Sermon Central
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Resting In Jesus
Contributed by Delray Lentz on Nov 13, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Did you read something new in God’s Word? Familiar with new eyes? Something you didn’t understand and reach out to someone help you understand? It’s been several weeks since we have played Scriptural Gymnastics, so I figured we are due!
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?
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.
