Enter Rest!
The unknown author of Hebrews has a 2-fold purpose in this profound letter: To wake us from spiritual slumber and to compel us to see the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Built around 6 strong warning texts, Hebrews is designed to call the reader to wake up, pay attention to their spiritual state, and turn from anything and everything that is clouding their vision and numbing their experience of the all-sufficiency of Jesus. Hebrews 3 and 4 tell us that the Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword, cutting to the deepest places within us, performing surgery in the human heart - but only if we let it. Hence, the resounding warning of these chapters is “do not harden your hearts” as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Whenever conviction comes, through God’s Spirit and God’s word, we have a choice to make: will we repent in soft-heartedness and receive the truth, or will we harden our hearts and persist in our sin?
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Read Hebrews 3-4
Read all of Hebrews 3 and 4. What do you see as the relationship between repentance and rest?
What’s one example of a visible sin/attitude/behavior that you’re repenting of during this Lent season? (example from teaching: stinginess)
Can you identify a deeper trust issue that lies beneath it? (ex: struggling to trust in God’s loving provision)
Is God revealing a deeper wound that needs to be healed? (ex: childhood neglect, leading to lifelong fears about provision). Take time with others to pray about these things!
Feb 25, 2024 - Matt Deisen