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Finding God’s Rest in Spiritual Maturity Hebrews 4:1-13

Finding God’s Rest in Spiritual Maturity Hebrews 4:1-13. The writer has appealed to the example of Israel's fall in the wilderness:

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Finding God’s Rest in Spiritual Maturity Hebrews 4:1-13

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  1. Finding God’s Rest in Spiritual Maturity Hebrews 4:1-13

  2. The writer has appealed to the example of Israel's fall in the wilderness: • Despite Moses' leadership, The exodus generation died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land for lack of faith. The sin of the Exodus generation was a growing lack of trust in God's life-sustaining presence (Exod. 17:7) to provide for their needs (Num. 11:4-6, 18-23; 14:7-9). Their sin culminated in their refusal to trust God to bring them into the land and overcome its inhabitants • Now under Christ's leadership, they face a similar danger of falling short of the rest Israel forfeited at Kadesh-Barnea through a lack of faith.

  3. The promise of Faith/Life rest is still available to believers who want it now. V.1 • We must understand that we can miss out on the spiritual blessings for failing to trust God in our situations. • Seeking to re-identify with your old life in order to escape persecution will cause you to fall short of faith/life rest.

  4. Three rests in the Old Testament: • Canaan Rest: to cease struggling with the enemy. Has to do with subjection of one’s mind, will, and heart to God’s power. This type of rest enables the believer to conquer sin. The Promise Land is a picture of rest and ceasing to struggle with the enemy • Creation Rest: emphasizes a completed work. Salvation rest in the finished work of the Messiah. Also, the future aspect is when a believer finishes his or her work on earth and goes to Heaven. • Sabbath Rest: spiritual rest. The spiritual rest of spiritual maturity or “faith life rest” which the writer of Hebrews is encouraging them to enter into.

  5. It requires faith to attain spiritual blessings that come with salvation. • The Exodus generation received a report (good news) from God about the land (Exd. 19:3-6; 23:20-33) but did not appropriate it by faith. Rather, they listened to the 12 Spies and made a wrong decision because they failed to believe that God would sustain their lives in the face of impending danger. • The Hebrews are in a similar situation. They have received a message (Good News) from the 12 Apostles but have received persecution. They must make a decision to trust God for sustaining their lives in danger.

  6. We have access to the “rest” of spiritual maturity because we have already enter Creation rest (salvation). V.3 • The Exodus Generation refused it, even though God possessed it since Creation. • Psalm 95.11 is best understood as a warning against forfeiting the right to worship before the presence of the Lord in His holy sanctuary and to enjoy the covenantal blessings.

  7. The Lord gave His people rest from their enemies in order for them to worship Him and to enjoy the blessings He had promised them in the land. • Therefore the privilege to "enter into My rest" (Ps. 95:11) is best understood as the right to worship before the personal presence of YHWH which could be forfeited by hardened, rebellious hearts like those of the Exodus generation

  8. 4. Creation rest (salvation) which has been prepared since Genesis 2:2 is a typology for the rest of spiritual maturity (Sabbath rest) that Israel failed to enter due to a lack of faith. • The inference to Gen 2:2 is that when God provided rest for Himself He also provided rest for His people. • Although the word indicates that God rested from His creative activity, it does not imply that God became completely inactive.

  9. Rather God "ceased” one activity in order to continue in another, which was enjoying what He had created. God walked in the garden with Adam (3:8), taking pleasure in him by caring for his needs. • If God ceased other activities in order to enjoy Adam, then humankind enters God's rest by ceasing other activities in order to take pleasure in worshiping God.

  10. 4. God still desires to fulfill His purpose of providing spiritual maturity rest so He continues to offer it to all believers who will accept it by faith. V.6-7 • One must respond immediately because some opportunities are limited to a specific time and specific place. • Example: • Israel at Kadesh-Barnea • The Messianic audience of Hebrews in Israel before A.D. 70.

  11. Believers are encouraged to make a once and for decision to press on to spiritual maturity before they make an irrevocable decision and reach the point of no return. • If they make the wrong decision, they will suffer the same fate as the Exodus Generation; physical death.

  12. 5. The present offer of spiritual maturity rest (Sabbath rest) is still valid because Joshua did not bring Israel to the rest of spiritual maturity. • Joshua gave Israel Canaan rest (rest from enemies). (Jos. 21:44; 22:4; 23:1)

  13. Only the Messiah can give the kind of rest that comes through spiritual maturity (Sabbath Rest). V.9 • The writer of Hebrews uses the word “sabbatismos.” which is only used here in the New Testament. • “sabbatismos” refers not to the Sabbath Day but rather "to the Sabbath observance, or Sabbath celebration. The emphasis was not on the cessation of daily activities but rather on an unhindered opportunity for the people of Israel to celebrate God's life-sustaining presence among them (Exod. 31:12-16)

  14. This (Sabbath rest) is a type of spiritual maturity that is the ideal rest which can be attained by faith • It means reaching a definite stage of attainment after satisfactorily fulfilling God’s purpose for one’s life. • If a believer persists in his faith, he will reach levels of spiritual maturity in which he or she ceases to constantly struggle over particular issues of the spiritual life. They will be able to move on or progress in their spiritual walk.

  15. The believer ceases to rely on his own works or efforts and trusts that God to get him through the situation or struggle. V.10 • If one will mature in their faith, they will cease to struggle with the issues they are struggling to have victory over. • Examples: • Israel with the inhabitants in the Land (Nephilim-Fallen ones-Giants!) • The Messianic believers of Hebrews facing persecution.

  16. We must urgently progress in spiritual maturity since unbelief will not go undetected by the Word of God. v.11 • The Word of God is both living and working. V.12 • The Word of God will call all into account before God. v.13

  17. Application: Appropriate by faith the spiritual blessings you have available to you under the New Covenant to have victory in your Christian walk. Do not refuse to trust in God's life-sustaining presence mediated by Jesus Christ our High Priest or you could forfeit the joy and blessing of God's presence as a "resting place" for worship and Sabbath type of celebration. Instead, God's presence would become to them a place where sins are exposed (4:12-13), punishment is given (3:17; 10:29-31), rewards are lost (10:35-36), and discipline is received (12:4-11).

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