Ah, but but this is where the motion ceases. When you arrive, you shall rest he says there's no more going when

we arrive. We're home. There's no more fighting. There's no more striving. There's no more laboring. There's rest because your home.

in a borrow a lot this morning from Richard Baxter who was a 17th century Puritan and your Baxter wrote that I think is the best book on Heaven that has ever been written. It's called the Saints Everlasting rest. John Wesley said that he thought every Christian needed to have two books in particular need to have the Bible. And needed to have Baxter's the Saints Everlasting rest. I remember Leah coming to me years ago. She

was reading a number of Puritans back to back to back and she kept seeing the Saints Everlasting rest. cited by them and she came to me one day and she said Jason she said do you have Richard Baxter's the Saints Everlasting rest she wanted to read it. And I said, of course I have that book. That's one of my top 10 favorite books of of all time. I said there are few that have thought so well about heaven and so I grabbed it for her

from my library and I brought it out and I showed her the book. And she realized that not only had he thought well about heaven. He had thought a lot about heaven and she said I'll let you keep that. Maybe I'll come back for it. Later.

a quote a lot or grab a lot of thoughts from Baxter this morning something that I don't normally do but you have thought about it so well, and he is influenced me a great deal. so our fourth question what marks this rest? There's three things. I want to highlight this warning that marked this rest. It is full Joy. It is I mean is a full rest. It is a joy-filled rest and it is the love saturated rest. The full rest it is a joy-filled rest

and it is a love saturated Rose. It's a full rest. Baxter details, this is where I'm going to help you take this whole book down to just a little abbreviated form. He details rightly that we shall rest from the following things. When we enter Heaven. It's a full rest. He says we will rest from sin. Sin, in our lack of understanding sin of the will sin of the affections of our conversations. We should also rest from suffering.

Suffering from doubts of God's love suffering from all sins of God's displeasure suffering from Satan's temptation. suffering from The Temptations of the world and flesh suffering from the abuses of persecution by the world sufferings from our divisions and dissensions with one another sufferings from our participation in the sufferings of our brothers and our sisters. We shall rest from all our personal suffering. She also rest.

from all the trouble and the pain that come from our duties in this life. And finally we shall rest from all those sad affections that we experience being absent from God. It shall cease.

Shall just be at rest.

We're not at rest. Since that, there's no motion at all about it. Now that picture that you often get of Christians that have gone on high and now we're sitting on clouds and floating around heaven and bundles of grapes are floating by and they're just plucking them and popping them in their mouth. It's not bad.

Be in action will be active. I think we will work but without toil. We will play but will be without pain. We will create but without frustration. We will sing but it will be on tune which John is happy about.

Who arrest? In the sense that we will no longer be moving towards an in. As if our moving is a means to gain something that is lacking. There's a reason that Paul will say in First Corinthians that there will no longer be hope and there will no longer be Faith because they are pointed as an end. He says there is but love that is remaining because we have reached our end. We are with Christ and we are seeing Christ. We're not moving towards anything anymore.

to rest

that leads to our second sub Point here and what Marxist rest. It's not just a full rest, but it's a joy filled rest. joyful dress Promised land was said to be a land that was flowing with milk and honey. When you enter into the Gates of Heaven, it is an eternal land flowing with milk and honey there shall be pleasure and happiness and joy. incalculable

There is life. and sweetness shall lie down in green chat pastures. We shall be led beside Still Waters or cups. Shall overflow. He will wipe every tear from our eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there be mourning nor crying or pain anymore for the former things have passed away. It will be unspeakable joy Joy like nothing you can or have experience.

or things that you and I enjoy here. on Earth, I'm We're meant to I enjoy a good slice of pizza. I enjoy a good belly laugh I enjoy watching a good game. I enjoy watching MSU beat the University of Michigan. Those are all right and good things to enjoy.

But they're all just appetizers. Just appetizers of the full Joy. That awaits us. It's a kind of first fruits. You can't be satisfied here. You can't be satisfied here.

That that spouse that you are longing for that friend that you just desperately need just that house that you want. Just a little more income that Health that you want return to you.

It won't satisfy you. Say well, I'd like to be tried I understand. But I know. You will find some satisfaction in those things. But you won't be satisfied. Say well Jason. You don't know my mind. You don't know my heart. No, but I know the one who made them. You can't be satisfied here.

Gustin who After tasting all the world had to offer. He famously said in his confessions that he came to the conclusion. You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you you were made for him. You cannot be satisfied with the mirror enjoyments of this world. You can't be you were made for him.

here to ask Jason what is heaven? I would simply say it is having and being had by God.

This is the great joy. just having being had by God.

Picture throughout the scriptures of him belonging to his people and his people belonging to him. Israel was God's people. God was Israel's God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery You Are My People. He will say over and over. Jesus will say that we are his people we are his body. We are his church. We are his sheep. We are his he is ours. Is our King. He is our prophet. He is our priest

he is our savior. He is our Lord. He is our friend.

we are his and he is over.

No Lutheran scholar comment in a poem Pole's words were poses to me to live is Christ and to die is gained. He wrote wonderfully to live is Christ and to die will be more Christ. Heaven is simply more. Christ

it's more Christ.

having more of him an experiencing being had more by

the joy that you and I have In moments with Christ you think back over your life and think oh, especially in that moment. There was such joy in Christ. Heaven is just that but maximize. infinitely

experience know and enjoy his love. Be that but surpassed beyond measure as Baxter said the heaven of Heavens is to love and be loved. So often when people ask about questions about heaven, they're thinking about the physicalities of it. They want to know will there be streets of gold? Will there be rain? Will there be houses? Those are fine questions. It's fine and there will be a physicalness to the new heavens and the new Earth. Those are fine questions. But what makes heaven

heaven what makes it Joy filled rest is that our relationship with Christ is fully consummated there The Wedding Bells have rung the feast is upon the table. He makes his home among us and we dwell with him and he with us forever. Heaven is simply put Christ. You having him? And he having you. forever

maximized

but heaven Will be a place of joy not only because of our joy and God. because of his joy in US He's the father who runs out to the prodigal son and sweeps him up in his arms and welcomes him home.

Zephaniah prophesy the Lord your God is in your midst a mighty one who will save he will rejoice over you with glad he will quiet you by his love. He will exalt over you with loud singing. Will have joy in you.

my most joyful memories in life was

freshman year in college. It was a bright sunny spring day. I was sitting out on College the college campus and the quad. sitting at a table studying waiting for Leah to come so that we could go to lunch together and I saw her out of the corner of my eye. But I acted like I didn't see her. You got to play a little hard to get. And then all of a sudden you must have ran. Because she was behind me. She had enraptured me with her arm.

And the son was shining the birds were chirping. We were experiencing love like nobody had but Romeo and Juliet and they're not even real people.

this beautiful godly woman Took Joy me. me

forever in heaven God takes Joy. you

you

the joyful place

leads to our third set point It's not only a full rest not only a joyful dress. to love saturated Rose

It's Jonathan Edwards famously said and preached Heaven is a world of love. He will be a world of love because everyone there shall be absolutely lovely. God the Father God the son God the Holy Spirit. We his children shall be lovely. The angels in heaven will be lovely. No evil angels will be in heaven. No unlovely people who feign interest in Christ, but as Edward said are of an unchristian and hateful Spirit or behavior as

is often the case in this world. They won't be there. There will be no one that is marked there by jealousy or Envy or Pride or selfishness or hatred or even grumpiness.

We will all be lovely. And we shall be givers of love and we shall be receivers of love and it shall be a perfect love. You shall be a giver of perfect love. It shall be a receiver of perfect love because on that day, you will be made perfect body and soul.

So you will be a giver of perfect love. Love without restraint. without staying without defect as we live and we talk and we serve one another it will be complete and it will be refined and it will be lovely love even sweeter. The love that we offer to God will no longer be sullied. It will no longer be distracted. It will no longer be temperate. It will be full and it would be holy and it will be fervent. We will give perfect love.

You show also receive perfect love. God is love.

He is making his home Among Us. And there is no one that can give to him that will not be exponentially exceeded in what is returned to them.

here you and I dwell our capacity to receive love is diminished. We can't take it all in though. He is a fountain of love. You and I can't take it in what we're Limited.

But there were made perfect in body and soul. And so we're able to receive so much more.

This helps to think about it this way. John and I were to go to a symphony orchestra concert together and we both sat down and we may both listen to it and we both appreciate it. in most May both appreciate it fully and yet John's appreciating it as he listens to the violins and the cellos and the flutes and the oboes is a much Fuller appreciation than even I am experienced in my fullness appreciation. Why? Because he has a more perfect ear.

Is a more perfect sensibility than I do. He has a more perfect intellect to receive music than I do. Heaven you and I are made perfect.

You can perfectly receive love. And that Perfection your capacity for receiving love shall exceed anything you can possibly experience here anything you can possibly imagine here.

Because your capacity will be so great.

Paul says in First Corinthians 13 We have known important we prophesy in part but when the perfect comes the partial will pass away when I was a child. I spoke like a child. I thought like a child. I reason like a child when I became a man, I gave up childish ways for now. We see in a mere dimly, but then face to face now I know in part then I shall know fully even as I have been fully.

No, what awaits you?

all this lies before

all this is held out to us as a promise from God. This is your rest.

That is why it is so incredibly painful. To announce what we had to announce this morning.

Don't you dare?

forsake that rest the Follies of this world

such silliness This is folly. To give up that rest.

Oh that is held out to you and promise.

That's what leads the right of Hebrews. Admonish us and verse 11 after he's laid all of this out. Let us therefore strive. Let it strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of Disobedience the Disobedience of unbelief of allowing your heart to harden where you can't enter into this rest.

Christian strives

it's not forced. It's driven by desire. Because we know what Adam lost in the garden we know what will satisfy our every longing and so work compelled. compelled to move forward to strive

Baxter said Christ brings the heart to Heaven first. and then the person

paraphrase Baxter the person that would truly rather have the enjoyment of God and Christ Jesus then anything in the world shall have it. Drive set your hearts on things above strive. If you set your heart there your feet will follow strive.

therefore strive into that rest

To close with a quote from Baxter. Said at one place in his book.

He said what irreverent? Damnedible presumption would have been once to have thought or spoken of such a thing. Guarded unspoken it before us. I dare not have the thought of the Saints position in this life as scripture sets it forth had it not been the express truth of God. What vile unmanerliness to talk of being the sons of God? Speaking to him having fellowship and communion with him. Dwelling in him and he and us if this

had not been God's own language. How much less dare we have once even thought of being brighter than the Sun and Glory of being coheirs with Christ of judging the world of sitting on Christ's Throne of being one with him. If we had not all this from his mouth and under the hand of God. But he has said it. Shall it not come to pass. He has spoken it. And will he not do it? Yes. Baxter it's true as the Lord. God is true.

Thus shall it be done to the man whom Christ Delights to honor surely goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their life and they shall dwell in the house the Lord. ever

oh, that's a promise you.

Don't you lose? strive to enter that rest

right

my father we are thankful.

To our God who gives us such promise Christ Jesus our lord and savior.

you have provided for us things beyond our imagination beyond our contemplation and anything that any eye has seen or any year has heard.

Pray for each of us in this room that we would not Harden our hearts. We would not live in unbelief.

That we would lean. Trust upon your savior Lord, Jesus Christ who died was buried and raised for sinner. We might enjoy this rest. And we strive to enter it. Pray this in the Name of Christ. and