#393 The Jesus Trip, Enter His Rest

#393 The Jesus Trip, Enter His Rest
By: Zach Sloane

(See download links at the bottom of the page for the Sermon Notes, PowerPoint Slides & Group Discussion Questions)

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

So far in “Jesus Trip”: Creation, Fall, Flood, Patriarchs and Promise, how all these stories and characters have value and utility in that they point ahead to Jesus. Slavery, and Deliverance. Now: God’s people wandering in the wilderness towards the place of promise.

Ex. 13:17-18 (NLT)
“If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

So, to inspire faith, on the journey God shows them:

(1.) Enemies destroyed at Red Sea – a type pf baptism and destruction of bondage to death, devil and all that would chase us down.

(2.) God as the healer at Marah. Cross changes bitter things to sweet.

(3.) God would be their provider, sustainer and sustenance. Manna.

(4.) The once struck Rock, Christ, would give them water, and he would be to them a source of living water and life.

(5.) Victory over the Amalekites based on what happened on the hill – Moses a type of Christ, shows us our victory over the flesh is assured by what happened on the hill – Golgotha.

(6.) Day of atonement – sins are gone, they are reconciled!

2 Goats – propitiation and expiation.

Hebrews 9:14“…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

God says, now that you know this, send in some spies to report back how awesome what I promised you really is. But instead…

Numbers 13:27-28, 31b-33 (NLT)
“We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak…
“We can’t go up against them!

Numbers 14:1-3a (NLT)
Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle?

So God says:
Numbers 14:11, 28-30 (NLT)
“How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?… Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. You will all drop dead in this wilderness!”

And… a special treat for the ten spies who had the bad report:

Numbers 14:36-37 (NLT) – “The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report— were struck dead with a plague before the Lord.” Amen!

So where in all of this is Jesus. Remember what Paul said:

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NLT)
These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

We are not heading toward a geographical location! Where then?

Bible interprets Bible… shows us what was meant by promised land.

Hebrews 3:15-19
So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

NT writers had the advantage of interpreting it through the lens of Jesus. They saw that this story wasn’t about land at all but entering God’s rest.

Hebrews 3:19 – “So we see that because of their unbeliefthey were not able to enter his rest.” And so it must by belief, by faith that they do enter.

Numbers 14:11, 28-30 (NLT)
“How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them?

Hebrews 4:2
“For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”

Hebrews 4:1
“Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”

It’s because of our limitations… not God’s attitude problem or ego trip! It’s by grace because it can’t be by anything else.

Romans 4:16 (NKJV)
16 Thereforeit isof faith that it might beaccording to grace…”

The opposite of faith is not just complaining and saying nope, you can’t do it. The opposite of faith is actually trying to work for it. Jesus plus anything is not faith, it is works!

Numbers 14:44-45(NLT)
44 But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country, even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.

It resulted in catastrophe. That’s why in NT Paul is so harsh towards this mixture:

Galatians 5:2-4
Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt tobe justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

The premise was not just to get into the promised but to unpack and enjoy all that was in it. Same with being a Christian, not about just being saved, but all the benefits that entails… and it’s all by faith.

Place of Covenant.
Genesis 15:18(NLT)
18 So the Lord made a covenant with Abram…

Luke 22:20(NKJV)
Likewise He also tookthe cup after supper, saying, “This cup isthe new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Blood – human feature mixed with divine life – two sides kept by Jesus!

It’s a gift.
Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan…

Ephesians 2:8-9(NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it isthe gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast

Ezekiel 36:26 New International Version (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

1 Cor. 12:4
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.”

Gifts = charisma: a gift of grace, a free gift
Original Word: χάρισμα, ατος, τό
Definition: a gift of grace, a free gift

Free gift: same word is used to describe eternal life.

Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin isdeath, but the giftof God iseternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It’s a place of relationship – I will be their God.
Genesis 17:8 (NLT)
“…and I will be their God.”

Hebrews 8:11 (NKJV)
None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.

Place of fruitfulness
Numbers 13:23-24 (NLT)
“…they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means “cluster”), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there.”

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Place of dwellings
Deuteronomy 6:10 (NLT)
“…It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.

1 Corinthians 1:30
But of Him you are inChrist Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

Place abundance and provision
Deuteronomy 6:11a (NLT)
“The houses will be richly stocked with goods you did not produce…”

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV)
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Place of satisfied thirst and plenty of life-giving water.
Deuteronomy 6:11 (NLT)
“…You will draw water from cisterns you did not dig…”

John 4:14 (NKJV)
“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

A place of food, sustenance, and satisfaction.
Deuteronomy 6:11b
“…and you will eat from vineyards… you did not plant.”

John 6:35(NIV)
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Place of anointing oil, health and wellness.
Deuteronomy 6:11b
“…and olive trees you did not plant.”

Galatians 3:14
“…He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

A place of freedom, safety and deliverance.
Deuteronomy 6:11-12
“When you have eaten your fill in this land, be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.”

Galatians 5:1
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

John 8:32
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Healing and wholeness
Acts 3:16 (NKJV)
“And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

Warfare
Colossians 2:15 (NLT)
“In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.”

All of this … every aspect of being a Christian and Christian life and living not just salvation, is about entering into rest… by believing.

Numbers 14:24 (NIV)
But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit…”

2 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV)
“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken. ”Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak..”

Conclusion:

1. You are complete in Christ, in every aspect of life. Believe and Rest.

Colossians 2:10(NLT)
So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

2. We unpack and experience every aspect of life in Christ through faith alone. Believe and Enjoy!

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke iseasy and My burden is light.”

The Jesus Trip – Enter His Rest, Sermon notes to print, PDF

The Jesus Trip – Enter His Rest, PowerPoint Slides, PDF

The Jesus Trip, Enter His Rest, Group Discussion Questions – Week #8, to print, PDF