The life of Christ shows us that Jesus rested. He went to the mountains to pray and rest. He slept in the boat. He sat down on the well in Samaria to rest. We'll burn ourselves out without enough rest. Too much rest can make us lazy. Proper rest is what is essential in every level of our life.
Rest is essential in our week. Exodus 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. From Adam on down it has been important that one of the seven days be a day of rest, one to be sacred to Him and for us. It was the Sabbath for the Jews. After Jesus rose from the dead, Christians met on the Lord's day–the first day of the week. God paused on the seventh day as a lesson to us. God worked the whole universe and set it to a mechanism that took years for anyone to scratch the surface of it. There is a quantum physics about it which is a testimony that God exists. And in all that, He built in a day for us to rest and make holy unto Him. The Bible says the Sabbath was created for man, not God. It's a time to take a break from the non-stop way we live our lives and get away–us and God. The Lord's day has lost its meaning. But there is something about it still. Is there anything better than a Sunday afternoon nap? It seems to be our best sleep. This is no coincidence. We need that breather.
Rest is essential on the Lord's Day. Deuteronomy 12:5-7 says But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:
And thithes ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your
sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your
vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and
of your flocks:
And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye
shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your
households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee. Here we see that God chose when we should come to church. This is the Lord's choice. He knows we need to be here. It's where we belong. See above: God shall choose….unto his habitation. And in verse 7 we read that we shall eat before the Lord. God chose the day for us and Him. God chose the place. God says what we will do at that place. We are to give worship–our offerings, our vows, the sacrifice of our heart. You might wonder how you can rest if you bring something to the Lord. How can that be rest? It's a time to sing. It's a time to relax. We bring our faults and failures and worship. We cannot ask God to dish it out to us. We are to bring something. When we eat before the Lord it is because we have brought what we should to Him; there we find rest. God brings fullness and blessing. It has been set up for us to come to church. There is something wrong when a Christian doesn't want to come. If you say you don't come because you don't get anything out of it….what have you put into it? We can't eat from the Lord if we don't come to the table. When we give we get the blessing. It's hard to explain a blessing. Paul says it's joy unspeakable and full of glory. The Father gives it. The Sabbath is ours. The rest is ours.
Rest is essential under all circumstances. Philippians 4:4-7 says Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. When we feel we are coming apart at the seams and coming apart in the heart and mind, the peace of God keeps us. We are to let all things be known to Him. When we do an indescribable peace which passeth all understanding. Let God have it and rest will come. Our worst thing is nothing to God. He says to come rest awhile.
Rest is essential during our night. Psalm 4:1-8 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. (2)O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
(3) But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. (4) Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. (5) Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
(6) There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
(7) Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
(8) I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. When the day is gone and the darkness sets in, many times the worry sets in too. David wrote this Psalm when Absalom was after him. David was fleeing for his life and from his very own son. It was a dark time for him. But remember the God of the day is the God of the night.
Verse 2 says rest is not in vanity or the secular world.
Verse 3 says the Lord will hear when we call unto him.
Verse 4 says to recognize our God and commune upon our bed with him…be still and know.
Verse 5 says to ask forgiveness and put our trust in the Lord.
Verse 6 says the Lord will be our night light.
Verse 7 says rest brings gladness and is blessed when we spend it with God.
Verse 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 