Step 3 of “Be Obedient” zeros in on the various meanings of “rest” in Hebrews 4:1-7. As a physical analogy, I liken God’s promised rest to that state of arriving home after a trip. At home, I’m joyfully where I want to be, where I belong and where I’m safe. It is a blessing from God to be enjoyed Today! We enter God’s rest today when we trust Him and are obedient to His will for us.
You might ask members, “Have you ever been away on a long trip and just wanted to be back home? Why?”
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3 comments:
I have been struggling with how to convey the importance/necessity of entering into this rest. in our present world there is so much that would substitute for God's design. it seems that we will settle for less (because we know that ultimately all will be well). how do you communicate that there should be fear in failure.
i wonder if the understanding of "once saved always saved" has been overtaught to the exclusion God's discipline. we are given the example of those who failed in the exodus and that we can "provoke"(3.16) God to the point that He "swears"(3.18) against us.
those should be sobering thoughts but how many (as well as us) will be thinking about where lunch will be.
Last Sunday I gave a possible example of a hardened heart... when we read a text like 3.12 or 4.1 expressing clear warnings, and we never think it applies to us. last saturdaynight i became anxious over the idea that i can be/have drifted and not know it. it's possible to have a hard heart and be deluded in thinking what you do is right. it should strike fear. but perhaps God has become to familiar.
Pat, one idea is to consider why Christians are exhorted to respond Today when they hear God's voice. Christians are admonished, “not to quench the Spirit”, and “not to be conformed to this present world.” Why?
Col 2:8 says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” I take it then that a Christian can become a prisoner to the world’s way of thinking. Is this a serious matter? Yes! God does NOT guarantee that He will grant escape to such a person (read Heb 6:3 and 2 Tim 2:25). Yikes!
A person “confirmed” in such a state will certainly have trouble “testing and approving what is the will of God”, or “taking every thought captive for Christ”, or “tearing down arguments against the knowledge of God”. That person will have difficulty “taking up the full armor of God” and “resisting the devil”. These all imply a life of trouble, temptation and failure—hardly one of rest for such prisoners. Lastly, one must consider the ultimate impact on a prisoners promised inheritance (not salvation), a share in Christ’s heavenly rewards, which can be diminished, if not lost (see 1 Cor 3:15). Christians are God’s workmanship, created to do good works, which God prepared in advance, and these are done as to the Lord because a Christian knows there will be a reward (Col 3:24). Not responding when God calls to perform these good works is a serious mistake!
BTW, Harry Leafe discusses all this in his book Running to Win.
Illustration ideas for Hebrews 4:1-7
Show a picture of a goal post and ask “what is the goal of God’s people today?” and then describe the various interpretations/meanings of rest.
Or, Show a picture of a wilderness “lean to” next to one of a very nice home (where everyone would want to live), and then describe rest as pictured by Mark Rathel in the last paragraph of his commentary. http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6409.article
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