WINTER WARMERS: REST(TALK 3/3: REST+ETERNITY)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

CONNECT: What is your regular pattern of rest? How can it reflect God’s desire for rest more?

WARM-UP

1. Discuss the concept of eternity. 2. What does humanity’s fascination with living forever say about the human condition? How is that

revealed in different cultures?

READ Hebrews 4:1-3

3. Discuss the “rest” that God offered the people of Israel when they were rescued out of Egypt. 4. What do the words, “the promise of entering his rest still stands”, mean to you? (v.1) 5. What is the “good news” which has been proclaimed to us? How does it compare with the good news

that was proclaimed to Israel? (v.2) 6. How do we enter this promised rest? (v.3)

READ Hebrews 4:3-8 and Psalm 95

7. Why is Psalm 95 so joyful? What warning does Psalm 95 contain? 8. Why is it important to “drop everything and listen”? Who are we listening to? (v.7, also 3.7, 3.15) 9. What is the importance of listening and responding to God “today”? (v.7) 10.How does the Sabbath which originated in Genesis and the Exodus story foreshadow the eternal rest

we have in Christ? (v.4) 11.How do we experience rest as wait for Christ’s return?

READ Hebrews 4:9-13 and Numbers 14:1-4 12.Why was Israel’s disobedience in Numbers 14 so serious? What was the consequence of their

disobedience? 13.How is obedience and rest linked? Can we be tempted to earn God’s rest? 14.How can we make “every effort” to ensure that no-one perishes through disobedience? (v.11) 15.How does God’s word help us to remain faithful and obedient? How does Jesus help us to be obedient

(vv.12-13, see also Hebrews 4:14-16)

APPLY: How are you “entering God’s rest” on a daily basis?

PRAY: Gracious Lord, we thank-you for your promise of rest which still stands today. Help us to drop everything and listen to you, give us faith to trust in your promise and, by your Holy Spirit, help us to remain obedient so that we might experience your rest in our lives, now and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

WINTER WARMERS: REST

(TALK 3/3: REST + ETERNITY)

GOING DEEPER RESOURCES On Your Front Line this Week

• When people look at how you rest, can they see that God is all sufficient and all satisfying?

For Families

• VIDEO: “The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHwr70bJlZ8

Audio and Video

• AUDIO: “Jesus Rest is Better Than All the Rest” by Don Carson https://resources.thegospelcoalition.org/library/part-3-jesus-rest-is-better-than-all-the-rest-hebrews-3-7-4-13

• AUDIO: “Perseverance” by Peter Adam http://www.rc.org.au/sermon/rcsummer2017peteradams-mp3

• AUDIO: “Rest For Your Souls” by Alistair Begghttps://resources.thegospelcoalition.org/library/rest-for-your-souls

• AUDIO: “Living in Tension” by Simon Manchester https://www.st-thomas.org.au/podcast/living-in-tension/

• AUDIO: “Reverse Reality TV” by Dominic Steele https://www.villagechurch.sydney/sermons/reverse-reality-tv-hebrews-37-413/

Other Helpful Resources

• “How Eternity Changes Everything in our Restlessness” https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/how-eternity-changes-everything-in-our-restlessness/

• “Eternity Amnesia”https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/eternity-amnesia/

For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

Talk 3/3 (Rest Series): 14 July 2019 “Rest + Eternity”

by the Rev’d Dr Daniel Rouhead Bible Passage: Hebrews 4:1-13

INTRODUCTION \\ TEMPORARY REST & ETERNAL REST Today, we conclude our 3-week series on rest. In our first week, Michael reminded us that true rest is only found in God. We can find rest in God because he is a mighty rock, he is our hope, his word is sure, and all power is his. Last week, Adam focussed on the balance between work and rest, emphasising the importance of both work and rest. Without God, it is impossible to find the right balance – without God, work becomes futile...without God, rest drifts out of our reach. Today, we focus on rest and eternity. Our culture is fascinated with the concept of eternity, of things that last forever. Best friends are forever...James Bond taught us that diamonds are forever, plastics also seem to last forever...and, people are learning that social media posts might be forever. Human beings have been searching for the secret to living forever...the key to cheating death. We see that, for example, in the myths surrounding the Holy Grail, that drinking from the cup that Jesus used at the Last Supper has miraculous healing powers. We know that none of these are true. The only reliable source on eternity is Jesus. John wrote these well-known words: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God longs for us to have a relationship with him through his son, Jesus, that begins now and is never-ending. Eternal life...Eternal peace...Eternal rest! Despite God’s promises to the nation of Israel, the Israelites only experienced temporary peace throughout the Old Testament, and not the eternal peace that God offers. There are many examples of this. From 1 Samuel, Chapter 7, we read about the peace that comes about from the Israelites victory over the Philistines at Mizpah: “Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines...and there was peace between Israel and the Amorites” (1 Sam 7:13-14). In this instance, Israel experienced peace only throughout the remainder of Samuel’s life. Our passage todays reflects on an important event in Israel’s history. Moses sent spies into the promised land, but most of them returned full of fear believing that they couldn’t defeat the people living there, their armies and their fortified cities. The people turned their back on God and Moses, and contemplated, once again, returning to slavery in Egypt. The consequence for this rebellion was severe...the Israelites wandered in the desert for the next forty years...none of the Israelites who were adults at the time of this event entered the Promised Land, except for Joshua and Caleb who remained faithful. We will see that the Exodus story is a foretaste of the eternal rest that God invites us to enter and experience. We will see that God promises rest to his people, eternal rest begins with today, and the relationship between rest and obedience.

1. THE PROMISE OF REST \\ VERSES 1-3 Let’s turn to verses 1 and 2. “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed” (Heb 4:1-2). What is this promise that the writer is referring to – the promise of entering his rest? The Promised Land is the place where the Israelites were to experience God’s rest. At the burning bush, God described the Promised Land as “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8) – a land of plenty and a land of rest. The Exodus story was the means by which God fulfilled his promises to the people of Israel. We see right from the beginning that rest is a promise from God, and can, therefore, only come from God. Through the Exodus story, God offered Israel rest from slavery and oppression. Despite all that Joshua had done for the Egyptians, not long after Joshua died, the Egyptians enslaved the Egyptians. “The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering...And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them” (Exodus 3:7,9). God also offered rest from spiritual slavery to the gods of Egypt. Through the ten plagues and passage through the Red Sea, Yahweh demonstrated that he is Lord and Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods were not. God also offered Israel rest from their enemies. Just before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Moses told them that God would defeat their enemies: “The Lord your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land” (Deut 31:3). The Israelites would participate in the battles, but the victory belonged to the Lord. The Israelites could be strong and courageous because God went with them, and would never leave nor forsake them (Deut 31:6). God also offered Israel rest from work. In Deuteronomy 6, the Promised Land was described in this way: “a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant”. Rest from work is a blessing from God. Of course, the people would still need to work after they take up the land, but God promises that this work would be blessed and not arduous: “Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land” (Deut 30:9). The good news is that the promise of entering his rest still stands – rest from slavery and oppression in all its dimensions, rest from the enemies of sin and death and rest from the work of salvation. The good news has been proclaimed to us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. When we have faith in all that Jesus has done, the message of the gospel has eternal value to us. God promises rest and is the true source of eternal rest.

2. REST & TODAY \\ VERSES 3-8

Even though the writer of Hebrews refers to a past event, its relevance to “today” is made absolutely clear. The rest that was offered to the Israelites is made to us today, as it was made to the original readers of Hebrews. The example of the Israelites’ disobedience was a warning, but, more than that, it was a reminder of God’s gracious promise of rest to each and every person in their time. The disobedience of the Israelites is so significant that it is mentioned numerous times in the scriptures. Psalm 95, written by David, is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving:

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. 3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

God’s people can experience rest because he is like a shepherd and we are like sheep under God’s care. The Lord is great and mighty but also bends down to look after his people and give them rest. But, there is a sting in the tail of this psalm. The people of Israel turned away from God and, as a consequence, did not experience the rest that God had promised. David emphasises the importance of responding to God in the here and now. In verse 8: “Today, if only you would hear his voice...” It is one thing to remember what God has done and it is useful to remember the lessons of the past, but what really matters is now...today. The Message paraphrases this verse really well, emphasising the urgency and importance of hearing God today: “Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks”. Three times in Hebrews 3 and 4, the writer quotes Psalm 95, verse 8: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb 3: 7-8, 15; Heb 4:7). We should rejoice in this. The same rest that was offered to the Israelites is offered to us today in Christ. From verses 6 and 7: “Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” Jesus opened up the way for us to experience God’s rest through his death and resurrection. Jesus told his worried disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled...if I

go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1,3). The promise of God’s rest is not just a future promise, but something we can experience today if we hear and respond to God’s word.

3. REST & OBEDIENCE \\ VERSES 9-13 I want to remind you of the refrain from Hebrew 3 and 4: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”. Rest and obedience are linked. The people of Israel who disobeyed God did not enter the promised land and did not experience God’s rest. From Psalm 95, verses 10-11:

“For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

This link between obedience and rest is emphasised throughout Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 6, the description of the Promised Land is followed with this warning: “then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Deut 6:11-12). This is the same chapter which contains these important verses: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut 6:4-5). And from Moses’ final instructions to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 31:

“The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws - that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands” (Deut 31:16-18).

It is important to note that obedience does not earn God’s rest, otherwise that would not really be rest at all. God had chosen the people of Israel, God would defeat their enemies, God would give them rest...obedience to God was the means by which people remained in God’s rest. The words of Deuteronomy 6 are clear: “when you eat and are satisfied” make sure you remain obedient to God. The writer of Hebrews emphasises this message: “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience” (Heb 4:9-11). “Anyone who enter God’s rest also rests from their works”. We enter God’s rest by faith not by works. Last week, Adam reminded us of Jesus’ final words on the cross. As he breathed his last breath, Jesus said, “It is finished”. The work of salvation was

accomplished by Jesus. Therefore, we enter God’s rest by accepting all that Jesus has done by faith. The work of Christians then is to support and encourage fellow believers in their faith, and to share the gospel with those who do not know Jesus. The writer of Hebrews was absolutely concerned that no-one perish “by following their example of disobedience”. After the Israelites had heard the reports of the Promised Land from the spies,

“That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud...they grumbled against Moses and Aaron...they said, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?”And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14-1-4)

The Israelites had a much better plan than God. They wanted to turn their back on God and return to slavery in Egypt. They rejected God and his appointed leader, Moses. They had seen God’s mighty works and were rescued from slavery and oppression. Despite this, they didn’t trust God and turned away from him. The writer of Hebrews is saying don’t reject all that God has done for you in Jesus. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that the word of God strengthens our faith, and helps us to remain obedient: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12). The word of God, in a sense, turns our insides out. The word of God helps us to see everything that is in our hearts, which helps us to be strong in faith and remain obedient to God. We also have the Holy Spirit whom Jesus promised would teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said and taught.

CONCLUSION

There are times when this seems incredibly difficult. The Israelites found it impossible despite all they had experienced. The prospect of entering the Promised Land was too much for them. When we face difficulties, hardships and temptations, and we will, we can look to Jesus for strength and reassurance. The final verses of Hebrews 4 give us strength and hope to remain true to God who promises us rest, now and forever, in Jesus:

“...since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”.

Let us pray with that same confidence...