Can I Get Some Rest?

How many times at the end of a day, have you used the following word: "I just need to sit down and rest."
How many people are looking at that hammock and instead of thinking rest, remembering all their To Do Lists for tomorrow?

In our Fast Food, High Speed Internet, Interstate Highway, Soccer Game Saturday, and I want mine yesterday world; it's difficult to get any rest.

In our lesson this week, I want us to realize that "rest" is used eleven times in Heb 3:18 -4:11. The beauty of the word is that in English and in Greek it has different meanings. The primary meaning is of God's rest - Eternal Salvation. The requirements are explained in the passage.

The Gospel united with Faith(Belief) = Rest
A Lack of Faith(Disobedience) = Shall Not Enter My Rest

The Eternal Rest for those that believe is a tremendous encouragement for us today; one which should be reflected in our lifestyle. John MacArthur's commentary on Hebrews highlights the definitions of rest (in parenthesis)

Rest means we "cease from action" any self-effort on our part regarding our salvation. This alone should relieve the pressure to perform our works for anything but the glory of God alone.

Rest means to "be free from worry." One of the biggest joy stealers in our lives today is worry, but for a believer God has freed you and I from that.

Rest means to "be settled" and "secure." We are secure in Jesus's hand and our debt has been settled. We are secure in whom we have believed and settled that He is able.

Rest means "to lean on." I can't think of anything more secure than leaning on the One that created and sustains the world. That knows everything about me; yet still desires my relationship.

4:1 "Therefore, let us fear, while a promise remains of entering His rest, lest any one of you should seem to have come short of it."

4:3a "For we who have believed enter that rest"

Here's hoping you find some rest this week in the promises of God.

The Hardened Heart

In our study of Hebrews Chapter 3 this week, the hardened heart is mentioned three times.

In verses 12-13 is a warning. "Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encourage each other daily, while it is still call today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception."

There is an illustration concerning how the same sun that melts wax also hardens clay. It just depends on what properties the subject has. When God's word acts as a light and shines in the human soul, the heart either melts into submission or hardens into unbelief and defiance. There is no middle ground. An encounter with God always changes us, it never leaves us the same.

There are two words in this passage that I want to mention that will help us avoid sin's deception and an unbelieving heart: Encourage and Today

The scripture tells us to encourage each other daily, which is hard to do if we don't actually spend any time with other Christians (outside our family). It is important that we share God's story and our stories with one another so that we can show examples at how faithful and trustworthy our God is.

The scripture also warns us about responding to God immediately. "Today, if you hear His voice." The other way we can avoid a hardened heart is to respond to what we know God has said today. Someday, there won't be a tomorrow.

So, how can we avoid hardened hearts? You tell me.

What is Man?

Since the beginning of recorded history, mankind has asked this question. From Plato to Aristotle and Hobbes to Darwin, there is a desperate search for who and what man is. Unfortunately, when we look for that answer we too often begin with either ourselves or something that is visible. Science might have us think that you and I evolved from an earlier species. I don't know of anything more depressing and devoid of hope.

Fortunately, we have God's Word and the full revelation of God in Jesus to guide us into a different answer to that question. You and I were created in the image of God! Our destiny was to have dominion over this earth and all its inhabitants, but in our disobedience we surrendered that authority to the prince of this world, Satan.

Then God's Son, Jesus, took on the form of humanity and restored the Kingdom of God here on earth. He delivered all those who believe from the curse of spiritual death, He authored the way of salvation, He overcame Satan, He sanctifies His brothers and sisters, He sits at the right hand of the father as our High Priest, and He promises aid to all those who are tempted.

What is man? He is the creation and handiwork of a mighty, holy, and loving God!

What is man? Worthy enough that God took human form in the person of Jesus to provide an atonement for our disobedience and reconcile us to God, the Father.

What is man? The only way to find out is to spend time with God who created him. Only his opinion matters.

Grace to all,
Troy

Hebrews 2:6
"What is man, that you remember him? or the son of man, that you are concerned about him?"

Hebrews 2:9-10
"But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower that the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings."

What is God Like?

During our study of Hebrews, we find that Jesus is the exact representation of God's nature (character), unlike man who is made in His image. As Jesus himself stated, If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.

So if we want a picture of the nature and character of God; we look to Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith. No greater word picture can be found than Paul's description of Christ and the attitude we should have than Phillipians Chapter 2.

Humility; service; empty; death. In our culture, not words that we would use to label greatness. But notice the words that come later: exalt and glory.

So what is God like? Well, just look at Jesus. The radiance of His glory shines greatest through the service of His Son.

Likewise; the image of God that you and I were created in; shines brightest in our humility and service to others through the Son.

Grace to all
Troy

Hebrews 1:1-3
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Philippians 2:5-11
Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.