Today’s key verse found in Matthew 11:28-30, and we’ll get there eventually!
The title of today’s message is RESTING IN JESUS.
We first see the English word rest in Genesis 2:2:
• And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
o That word “rested” in the Hebrew transliterates to “shabbat”. In this verse it means “cease or desist from exertion”
? Ever heard “cease and desist”? It is an order to stop engaging in a particular activity.
• God stopped. He rested.
This morning, I’d like us to examine some things that distract us from resting, and some scripture that helps us focus and understand the importance of resting.
First off, consider this: if God is FOR resting, the evil one is AGAINST resting. (repeat)
We need to get that in our spirit, or as I sometimes say
“Make that a soul tattoo”.
We also need to realize that there are at least 3 types of rest.
• Spiritual
• Physical
• Mental
Yesterday, a friend told me that his wife retired three weeks ago, and since that time she has been taking care of (his words “watching”) three of their grandchildren.
Let me stop right there and answer a couple of Lisa’s questions that are going through her head right now.
• Was it all three grandkids at the same time for all three weeks?
• Are the grandkids from the same parents?
• Whose house was she “watching” them?
o The answer to all of these questions “I don’t know”.
Back to my friends story:
He said his wife told him that watching those grandbabies made her more exhausted than going to work!
Now, if it were all three grandkids at the same time, that woman probably had no time for spiritual, mental, or physical rest!
Let’s look at some scripture about resting:
Exodus 20: 8-10
• v8: Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy
• v.9: Six days you shall labor and do all your work
• v.10 but the 7th day is the sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work. (Then it goes on to list everybody)
To the best of my research, this is the 1st time we see this as a commandment from the Lord.
Here’s my question for all of us:
• Do you cease and desist from labor one day out of every seven?
• Exodus 33:12-14 read from my bible
o Don’t miss this church:
? All we need is His presence and He will give us rest.
? Sounds easy enough right!
? Question #2:
• What are we doing each day to be in His presence?
Psalm 127:1-2
It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat. For God gives rest to His loved ones.
• To me, this means: We can’t WORK our way into His presence. He doesn’t reward us with His presence because of our hard work.
Jeremiah 6:16 tells us this about getting into His presence:
• This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way and walk in it. Travel it’s path and you will find rest for your souls!
o Another word for rest is stop. It is in that same context as we found in Genesis 2:2.
o Let’s replace stop with rest in this verse.
? Rest at the crossroads and look around.
• You know, be still for a minutes and ask God, then walk in His answer and you will dwell in His presence!
• Question #3:
o Are you in a crossroads right now in your life?
• I believe that daily we need to be still, stop in order to listen!
• Proverbs 1:33 says “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil!
? Wow, I want a piece of that!
One final OT passage.
1 Kings 5:1-5 read from my bible
Question #4:
• Are you fighting wars from every side?
o I found it interesting that Solomon said God gave him rest. Then Solomon set out to build the temple that God told David that Solomon would build. Solomon didn’t say “As soon as I get this temple built, the Lord will give me rest”.
Now, let’s look at some NT scripture about rest. I told you it would be a Scriptural Gymnastics day in the House of the Lord!
Matthew 11:28-30 stand with me as we honor God while reading His word. (read from my bible)
I’d like us to look at a few passages around this passage.
Mark 2:27
Set it up. The Pharisees saw the disciples breaking the heads of grain, and tried to condemn them for doing this on the Sabbath.
• Obviously man’s laws had gotten out of hand!
v.27 The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath.
In other words, you got it all backwards.
God made the day of rest for man!
This reminds us that many of the barriers for rest, begin in the mind.
• Anger, fear, anxiety prevent rest.
• Distractions prevent rest.
• Take thoughts captive!
o Encourage you to read Hebrews 12:1-2 and Philippians 4:8 TODAY, if you are struggling with rest.
I believe sometimes our most difficult challenges of rest are during the storms of life.
I mentioned last week, that I can sleep anywhere, anytime.
(Tell story about my sleeping in boat on Livingston.)
Read Matthew 8:23-28
Then say “although I never slept in a boat during a storm, I understand how Jesus could sleep in a boat!
If Jesus can calm the storm on the sea, can you trust Him to calm the storms in your life, so you can get rest?
I’d like to get ready to land the plane by looking at a couple of others verses.
Very often when we rest, we recline.
Matthew 26:7 A woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as He was reclining at the table.
• Jesus was at rest
John 13:12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his garments, He reclined again and said to them “Do you know what I have done for you?
• Jesus was at rest
(John 13:23) I’m going to ask you to close your eyes as I read this verse.
Lying back on Jesus’ chest was one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.
-Is that you? Are you one of the disciples that Jesus loves?
Jesus was relaxed and at rest, and His disciples were as well.
When we give everything to Jesus, we will be at rest.
Story of Overcome.
It was as if I had become my own idol.
“all authority, every victory is yours”
I began to cry so ugly that I had to pull off the road.
Giving this up, gave me such rest in Jesus.
If you are working so hard @ life to provide for your family that you can’t take a break, remember:
• Exodus 20:8-10
o Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy
o Six days you shall labor and do all your work
o But the 7th day is the sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work.
• Psalm 127:1-2 (turn to your bibles)
o It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat. For God gives rest to his loved ones.
o *ask others to read those verses
If you are in a storm of life remember:
o Matthew 8:23-24
o Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
o And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. He was asleep.
? Several times in the bible Jesus separates Himself in order to REST.
? We should do the same, and not only when the storms come!
In order to get true rest, we need to be in His presence!
• Exodus 33:14 “and God said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”.
• Jeremiah 6:16 -this is a recap “stop at the crossroads, ask me for the way, travel in it, and I will give you rest”.
• If we are not traveling in a Godly way, I would venture to say it is impossible for us to be in His presence.
Think about it like this:
Our universe is one of natural perpetual motion. Night to day, and back to night. Seasons change and go through this rhythmic motion.
We were thrown out of the perpetual rhythmic motion when Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
Jesus came to reconcile our rest and abiding in God.
Will you rest in Jesus today?
