The discipline of rest

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

REST! John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Some time back I saw a Instagram post that was tongue in cheek, but spoke volumes, “finally achieved life work balance by equally panicking about both.”

No doubt there are some of you you feel that resonates with you - it’s the story of your life. Any mention of rest perhaps makes you anxious. You can’t afford to think about it. To you it’s a privilege/luxury.

And yet, this is a subject that I have needed to pastorally address with people again and again, Rest! Why?

Because we’re not good at it! And the fruit of that is all around us.

Stress and burnout - A Gallup report indicated that 36% of the South African workforce experiences excessive daily stress, and over 71% are disengaged or actively disengaged at work, which are signs of burnout.

Pressure on time - many feel that there’s not time to finish what they have to do. I have noticed that this is also where our belief systems are flawed. I have seen people under big stress but what they do is take off the things that are easy to control but that they need most.

Family - “they will understand that this is a season.”

Church - “I have so much to do and this is the source of my income so church will have to wait.”

Performance pressure - this is usually tied into matters of our identity because we are out to please people - we are hungry for their approval. We almost measure our worth through statements that qualify our existence. “How was the last week?” We answer, “Busy!”

And yet rest is an expression of our true existence.

When we look in the Bible, we see that God designs this world with rest and then calls us to rest.

The Bible presents rest in a number of ways...

1. Rest is in God’s pattern for our lives

1.1 . Creation order - Gen 1

1.1.1. Daily

Genesis 1 and 2 speaks of how God created the world and shows that daily rest was part of God’s design. “There was evening and there was morning the first day...”

In fact, we are given a glimpse into how we are to live lives. OUR order is we rest from work. The Bible order is that we work from rest. That’s Biblical productivity.

1.1.2. Weekly

When God has created the world we are told that He rested Gen 2:2,3. He then declares the 7th day holy and makes Sabbath rest (1 day in 7), a pattern for healthy living.

1.1.3. Broader life

Creation - the ground would lie fallow every 7 years

Society - it would be Jubilee - every 5 years where land was to rest, debts forgiven, slaves set free and land retrurned.

1.2. God’s commands Exodus 20

Why were the commands necessary? Because we are prone to go the opposite way. This means that rest was in God’s design for our lives. God’s law is good.

1.2.1. For all areas of life

God was even interested in our humanity.

1.2.2. For our good

For worship - a basic reminder that i am not God.

For human flourishing. We’re not meant to live from the leftovers.

For enjoying life.

For regular reflection and resetting - reminder that all of life is under God.

Just imagine if we were actually to do that! We would be must healthier and more productive.

When I was leading the African Leadership Academy Church I had a young man come up to me and say how he was struggling to retain and complete his work. I asked him about his rest and sleep habits and he said he getting 2 to 3 hours a night. My suggestion to him was sleep more and he would be able to go further.

Sometimes actively doing nothing is going to be the best thing for you.

2. Product of the Gospel

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Let’s keep that Scripture on the screen.

2.1. The invitation

Jesus invites us into rest. He says, “Come to ME...and I will give you rest.”

DEfinitely a future aspect, but there’s a current reality.

But who must come?

2.2. The who

All who are weary and burdened. This highlights the fact that this is for all of us. Living in Joburg highlights this for us. This word is for us.

All who are bogged down by the weight of sin. Every sin is an attempt to achieve rest and joy without God.

All who feel the pressures of this world

to perform to gain identity

To prove their worth

To gain approval - from work, from

To achieve their righteousness

In this world we need to hear this. People are striving. Trying to work out who they are. Trying to prove themselves and find their worth or even their significance. In fact this world people are struggling for rest but looking to create it in their own way. So, rest is always elusive.

God says no, that’s not how it’s done!

Isaiah 30:15 CSB

15 For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing.”

They go, “We will do this and that. in our might” But there’s no rest. But there’s this verse...

Isaiah 30:18 CSB

18 Therefore the Lord is waiting to show you mercy, and is rising up to show you compassion, for the Lord is a just God. All who wait patiently for him are happy.

Let’s realise this together - Rest doesn’t come from God giving us what we believe we need to rest, but from returning to Him who gave Himself so that we can really rest.

He actually says why He can be trusted - “I am gentle and lowly in in heart...” He is unlike the taskmasters of this world who never stay true to their promises and never provide rest.

He is unlike any one else that you might encounter. He’s not harsh, he’s not hard to get to. You don’t have to prove yourself to Him. He’s gentle and lowly. This is what you encounter when you come to him. It’s not what those who don’t come experience.

2.3. The promise

“I will give you rest.”

Rest is the fruit of Gospel belief.

security in knowing God

Believing God - I don’t have to prove my worth or earn my position.

Knowing who you are - sons and daughters of God

Contentment and peace

2.4. The path

The path that we need to take to embrace God’s rest.

2.4.1. Take my yoke upon you.

My yoke is easy and my burden is light

The yoke would be placed over the necks of the oxen so their could pull the plow. It was burdensome and made the work hard. That was like the yoke of this world and the law. Jesus takes that weight. We don’t have to bear the burden because Jesus has. We walk in our salvation and freedom.

2.4.2. Learn from me

This is faith. Believing that Jesus yoke is easy. There was a Jewish saying for being a disciple - Let the dust from the masters sandals cover you.

2.4.3. Trust me

Jesus is saying, “You can trust me! I dealt with your sin. I have given you a new identity. You don’t have to prove yourself to me or anyone else!”

I want you to understand that when we know Jesus we know rest.

3. Rest applied

3.1. Practice rest

This is why I have spoken of it here as a discipline, because we need to discipline ourselves in trusting God and resting. Practice physical rest.

Act of faith for all of you - You are making a declaration that we are not slaves - not to cultural expectations, your own insecutities, your family.

But plan it as a discipline in the rhythms of life

Stop and meet Jesus again. Every noticed how much it’s in the stillness that we encounter Jesus again.

Psalm 46:10 CSB

10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

Be still, stop the wrestling,the discontent and the anxiety - “I AM GOD!”I will believe that and express it in rest.

3.2. Preach the Gospel to yourself.

3.3. Partner with the saints

This is a Gospel centered rhythm expressed in corporate Sabbath rest.

3.4. 4 Ways to make rest profitable

All for the purpose of godliness.

Reflection -look over your life

Renewal - What do you need to go back to believing. Ask God to revive you.

Reset - What changes do you need to make to practice what you believe.

Reengage - Get back to life and live fully!

With purpose and intentionality

Model this for the next generation.