Seeking once again the help of God, I'd like you to move me to the chapter that we read, the second chapter, Hebrews chapter 4, and the text you'll find from verses 9 to 11. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man should fall after the same example of unbelief.

Those of you who were here with us this morning will remember that we looked at the Lord Jesus Christ and how he how he took his apostles over into a desert place after they had been ministering, after they had been sent two by two to minister the word and to call people to repent from their sin as they returned back to him there was much to-ing and fro-ing, there was no time for any leisure, even as much as they didn't have time to eat their meals, and he says to them, come yourselves apart into a desert place and rest a while,

and we noticed there that the compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ and that even in his humanity as he takes the apostles over the lake to a private place and as the multitudes followed him, he still deals with them in compassion and he teaches them and he feeds them and we saw that this world is a restless place. Even for the Lord Jesus Christ there was no specific time that he could rest, there was all that to-ing and fro-ing and the rests that we do have in this life, especially for the believer, are just pauses in life circumstances.

We saw like as a service station, we stopped for a little while, we We have something to eat, we have something to drink and then we continue on our journey. And there are those spiritual service stations that the believer enters into as they come aside for a little while and they commune with Christ either through his word or in prayer or in meditation or in communion with the saints or under the preached word. There are those oasises in the desert places for the Lord's people where they can come and they can rest a little while and they can feed their souls on spiritual food.

And Jesus, as he speaks to his apostles to come aside and rest a little while, he demonstrates to us that there is that need. There is that need for the human body to rest. There is that need for our souls to rest and to be refreshed by the word.

we noticed that in that chapter there was those three rests that were spoken, the rest that Christ drew his apostles aside, there was the Sabbath rest that was ordained by God the Father at the beginning of the world, as he laboured for six days in creation, then he rested upon the Sabbath day, he hallowed, he sanctified that day. Not that he needed to rest because he was tired, but he ceased from his normal labours. And the chapter that we have read tells us that God continues in that rest, he has ceased from that initial work of creation and he entered into that Sabbath rest.

and the people of God, also the believers, as we travel this pilgrim journey, there is that ultimate rest by which we will enter into. We saw John the Baptist, although his life and ministry, he laboured for the Lord, and then at the end of his life, he is beheaded. But we saw that that was the end of his earthly life. the believer enters into, his body enters into a state of what the Bible calls sleep. He has fallen asleep in Christ Jesus. The body rests and waits in the earth but the spirit enters into the throne, the throne room to be in the presence of God, there to wait, to rest, for to the end of time when body and soul will be reconciled and so that rest is spoken about throughout the the word of God we have that that seventh day or the first day of the week in our case that spiritual sabbath that rest Then we have that glorious hope that there is that eternal rest for the believers to be with Christ forever and ever.

That death, as the body and soul separates, as Paul says, they've fallen asleep. And so the believer falls asleep in Christ Jesus and their soul enters into that eternal rest.

Then there is those blessed opportunities in life where we meet with the Lord Jesus Christ in the desert places as he says to them, come into a desert place and rest for a little while. so there are times as we walk through this wilderness in this pilgrim journey that we have moments where we come and we meet with the Lord Jesus just as the children of Israel as they cross over the Red Sea and they come to Mara the bitter place and they couldn't drink the water until the until the tree was felled and it became sweet. And then they continue on on their journey and they come then to another place, a blessed place with multiple palm trees and fresh water. And so it is with the Lord's people. Yes, there are those bitter places on our journey, those difficult places on our journey, but when Christ is made known in the midst, then those places become blessings. And then we continue on in our pilgrim journey.

We go a bit further. Yes, it's a wilderness walk. We are constantly under attack. We are constantly labouring. Then there is those blessed times when Christ comes. His word is made precious to us. Our soul feeds and meditates upon the scriptures, upon the Lord Jesus Christ, upon the cross, upon the resurrection, upon him as being our great high priest. And there are those beautiful rests for our souls.

And so the writer to the Hebrews, he Paul, as he writes to the Hebrews, he is speaking to them of this eternal rest by which the believer has a hope, and he takes them back on a spiritual journey back to the Old Testament, and he brings them to a type of heaven. He tells them of the way by which the Lord led them out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness and brings them to the River Jordan. And then as they crossed the River Jordan, they entered into the promised land, the promised rest, an imperfect shadow of the glorious heavenly rest by which the believer will enter into.

was a shadow. It wasn't the true rest, as we look at the of the account of the people of Israel as they crossed over into the promised land. It wasn't really a rest. They had to fight battles. Yes, their journey was over, but they had to fight battles. They had to overcome the enemies that were there. And so it was not a true, a perfect type. None of the types in the Old Testament are perfect types, but they are just shadows of things that would come, just mere pictures of what would be fulfilled later on in the scriptures. And so they are these imperfect shadows as they rested from their journey. as they rested from their journey, as they came to the promised land, was not the end. As we saw the other day, there were those who, the first time they crossed, after they crossed the Red Sea, the first time they entered, they came to the edge of Jordan, there were those who did not believe. As we looked at Caleb, we saw that Caleb and Joshua were one of those who were sent over into the promised land to spy out the land. And they saw that it was a good land, a prosperous land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land that could be overcome by faith in the true God.

We saw that although Caleb, who wholly followed the Lord, Yet the majority of the people listened to the evil report. They listened to the truth about the land, but they did not comprehend the greatness of God. And as we saw the other day, that often the problems that we are faced with can look far greater than God himself. And so it is with those who brought an evil report, the problems that they saw, they magnified them and they believed that God was not able to overcome, except for David, sorry, except for Joshua and Caleb. They believed that God was able to bring them through.

And so as Paul writes to these Hebrews, he points them back to this promised land experience and he tells them that those who entered into the promised land came there because they believed and trusted in God. Those who had unbelief were forced to turn back from the promised land and forced to wander in the wilderness and there they died. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they had all died. And then they were brought again to the River Jordan where they crossed over.

So this type that Paul is presenting to the Hebrews, to the Jews of old, and to us today, is then just an image of what you and I hope to experience in glory. Joshua, which in verse eight, his name is translated as Jesus, because of the Greek and how it is, as it comes over in translation, Joshua is the one who delivers. And so for this Jesus, it can be read as, if this Joshua had given them rest, he would not have after spoken of another day. And so the rest that Joshua gave the people of Israel was not a fullness. It was just a type, a shadow of what was going to come. And it is a type and a shadow. But it has in it truth that we can learn from and truth that should make us tremble.

What happened as the people of Israel came to the River Jordan the first time? Caleb and Joshua, as I've said, believed. And God blessed them and told them that you will inherit the land. Those who did not believe were caused to wander in the wilderness and they died. And the same will be in the fullness, in the day of judgment, when the type will be completed, when the shadow will be removed. Those who will enter in will enter in by faith. by faith in the Son of God, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, those who do not believe will be cast out into the waste howling wilderness under the wrath of Almighty God. They will be cast out from the presence of God and they will perish.

We know that as we do not believe in the total annihilation of the sinner in hell, they will be fully conscious and aware of all that is taking place. The Bible tells us or Jesus tells us that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It will be a place of torment, a place of darkness, a place of fear, a place of the absence of the grace of God. And as the people who rejected, as the people who failed to believe and trust in God were caused to wander in the wilderness and perished. as a type, as a warning, that these things have happened as a warning unto us that this will continue, this will take place. But he says, there remains therefore a rest. You see, if this type was not the real thing, then therefore there remains a greater rest.

You see, as we look at the types and shadows of the Old Testament, as we look at the high priest, as we look at the sacrifices, as we look at the temple, as we look at the prophets, they were all shadows of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see then in those types and shadows in their fullness in the Lord Jesus Christ, in their greatness in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have read that the Lord Jesus is a great high priest, is the unchanging high priest, the high priest who is in heaven itself at the right hand of the Father, who took his sacrifice into the presence of God, his own blood. he is far greater than all the all the sacrifices he is the one and perfect sacrifice and as we have him then as our high priest yet still possessing that humanity, for we have not that high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

And so if we see the fullness of those types in Christ Jesus and how great the Lord Jesus Christ is in comparison to those types, Think what heaven will be like. Think what heaven will be like. If the promised land, a land flowing with milk and with honey was a glorious prospect for the people of God, if it was a great fulfilment of a prophecy given to Abraham, think how great heaven itself will be. Far greater than the promised land. a place without sorrow, without wars, without troubles.

As we look at our world and we see a restless place filled with war and violence and hatred, groaning under the weight of sin, waiting for the adoption. I think how glorious heaven will be. And so as the promised land was a type, it says, therefore, then there remains a rest for the people of God. That was not the true rest. The true rest is that rest that will come.

The true rest that John the Baptist entered into, as we saw in Revelation, and they cry with a loud voice saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, as there's no judge and avenge our blood on them that dwelleth upon the earth. And white robes were given unto every one of them. and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.

And so as John the Baptist entered into that perfect rest, that promised land, so the believers all wait for that day. It is a rest for the people of God and it's for them only. The word rest is the word sabbath. The other words for rest in this chapter are a word that is called kataposis which means a resting place. Sabbath means a state of rest. It means a condition of rest and so it says that there remains therefore a state of rest for the people of God.

And as the people of Israel had in their minds that prospect of entering into the promised land, they had in their sights, their goal was this promised land. As Abraham had in his sights the promised land, so the believers also should have in their sights this promised land. The trials and difficulties that we pass through, what are they here for? They're to wean us of this world. They are thorns and thistles to upset us, to cause us not to settle here below, to make us long for glory. That is our prospect, that we labour while we're here below, under sin, under temptation, under opposition and persecution, under sickness, under death, under trial, under opposition. And because we are constantly aware of these things, we long for that rest. Our hope is in heaven, the promised land, where we can be with the Lord Jesus Christ, as he says, and what a comfort that is to so many.

I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there, that will be with me also. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. Do you and I, do we have that prospect? Is that where our goal is? Is that our finish line? It is the rest, the eternal rest. If Jesus was to come now, if our lives were to be switched off now, would we enter into that rest? Would we enter in to be with Christ forever and ever? Or would we be cast out like those in the wilderness?

Because of their unbelief, they were shut out of the promised land. They were shut out of the place of rest and they had to wander in the wilderness. And you will wander, not in the wilderness, but you will wander in hell under the torments of the wrath of God. There will be no rest for those in hell, for there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There is only a rest for the people of God. those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope for salvation. And some of those, they have entered in already.

There remains therefore a rest for the people of God, for he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. You see, every time a believer passes away, every time a believer dies, they are taken into this place of rest. Yes, their bodies, as we saw this morning, go to sleep. They enter into that state. But their souls go to be with the Lord.

Sometimes If you ever consider the blessed state of the just, if you ever consider those who have been taken to glory, what they are experiencing now, we would never wish them back. Now there are our loved ones that have passed away and we miss them very, very dearly. but they are in a far better place than we are. They rest from their labours. They are at rest around the throne of God. They have eternal joys. They have eternal peace. They have eternal rest. It is us It is us who are left below who struggle, who labour day by day under the weight of sin, who groan under the wickedness of this world, the restlessness of this world. They, oh how happy are they. Do you think they would want to come back? I don't think so. but they want to come back to this world of sin and sorrow.

When they see the Lord Jesus Christ face to face, without a veil between, no need of faith then, for there is sight. They are at rest, they have ceased from their own works as God ceased from his. As God laboured for those six days, creating heaven and earth, then he rested upon the Sabbath day. And so the people of God, they labour all the years of their life while they are upon this earth and they rest for all eternity. Forever with the Lord. Amen. And let it be.

And so he says, let us labour, therefore, to enter into that rest. lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. And so he brings them again back to that wilderness journey. He says, look at that wilderness journey. Look at Caleb and look at Joshua. What is it that made them different? What is it that set them out from the crowd and caused God to bless them? It was their faith in the greatness of God. They elevated God to his rightful place. And they placed all the opposition and the enemies of this world under the feet of God. And they saw that God was able to do far more than they could ask or even think God could deliver them from the hand of their enemies.

And so he says, cast your mind back. Why did Caleb and Joshua get in? Why was everybody else cast out? because of faith, they trusted God. Deuteronomy, as we have read already, sorry. Save Caleb, the son of Jeff, he shall see it. And to him will I give that land that he has trodden upon and to his children, because he has wholly followed the Lord.

Philippians tells us to work out our similar words really as Paul writes here. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest. Philippians 2 and verse 12. Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling.

Brings us back really to how we ended this morning. As we saw this morning that we are to use the means of grace that God has given for the benefit of our never dying souls. That he has given us his word, he has given us his spirit, he has given us his people to enable us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he tells us to work out your own salvation with fear and with trembling. Not that he's saying, work your salvation. Not that he's saying, present to me the works of righteousness. He's saying, walk out your salvation. The salvation which you have already received. Walk it out by faith. Striving against sin. Overcoming temptation. believing and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us labour therefore to enter into this rest. Jesus tells us it's not an easy road that leads to heaven. It is a narrow way that leads to life. It is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom and therefore it is a labour. It is a hard slog to heaven. It's an easy road to hell but a hard slog to heaven but we have his spirit with us. He has promised to walk beside us in the way. Yet it is walking the opposite way to the crowd. As the illustration ministers often give, is that dead fish go with the flow, but live fish swim upstream. And so it is with the believer they are living. Yet they have to labour against the flow. They have to labour against the current. They have to press on through adversity and trial and opposition, exercising the faith that has been given to them, exercising the means of grace that have been given to them to persevere.

And it comes down to the same thing. Attending to. God's Word. The ordinances that he has given to us, baptism and especially the Lord's Supper, that it is a means of grace, a strengthening act for the believer, strengthening of their faith as they commune with the Lord's people. He has promised to meet with them as they sit together around his Word.

Let us labour therefore to enter into this striving against sin. Labouring daily. In Hebrews 11 it tells us there. sorry, Hebrews 12, wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and then sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. And so he says, seeing then that we have this cloud of witnesses that are looking on, those who have already passed into glory, those who are already in the heavenly rest, they have strived, they have persevered and their lives are written down in the Word of God for us to read and we can see that they laboured, they had the opposition, they fell in sin, they experienced the grace and mercy of God upon their lives, but we also are to lay aside every weight and sin as we labor to enter into that rest.

You think the longer the race, the more precious the end will seem. The longer the race, the more needed the rest will be. The more you have labored throughout the day, how enjoying how joyful, how enjoyable it is the time when we come home and we rest. And so it will be for the Lord's people, those who have laboured for the Lord, those who have strived against sin, when they come to that day, when they fall asleep in Christ Jesus and they enter into glory, as they enter into the promised land, what a day, what a day that will be.

And my Jesus, I will see At this moment in time we look to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, the author and finisher of our faith, but then we will see him as he is. Let us run the race set before us. Let us labour, therefore, to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. And so we have that account then in the Old Testament of Caleb and Joshua and the people of Israel. They entered not in or they didn't enter in because of their unbelief. May the Lord grant us that faith then to persevere unto the end, that we will be finishers of the race, that we will finish well with our eyes looking to the Lord Jesus Christ, having laid aside every sin and every weight that so easily besets us. Let us labour to get rid of and to overcome those temptations, those weaknesses, those trials, and let us enter into that rest.

Therefore, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Amen.

Let's sing together our final hymn. Number 1102.

1102. Why those fears? Behold, tis Jesus holds the helm and guides the ship, spread the sails and catch the breezes sent to waft us through the deep, to the regions where the mourners cease to weep.

Hymn 1102. Tune 671.

O'er the harsh pits behold his Jesus, O'er the hell-man guides the sheep, Spread the sails and catch the breezes, Send to waft us through the to the regions, to the regions where the border ceases to be.

? We hope to land on earth ?
? Be by report is known ?
? Yet we freely honor and do never that report alone ?
? And with Jesus, and with Jesus, through the trackless road ?

Let by him we brave the ocean, each tumultuous storm defy. Come, thou misdemeanor's portion, knowing that the Lord is nigh. Waves obey him, waves obey him, and the storms before him rise. Endowed safe by his protection, we shall pass the watery waste. Trusting to his wise direction, we shall gain the port of

And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, with the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you each now and for evermore. Amen.