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[26:59] Genesis chapter 3 Genesis Genesis chapter 3 from slavery to sin.
[28:02] Jesus is the one who truly puts an end to our labors. In Christ, we receive his righteousness by grace through faith, not by our efforts. It's Jesus who went to the cross on our behalf, and on Friday when his work was complete, what did he say?
[28:20] It is finished. His work was done. He ceased from the work of redemption. And on Saturday, he rested in the grave.
[28:36] And on Sunday, he rose again as the beginning of a new age, a new creation, ushering in a new covenant and doing away with the old covenant for good.
[28:50] Scott Hubbard, he says, When the stone rolled away from Jesus' tomb on Easter morning, true Sabbath rest arrived, and a new day dawned.
[29:05] So fifth, lastly, let's bring it to us. Where does this leave us? Church, we are not obligated to keep the Sabbath because we see that everything the Sabbath was meant to teach us is found in Christ.
[29:28] The Sabbath was his big arrows, as pointing to Jesus, and now Jesus has come. Israel, the old covenant, the Sabbath, all these are shadows, but Christ is the substance.
[29:42] These are all blurry, black and white images, but now Christ has come, and all of his new covenant people, we get to enjoy the fullness of God's rest in him.
[29:55] Yes, God still calls you to rest in him, but no longer by simply setting aside one day out of seven, but by coming to Christ in faith. The early church had to wrestle with this, too.
[30:09] This is one of the questions that they had to settle, and they had to discuss, is do we still observe the Sabbath day? That was a question they had to ask right up there alongside. Do we still have to be circumcised in order to be a part of the people of God?
[30:22] And here's what they said. Paul says in Colossians chapter 2, Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
[30:37] These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. And he tells the church in Rome, Romans 14, verse 5, he says, One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.
[30:54] Look, each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. That would not fly in the old covenant, would it? It used to be do this or die.
[31:06] And now he says, Christ has come and you are free. Don't judge each other. Live in the freedom that Christ has purchased for you in the gospel. Live according to your convictions.
[31:17] Something has happened that has drastically changed this dynamic and this concept of Sabbath rest. And that something clearly is the resurrection of Jesus.
[31:31] In fact, the early church, they began a totally new practice in light of the resurrection of Jesus. They began to gather and to worship together on the Lord's day.
[31:46] Sunday. You wonder why we as Christians gather and worship on Sunday morning and not on Saturday. Sunday is the Lord's day. This is resurrection day.
[31:57] It wasn't a new Sabbath day. The Sabbath didn't just move forward 24 hours in the clock from Saturday to Sunday. This was an entirely new practice.
[32:09] Gathering with the church to worship the risen Lord Jesus on the Lord's day. And guess what, church? That is a command for Christians. The author of Hebrews tells us to not neglect the meeting together as is the habit of some, but encourage one another.
[32:26] And all the more as you see the day drawing near. And it's here together that we as a church, we come together and we get a foretaste of the rest of heaven.
[32:37] For a brief moment in our week, we set aside our work. And we join together with the angels in heaven and singing songs of praise to the Lord.
[32:49] We put down our tools. We pick up our Bibles. We remember, we're reminded that God is our creator. That we are set apart for Him. That Jesus has come to redeem us by His own blood.
[33:03] What a gift we're given. God extends true rest to us in Christ. The rest that you and I were made for is found in Christ.
[33:18] The early church father, St. Augustine, he would say it like this. He said, our hearts are restless until we find rest in Thee. Friend, if you are not a Christian, Christ invites you this morning.
[33:35] This invitation is yours. Come to me. All who are weary and heavy laden, come to me. All you who are burdened down by your sin, come to me.
[33:46] All you who are separated from me by your sin, come to Christ and I will give you true rest. And Christian, as we grow in our walk with the Lord, we're constantly bid to do the same thing.
[34:01] Come to Christ. Come to Christ. Come to Christ. We're called to rest in Him and it's only in Him, only by faith in Him that you will find true rest.
[34:15] I want you to turn with me to one more passage as we close. Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews chapter 4. Right before this chapter, the author of Hebrews, he reminds us that that many in Israel failed to enter the promised rest.
[34:37] That rest in the land of Canaan was never ultimate. The invitation was there. The land was right there in front of them. But he says that they heard the voice of God and they hardened their hearts.
[34:48] And so they didn't enter because of their unbelief. Therefore, he says chapter 4. While the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.
[35:05] For good news came to us just as to them. But the message they heard did not benefit them because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest.
[35:20] As he has said, verse 6. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it. And those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience.
[35:31] Again, he appoints a certain day. Today. Saying through David so long afterward. And the words already quoted. Today. If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.
[35:46] For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.
[35:58] For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from His works as God did from His. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.
[36:13] Church, as we think on this theme of God's rest, we can make all sorts of applications about resting and working, taking a day off every now and then, getting a nap, turning off your phone, going for a walk in the woods.
[36:31] All of that is well and good. But there's something infinitely more serious at stake here. I need you to listen. God has spoken to you today through His Word.
[36:48] And He has extended to you this promise. Here it is again. Come to Christ. Come to Christ and find true rest. Leave behind the chaos and the striving of this world.
[37:04] Lay aside the burden of sin. Come to Christ and He will give you true rest for your souls. He is the rest that you were made for.
[37:15] Today you have heard His voice. Do not harden your hearts. Those who believe will enter the rest God has provided for us in Christ.
[37:27] Those who believe will enter His rest. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
[37:38] rest, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. And today, today you may enter true rest by faith in Christ.
[37:50] A perfect rest that we who know the Lord will enjoy in full at His return in a new and better Eden. But we who know the Lord can enjoy and enter that rest and taste it even partially here right now through faith in Christ.
[38:06] let us therefore strive to enter that rest by hearing and believing by coming to Christ the Lord of the Sabbath.
[38:19] Let's pray. Father, what a joy it is and what a restful thing it is to know that our sins are forgiven.
[38:36] in Christ. That our deepest and hardest and greatest efforts our best works it can't bring us one inch closer to you but you've provided perfect righteousness received not by our doing but received by grace through faith and a perfect Savior who just bids us come.
[38:59] Lord, we pray if there are any with us this morning who do not know you would you would you lead them Lord to believe to listen to this invitation and to come to Christ and Father for the church for us believers we pray God that we would not be prone to wander back into this rhythm of work and work and work of deeds and deeds and deeds of effort and effort and effort but that we would rest in Christ.
[39:29] we love you Lord we pray this in Jesus name Amen Amen