4.1.29 6.11.2017 Rest Psalm 37.1-7

▾ Start:

Quick Series overview: It is summer. During the next 10 weeks or so some of you won't be here. Many of you have already taken time for a trip, a reunion, or a special event. It's easy to complain about church attendance during the summer. I would rather tell you to have a good time and provide some information to help you take advantage of your opportunity and use the time to recharge you for the Lord's work. So, beginning today we will discuss some things that will help you unlock the secrets to a super summer.

attendance during the summer. I would rather tell you to have a good time and provide some information to help you take advantage of your opportunity and use the time to recharge you in the Lord's work. So,

beginning today we will discuss some things that will help you unlock the secrets to a super summer.

People take vacations for a lot of reasons.

• 2 Entice: People take vacations for a lot of reasons. Close to the top of the list is a change of environment. By the time you leave work that last time before vacation frustrations mount. More broadly speaking lots

Close to the top of the list is a change of environment.

By the time you leave work that last time before vacation frustrations mount. More broadly speaking lots of us would like to get away from all the stuff going on in our world.

For Christians evil in all its manifestations just wears us out.

of us would like to get away from all the stuff going on in our world. For Christians evil in all its manifestations just wears us out.

Psalm 37:1–2 ESV

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.

How can you escape the evils of our time-even briefly-and rest?

Well our culture offers some strategies…for example

•Disconnect.

• Delusion.

• 3.2 Delusion.The What-about-Bob-Solution="Take a vacation from my problems!"

The What-about-Bob-Solution="Take a vacation from my problems!"

• Distance.

• 3.3 Distance.

• Distraction

• 3.4 Distraction

• Of course…when you return home…the evil doers are still running loose.

The biblical solution which the Psalmist understood Millenia ago is to

is to

Find our rest

Find our refreshment

in God.

• 5

Psalm 37:3–7 ESV

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!

•If we rest in God then we find constant renewal. When we rest in God we are able to return again and again in the midst of our complicated lives and find continual rest for our weary souls. In fact…

You are not really resting if you are not resting in God.

•Explain: So David gives us some great pointers for being at peace and finding rest.

▾ Sermon Body

1 Trust in the Lord. 3

1.1 Internally.

1.2 Externally. (do good!)

1.3 Socially. (Befriend Faithfulness.) 3b

2 Delight yourself in the Lord. 4

2.1 Emotional Security.

2.2 Emotional Satisfaction…(When we conform our desires to the desires of God.)

3 Commit your Way to the Lord. 5-6

3.1 The Dynamic of faith. (trust in Him and He will act.)

3.2 He provides the resources for Spiritual maturity and growth.

4 Be Still before the Lord. 7

4.1 Harder than it sounds! Sometimes the most important activity of our faith is doing nothing.

4.2 And we come back to our initial thoughts. When we find rest in God we won't lose sleep over the designs, distractions and devices of evil.

• 4.2 And we come back to our initial thoughts. When we find rest in God we won't lose sleep over the designs, distractions and devices of evil.

Dynamic Inaction

The disconnection we enforce, the distractions we amass, the distance we travel, and the delusions we embrace can keep us from addressing the restlessness that is the heart of our discontent.

Wearied by the world God’s People can only get away from the world by taking refuge in HIM.

• The real tragedy would be never resting, never receiving the blessing of waiting upon God.

I hope you have a great vacation. More importantly I hope you find rest.

•

If you have not given Him Lordship over your life you may find the perfect vacation spot, but your heart will never be at rest.