Ep.06/ A Better Rest
As believers, we are God's hands and feet on earth, purposed to do a good work prepared for us in advance. When, and only when, that work is complete, we will find A Better Rest with our Father in heaven.
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"For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his." - Hebrews 4: 8 - 10 NIV
When I study the book of Hebrews, I often think of transitioning in my faith walk. Specifically, the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant. Moving from the temporal & conditional blood of imperfect sacrificial coverings to the spiritual and continual blood covering of Jesus. Pastor Cora Jakes once said, "The fullness of the breakthrough is the acknowledgment of the blood of Christ." when referencing the transition that occurs.
The word Rest appears in our scripture three times. Whenever I see three, I immediately see the trinity. And whenever I see the trinity, I immediately see the blood. The biblical significance of 3 is completeness — but to a lesser degree than 7. Jesus was placed on the cross in the 3rd hour. And for 3 hours, darkness covered the land while he suffered on the cross. But on the 3rd day, he rose again.
If the fullness of the breakthrough in transition is the acknowledgment of the blood of Christ, then the responsibility to the blood and the promised rest is our work. As the body of Christ, we are God's hands and feet on earth, purposed to do good work prepared in advance. When and only when that work is complete, we will find A Better Rest. But first, I'd like to go back to the garden — in the creation and after the curse —where we find our first model for work and rest.
Ep.06/
A Better Rest
Rest in the Father
My Father provided the 1st example of what it meant to work. To go out, for days on end, creating something out of nothing to ensure we— his children — could experience a small piece of paradise. To provide, my Father traveled for days and weeks on end. And the evidence of how hard he worked — The extent of paradise we experienced was based on his tiredness. From a young age, my Father modeled that the measure of his work was evident in how well he rested when he completed his work.
The only time my Father physically disciplined me as a child was me interrupting his sleep. At the time, I thought it unbecoming and uncharacteristic of him to lose his temper simply because we made too much noise while he slept. I know now that I had little value for his rest because I didn't see the cost of his work.
What does your work as a believer cost?
As I prepared for this message, I wondered if my Father on earth had taken his cues from Our Father in heaven. After all, God made all of creation— the heavens and the earth— and all who dwell among it in their vast array in 6 days. But on the 7th day, he rested from all his work. He rested because what He saw was very good and complete.
He blessed the completeness of his work and made it Holy. But we, in our sinful nature, hardened our hearts and did not accept what our Father had given us in creation. We rejected the rest we had access to in the garden when we decided it was better to know for ourselves. Not all of us are parents, but everyone one of us has been a child. And I am willing to bet you know what it is like to reject the blessings of your Father to find out for yourself the blessings of wisdom, wise counsel, or self-control. We lost the 1st rest when we left the garden. But our God is so God that from the beginning, he made a way even before we fell.
Genesis 3:21 says "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them." These clothes— the imperfect sacrificial coverings of the old covenant. Blood was shed to create this covering. But we are under the new covenant.
Hebrews 4: 3 says," now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said." How do we enter — by faith— our belief grants us access. No longer the blood of imperfect animals but the perfect blood of Jesus.
Rest in the Son
Hebrews 4:8 starts, "For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. It goes on to say, there remaineth, therefore, a rest to the people of God. Another day, because there were and remain those who fail to believe. Hebrews 4:7 says, "God again set a certain day, calling it "Today."
In the English language, when rest is used in the context of people and things, it means remaining, for God's people, the remnant of verse 9. Our God is, so GOD that he said, again, here is another chance, through my Son— "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." Open your hearts to receive my Son and access another rest.
How do we enter his rest? by faith, But we also know that faith without works is dead. So we labor in the faith, from day to day, by the power of the blood of Jesus. And then we shall rest, just as God did on the seventh day when it is done.
Rest in the Holy Spirit
Anapauo, the Greek word for rest, means to give rest, give intermission from labor, and refresh. Verse 10 of Hebrews 4 says, "For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Should we rest without work? It is not enough for us to believe that we must work for the Kingdom. When we become believers we are operating in the 3rd rest, A Better Rest— sealed by the Holy Spirit under this new covenant of grace. But while we are here, we must do the work.
During the global pandemic, Bishop T.D. Jakes preached to an empty sanctuary for months on end. As a member of the Potter’s House, one of the things I missed was the familiar voice of a man I didn't know shouting, "Let's go to work. " I was in the sanctuary every Sunday to hear the messenger of God deliver the message of God as evidence of his work for the Kingdom of God.
In empty sanctuaries, we must do the work of God. After endless Zoom calls and back to back meetings, we must do the work of God. When the mood escapes us, we must do the work, because a better rest comes when the work is done. And our work will be done when we join our Father in Heaven.
"For — We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour,
that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him."
2 Corinthians 5: 8 -9
So I ask again, what does your work cost? Does it reflect the value you receive in the rest of God? When you find yourself before the Father, will he say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Does your work for the Kingdom reflect the stones you've envisioned in your crown of glory? Or do we as a collective need to do what the anonymous gentleman does and say, "Let's go to work."
Now is the time. Today is the day. Harden not your hearts to the work God has called you to do. The alter is open for all. Will you join me and do the work today?