1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,000 We're going to continue now, transition somehow to the book 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:08,000 of Hebrews. We are now in our fourth week of this sermon 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:12,000 series, Simply Irresistible, where we're looking at the 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,000 central lens of the book of Hebrews is Jesus himself. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,000 And I think as we've sat in service so far, this service, 6 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,000 as most services are and should be, all about the person of 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,000 Jesus, the writer of Hebrews. Again, we don't know who it was. Writing to an audience, 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:32,000 getting them to understand why Jesus 9 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,000 is it. It's not only the it factor, but he is 10 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:40,000 the way, the truth, the life that your life fully defined 11 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:44,000 is found in the person of Jesus. We started 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:48,000 with showing that Jesus is higher than the angels. 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,000 We talked about that, we talked about the angelic and how Jesus is beyond 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,000 that. And then the writer is kind of taking the name of Jesus 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 through the history of the Old Testament. We talked about Moses, why Jesus 16 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,000 is better than Moses. Though Moses was a wonderful messenger of the 17 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:08,000 Lord and God used him mightily to take, bring the Israelites 18 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,000 out of slavery from Egypt, Moses was 19 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 fallible. Moses didn't always obey, right? 20 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,000 But Jesus, fully God, fully man, obeyed the Father 21 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,000 completely, even to the point of death and then resurrection. 22 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,000 And so there should be this irresistibleness to the person 23 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:32,000 of Jesus. Yet a lot of the world and maybe even some of us in the room today 24 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,000 or online tend to resist aspects of the Bible 25 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:40,000 or resist aspects of Jesus himself. 26 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 Now, if I may be so bold, I think part of that is because we don't want to be fully honest with 27 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,000 ourselves. To believe in someone who knows me better 28 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:52,000 than I know myself, who knows all of my insecurities, all my faults, all my 29 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,000 sins, even before I might choose to confess them to 30 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:00,000 him, that's intimidating, that's downright scary 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:04,000 that someone knows you like that. 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000 But the conversation that we're going to have today has to do with something that the 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 Lord provides all of us. And 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,000 I'm speaking to myself first, I don't always take advantage of this. 35 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,000 It's rest. The idea of rest. 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,000 We're going to talk about that in detail, 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:28,000 if you will, because chapter four of the book of Hebrews talks specifically 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:32,000 about that. So if you're new to the church, maybe it's your first time here, I do like to 39 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,000 interact a little bit, ask some questions, get some responses, kind of see where we are, the pulse 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,000 of the congregation. When I say the word rest, 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,000 what comes to mind? Sleeping. Let's just get the obvious 42 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000 out of the way, right? Sleeping. But for you, when you're at rest, 43 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,000 what are some of those things? What are some of those scenarios 44 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,000 or places that maybe you find rest? 45 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 The beach, absolutely. My wife, she's 46 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:04,000 at a baptism for my nephew this morning, she would say the same thing. She finds rest 47 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:08,000 at the beach. That came after the boys learned how to 48 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,000 swim. Because prior to that, rest was, ehh, but now 49 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:16,000 that they know how to swim, it's a lot better. Others. 50 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,000 The Sabbath, okay, we're going to talk about that. Yeah, talk about what that 51 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 actually means. You find rest in surrendering. 52 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:28,000 Interesting answer. I don't think a lot of people would agree with that, but for you, maybe. 53 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:32,000 Absolutely. Others. 54 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,000 Stop doing, ooh, I like that one. Ah, that one preaches to my heart. 55 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:40,000 It is what it is, or it is well. Alright, 56 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,000 so understanding that, it is what it is. 57 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 I just know a lot of people, they hate that saying, but that's interesting that you find rest in that. 58 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,000 Henry. Recovery, well, yep, 59 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,000 absolutely, absolutely. We give thanks 60 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 for Henry's recovery after his cardiac incident a couple weeks ago, so we 61 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:04,000 definitely give thanks for that. For rest and recovery. Anyone else? 62 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,000 Oh my, okay. What? 63 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:12,000 Doing nothing, sure, yeah. Doing nothing. 64 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:16,000 Others. Pause, not clause, 65 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,000 that doesn't make any sense. Pause, okay. 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 So we're going to talk about rest. It is something I don't 67 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,000 do well. I know, you're shocked. I don't rest well. 68 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,000 And there are times that the Lord has to 69 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,000 bring me to a place of rest. And if we 70 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 think about it, and we open our minds to that idea, that 71 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,000 we need rest. We were created to rest. 72 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 I don't care how much Mountain Dew you drink, how many Red Bulls 73 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,000 or whatever energy you drink, how many people remember Jolt? How many people remember 74 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Jolt Cola? That was the stuff. Yeah, absolutely. 75 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Love me a Jolt Cola. But even the most Jolt Colas, 76 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,000 right, which probably stunted my growth, probably that still 77 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,000 doesn't take place the fact we were created 78 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,000 to rest, right? Now, that doesn't mean lazy, 79 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:16,000 that doesn't mean at times not doing anything, but we were 80 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000 created to rest, and we're going to talk about that. But we're going to start in the 81 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,000 can of the door, like we've done almost every 82 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,000 sermon, because there is a article, there is a 83 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,000 section of one of our confessions specifically set apart 84 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,000 for irresistible grace. 85 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:40,000 That there's this irresistibleness to faith, that when something's going on 86 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,000 in you, that conviction of the Holy Spirit, maybe you felt it at Camp Minnetocca 87 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:48,000 on the Wednesday Night Fire, maybe you felt it in Catechism, 88 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:52,000 maybe you felt it on a spiritual retreat. I know for some of you, you felt it 89 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:56,000 right here in this sanctuary over a span of years. 90 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:00,000 When the Holy Spirit is at work, 91 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:04,000 and the regeneration of the heart, where your heart is becoming new 92 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,000 to the person of Jesus, something is happening. 93 00:06:08,000 --> 00:06:12,000 And it's something that is, excuse me, irresistible. 94 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,000 So this is Article 9 from the fulfillment of God's plan. 95 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:20,000 This plan, arising out of God's eternal love for the elect, for his people, 96 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,000 from the beginning of the world to the present time, has been powerfully 97 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,000 carried out, and will also be carried out in the future. 98 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,000 The gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it. 99 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,000 As a result, the elect are gathered into one, all in their own time, 100 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ's blood. 101 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,000 A church which steadfastly loves, persistently 102 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:48,000 worships, and here in all eternity praises 103 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,000 him for her Savior, who laid down his life for her on the cross, 104 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,000 as a bridegroom for his bride. 105 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:00,000 So if you read that, especially that 106 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:04,000 kind of that, what is it, the third line, that the church is involved. 107 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,000 That the church is involved in you 108 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:12,000 growing spiritually, that the church should be involved 109 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:16,000 in the irresistibleness of the grace of 110 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:20,000 Jesus. The grace that is founded in salvation. 111 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,000 Now, the whole other sermon series, that 112 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:28,000 we'll probably do at some point, I'm not even going to put a date on it, because I don't even know where we are 113 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:32,000 right now, but as far as future sermons, but the church, I think we would 114 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,000 all agree, does not do a good job, because the church at times 115 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:40,000 neglects the part that we call 116 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:44,000 rest, or as Curtis put it, Sabbath. 117 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,000 That a lot of times the churches get so busy 118 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:52,000 that they burn out their leaders, they burn out their counsel, they burn 119 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:56,000 out their pastor, all of these things, that there is a time 120 00:07:56,000 --> 00:08:00,000 for the church to rest as well. Now that doesn't mean we 121 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 stop doing ministries, that doesn't mean that we say, oh, for this next 122 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,000 year we're not going to do anything, but if you look at our 123 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:12,000 ministry season, we build in those times. 124 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,000 We do follow a school calendar, and I would love to think that the school calendar had 125 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Biblical values that showed that there should be rest for students, I think it's more for teachers 126 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,000 than students, and that's a good thing, because teachers need rest as well, amen. 127 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:28,000 Okay, yep. But we do, we have periods 128 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,000 of rest. We want our ministry leaders, 129 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:36,000 your counsel, myself, to take times of rest. 130 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:40,000 Whether that's forced upon us by the Holy Spirit, 131 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,000 enter my journey over this last year, right, having four weeks off 132 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:48,000 the pulpit, having ten days where I was not able to talk, 133 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,000 and I appreciate all of those letters, 134 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,000 and notes, and text messages of encouragement 135 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 to learn something during that time. That brought great 136 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:04,000 encouragement to me as I was not able to talk back. 137 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:08,000 You took your shot, and I appreciate it, and it was well received for the most part. 138 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,000 But this idea of rest, this idea of being in 139 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 God's rest, if I and the church is going to expect 140 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,000 people to do that, the church should do it as well. 141 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:24,000 Now, that doesn't mean we're all going to take a nap right now. That's not what that means. 142 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Because that would be weird. Think about that. If I said quiet time 143 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 for ten minutes, and we just stood in here for ten minutes or sat, 144 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:36,000 how awkward would that be? How many of you would fall asleep? 145 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:40,000 Okay, so I'm going to keep talking so that doesn't happen. 146 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 Even though for some of you that still will happen, and I receive that as well. 147 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:48,000 We're going to look at Hebrews chapter four, because it's going to 148 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,000 talk about God's rest and what we need 149 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,000 to have as far as a mindset and being open 150 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,000 to the thing called rest or Sabbath. 151 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,000 We're going to kind of use some of that interchangeably this morning. 152 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Starting with verse one. Therefore, while the promise 153 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,000 of entering his rest still stands, for us, fear 154 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,000 lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it, 155 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:20,000 for good news came to us just as to them, but the message 156 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united 157 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,000 by faith with those who listened. For we who 158 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,000 have believed entered that rest, as he has said, as I swore 159 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:36,000 in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest, although 160 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,000 his works were finished from the foundation of the world, 161 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,000 for he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this 162 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,000 way, and God rested on the seventh day from all his works. 163 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,000 I went one too far, didn't I? 164 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Nope, okay, all his works. And again, in this passage, he said, 165 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:00,000 they shall not enter my rest. So, understand that 166 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:04,000 what is being talked about here is the Ten Commandments. 167 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:08,000 What's being talked about here is the law. So, one of the first things that we need to 168 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:12,000 understand is that it is lawful to 169 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:16,000 rest. That in the Ten Foundational 170 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:20,000 Commandments, and we know what these are, you shall have no other gods, you shall not 171 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:24,000 carve for you any graven image of a god, do not take the name of your lord, 172 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:28,000 your god in vain, on the Sabbath day, rest, keep 173 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,000 it holy, and for a lot of people, that is Sundays. 174 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:36,000 Man, you're lucky that you get to rest on Sundays, but that isn't for 175 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:40,000 everybody, right? My nurses, my doctors, my, well, 176 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 most doctors do, but for a lot of people in the medical field, a lot of people 177 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,000 in civil service, right? Pastors. Now, I know a lot 178 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:52,000 of you think I only work one day a week, but you know, if I didn't 179 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,000 have to on Sunday, I'd be able to rest seven days of the week according to you. And that would 180 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,000 be great. No, you know me, I would hate that. 181 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,000 But understand, this is a part of defining a people. 182 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,000 Now, what we can pull from that 183 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:12,000 is that the Israelites were workers. Now, part 184 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,000 of that is they were slaves, so they had to work, and I don't know, 185 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 we don't really know what kind of lifestyle they had as far as being in 186 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 slavery in Egypt, but we can pretty much say that for 400 years it wasn't the best. 187 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,000 It wasn't the life God had for them, right? No one is meant to 188 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:32,000 be in slavery. 189 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:36,000 And understand that rest, when He defined for them 190 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,000 the vertical relationship, we've talked about this already, 191 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000 the first four commandments have to do with my relationship with God. 192 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,000 The other six have to do with how I show God to the world. 193 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,000 Things like do not commit adultery, do not murder, 194 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,000 all of those things. Do not covet, do not steal, 195 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,000 we can't say, and we've said this before, man, I believe in Jesus, but I'm going to 196 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:04,000 murder a little bit. It doesn't work. 197 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,000 That is not, that is, what's the word I'm looking for, that you can't do that, 198 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,000 that's inconsistent to the life of the believer. 199 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:16,000 So understanding that, that from the very beginning 200 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,000 rest was in the ingredients of what it meant to have 201 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,000 a relationship with God. And I think from very early on 202 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,000 He was talking to the workaholics, those that 203 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:32,000 strive to work, that there's never an end to work, and it's the work 204 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:36,000 to always be producing, always to be achieving. 205 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:40,000 Because there can be, and I know I'm going to get emails about this, 206 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,000 there can be an idol to your work. 207 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:48,000 That our 208 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 ability to work, our ability to make money, our ability to 209 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,000 be successful, there's nothing wrong with climbing a corporate ladder, there's 210 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,000 nothing wrong in starting your own business and being successful, there's nothing wrong 211 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,000 in starting your own business and not being successful. Because that happens all 212 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,000 the time too. But that driving, that striving, can 213 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:12,000 become an idol. 214 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:16,000 That so often God puts people in our lives to say, hey, slow down 215 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,000 a bit. Hey, you're working way too much. Maybe 216 00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:24,000 it's your spouse that says, we never see you, because you're always working. 217 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:28,000 Your kids would like to have a relationship with their father 218 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,000 or their mother. A little passive aggressive, 219 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 but it's true that this strive to always succeed 220 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,000 can be idol worship. And if it's one thing we know 221 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,000 about the Ten Commandments, they were to take us out 222 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,000 of the mindset of idol worship. Because the Israelites were in that mindset 223 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,000 in Egypt every day. That every day there were Egyptians 224 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,000 praying to a God for something. They were worshiping constantly 225 00:14:56,000 --> 00:15:00,000 pagan gods. Yet the God who created you, 226 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,000 the God that loves you, puts in there number four. 227 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Again, I'm not going to rank them because they're all commandments, just like we don't rank sins, 228 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:12,000 they're all sins. Is remember the Sabbath day, 229 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:16,000 keep it holy. Rest. Right? If we take 230 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:20,000 the word Sabbath out and put rest in, which we can do, we'll get to that in a minute. 231 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Remember to rest and to keep it holy. 232 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:28,000 That your rest should be something that you're striving for. 233 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,000 Daily? Weekly? Monthly? I don't know. 234 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:36,000 That's between you and the Lord. But that 235 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,000 rest is a part of that. Now you 236 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000 go on into other parts of the Old Testament that the Lord actually uses 237 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 rest as the signifier of winning. That, you know 238 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:52,000 what? When all of this has happened they will enter my rest. When they are 239 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:56,000 faithful they will enter my rest. 240 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,000 Now some people believe that God's rest is death. And in some ways it is. 241 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:04,000 There is ways to talk about it that way. But this is something different. 242 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,000 This word rest in the Hebrew but also in the Greek 243 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:12,000 means also peace. 244 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 A calmness, a peace. 245 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,000 So I guess one of my questions this morning is, do you 246 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:24,000 have peace in your life? 247 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:28,000 Do you have that comfort of Christ in your 248 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,000 life where you can pause, gain perspective about a situation, 249 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:36,000 a relationship, whatever it is? That is part of God's 250 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,000 rest. God's rest and God's peace are linked. 251 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:44,000 So let's move on. 252 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:48,000 So if they're linked and we are striving to find those things 253 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:52,000 then we're going to jump. Since therefore it remains for some 254 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:56,000 to enter it and those who formally receive the good news fail to enter 255 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000 because of disobedience. Again appoints a certain day today 256 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 saying through David so long afterwards, in the 257 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,000 words already quoted today if you hear his voice, do not harden 258 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,000 your hearts. 259 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000 Part of entering God's rest and getting God's peace 260 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000 is hearing God's voice. 261 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:24,000 So I guess that begs the question. 262 00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:28,000 I'm not even going to ask are you hearing God's voice, are you listening 263 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:32,000 for God's voice? Are you reading God's 264 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:36,000 voice? You want to find peace and comfort? Go to your Bible. 265 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:40,000 Call an elder, call me. We will 266 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,000 talk about the Bible. For people that want to come into 267 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,000 my office and talk about their struggles, awesome. I love doing that. 268 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,000 The pastoral counseling side of my job is something I very much enjoy. 269 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 As I go to my pastors and my mentors and 270 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:00,000 my counselor to talk about all that stuff. 271 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,000 But there are some of us that go in and go why 272 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:08,000 isn't things going right in my life? First and foremost you're making 273 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:12,000 it about yourself so be careful. But second thing is are you listening 274 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,000 for perspective? Part of God's peace is and God's 275 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:20,000 rest is God's perspective. Well I don't know God's 276 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:24,000 perspective. Are you listening for it? What does that even mean? Are you reading your Bible? 277 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,000 No. Well then let's start there. 278 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,000 Because God makes it, I don't know, to me 279 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:36,000 and I struggle with this too, it seems pretty clear. 280 00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000 It seems pretty clear. But there are times we want to 281 00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:44,000 bypass that because we have a very specific understanding. We have a very 282 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 specific description of what our peace and our rest and 283 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:52,000 our comfort should look like. Well friends that's not how it 284 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,000 goes. God I will believe in you if you answer my prayers 285 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:00,000 exactly the way I want them to be. No because you're not praying to God 286 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:04,000 you're praying to a genie. And that doesn't work. That's not the same. 287 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:08,000 Because those that believe still did not because they have 288 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000 disobedience. Though you believe in God and you continually disobey 289 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,000 what does that say about your beliefs? 290 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,000 Right? It's like the husband and the wife 291 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:24,000 who they say they love each other but they are constantly lying to each other. 292 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:28,000 They are constantly passive aggressive to each other. They don't sleep in the same beds. 293 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:32,000 They don't have that kind of relationship. Yet they love each 294 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:36,000 other. How does that work? Now some of you are going to come back and go 295 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:40,000 and tell me about the wealth they snore. 296 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:44,000 Lovingly I'm going to say endure. 297 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,000 Get earplugs. I don't know. We'll all go down that road. 298 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:52,000 But do you see where the inconsistency is? 299 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:56,000 Man I love God. I work for God. I'm going to have two trunks at the Fall Family 300 00:19:56,000 --> 00:20:00,000 and I'm actually going to go to another church and do that too. I'm going to be 301 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:04,000 covert and see what they're doing and then I'm going to come back to Munster and see what they're doing. I love God for all these things 302 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,000 and I'm going to sign up for all of those things. When's the last time you spent time with God? 303 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:12,000 I don't have time for that. What? 304 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,000 Be still and know that I am 305 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 God and trust me friends I am saying that to myself 306 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,000 first. It's one of the hardest things for 307 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:28,000 a Jim Holland owner is to be still. 308 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:32,000 And I see you all nodding your head. 309 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:36,000 I get it. It's tough. Because sometimes we're on fire. 310 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,000 We want to go. We want to do do do do do. 311 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:44,000 But there are times God is going to say no no no no no. 312 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:48,000 Sit and be still. Because I know when I'm always 313 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:52,000 on the go I don't get perspective. And when I don't get perspective 314 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 I base it on my understanding of things and that's usually when it goes wrong. 315 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:00,000 That's where the disobedience comes. 316 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 This was put in the law of God. 317 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:08,000 Remember to rest. 318 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:12,000 Be holy in your rest. 319 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:16,000 Now some of you take that to a very unhelpful degree where in a 320 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:20,000 maybe full functioning household with kids rest means I'm not going to do anything 321 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:24,000 and expect everyone else to do stuff. 322 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,000 That's probably not rest. I'm just going to put it out there. 323 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,000 That's probably not rest. But that's between you, your family, and Jesus. 324 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:36,000 So let's keep going. So if we're going to continue we're going to look at 325 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000 8 and 9. For if Joshua had given them rest God would not have spoken 326 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:44,000 of another day later on. So then there remains a Sabbath rest for 327 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:48,000 God's people. Keep going. For whoever has entered 328 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:52,000 God's rest has also rested from his works as God 329 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,000 did from his. It's right there. 330 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,000 It's okay to rest. This is going to cause fights. It's okay to 331 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:04,000 close the laptop. It's okay to put the cell phone on the nightstand or in the 332 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:08,000 car. It's okay to take off the Apple watch because I see you. Just because 333 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,000 you don't have your phone doesn't mean you don't have your watch that tells you everything. 334 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,000 And when my wife listens to this she's going to 335 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:20,000 snapshot this and send it to me. I know she will. I receive 336 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 it. But it is okay 337 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:28,000 to rest. I'm looking out at a lot of business owners. I'm looking at 338 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:32,000 a lot of worker bees. I'm looking out at a lot of creators 339 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:36,000 and producers and people that like to do for Jesus. 340 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Don't forget to rest for Jesus as well. 341 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,000 Because it's in those times of rest that you fill. 342 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,000 I say this to my council and my staff all the time. You can't give what you don't 343 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,000 have and you can't pour out if you're on empty. So are you taking 344 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:56,000 time to fill up? But pastor what does that mean? 345 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,000 First of all don't ask like that. That's super annoying. 346 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,000 Read God's word. Get out 347 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:08,000 and be with you and Jesus. Find a close friend who can 348 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:12,000 keep on topic, by the way, and talk about deeper things 349 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,000 of faith. Listen to other preachers. 350 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,000 I said it. Listen to, listen to, they make some 351 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:24,000 incredible living spoken words of scripture. Because 352 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,000 some of you are like I don't like to read. Some of you I can't read. Whatever it is 353 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,000 then listen to it. There's some phenomenal ones. I have 354 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,000 now there's CDs. Kids 355 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,000 under the age of 25. CDs have things on them that you can plug into 356 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:44,000 a CD player and hit play and it will play things. 357 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,000 Unless there's scratch on it then it sounds like the remixed version. But you have 358 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,000 those or you can download them. 359 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,000 Find time to rest. How can I say 360 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:00,000 this with such authority? God did. 361 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,000 Six days He created all things 362 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:08,000 and on the seventh day He rested. Let's continue. 363 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,000 Let us therefore strive to enter that 364 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,000 rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 365 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:20,000 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any 366 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:24,000 two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and the spirit, the 367 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:28,000 joints and the marrow, and discerning the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. 368 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:32,000 And no creature is hidden in sight, but all who are naked and exposed 369 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,000 to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. 370 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:40,000 Whew. God's 371 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,000 rest is spoken into you in such a way 372 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:48,000 that it separates soul from spirit, marrow to bone. 373 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,000 Now I don't fully understand all of that, but that's a pretty 374 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,000 decisive cut. That nothing that we can 375 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,000 hold onto He doesn't see. Nothing that we cling to 376 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:04,000 and strive for He can't just bloop, I'm gonna take it. 377 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,000 And now God's not a bully. He's not like up there with a magnifying glass 378 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:12,000 and we're the ants. A lot of people have that understanding of God. But that's not how He 379 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,000 pulls, that's not how He works. God is cheering you 380 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:20,000 on to rest just as He's cheering you on to work. 381 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,000 In all things, in all things said and done 382 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 we do for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thessalonians, 383 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Philippians, Colossians, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. 384 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:36,000 Amen. Hallelujah. Let's keep building buildings. Let's keep doing 385 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:40,000 ministries. Let's keep whatever it is. 386 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:44,000 But all things also means rest. 387 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,000 It's okay to pause. 388 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:52,000 It's okay to stop. 389 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:56,000 It's okay to sit and get perspective. 390 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,000 It's okay to tell Pastor Jim, no 391 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,000 I don't want to do that ministry. Just don't do it 392 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,000 a lot. 393 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:12,000 But if someone who wrestles with it says it's not my season, who am I 394 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,000 to say no it is. No. 395 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:20,000 If it's not your season that's fine. Here's the thing. 396 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:24,000 That's not your season always. 397 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,000 And for some you're like, but I tasted that rest that you talked about. I really, really like 398 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,000 it. I don't want to do anything in the church. Friend, that was 399 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,000 never, that's never the job. That you 400 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:40,000 can rest and work all in the same day and in the same week. It's okay. 401 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,000 But please hear this from my heart, the heart of your elders 402 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:48,000 and the heart of your deacons. We never want 403 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,000 burnout. We never want to put everybody in all the 404 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,000 positions all the time. We don't like having the same names 405 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:00,000 up for council all the time. We don't. There was a season of this church that 406 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,000 you wanted that. That season is gone. 407 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:08,000 We have new laborers in the field. 408 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,000 I'm looking out at a bunch of you that I don't really know. And that's awesome. 409 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,000 And there's a lot of work to get done. How do I know? Because there's still unsafe 410 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:20,000 people in our five mile radius of this church. 411 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:24,000 We're going to dedicate a building that's going to hopefully help point people to that hope 412 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000 and that peace and that rest. There are going to be ministries in there. 413 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:32,000 Food pantry, Pastor Jameel, this way ministries. 414 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,000 AANA, a lot of support ministries 415 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:40,000 will be used by that building almost exclusively. Our cadets, absolutely. 416 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 A lot of work is 417 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,000 yet to be done. The prayer is how can I 418 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:52,000 enter that in a healthy way? 419 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:56,000 Devoid of your agenda, devoid of it needs 420 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,000 to be your way or the highway. That doesn't work either. But as 421 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,000 we work, we will also rest as we're going to close in the Hebrews. 422 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:08,000 Or are we done? Have we closed it already? 423 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:12,000 We're done. So Hebrews 424 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,000 stops with this verse. 425 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,000 Let me find it. Therefore let us strive 426 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:24,000 to enter that rest that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience 427 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:28,000 for by the word of God is living and active. Continuing on to verse 428 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,000 13, and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are 429 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:36,000 naked and exposed to the eyes of him who we must 430 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:40,000 give account. It was that last verse. 431 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,000 At one point you're going to have to give 432 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:48,000 account to what you're doing in your faith. 433 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,000 And I've had some amazing conversations this past week that people are like careful Pastor, 434 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,000 you're getting very close to works righteousness. 435 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:00,000 This idea of I can earn my faith. 436 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:04,000 And believe me, there is a line there and I know that I'm staying on the right side of it, 437 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:08,000 but it's getting close because too many of us don't think about 438 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:12,000 the fact that once faith is established, righteousness has been 439 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:16,000 imputed onto you that you are a believer that it's time to get to work. 440 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:20,000 For every action as an equal and 441 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,000 opposite reaction, so is the same with faith. How do you make faith 442 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:28,000 irresistible by sit doing nothing and just complaining? 443 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,000 No, I'll resist that all day. 444 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,000 It's about getting to work. It's about 445 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,000 taking the gospel and the idea of faith out to a world 446 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:44,000 that needs it. Because we'll have to give 447 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,000 account. So what are you accountable 448 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:52,000 to in your life? I hope you're accountable to rest. 449 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:56,000 But I hopefully you also are accountable to work. Finding your giftings 450 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 and getting involved. There is no shortage of 451 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:04,000 things, ways to serve at this church. There really isn't. Some are 452 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:08,000 high visible, high a lot of time and we carry time very preciously. 453 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:12,000 Sometimes as an idol, that's a different sermon. 454 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:16,000 But there's going to be more. There's more coming. 455 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,000 There's more understanding of how we as a church can 456 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,000 partner with our communities. 457 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Friends in a year and a half, there's going to be a train that's going to come through right over there. 458 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 I don't want to hear about why. I don't make the rules. 459 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:36,000 But it's going to happen. New developments are going to be put up in Lansing 460 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,000 and Munster and in Dyer and in our area Hammond. 461 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:44,000 Which means new people. Which means new brokenness. Which means 462 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:48,000 new issues. New opportunities for people to find Jesus. 463 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,000 To start this road of faith. 464 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,000 And I love you, but you better believe I want to put us right smack dab in the middle of those tracks. 465 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,000 But not my will, ever. 466 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,000 But the opportunities are coming. Let us be rested up. 467 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:08,000 Ready to go for when we are called into the game. 468 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,000 Whatever that looks like. Let's pray. 469 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:16,000 Fathers, we come to give account week in and week out. We hope and pray that that account 470 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,000 is a good investment. That we are walking our faith 471 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:24,000 out in such a way that people are noticing. 472 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,000 That we're pointing back to you. Pointing back to the cross. 473 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:32,000 Fathers, we continue to work and walk in this 474 00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:36,000 faith. First and foremost we understand that 475 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,000 it's you that is putting faith in our heart. Saving us from our 476 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,000 sins. Giving us the greatest gift ever. Which is the gospel. 477 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,000 But to whom much is given, much is required. 478 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,000 So Father I'm going to say thank you for requiring 479 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:56,000 of us the work of the gospel. 480 00:31:56,000 --> 00:32:00,000 For entrusting us knowing that Christ goes before us. 481 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,000 Christ will be here long after we're gone. And Christ we know you're closer to us 482 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,000 than our two front teeth. We thank you for that and pray this in your holy name. Amen. 483 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:12,000 Please stand if you are able. Great song that we're going to close with. 484 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:16,000 This idea of a cornerstone. When we do this work 485 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,000 it's because a foundation has been laid. 486 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:24,000 153 years for this church but Christ eternally has laid the foundation 487 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,000 for you. And remember 11 o'clock meet over at the CLC. 488 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:32,000 May the Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face shine on you. 489 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:36,000 Be gracious unto you. Lift up His countenance upon you and give you His peace. 490 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:40,000 And His rest. Which always passes our understanding. In the name of the Father 491 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,000 Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.