Untitled Sermon (3)

“REST ASSURED”

OASIS

Matthew 11:28 (NRSV) – “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

INTRO:

…

Look, I’m convinced, we women just have more capacity than men… The problem is that we also wear ourselves out more than we may realize… (???)

And we have stats to prove it…

Statistics show that women are more likely to experience burnout than men, especially working mothers. A survey by LinkedIn found that 74% of women reported being very or somewhat stressed for work-related reasons, compared to 61% of men. 2.35 million working mothers in the US have suffered from burnout since the pandemic…

Additionally, 42% of working women say their job has had somewhat or extremely negative impact on their mental health over the last six months.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in March 2023, 72% of female college students reported feeling high levels of stress the previous day, and 56% reported feeling worried and anxious. In comparison, 56% of male students reported feeling stressed, and 40% reported feeling worried.

By ignoring feelings of restlessness, many of us women become even further depleted…

We end up living each day to make it to the next – AND OFTEN WITH a FALSE HOPE that if our family can just make more money, or get a bigger house, THEN all our problems will go away and then we can take a break.

But king Solomon clearly DEBUNKS THE LIE OF MORE… Ecc. 1:8 (..) – All things are wearisome; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.”

More is not bringing me satisfaction, more is not bringing me rest.

In other words—more isn’t enough.

Do we really want to believe that peace is over there —> and we will eventually get there one day?

It may be safe to say:

We don’t have a working problem, but a rest problem…

When we live restless lives – IN THE MIDST OF taking care of our families, juggling our jobs and our homes or school work – no one getting the best of us, but rather the rest of us.

And we don’t live a fulfilled life…

We don’t prioritize our priorities…

We normalize exhaustion and glorify productivity…

We live guilty to even ask for help…

We constantly sacrifice the present for the future…

It’s a hamster wheel of restlessness…

Today, I didn’t come to discourage you with nuance the cycle you are already well aware off… We’re not here to rub salt on your wound… No, I came to encourage with this reality: REST IS AVAILABLE NOW.

Anything less than God will leave us dissatisfied and restless.

Peace is only found in the present and presence of Jesus.

Rest…

“You have made us for yourself O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” – St. Augustine

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY ON REST:

The Bible is clear: rest has always been God's intention for His people.

From the very beginning, rest was woven into the rhythm of creation. God Himself rested on the seventh day—not because He was tired, but to model a holy pattern for us. Rest was not a reward for hard work; it was a built-in part of life with God.

In Genesis 2, before sin entered the world, Adam and Eve lived in a state of peace, purpose, and communion with God—true rest. Rest is so essential that man was created on the 6th day and on the 7th, it was a day of rest… NMAN/'S FIRST DAY WAQS A DAY OF REST

We weren’t created to work to rest, but rest so that we can work

But when sin entered, so did restlessness.

The curse on humanity included toil, striving, and sweat–PAINFUL PREGNANCIES. That’s what happens when we choose life apart from God: restlessness is the result of the counterfeit life the enemy offers.

The Bible traces this restlessness throughout the story of Israel. In Egypt, God’s people were enslaved—working endlessly, with no margin, no Sabbath, no dignity. But when God delivered them, He didn’t just give them freedom—He reintroduced them to rest. The Sabbath was more than a commandment; it was a gift, a restoration of the Edenic rhythm. In Deuteronomy 5:15, God reminds them that rest is part of their identity as redeemed people.

And then Jesus enters the scene.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus gives a familiar but deeply radical invitation:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest… You will find rest for your souls.”

He’s not offering a nap or a vacation—He’s offering soul-level rest in exchange for our weariness…

Ultimately, biblical rest is not passive.

It’s not checking out from life—it’s checking into God’s presence.

Here is the great invitation to REST from Jesus:

First we’re invited to:

COME:

Come to me all you…

Jesus begins his message with a great invitation.

Here Jesus isn’t AND still doesn’t ignore our issues but He does say we have to go to him with them… Jesus invites us to come to Him with our:

Regrets

Shame

Anxiousness

Endless cycle of trying to please everyone

The invitation here is that we first have to go to him. He does not expect us to have it figured out but rather first go to him and then we will find rest

The focus is on Him.

This speaks of rhythms of seeking Him… You see coming to Jesus isn’t just going to church, and it’s not listening to worship music, or even going to small groups.. thew way we go to Jesus is

…Prayer

…

…

Secondly we’re invited to:

TAKE:

Take my yoke…

A YOKE is…a yoke is a wooden bar or harness that was fastened over the necks of two animals—usually oxen—to enable them to pull a load together, such as a plow or cart. It was a symbol of partnership, submission, and often burden-bearing

This speak of … (clearly define what this looks like practically…)

It’s interesting how Jesus was a carpenter Himself… He would have made many yokes.

When a carpenter would make a yoke, it was often CUSTOM MADE TO FIT THE ANIMAL. -

Jesus is the ultimate yoke maker… His yoke it fits us perfectly! We don’t have to try and carry our own yoke, why don’t we carry the perfect that he intended for us

Not only that… The cross of Jesus was the great exchange of yoke… It’s where Jesus took our yoke of shame, bondage, regret and gave us His perfect …

He calls His yoke: THIS IS ENCOURAGING!!!

EASY:anápausis - cessation from labor, relief, refreshment

LIGHT: elaphrós - not burdensome, easy to carry - Jesus is saying: “What I ask of you won’t crush you. Walk with Me, and you’ll find freedom, not pressure.

But you can’t carry both the yoke the world offers and the yoke He offers… You can’t be double yoked…

The way we carry His yoke is by ABIDING/REMAINING and BELIEVING in Him.

When we believe, we remain…

“I still feel so restless” maybe its because you haven’t taken his yoke.

……

Thirdly we’re invited to:

LEARN:

Learn from me…

This is all about doing what Brother Laurence calls: Practicing the presence…

-Constant Awareness of God - This practice involves being constantly aware of God’s presence in everyday life, no matter what activity you’re doing.

- Divine Union in Simple Tasks – He saw mundane tasks, like washing dishes, as opportunities to serve God and be united with Him in spirit.

Learning how Jesus lived his life- He operated from a place of rest.

He had a life of prayer

Practice the Sabbath-

Ex. 33 My presence will go with you and I will give you rest

Rest is spiritual warfare in a culture of exhaustion

CONCLUSION:

Lastly, we’re invited to:

FIND:

Find rest for your souls.

Here’s the truth: You life is perfectly designed to get the results you’re getting…

Rest is the result of a life that comes to Jesus, takes His yoke and learns His way of life…

ILL: Oasis (block)

Matthew 11:28 (TPT):

"Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to Me. I will refresh your life, for I am your OASIS. Simply join your life with Mine. Learn My ways and you'll discover that I am gentle, humble, and easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in Me."

…

…

…

Many times we think we I can just find a husband, or get that dream job, or make more money then I would finally find the satisfaction but it’s not true

What you have been looking for is Jesus what you have been looking for is soul rest

The fact that the scripture says ‘find’ makes is show that it’s not so obvious to discover … hebrews

Hebrews 4:9-11 “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[a] just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience”

EFFORT

That scripture tells us that if were going to adhere to the sabbath that it’s going to require effort

Sometimes we think we have the answer but we don’t have the answer

We have been listening to the world for too long about work and busyness of life

If we take the way of the gospel then maybe we would discover that there is a better way

From this day forward we have two options: continue to feed on the rat race of restlessness, OR enjoy the soul-level rest offered to us in the person of Jesus.

What stops many of us is that worry, anxiety, fear, shame, stops us from entering into the presence of God.

Tonight I want to pray for those who are struggling to make that step. To lay these things at the altar

Or maybe you’re in this room and you need a physical healing