Pent. 20-09– “The Sabbath Rest Remains.” Hebrews 4:9-16

 

Grace to you and peace from God, our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.  The text for our sermon meditation is taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the 4^th Chapter:

 

“9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.  12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

14Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  16Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

So far the reading.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

      So then what is this Sabbath Rest reserved for the people of God?  People have many ideas and interpretations of this special rest and special day.  We will consider those thoughts in a moment.

 

      First off, consider your daily activities.  How does your day begin?  Perhaps a better question would when does your day begin?  In my former parish there were farmers, machinists, toolmakers, office workers and retirees.  With the exception of farmers and doctors not represented in both places, Our Saviour congregation is not much different.  I believe that the beginning of the day might be a little different here from what it was in S.E. MO.  By the time worship rolled around on Sunday morning, the dairy farmers had been up about 4-6 hours already.  While here in Evansville, it might only be an hour or two since you crawled out of the warm comfort of your bed.

 

      But back to the day to day business and busyness in which we find ourselves.  When the Lord said by the sweat of your brow shall you eat your daily bread he was not kidding.  Some days are quite full of work and turmoil, both at home and at the office or your place of work.  Think, for a moment, of the people and situations from which you really need a rest.  Crawling under the covers or grabbing the TV remote control, or hitting the road for a vacation – having that rest – seems quite attractive.

 

      There are also a number of products that use rest as a theme for making sales.  You deserve a break today at …?  Weekends were made for …?  It’s better in the …?  Perhaps the themes have changed but the promise is still offered.  You can have peace of mind, relief from stress and just plain get away from it all if you buy into what is offered.

 

      Yes, rest for the body is quite important.  If you were not to sleep each day, you would soon be told by your body that sleep is needed.  Lack of sleep and rest affects your mental and emotional abilities.  Thinking becomes strained as do tempers and patience.  Words become sharper and less restraint is evident when you have not taken time to rest.  Anyone ever ask you, “Who lit your fuse?”  Or have your tried to keep quiet because mom or dad had that look about them?

 

      There is one rest that we often do not see as being overly important.  The writer to the Hebrews speaks to us about that rest.  It is the Sabbath Rest of God.  This is a rest that was established far in advance of any rest we might know.  It is a rest that gives greater benefit than any rest we might consider or purchase of hope for in this world.  These other offers of rest will fade out over time and come to naught.  The Sabbath Rest of God remains unto eternity.  This Sabbath Rest Comes only through Jesus Christ.  This Sabbath rest is our through the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ.

 

      The writer speaks of the Sabbath rest established by God at the creation of the world.  Taking the reader back to the final day of creation he writes: “And God rested on the seventh day.”  This day was holy to the Lord.  It was a day set aside for man to rest from his labors and to commune with his creator.  The Sabbath rest of God was made for man to rejoice in and worship his God and be renewed in both body and spirit.

 

      Sadly, God’s people turned the Sabbath rest into a Sabbath burden.  What God made to be a day of hallowed reflection and rest, man made to be a day of fear and concern.  For the Jews, the day of rest was made to be a day of strict obedience to each one of hundreds of laws which determined what is work, and what is not work. 

 

      Any actions that resembled work were forbidden.  Among the forbidden actions are sowing, plowing, reaping, threshing, winnowing, cleaning, spinning, weaving, hunting, writing, tying a knot, untying a knot, lighting a fire, ... plus a few hundred other actions considered to be work.

 

      Remember Jesus healed on the Sabbath and was condemned because he was doing work, medical work.  Jesus and His disciples also walked through a grain filed picking grain and eating it.  They were condemned for working on the Sabbath.  There is also mention made of a Sabbath Day’s journey in various passages in the New Testament.  One could travel only about a thousand yards on the Sabbath Day, unless you had placed at strategic places some item that could be considered part of your home.  Then you could travel another thousand yards and break the Sabbath Law against work.

 

      How have we made the same confusion?  Perhaps it is in denying that the things we do are work and not relaxation, obligations to the world rather than obedience to the Lord who seeks to give us rest.  What sports are your children participating in?  How often do you have games scheduled on Sundays?  How much pressure does the coach put on your children to be on the team by requiring them to play in the Sunday games?  How many times have you slept in on Sunday saying that it my only day to catch up on sleep?

 

      In both cases we have turned away from the Lord who established the Sabbath Rest for our peace.  In both cases we have no rest, but only a burden of guilt and a fearful expectation of judgment.  In both cases we must turn to the One who alone can restore the day of rest to what it is meant to be for God’s people.  We must turn again to Jesus Christ who establishes and re-establishes the Sabbath rest for us.

 

      What did Jesus say to those who were burdened in their hearts and minds because of sin?  Perhaps you will be able to finish this sentence.

 

“Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

 

The Sabbath rest offered to us by Jesus, and accomplished for us by Jesus, is portrayed beautifully and vividly for us by Isaiah the prophet.  Hear his words of hope and restoration for the sin weary soul.

 

      “Yet, it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer …

      … the Lord makes his life a guilt offering

      … he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered among the      transgressors

      … he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors”

 

Who is the “he”?  Jesus Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath.  Who are the transgressors?  You and I and all sinners.  What did Jesus do for you and for me?  He became our peace with God.  Crushed by God’s wrath. Suffering for our sin.  A guilt offering for the guilty.  Numbered with us, not like us, but becoming one of us.  A go-between who seeks mercy for those who do not deserve mercy. 

 

      Do you begin to see what the Sabbath rest is all about?  It is rest from the work of bearing sin.  It is rest from the burden of carrying guilt.  It is rest from the crushing weight of eternal judgment.  Perhaps you felt the freedom of heart and mind when a particularly troubling problem was resolved.  There is lightness in your heart that and a sense of well-being in your soul that is hard to explain.  You only know that you are refreshed and able to face life once again.

 

      Remember last week we read of the rich young man who refused this offer of hope and peace from Jesus.  Jesus revealed to him his idolatry.  Jesus said to sell your possessions and give to the poor then you will have treasure in heaven.  This is the treasure about which Jesus was speaking.  Rest from the guilt of sin.  Peace with a living god who seeks that which is lost and restores that which is marred by the sinful trials of life.

 

      Many things in this life are one-time occurrences are they not?  Pay off the mortgage and you never make another payment on the mortgage.  Marriage is a one-time event for a couple which decides to live as husband and wife.  However, this Sabbath rest is not a one-time event for us.  We can find ourselves in and out of this Sabbath rest on a daily basis.

      Dr. Luther understood this truth about Sabbath rest.  Grace and forgiveness in Christ are needed every day.  The sinner needs to enter into that Sabbath rest every day.  Hear his teaching on entering into this Sabbath rest on a daily basis.

 

      “The old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sin and evil lusts, and again a new man daily come forth and arise who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

 

      This daily seeking of God’s Sabbath rest leads us to the high point of the week.  What is that high point?  What does the penitent heart seek from God?  Where does the penitent heart go to receive what it seeks from God?  Where is God’s Sabbath rest given?  What will you hold in your hand and put into you mouth that affords you God’s Sabbath rest?

 

      The worship service in God’s house is where such Sabbath rest is offered to sinners.  In the liturgy we read and sing of God’s abundant mercy and grace.  Our penitent hearts bow in humble confession seeking God’s forgiveness and waiting to hear the words of God’s servant as he proclaims your sins are forgiven.  Our hearts rejoice in the hymns of praise and thanksgiving for the forgiveness and rest God richly pours out upon hearts longing for grace.

 

      This is what the writer to the Hebrews means when he says of penitent hearts

      “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

 

      Often we are fearful to seek God’s Sabbath rest.  We believe we may have committed the unforgivable sin.  We may think that we are unworthy to seek God’s forgiveness.  We may think we have to be perfect in order for God to look at us. 

 

Remember this fellow redeemed in Christ.  You are not the chief of sinners, and neither is St Paul who took that name to himself.  There is one who became sin for you, Jesus Christ.  There is one who bore in his body and carried in his soul the punishment that should be ours, Jesus Christ.  There is one who joined you to his death and his resurrection in the waters of Holy baptism, Jesus Christ.  There is one who calls you to eat and drink the sacrament of God’s Sabbath rest, Jesus Christ. 

 

      There is one who says now is the day of salvation, and again, today a rest still remains for you.  Make every effort in faith to enter into that rest.  Confess your sinfulness and hold fast to the forgiveness of sins, which is that Sabbath rest you seek.

 

In the name of our Sabbath rest, Jesus Christ.  Amen

 

Rev. Robert Schneider

Evansville, Indiana