Worth Every Effort--The Rest of God

December 1, 2013 Evening:

Title: Striving Toward Rest

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 51:7-12 – Renew a right Spirit within me

Gospel Passage: Mark 14:53-65 – Jesus Before the Council

Sermon Text: Hebrews 4:11 – The path of unbelief and disobedience could be easily followed. To avoid it one must have the grace that results in striving to enter God's rest

Sermon Point: Trust and Obey

[11] Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Many have fallen because of the disobedience of unbelief.

Because of the disobedience of unbelief in the Word of God, Adam and Eve were not able to enter the rest of the seventh day of creation. They were cast out of the garden.

Because of the disobedience of unbelief an entire generation of Jewish pilgrims died in the wilderness after being delivered out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God. They were not able to enter the rest of Canaan. Their children would be led into the land by Joshua. Even Moses was not able to go into the land.

Because of the disobedience of unbelief many have walked away from the New Testament church, preferring the autonomy of self-rule to the love of the cross. They will not submit themselves to the Lord who bids all the earth to come and worship.

We are called to do all within our power to avoid the disaster of the disobedience of unbelief. We are to strive to stay in the rest of Jesus—the holy mountain of the house of the Lord. We are to stretch toward the final temple of the Lord. We are to trust and obey.

What are we trusting?

We are trusting that Jesus is the way, and that His rest is most desirable.

What are we obeying?

We are obeying His Word—all things whatsoever that He has commanded us.

What is our confidence?

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ generously displayed every week to us by the Lord of the church when we gather together to call upon His Name.