Part
2 – Overcoming the storms in your life
Fear not, enter into God’s Rest
In this sermon I would like to continue with overcoming the storms in your life. There are 2 points that I would like to focus on:
- Fear that you are not restful
- If we believe we will receive rest
1. Fear that you are not restful.
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Heb 3:19 En ons sien dat hulle deur ongeloof nie kon ingaan nie.
Heb 4:1 Let us then, though we still have God’s word that we may come into His rest, go in fear that some of you may be unable to do so.
Heb 4:1 Laat ons dan vrees dat, terwyl die belofte om in sy rus in te gaan nog standhou, dit nie miskien sal blyk dat iemand van julle agtergebly het nie.
Why could the children of Israel not enter the promises of God. The did not believe God’s word.
Num 13:30 Then Caleb made signs to the people to keep quiet, and said to Moses, Let us go up straight away and take this land; for we are well able to overcome it. Num 13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. Num 14:7 and attempted to reason with the entire congregation of Israel. They told them, “The land that we went through and explored is very, very good. Num 14:9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
Num 14:28 So tell them that as long as I live—consider this to be an oracle from the LORD—as certainly as you’ve spoken right into my ears, that’s how I’m going to treat you.
Num 14:30 “You will certainly never enter the land, except for Caleb and Joshua.
Fear that you are not restful. Right now, are you at rest.? Most people will ask, how can I be at rest, when the problem is still there, the problem is still not resolved. You can see it, you can touch it, but God is saying you must be at rest?
God wants you to be at rest. This is only for a season. It will pass.
Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more. Till the clouds roll forever from the sky. Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
Heb 4:2 And, truly, the good news came to us, even as it did to them; but the hearing of the word did them no good, because they were not united in faith with the true hearers. Heb 4:3 For those of us who have belief come into His rest; even as He has said, As I said in my oath when I was angry, They may not come into my rest: though the works were done from the time of the making of the world.
The children of Israel did not believe the Word of God. They were so bogged in their current situation, the wilderness, that they lost the ability to see the promised land. Their fear was greater than their faith. They were not united in their faith.
They heard the word from Joshua and Caleb, in Num 14:8 “If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.” , but they did not believe the word.
They were not able to enter the rest. The Bible declares that; Heb 4:3 For those of us who have belief come into His rest.
If you believe the Word of God you will enter into God’s rest. The children of Israel did not mix faith with what they were hearing.
2. We who believe do receive rest
Heb 4:3 We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised.
Very simple, those who believe enter the rest. Believe God when He says something in His word.
When Devil says to you: you can see it; you say: I believe the Lord. I believe I am healed. I believe the invisible, not the visible. The Devil’s word against God’s word. 10 spies – Fear, 2 spies – Faith
What is God saying in His Word? Let’s look at some of the promises of God.
2 Peter 1:4 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Romans 8:37-39 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Heb 4:3 We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as He said, “I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!’ ” He said this even though His work had been finished from the time He created the world.
Heb 4:3b although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
God’s work was finished long before the world was created. How is that possible, that is why He is God. God has prepared everything for you. If you listen to Him, your life will be easy. It does not mean that you will not have trials and difficult times, but it says God is with you.
Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Believe the Word of God, and enter into His rest.
3. The Key to your rest
We have seen that to enter the rest of God, we must believe the Word of God. The Key to your rest is that you must feed on the Word of God.
I want to conclude with Ps 95. In Psalm 95, the psalmist warns the people of his day, based on the failure of the Israelites to enter Canaan. The warning was against failing to enter God’s rest, due to unbelief, hardness of heart, and disobedience.
The Israelites did not enter Canaan because of their failure to believe the Word of God. The author wants his readers to know that there is still a rest available to us, but there is likewise a danger of failing to enter this rest, for the same reasons that earlier generations failed, not believing the Word of God.
Psa 95:7 He is our God; we are the people he cares for, the flock for which he provides. Listen today to what he says: Psa 95:8 “Don’t be stubborn, as your ancestors were at Meribah, as they were that day in the desert at Massah. Psa 95:9 There they put me to the test and tried me, although they had seen what I did for them. Psa 95:10 For forty years I was disgusted with those people. I said, ‘How disloyal they are! They refuse to obey my commands.’ Psa 95:11 I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘You will never enter the land where I would have given you rest.’ “