The Rest Of God 5
HEB. 4:9-11
One of the most important scriptures in the Bible. We need to
understand it.
A. Vs.10. Most have never read or understood this verse.
1. It could make the Church the most dynamic force in the world
today.
1. Most are like Israel: Neither seen Gods rest, nor understood
it, nor lived in it.
(A) Israel came to Kadesh Barnea, looked across river, doubted,
turned and walked away.
(1) Wandered in a meaningless, restless wilderness until they
died.
(2) Didnt know they were saved, or what they believed. Uninvolved
with God.
(a) The Result was they missed the exhilarating life God prepared
for them.
(1) Many Christians stand at Kadesh Barnea having never entered
Gods rest.
(B) Last week we looked at the background story in HEB. 4:4. Thats
a reference to
GEN. 1-2, and the 6 days of creation.
(1) God created the World in 6 days. On the 6th day God created
man in His image.
(a) The first day Adam saw the world it looked like been there
a billion years.
(b) God created the world aged and full-grown to reproduce after
its own kind.
(c) Everything was mature and ready to be harvested by a mature
Adam and Eve.
(2) God created a perfect world to be a place of perfect provision
for Adam.
(a) God created man to enter into this perfect creation and provision.
(b) The first lesson Adam had to Learn was to be satisfied with
what God has done.
b. You dont try to improve it or change it. Just live in
what God has already done.
(A) God said, Adam, heres a Peach, now say, Thank
you God. Thats all you have to do.
(1) All Adam had to do was live his whole life in the rest of
God.
(a) Have an attitude that says, What you did God was enough
and I am completely
satisfied with your care and provision. With you my life is perfect
and I need
nothing else.
(b) Everything Adam needed in body, soul and spirit was provided.
(2) When Adam learned to eat and live in Gods perfect provision
and then say, Thank
you! It was symbolic of the entire meaning of life.
(a) There was total provision for the total need of the total
man in body, soul and
spirit.
(b) God was all man needed and all man had to do was rest in that
and be content
and praise God.
(B) That doesnt mean Adam did not work. The first work did
not come with Adams fall.
(1) Work, as we know it today came with the fall. The Bible not
say Adam did not Work.
(a) Before the Fall, man was commanded to externalize himself
in Gods work.
(b) In that work, creation cooperated. Earth and all in it yielded
to his every need.
(c) Animals were not a threat. The earth yielded abundantly.
(2) Work was not difficult, tiring, wearying. No muscle aching,
back breaking labor.
(a) Adams work was taking from God and at the same time
drawing strength from
his maker.
(b) Adam worked out of divine strength, not out of human strength.
He did not live
and survive out of his own wisdom. He lived and worked out of
the wisdom and
ability God supplied Thus Adams whole life was cradled in
the rest of God.
2. But in the fall man declared himself to be independent of God.
I can be my own God,
a. Rejects the divine declaration that God did it all and that
Man takes from God and in
taking and correctly using what is given, expresses the love,
glory and goodness of God.
b. Everything man is, has or does is to be for the purpose of
glorying God and not himself.
(A) Man refused that order and became the center around which
his world revolved.
(1) What happened deep inside expressed itself on the out side---Creation
turned
against man.
(a) Man refused to work out of what God gave. Now man must labor
in the sweat of his brow for the little he gets in life.
(b) What was once joyful occupation becomes hard, tiring, difficult.
(1) The earths bounty is no longer given freely. It must
be extracted in tedious, tiring, perspiring, painful labor.
(2) Man now has a new signature---Restlessness---Just the opposite
of the rest of God
(a) Man was created to rest in Gods rest. To be satisfied
with God as his life,
source and supply. ACTS 17:28.
(b) Man rejected God. He sinned and lost the rest of God and what
followed is
stated in ISA. 57:21.
(B) Now man sweats on the outside. But thats only the echo,
shadow of whats happening
on the inside. Now he works at sin, sweats at sin and when he
fears being caught, he
sweats it out.
(1) Now, man is sweating at the worst kind of sin. Sweating at
trying to be good.
(a) The first sin was, You can be good without God, you
can be your own God.
(b) Read about it in GEN. 3:5. And ever since, man has been working
and
sweating in a frantic effort to be like God. Trying to be righteous
by his own
efforts.
(c) GAL 5:19-20.
(d) Thats talking about people who worship their own way
and seek spiritual
guidance apart form God. Its called WILL WORSHIP.
(2) Contrast that with the fruit of the Spirit in GAL. 5:22-23.
(a) We need to understand the concept of fruit. Fruit never sweats
to becomeit
just isTheres a great moral to that truth!
(b) What is it? Any thing you try to do without God you do in
the sweat of your
soul and your brow.
(3) JNO. 15:5.
(a) PHIP. 4:13.
(b) The only way you can go from NO THINGS to ALL THINGS is by
resting in God
through Jesus, who is our rest.
(c) ACTS 20:32.
Spur - 12/24/2000 am
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