The Rest Of God #4
HEB. 4:1-2

God brought Israel out of Egypt and thundered from Sinai, “Remeber the Sabbath to keep it holy.”
But before He did, the spiritual concept of the Sabbath had already been conceptualized.
1. It was given to teach man the principle of resting in God. That was the principle of the Sabbath.
a. Adam began his life in the rest of God. But, Adam rejected that rest by saying “No” to God.
(1) Today we live in such a generation who lives by their witts, abilities, human wisdom.
(B) For many, resting in God is a concept as lost as the ark of the covenant.
Many have become so carnal, materialistic, self reliant they have buried the idea of
resting in God along with all their buried talents. And I don’t know why.
Maybe they just became like the world in which they live. They have bowed at the shrine of the tangible so long they just don't know the difference.
(c) Maybe they have turned the candle's flame down so low, it blends into the
darkness of the world in which they so comfortably live.
(3) I don't know all the why's. But I do know we need to get back where God wants us to be. And that’s resting in Him.
(B) Revive the spiritual concept of resting in God. Make Him our "Yes” and make Him
our heart’s desire. Make our life His and not our own.
b. That’s what the Old Testament Sabbath was about. It was a day of rest for a reason.
(A) Everything God did in a Sabbatical sense was to guide His people in to His rest.
(1) It was an opportunity for awareness. Thankfulness. Growth to become spiritual.
(a) 7th day, 7th week, month, year. Multiple of 7th was 49th year. The Jubilee.
(b) Rest and contemplate a whole day, 60 times a year. Rest, rejoice, think of God.
(1) God constantly brings them to rest. Rest in God, rest in God. That’s your life.
(a) Man was created to rest in God and out of that rest to live and work to praise and glorify God with a life that lives joyfully in God.
(b) Live out of what God says. Let your basic response, attitude of life be one of saying, “Yes” to God.
(1) Paul illustrated it in GAL.2:20. My life is His therefore, He is my Life.
(B) But most of Israel said "No." So the writer says, “One who is greater than Moses
has come and will lead them into God’s rest.”
(1) HEB.1:1-3; 2:1-4.
(2) God has spoken His final word through Jesus. Jesus is on His throne, and through
Jesus God is calling us to make that response of “Yes” or “No!”
(a) Being saved, converted, born again is all the same thing. Saying, “Yes” to God
and being baptized is the articulating of my “Yes.”
(2) Articulate means to make all things work together to accomplish something.
(3) In baptism I articulate all my “Yeses” to God. We need to understand that?
(3) God, said, “you’re a sinner condemn to die.” I answered, "Yes, that's true and just."
(a) God, said Jesus took my place and died for me. "Yes, that's true." Jesus took my sin, died and rose from dead. He then ascended and gave the Holy Spirit to all who were baptized for the remission of their sins, just like ACTS 2:38, commands.
(b) I have united all of those “Yeses” together into one big “Yes” in the waters of
baptism so I can have my sins washed away and be united with Christ, clothed with His righteousness and now I am sinless and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

2. I don’t have to go through the tears and agony of Calvary for my sin. Jesus did that in His perfect sinless life and death on the cross. Jesus died for my sins so I would not have to.
a. Jesus did that in His life and death and I accept it by my obedient faith in the waters of
baptism.
1 COR.15:1-4. What is the Gospel? It’s the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus!
(A) But those are facts. I cannot obey historical facts that happened 2000 years ago. How can I obey the fact of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? I cannot obey an historical fact
ROM.6:17-18.
b. But how do I obey a FORM of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection?
(A) ROM.6:3-6.
(B) I obey the gospel by obeying a FORM of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus in
baptism.
(1) I cannot obey the gospel with out being baptized for the remission of my sins.
(2) If I refuse to be immersed for the remission of my sin, I’m saying, “No” to God.
(B) When I say, “Yes,” to God I’m baptized and when I’m raised from the waters of baptism, I'm born again to walk in what God has already done. I am to walk in God’s rest.
(2) I'm now a new creation. Before that happened, God had already done it all for Me
(3) He did it in Jesus, on the cross. All I can do is rest in that. I can not do it on my own. All I can do is trust in God's promise and rest in what God has done.
(a) On the cross Jesus, said, "It Is finished!" And where He finished I now begin.
(b) Like Adam, my education is learning how to rest in what God has already done.
(c) I accept what God has done. HOW? By saying, “Yes” and resting in Him.
b. I was buried in the water of baptism into His death. "Yes, I die to sin and no longer live in sin."
(1) I raised from water to be resurrected with Him. "Yes, I will walk in newness of life with you."
(2) I live in the rest of God that can never be merited. It can only be taken and enjoyed.
(1) God seeks your salvation. He asks you to say “Yes” to Him and “No” to self.
(2) HEB. 3:12-13.
(3) AX. 20:32.

Spur - 12/17/2000 am