True Rest
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· 6 viewsOn the 7th day—God rested. it literally means He ceased or stopped. The Hebrew is He Sabbath-ed. and God wasn’t tired, nor out of ideas, or because he needed a nap. he rested because he completed his work. It is finished! and his rest was delighting in the work He had made. look what we learn about rest already: rest is sacred - because God made it so. how? it points to God. when we rest—we remember God who rested on the 7th day. There is to be no shame in resting. no guilt. b/c God made us and made it good. rest is meant to be a blessing before God it’s amazing that on the 6th day - God blessed his people he created and gave them a command to do things like be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, rule. but here we see we don’t just work for the glory of God. we rest for the glory of God. if we are made in God’s image—his image bearers who reflect God—when we rest, we mirror God. rest is often different for us — we rest because we are exhausted. we rest when we have to. and yet God shows us that we are not to work for our rest, but we work from our rest. this rest should fuel all the work we do. 2. rest is tied into God—it’s meant as an invitation to look to God. It’s not just looking inward—but upward. we rest by looking to God. also communal... 3. it’s not sloth or laziness;
Notes
Transcript
Please turn to Genesis 2:1
Genesis 2:1
UCLA men’s basketball coach - John Wooden - is one of the most famous coaches ever. In his 12 years as head coach, his men’s college basketball team won 10 times, including 7 times in a row from 1967 to 1973.
One of Wooden’s legendary tactics as a coach was always going back to the basics. and every year when he got a new group of freshman, on the 1st day of practice, it’s told that Wooden would ask each group of new players on the 1st day to remove their shoes and their socks.
and they did it.
and then Coach Wooden went on to demonstrate how to put on your socks and tie your basketball shoes. not wanting to question him, they did it.
and coach would sit down and demonstrate with himself how to put on their socks and tie their shoes.
“Pull up your socks with precision. make sure there are no wrinkles or gaps. smooth out all the rough places.”
and he did similar with the shoes—how to lace them properly so they fit snugly but not too tight, so they wouldn’t get blisters.
These were some of the top recruits in the nation—yet Coach Wooden would spend over 30 minutes doing this.
Why?
because the basics matter—even the simple things.
even when you are putting on your socks, and your shoes, you need to do so as a champion. Those little things matter—have a championship expectation and to do that—pay attention to the basics.
after all, if socks and shoes aren’t right, blisters happen, soreness happens, you can’t execute or perform at the highest level. it all comes back to this.
(I am indebted to sports enthusiast and theologian Arleen Conrad for that story).
I believe going back to the beginning matters.
That’s why we have spent time looking at creation and what it teaches about God...2 weeks ago
and the Image of God last week—how God made us to reflect Him—giving us identity, mission/purpose, value/dignity, and a destiny through Christ.
Today, we are going to look at another basic—yet can be so hard for us to apply.
Turn to Genesis 2:1-3
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Rest...
What do we learn about rest from this passage so far:
to rest = to cease or stop (in God’s case, He created everything in the universe on the first 6 days, and then he stopped, ceased from creating) The Hebrew word here is “Shabat” where we get the word Sabbath.
As God’s image bearers, He made us creative—we also have capacities of creating—children, families, in our jobs—products. but there is a time as God’s image bearers to stop, to cease all that creativity and productivity.
rest is sacred...why? because God modeled it, blessed the 7th day (the only day mentioned that He blessed), and made it holy—meaning He set it apart. in fact, this is the first time the word “holy” shows up in Scripture so far. God said the 7th day is holy—because He rested, stopped, creating. in fact—this 7th day—is the pinnacle of all creation. ceasing. stopping. resting.
so right away one application of this would be we are not to feel shame over rest, guilted over it. If God showed it, blessed it, made it holy, rest should be a part of our lives. We rest to the glory of God. as image bearers who mirror God—our lives (both in work) and in rest should mirror God.
the reason for rest is different for God vs. us. We rest because we are finite, tired, exhausted at times. God doesn’t need to rest or nap; He wasn’t out of creative ideas, but here God showed its vital importance.
? finally notice there is no reference to evening or morning the 7th day—like it does in in chapter 1 with days 1 to 6. why? theologians have wondered if this idea of rest is to always happen in some sense in our lives and for eternity...
some of this is basics—remember—this is how you put on your socks, and tie your shoes—but do we forget.
even before we look at what rest looks like...how are you doing in this area? if God designed rest into the created order...are you resting?
and are you doing it in a way that mirrors or images Him?
(how would you rate yourself 1 to 10—1 i am horrible at resting; 10 I am great)
turn to Exodus 20. as we keep surveying about rest—we see another concept closely related to this called Sabbath show up.
this is after God delivered Israel out of Egypt from slavery. and gave them the 10 commandments.
look at verse 8. Exodus 20:8-11
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (same word as Genesis 2)
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. (that’s interesting how comprehensive that is-your entire household...ceasing, stopping...)
and here’s the rationale in verse. 7)
11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
One of the signs that God gave Israel in the Old Testament—after He rescued them from slavery is this gift of Sabbath rest.
Theirs was pretty specific in what they could do and not do...for instance, they weren’t supposed to bake on the Sabbath, do all that ahead of it.
but it was to be a holy day, on a specific day—Friday evening through Saturday evening. where they would focus on the God who had delivered them from slavery in Egypt and the God who created all things.
God took this day seriously for them.
Look at Exodus 31:14
14 “ ‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people.
That may seem backwards or old school or primitive—but I think God was teaching them that if they neglect Him, the author of life, the only alternative is death.
but despite the warning Israel really struggled to follow the Sabbath.
as we follow their story in the OT, they wouldn’t set an entire day apart as holy and blessed by God—to really focus on Him.
and the consequence was instead of focusing on God, they focused on other gods. not putting on their socks and shoes the right way, taking that day to focus on God, led them astray after other gods, and eventually God allowed other nations to come in and take them captive again, a physical sign of the spiritual captivity they were in.
as we get to the NT, we may wonder, does God still want us to rest in that same way by taking a Sabbath?
After all, we are not under that old covenant that Israel was under. It was unique. God made a covenant with Israel to be a light to the world, but now that Jesus has come, hasn’t some things changed?
I’m glad you asked that question.
The Apostle Paul actually addresses this in Romans 14. in where he talks to the Christian community made up of Jews (who would have followed a Sabbath), and Gentiles who did not. it could easily be divided over how to be one church and follow Jesus together.
Look what he says.
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
according to Paul—now that we in this era of the new covenant, we DO NOT HAVE to follow a Sabbath like Israel did from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
it can take a different form, a different day—perhaps like we see in the book of Acts—the Lord’s Day, Sunday, the First day of the week, when they would gather. (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2) b/c that’s the day Jesus rose from the grave.
but Paul didn’t want the early church to divide over food (clean and unclean food), and special days. if your conscience told you to do so, do it; if not, you have freedom. and in these secondary matters, we are not to be divided.
and the reason that Paul can say we are no longer under the Sabbath—turn to Colossians 2:16-17
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.
17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
look at that last part—shadow of things to come...the reality is found in Christ.
The book of Hebrews uses that language
(show?)
Hebrews 10:1
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
the OT Law with Israel, Moses—all the things are commanded are shadows—pointing to the reality—who is Jesus Christ.
(Let me say that again).
so for instance, in that OT Law, the Israelites were commanded to offer animal sacrifices. those animal sacrifices were only shadows pointing to a need for the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate Lamb-Jesus Christ. Only Jesus, the reality, can take away sin, not animals.
in the OT Law, you needed a priest who would mediate before you and god, but those human priests were pointing to the greater reality—-Jesus Christ, our great High Priest.
the same goes for rest and the Sabbath—the rest that we see in Exodus 20:8-11, the Sabbath rest...is pointing to a greater rest, that we can only find in Jesus Christ.
Jesus talked about this:
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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.”
a yoke is that harness that they would put on an oxen or animal to control it and drive it.
the yoke Jesus offers is different than the yoke of the Pharisees back then.
the Pharisees were all about religion, self-righteousness; it was a yoke of looking good and legalism—trying to earn God’s favor by doing lots of good things.
some scholars estimate that the Pharisees had added over 600 regulations regarding what qualified as “working” on the Sabbath. That’s a heavy burden to follow!
Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew 23:4
4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Jesus, in fact healed on the Sabbath at various points...and said:
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
so Jesus invites us to put on His yoke—it’s easy, light.
now, it may always feel that way—and in fact, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount says—you think murder is bad. anger is equal to it!
but the good news of Jesus is his perfect fulfillment of God’s law earned salvation, and when we believe in Jesus, our sin is transferred to Him, and his perfect obedience is applied to us. it’s the great exchange! and the Holy Spirit indwells us enabling us to follow Christ, live by faith, not sight. it doesn’t mean perfection, but we aren’t trying to earn or force God’s hand by our good works—it’s by faith in Jesus. He paid it all.
and now I can truly rest in everything Jesus has done for me, and in who He is.
Back in Genesis, God looked at the finished creation, and on the cross, Jesus could cry out “It is finished.”
so rest, the Sabbath, times of rest—are all pointing to the ultimate rest we find spiritually in Jesus Christ.
Let me try to apply this—Application:
(so even though we don’t follow the Sabbath like Israel did in the OT because Christ has come) We still return to Genesis 2:1-3, the creation mandate, and need to rest every week. Genesis 2:1-3 = we should rest 1 day every week. we do this to point to our Creator, to glorify God, to honor the rhythm and design He built into us.
this is built into our creation design. work 6 days. rest 1 day. work 6 days. rest 1 day. put on your socks and shoes right, avoid those blisters.
and if we violate that, we feel it practically—we feel it physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
have you ever worked several days in a row without taking a break, maybe it was a busy season at work or at home, renovating your house, moving, or stayed up all night finishing a project or paper. what happens if you don’t take some time off? You get fried...you get sick. you burn out. it sucks your joy; it is a heavy burden. it can even cause you to fall away from Jesus.
this is the rhythm God made for us.
so how are you doing at that?
Rest should include worshiping God and ceasing from our normal routine.
for many of us this will mean including Sunday church gathering as part of your rest. worshiping God in community. Acts 20:7
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
for some of us Sunday is not a day of rest. You have to work; medical field, police officer; restaurant and hospitality, pastor.
but for a lot of us—since we are no longer under the Sabbath regulation, and Christ has come—one of the best ways to focus on the God who gave us rest—is by observing what we see in Acts—worshiping together on the Lord’s Day. taking our rest seriously enough to worship.
but it doesn’t just have to be going to church.
some of you love to be outside to rest. to be in creation—taking a walk or hike, riding your bike. enjoying God’s beautiful creation reminds you of the Creator.
for some of you it’s the opposite of what you normally do that helps you rest. if you have a very low physical, sit behind a desk job, you probably need to get active to rest (that’s me—that’s how I rest—I love being active); for some of you who have a very demanding physical job, you probably literally need to sit and do something different.
it’s a time to explore hobbies at times; leisure. play
it’s a time for service—Jesus healed and served on the Sabbath. some of you get very restored by serving.
relationships - spending time with family, friends
I remember growing up in Berne, and you just didn’t mow your yard on Sunday. and if you did, be ready for some gossip and judgment to come your way. now, I hope the intention behind not mowing is good—at least originally was good.
but I honestly—I don’t think it matters if you mow your yard on Sunday or not. I have before—and I love yardwork. in fact, I have taught Caleb how to mow, but sometimes I don’t want him to, b/c that’s my time to listen to a podcast and mow to the glory of God. I find yard work pretty rejuvenating...even though if you have seen those Progressive commercials about the who is trying to help millennials not turn into their parents. He tells them “yard work is not a hobby.” I disagree—I love it. so really the question of what you can and can’t do to rest will probably vary—based on your heart—it’s about honoring God.
and Romans 14 - if you feel it’s wrong—don’t if it bothers your conscience, but if you have freedom and can to the glory of God—do.
and will most definitely get to the heart of worship.
A couple books that help—on screen and in the book Nook—to explore more
Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung - green book
orange book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Kevin DeYoung says “God gives us rest as a gift.”
3. Diagnose why you are having a hard time resting.
why must we be incessantly busy.
how are you? busy
busy can be a badge of honor.
why is it we have a hard time resting, myself included...I am not the best person to talk about rest.
but why am I busy?
for some of us, including me, we say “Yes” because of people-pleasing. We don’t want to let people down. Us pastors definitely don’t. some people think people-pleasing is low self-esteem—Kevin DeYoung says it’s a form of pride and narcissism. it’s a manifestation of pride.
maybe we like the accolades—busyness is a form of identity. and idolatry.
maybe we think everything depends on me. “If I don’t do it, no one will.” but that’s...that’s not trusting God. that’s putting ourselves in the place of God. God can handle it.
maybe we are busy because we want to make lots of money-driven by greed and possessions.
maybe proving ourselves or perfectionism
maybe it’s just poor planning...
try to figure out why....
and then look to the solution...
4. We rest in Christ for salvation (I already read Matthew 11 - where Jesus said come to me and find rest. but turn to Hebrews 3:7 - 4:13)
I will read part of it.
Hebrews 3:7—the writer quotes from Psalm 95.
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.
10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ”
talking about Israel, in the OT wandering in the desert on their way to the Promised Land.
so the Promised Land = rest
physically, and spiritually—if they would have trusted in God, they would have experienced rest in the Promised Land—both physically and spiritually.
so the writer of Hebrews picks up on this language of rest.
and says Hebrews 3:12
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
don’t be like them—if we are not careful—we will not enter God’s rest either.
their rest—entering the Promised Land—is compared to our rest—entering God’s presence—salvation, relationship with God, the ultimate PL—heaven.
and the writer of Hebrews starts noting where rest shows up in Scripture..
Look at Hebrews 4:4
4 For somewhere he (God) has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”
creation.
in verse 5:
5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”
talking from Psalm 95—which mentioned the Exodus and entering the Promised Land. in fact, the theme of rest is mentioned in Joshua, Chronicles—having “rest” from your enemies. dwelling in peace.
but Psalm 95 is written later than the Exodus and Promised Land. it’s a testimony to us today.
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.
9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, 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.
it’s kind of complicated—Hebrews is tracing that them of rest from
creation
Promised Land - Canaan
Psalm 95 - “Today”
to us now in Christ
In other words—resting is not just about one day a week. It’s constant. We do everything from this incredible truth that Jesus has accomplished our salvation—the most difficult work ever!
We rest in that identity.
We work from a place of rest.
I parent and lead from a place of rest—that just as God finished his work; Jesus finished the work for us on the cross “It is finished.”
and because of that, that motivates us to work hard.
and freely.
I can live and minister and work and rest to the glory of God freely—b/c my identity isn’t wrapped up in busyness or franticness or accomplishments. but Jesus.
so as we wrap up:
what can we practically do to rest? rhythm of 6 days of work, 1 rest—what can you practically do or stop doing? maybe it’s even starting with a half day or a morning or rest… remember this is important—put your socks on right, tie your shoes—these habits matter.
how can Jesus be your rest—He’s invited us to take His yoke upon us—how can we do everything from a position of soul rest in Jesus, knowing that the ultimate work has been done for us? how can we have regular moments of rest amidst our busy lives and culture by looking to Jesus?
