Make Every Effort to Enter
the Rest God Promised
Hebrews 4:9-11 · Isaiah 40:12, 25-26 · Psalm 8:3-5 · Job 38
Pastor Abraham Adesayo
Dear Church Family,
There are moments when the challenges of life seem bigger than everything around us. A financial burden. A medical concern. A family situation. A door that refuses to open. A prayer that seems to remain unanswered.
Sometimes, the weight of these concerns becomes so overwhelming that even when our bodies are resting, our minds are still searching for answers. But what if the problem is not as big as we have allowed it to become in our minds? What if we have been measuring our circumstances against our own limitations instead of measuring them against the greatness of God?
In this Sunday's message, Pastor Abraham continued his teaching on entering the rest God has promised His people. Drawing from Hebrews 4:9-11, Isaiah 40:12, 25-26, Psalm 8:3-5, and Job 38:4-7, 31-33, he challenged us to recognize God's unlimited power, trust His promises, and make deliberate efforts to enter and maintain His rest.
God's rest is not simply the absence of trouble. It is the peace that comes from knowing who God is, believing what He has said, and trusting what He has already accomplished through Jesus Christ.
The question is not whether God has made provision for rest. The question is whether we will enter it.
Understanding the Rest God Has Promised
There remains a rest for the people of God.
This truth was illustrated with the experience of someone who had struggled with immigration challenges for twenty-five years. For years, the individual faced uncertainty, legal expenses, and repeated efforts to resolve the situation. But when the long-awaited immigration document finally arrived, the person called the pastor with a simple declaration:
Pastor, I can rest now.
The circumstances that had occupied the person's thoughts for years had finally been resolved. That experience reveals something important about the human heart.
We can be physically asleep while our minds remain troubled. We can appear calm outwardly while carrying burdens inwardly. And sometimes, we believe we cannot have peace until every unanswered question has been resolved.
But the rest God promises reaches beyond physical relaxation or the temporary relief that follows a fulfilled desire. It calls us into a place of faith where our confidence rests in God rather than in our ability to control every outcome.
Rest does not mean that we stop believing, praying, or obeying. It means that we stop allowing worry and self-effort to take the place of our confidence in God.
The God Who Created the Universe Can Handle Your Situation
One of the most powerful illustrations in the message came from contemplating the vastness of God's creation.
Earth feels enormous to us. Its oceans stretch beyond the horizon. Its mountains rise above the clouds. Its continents contain nations, cities, and billions of people. Yet Earth is only one planet in a solar system that contains worlds much larger than itself. Beyond our solar system are countless stars, planets, and galaxies that stretch across distances difficult for the human mind to comprehend.
Pastor Abraham used these illustrations to direct our attention away from the apparent size of our problems and toward the immeasurable greatness of their Creator. If God created and sustains a universe of such extraordinary magnitude, why should we conclude that the challenges in our individual lives are beyond His ability?
God measures the waters in the hollow of His hand and weighs the mountains in scales.
Lift up your eyes and consider the One who created the heavenly bodies and calls each of them by name.
David considers the moon and the stars and marvels that the Creator of such wonders is still mindful of humanity.
God reminds Job of the divine wisdom and authority behind the foundations and order of creation.
These Scriptures direct our attention to a truth we must never forget: the God who created the heavens has not lost sight of His children.
This was applied personally to the church's ongoing building project. As he considered the resources needed for a 20,000-square-foot auditorium, he began comparing that need with the vastness of God's creation. The realization brought peace. If God could create and sustain the universe, the provision required for a church building was not beyond His capacity.
The same principle applies to our individual lives. That situation you have been carrying may be complicated. That door may have remained closed for a long time. That challenge may have stretched your faith beyond what you expected. But your difficulty has not diminished God's power.
Do not allow the size of your problem to become greater in your thinking than the greatness of your God.
Seven Efforts We Need to Make to Enter His Rest
God's rest is promised, but Scripture also calls us to make every effort to enter it (Hebrews 4:1-11). This does not mean we can earn God's favor through human labor. Rather, we must deliberately cultivate the faith, obedience, and dependence on Christ through which we experience His rest. Pastor Abraham outlined seven important efforts.
Value the Divine Invitation
The promise of entering His rest still stands, so let us take care that none of us falls short of it.
God's invitation into His rest is something we must take seriously. The promise remains available, but we must not treat it casually or assume that hearing about it is the same as entering it.
Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him. God is not asking us to carry every burden indefinitely. He is calling us to come to Him. Yet we can become so accustomed to worry that we continue carrying burdens even after hearing God's invitation to rest.
We pray, but remain anxious. We hear the Word, but continue struggling as though everything depends entirely on us. We acknowledge God's promises without allowing those promises to shape our expectations.
Do not become so comfortable with anxiety that you overlook God's invitation to peace.
Mix Heard Truth With Active Faith
The message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not united by faith in those who listened.
Hearing God's Word is important, but hearing alone is not enough. Picture people sitting in the same classroom, listening to the same teacher, and receiving the same instructions. Some hear and obey. Others hear but dismiss what they have been taught. The difference is not necessarily the quality of the instruction. It is the response of the hearer.
A testimony was shared about a church member who responded to an earlier teaching on giving from the heart. Without pressure or a promise of financial reward, she voluntarily gave a financial gift because she believed she had received an instruction in her spirit. Later, she testified about receiving an unexpected double promotion without going through the anticipated interview process.
Obedience must not be reduced to a formula for obtaining blessings. God's instructions are not mechanical transactions. What matters is hearing Him, believing Him, and responding sincerely.
The principle extends beyond giving. If God is directing you to forgive, forgive. If He is directing you to avoid unnecessary conflict, obey. If His Word is correcting an attitude or decision, respond accordingly.
Do not merely admire the truth. Act upon it.
Cease From Your Own Self-Effort
Whoever enters God's rest also rests from their own works, just as God did from His.
One of the greatest obstacles to experiencing God's rest is the belief that everything depends on our own performance. We sometimes behave as though we must work hard enough, pray long enough, or accomplish enough to earn God's acceptance and favor. But God's grace is not something human effort can purchase.
Salvation and spiritual peace are gifts of grace, not rewards for labor. This does not mean effort, discipline, or obedience are unnecessary. It means that none of them can replace what Christ has already accomplished.
There is a difference between acting in faith and struggling to make God act. Faith obeys because it trusts God. Self-effort struggles because it believes the outcome depends entirely on human ability.
Sometimes, the greatest struggle is not what is happening around us but what we keep imagining might happen. Our minds can become occupied with possibilities that have not occurred, fears that have not materialized, and questions that remain unanswered.
Do what God has instructed you to do. Then allow Him to be God. You do not have to carry responsibilities that belong to Him.
Lean Into Christ's Finished Work
We who have believed enter that rest.
True spiritual rest is grounded in what Jesus Christ has already accomplished. Our confidence must rest in Christ's finished work rather than in our personal achievements. We do not create God's provision through religious activity. We approach Him in faith because of what Christ has done.
This understanding changes the way we pray. Instead of approaching God as though we must persuade Him through human performance, we come trusting the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and the promises of His Word.
Prayer remains essential. Obedience remains essential. Faith remains essential. But their foundation is not our ability to earn what only God's grace can provide.
Do not build your confidence on how much you have done. Build it on what Christ has finished.
Guard Against a Heart of Unbelief
Those who formerly received the good news did not enter, because of their disobedience.
Unbelief is one of the greatest barriers to entering God's rest. The Israelites experienced extraordinary demonstrations of God's power, yet many failed to enter the promised rest because of disobedience and unbelief. They witnessed deliverance from Egypt. They saw the Red Sea part. They experienced miraculous provision in the wilderness. Yet when new challenges appeared, they questioned whether God could help them again.
We may have experienced God's faithfulness in the past, yet struggle to trust Him with our present situation. We remember yesterday's testimony but allow today's difficulty to dominate our thoughts.
Faith is not something we exercise only when circumstances are favorable. It must be guarded when our experiences appear to contradict our expectations. Faith is a daily fight. Every day presents opportunities either to believe God completely or to surrender our confidence to the pressures of our circumstances.
Do not allow one unanswered question to make you forget the many ways God has already demonstrated His faithfulness.
Guard your heart. Remember His works. Continue believing.
Seize the Urgency of "Today"
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.
God's invitation to rest carries an important word: today. God's rest is not merely a distant reward awaiting believers in eternity. It is also a present reality that believers are invited to experience now.
We can become so focused on waiting for circumstances to change that we postpone the decision to trust God. We tell ourselves that we will have peace when the answer arrives. We will stop worrying when the financial burden disappears. We will trust completely when the situation becomes easier.
But God calls us to respond to His Word today. Today is the day to soften your heart. Today is the day to obey what God has spoken. Today is the day to believe His promises.
Do not postpone faith until every challenge has been resolved. Do not delay the peace God is calling you to experience.
Make Every Effort to Maintain Trust
Let us be diligent and earnestly strive to enter that rest, so that no one falls through the same example of unbelief.
Entering God's rest is important. Remaining in that place of trust requires continued attention. Faith is not something we exercise once and then assume will never face another challenge.
There will be days when difficulties arise unexpectedly. There will be moments when previous victories seem distant. There will be situations that challenge what we know and believe about God. That is why we must be intentional about maintaining our faith, through consistent prayer, daily study of God's Word, and regular exposure to sound, Scripture-centered teaching.
We must also remember the lessons of the Israelites. They had seen remarkable miracles, but past experiences did not automatically prevent future unbelief. Likewise, yesterday's faith must not become an excuse for neglecting our spiritual lives today.
- Continue praying.
- Continue studying the Word.
- Continue remembering God's faithfulness.
- Continue acting on His instructions.
- Continue trusting Him, even when circumstances appear unchanged.
The effort we are called to make is not an effort to earn God's rest. It is the deliberate commitment to remain in faith rather than surrendering to unbelief.
Practical Ways to Walk in God's Rest
1. Put Your Problems in the Right Perspective
When a situation seems overwhelming, remember the greatness of the God who created the heavens and the earth. Do not allow your thoughts to magnify a problem while diminishing your confidence in God.
2. Respond to God's Word With Obedience
Do not stop at hearing or agreeing with a message. Identify what God is asking you to change, release, forgive, or begin, and respond in faith.
3. Refuse to Carry Every Burden Alone
Pray about your concerns, fulfill your responsibilities, and stop treating every outcome as though it rests entirely on your shoulders. Let God be God.
4. Build Your Confidence on Christ
Remember that your relationship with God is founded on His grace and Christ's finished work. Do not measure God's faithfulness by your personal performance.
5. Remember What God Has Already Done
When new challenges arise, recall previous testimonies of His faithfulness. Do not let today's difficulty erase yesterday's evidence of God's goodness.
6. Choose Faith Today
Do not wait for every question to be answered before deciding to trust God. Respond to His invitation now.
7. Strengthen Your Faith Daily
Maintain a consistent life of prayer, Scripture study, and obedience. Protect the confidence God is developing in your heart.
What Is Keeping You From Rest?
- What situation in your life has become so overwhelming that it is affecting your ability to rest?
- Have you been measuring that situation against your own limitations rather than against the greatness of God?
- Are you hearing God's Word without taking the necessary steps of faith and obedience?
- Have you allowed past disappointments or present circumstances to weaken your confidence in God's promises?
- Are you trying to earn through personal effort what Christ has already made available through grace?
- What burden do you need to surrender to God today?
- What daily habits will help you maintain your trust in Him?
God has not asked you to understand everything before you believe Him. He has invited you to trust Him. Do not allow the uncertainty of your circumstances to become the foundation of your peace. Let God's Word shape your thoughts. Let His faithfulness strengthen your confidence. Let His promises guide your response.
The God You Serve Is Greater Than the Situation You Face
When your problems appear overwhelming, lift your eyes beyond them and remember the One who created the heavens. When worry begins to occupy your thoughts, return to God's promises. When your own strength seems insufficient, remember that your confidence is in Christ's finished work.
When unbelief challenges your faith, recall what God has already done. When obedience feels difficult, remember that hearing the Word is only the beginning. Faith must lead to action. And when you feel tempted to postpone your peace until tomorrow, remember that God's invitation is for today.
This week, ask yourself:
- What burden am I still carrying that I need to entrust to God?
- Am I allowing my circumstances to determine how much I trust Him?
- What instruction from God's Word do I need to act upon?
- What will I do each day to strengthen and maintain my faith?
Do not magnify your problem above the power of God. Do not let yesterday's disappointments silence today's faith. Do not allow fear to steal the peace God has promised. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep obeying. Keep trusting.
The God who created and sustains the universe is able to handle what concerns you. Enter His rest. Remain in His Word. Continue walking in faith.
Words to Carry With You
Your crisis is not a crisis to the architect of the cosmos.
Let God be God in your life.
Faith is a fight.
God's rest is not a distant reward reserved only for heaven.
Do not delay your peace.
Do not measure your problems by their size. Remember the greatness of your God. Believe His Word. Trust His promises. Enter His rest.
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