Hebrews 3:1–4:13 · Lifegroup Discussion Guide + Transcript
The Greatness of Jesus
Summary
God’s rest is open today. Hebrews 3–4 shows Jesus as greater than Moses—the builder and Son over God’s house—and warns, through Psalm 95, that being near God’s people and works is not the same as believing. We enter His rest by faith in Jesus, we exhort one another every day so sin doesn’t harden our hearts, and we strive to enter that rest. God’s Word is living and active, exposing our hearts and calling for a real response—today.
Lifegroup Discussion Guide
Icebreaker
- Describe a time you experienced genuine rest. What made it restorative?
Scripture
Read: Hebrews 3:1–4:13
Big Idea
God’s promise of rest is open today. We enter by faith in Jesus—then keep going through daily encouragement and persevering obedience.
Key Points
- Jesus > Moses (3:1–6): Jesus is the builder and Son; Moses is a faithful servant in the house. We are God’s house if we hold fast our confidence and hope.
- Psalm 95 Sermon (3:7–4:13): “Today, if you hear his voice…” Proximity without faith leads to hardened hearts and missing God’s rest.
- Only faith enters: We who believe enter that rest (4:3). The Word is living and active, exposing our hearts (4:12–13).
- Our responses: Believe, exhort one another daily, and strive to enter that rest.
Discussion Questions
- Why does Hebrews compare Jesus with Moses here? What do “builder vs. house” and “Son vs. servant” reveal about Christ?
- What helps you stay responsive to God’s voice today instead of drifting or hardening?
- Where might you see proximity without faith in your life—around church things without trust in Christ?
- “Exhort one another every day” (3:13). What could daily encouragement look like in our Lifegroup this week?
- How does “strive to enter that rest” (4:11) fit with salvation by grace? What’s the difference between striving with grace vs. striving to earn grace?
- Hebrews 4:12–13 says God’s Word is living and active. How have you experienced that recently?
Practice This Week
- Believe: Tell Jesus where you’re tempted to earn or demand; ask for a soft, trusting heart—today.
- Exhort: Send one text or prayer each day to encourage someone in your Lifegroup.
- Strive: Set aside unhurried time in Hebrews 3–4. Ask God to search and steady your heart by His Word.
Sermon Transcript
Hebrews 3–4 · Enter His Rest
Pastor Adam Pursel
Welcome to Lifepoint Church. In our series, The Greatness of Jesus, we’re in Hebrews 3 and 4 with one big idea: You’re invited to enter God’s rest. The question is—do you know how?
God’s rest is His Sabbath rest—rest from His work of creation—and it ultimately points to fellowship with Him and the joy of heaven. Everyone is invited. We do not enter by earning or by demanding; we enter by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 3:1–6 — Jesus Greater Than Moses
We’re told to “consider Jesus,” the Apostle (Sent One) and our High Priest. Both Jesus and Moses are called faithful, but Jesus is greater. He is the builder of the house; Moses is part of the house. Jesus is the Son over the house; Moses is a faithful servant within it. Therefore, Jesus is worthy of more glory. The passage concludes: we are God’s house if we hold fast our confidence and our hope.
Hebrews 3:7–4:13 — A Sermon on Psalm 95
The author then preaches Psalm 95. “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” The wilderness generation heard God’s voice and saw His works for forty years, yet many hardened their hearts in unbelief and did not enter God’s rest. The warning is sobering: proximity is not the same as faith. It is possible to live among God’s people, hear His Word, and still miss the rest He offers because the message is not united by faith in those who hear (4:2).
Hebrews teaches that while God’s works were finished at creation, the final rest was not accomplished by Joshua’s entry into the land; therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God (4:9). “We who have believed enter that rest” (4:3). The right response is threefold: believe in Christ, exhort one another every day so sin does not harden our hearts, and strive to enter that rest (4:11)—a grace‑fueled priority.
The section closes with a hymn‑like celebration of God’s Word and His searching gaze: the Word is living and active, sharper than any two‑edged sword, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from His sight; all are laid bare before Him, the One to whom we must give account (4:12–13).
Application
How should we respond? First, believe—trust in Jesus Christ alone. If God were to ask, “Why should I let you in?” the answer is not our performance but Jesus: His cross, His resurrection, His righteousness. Second, exhort—be and find “everyday people” so that none are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Third, strive—not to earn salvation, but to prioritize what is precious: communion with Christ, obedience to His Word, perseverance to the end. The invitation stands today.
“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11)
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