Go ahead and open our Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter four, Hebrews chapter four. And we're going to read at least the first 14 verses. And we'll be coming back to this passage and looking at it in greater detail. Hebrews chapter four, verse one, let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest. Any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as of them. For the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, I've sworn in my wrath that they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limited a certain day saying in David, today, after so long a time, as it is said today, you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not have afterwards have spoken of another day. There remained therefore rest to the people of God. For he that has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. Let us therefore labor to enter into that rest, lest any man fail after the same example of unbelief. So let's stop there today. And of course, this is the third message on, is Saturday the Sabbath? Or if so, why do we worship on Sunday? So let me just take a few moments and review, especially the last two messages. I must remind you that there are many sabbaths in the Bible and not just the weekly sabbath. Most folks just focus on a weekly sabbath and they totally ignore all of the other sabbaths that are given to us in the scripture. So yes, there were weekly sabbaths, but there were new moon sabbaths. The seven annual feasts were considered sabbaths. There was also the sabbatical year. There was also the year of Jubilee, which was considered a sabbath. And I've just made the statement, I do not know any Sabbatarian that keeps a Sabbath day as God has outlined it and ordained it in the Bible. And if one does keep a weekly Sabbath, then my question would be, why does not that individual keep all the other Sabbaths as well? Because if you keep one, then God certainly requires you to keep all of them. And because the scripture says, he that doeth part, a child certainly fulfill all. And so if you violate one aspect, then you've violated all of it as well. So also I asked this question at the beginning, which Sabbath do you desire to keep? Do you desire to keep the creation Sabbath, the Hebrew Sabbath, the Canaan Sabbath, or what you and I would call the Christian Sabbath? And yes, all are mentioned in the Bible. So may I remind you that Saturday, quote unquote, is not the Sabbath. It would have been once every seven years, but you remember Abib 15 had to be a Sabbath every year. Abib was the first month of the Hebrew calendar, so that would mean Abib 1, Abib 8, and Abib 15 had to be Sabbaths every year, and the next seven Sabbaths worked from those. So if the date is fixed, then the day changes just like your birthday. So the Sabbath, quote unquote, changed every year. That would be the weekly Sabbath as well. So I mentioned to you also that the emphasis of the Sabbath in the Old Testament was rest. It was not worship, it was rest, because worship basically was family-centered. and dealt with everyday life. So, the word Sabbath itself actually means rest. And I pointed out last week how absolutely no work could be done on the Sabbath. So, let me give you that again just by way of review. The general principle was no work was to be done, period. You'll find that in Exodus chapter 20, verses 8 through 11. Exodus 34 verse 21, Leviticus 23 in verse 3, Jeremiah 17 verse 22. The gates of the city had to be shut, Nehemiah 13 in verse 19. Every man was to abide in his place on the Sabbath day, Exodus 16 verse 29. Asses could not be laden, Nehemiah 13, 19. No burdens could be borne, Jeremiah 17, 21 and 22. No fires could be kindled, Exodus 35 verse 3. And no sheaves could be brought in, Nehemiah 10 verse 31. And no wine could be trodden in the presses, Nehemiah chapter 13 and verse 15. Now, last week we looked at a number of passages in the New Testament, but the key passage last week was Mark chapter 2 verses 27 and 28, where the Word of God says that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. In other words, the Sabbath was ordained by God to be a blessing, not to be a burden. It was the Pharisees and the scribes that turned everything into a burden, In fact, our Lord said that they laid burdens upon men that they themselves would not bear. They would not even lift a finger to bear. But God ordained the Sabbath to be a blessing and not a burden. And then verse 28, the Bible says, for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath as well. So that means that he is the sovereign. He is the owner. He is the boss. He is the master. He may do as he pleases on the Sabbath. He may dismiss it or he may change it however he pleases. So, it is taking the argument away from emotions and away from legalism and puts it squarely on the shoulders of authority. Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and earth, and so he may do as he pleases. Now, I want you to consider another fact that you may not have thought about, and that is simply this. The fourth commandment remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament. All the other commandments are repeated many times. Now the word Sabbath and Sabbath occurs over and over in the New Testament because the original disciples were Israelites and originally They would certainly meet on the Sabbath day, that is for sure. But all 10 commandments, with the exception of the fourth commandment, are repeated in the New Testament, but the fourth commandment is missing. So have you noticed then, as you read through the Bible, especially in the New Testament, that the day of worship was changed to Sunday, which you and I would call the first day of the week. So you're going to have to ask yourself this question. Why then did the disciples cease meeting on the Sabbath and began meeting on the first day of the week, which we're going to call the Christian Sabbath. So the Sabbaths in the Old Testament were not done away with, listen carefully, they were fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to show you that Jesus Christ is the author of the new creation. He's the author of the true deliverance. He's the author of the absolute victory over our enemies, because he is our Joshua. He is the one that gives us life and rest, eternal rest. Now, in light of this, I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Colossians chapter two, And I want you to note, if you would please, first of all, verse 16, Colossians 2 and verse 16. The apostle Paul writes, and he says this, let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath days. Now, look at that again. Let no man therefore judge you. in respect to meat or drink, the holy days, the new moon, or the Sabbath days. Now, I'm gonna give you two quotes. The first one is from John Calvin. The second one is from Albert Barnes. Listen to what Calvin says. He's talking about verse 16. To judge means here to hold one guilty of a crime. or to impose a scruple of conscience, so that we're no longer free. He says, therefore, that it is not in the power of men to make us subject to the observance of rights, which Christ has by his death abolished, and exempts us from their yoke, that we may not allow ourselves to be fettered by the laws which they have imposed. He tacitly, however, places Christ in contrast with all mankind, lest anyone should extol himself so daringly as to attempt to take away what he's given him. But note of you what he said to judge means to hold one guilty of a crime. Now here's Albert Barnes. The word judge here is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. That is, there's been a judge. There's been a condemnation. The meaning is, since you have thus been delivered by Christ from the evils which surround you, since you have been freed from the observances of the ceremonial law, let no one sit in judgment on you or claim the right to decide for you in those matters. You're not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ. And no man has the right to impose that on you as a burden from which he has made you free. Now, I want you to go back and look in verse 16 again. We understand the first part when he says, let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink. Now, what's this? Or in respect to a holy day. Now, a holy day was that which related to the festivals, the feast, they were called holy days as well as Sabbaths. In fact, we get our English word holiday from this word holy day as well, and the Greek word is actually hetore, and it means literally a feast or a festival. So, the holy days then were the seven annual feasts, known as festival days, but Sabbaths as well. Then he says, look in verse 16 again, let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon. Now, of course, the new moon was a Sabbath as well. The Greek word happens to be new new millennia or new media. And it refers to the new moon, which was also a festival and or what you and I would call a monthly Sabbath. Now, the Greek word for Sabbath here, the Sabbath days, is the word sabaton, which literally refers to the Sabbath days. Now, look at verse 16 again. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath days. I want you to pause and think with me. In the Old Testament, You were judged if you violated the holy days or the Sabbath days. You remember in Numbers chapter 15, there was a young man who was just simply picking up sticks on the Sabbath. And God said, he is to be executed. And he was executed. So all work was absolutely forbidden. There's a reason for that. And rest was strictly enforced. So the question has to be asked, why was rest strictly demanded and work was strictly prohibited and forbidden then on the Sabbath days. Now, if the Sabbath days are still in existence today as they were in the Old Testament, you would have to ask this, why can we not judge someone? Why can we not condemn someone if they violate the Sabbaths in the way that they were violated in the Old Testament? So why is it then that we cannot judge people like that today? In other words, there has to be a difference between that which transpired in the old covenant and that which is transpiring in the new covenant. The emphasis in the new covenant is not necessarily on rest, it is more on worship. So that means now we have to ask the question, What did the Old Testament Sabbaths teach? What did they symbolize? You should remember that all types and emblems and shadows look forward to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Passover. He is our deliverer. He is our propitiation. He is the true Lamb of God. He is our tabernacle, our temple, our altar. Everything points to Jesus Christ. So the question that I want to ask and answer is this, did the Sabbaths point to the person and work of Jesus Christ? Were they fulfilled in him as were all of the other types and emblems and symbols? Now I want you to go back to Colossians chapter two and I want you to look at verse 16 and then verse 17. So here's the answer. Verse 16, let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath days. Are you looking? Which are a shadow of things to come. but the body is of Christ. So notice if you would, he is saying now that the new moons, the Sabbath days, the holy days were a shadow of things to come, but the body is that of Christ. In other words, Jesus Christ is the reality. Now we're specifically told in verse 17, that the Sabbath days, the new moons, the festival days were a shadow of things to come. Now, the word shadow is the Greek word skia, and it's translated many times in our Bibles as shadow. What is a shadow? A shadow is a shade caused by the interception of light. Let me say this another way. It is an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object. So, when I parked my vehicle out front today, I parked in the shade or the shadow of an oak tree. Now, here's my question. Which was real, the tree or the shadow? Well, obviously, the tree is real. What was it that made the shadow? Light from the sun was shining on the tree, and on the other side, the shadow or the shade of the tree was pronounced. So the shadow or the shade is not the reality. The tree happens to be the reality. So the Bible is telling us that Jesus Christ is the true reality. Thus, all of these holy days, the new moons and the Sabbaths shadowed and pictured the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me just show you that everything in the Old Testament, especially in relationship to the priesthood, the ceremonial laws, the tabernacle, the temple, all of this was just a mere shadow. So if you look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter eight, And look, if you would, first of all, at verse 5, Hebrews chapter 8. And notice, if you would, verse, well, let's read verse 3, 4, and 5. Okay, watch verse 3. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices. Wherefore, it is of necessity that this man, that would be Jesus, have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law, hang on, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. As Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, foresee, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed thee in the mount. Now, first of all, let's look at the word example. The Bible said, who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things. The Greek word for example is hupodegma, and all that word means is simply this, a sign suggestive of anything, delineating anything, a representation, a figure, or a copy. So he says in verse five, everything there in the Old Testament was basically a shadow or a representation or a figure. Thus the services of the priest in the tabernacle and the temple were merely examples and a representation and a type and figure of the great high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. So he is our great high priest, and all of the Old Testament types point to him. Now, look at it again. He said, who servant to the example and shadow of heavenly things. And the word shadow is the same, it's skia. Notice what he said, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle, for see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount. Now notice if you would, God gave to Moses a pattern for the tabernacle and for the temple. Now I'm not a seamstress, but some of you ladies are. So you buy a pattern. And let me ask you a blunt question. Once you buy the pattern, do you wear the pattern? And the answer, of course, is no. You lay the pattern on your cloth, you cut out the cloth, and then you sew everything together. So the pattern is not the reality. The dress would be the reality. The pattern is just a shadow or an example of what you're going to sow is what it amounts to. And so God is saying, therefore, that everything in the Old Testament, especially in relationship to the tabernacle and the temple, were examples and they were shadows. Now, look in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 1. Hebrews 10 and verse 1. He says, for the law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices, which they offered year by year, continually make the comers thereunto perfect. Note, if you would, even the law, he said, having a shadow of good things to come. All the ceremonial law was nothing but a shadow. It was not the image. It was not the reality. It was just simply a picture, a type, an emblem, or a symbol of the good things that were to come to pass in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, note if you would, he said, for the law having a shadow of good things to come. So the light was showing and shining on the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our tabernacle, who is our temple, and everything there in the Old Testament was a shadow. I've had people say, oh, I wish I'd lived in Old Testament times. I mean, boy, howdy, you could smell those sacrifices. I mean, you could see the high priest and you could touch the temple. Now that was reality. No, that was not reality. All that was was shadow and type. and figures. The reality is what we have now in the Lord Jesus Christ. So let me ask you a few questions. The first one is this. Why is it today that we no longer have a tabernacle or a temple? And the answer is because the tabernacle and the temple were nothing more than shadows. They were nothing more than emblems and symbols of reality. And now we no longer have the shadow because now we have the reality in Jesus Christ. So let me give it to you very plainly from scripture. Revelation chapter 21 and verse 22. The apostle John said concerning eternity, and I saw no temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the lamb thereof. or the temple in it. So Jesus Christ is our temple. Now, so let me go a little bit further and ask you why you do not bring a sacrifice. You might bring an offering, but I have never seen anybody come in the New Testament and bring an ox to slaughter or a lamb to slaughter. Why do you not bring sacrifices like that? Well, the answer is very plain. 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7, for even Jesus Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. So Jesus Christ is the true Passover lamb. So all of those lambs that were slain throughout the Old Testament period, All those lambs were nothing more than shadows and types pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember what John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus Christ. He said, behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. So that would bring me to another question. Why is it that we do not have an altar in our Baptist churches or in any New Testament church? Now, we do not have a physical altar. I know many, many preachers will say something like this. If you want to be saved, come down here to the altar. No, there is no altar in a Baptist church or any church, not a physical altar. Of course not. And I'm going to show you why in just a moment. But yes, on the other hand, we do have an altar, but the altar is the Lord Jesus Christ. For instance, if you look in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 10, Hebrews 13 and verse 10, look what the scripture says. We have an altar where if they have no right to eat, we serve the tabernacle. Now, if you want to go back to the types and emblems and symbols, you have no right to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is our temple. Jesus Christ is our sacrifice. He's our Passover. Jesus Christ is our altar. Someone says in the average church, well, come forward if you want to be saved. May I ask you, why would you want to go forward to be saved? Is not our Lord capable of saving you where you're seated? Is not he capable of saving you in the back of the church, in the side of the church? Why do you have to come forward? You say, well, you need to confess Christ. Well, you can confess Christ at your baptism. But the point I'm trying to make, since Jesus Christ is our altar, grace can be mediated to people wherever they are, whenever he gives them repentance and whenever he gives them faith. You do not have to be in a church building in order to be saved. You can be saved in your home. You can be saved out on the road. You can be saved anywhere because Jesus Christ is our altar. If there's a physical altar in the church, then that's the only place you can be saved. You remember, God required all sacrifices to be given at the altar that he ordained in Jerusalem. You could not sacrifice anywhere else. So if you're gonna serve the types and the emblems and the shadows, you have no right to Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all those types and shadows. So here's another question. Why do we not have a physical priesthood? Why do we not have the physical high priest like they had in the Old Testament? Well, if you look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter four and verse 14, you will find the answer. Hebrews 4, verse 14, seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passed in the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. So Jesus Christ is our great high priest. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament. So in light of these questions and comments, here's my next question. Why then do we meet and worship on Sunday, which is designated as the Lord's Day and is also designated as the Christian Sabbath? So why in the world would we call Sunday the Christian Sabbath? Well, there's an answer for that. So if you'll look in your Bibles, please, to the book of Matthew chapter 28, and I wanna take you very quickly through the New Testament and show you something that occurs with great deal of regularity. So if you'll look in Matthew chapter 28 and verse one, look at this, Matthew 28 verse one, in the end of the Sabbath, We understand that the Sabbath day was ending back then. Of course, I think there's more to that phrase than just that, but in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. Now let me just stop right there. The first part of this verse is easily understood. The Sabbath was ending. It began to dawn on the first day of the week. Now, the Greek word for first is the word mia, which means one and only one. Now, the surprise in this verse comes from the day of the week. The day of the week happens to be the Greek word Sabbaton, Sabbath. So literally what you see in Matthew 28 and verse one is in the end of the Sabbath or Sabbaths, the Old Testament Sabbaths as well, as it began to dawn toward the number one day, the first day of the new Sabbath. came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to the sepulcher. Now, this doesn't happen just one time. If you will turn over your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 16. This is why I recommend that everyone have a good Bible study program like Online Bible, where you can check the Greek words for yourself and the Hebrew words as well. There are plenty of interesting Greek words. I took Greek for three years. and I have my favorite Greek words. One of them is πεντακισκελαιοί. That's the Greek word for 5,000. I like the word guni, gunikos as well. That's the word wife, so I called Alice my guni every now and then. So this word, sabaton occurs over and over. Look at it in Mark 16, verse one. And when the Sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome had brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, They came into the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. Now, the word Sabbath, now look at this. Hang on right now. When the Sabbath was passed, that's verse one. When the Sabbath was passed, the Greek word here, is did not mind, hang on, did not mind, which means when it had thoroughly elapsed, when it was passed, when it was through, when it was over, now hang on, and when the Sabbath was passed, it's gone, it's over, it's done with. Watch very early in the morning in the first day of the week. Now, I told you back in Matthew 28, the word first there is the word miah, Here, it happens to be the word proton, which means, of course, that which is first, that which is first in a succession of things. There's other that's going to follow, but first in succession. Now watch this, if you would. Verse two, and very early in the morning, the proton sabaton, the first Sabbath of the week. So Sunday is being called a Sabbath. Now, skip down if you would please to verse nine. Now, when Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week, that is the first Sabbath, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils." So notice if you would now, over and over, this first day of the week is called the first Sabbaton, or referring to Sunday as the Sabbath. So if you look in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 24, Luke chapter 24, and notice if you would please verse one. Luke 24 and verse one. The scripture says, now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came into the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them. So here it is again. Notice if you would, the exact same word is used on the first Sabbath. very early in the morning. So we're talking about Sunday morning or the first day, whatever it was, it is now called the Sabbath, the first day of the week. We would identify it as Sunday. And there's a reason for this. Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 20, John chapter 20, and look at verse one, John 20 and verse one, look at this. The first day of the week, that is the first Sabbath, cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark under the sepulcher and see the stone taken away from the sepulcher. So there it is. Again, it's called the first Sabbath. Notice if you would, verse 19 of the same chapter. Then the same day at evening, being the first day, being the first Sabbath, when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said to them, peace be unto you. So again, the first day of the week is referred to then as the Sabbath. Now, I want you to note, and I hope you have noted, that all through the New Testament, especially after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the disciples always met on the first day of the week or the first Sabbath. They did not meet on the Old Testament Sabbaths any longer. They might go into the synagogues and preach and teach there where they were gathered together, but they themselves met on the first day of the week. For instance, look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 20, and look, if you would, particularly there at verse seven. Acts chapter 20, verse seven. And upon the first day of the week, the first Sabbath, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight. Wow. Now, how many would stay with me if I preached till midnight? I have done that in times past. But very few people would stay like that. I was preaching in Illinois many, many years ago, and I preached an hour and something. And when I got through, everybody stood around talking, and nobody left. And it was a decent-sized church. And so, I jokingly said, well, if I knew everybody was going to just hang around and talk, I said, I'd preach again. They sat down. And I preached the second sermon. And when I got there preaching the second sermon, the preacher stood up and preached the third sermon. And, uh, we didn't get out that for midnight on there. So, but the reason I don't normally preach the midnight is because if you read this passage, there's a young man by the name of Eunicus who went to sleep in a window and fell out of the window and broke his neck or at least killed himself. Paul went down and raised him from the dead. Now, I can't raise anybody from the dead, so I quit preaching to midnight. But notice, if you would, they came together on the first day of the week. The first Sabbath is what it says. If you'll turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 16, 1 Corinthians 16, and look, if you would, please, there at what the apostle Paul states in verse 1 and 2. Look at this, 1 Corinthians 16, verses 1 and 2. Here it is. Now concerning the election for the saints, as I've given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do you. Upon the first day of the week, the first Sabbath of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God has prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. So he says the very first day, which is the Christian Sabbath, when you're meeting, you take up this collection for the poor saints. So here is what you have to conclude from reading through the New Testament, and that is this. The era of the old Sabbaths had come to an end inasmuch as those Sabbaths typified the person work of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ in the New Testament has now come and has completed and finished his work. May I remind you of what is said in John chapter 19 and verse 30, Jesus Christ was on the cross and what did he cry? It is finished. And what happened when he cried, the veil of the temple was rent from the top to the bottom, see? So the old covenant era has gone away. The new covenant era has now come to pass. So the first Sabbath of the week is Sunday. It's known as the Christian Sabbath. It is also now a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So every church just about will have what is called an Easter Sunday service. And so many people tend to think that Easter, actually the word is Passover in the Greek. Everybody says, well, Christ was raised from the dead on Easter Sunday. Let me tell you something. Easter Sunday is not a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is raised on the first day of the week. The first day of the week commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not just once a year, but every week. Every Sunday is a fresh commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, with all this, I want you to turn in your Bibles back to Hebrews chapter four, because I want to share with you these things and show you exactly what is being talked about. So look, if you would, and let's read at least the first nine verses of Hebrews four again, just to give you the text and lets you see it in its context. Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left of us entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Now we're talking about the people who came out of Egypt, okay? He said, the word did not profit them, although they heard the gospel, they heard the truth, it was not mixed with faith. Verse three, for we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, as I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Note now, for he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all of his works. And in this place, again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing, therefore, it remaineth that some must enter therein. And they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Again, he limited a certain day saying in David, today after so long a time, as it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then he would not have afterwards have spoken of another day. Now, let me tell you some things about Hebrews chapter four, verses one through eight. In this passage, as I've pointed out previously, we see the creation rest, We see the Hebrew rest, we see the Canaan rest, and I'm gonna show you the Christian rest as well. But now I want you to hang on with me. You see the word rest as it is listed in verses one through eight. The word rest is the word katabousis. And it literally means a rest or resting place. Now, the reason I'm telling you this is because it is not Sabaton or Sabbatismus. It has nothing to do with the Sabbath per se, except that this happens to be a metaphor to indicate the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells and in which he has promised to those who believe on him and in him through his person and work in Jesus Christ. So the word rest in verses 1 through 8 just simply means rest or resting place. It is not the word for Sabbath. Okay. The second thing I want to point out in verses 1 through 8 is the word Sabbath. And the word for Sabbath is Hebdomas. and it literally means 7th or 7th. That's it. It doesn't mean 7th. It just means 7th or 7th. I learned to count in Greek years ago, after I took Greek for three years, but we had to learn masculine, the feminine, and the neuter. So, mea would be feminine. It means one. I quoted that a little bit earlier. Is would be masculine. Hen would be neuter. So, is, mea, hen. That's one, three different ways in Greek. The way we always remembered it, we would shorten it to Haismian. But it's just one, that's all. And this word seven just simply means seven or seven. Now, I want you to look at this. Look at verses one through three, and verses five and six. This refers to the Hebrew rest. This refers to the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt, okay? Notice if you would, Verses one through three, let us therefore fear lest the promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as to them, but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into the rest. As he said, I've sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. Now look, if you would, at verses five and six. And in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest, seeing therefore it remained that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief. Well, let me ask you a question. How many of the original Israelites that came out of Egypt, how many actually got into the promised land? What's the answer? Two, Joshua and Caleb. The rest were killed in the wilderness. That's what he said in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. But with many of them, God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness. God killed each one of them in the wilderness because of their rebellion and their unbelief. They didn't enter in. The only two that entered in were Joshua and Caleb. Okay, we got that. Now, look at verse four. Verse four now speaks of the creation rest. When he said, for he spake in a certain place on the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. Now, certainly God was not tired. All it means is God ceased from His labors. He ceased from work. His creation had been completed, and so He ceased working, is what it amounts to. Now look in verses 7 and 8. 7 and 8 now speaks of the Canaanites, which Joshua led when Joshua led the people into the conquest of Canaan. He said in verse 7, again, he limited a certain day saying in David, today after so long a time, as it is said today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, watch this, for if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not have afterwards have spoken of another day. Now, I told you in the first message that the word Jesus here is the word Joshua. The word for Jesus in the Greek happens to be hesus, and it means Jehovah is salvation. Joshua in the Greek is Yahashua, and it simply means Jehovah is salvation. So now we're talking about the Hebrew rest. We're talking about the creation rest. We're talking about the Canaan rest. Okay, so here's my question. Which rest do you celebrate? Which rest were you a participant in and part of? Were you there to rest with God when he ceased his creative activity? And the answer is no. Were you there when the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt? And the answer is no. Were you there with Joshua when the land was conquered? And the answer again is no. So let me ask you a question. If the creation rest is not our rest, if the Hebrew rest is not our rest, if the Canaan rest is not our rest, what is our rest? Where do we rest? Well, watch this. Look at verse nine. Look at verse 9, Hebrews 4 verse 9. After the first eight verses, he talks about the creation rest, the Hebrew rest, the Canaan rest. He now says this, there remained therefore a rest to the people of God. Wait a minute. There remaineth. There is a rest for the people of God. The others are not our rest. We were not participants in those, but there is a rest for the people of God. Get ready. Here is the word for rest in verse nine. Sabbath is Moss. There is a Sabbath rest for the people of God. There is a Sabbath rest for the people of God. Now, I want you to go back to verse nine. I want you to look at this. Look at the word remaineth. The word remaineth is the Greek word apolepo. Apo, A-P-O, happens to be a preposition, and it means to separate. to depart, to separate a part from the whole, or to take away. The word lepo means to leave, to leave behind, and to forsake. So the word remainethere is saying that there are some things that we are forsaking. There are some things that we're leaving behind. There are some things that we are departing from. What is it that we are departing from? Well, let's see. We're departing from the Old Testament Sabbaths. We're departing from all those holy days. We're departing from all of those festivals. Because we now have the reality, we have the fulfillment of all of those in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything in the tabernacle, everything in the temple, everything in that ceremonial law were all pictures and types and shadows and emblems of the reality Jesus Christ. Now, let me show you. I want you to hold Matthew, whole Hebrews 4, but go in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 11. I want you to watch this. So let me ask you, do you remember what I told you the essence of the Old Testament Sabbaths were? They were rest. That was the essence. They demanded rest. In fact, the word Sabbath itself simply means rest. Now, look in your Bibles. to the book of Matthew chapter 11, and let's begin reading there with verse 28. Matthew 11, verse 28. Look what our Lord says. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you, what will he give us? Rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden light. Now, wait a minute. Who is the real, genuine rest? Is it the Old Testament types and shadows and emblems? Or is it the reality, the Lord Jesus Christ? Now, remember if you would, we're leaving some things behind. We're separating from some things. Well, let me ask you, what about creation? I hope you're thankful for God's creation for without it, you and I would not even be here. Or if he made us without the world, we wouldn't have a place to live, but we're thankful for God's creation. That's for sure. But wait a minute. Although I want to rejoice in God's creation and use it the way he's ordained for me to use it. There's another creation that's even more important. What is that? That's the new creation of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say in first Corinthians five and verse 17? Hmm. For we are his creation in Christ Jesus. All things have passed away. All things have become new. You know what the Bible says in second Corinthians chapter four and verse six, that God has shined in our hearts to give us a knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God has shined in our, just like God shined in creation. God spoke and He came in the past. God spoke and He created us anew in Christ Jesus. So we are celebrating in Christ Jesus, the new creation, okay? Hang on. What about the deliverance from Egypt? You and I were not there. We were not delivered from Egypt, but you remember that was the Passover. And what does the Bible say in 1 Corinthians 5 and verse 7? Even Jesus Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. In other words, that in the Old Testament where the Hebrews were delivered out of Egypt was nothing more than a shadow and a type saying that Jesus Christ is the true deliverer. He delivers us from slavery and from sin and from bondage. What does the Bible say? If the Son of God shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. What does he say? Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage where the Christ has made you free. So Christ is the real true Passover and all of that picture of Israel being led out of Egypt and delivered from slavery and bondage just typified the real deliverance which we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. So what about the conquest of Canaan? The conquest of Canaan was nothing more than a picture and a type of the real victory which we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God says in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 14, now thanks be unto God who always causes us to try up in Jesus Christ. So God tells us that Jesus Christ is our true Joshua. He is our captain. He is the one that leads us to victory, absolute and total victory, that is for sure. So we've left the tabernacle. We've left the temple. For the real temple, which is Jesus Christ. We've left the Passover lamb. For the real Passover, Jesus Christ. We have left the physical high priest for the real high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have left ain't in victory for the real genuine victory that happens to be in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've left the old Sabbaths, the old festivals that just pictured the reality of Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to go back to Hebrews chapter 4. I want you to watch this. Look in Hebrews chapter four. Now watch this. You have to remember that Jesus Christ came and was made under the law, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that run to the law. What did Jesus Christ do in accordance to the law? He yielded to the law an absolutely perfect righteousness. He was obedient in every area. And then what else did he do? He gave himself a sacrifice on our behalf. Watch this. So Jesus Christ has died in order that we might be forgiven for our sins. He was perfectly obedient to God, the father, thus he worked out a perfect righteousness in which we could be clothed. So now we have a perfect righteousness. We have a perfect obedience. We have a perfect sacrifice. We've been forgiven. Now watch this, if you would. Look in Hebrews chapter four and verse nine. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God, a Sabbath to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works as God did from his. Now, Are you working to be saved? I hope not. Because Jesus Christ is your salvation. There's no more struggling. There's no more fussing. There's no more fighting. There's no more feuding. You have ceased and you're trusting only in his perfect obedience and his perfect sacrifice. You're not working to be saved. You might work because you had been saved. But you're trusting only in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. His work is perfect. It cannot be added unto. It cannot be taken apart or from. He is absolutely perfect. I've had people tell me and say to me, well, I just don't feel saved. And I said, well, I'm glad of that. And they look at me funny. And I said, the reason I'm glad you don't feel saved is because salvation is not in feelings. Salvation is an objective fact and an objective reality. And that is the person and work of Jesus Christ. It's outside of you. It's still true, no matter how you feel. Feelings have nothing to do with it. It is a fact. And so this is what he's saying. We've ceased from our labor. We're not working anymore. So let me put it to you like this. The Passover has ended. The Lord's Supper has begun. Circumcision has ended. Baptism has begun. The Old Testaments have ended. The New Testament Sabbath has begun. So in the Christian Sabbath, in the first day of the week, we are not celebrating creation. We're not celebrating deliverance from Egypt. We're not celebrating the conquest of Canaan, which were all types and shadows. We're celebrating the new creation in Jesus Christ. We're celebrating the full deliverance from bondage and sin and Jesus Christ. We're celebrating the true victory over every sin and over every enemy in the Lord Jesus Christ. We worship on the first day of the week. because that is the Christian Sabbath. It is that rest which God has given to us, and in Him we worship and glory because He is the true rest of God, and we've ceased from all of our labors. Now, let me mention something to you. is our Lord, our Savior, our Mediator, our Redeemer, that is for sure. But hang on, we not only rest in Him for salvation, we rest in Him for every other area of our lives as well. There are things that go wrong in our lives. There are things that we have no control over. There are things that happen to us in God's providence, which we probably would not desire to have happen, but they happen. So what do we do? We fulfill our duties. We fulfill our responsibilities. We fulfill our obligations in faith, doing it for God's honor and God's glory. And then what? We rest. We trust him to work it out. So here we are, Steve, you and I could have a knock down drag out and we could be at each other's throats. And I could come up to you and I'd say, Steve, this is not right. We both need to repent. And I want to repent. I want you to forgive me. And you could look at me and say, get out of my sight. I don't want to see you again. Wow. That'd be bad. So what would I do? I'd come and take two brethren and come back to you again and say, look, Steve, I want to make things right. Let's forgive each other. Let's get this thing settled. And you say, no, I'm not going to do that. I don't want to see you. I don't want to listen to those fellows either. I don't care what they say, get out of my sight. What can I do next? I could bring you before the church. You might not even hear the church, but if I come to you repeatedly and you will not make things right. And I bring brethren and you will not make things right. And I bring you before the church and you will not make things right. Here's my question. What could I do next? Nothing except rest. Lord, I've done what I am obligated to do and responsible to. Lord, he's in your hands. You have to work in his heart. I can't do anything else. You see what I'm saying? And it doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter if it's familial, doesn't matter if it's economical, doesn't matter if it's personal, doesn't matter what it is. The only thing we can do is what God requires of us and then rest. Just rest. Lord, you will work it out in your time. I fulfilled my responsibilities. I can do nothing else. It's in your hand. And Lord, that's exactly where I'm going to leave it. And I'm going to rest and trust you to work it out. Jesus Christ is our Sabbath. Jesus Christ is our rest. Jesus Christ fulfilled every shadow, every type, every emblem in the Old Testament. He is the Son of God, the Savior, the Redeemer, the mediator, the propitiation, and our all in all. Let's pray. Father, help us, we pray. to see the greatness and the majesty and the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ. And help us, Lord, to understand that he is indeed our all and in all, and may we trust in him and look to him and worship him. And may each Sunday be in our minds a fresh commemoration of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may, Father, we learn to trust Thee and rest in Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.