Entered Into God's Rest — R. Edward Miller

I chose to share with you the book of Hebrews third chapter and what Paul the writer is trying to establish is the superiority of Jesus Christ first in all the heaven and his equality with God over all the angels and then his superiority over men.

And then his because of his superiority because of his greatness the very co-equal with God the atonement and the redemption of mankind. And then he came to Moses. What a wonderful man he was. I don't think in all history there's an equal to the to the intellectualism to the depth of his nature.

He was able to write a code of laws. It's not been changed for 4 000 years it's been added to but it hasn't been taken from. And establish a nation establish a way of law. It is not wrong to say it was the gospel of Moses because light was in that law.

Moses and the Light of the Law

And gospel means the word gospel means good news. Moses brought good news to the world that there was a way of living that you didn't have to kill everybody everyone had disagreed with because up to that time there was not the rule of law.

And when there is not the rule of law life is pretty precarious. But he brought in the rule of law and established a nation and a people that are still with us and still being governed by that law. Moses was a wonderful man there is no doubt about it perhaps the greatest as I said before that earth has ever produced.

Nevertheless the scriptures go to show us that Jesus Christ was superior and greatly superior to to Jesus Christ superior to Moses I should say. And because of that they call it the gospel of Moses. He brought the light the way of living for nations could live in peace and in harmony.

Israel’s Unbelief and the Promise of God’s Rest

But then the chapter goes on and we find the next thing that Paul the writer goes to. It's very interesting because it's sort of an insert. This chapter is he goes into the rest of God. In other words the law didn't bring the rest.

Law brought the knowledge of how to live how a nation can live and stay solid and and have people that can live together. But it didn't bring rest. And so we're going to read now in Hebrews the third chapter and the seventh eighth ninth and tenth verses.

Wherefore as the holy ghost says today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your father's tempted me saw my works 40 years and I was grieved with that generation said they do always err in their hearts.

And they have not known my ways now that is very interesting that last phrase they've not known my ways. They knew his law. But they still hadn't reached through beyond the law. They hadn't seen that the right of the law was more than the law.

They hadn't seen that that the one that brought forth the way we can live together in peace and harmony and rest and prosperity. That they hadn't seen that he was more than just the law he was more than just a series of what to do what not to do.

But we're going to go on now in chapter 3 and verse 18 and here he's introducing something else. And to these people that they had not known his ways he swore that they should never not enter into his rest that they should not enter into his rest.

And then we go to verse 19 so we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 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.

And we're going on into verse 4 and verse chapter 4. Verse 2 for unto us was a gospel priest as well as unto them. But the word priest did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Verse 3. For we which have believed to enter in to rest we which have believed do enter in to rest. As he said i have sworn my wrath they shall enter into my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

In verse 4 for he spoke in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise god did rest the seventh day from all his works in this place again if they shall enter into my rest seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein.

And they to whom it was first entered not in because of unbelief. Again he limits a certain day saying in david today after so long a time as it is said today if you'll hear his voice harden not your hearts.

For if joshua had given them rest they would not afterwards have spoken of another rest. There remains therefore a rest to the people of god. For he that has entered into his rest he also has ceased from his own works as god did from his let us labor therefore to enter into that rest as any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Entering God’s Rest Through Faith

Rest rest rest that was the burden of paul as he spoke of the the rest that the gospel brings through faith. We enter into that rest through faith. Um perhaps to some people it doesn't appear such a great word such an important thing.

Nevertheless there's been many times in my life and i wouldn't be a bit surprised many times in your life. But there's only one thing you wanted that's a good bed not even food contempt. You just let me find a place to lie down and sleep and rest.

Rest is a wonderful word. Actually it is used in the new testament. Uh in the first four first five books not but after that all the writers new testament lose the word rest in place of the word sabbath.

In other words a whole time of rest not just a day not just a minute not just a night but a life. The sabbath is a plural word of rest where you just rest. You know we are a very restless generation. We are very restless if you don't think so go stand in the hartsfield airport down here on one of their busy days and look out.

You don't get run over. It's everybody rushing here and rushing there rushing to do this and rushing to this to do something else. We are very restless. But the problem is that the restlessness is inside as well as outside.

God is talking about an inside rest. He's talking where all the strivings and the things that that hinder our rest. But you see under the rule of law under the rule of works let me put it that way the rule of works they they did not enter into rest all that time as we read just now in the scripture all that time the people of god had not entered into rest.

Well i'm sure they had beds. I'm sure they slept every night. I'm sure that they kept the sabbath because that was religious for them. They they they kept that so so completely so totally uh in such minutia that uh they put everybody else to shame but never let god say.

But you haven't entered into rest. They haven't entered into rest. Isn't that a strange way of speaking. He says you haven't known my ways. My ways are to bring you into rest. But he said you haven't found that rest.

Well oh then what's he talking about. I'm sure their beds were as good as ours. I've i've slept in beds in in israel and in judah and galilee and so on and uh and complain. Maybe i like mine just a little bit better but i've been a lot worse ones.

I'm sure they can sleep. Well i'm sure that they didn't have any trouble and yet and yet yet he says but you haven't found rest. You haven't found rest. You see rest comes from inside. We have a word stress.

And that's an inside word. Isn't it. It's not what's outside. It's our reaction to the outside. It's not our environment. It's our reaction to our environment. We get stressed out. There's no rest. I don't care if you sleep at night and if you have to take a sleeping pill and sleep at night.

But that there's no rest because the inside is not rested. And under the rule of works uh there couldn't be any real rest their their way of worship. The rules of worship were so so uh how should i say exact and so minute and covering every single thing whether you raise this finger or that finger.

Or did it this way or did it that way. They couldn't even come to worship and be a quiet be at rest. Now what do i do now. Oh did i do that wrong. I've been in strange churches i've been in several times.

I was thinking i'm thinking right now. I went to a catholic church and i confess i didn't know what to do next. I think it's about time to kneel down. They'd all get up and and and but when i was standing up tall and straight like a like a sore thumb in the middle of rhythm they all went down.

Oh i said well i better get down. I got down and they got up and uh i didn't quite know what to do next. It was all covered. Everything had to do this way this way this way everything they did all their worship.

It was quite extensive. But it all had to be done just the right way. Their worship was totally controlled their daily living. How they scar how they scoured a pan how they how they cleaned the cup. And jesus said you didn't do it.

Right. You you you got the outside. You forgot to wash the inside. Oh dear how can you go to church and rest when you got to be so careful everything you do. How can you go home and rest when the works when the the the law tells you you've got to do it this way.

You've got to do it this way. Oh you didn't sweep that floor. Right. Oh dear. My first job when i went to bible school many years ago my first job was washing a woman's windows. I mean the windows of her house.

Correction. I never saw a more picky person in my life. She could find one little spot of lint where i couldn't see it with my my eyes. And they were pretty good. And she was demanding there must not be one tiny flake of lint on that window before she would.

Oh can't i tell you one thing. I didn't rest on that job when you had to be so particular when everything is controlled or you break the law. No i can see why. I can see why the law didn't bring rest.

How could it. Everything your daily work and especially the sabbath day supposed to be a day of rest. I mean you you had to count your steps unless you step too many steps on the sabbath day even today mind you.

I was in a hotel in israel and talking to the manager and he was complaining because they almost lost their kosher license. Meaning that that israel israeli people couldn't stay there. It wasn't kosher.

It wasn't acceptable jewish. And the reason was in the elevator they had push buttons. That's work. And you couldn't stay there on sunday. You have to push a button to get your room. So they solved the problem by taking out all the push buttons and put in touch buttons.

So you all you had to do is touch it. That was acceptable. So they kept their license. No that was true. It's amazing. It's amazing. Anything was worth. They do have ways of getting around things. For instance you you you cannot you cannot buy a meal in a in a jewish hotel on the sabbath day.

Because that's that's exchange. That's buying and selling. You can't do that. But what you can do on the day before the sabbath you can buy a coupon and then on the sabbath you can hand the coupon in.

That's not money and get your meal. But pretty smart. But what a way to live. I'm going to be so careful. Yes i can see why under the law there was no rest. And then and then the only way you got to paradise if you got there was keeping all that law.

Paul’s Struggle Under the Law and Freedom From Condemnation

And paul said he had kept it. He had kept it completely. And that's a big statement. He said no one can find fault in my life for a man to live under that. Now he's the one who's writing about there is a rest.

There is a rest. Not by works. There's something else. They never entered into rest. Not really because they couldn't keep the law. They couldn't but because they didn't believe there was a total lack of faith in what they were doing.

They were just doing because they had to do it. And furthermore furthermore the law had its penalties. I mean there was no mercy in that law. An eye for an eye and tooth for tooth. That was a basis. No mercy.

You kept that law or else you did what moses told you to do or else. And that else wasn't very nice. No wonder he said there remains a rest. The people of god did not find a rest. They did not find it at all.

There's things that disturb our rest. One reason we cannot rest are the fears that torment us. Fear of what might happen. Fear of losing a job. Fear of sickness. I look at some of the ads i get in the mail or some that i get in a see in the television.

And my goodness all they do is play on people's fears. And they make fortunes playing on people's fears. There's no rest there. When a fair is tormenting you there's no rest that's for sure. And habits.

And and lusting for things. You go into a mall on a good shopping day. You're not going to find rest there. Rushing here and there to buy something to have something to acquire something. But when i first came up from argentina several years ago i used to like to go through a mall and buy nothing.

Not even five cents worth of gum. No nothing. Because i got so irked i got so disgusted with everything. Was there appealing said buy me buy me buy me buy me. And i guess indeed i won't buy any of you.

They were just shouting at me you can't live without me. You need this. I'll help you here. I'll help you there. Buy me. And i'd walk out of that thing. I'd walk all through it on purpose. Buy nothing.

Plain defiance. A lot of you'll be richer day if you're done that on before christmas. Can't rest. Can't rest. People can't rest because of anger. They've been injured or they've been hurt. And it's gone deep.

And the anger turns to bitterness. They can't rest. Or some people just out of guilt. Now the sense of failure out of anxieties out of things that have to be done tomorrow. There's so many things we don't enter into rest.

We're a restless people we're. We're very restless. We haven't learned how to rest either. Over romans 7 13 we're going to read a portion we'll read up to chapter 8. Was then that which good made death into me god forbid.

But sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good. That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual. But i am what spiritual. No no.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. We know that the law is spiritual but i am. That's a misreading there. But i'll read it anyway. But i am carnal sold under sin. For that which i do i allow not for what i would that do i not.

But what i hate that do i. If then i do that which i would not i consent to the law that is good now then it is no more i that do it. But sin that dwells in me. For i know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing.

For the will is present in me. But how to perform that which is good. I find not for the good that i would i do not but the evil which i would not do that i do now if i do that i would not there's no more i that do it but sin that dwells in me.

Verse 21. I find in a law that when i would do good evil is present with me. For i delight in the law of god after the inward man. But i see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Oh wretched man that i am who shall deliver me from the body of this death. I thank god through jesus christ our lord. So then with the mind i myself serve the law of god but with the flesh the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in christ jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Paul at last found an answer. After struggling and struggling and struggling we all have that struggle.

The habits come on come upon us. We get into a mood a bad mood. We get discouraged. And and we do the things we wish we never had. We say the things we wish we'd never say have never said. It's there we all fall into it.

How can we keep. How can we ever get to paradise if we can't keep the law. If we can't do the right works. But he ends up by saying wretched man i am. But he doesn't end. That's the end of that chapter.

But he starts another chapter. There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in christ jesus. And back to hebrews 4 6 seeing. Therefore it remains that some must enter into rest. And they do.

Jesus’ Invitation to the Weary

But what. First priest entered. Not because of unbelief. Will you turn with me to matthew 11 28 rest one of the most beautiful words in a language that we speak. Matthew 11 28. Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden.

And i will give you. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn of me. Learn of me. I am meek and lowly in heart. And you'll find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy. My burden is light.

Learn of me. I'm meek lowly. And you'll find rest to your souls. That is the inner rest. That's the inside rest. That's when the man that's in you the inner man is not all stressed out. Whether you sleep or don't sleep there's a rest within.

And i read one more scripture in in uh matthew chapter 12 verse 1. At that time jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn. Disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears of corn and to eat. Wait a minute.

Now that's a sabbath day. That's a day of rest. And jesus is working. What about that. He was walking through the corn and you couldn't walk that way on the sabbath day. You had measured out so many steps you could take on the sabbath day.

And that's all. He was walking through the fields for the disciples on the sabbath day. And furthermore they were hungry. So they reached out and got some corn and took the husk off of it and ate it. You can do that.

I've done it many times. You see he wasn't talking about outside rest. He was talking about inside rest. And when they chided him he said the sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath. He wasn't trying to keep all those laws.

He was at rest within. He said learn of me. Learn of me. And you'll find rest. Learn what it means. Learn meekness. Learn lowliness. Find meek and lowly of heart. Learn that meekness. If you want a definition.

It has two that i know of. One is controlled strength. Person is strong but doesn't use his strength only when he needs it. But the other meaning is the man that has no conflict with his environment or his circumstances.

He's at rest. He is in meekness. He is not fighting his boss. He's not fighting his job. He's not fighting this or that or something else. He accepts it as it is. I don't want to connect these two. But let me give you an illustration.

Meekness, Lowliness, and Rest in Circumstances

The animals have found rest. They are never stressed out. They live just one hour at a time what they have to do. They do it. And as soon as it's over down they go. A man and his dog are out walking. They meet somebody.

The dog has been running here running here and chasing finding all the bunny smells and all the things he can find. And then then they meet somebody and his master stops to talk. And he's up talking and gestulating talking.

And the dog is sleeping and he stays there till his master goes on. If it's an hour he's got a good hour rest. He's not stressed out. He's not worried about what's going to happen. He's not worried about what's coming.

He's not worried about even what's passed. He just lives now. And you know that's all we can live anyway. Really whatever we fear i don't know about you. But i fear at least 10 000 things that never came to pass.

Have you. Oh maybe only 8 000. We haven't learned to rest because we're at war with our circumstances and our environment. We have not learned the rest of christ. He said walk with me take my yoke. Yoke binds you together.

See take my yoga bunny. Walk with me. And you'll find rest. That inner rest. If you're yoked with somebody and they stop i'll tell you something. You are going to stop also unless you're a lot bigger than he is.

In this case we're not. And when he goes you're going to go. Also when we're yoked together he said take my yoke. It's easy he said. And then you'll find rest to your souls. What the law couldn't give.

Jesus christ gives. He said come unto me all your labor everything i will give you rest. He said learn of me. Take my yoke. I am meek and lowly in heart. And you'll find rest. Your soul. And lowliness incidentally means that you've learned to accept your station in life.

You don't fight to be somebody better than you are. And climb. I'm not speaking about the ordinary climbing of any young person that moves on into his career whatever it may be. But i'm talking about the person that inside resents the fact that he cannot be like somebody else or have somebody else or somebody else another station.

He's fighting his position. It would be like this. An angel. A lovely little angel has only two wings. But he's a sweet little fellow. But he's sitting there and he's crying and crying and crying. And you go up to that angel and say well what's the matter.

Little angel. Oh he says i'm all stressed out. Well what's the matter. Why he said can't you see why. No i see everything beautiful. I've only got two wings. Well but look he's got four wings. And that chairman got six wings.

Well well i've tried and tried to make my other wings grow. They never grow. He's all stressed out. Lowliness. I am what i am. And i don't try to be what somebody else said. Learn that one. And then you'll get that inner rest.

Ceasing From Self-Works and Trusting God’s Will

There is a rest to the people of god. And paul in the book of hebrew stops right here before he goes any further and says look there is a rest where we cease from our own labors. We cease from striving.

We cease from works. We stop doing our own works. We do his works and let him take care of it. And if it works this way fine. If it works that way fine. Many many years ago in a place where god was dwelling in a glorious way.

And and the spirit of god was there for for years. They taught this one of the greatest prayers you can pray is lord get your perfect will done. And i'll be happy with it. Get your perfect will done. Nothing could be better than that.

We get all stressed out. We get frustrated. You know frustration really is it's a form of rebellion. Did you know that i want to do something and i can't get it done. My will is frustrated. And if i if i let it it will take all the rest out of my soul.

And i'll get all upset with things and upset with people and upset with with circumstances because i cannot fulfill my desire. There is a rest to the people of god. There is a rest and he said he warns him.

He said that to take heed. He said don't be like those in the in the provocation. He said that entered not into his rest because of their unbelief because the canaan land should have been a rest for them.

But it wasn't. They got all tangled up with their various religions. They got all mixed up and frustrated. He said don't be like that. Don't harden your hearts. He said hearken today if you hear his voice enter into that rest of god till your heart and your mind and your soul and your body are at rest.

There is a rest. God has provided it. There is a sabbath. There is a real rest not by works. We cease from our own labors. Wouldn't i be busy. But it's his business not ours. And we take the day as god gives it to us.

We don't let it fret us. We don't let it frighten us. The things that happen. If i'm yoked with him i'm walking with him. He's taking care of things. I i talked to a to a lawyer in argentina one time he was an atheist.

In fact he was a communist very much a communist. He even made the statement that communism asked him to kill his own mother. He would do so. And we were talking to him. And he made this statement. He said you as a christian you don't know how lucky you are.

I said why. He said because if anything goes wrong with with what i'm doing in my work or anything he said i've got to carry all the responsibility. It's my fault. He said. You're going along and anything happens.

You say all right god that's your business that you did that. He's like i didn't want one to blame. It's all on me. He said when things go right you say oh thank you jesus. He worked it out for me. I've got nobody to thank.

If i work it out i worked out myself. It's no good. Stand around say how good you are to yourself. He says you don't know how lucky you are. I think he had a point. You take care of it. I don't know how to take care of this.

So you take care of it. And i go into rest. I let it go. Let him work it out. All things work together for good. There is a rest to the people of god. And when you find people that are all restless and uptight and stressed and fearful some things happen to their faith.

Some things happen to take them away from that simplicity that there is in jesus christ until we have that. That simplicity of faith. And simplicity doesn't mean stupid. It means wise means we accept our limitations.

We're just men. We do have we have no idea what's going to happen in the next 15 minutes. We have very little memory of the past. We're just human creatures just little people all of us regardless of how much we may have studied or what degrees we may have or what our job is how much we earn.

We're still just flesh and blood. But there is a rest for the people of god. Father i pray that you'll give us the wisdom and the understanding to enter into the rest of god. We need it. We need it very much.

We need to know that that you finish the work. We don't have to do it. You ask us to believe we're justified by faith not by works. That's not the way it goes. And you want us lord to to enter into that rest.

You want us to find that place. And i ask father in your lovely name that you'll take us in to that rest. Let us learn meekness. Let us learn lowliness. Let us learn. There is a rest that you brought from jesus christ.

That you will give us the rest and have that rest on the inside till all the restlessness is gone. And all the fears that drive us and drive us and drive us are put to rest. And they can't drive us any longer.

Father i pray that for this congregation here tonight that the gift of rest to the weary and anxious to the fearful to the worrying ones.