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Beloved;
Do you doubt that Jesus Christ has given you REST as a result of your belief in Him?
You may be surprised that some of you do not have rest and, unless you should miss His blessings
and fall short of the fullness of your service to Him here, try to bare with me and go through it all.
The generation of Israelites that came out of Egypt doubted God, and because of their doubt
they never entered the land of Canaan.
They shall not enter into my rest.
Hebrews 3:8-11
"8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation,
in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw
my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation,
and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into
my rest."
What is the "rest" of God? There are many different rests. Creation Rest (Completeness),
Consecration Rest and Heavens Rest. We will now deal with the following Rests.
A.The rest of salvation. The Lord lifts the burden of sin from
us. Because He bore all our sins on the cross our sins ARE FORGIVEN. We have redemption through HIS blood. There is NOTHING
we have to do but believe the Gospel. Mt.11:28:
"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest."
B. The rest of obedience. This is the enjoyment of the
Christian's life. This is like unto the Canaan Rest. Mt.11:29:
"29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for
I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
When Israel came out of Egypt, they crossed over the Red Sea and sang the song of Moses:"
I will sing unto the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously: the horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. (Ex.15:1)
God had delivered them and an 11 day journey was all it would take to reach the Promised
Land. But no, they had to send spies in to search out the land. It WAS NOT NECESSARY, God had told them He would take care
of them! But they DID NOT believe God! Spies were sent in to investigate and only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report that
they could take it, but the majority of spies said NO! This notwithstanding God told them He would take care of it. The same
God who DELIVERED them from death and Pharoh AND parted the Red Sea for them!
SO THEY SPENT 40 years on a jouney that should have taken 11 days!
WHY? UNBELIEF!
The next generation led by Joshua (Jesus in Greek!) and Caleb who gave a "good" report
(had the faith) brought them into the Promised land by God's instuctions this way:
The Priests led them holding the Ark of The Covenant (the symbol of God's presence with
them) on their shoulders, and when their feet touched the brink of the Jordon River the waters were cut off. Josh.3:17
"17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant
of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the
people were passed clean over Jordan."
Then they took 12 stones out of the middle of the river where they stood and placed them
as a memorial on the shore. Then they replaced them with 12 stones from the Land of Promise. WHEN THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN
RETURNED AND COVERED THESE 12 STONES IT WAS SYMBOLIC OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST. THE 12 STONES WHICH WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE RIVER
AND PLACED AS A MONUMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE SPEAK OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.
Paul talks of this in Rom.6:4:
"4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life."
We today are joined to A LIVING CHRIST. And that is the only
way we will enjoy Canaan. Canaan is not heaven, and we will find out that there is an eternal rest that Jesus gives us as
well. BUT THE QUESTION IS:
Have we entered into that rest that believers are to have as we sojourn on earth? Have
we studied the word of God? And believe it? That is how we will have rest and the fruits of that land, our rest in Him.
Beloved, have you erred in your hearts? Do you believe God? Paul was warning the
new church who were all Jew's NOT to err as their forefathers did. And suffer what God said in Psalm 95:11:
" 11 Unto whom I sware in my
wrath that they should not enter into my rest."
Beloved, are we walking in the fullness of faith? Or are we a "Wilderness
Christian" still doubting God in our hearts and ACTING out as if His work did not deliver us from ALL THE LAW AND IT'S
CONDEMNATION.
We are ministers of a new covenant (TESTAMENT), made and sealed WITH THE BLOOD OF OUR LORD!
We are to take hold of this blessing, and walk by faith, not LAW:
2 Corinthians 3:6-18
"6 Who also hath made us able ministers
of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
7 But if the ministration of death, written
and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the
glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit
be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had
no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious,
much more that which remaineth is glorious.
12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we
use great plainness of speech:
13 And not as Moses, which put a veil over
his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
14 But their minds were blinded: for until
this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done
away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read,
the vail is upon their heart.
16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the
Lord, the veil shall be taken away.
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with open face beholding as
in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."
Unbelief is NOT an intellectual problem, it is a HEART
problem.
And verse 16 shows the result of TRUE BELIEF! The veil shall be taken AWAY! when the heart
turns to Christ
And 17, gives us the result of the Spirit in us: Liberty. The Holy Spirit will move in
our life and make Christ real to us...REAL!
Now Go back to Heb. 3: 13 and read again!
"13 But exhort
one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."
Beloved, are we Wilderness Christians? Heb.3:14
" 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if
we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;"
Are we fully trusting God? Are we learning God's word? How can we live His life without
serious study of scriptures with teachers who know what they are talking about? Teachers God has sent us. THE
GREAT SIN OF A CHRISTIAN IS UNBELIEF! NOT IN CHRIST BUT IN HIS WORD. Ignorence is no excuse. False teaching on Youtube will
not pass you.
Hebrews Chapter 4.
The Salvation Rest.
"1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being
left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."
Fear is healthy. A good fear. The beginning of knowledge! Prov.1:7
" 7 The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Have we entered into His rest? Do we really know
what it is to trust Christ and rest in Him? This is Canaan Rest.
Hebrews 4:2
"2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto
them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."
This is SALVATION rest! trusting Christ as Savior.
Hebrews 4:3
"3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as
he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation
of the world."
This is Salvation rest of trusting Christ.
Hebrews 4:4
"4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day
on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works."
This speaks of the Sabbath rest. However this is NOT a day we keep or observe. The real Sabbath is our TRUST in Christ and He alone for our salvation. Are you TRUSTING ANYTHING ELSE.
Is it He? Have we entered into rest?
Do we keep the Sabbath day? No! Everyday is a Sabbath day! The Sabbath day IS THIS DAY OF GRACE
in which we live. Our redemption was complete when He rose and went back to the Father to sit on His right hand side, not
because He was tired, but because He finished our redemption: WE NOW REST IN HIM! HE IS LORD OF THE SABBATH. IN HIM WE HAVE OUR REST. NOT KEEPING A DAY OR ANY COMMANDMENT! WE KEEP OURSELVES IN HIM AND THUS CAN LIVE A FAITHFUL LIFE, A LIFE UNDER HIS COMMANDS WHICH FAR EXCEED IN FAITHFULNESS THE LAW OF
MOSES.
Heb.4
"5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter
therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To
day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he
not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people
of God. (This is the future Heavenly Rest)
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also
hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (This signifies Completeness, we being a new creation in Christ, We can
DO NOTHING to insure our rest. It would be error to think we could. HE HAS DONE ALL THAT IS NECESSARY
TO INSURE OUR REST IN SALVATION AND COMPLETENESS. HEAVENS REST IS AHEAD OF US)
(2 Corinthians 5: "17 Therefore if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.")
Romans 3:
"10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. "( We must labor! How? Be in His will for us. This comes through laying
hold of God through prayer, in faith,and be used of Him. TRUST AND OBEY!
REVIEW
For those that would understand the true meaning of the Old Testament ordinances, feast days,
sabbath days, etc. there is the Book of Hebrews. It contrasts the old covenant with the new and shows us how the old was simply
a shadow of heavenly things. Hebrews shows the superiority of Jesus Christ in every aspect and how His sacrifice did away
with sundry washings, etc. Jesus is better in every way--
FROM: Hebrews:
- He is a better sacrifice than animals (9:23-10:12)
- He is a better Priest than the Levitical priesthood (6:20-7:24)
- He is better than Moses (3:3)
- He is came by a better tabernacle (9:11)
- He brings a better covenant. (8:6, 7:19)
- He offers better promises (8:6)
- He offers a better country (that is, an heavenly Heb 11:16)
- He offers a better sabbath (4:4-4:11)
- He is better than the angels (1:4)
The whole of the Christian life is about Jesus. Our true sabbath, our true
rest, comes when we pass to the other side.
- The religious people said that Jesus' disciples broke the sabbath by picking corn on the sabbath
day. Jesus responded by saying that man was not made for the sabbath, the sabbath was made for man. In other words, God made
the sabbath so that we could rest, not so we could be under a whip to observe it.
Mark 2:24 "And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the
sabbath day that which is not lawful?"
2:27 "And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
"
2:28 "Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath."
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Worshipping on the first day of the week began immediately after
the resurrection of Christ and continued from that time. Consider the following points:
- Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark
16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1).
- The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Ghost came down in power, was on the first
day of the week (Acts 2:1; Leviticus 23:15-16).
- The early church habitually met on the first day of the week (John 20:19; Acts
20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).
- The first day of every week we remember the resurrection
of our Lord as the beginning of a new dispensation in which we are no longer under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14-15;
Galatians 4:21; 5:18).
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Conclusion
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While the Sabbath command was part of God's covenant with Israel, it was not reincorporated
into His covenant with the church. The Mosaic Covenant has been superseded by the New Covenant, the latter fulfilling
the Law's many types and shadows in the person of Christ. The Sabbath was one such shadow, typifying the rest Israel would
find in the salvation provided by the death and resurrection of the Messiah.
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Now that we have Christ (the substance) there is no more need to observe the shadow. That
the church is no longer under the Sabbath command is evident from:
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(1) the OT teaching that the Sabbath served as a sign to test Israel's obedience to the Mosaic
Covenant,
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(2) the clear message of the NT that the Mosaic Law in its entirety as a covenant has been abolished,
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(3) direct statements found in the NT declaring that Sabbath observance or the lack thereof cannot
be used as grounds for judging one another,
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(4) the fact that the Sabbath is said to be a type to which we now have the reality of in Christ and the salvation provided by Him,
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(5) the absence of any positive command in the New Covenant to observe the Sabbath,
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(6) and the fact that Jesus broke the Sabbath. The believer can be confident that he/she
is no longer under the OT Sabbath commands, but is now able to enjoy the rest foreshadowed by the
Sabbath in their salvation through Jesus Christ, and the New Covenant inaugurated with His blood.
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IF YOU ARE IN THE SPIRIT, EVERYDAY IS A SABBATH AND A DAY OF FAITHFUL SERVICE
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SCRIPTURES:
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Colossians 2:14-17 says, "He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed
the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross. So don’t let anyone
condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these
rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.”
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Also see Romans 14:5-6, "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced
in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives
thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."
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Chaim,
AbaloneKid
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