2 Nov 2007

2 Nov - Heb 4:1-16

Rest is the key message. Why is rest so important that as part of the 10 commandments, God ask us to observe the Sabbath?

People talk about early retirement, about how stressful in their work and hope to get out of it. Most people work because they need to work and failed to enjoy the work. They long for a break, a rest.

Heb 4:11 “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest”

God promised Mosses that rest – enter the Promise land – a land filled with milk and honey, but Heb 3:18 “that they would not enter his rest .. because of disobedience and v19 “that they were unable to enter because of unbelief”

Do we not want that rest? Most do want rest but unless you don’t care and don’t want that rest. I pray for my earthly father. Yes he has worked hard, he saved and raised up 3 children singled handled after my mother passed away when I was 14. It has been more than 2 decades. He has retired, but and sadden to say, he has no rest – he suffered a heart attack and a stroke and need a by-pass. Yes no further relapses, but still not rest. He walked with a limp and now has cancer. Its so sad – no rest.

All of us desire and dreams of the day when work is a pleasure or at least not a stressful one. That is work when we want to and not because we have to. Is that rest? NO, the real rest come in believe and obedience. My father case is an example.

The real rest comes through Jesus. Read Heb 4:12-16. In many way we will fail God in disobedience, that same sort disobedience (Heb 4:11) that render Mosses and his people the failure to enter into rest.

Because the word of God (Heb 4:12) and since we have a great high priest (Heb 4:14), Jesus, let us then with confidence (Heb 4:16), and that is believe (believe in Jesus –He is that High priest) and in obedience to the words, draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive grace and mercy to help in time of need.

We cannot escape natural disasters, illness and others “misfortunes” and that is the reason we need Jesus. I him we will find that rest. Solomon in his wisdom said in proverbs – add years of peace to your life. More years to life is not a blessing, for without peace, that is suffering.

Yes, we work and we dreamt of retirement. Good. The real rest than come in how we are entering into that retirement. Retirement is not an end to work and work is not all bad. Entering the promise land, does not means an end to work. That unless we act in obedience and in believe, we cannot enter that rest. Joshua did enter the land, not still no rest.

Therefore, I pray that the real act is not about stopping work and retire in peace, but the process of everyday and every week, be able to enter into rest in Christ Jesus.
Physically, mentally and spiritually, let us take our rest and it is a desire from God for us to have that rest.