REST

“The ability to be at rest and wait before God is one of the most difficult things in the Christian life. Our old nature is restless...the world around us is frantic and in a hurry.

- One answer is to just get away – take a vacation, to a cabin on the side of a mountain.

Mark 6:31: Then Jesus said, "Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest." There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles did not have time to eat.

Physical rest is not only vital to our spiritual lives, it is imperative if we are to be effective. Christ understood this principle and made it a point to get away both with His disciples and by Himself from time to time in order to rest and rejuvenate. It was Jesus way of “recharging” himself. In doing so, He set an example for you and I to follow. We are a people too busy for our own good, too busy to stop and realize that in our frantic business we are actually accomplishing less.

STORY: One day one woodsman challenged another to an all-day tree chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.”” But you did not notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.”

- By resting we accomplish more… sounds like a kingdom principal.

- “When you host the presence of the LORD you get a lot more stuff done by accident (resting) than you ever got done on purpose without Him.”

There is physical rest – personal time of relaxation like a "holy-nap".

There is also spiritual rest – Hebrews 4

Exodus 31:13 – tells us that resting (seeking God) is a very important thing. “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths… above all you shall preserve rest…”

Explain; Moses had just received the10 commandments, laws about alters, slaves, restitution, social justice, contributions, the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, oil, priests’ garments, consecration of priests, census tax… then finally about the Sabbath and rest “ABOVE ALL…” In other words, "Those other things are very important... but above all these remember my Sabbath."

- “The Sabbath” is generally a weekly day of rest and devotion to God. However, there were days (day, week, annual, 7 year) reserved for God they were days commanded by God to the people dedicated to Him and Him alone. So important was the Sabbath days that not adhering to them was punishable by death. A Sabbath was not “restful” in the sense of lounging around – rather it was a day(s) to give attention to God.

The Sabbaths applied to the OT Mosaic law – along with circumcision, weekly showbread, burnt offerings, and consecration practices. The Sabbath is a ceremonial (ritual) law… the issue is, those became obsolete when Jesus died - as a sacrifice for all. “Jesus is LORD of the Sabbath” – Hebrews 8

Jesus kept the Sabbath but it never says he ‘rested’ – actually we are told of his activity of performing ‘works’ that upset the religious leaders of the day. John 5 – healing at the pool “Bethesda. Repeatedly, the Jews were trying to kill him because he broke the Sabbath. Throughout the gospels, Jesus \ compared the Sabbath to ritual laws, not to moral laws. In other words it is not the “adherence to the rule” Rather; it is the Spirit with which the activity is done.

In addition to Jesus, Paul rebukes the Galatians for thinking God expected them to observe special days (including the Sabbath) – Gal 4:10-11. And again in Colossians Paul refers to the Sabbath as a shadow of a reality yet to be. (Col 2:17)

So the question for us today is, does the Sabbath apply to our lives today?

If so… what does it mean to “keep the Sabbath”?

Hebrews 4:1-13

Faith grows out of an atmosphere of rest and devotion to God. If I choose to strive, that mindset places limits of God because, “I have my agenda…I have my mind on what is important.” The issue with this mindset is that the mind is not the seat of faith, the heart is. When I place priority on the mind I have determined to exist without God. Romans 8:6 – “To set the mind on the flesh (life without divine influence) is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Business (striving) wars against faith and therefore your awareness of God. When I do not practice the principal of the Sabbath I diminish God's presence and am bent toward unbelief.

If I choose to not engage in the Sabbath (faith) a couple issues will arise:
Heb 4:2 – I will not believe (hear) good news if I do not maintain rest (an awareness of god being the priority)… “They shall not understand…”

Heb 4:4 – I will continue to believe peace and rest are found through work…

Practicing the Sabbath resides in an expression that looks to heaven and then considers what the agenda should be. That is the tension in life, it's like the writer of Hebrews is saying that “I must WORK not to WORK at finding rest.”

In the OT Sabbaths were days set aside for God… now because of Christ each day is considered a Sabbath. “TODAY”. Because of our identity in Christ – as believers - we have already ‘entered’ rest, now we must appropriate that reality by faith… v3 = “For we who have BELIEVED have entered that rest…” That is why in verse 7 we are told that "Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts."

The appropriation of, the resting in, this reality must be on the basis of faith. I am not capable of “working” my way into rest and peace. that is why we read, "It is in quietness and confidence that we find our strength" – Isaiah 30:15

APPROPRIATING faith is like learning a foreign language. Like the rungs of a ladder – each level must be mastered and handled appropriately before advancing. Think of the pattern in learning a new language; Confusion, then you understand a few words, next you are able to speak a few words, then sentences and then… the miracle of understanding. Upon understanding the language is no longer an effort or tedious – it becomes a natural part of our identity. The more easily we enter into rest (faith) the more complete the manifestation and moral effect it will have upon our lives.

Being at REST means that I have positioned myself to do away with the toil and struggle regarding faith so as to receive and broker the kingdom of God without hindrance. My initial response to situations is based on the “new language” of faith that I have learned. In learning a new language, I will repeat what I hear – that is why it is important to be around people that speak the language of faith.



Rest is found through faith. God’s word is Spirit and truth as we read in Hebrews 4:11-13 . note, it is possible to be mindful of God without entering into the rest He provides through His spirit.

Whenever I am restless it is due to an advancing MIND and a retreating HEART. If I do not regard “this day” as a Sabbath (a day devoted to God) to God I miss opportunity for breakthrough. I may miss the relationship, or word that changes EVERYTHING.

Is my Sabbath (every day) focused on being at rest with an abiding faith? do I reflect God’s glory back to Him?

Regardless of where you find yourself this morning God welcomes you into His rest – it is never too late to enter into faith.

Isaiah 58:13-14

What is being fed with the inheritance of Jacob? It is God's presence (Jeremiah 10:16)

TODAY – God’s Sabbath rest awaits for those who are found in Christ.