Those Who Believed Entered That Rest

I. EXORDIUM:

Do you believe you have rest?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we are at REST with JESUS, JESUS works in us.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 4:3 (Amplified Bible)

4:3 For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world.

V. THESIS:

My mind is in line with GOD's Word, I'm at REST in JESUS, and JESUS is at WORK in me.

VI. TITLE:

Those who believed entered that 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. Those who believed

"For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest,"

Believed came from the Greek word "pisteuo" (verb) meaning:

1. to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in

example: to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith

2. to entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity

Isaiah 28:12 (Amplified Bible)

28:12 To these [complaining Jews the Lord] had said, This is the true rest [the way to true comfort and happiness] that you shall give to the weary, and, This is the [true] refreshing—yet they would not listen [to His teaching].

Jeremiah 6:16 (Amplified Bible)

6:16 Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads and look; and ask for the eternal paths, where the good, old way is; then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it!

Matthew 11:29 (The Message)

11:29 Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Matthew 11:29 (Amplified Bible)

11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

Taking the yoke of JESUS on us, is working with JESUS as a cooperative partner, we watch how He does it in our lives and we received all the benefits, as He works in us while we rest on Him.

B. We entered that rest from the foundation of the world

"in accordance with His declaration that those [who did not believe] should not enter when He said, As I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest; and this He said although [His] works had been completed and prepared [and waiting for all who would believe] from the foundation of the world."

Enter came from the Greek word: "eiserchomai" (verb) meaning:

1. to go out or come in: to enter

2. metaphorically: of entrance into any condition, state of things, society, employment

example: of thoughts that come into the mind

Rest came from the Greek word: "katapausis" (noun feminine) meaning:

1. a putting to rest

2. a resting place

example: metaphorically the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells, and of which he has promised to make persevering believers in Christ partakers after the toils and trials of life on earth are ended

Ephesians 1:4 (Amplified Bible)

1:4 Even as [in His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy (consecrated and set apart for Him) and blameless in His sight, even above reproach, before Him in love.

1 Peter 1:20 (Amplified Bible)

1:20 It is true that He was chosen and foreordained (destined and foreknown for it) before the foundation of the world, but He was brought out to public view (made manifest) in these last days (at the end of the times) for the sake of you.

Entering takes effort, but it's not work, it's GOD's effort not self-effort, it's just renewing our mind making it agree with GOD's Words. For example, if we're sick, we agree not with our body, but we agree with the WORD of GOD that says we're already healed. (1 Peter 2:24) But "rest" is already a "place" something that's existed long before the foundation of the world, it's just by being a believer that we enter into GOD's rest.