Enter Into God’s Rest

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

1. Not just a physical rest
2. An eternal, spiritual rest in Christ
   

SERMON TEXT:  Hebrews 4:1–11

See 2nd Lesson Below

Bible Readings

FIRST LESSON:  Joshua 23:1-11

After many days, when the Lord had given Israel rest from all its enemies all around, when Joshua had grown old and advanced in years, Joshua summoned all Israel—its elders, its heads, its judges, and its officers, and he said to them:
I have grown old and advanced in years. You yourselves have seen everything that the Lord your God has done for you against all these nations. Yes, the Lord your God was fighting for you! See now, I have allotted to your tribes an inheritance from these nations that remain unconquered, as well as from the nations that I have destroyed. It extends from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will push them away from you and drive them out of your presence, ˻until they perish. He will send wild animals among them until he completely destroys them and their kings from your presence, and you will take possession of their land, just as the Lord your God promised you. You must be very resolute in carrying out all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses by not turning from it to the right or to the left, by not intermingling with these nations that remain with you. Do not ever call on or swear by the names of their gods. Never serve them and never bow down to them. But hold fast to the Lord your God, just as you have been doing to this day.
The Lord has driven out from among you great and powerful nations. As for you, no one has stood up against you to this day. One of you would put a thousand to flight because the Lord your God himself was fighting for you, just as he promised you. So for your own sakes be very careful to love the Lord your God.

SECOND LESSON:  Hebrews 4:1–11

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be fearful that any one of you may be judged to have failed to reach it. In fact, we have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did. But the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united in faith with those who did listen. Indeed, we who believe are going to enter his rest.
It happened just as he vowed when he said:
So I swore an oath in my wrath,
“They will never enter my rest.”
And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in this way:
And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.
And again in this statement:
They will never enter my rest.

VERSE OF THE DAY:  Luke 8:15

Happy are they who hear the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience

GOSPEL: Matthew 11:25–30

At that time, Jesus continued, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from clever and learned people and have revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, because this was pleasing to you. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”