God’s Approach to Conquest

Hebrews 4 God’s Approach to Conquest

The Problem of Cultural Conformity • “There's a way we do things around here…”

The Problem of Cultural Conformity • “There's a way we do things around here…” • What to do when Jesus Christ clashes with the culture? • God approaches life quite differently than anyone else.

The Problem of Cultural Conformity • “There's a way we do things around here…” • What to do when Jesus Christ clashes with the culture? • God approaches life quite differently than anyone else. • God’s Plan deserves consideration! • Put in-motion long ago “His work has been finished since the creation of the world.” (Hebrews 4:3)

The Problem of Cultural Conformity • “There's a way we do things around here…” • What to do when Jesus Christ clashes with the culture? • God approaches life quite differently than anyone else. • God’s Plan deserves consideration! • Put in-motion long ago • An ingenious plan “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13)

The Problem of Cultural Conformity • “There's a way we do things around here…” • What to do when Jesus Christ clashes with the culture? • God approaches life quite differently than anyone else. • God’s Plan deserves consideration! • Put in-motion long ago • An ingenious plan • Even if it disrupts our busy lives! 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. Heb. 4:1

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week… For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” Hebrews 4:2-3

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart KadeshBarnea “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” A Bright Future! The View Behind

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • At the creation. And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." Hebrews 4:4

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter…Hebrews 4:6

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. 1500 bc 2 billionyearsago But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter…Hebrews 4:6

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. • Rejected at KedeshBarnea. But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.” So God’s rest is there for people to enter but those who first heard this good news failed to enterbecause they disobeyed God.Hebrews 4:6

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. • Rejected at KedeshBarnea. • But still available today! So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. • Rejected at KedeshBarnea. • But still available today! Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.Hebrews 4:8-9

God’s Plan: “Enter Into My Rest!” • From Last Week: the Hardened Heart • ‘God’s Rest’ – established long ago… • Made available to everyone. • “God’s Rest is not like our definition of ‘Rest’ • For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Heb. 4:10

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? • A Step of Faith Joshua 3:15,16 “As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.” “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” Heb. 4:11

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? • A Step of Faith • Decisiveness Joshua 5:2 At that time the Lord told Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise this second generation of Israelites.” Joshua 5:2 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. Hebrews 4:13

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? • A Step of Faith • Decisiveness • Lack of Self-Confidence You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. Josh. 6:3-4

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? • A Step of Faith • Decisiveness • Lack of Self-Confidence You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. Josh. 6:3-4 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Hebrews 4:10

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? • A Step of Faith • Decisiveness • Lack of Self-Confidence • Learning God-Confidence For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Heb. 4:12

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? NOT Weenies,Whiners &Wafflers! • A Step of Faith • Decisiveness • Lack of Self-Confidence • Learning God-Confidence • Seizing God-Confidence So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Heb. 4:16

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like?

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? ‘I already got a good plan!’

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? I don’t want my plans messed up!

God’s Rest: What Does it Look Like? ‘I DON’T NEED NO REST!’

God’s Approach to Conquest