Hebrews 4:3

0:00 Evening, Third Avenue Baptist Church. It's so good to be with you here tonight on this muggy August evening. It's humid. I don't know if you know what the word muggy means, but it means humid. Our verse today is Hebrews chapter 4 verse 3. It says this, for we who have believed enter that rest. As he has said, as I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

0:31 Tonight, I want to talk with you about one example of One promise. And one warning... As we look at this verse. First, an example. Hudson Taylor was a missionary who served for over 50 years to make the gospel known in China. He first arrived at the age of 21. And at the age of 33, he founded a missions agency called China Inland Mission. He founded it with an initial sum of 10 British pounds.

1:03 It's not a lot of money. In 1869, four years after he founded this missions agency, he was exhausted in China. He was responsible for a number of other missionaries who were serving in that country. Some of those very missionaries had been killed earlier that year in a riot in And Taylor prayed constantly for funds to arrive, to support the work of the mission in China. He records in his letters and in his diary that he would strive harder, and harder.

1:35 and harder And that he knew that the answer wasn't ultimately his own work, but the reality is he fought discouragement. at his own ability to fight his sin. He wrote this to his sister. My mind has been greatly exercised for six or eight months... Feeling the need personally and for the mission of more holiness. Life, power, and our souls. I prayed, agonized, strove, fasted, made resolutions, read the Word of God more diligently, sought more time for meditation and prayer.

2:10 but all was without effect. It was at this moment he received a letter from a colleague named John McCarthy. And he writes to his sister that this letter was used to remove the scales from my eyes. And the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before. McCarthy, who had been much exercised by the same sense of failure as Hudson Taylor, saw the light before he did. And he wrote...

2:41 But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the faithful one. And Taylor says, as I read it, I saw it all. Let's look again at our passage tonight. You want to look at your bulletin or... in your Bible. I'm actually going to have us jog to a few different places in Scripture today. as we look at this passage. In the middle of our verse... The writer of Hebrews is quoting Psalm chapter 95.

3:15 He has earlier quoted this very same chapter in chapter 3. Those were the verses. that we read this morning, the beginning of our text. And here in our passage again, he's going back to Psalm 95, verse 11, that tells us how important this very phrase is. That passage in Psalm 95 is actually looking back... to an incident that we find recorded in Exodus chapter 17, 1-7. And this is where the people of Israel... who had just been freed from slavery in Egypt...

3:47 By the Lord, they're camping out at Rephidim, and they have no water to drink. And they begin to quarrel with Moses. So Israel, freshly delivered, they camp out with no water, they start quarreling with Moses, why did you bring us out of Egypt? to kill us and our children... and our livestock with thirst. And Moses cries out to God that they're ready to stone him. And Exodus tells us that God stands on the rock at Horeb, Moses strikes it.

4:20 Water comes out. And Moses names the place Massa, which means testing, and Meribah, which means quarreling, With the reason given explicitly in Exodus, because they tested the Lord by saying, is the Lord among us or not? Not. See, the sin at Meribah is summed up with a question at the very end of that passage. Is the Lord among us? Or not. That unbelief is the very opposite...

4:50 of rest. Imagine being one of the people of Israel. You have been freed from the oppression of slavery. "You have wandered out of Egypt, The Lord has parted the Red Sea in front of you. Literally, you have seen water move. You've walked under that water... And it's come crashing down on your enemies. And now you're a little thirsty. and you resort to doubting the very God who brought in the plagues, who oversaw and sent his angel in the Passover feast, who literally gave your captors the idea to give you a whole lot of wealth on your way into freedom— And now you're going to call out, is the Lord among us or not? Don't forget that.

5:38 He was present... With them both day and by night by a pillar of smoke and light. Like he was literally present with them and they could see it. And now, because they're thirsty, they're questioning, is God really with us? At the very end of Psalm 95, The psalmist records for 40 years... I, God, loathed that generation and said, they are a people who go astray in their heart. And they have not... known my ways.

6:09 Therefore I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. See, water came out of this rock... And the people of Israel still didn't get it. And the Lord would eventually bring a curse upon them that would cause them to wander thirsty for 40 years. in the wilderness. They never entered. the rest of the promised land. So when we're looking at this passage, let's talk about this idea of rest. Rest.

6:41 What does that actually mean? Well, friends, I want to give us five things to rest in. If you're practical like me, you like lists, you like to-do lists, I don't really accomplish them perfectly, but I like the idea of them. I can rest in that. Thank you. Number one, rest in your justification. Romans chapter 8 verse 30 says, We sang about it Earlier tonight...

7:13 When Satan tempts me to despair... and tells me of the guilt within. Upward I look and see him there, who made an end to all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul... is counted... free. That justification, that declared freedom, that righteousness of Christ that is imputed unto us, that is something that we can rest in. Number two, rest in the finished work of Christ. In Hebrews chapter 10, if you want to turn with me there.

7:48 I told you we'd turn to a few different places. Hebrews chapter 10... It's a few chapters after our text tonight. Amen. Thank you. Oh. Verse 11, and every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. Verse 11, and every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins... He sat down at the right hand. of God. So God had given his people in Israel a sacrificial system...

8:25 And we see it described here in verse 11. Priests would stand daily... at their service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices over and over and over again. And they could never take away sins. They were pointing forward to Christ. who in verse 11, when he had offered a single sacrifice... For our sins. What does he do? He doesn't stand. He sits. What a perfect picture of rest. So friends, we can rest like our Savior. We can rest in his finished work.

8:58 Number three, rest in your security. Romans 8, verse 15 says, "...you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear." You have received the spirit of adoption forever. As sons. Friends, when Jesus... When God led the people out of Egypt... He was not ever going to allow them to go back to Egypt. His promise of deliverance was good and right. He has delivered us from our sin...

9:30 He is not going to allow us Out of his hands. We are promised as believers in Christ. that he will hold us fast. We sing that song so often here at Third Avenue. We can rest forever. in our security. Number four, we can rest in God's sovereignty. 1 Peter 5, verse 7 says, What does that verse have to do with God's sovereignty? Well, friends... If you casted your anxieties on me...

10:01 I am so weak and unable. to handle all of your anxieties. I try as one of your elders to do the best that I can. but I am imperfect. We serve a perfect God that when we bring him all of our anxieties... He takes care of all of them. Maybe not in the ways that we want, but in the ways that he knows that we need. That is something that we can rest in. Number five, we can rest. in the promise of a future rest. Greg preached that so wonderfully this morning. In Hebrews 4, verse 9, we just see that there's this idea of Sabbath rest for the people of God and our Sabbath rest actually points forward.

10:43 to our future. Rest. There's this little part of our verse that says, We're finished from the foundation of the world. What does that mean? Well, when God finished creating the world... He rested. And in doing so, he defined what rest is. His rest is the pattern for our rest. So how can we rest today? That's five ways, things that we could rest in. Very briefly, here's four ways that you can rest. Number one, sleep.

11:15 Sleep is good. Students sleep is good. God gives his beloved sleep. Psalm 127, verse 2. Number two, Set aside Sunday to be with God's people. What we're doing right now, is rest. It's rest. God's presence is promised forever. As we gather together... As a church. Matthew 18, 20. Jesus says, where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.

11:48 On a night like tonight, I'm kind of preaching to the choir, but as you can... Juxtaposed tonight from this morning, Recognize we have empty balcony. We have scattering of seats. Friends, what if we set aside Sunday... to be with God's people. Not just two hours on a Sunday morning... But what if we set aside Sunday? to be with God's people... What a great thing... That would be Perhaps you're someone here and you show up this one Sunday evening. every month, because we're celebrating the Lord's Supper.

12:21 Come and pray with us every Sunday night. Set aside Sunday to be with God's people. That is a good thing to do. It is rest. Number three, lean into community. In Hebrews 3, verse 13, we're told to exhort one another daily. We need each other. And we can rest as we exhort one another. And then finally, rest finally in your death... at the hope of your future. Revelations 14, 13, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on that they may rest from their labors.

12:52 Christians. What a wonderful testimony it is to a watching world when Christians... rest well into death. We can rest well into death. We have an assurance of what is waiting for us. A freedom for our labors. Then finally... a warning to three different audiences. Friends, the opposite of rest is to be on the receiving end of God's wrath. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, as I swore in my wrath, we they shall not enter my rest.

13:23 First, a warning to the legalist. It's easy to think of the things that I just mentioned. and think that your performance in resting will actually earn for you that very rest. That's not how it works. Our passage says, "...for we who have believed..." Our belief... is what brings us that rest. Your attempts at perfection will not measure up. Your actions cannot lead you to rest. You will be perpetually tired if you are depending on yourself.

13:55 Number two. A warning to the person... who knows that they do not believe in Christ and professes that they do not believe in Christ. At the beginning of Psalm 95, we are called to make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Like the rock that gave the water to the Israelites in Meribah, This rock also gives water. And to the thirsty... But to those who believe and rest in him and drink of his living water, we will never thirst again.

14:27 When we sing at the beginning of services like tonight's, We are singing to the rock of our salvation. We believe. that Jesus is who the Bible says that he is. And that all of the Old Testament points forward to him in the New Testament... speaks about him. And everything that is said is right and true. So friend, a warning to you if you do not believe in Jesus. We believe that. that as it stands right now, you are guilty before a righteous God.

14:58 who will punish you eternally. for your sin. That is a serious, serious thing. We believe it to be true. And we would love to talk to you about what it means to follow Jesus Christ. And finally, maybe unexpectedly. A warning to the person who is a Christian in name only. See, the context of our verse tonight is in the middle of a warning to people proclaiming to be Christians but living like unbelievers.

15:30 We don't have time to look at 1 Corinthians 10 right now, but if you were to look at 1 Corinthians 10... Paul talks about the rock, looking back again at Exodus 17 as being Christ. And how the people of Israel was there as an example for us. Friends, we have... professed that we are Christians. But members meeting... From time to time, we get together and we vote out people whose profession does not seem to be credible anymore. the chances are that someone in this room right now is struggling with secret sin.

16:05 And though you profess Christ with your mouth... You are living life as an unbeliever. There is a sober, sober warning to you. And it's not just Let it go and forget about it. We see in this passage. That there is wrath coming. Yes, even for people who have professed Christ. and are actually living together. as unbelievers. In Philippians 2, Paul writes to the Philippian church, continue to work out your salvation with fear, and trembling.

16:42 This is serious, serious stuff. There were people in Israel. who claim to be the people of God with one hand, sentence and then turned around and questioned his very existence and rebelled against him. We see in Psalm chapter 95. God says they shall not enter my rest. Now it's easy to hear a warning like that and start to get really tempted with scrupulosity and Friends, God's grace covers...

17:13 A multitude of sins. But if The Holy Spirit has been... pressing in on you. to repent of your sin and turn away from him and live your life for the first time as a Christian, you should do that. Even as you've proclaimed Christ in the past, if you know that you are not a Christian, You should turn. to Christ. to the legalist, to the unbeliever, To the person who claims Christ and is yet living in unbelief, hear these words of Jesus. In Matthew chapter 11, 28 to 30, Jesus says, and are heavy laden.

17:50 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. And learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly, heart. And you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke... is easy, and my burden is light. Third Avenue. Let's rest in him together. We're going to celebrate the Lord's Supper tonight. Let us do that with great joy and and restfulness. We are not perfect human beings.

18:21 We have not yet entered into that future hope of being glorified. but we serve a risen Savior who has paid the penalty for our sins. So let us rest in him even as we take the Lord's Supper together. tonight. Let's pray. Lord, we love you. We are thankful for you. We are thankful that you have... given us Rest. Lord, we pray that as we turn our attention now to the Lord's Supper, that we would celebrate.

18:56 with joy, all that you have done on our behalf. to grant us that eternal rest. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.