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Fear, Labor, and Be Judged to Enter His Eternal Rest
Hebrews 4:1-13
Last Saturday, President Trump announced tariffs for all countries with reciprocal tariffs on some. China and the EU retaliated. Some have warned of trade wars and global recession. Now, he paused the tariffs for 90 days. But before that, some responded with panic. Asian and European shares and oil prices plunged. Investors sold, fearing massive effects on global economy and their own investments. Some advised a defensive approach - to buy gold, US treasuries, and the Japanese yen - which is seen to be a safe haven. Others took advantage of the drops to buy more shares. Why these solutions? To find a safe haven in the midst of chaos. Like Noah’s dove, trying to find a place to rest her foot in the chaotic waters. To be clear, I’m not giving advice. I myself need financial advice! Will the tariffs resume? I don’t know! There’s uncertainty.
And this illustrates the uncertainty of the Jewish Christians. Persecution’s here; it’s coming! How can we buy and sell and keep our status? It caused fear and panic. Their solution? Stop following Christ! Return back to Judaism! There’s safety! Some Jews were hoping for a Jewish resurgence. There was a growing movement to rebel against Rome. And perhaps there’d be safety there. So go back to Moses, God promised you Israel - the Promised Land. There’s a solution for you! That’s what they thought. But the writer taught their security and rest was not in that land, but in another. He gave them 3 solutions - firstly, believers must have a correct fear; secondly, believers must labor for the correct rest; and thirdly, believers must be judged worthy for that rest.
Firstly, believers must have a correct fear. Verse 1 says, “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” We all have fears - money, relationships, children, health, etc. And there are legitimate fears. But our Lord said,“a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” So it’s not your job, grades, family, possessions, and abilities. We’re all eventually going to die. But where will we go? That’s why the writer’s chief concern was salvation. We should be afraid that we won’t be saved. And so important was this that the writer put the command first. Let us therefore fear. It’s in the beginning of the sentence, to show emphasis. The LSB also says, “Therefore, let us fear, lest, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have fallen short of it.” Or my paraphrase - “Therefore be afraid! He still promises eternal rest. Unless you fall short.” He’s building on what he said in Hebrews 3. The Israelites couldn’t enter their rest - the land - because of unbelief. But there’s still chance for us - eternal rest is still available, until it’s not. And we shouldn’t take that offer lightly. If a whole generation of Israelites didn’t make it, what’s to say we will? Their target was Canaan. And after weeks of wandering, pitching tents, gathering and cooking manna, they could finally enter. They could almost taste it. Finally, no more tents and manna. But they wandered the desert 40 more years because they didn’t believe. They had no rest. Their fear of giants caused them to desire the slavery of Egypt.
But many professing Christians fear their giants more than having eternal life. What if I have no job, bad grades, slim wallet, few possessions? But you must have the correct fear, then all other fears are put into their right places. Then we can agree with Jesus in Matthew 6 - “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or…drink; nor…what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” God feeds the birds. He clothes the flowers. Which of you can add one cubit to your height by worrying? O ye of little faith! The Gentiles seek these things. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you!” Do we believe this? If we keep the first commandment and believe Christ is our only comfort in life and death; we’ll keep the tenth and not covet. If we don’t keep the tenth, we won’t keep the first. Do we fear not having these things more than not having God? Be afraid of not having true rest. Will we be among those who “come up short of it?” Where’s the energy and excitement when it comes to spiritual matters? If your heart is not where it should be, there’s reason to be afraid. Why? Because believers are excited about spiritual things, about holiness, about love for Christ.
That’s why we must believe the preached word and rest. Why didn’t they enter? They didn’t believe the preached word, verse 2. So to be clear, they heard the gospel. They knew the good news of salvation - God saved them from Egypt by a sacrificed lamb, so they could inherit a land he’d give them. But they didn’t truly believe. That Word preached wasn’t mixed with faith. And that boggles the mind. If anyone would believe, it should be them. But it’s no different from us. We’ve heard the gospel but in such a season of uncertainty, is our main aim to make money? To buy low, in the hopes of gaining? Is our main aim to preserve wealth? Or is our main aim to let today’s crisis propel us to greater love and faithfulness for God’s kingdom? Do we see today’s crisis as an intrusion into our reality, or do we admit it IS reality. Yes, we should manage the situation wisely, but let our eyes be turned to our heavenly home. That’s faith - to live in flux with eyes fixated on Christ. Hoping in Christ. That demonstrates receiving the Word with faith. Are we coming up short? How we live life prove our faith. Remember James? Work works prove our faith. And verse 3 says, “For we which have believed do enter into rest.” Do you really believe? Have you examined yourself? Your life shows it. Are you afraid? If so, what do you do?
Secondly, believers must labor for the correct rest. What’s your rest and confidence in? In those days, these believers were so tired, some looked for rest in Judaism - both religiously and politically. Some thought - I’m Jewish, I’ll just switch back from first day to seventh day. Others thought - I’m Jewish, the Jewish revolt will remove the Romans; I’ll have the land, rest! So how did the author address these false hopes of rest? He told them to labor for the correct rest. Follow his argument. In verse 3, he told them believers will enter this correct rest. He quoted Psalm 95 to remind them the importance of faith to enter that rest. But he knew they’d have objections - but we have rest! So he dealt with the different past pictures of rest they were clinging onto. The Jews would say - but we have rest already. We have Sabbath Day rest! God finished his works from the foundation of the world. The author agreed. He quoted Genesis 2 in verse 4 - “For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.” But if that were so, why was there another rest? The Promised Land, which the Jews also acknowledged was their rest. And while verses 5-6 say they couldn’t enter because of unbelief, the fact is, they did enter after 40 years. Joshua brought them in and they rested.
He did all of this to show there’s a third kind of rest - a certain Day of final rest; verse 7 -“Again, he limiteth a certain day (or designates another day), saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” In Psalm 95, David spoke about another rest. Meaning, the Sabbath is not the final rest. Neither is the Promised Land. Why? Verse 8 says - if Joshua had given them rest, when he brought them into the Promised Land, then David wouldn’t have spoken of another day. Therefore, verse 9 - there’s still a rest for the people of God. And what rest is this? Ultimate rest - heaven. That’s why verse 10 says, when we’re finally there in heaven, we will stop working like God did. So the 2 previous pictures of rest - the day and the land - are only there to point to the eternal rest. They’re types and shadows. The Jewish Christians were deluded if they found rest in those things. In the same way, we wish for a nice retirement. We put all energies into securing wealth now to have rest then. But where’s our final retirement and riches to be found? Yes, heaven. And what do we have now? A cursed earth -“cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.” But we put our hope for rest in the world. We place our hope in better politics. Or in emigration. But we won’t find true rest. I’ve lived much of life in other countries - the latest as a resident of Australia. Trust me - there’s no perfect country or system. Elimelech left Bethlehem - the house of bread - to Moab to find rest. They found no rest - he died! His sons died! But Naomi didn’t learn. When she returned to Judah, she told her daughters in law to remain in Moab to find rest. Good night! Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom because the fields were greener - and he ended up in shame. We’re looking for rest in all the wrong places. We won’t find it apart from God. Only when Naomi found Boaz for Ruth - that kinsman redeemer - did she have rest; and Abraham found rest because he trusted God for a better city. That’s why we must work to find that rest. Verse 11 says, “Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” Not work for your salvation, but work not to trust things here. Labor to believe. Be afraid that you don’t really believe. How do you labor to believe? Luke 11:34-35 - “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” What you look at, your hope, matters. If your eye is singularly on heaven, then your life is full of light. But if your eye is not singularly on heaven, your life is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in you is not darkness. The Lord calls for self-examination.
That’s why lastly, believers must be judged worthy for that rest. Again, salvation is not by works. It’s by faith. But we must make sure we are in the faith. We must judge ourselves. This is how we labor to enter our rest. We see this over and over again in the Scriptures. 2 Corinthians 13:5 - “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” Philippians 2:12 - “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 trembling.” Let the Word judge us. This is how we labor to enter rest, to examine our faith and its fruits. Verse 12 - “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
What does the Word do? It’s quick, meaning it’s living. God’s commandments are living Words. It shows us how to live. And we’re judged for how we live Revelation says we’ll be judged out of the books that record our lives - all our sins - whether we’re alive or dead to sin. We’re also be judged whether we’re in the book of life. Whether we’re born again. 1 Peter 1:23 says we’re born again, “by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” So let the Word examine your faith and life. If you believe, you can see change. Why? Because the Word is powerful. The Greek word is “energes;” it’s powerful and effective to produce change in your life. The Word washes us. The Word saves and sanctifies. How do you respond to the Word? Now concerning near-death conversions. There’s still fruit. We see this in the thief on the cross. He admitted his sins. The other thief was cursing God and Christ. But the first thief said we deserve it. And then he called out to Jesus for salvation. Remember me when you are come into your kingdom. He saw this man on the cross, dying the death of a criminal, and called him a king. He demonstrated his faith by his profession and his preaching.
So let the Word judge you. It’s sharp to judge the heart, sharper than any two-edged sword, judging our inner thoughts and intents of the heart. Most swords then only had 1 sharp edge. So double-edged swords were considered the sharpest swords. But the Word is sharper. It pierces into us. It gets to the heart of the matter, cutting through our motives to reveal the truth. These are the parts no scalpel, scope, or ultra sound can penetrate. It discerns our hearts’ thoughts and intents - if we allow it to. And why would we not? Don’t we want to labor to enter that rest? Aren’t we afraid of not believing?
Don’t we want the Word to reveal us? Verse 13 says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Yes, as John said, men love darkness rather than the light. He also says in John 3:20-21 - “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” Don’t you want the Word to reveal us to make certain we’re in the faith? Why not? And beloved, we see here again, these are corporate commandments. Verse 1 - let us fear that we come short. Verse 11 - let us labor to enter. Verse 13 - let all things be naked and opened…we must give account. Do you think you’re doing okay? You can hide from the church, but never from God. He sees all things. But it’s corporate. The church is there to help you with the Word. Delight in Pastoral Visits - it’s not a dread to be examined so we can make sure of our salvation. If we have a darling sin, shouldn’t we want to be helped? Don’t you want comfort and healing from the Word from your loving shepherds? And perhaps we’ve done it wrong - to have oversight without love. And that’s for us to repent of. We must desire to point you to Christ. Because we want to feed you with Christ.
That’s why we must all fear, and labor together, to judge if our faith is genuine. Doctrinal agreement is not enough. The Heidelberg QA21 says, “True faith is a sure knowledge whereby I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word. At the same time, it is a firm confidence, that not only to others, but also to me, God has granted forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation, out of mere grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits. This faith the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel.” Today, the Spirit speaks, harden not your hearts. We don’t know how many mixed faith with the preached word or how many went back to Judaism. Their actions and appetites proved their faith, or lack of it. If they did, they didn’t find rest. History tells us that the first Jewish-Roman war led to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, and eventually the expulsion of all Jews from the land. The Romans renamed the land Palestine after the ancient enemy of Israel. You think you find rest in whatever here? You won’t. Fear, labor, examine.
How do we apply this? We’re not Jewish Christians thinking about the Sabbath day and the Promised Land. But we hope to find rest in many things. But Christ alone gives rest. He alone gives contentment. John 6:27 - “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” There needs to be a putting away of these things. Israel needed to put away their hope in Egypt. Can you spend some time examining your heart to see what your loves are? In such times, there are fears. But can these fears propel you to think about heaven more? To help prove to you that God is removing your rest here so you can truly rest there. This is his providence. And while this passage has the command to be afraid, this sermon is not meant to create fear, but sobriety; to be honest with yourself in what you find rest in. To judge yourself. And to be sober about where we’re heading. Judge yourself honestly.
And where we can corporately judge ourselves with the Word is the Lord’s Day - where we come, with the expectation of hearing the preached Word, to prepare us for heaven. Yes, for some, the word preached won’t profit them because it’s not mixed with faith. But it’ll profit you who hear with faith. This is why we keep the Lord’s Day. But not as the Jews and Pharisees - who kept their Sabbath as a legalistic requirement, to keep some dreaded law or tradition. But that’s the old wineskin mentality. We keep it because Christ’s our bridegroom, the Lord of the Sabbath. He’s in the midst of the congregation today. And we delight to hear him, receiving the new wine of the gospel; to hear and examine self, to look forward to our eternal rest. We come and say together with Samuel - “Speak, O LORD; for thy servant heareth!” And that delight is proof we believe. Some come because you’re tired from the world. You’re struggling. Your marriages are struggling. Work is hard. Raising children is an impossibility. But these are the effects of the curse. But here, you hear the Word to help you to live in this world. Mix it with faith, and you will learn surrender and experience victory. You will limp to heaven, but you will limp less. Sometimes you’ll walk, run, and other times you’ll fly. That’s the gospel the Lord Jesus offers - come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy, and my burden light. Take this labor on you, and you’ll find rest.
1. Believers Must Have a Correct Fear (1-2)
A. Be afraid that we won’t be saved (1)
B. Believe the preached word and rest (2-3)
2. Believers Must Labor for the Correct Rest
A. Different past pictures of rest (3-5)
B. A certain Day of Final Rest (6-10)
3. Believers Must Be Judged Worthy for that Rest
A. Let the Word judge you (11-12)
B. The Word will reveal you (13)
Conversation for Change
1. How much do you yearn for heaven? When do you find yourself yearning for heaven?
2. Why is it good to reflect on your spiritual health? Putting off reflection is common, despite the exhortation to reflect. What hinders reflection?
3. Do you fear for certain people who may not make it to heaven? How are you exhorting them? Are there any who are in your family? What must you do?
4. What is so frightening to people about the expression of the Word being a “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”?
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2025, Rev. Mark Chen
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