The Restless Soul
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(S1)
Anatoly Gym Prank
Lifting weights without a spotter
—Its easy to think we can handle the weight of this world and end up not physically crushed, but crushed with the weight of the world in our souls.
SERIES — SOUL DETOX
What is a detox? Why do I Care?
...a process in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; intended to remove toxins and impurities from the body.
— addictive detox; drugs/alcohol—Food detox: highly processed (Doritos engineered bio-product) Helpful for weight loss, digestive issues, improve physical and mental health—feel better
It can also mean to take a deliberate break from an activity or practice believed to be harmful—tech detox; phone, social media, TV, news, people...
...neutralizing damaging influences, removing what is toxic or unhealthy in our relationaship to God.
(S2)
WE ARE NOT A BODY WITH A SOUL ! WE ARE A SOUL WITH A BODY !
WE ARE NOT A BODY WITH A SOUL ! WE ARE A SOUL WITH A BODY !
Bible—Bodies as temporary dwellings: spiritual tent/house
When we die...our soul lives SOMEHWERE forever...We are not a body with a soul, but we are a [SOUL WITH A BODY.]
Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.”
Soul Detox? — Soul; ‘life and the whole person’
Three Hebrew words: neshamah, nefesh, and ruaḥ. Originally referred to breath, life, ones whole self.
...[AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL]
Like what we take into our body can be toxic; so can what we take into our soul. Why does that matter?
Bowling Smoking—breathing in this poison and didn't even know it...
I believe that many of us in our souls today, are breathing in the second-hand poisons of our culture, and they are literally impacting our souls.
— whenever the culture says, “This is okay or that’s ok.” and it doesn’t line up with scripture. Its toxic to our life with God. As Christians, if we agree to it or begin engaging in those practices, then we are essentially allowing poison into our lives…
...HEAVY Soul — TORTURED (suffering) Soul — The SEDUCED Soul—today...
THE CURSE OF THE RESTLESS SOUL
THE CURSE OF THE RESTLESS SOUL
What's chipping away at your soul? What's getting in the way of you becoming the person God created you to be?
PRAYER
(S3)
Story in Genesis about Cain and Abel/brothers; the first offspring of Adam and Eve.
Genesis 4:3–4 “When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift,”
Cain got jealous...of Abel's sacrifice being accepted...angry and dejected.
God warned Cain...
Genesis 4:6–7 ““Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.
Cain killed his brother and tried to hide it...of course God was not happy!
(S4) —
Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
...to shake up/disturb within—lacking peace...
THE RESTLESS SOUL IS SEARCHING BUT NEVER FINDING — IT’S INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING BUT SATISFIED WITH NOTHING.
Amos 4:8 “People staggered from town to town looking for water, but there was never enough. But still you would not return to me,” says the Lord.”
Inwardly we're always spun up, our RPM's keep going and we may try to find rest for our bodies, but we never really find rest for our souls— We are anxious, we are tense, we're worried, and we're concerned; our minds just don't know how to shut down.
Without a healthy relationaship with God...our soul does not rest well!
Solomon's words in Ecclesiastes really paint a good picture of where I've lived way too much of my life, and chances are where many of you have or are living as well.
(S5)
So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless.
I want to pause for a moment and just ask you to be really, really honest. How many of you, you're often wound up on the inside and you find it difficult to calm down in your soul?
Sometimes at night you're mind keeps going, you may be even with the family and you can't shut it down and your mind and your soul rarely, rarely finds deep rest? How many of you would say that's you?
Be really, really honest...God doesn't want you to live this way.
We're all going to acknowledge that our body needs rest. I submit to you that our soul needs to find rest as well.
WHERE DO WE FIND REST FOR OUR SOULS?
What I'm going to tell you sounds like the preacher answer, but what I want you to know that this is true through-and-through, true beyond a shadow of a doubt, there is one place and one place only that we find rest for our souls...
(S6)
OUR SOULS FIND REST IN GOD ALONE!
OUR SOULS FIND REST IN GOD ALONE!
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
In other words, there's no person, no thing, no experience, no vacation, no dream home, no amount of money; there is nothing outside of God that can bring rest in the soul: the essence of who I am.
My soul finds rest in Him alone.
Augustine (AD 354–430) Bishop of Hippo (Algeria) and one of the most influential theologians of all time.
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our soul is restless until it finds rest in you.” Augustine
Our soul finds rest in God alone; in God alone our soul finds rest. In fact, Jesus said it this way...
(S7) —
{Matthew 11:28–29} “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
COME to me...and I WILL give you rest...
Let me TEACH you...and you WILL find rest not for your bodies, but for your souls...
Vacation Rest
JESUS IS HOW WE FIND REST IN GOD!
Jesus said to know me is to know the Father...to know rest in God is to know my peace..
John 14:27 ““I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
The solution is in a healthy soul relationaship with Jesus; being in the world but not of the world {John 17:14}
Three thoughts, how do we find rest in God? Scripture teaches us is to:
I. BE STILL BEFORE GOD
I. BE STILL BEFORE GOD
(S8) —
Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God!”
to sink or relax...quiet our souls before God
Small child who can’t be still? Why I flunked kindergarten
...sometimes you want to just say, "Shut up and be still! Am I going to have to count to three? Don't make me pull this car over!" Or you know, "Be still!"
Psalm 131:2 (ESV) “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
We all have bills to pay, yard to mow, dinner to make, diapers to change, grandkids to pick up, school work to do...Sometimes you have to take control of your soul and just silence your soul.
Say, "Soul be still, shut up, quit running; sit down soul and be still!"
Work-acholic/self-help books
Detoxification of our souls begins first, with being STILL before God
Do nothing for 5 minutes a day
Get out your watch (phone timer) and make sure you don't think about anything productive, just focus on being present with God." For the sole purpose of drawing closer to Him.
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Don’t have time to be still? You don’t have time not to be still!
Detox from Social Media/News/TV/People...Just be still before God.
The second thing that Scripture teaches us to do when we're being still is:
II. WAIT for God
II. WAIT for God
(S10) —
Psalm 37:7 “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him...”
We are such an impatient society!
"God, give me patience and give it to me now!" How many of you are like that?
A good student of the WORD listens in wait for the teacher to speak
...Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,
yoke...animal pulling for labor...to balance or distribute evenly the load.
wait...listen...let the teacher teach and balance the scales of your OUT OF BALANCE LIFE
Be still, open up God's Word and wait for Him...
Means of growing in grace...the chief of these is prayer (time with God)
(S11)
The importance of waiting on God in a fast-paced culture that often prioritizes instant results over spiritual depth. Genuine sanctification requires a personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. John Wesley noted, individuals cannot dictate the timing of their sanctification, but they can prepare themselves to embrace it when it comes. It calls for a deeper engagement with God. The Way of Holiness: Experience God’s Work in You, p 180
The RESTLESS soul requires DEEPER engagement with God
The RESTLESS soul requires DEEPER engagement with God
People say all of the time, "How do I hear from God? I don't know what God's saying!"
Be STILL before the Lord and WAIT patiently for Him. God will take care of the rest of the world while you take five minutes to be with Him.
Watchman in the O.T. would stand on the wall and they would watch for approaching enemies and they would know when the morning comes there shift is over and they can see and they don't have to watch anymore.
Every day the sun is going to come up, because since the beginning of time the sun comes up and we wait for the God, but the same divine expectation that just as the sun is going to come up, God is going to show up. Just as the sun is going to come up, God is going to show up.
Psalm 130:5–6 (NIV) “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.”
1. What do you want to say to me?
2. What do you want to show me?
3. What do you want to do in me?
Let the teacher teach! Find rest for your soul!
And the third thing is, I want to encourage you that as you're waiting in stillness with God
III. REFLECT ON GOD’S GOODNESS
III. REFLECT ON GOD’S GOODNESS
(S13) —
Psalm 116:7–9 “Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. He has saved me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth!”
God is good...How is God good?
Don't just think about has to be done; that's what to do list and post it notes are for...instead think about what God has already done— Soul from death, eyes from tears, feet from stumbling—Who I was before…who I am now.
When I try to still myself and wait on God, I am tempted to think about all that I have to do...instead, reflect on all that God has done; how he as forgiven me...I try to Internalize God’s goodness to me
I let scripture remind me what God has done—I remember all the prayers that God has answered throughout life, I think about His faithfulness. I remember that He's delivered me from sin and death—SALVATION
I believe our spiritual enemy, Satan, if he can't make us bad, he's going to make us busy. Some of our souls are just busy. Be at rest, be at rest.
If you are a follower of Jesus you need to understand that God has FORGIVEN you, that you are a NEW creation in Christ, that the old is gone and the new has come—that should bring REST to your soul!
That God will not hold your sins against you, but they forever are cast into the sea of forgetfulness—that should bring calm your soul.
Reflect on who He is, that our Lord God is the Alpha and the Omega, He is the Beginning and the End, He is the First and the Last, He is the One who was and is and is to come.
Jesus who is the Lamb of God and He is the Lion of Judah. He is the soon returning, conquering King of kings and Lord of lords.
We serve a God who is so big that He's working in all things to bring about good for you, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He says that you will be blessed coming in and blessed going out.
He is the one that declares: For I have plans for you, plans to prosper you and bless you; not to harm you but to give you a hope and a future.
And when you meditate on Him and you're worried about tomorrow, suddenly you realize He's already in tomorrow. And because He was faithful yesterday, you know He will be faithful tomorrow and your soul can be at rest in waiting on God
(S14)
Be at rest oh my soul, be still before the Lord, wait patiently for Him, reflect on His goodness, be still oh my soul and know that He is God—Our Soul finds rest in God alone
TALK IT OVER
How restless is your soul? What do you think is causing your restlessness?
What's keeping you from finding rest for your soul in God?
What steps will take to find rest for your soul in God?
Printable small group discussion guide for this message. Tuesdays online group
Be STILL and know...WAIT patiently for the teacher...take time to know God’s GOODNESS
Matthew 11:28–30 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
Prayer (music)
Father, I know that so many of us are weary, overwhelmed, wound up in our souls. And God, we sit before you in a moment of humility reminding ourselves that you are God and we are not and we trust you. As you're praying, without looking around I want you just to be real honest and if you would realize that your soul is restless, you're ever searching but never finding, you find it difficult to shut down.
Jesus, help us to make a commitment to really seek you to know God. To live with a rest in our soul. It is possible, it is what God wants, He wants to give you rest. You'll only find it in Him alone.
God I do, I pray that we would enter into a spiritual rest that is beyond what we've ever known before. God, that there is a peace that goes beyond our human ability to understand that guards our hearts and our minds and our souls in Christ Jesus.
God, I pray that as a church we would be people who would seek You first, that we would have the discipline to still ourselves before You, to reflect on your goodness, to open up your Words and to wait. To know God that just like the sun comes up that you will show up. God, to seek You and to wait for You.
God, I pray that as we wait for You that our souls would find rest in You. And when our souls are rested in You, then we can serve You and do what You call us to do. God, I speak rest today, I ask for healing today. God I ask for rest in our souls because of Your goodness, help us to find rest oh God.
Many of you have tried so much, you've tried this person or that person, this job or that job, buying this thing or that thing, going to this place or that place, changing where you live and you've tried and you've tried and you're still empty. And you wonder, "Why am I so empty?" And the reason is because you're trying to fill your life with something that will never satisfy. The only one who will satisfy is God alone through Jesus Christ.
Why are we empty? We are empty because we are sinners and our sin has separated us from a Holy God. And God in His goodness sent His Son Jesus, who was without sin to die in our place so that we could be forgiven of our sins. Jesus said, 'Come to me and you will find rest for your souls. Call on me and you will find salvation.'
Call on Jesus right now and He will hear your prayer, He will forgive your sins, and He will make you new and that's why you're here. You don't have rest in your souls; find rest in God alone through His Son Jesus.
"That's me, I want to know Him, I want to lose my life in Him so I can find His life in me. Jesus, I turn from my sins and I turn to you.
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
When you die...your soul lives somewhere forever...We are not a body with a soul, but we are a [SOUL WITH A BODY.] Maybe its time for a Soul detox ...be STILL...WAIT...and rest in God’s GOODNESS
Its easy to think we can handle the weight of this world and end up not physically crushed, but crushed with the weight of the world in our souls.
Would you all just pray aloud together?
Heavenly Father, save me from my sins, make me new. I believe Jesus died for me so I could live for You. Help me to find your rest to live for Your purposes, to love with Your goodness. Thank you for new life, give you mine. In Jesus' name I pray!
