Our Small Town Summits theme for 2024 is “Our Extraordinary Christ.” All six Summits in the New England states will include expositions from Hebrews as we see together that the supremacy of Christ is rocket fuel for a joyfully tenacious life and ministry. In light of this theme and goal, our Small Town Summits Articles for 2024 will highlight one chapter of Hebrews each month.

They never made it home. Terrifying words that explain one of the saddest stories in biblical history. A congregation, made up of people who at first appeared to be “all in,” but in the end, only a few (from that generation) crossed into God’s promised land. Hebrews 4 warns those who confess faith in Jesus not to follow suit and fail to reach God’s promised rest. And, if you know the theme of this Epistle, you know the answer lies not in some self-help scheme, but in Jesus. He proves to be our Extraordinary Helper.

Pastors and churches in small towns grieve at the news that one we have called brother or sister has walked away from Christ. I’m sure that’s true in large city churches as well. But, small-town pastors do not ordinarily preach to a sea of nameless faces. We labor among congregations where everybody knows your name. When a member abandons the faith, they take with them hours of teaching, counseling and care that have been invested in them by elders and members engaged in seeing them to the celestial city of God’s eternal rest.

They shall not enter my rest

All those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses heard the good news. God sent word to the people of Israel: I am the LORD your God and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from slavery and redeem you by the blood of a paschal lamb. I will take you to be my people and I will be your God. I will bring you across the desert into a land and give it to you for a possession (see Exodus 6:6-8). It seemed that everyone was on board, as entire households gathered their things, smeared the lamb’s blood on their doorposts and waited for further instructions. I imagine some pinched themselves when they crossed the town line of Goshen. That is, until the fury of Pharoah’s army pinned them against the banks of the Red Sea. That’s when the first ripples of complaint were heard. “What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?” (Ex. 14:11) Then God made a way of escape through the sea and buried their enemies in it. The lack of water and food also met their ire. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us…?” (Ex. 17:3)

At Mount Sinai, God personally certified a covenant with this congregation, to which the people replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” (Ex. 24:7) In the wilderness of Sinai, God gave them a tabernacle, where their sins could be atoned so their fellowship with his presence could be enjoyed. There were ugly memories of the golden calf and scrimmages with wilderness warlords but finally the day arrived when twelve Hebrew spies returned from reconnaissance in the land of Canaan. They brought back mouthwatering examples that proved God’s promised land was amazing! Ten said, “We can’t.” The people are huge and it will be the end of us if we try to take possession. Two said, “We can.” Joshua and Caleb believed that with God’s help, “We are well able to overcome it.” (Num. 13:30) The people said, “We won’t.” We won’t believe God can bring us into his promised rest. We won’t obey his command to enter the land though he has wonderfully demonstrated his power to save. David Gooding notes, “The good news was the whole package.” The promise that God would free them from slavery and bring them to rest in his presence. When they dug their heels into the sand of Kadesh, their disobedience to God’s word exposed their unbelief in God’s promise. The message they heard back in Egypt from the lips of Moses did not benefit them. They were not united by faith with those who listened – specifically, Joshua and Caleb. So, God swore in his wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

According to Hebrews 4, that’s not the end of the story. Joshua, Moses’ successor, brought the children of that unbelieving generation into the promised land. Still, even that is not the end of the story. Long after their fathers perished in the wilderness, King David urged his people, “Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts” like those to whom the Lord swore, “They shall not enter my rest.” (Psalm 95: 7, 11)

You see, it’s true. There remains a rest for the people of God. The God who rested from his creative works promises the Christian a future rest.

Do you profess to be a fellow Christian? If so, we must make every effort to enter into that rest! We must be diligent so that in the end not one of us who claims the name of Christ falls by the same type of unbelief! We must know that the living and active word of God lays bare every heart. Pastor, labor on to preach, pray, sing, and counsel the Word of God to your church. Eventually, it will expose hearts of obedient faith or rebellious unbelief. If not in your tenure, when we all stand before the Living Word to whom we must give account, no creature will be hidden from his sight.

It’s sobering to be sure. But, it’s not hopeless! Hebrews 4 provides an action plan to weary pilgrims who long to enter that rest.

Hold fast to what we have

Pastor, you are a gift from Christ to your church (Eph. 4:7-11), yet you aren’t in a position to ensure that the members of your church will enter that rest. Jesus is. Having walked in our human shoes, he has passed into the heavens. So, we don’t have an intercessor who is unable to sympathize with the weakness and temptation we face. The sands of Kadesh have run through his toes. He’s been on this side. He is now on that side. Since we have a great high priest who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, keep a strong grip on your confession, your doctrine, your faith. This world will try to fill your arms with all manner of toys and trinkets that promise relief. You’d be foolish to drop what you have in Jesus so you can hold on to earthly possessions you will eventually leave behind. Cling, and keep clinging by faith to the obedient Son and you will enter that rest.

Draw near for what we need

Christian, you have been made a new creation, yet you don’t personally have what it takes to cross the finish line. That’s not news to you. You aren’t the only one who crawled into the pew on Sunday ashamed of the curses you blurted out in a moment of anger, ashamed of the promiscuous episode you watched on TV, ashamed you hid your faith in a moment of fear. You aren’t the only one who stood to sing thinking it would be easier to go back to Egypt. Oh but, Christian, you are in the right place. Boldly draw near to your Lord in prayer, in worship, in everyday life. Don’t run away. Move closer. You can receive mercy from Jesus. He will give mercy to every Christian every time we rightly confess our sins to him. Move closer. You can receive grace to help. He will give you what you need when you need it. Don’t run away. Move closer to your Extraordinary Helper.

Church, hold fast and draw near to Jesus. Only for those who do will it be said, they made it home.