Labor To Enter Gods Rest

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you receive and do GOD's Word on a daily basis?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show the importance of GOD's WORDS in our daily lives.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified Bible)

4:11 Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

V. THESIS:

I receive GOD's WORDS as a steady stream from GOD's Mouth frequently and consistently.

VI. TITLE:

Labor to enter GODs rest

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Let us labor to enter GOD's rest

"Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves],"

Labor came from the Greek word:"spoudazo" meaning:

1. to hasten, make haste

2. to exert one’s self, endeavour, give diligence

How to labor?

1. be zealous

2. exert ourselves

3. strive diligently (consistently)

Whatever we do for the LORD, we do it with consistency.

Matthew 7:13 (Amplified Bible)

7:13 Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it.

Matthew 11:12 (Amplified Bible)

11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].

Violent came from the Greek word: "biastes" meaning:

1. strong, forceful

2. using force, violent

John 6:27 (Amplified Bible)

6:27 Stop toiling and doing and producing for the food that perishes and decomposes [in the using], but strive and work and produce rather for the [lasting] food which endures [continually] unto life eternal; the Son of Man will give (furnish) you that, for God the Father has authorized and certified Him and put His seal of endorsement upon Him.

John 6:27 (The Message)

6:27 "Don't waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last."

There's a negative force here on this earth for we know the god of this world is not GOD. The Message bible calls him "fashionable god of darkness"

2 Corinthians 4:4 (The Message)

4:4 All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (Amplified Bible)

4:4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.

It's good to be updated by the trending WORD of GOD, but not be fashionable about it.

B. So that no one may fall in unbelief and disobedience

"that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell]"

Unbelief and disobedience are treated as one in the Bible, if you can't obey, it's because you don't believe GOD's WORD at first. Settle the root cause of your disobedience, start believing GOD's WORD as it is, the WORD OF GOD, not just some reading material. Unbelief here is defined as "obstinacy, obstinate opposition to the divine will".

Hebrews 3:12 (Amplified Bible)

3:12 [Therefore beware] brethren, take care, lest there be in any one of you a wicked, unbelieving heart [which refuses to cleave to, trust in, and rely on Him], leading you to turn away and desert or stand aloof from the living God.

Titus 1:16 (Amplified Bible)

1:16 They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind.