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[Music] so take your bibles turn with me to hebrews chapter four and i want to bring you a message today i'm very pumped very fired up very excited about what i have to share today from god's word the topic the theme is soul rest rest for your souls we've been talking about it over these past weeks always talking about it we can't stop talking about this great salvation that we have in jesus christ what a wonderful savior is jesus our lord what a beautiful life we have in the lord jesus christ who is our sin bearer he took our sins upon the cross he bore them to calvary he died so that we may live he is our life he is our lord salvation is in christ and christ alone but not only is jesus our sin bearer he is our burden bearer he takes the load of sin and guilt and pain and problems the difficulties that we face day by day i mean life on a good day can be challenging much less the hard days that we encounter along the way and yet there is this wonderful promise in god's word the promise of rest just take a deep breath right now rest for your body rest for your mind your soul rest for your spirits this is the rest that jesus announced invited us to experience when he said come to me come to me all you who are laboring and are heavy-laden your carrying a big load a big weight he said come to me and i will give you rest and then he added rest for your souls rest within so many are weary and worn and wrung out in the passage in front of us there is this wonderful promise of god's rest the rest of christ that he gives to us when we trust in him the peace that passes understanding it is inexplicable unexplainable and yet it is unmistakable this peace you will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee for his soul trust in the the rest that comes from following jesus you can rest in peace and you don't have to die and go to heaven to rest in peace you can experience this peace this rest every day of your life as a christian nine times in hebrews chapter four the word rest or sabbath is mentioned nine times so that's the point of this passage verse nine is the key verse look at it so then there remains a sabbath rest for the people of god in closing the passage of the chapter verse 11. we're encouraged we're commanded to make every effort to enter into this rest this is the challenge to make this your priority make every effort that is make it your purpose to enter in to this rest there is some effort required even in rest as we're going to see in just a moment but make every effort to enter into this rest background is way back in the day when israel was coming out of the exodus god uh through the exodus god had given them the hope the promise of a land that was flowing with milk and honey it was a beautiful place a bountiful place and they were on the edge of this blessing they were ready to go in and take the promised land so they spent they sent spies in to check it out this was the beginning of mossad the jewish cia you might say so they sent 12 spies in the jewish people have always been very good at this and they sent 12 in and all 12 came back out and 10 reported to say it's just as god promised it's a it's an incredible place the the grapes are are bigger than grapefruits it is it is flowing with abundance it's a land that god has promised but there are giants in this land and we are like insects we're like grasshoppers compared to these giants there is no way we can defeat these giants and take this land now remember god had promised in the land god said go take the land it's yours possess your possession but they said no we can't it's impossible except for two men one by the name of joshua the other by the name of caleb and these two men said yes it's a great land god has given us this land it's time to take it god will make a way even though there seems to be no way but the majority ruled and did you know the majority is not always right but they voted ten to two to stay in the wilderness and so that began because of their unbelief and we read about this unbelief in hebrews chapter four their unbelief it began the world's longest funeral march because for the next generation save caleb and joshua and their families who believed the rest of them died in the wilderness 40 years i mean it was a short distance really from egypt to this land of promise known as canaan a direct route would have taken them in very soon but they wandered in the wilderness don't get the idea you know they were wandering around i don't know where i'm going i don't know where i'm going just wandering like that no that meant they were they were desert disciples they were unbelieving believers and therefore they died in the wilderness they did not receive the promise they never entered into this rest that god had promised and god still promises today and so with that background let me talk with you about this rest what it is and how to enter in first of all this rest is a sabbath rest in hebrews 4 4 if you just scroll up a little bit there it talks about god resting on the seventh day that god created in six days and on the seventh day he rested this is not because god is tired because god is never tired never weary no need for him to sleep but when it speaks of god's rest it speaks of the rest of completion creation is complete it's the rest of satisfaction of a job well done because god said it is good it is good it is good and thus was established on this on the seventh day the sabbath because god modeled this and mentored this for his people we are even commanded in god's top ten list the ten commandments number four commandment to keep the sabbath day and to keep it holy to put a week's worth of work behind us and then on one day of the week to worship god and to rest body soul and spirit god has called us to weekly worship a day of celebration a day of consecration a day to pray a day to hear god's word and yet so often we have sacrificed the lord's day for pleasure and profit or both everybody needs a chick-fil-a day off and i appreciate the fact though i miss those chicken sandwiches on sunday i appreciate the fact that chick-fil-a demonstrates this principle i'm telling you this it's impossible not just improbable but impossible for you to go forward in your faith to grow in your faith as god has called us if you are not practicing this principle of showing up faithfully at god's church with god's people on god's day to hear god's word to worship the lord jesus christ we'll learn later in hebrews chapter 10 verse 25 do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is and so much the more encourage one another as you see the day approaching what day as the times get darker near the return of christ so much the more how much more do we need one another and the fellowship of god's people this is a day to honor him this is a day to praise him this is a day to worship him i can't imagine missing this day i look forward to it i think the first scripture i ever memorized as a little boy was i was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the lord it's always been a god gladdening day god guiding day for me it's a principle in my life it's a time catch this it's a time for your soul to catch up with your body because we're going and going and going hard and god in his wisdom knows that you can't keep the pace that many are keeping and continue to be faithful to him it's a matter of obedience isn't it so many are restless because they don't have a relationship with god that they maintain in their lives augustine said this you have made us for our yourself myself oh lord and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in the someone just said you could describe the average american at the end of life hurry worry bury god says be still and know that i am god every one of us all of us need time in our lives that we disconnect from the world and all of the precious and connect with god and god has chosen a day for us again every day is his day every day is a sabbath day we experience his rest but this is the day the lord has made for you and me to worship him and yet if the statistics are correct most people who are even regular attenders and members of churches today make it to worship in their church with their church family about twice a month it's not good enough we better get back to old-fashioned church attendance and when i talk about old-fashioned i'm not talking about 50 years ago i'm talking about 2 000 years ago when god's people gather daily and in the temple and from house to house and they worship together this includes of course physical rest if you want to get strong physically then make sure your mind your spirit is being strengthened in worship i guarantee you your weak will go better if you will obey this promise because the scripture says hebrews chapter 11 that god is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him and god is going to bless you and god is going to rest you and strengthen you if you will be faithful to him and practice sabbath rest you say well sunday's my only day off i need to take sunday for myself sunday's not your day the lord's day is not your day what is it the lord's day is not your day it's god's day thanks again for tuning in to powerpoint today and we just want to take a little break because i we want you to have something very important at powerpoint we like to put resources in people's hands that encourage you to know christ and to know him more and more in your life and of course that's always god's word the scripture and my friend os hawkins dr o s hawkins has written a devotional book that we are offering in fact this is one of many devotional books that dr hawkins has written there are over 2 million in print and sold and more to come but this one is called the jesus code and it is a companion to your personal bible study and for your gift of any amount we want you to have it but os is here with me in the studio today tell us os what the jesus code is all about well it's just a devotional book jack that uh you know reading devotionally through the new testament some years ago i was astounded at how many times jesus asked questions in the bible he was always asking questions 150 of them escaped his lips that are recorded in john and we know the bible says at the end of the book of john that if everything jesus said it did had been recorded all the books couldn't contain them but we have 150. so i picked 52 questions one for a week of devotional throughout the year 52 questions that i think every believer ought to be able to answer before they get to heaven for example job asks abraham dies will he live again in the book in the gospel of matthew who do you say that i am they're just 52 questions that all of us should be able to answer before we get to heaven yeah questions like what are you doing here to elijah and in the beginning in genesis has god said and on and on so so many questions that people have are answered in the bible in fact all of our questions are answered in god's word that's what this book is about right out of scripture it's full of god's word it's not just nice thoughts or good ideas this is god's word the questions of the bible for your gift of any amount we will send you right away the jesus code 52 scripture questions every believer should answer there's something else about this rest not only is it this sabbath rest wherein we practice this principle of weekly worship and gathering with god's people but this is spiritual rest what we're calling soul rest look at verse 1 back in hebrews 4 verse 1 says this promise or the promise still stands well of course all of god's promises stand i mean the stars would fall out of the sky if god ever broke a promise we break promises but god never breaks a promise so this promise about rest wasn't just for the people then the hebrews in the old testament or even in the new testament but this principle still stands verse 3. look at it for we who have believed have entered into that rest we've come to jesus and we have entered into this spiritual rest and then verse six is an interesting line it says it remains for some to enter it now you could say well it remains for some to enter it for the first time for salvation to get into christ and therefore this eternal rest but it also means that it remains for some of you who are believers to enter into this rest because you're not living in victory you're not living in the land of of god's promises this this land you know what the promised land really represents you say well it represents heaven it can and does but in reality the promised land canaan in the old testament is a picture of the spirit filled life a life of abundance that christ has promised us a life that is full and overflowing this land of milk and honey and unfortunately while many have left egypt they're still in the desert spiritually because you as a believer have not entered in you're not experiencing the spirit filled life the spiritual walk you're in the wilderness you're a desert disciple you're an unbelieving believer because you're still out there living in the desert when god has called you to the spiritual reality of his presence his power his provision in your life that's the rest i'm talking about it is this beautiful bountiful blessed canaan promise promised land for everyone so that's why again if you look at verse six again it remains for some who enter it verse never nine look at it again so then there remains a sabbath rest for the people of god it's there for the asking and again we quote it let us strive to enter that rest how are we going to do that very quickly let me give you some practical ways that you can practice this spiritual rest in your life number one renew your faith daily i said worship weekly worship every week with god's people but be a disciple daily you want to rest take time out stop the white noise in your life even if it's just for a little while be still and know that i am god hear listen to the still small voice practice god's presence pray remove the distractions and reject the disappointments and find each day happiness in him joy in him hope in him that's the rest that we're talking about but not only renew your faith daily but relate to god's people i've already talked about this to some degree but there are people in our lives who refresh us paul talked about this imagine paul needing people but he did and he often mentioned names of people who had encouraged him and and and people who had prayed for him and and blessed him he he mentioned one man in particular epaphroditus and he says you refreshed me isn't it wonderful to be around refreshing people people who build you up and don't tear you down that's what god's church should be like it ought to be a place where we are refreshed by by friends and the fellowship of god's church the community of god's people there are people who deplete you and there are people who complete you and you might even ask yourself what kind of person am i am i depleting people or am i completing people with my attitude with my actions thirdly repent of unholy behavior you know what will wear you out faster than anything unrepented of sin and guilt say following christ is hard well jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light but the bible says the way of the transgressor is hard so if you are addicted to some sinful behavior if you are you are living in in disobedience to god if you are sinning and are unwilling to come clean with god and confess your sin that's the biggest beat down in life the devil will wear you out obedience produces rest disobedience produces death ask jesus to be the lord over your thoughts over your moods over your morale yes jesus wants to change our personalities that our lives would be characterized by the fruit the bountiful fruit of the promised life which is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness meekness self-control fourthly remove toxic emotions as christians we we need to get rid of those toxic deadly emotions of fear and worry and anxiety and anger and here's a big one self-pity because these drain us you see and the only way i know to get rid of these negatives is by the positive of getting in the presence of god to learn to rest not not worry to pray and not worry sound good i can't tell you how often i've been bone tired and yet a time of prayer or a verse of scripture or a simple song or a hymn or a passage that i might read in a devotional or a word encouragement of encouragement from a friend or a line that i may write in my daily journal a promise in god's word i can't tell you how often when so tired to be lifted and the burden rolls away when i enter into his rest because in his presence his fullness of joy at his right hand are pleasures forevermore this is why you must take this rest today it's time right in the middle of this passage is a warning it flows out of the earlier passage that we saw last week a warning which says today if you hear his voice do not harden your heart because that brings me then to my last rest and that is salvation rest here's what this rest is is about we are saved we have salvation not because of our performance or our activity our our behavior but by resting in the finished work of christ say amen to that thank you by resting in the finished completed work of jesus christ when he died on the cross he cried out it is finished to palestine that means accomplished not that he was finished he is alive forevermore but the work of salvation is now complete it is done the transaction is completed and now we rest in this by believing and receiving christ so today today if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts did you know it's possible to so say no and no and no and no and no to the work of the holy spirit and resist the word of god and the love of christ it is possible to walk away for the last time with a hardened heart the fact is the fact is that what we do repeatedly we get better typically unless it's my golf game you would think i would be better by now but i don't know that i am some things most things if you do it enough even that if i did it enough i would get better if some of you have gotten really good at saying no to god no to the holy spirit and the bible says my spirit will not always strive with a man and there's the prospect of sudden death no wonder the scripture says today if you hear his voice and that word today doesn't mean a 24-hour day it means this day it means this day of opportunity this day of salvation because you say no it means 24 hours no it doesn't you may not have 24 hours the bible says there's but a step between me and death that heartbeat you were just one heartbeat i asked alexa the other day how many people die every day in the world you know what she said 153 000 in something every day we did a series on heaven maybe you want to get those messages but all about heaven and all the glorious things that are going to happen in heaven you want to go there i promise you because jesus is there and our loved ones who have gone before us are present with the lord this is our promise this is our [Music] rest you