There is a bidding war for our Time
Here is a word so many of us use – BUSY
– I’m to busy to…
-I wish, but I’m to busy…
– My kids keep my so busy…
– My work keeps me so busy
God understands this and has given us a tool to combat this:
– That Tool is called “REST” or Principle of Sabbath
What are some things bidding for our Rest?
– Technology
– Stress/work
– Relationships- not having clear lines
When it comes to rest, what is at stake?
– Your mental health
– Your spiritual Life
– Your relationships
– Your peace
– Your joy
If you don’t rest, you will crash
– What does a crash look like
– Depression, exhaustion, withdrawal, loss of passion,
Let’s look at where God gives his people their first instructions about rest
Children of Israel in Egypt
Were slaves – No rest
God miraculously rescues them
Brings them through the Red Sea
Now they were in the wilderness…
Begin to do what people do – COMPLAIN
Exodus 16
2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted.
Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”
21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’”
30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
– The people of Israel only knew how to be slaves
– The had never known true rest
Slavery…
– Dehumanizes
– Devalues
– Traps
So God’s first act was not to get them in line but to give them food and rest
That’s the kind of God we serve
– The kind of God who restores value to those that the world has taken from
– That gives without any payment first
A life without rest is like a life of slavery
Biblical rest has two main functions:
Rest Causes Us To: To Recalibrate
– What is really important
– To refocus us
– To reprioritize
Matthew 6 (Jesus says…)
25 “Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?
31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Rest helps us recognize and recalibrate the parts of our life that are not aligned with God
Recalibrate the way we think about…
– Work and family balance
– Dreams and personal agendas
– Past mistakes and hurts
Rest Give Us The Opportunity To… Relinquish
– To give over
– To give back
– To give us
When we give over to God’s rest, we allow ourselves to see how much he loves us, how much he cares for us, how much he protects us.
Luke 9
23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself?
Rest gives us the opportunity to come before God with all our concerns and trouble and say, without you, my toiling is in vain.
Relinquish through rest…
– Thought patterns
– Behaviors
– Patterns of sin
– Hurts
– Selfish agendas
Let’s finish with this Powerful statement from Jesus…
Matthew 11
28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jesus is our rest
– Without him, we will know true rest and peace
He, who knew ultimate rest, because restless for our sake on the cross
Now invites us to hand over our burdens. The things that make us tired.
►If you work with your mind, sabbath with your hands
►If you work with your hands, sabbath with your mind
– Taking part in something just for the Joy of it
Take a day that allows you to sit in the knowledge that God is currently taking care of you.
Take time to laugh and be around those who bring you joy and do things that bring you joy.