God's Rest

thank you Lord thank you praise your name Hallelujah amen he is welcome here right isn't it wonderful to come into the house of the Lord on a Sunday morning and feel his presence man I'm so glad that Jesus is here this is the same guy that created the universe and I'm so glad he's here today yes well it's so good to see all you smiling faces this morning like Pastor said thanks for being here all of you are online thanks for tuning in with us today and um I feel like the Lord has something for us this morning and I will try my best to keep you engaged the best I can on this Sunday morning all right so this morning we're going to continue with our study on some of the foundational themes as found in the Book of Genesis and it's really fascinating to me if you kind of take a look at the Bible how that those themes that are presented there at the beginning kind of get repeated over and over throughout scripture we kind of see Concepts built upon Concepts there and we find in our text today Genesis chapter 2 uh this scripture being read says 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 then God blessed the seventh day and he Sanctified it other versions say that he made it holy right because in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made today I want to talk about and teach on the theme of God's rest I want to talk a little bit about God's rest hopefully you won't take a rest this morning during this all right but we're going to talk about God's rest okay so

all the way back in Genesis chapter one I know where I'm asking to go one more chapter back but we see the Lord at work Jesus the Lord he gives us an example of what it means to do work right there in Genesis chapter one he he does his work of creation and you know the Sun the moon the stars everything in the earth separates land and water uh you know the sky water and all that kind of stuff creates man and and we see God at work and then on day seven he he rests he rests that word means he stopped profound I know right uh but but that's what he did he gave us an example there and I'm a firm believer that our work is something that we do as a form of worship to the Lord I really believe that I think you can see that taught throughout the New Testament uh and then even you know in the Old Testament here if we look at a few verses after our text in Genesis chapter 2 verse 15 we see that the Lord took Adam and he put him in the garden in Eden and he was towed to dress it and to keep it the word used here for dress is a bird called avad and it means to work and it's noun form the word is avodah and if you combine avad and abubad it's in the Old Testament about 480 something times it's a lot right it's seen a lot throughout the Old Testament and the word is often Associated and translated into three primary words the first word is service second word is work and the third word is worship so in service when we see it translated as service it talks about where someone submits themselves to another whether that be a slave to a Master a son to a father or a subject to their King we see that in for example First Kings chapter 12 with King rehoboam he's asked by the northern tribes to lighten the load like give us a break here your father King Solomon he's worked this quite a bit we'd like for you to lighten the load and in return they promise to served him as king bye-bye we see it as worship we see the word translated as worship when when you see it there it's pretty simple and plain right worship it speaks about worshiping the Lord or worshiping maybe an idol when God calls Moses to lead his people out of Egypt he says this to Moses in Exodus chapter 3.

when you have brought the people out of Egypt you will worship avad God on this mountain Joshua chapter 24 verse 15. we see Joshua telling them in this moment of decision as for me and my house we will serve avad the Lord right it's also translated as work now when Nevada is translated his work it's used in reference to both secular and sacred vocations paid and unpaid in Exodus chapter 34 21 God gives further Clarity on the fourth Commandment when he says six days you shall work avad but on the seventh day you shall rest in Psalms 104 23 it says then man goes out to his work avadh to his labor until evening it's work to the ancient Hebrews there was a deep understanding of how faith and work or faith and service came together in their lives it was all connected with the word they use the same word to describe all their service their work and their worship their service work and worship were all connected through more than just a shared word but it was connected with a shared connection to the Lord they were connected to the Lord who did the work of creation and put everything into motion so they were connected they were connected to the Lord through their service through their work and through their worship all with just a word foreign let's take a look at the Israelites in bondage in Egypt the Lord reminded them many times throughout the Bible how he brought them out of the land of Egypt he brought them out of slavery a slavery that they didn't deserve right they didn't deserve that there was this man named Joseph he saved Egypt essentially he came up this great idea to store things away and he saved the Kingdom of Egypt but there was a pharaoh that Rose who didn't know Joseph and these Israelites they were growing and expanding and they were becoming too much too much so the Pharaoh saw this group growing and essentially began a propaganda campaign against them propaganda he's basically said all right they're too big if someone comes to invade us they're going to join them they're going to take over Egypt we don't we don't want these people around here he wanted to remove them from their place and enslave them he wanted to enslave them Exodus says that the Egyptians made the children of Israel sir serve with rigor and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage I mean they put them to work right I remember as a kid having to mow the grass and I thought that was hard work that's nothing compared to this okay even though it was a push mower and it was a little over two acres it wasn't hard work compared to this I mean if they were made bitter with the hard bondage right they were being forced to work in order to support Pharaoh's endless demands for production if you read through Exodus chapter one there he he wanted more more and more he wanted to build more cities to hold the treasures right he said make more bricks build more cities

it was always more the demand was there but the supply was not Pharaoh was a hard-nosed production manager always demanding more always saying give me more give me more I require more more there was no rest for Pharaoh as he monitors all the daily production schedules there was no rest for the task Masters as they tried to keep up with the demands by this King and of course there was no rest for the Israelites who must work to satisfy the taskmaster's quota in order to meet Pharaoh's demands there was no rest always more the system that Pharaoh had designed was to produce more which in return required more for everyone there was always more this is why Pharaoh was so mad in Exodus chapter 5 verse 4 when he essentially says why are you taking the people from their work get back to work Moses and Aaron come saying hey we want to go worship have a feast in the desert and then we'll come back he said why are you doing this you got to get back to work so Farrell doubles down on the people and He commands them to make bricks but not only just make bricks like they were doing but now you got to gather your own straw too your own straw too more Pharaoh was so mad that he kept ignoring the plea and he continued to tell them to stop being idle quit sitting around quit playing around and get back to work he was truly a bad boss he was a bad boss the Lord goes on later in the story to strike Egypt with ten plagues and after that final plague of the death of the firstborn Pharaoh is weakened and eventually he's defeated at the sea the Red Sea and from the Red Sea the Israelites are led by Moses and they encourage or they encounter a few post-egypt challenges and it's during one of these that God asked them to do something that they have never done before as an Act of Faith he asked them to do something they'd never done before they were complaining about food there wasn't enough it wasn't what we wanted they were complaining about food so the Lord tells them that he will rain bread from heaven and that the people should go out every day and gather only a certain amount of food every day you just get what you need for the day I can handle that couldn't you handle that know every day you'd wake up and there's your you know Wheaties waiting on you right there and it's it just lasted the entire day sweet as coriander maybe a little honey on top I don't know maybe it's Frosted Flakes if you like those better right the Lord supplied every day and he said here take what you need the certain amount every day he tried to instill a sense of trust into the people right and each day they would gather their daily allowance Faithfully knowing I'm I've got my food day one probably was a challenge I'll admit that probably was a challenge because if you're hungry running through the desert uh you probably are afraid you're not going to get more food you know right so you may gather a little extra but so I I I can see them maybe figuring it out around day three okay you know it's here again let me get my little container out fill it up day four there it is again day five there we go but then the Lord says something he says okay except you're going to gather everything you want except on day six on day six you're going to gather twice as much he's changing things right every day you'll gather what you need except on day six you're going to gather twice as much because on the seventh day I want you to rest I want you to stop you want me to do what we just came through slavery where every day Pharaoh sin

more bricks more bricks more bricks more bricks more more and you want me to stop think about that let me just stop and actually depend on you for not just you know okay you've proved it's going to be there tomorrow and tomorrow tomorrow but actually an extra day too the neat thing about this instruction was that this was given before the Ten Commandments in the law folks this was given way before then this was a command to rest which is completely opposite what they were used to this was a clear a clear difference that the way Pharaoh did it is not the way I'm going to do it as your God the way it was a clear example that I'm not a workaholic like Pharaoh was this is the Lord saying it's different now there's something that's changing God wanted them to know that they could find rest in him and that he would provide for them amen church God wanted them to know you can find rest in me you can stop and I'll take care of you I'll provide for you years later this Egyptian Egypt generation they died off and the Wilderness generation their children they're preparing to go into the promised land and Moses preaches he preaches the sermon of Deuteronomy it's basically a big long sermon with them standing right there on the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across from Jericho and and with with this eager generation that's ready to go and possess the land promised to them the land that their relatives Joshua and Caleb saw 40 years ago and it's like yes we can take it but then they didn't do it but Moses reminded them all that God said in that Covenant on Mount Sinai that they made with him and while recounting the law and the instructions for their journey ahead Moses keeps reminding them about the God that brought them out of the land of Egypt now these were just kids but the Lord who brought them out of the land of Egypt

and in Deuteronomy chapter 5 we read how Moses reminds them to keep the Sabbath day and to sanctify it or make it holy he said in verse 15 and remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day the Lord saved them he wanted them to remember the way that it was and to not forget that their rest their rest right comes from the Lord it's not the way it used to be there's something about them taking that rest on the seventh day that was different it defined the Israelites it defined them for Generations it sets them apart from all the others that are around them and this wasn't just a a weekly occurrence for them yes I know it's every seventh day but also every seven years every seven years they would not work their land and they would allow that to rest it would allow it to rest every seven years they would release each other from all the debts that they accrued and

it was called the year of rest there was a resting that took place every seventh year of rest there would be followed by a Year of Jubilee and this was described in Leviticus as a happy time it was it was fantastic a time when all property that was sold over the course of the last 50 years would be return to the original family that was given by God when they took the promised land the rest that God provided was literal and that it was a respite from work and the debts that they would encounter the Israelites like many of us would forget about the goodness of God and how he provided for them and how he brought them out of Egypt and gave them a rest and later they would find themselves split the kingdom split North and South they would find themselves worshiping idols they were facing an invasion a literal Exile soon to come and it was in this environment that Isaiah was warning the northern kingdom that the end was near and even with this warning in in impending judgment they were brazen they they were ignoring it Isaiah says in Isaiah 28 12 to whom he the Lord said this is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing it's like your hope it's all you have to do is stop but yet it says yet they would not hear they would not hear the word here there means to listen and obey the Lord was telling them I am your rest I am your refreshing but they would not hear it the Lord is yelling at them almost through the prophet Isaiah I am your rest I am your refreshing but they would not hear it they ignored it to the point of being conquered and exiled they'd reached a point of no return and when left to our own devices sometimes we may find ourselves in similar situations let's just be honest sometimes we may find ourselves in a state of being overworked of being overloaded of being overwhelmed I don't know if I can do it anymore I don't think I can make another brick I I'm out of straw and I don't have time to go get more what am I going to do can't do it anymore we find that we we don't really know what to do and everything is too much it's it's sometimes even even too hard to breathe too hard to breathe well my dear friend I've got some good news for you today God is not a pharaoh he does not keep raising the production schedules but the opposite is true he brings rest God brings confidence God brings Serenity and God brings peace he invites us to exit the anxiety and enter his rest God he invites us to exit the anxiety and enter into his rest the Lord knows that we cannot serve two masters right he knows that you will hate one and love the other you'll be loyal to one and despise the other but Jesus goes on in Matthew chapter 6 when he says in verse 25 therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing look at the birds of the air for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feeds them are you not of more value than they Jesus talking here are you not of more value than they which of You by worrying can add one cubit to your stature so why do you worry about it clothing consider the lilies of the field how they grow they neither toil nor spend and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these now if God so closed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothe you oh you have little faith therefore do not worry don't worry saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear verse 32 for after all these things the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father Knows that you need all these things the Lord knows and he's telling you don't worry about it I got it I have your rest don't worry about it

but instead here's what you need to do in verse 33 but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall not might but shall be added to you don't worry about it seek the kingdom of God first and all of this all of this will be added to you the Lord reminds us that we have no need to worry and I'm a worrywart and I'm preaching to myself today I know but we have no need to worry we really don't he literally provides all our needs he provides our rest later in Matthew 11 28 he tells us come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls you will find rest for your souls church I'm telling you today we can find rest in the Lord we don't have to worry we can find rest in the Lord our Lord wants to take our worries he wants to take our burdens and exchange he wants to give us rest if you came here today burdened by something God's here to lift that burden to take it he's asking you give to me and he's going to give you rest you don't have to wait six days anymore to find the rest from the Lord I want to say that again you don't have to wait six days anymore to find God's rest you don't have to wait anymore

his rest is available today it's not something you got to wait for anymore his rest is available today you can find it today the Lord tells us about rest in the book of Hebrews chapter 4. it says therefore since a promise remains of entering his rest there's it's a promise church it's a problem we have a promise that we can enter into his rest let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it for indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them but the word which they heard did not profit them not being mixed with faith in those who heard it the word has to be mixed with faith right for we who have believed do enter that rest and as he has said so I swore in my wrath they shall not enter my rest although the works were finished from the foundation of the world for he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way and God rested on the seventh day from all his works and again in this place they shall not enter my rest since therefore it remains that some must enter it and those to whom it was first preached did not enter Because of Disobedience they didn't enter the rest because of Disobedience but it says here in verse 9 there remains therefore arrest for the people of God there is a rest for the people of God for he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from his let us therefore be diligent to enter be diligent to enter that rest lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience we got to be diligent we've got to be diligent to enter into that rest am I stopping or am I being diligent you're sending me mixed messages here brother Adam no I'm not I promise I'm not I'm telling you stop worrying about the bricks and be diligent in focusing on the Lord and therein you will find rest therein you will find God's rest with the rat race of the world trying to pull us from place to place always constantly yanking always constantly saying more bricks more bricks I'm taking away your straw you've got to go get it on your own now but I want more bricks I want more bricks know that Jesus offers an alternative our Lord offers an alternative he said come to me and I will give you rest we just got to go to the Lord all we have to do is go to the Lord church and we will find God's rest Jesus is the embodiment of God's rest you know the Holy Ghost is where we find what righteousness peace and joy Romans 14 tells us that the Holy Ghost is where we find the indwelling of the spirit and the daily rest with the Lord if you're looking for rest seek the Holy Ghost you'll find rest in the Lord you'll find rest in the renewing of his spirit in you every day you'll find rest in the washing of the in the Regeneration right the times of refreshing through the Holy Ghost you'll find rest in that yes they'll still be saying more bricks more bricks but you can find rest amen you can find rest Abraham heschel wrote the likeness of God can be found in time which is eternity and disguise the likeness of God can be found in time which is eternity in Disguise I think what he's saying here is that we can find the Lord when we slow down and we spend time with the Lord we can find the Lord when we slow down and spend time with the Lord we can encounter the Eternal God we can encounter the Eternal Lord by slowing down and entering into his rest we can experience Eden and eternal Rest by spending time with the Lord that blows my mind we can find God's rest just like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden by spending us a little bit of time with him we can have that heaven on Earth experience by spending time with the Lord the Lord the God of all the universe right made everything left the Throne of Heaven came down in fellowship with man in the cool of the day in Eden had a fantastic time with the Lord had a great time with the Lord in the garden in Eden wouldn't you agree man's cut off so what happens they toil they work look through look at Genesis you can see every time they introduce a new person they say what they do for a living he's an Archer he's a tiller he does this you're right they just work constantly and then you see the Lord just kind of popped down from heaven and have a little bitty Eden experience with man throughout the Bible you see the rest happen you see it come down you see rest happen with Noah everything's going crazy what do I do I'll tell you you see rest happen with Abraham wandering I go and just follow my voice I don't I don't know what to do I don't know what to do the Lord was what he comes down and he sits with him he meets with him he makes a covenant with him and then the Lord comes Spirit comes back out you see in the in the wilderness the children of Israel wandering God gives them instructions he says I want to dwell amongst you build this tent very specific instructions and what happens his presence comes down and dwells in this little square it's Eden on Earth all over again it's God and man and communion right there interacting man has found his rest once again Spirit comes up you see it progress you see it happen multiple times

and then something different happens right instead of sending his Spirit he comes in flesh and he dwells among men and he says come to me and I'll give you rest right come to me lay down your burdens my yoke is easy I will give you rest you can find rest when you're talking with me when you're fellowshipping with me when you're with me you can find rest and then the curveball happens and he dies that's what we gonna do we were just getting comfortable he says wait a minute there's something better coming before my spirit would just come down and talk to you before I came down and I I touched you physically but there's another rest that's coming there is a another Eden experience coming and on the day of Pentecost the spirit of God came down to Earth again to Fellowship but it did something a little different it indwelled within man indwelled within man and they found the ultimate rest they found the ultimate rest of joy of Peace of righteousness with the infilling of the Holy Ghost that's God's rest Church that's God's rest right man was it made for the Sabbath Jesus said but the Sabbath was made for man the rest is for you the rest is for you I'm come so that you may have life in it more abundantly

Hebrews tells us in chapter 12 therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race which is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith you can find rest in looking unto the Lord you can find rest in being full of the Holy Ghost right good rest is something that we can encounter anytime anywhere through the Lord all you have to do is just lay aside your weights all you have to do is lay aside the sin that so easily besets us all you have to do is just keep enduring and finally look to Jesus amen look to Jesus that's where you'll find your rest church amen that's where we find our rest for the weary that comes all throughout our encounters throughout our lives more bricks more bricks no I've got a rest in the Lord that I can run to when times get get weary whenever I start to struggle and I and I need the encouragement I know I could run to the Lord and I can find rest I know that I don't have to wait for a seventh day to show up I can find my rest and my comfort today I can find what I need today just like the Sabbath day was a Detachment from the world and an attachment to God for the the children of Israel so is God's rest through the infilling of the Holy Ghost a Detachment from the weights of this world and a clinging to the hope of the Lord it's a clinging to the hope of the world that is to come we can cling to the Lord and the hope that we have to come amen amen

so stand with me if you don't mind you have a few minutes here before we transition into our service and I thought it'd be good if we just maybe spend a few minutes and encamped in God's rest could you do that with me Lord Jesus we thank you so much for the Holy Ghost we thank you Jesus that we can lean into your rest Lord that we can come to you with our heavy burdens God and that we can find rest in you God thank you so much for when the world is constantly telling us and pulling us in every direction and and the rat race that we find ourselves in that we can run to you Lord Jesus and get rest from our weariness Lord that we can depend on you Lord to provide that rest every day Lord just like the children of Israel would wake up every day and find that Manna Lord that we can find it in you Lord Jesus Hallelujah we thank you so much for that God bless be your name O Lord righteous and mighty we love you Lord Jesus thank you so much God for your blessings hallelujah hallelujah

if you're looking for rest today you're in the right place if you're looking for a hope of things to come you're in the right place church I just want to remind you of that Hallelujah