JESUS OUR REST

(INTRO) HOW ARE YOU DOING? BUSY!

[1]WELCOME: Good morning church family! Glad to be with you all this morning. If you’re new with us this morning either on campus or joining us online, my name is Nic Cook and I’m one of the pastors here at Cornerstone. We’re continuing our teaching series on the book of Hebrews called…

SERIES: ANCHOR. Today we’re getting to a part of the letter where the author says, I know you’re tired and weary, but…[2]

· REAL REFRESHING REST FOR YOUR SOUL IS POSSIBLE: Have you ever noticed that when you ask someone how they’re doing, how often their response includes the word “busy” or some variation of it. It’s like we wear busy as if it’s a badge of honor. The busier we are, the more important we are. What’s funny is though, I know I’ve said it thousands of times and I’ve heard it thousands of times. And not once when I’ve heard it, did I think, “wow, I’m so impressed right now. That sounds really fulfilling.” Now, before everyone gets self-conscious and tries to think about how they responded to me when I asked you how you were today, that’s not the point. The point is that the overwhelming majority of us are not feeling rested. We’re not feeling at ease. We feel hectic, rushed, anxious, and tired. Responding to how we’re doing by saying “busy” is at least honest. But what would it take for us to respond differently? What if someone asked you how you are and you said, “I’m good. I’ve really settled into a good place where I feel rested and energized.” I know already how weird those words sound, but I don’t believe God intended us to run around frazzled and worried and hanging on by a thread. I believe that God wants to help us take a good look inside and see what drives us, to become aware of how we’re trying to live and accomplish on our own strength, and then invite us into a new way of living that includes rest the affects us down to our very core and transforms our lives. So, if you’ll open your bibles to [3][HEBREWS 4:1-13]. We’re going to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us today, to help us listen and hear, and to bring light to where we are striving and to lead us into a life that rests in Jesus and lives out of the strength he gives us. Let’s pray. [4]

(TEACH/APP) REST: GENESIS, JOSHUA,DAVID, TODAY

BACKGROUND: In order for us to understand all of this talk about rest, we need to do a quick recap of the story the author of Hebrews is drawing a comparison to. Early in the story of the Jewish people, God had sent a man named Moses to help deliver them from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. God then led his people into the wilderness where he miraculously provided food, water, and showed himself to them in power on Mount Sinai. He protected them, cared for them, and showed them he loved them. However, over and over they grumbled and complained. Things were better back in Egypt. Why’d you bring us out here to starve and die? At least in slavery we had food and water. Yet God continued to be faithful to them even when they were ungrateful. In [5][Ex. 3:17] God had made a promise. He said, “17 I have promised to rescue you from your oppression in Egypt. I will lead you to a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live.” I’m taking you from a place where you were slaves, your lives were hard, you were worked to the bone, and you were miserable, and I’m going to move you into a place of abundance. That phrase about being a land flowing with milk and honey is both literal and symbolic. [6]The promised land of Canaan was a place of new life, abundance, pleasure, and satisfaction. This is the kind of life that God wanted to give his people. But there is another attribute given to the promised land of Canaan. It would be…[7]

· A PLACE OF REST: Does that mean that once they got there, there would be no need to work? No. There would be work to do. They would be part of God’s plan for setting up his kingdom on earth. That would be hard work. But the idea was that with the God of the universe on their side, the God who had seen then and rescued them, the God who had provided for them, the God that loved them, would accomplish what he had started in them and through them. He would give them the resources they needed. All they had to do was trust him and rely on him. I’ll win your battles. I’ll provide for you. Listen to my voice and follow my ways and you’ll find rest. And God got them to the border of the promised land, and…[8]

o THEY DIDN’T GET TO REST BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T TRUST AND OBEY THE VOICE OF GOD. They looked at the obstacles, they looked at the challenges, they looked at their enemies, then they looked at themselves and said we’re too small to handle this. And deep under their insecurities and fears was a fear that God couldn’t or wouldn’t do his part! So, they weren’t allowed to enter the promised land. They spent the rest of their lives wandering around in the desert until they died. They never got to rest. They never experienced the life that God had intended for them. They got manna every day but not milk and honey. They got to pick up and move over and over instead of settling down and enjoying life. And the writer of Hebrews says…

[9]A LIFE OF REST IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW! You don’t have to live in a frantic, make it happen, run, run, run kind of way. You don’t have to live in a constant state of action, worry, and anxiety. We’re told in [Heb. 4:1] “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” It still stands, it’s still available. It’s easy to miss the argument but it goes like this. In [verse 4 ] it says “and God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” the author says look at the life that God intended in the beginning. Go back to the first book of the bible and look at…[10]

· THE REST GIVEN IN GENESIS. When he created the world, he didn’t need our help. It exists and keeps turning without our effort. God made it full and abundant. It worked well. It was good. It provided everything we needed. Then he placed us in the garden. He told us we had work to do. Tend it, make it grow. Keep it. Protect it from evil. But before we had a chance to get to work, God said, let’s take a Sabbath rest together. This wasn’t because God was tired and needed a break. It was because he wanted to enjoy being with us. The purpose of this world was to be a place to spend time with God, to enjoy being with him first. Then work with him second. Not because he needed our help, but because he likes us and wants to see his kids involved in continuing the work he started. Things all went wrong when humanity said, I don’t want to work alongside God. I want to take his place. I don’t trust him. I want to decide what will make me happy. I’ve got to take matters into my own hands instead of doing things God’s way. From that point forward, humanity has struggled to find rest. God promised them that if they would trust him, obey him, and follow him, he would…[11]

· LEAD THEM BACK TO A GARDEN AND GIVE THEM REST: Into a place like the garden of Eden. A place of abundance and life. Then he did just that, and they stood on the border of Canaan and said, I don’t trust you. I’m not sure you will care for me. And they failed to rest. They lived in the wilderness and died tired. Then the next generation that was born had grown up without a longing to go back to Egypt, had grown up trusting God for each day, and were ready to enter the land when they had the chance. In [Heb. 4:8] it mentions Joshua. It’s really interesting because when they finally did get to go into the land of Canaan, they got tastes of rest, but it says that “if Joshua had given them rest.” That means they didn’t experience the full rest God had promised. They were in the place of rest, but they didn’t live restfully. They were in the place of abundance but didn’t live abundantly. Why? Because they kept turning away from God and kept trying to live life their own way. Then the author says, many years after Joshua, [12][v. 7] mentions King David. told us that we’re just like the first generation that entered the wilderness. We’re standing on the border of the promised land. Rest is right there over the river! All you have to do is trust God. Don’t harden your hearts. Listen to his word. Obey. You can have rest today! All you have to do is have a soft heart that will listen to God’s voice and trust him and then obey. [13]

There is a popular saying that goes “I’ll rest when I’m dead.” Which is really just saying, life here is what I make it. It’s all on my shoulders to make things happen. The life I want is only possible if I do everything possible. I’ll work hard. I’ll participate in every activity. I’ll win every trophy. I’ll save enough. Go, go, go. And we’re exhausted. And we train our kids to do the same thing. Every night of the week is filled with activities. Then our kids grow up and are full of worry, anxiety, or driven-“ness” because they never learned how to rest from their parents or their parents kept them too busy. We push them because we push ourselves. Then we’re old, retired and too tired to actually start living.

[14]The Christian version of this is “I’ll rest when I get to heaven.” We’ve turned the promised land into the life we get after we die. Crossing the river Jordan is dying and getting into the promised land. There is truth to that, but if we wait to rest till we die, we might not truly live. But God intended us to live restful and abundant lives while we’re still alive. [15]As a pastor named Warren Weirsbe calls it, there is an eternal rest for us in heaven, a SALVATION REST. But there is a way of resting here in this world and in this life that is a SUBMISSION REST. A life that is full of peace that passes understanding because we trust God and live in the knowledge that he’ll provide and lead us. It obeys him and his boundaries, even when we don’t like them or understand them. The Good News is that there is a kingdom way of living right now. It’s a life with God that results in rest regardless of the place or circumstances. The author of Hebrews is saying “Today” is the day you can find rest. You can enter the rest and begin to truly live fully “today.” How do we do that? Let me give you two practical take-aways. [16]

(JC) JESUS OUR JOSHUA, FOLLOW AND LISTEN TO HIM [Z]

JESUS IS OUR JOSHUA WHO BOTH SHOWS US AND LEADS US TO REST: Did you know that when you translate the name Joshua from Hebrew it becomes Jesus? The author of Hebrews is saying, we have a new Joshua! Jesus showed us what living a full life that was also full of rest. Notice you never see Jesus hurrying. He’s always on the go, but he never seems stressed out. Yes, he had times he was tired, but he was able to sleep, even through a hurricane like storm. You know why? Because he was constantly trusting that his Father was leading him and was in control. Jesus shows us a life of rest is possible while still here on earth. But he’s also A leader who will take us out of the exhaustion of the wilderness and lead us into the rest of God. [17]Jesus came to give us rest. I’m going to read his words in [Matt 11:28-30] from the Message Bible paraphrase. It says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” We fail to experience rest when we try to live life as if we’re in charge. We fail to experience rest when we look to things to fulfill us and give us joy. We fail to experience rest when we live like we have to make things happen. And Jesus says, COME TO ME! LET ME LEAD! SPEND TIME WITH ME! WALK BESIDE ME! I’LL DO THE HEAVEY LIFTING! I’VE GOT THE BIGGER SHOULDERS. WE’LL WORK TOGETHER. When you do that, you’ll live freely and lightly. You’ll be rested and your work will be done from a place of freedom and joy. How do we come to Jesus to find rest? WE COME TO JESUS BY…[18]

STRIVING TO LISTEN TO HIS VOICE THEN OBEY: [19-20][Heb. 4:11-13] After reading all these passages and talking about rest, it almost seems weird that the author of Hebrews would shift into talking about the word of God and scripture. But think about it. There are a lot of voices out there that keep us from experiencing rest. The voices around us and the voices in our heads tell us if we want the good life, we have to work hard and take it. Hustle, work, achieve, save. But there is a voice that cuts through all those and goes directly into the secret places of our essence like a sword, like a scalpel. When we sit quietly with the word of God and listen to his voice, it comes alive. It silences fear, worry, anxiety. It confronts our selfishness. It provides a sense of comfort, helps us trust, because the God who started this all is powerful enough and wise enough to finish what he’s doing in us and through us. His voice gives us wisdom. When we carve out time daily to read his word, to sit quietly and absorb what he has said, we begin to live differently. Instead of striving, it becomes a partnership. Walking side by side with Jesus, the one who has big shoulders. Who says, I’ve got most of it, just do what I ask you to do. Then when we come to Jesus to find rest, we can answer the question of how are you doing with “I’m good. I’ve really settled into a good place where I feel rested and energized.” And watch the world around us say, I want that! How? Let’s pray.