Beginner's Guide - Week 3

INTRO VIDEO

INTRODUCTION

5 MINUTES

If you’re like me, connecting with God sometimes feels complicated. It can be confusing and even frustrating at times! That’s why in this series called The Beginner’s Guide to Connecting with God, we’re breaking down some of the really simple ways we can connect with God in our daily lives.

Before I tell you what we’re going to talk about today, let me start by asking you a question: Are you tired? Honestly, are you exhausted? How many of you out there feel like you could use a little more sleep? A little more time to rest?

I totally get it. When I was a student, I was totally exhausted, too!

TELL A PERSONAL STORY

· I remember back to my Senior year when I was literally in every club, never had an off-season when it came to sports, was in AP and Honor classes which required a lot of homework and studying, prepping for the ACT, in Show Choir, had a needy girlfriend, a leader in my youth group at church and worked about 30 hours a week.

· Each Sunday Night after “After Glow” (AG was where the High School students would go get something to eat and hang out), I would come home and crash… completely worn out from the all the events from that week. And then, guess what, it all happened again the following week.

· I remember getting so tired during test week at the end of the first semester that I came home on a Friday after basketball practice and just fell into my bed. I woke up Sunday morning thinking my dad was tricking me when he said it was time to go to church. Trust me I know what it feels like to be exhausted as a student… and I didn’t even have to deal with social media back then.

TENSION

2 MINUTES

I bet a lot of you can relate to that feeling, right? That pressure, that exhaustion, that busy schedule? The truth is, as students, you all have a lot on your plates right now!

You’ve got school, and homework, and tryouts, and practices, and clubs. And that’s only at school! At home you’ve got to balance your chores, and spending time with your parents, and watching out for your younger siblings, and making sure you follow the rules. And on top of all that, you’ve still got to find time for your friends, or your boyfriend or girlfriend, or your small group. The list goes on, and on, and on.

When you look at it that way, it’s no wonder that you’re so worn out! Your schedules aren’t just packed; they’re overflowing! And the truth is, all of that leaves you feeling a lot more than just physically tired or exhausted. It probably leaves you feeling emotionally worn down, too. In other words, it leaves you stressed. And nobody wants to feel stressed, am I right?

So if we know all this busyness is causing us unwanted stress, why do we keep on living that way? Why do we keep packing our schedules full? Why do we keep giving in to all the pressure?

Well, I think for a lot of us, it’s because we have a goal in mind. Maybe you’re trying to achieve a good grade or a better spot on the team. Or maybe you’re trying to be a better friend, or get along with your parents, or strengthen your faith. You keep going, and going, and going to reach that goal, even when it wears you down completely.

Or maybe for some of us, it’s because of other people’s expectations. Whether it’s your parents, your teachers, your coaches, your friends, or even right here at church, you feel the pressure to keep going and keep up because of someone else.

With all that on your plate, it makes total sense that you feel exhausted. It’s understandable why even showing up here at church feels like work sometimes. If you’re honest, maybe you’d even say that faith feels like one more thing on a long “to-do” list. And while everyone here at church talks about God like He’s supposed to bring you more peace, the reality is that actually trying to connect with Him feels like more work.

If you feel any of those things—stressed out, tired, overwhelmed, exhausted, under pressure—then I’ve got good news for you: That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. In fact, it’s not the way it has to be. Because believe it or not, God actually created you to rest!

TRUTH

4 MINUTES

Don’t believe me? Well, I can promise you, it’s true!

We see it in the very way God created the world. In the book of Genesis—the very first book in the entire Bible—we get a glimpse at the way God created everything in the universe. He spent six days creating the stars, and the sun, and the ocean, and the plants, and the animals, and even breathing life into people. And then what did He do? God rested.

…So on the seventh day he rested from all his work (Genesis 2:2b NIV).

God worked really hard leading up to that seventh day. He put Himself into creating everything. And when it was all said and done, He rested. You see, there’s nothing wrong with working hard. There’s nothing wrong with doing your best. But there’s also nothing wrong with rest. That’s what God modeled for us in creation.

And in fact, rest is so important to God that eventually, He made it a priority for all of His people. Thousands of years ago there was a group of people who were considered to be God’s chosen people. They were called the Israelites. Now the Israelites went through a lot back in the day. They were enslaved by Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, until God called a guy named Moses to free them. And while Moses and the Israelites had to go through a lot of things to be free, they eventually made it out of captivity and started a journey to the land God promised them.

On this journey, Moses and the Israelites spent some time at a place called Mount Sinai. While camping there, God came down and met with Moses. Can you even imagine that? The Bible says that when God showed up at Mount Sinai, there was thunder, and lightning, and clouds, and a blast like a trumpet. So basically, God showed up in a pretty big way!

And when He did, God gave Moses a set of laws that He wanted the Israelites to live by. These were rules and principles that would show the Israelites the best way to live. They were so important to God that He came down to tell them to Moses Himself. Those things God said? Well we know them now as the Ten Commandments. Maybe you’ve heard a few of them—things like don’t kill, don’t steal, respect your parents. But you know what else God included in that list? Rest.

Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy (Exodus 20:8-11 NLT).

God basically commanded the Israelites to include rest as part of their faith and lives. He told them to follow the example He set for them when He created the world—to work hard when they needed to, but to also make sure to prioritize rest. And you know what? That same rule applies to us!

The rest God was talking about probably isn’t exactly what you might be thinking about—just full out sleeping until noon (though that might sound good to you!). Here’s what God was talking about with rest. He wants us to experience shalom—which is a word that means complete and utter peace. It’s resting physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s wholeness. It’s resting in Him. It’s stopping and remembering that He is God, and you are not. And you can rest because He has all things under control.

God wants us to turn our hearts toward Him as we do our work. And in our rest, He wants us to do the same.

God knows how important rest is for our bodies, minds, and spirits. And one of the ways to find rest—one of the ways to find shalom—is to connect with Him.

Jesus even talked about the same thing when He was on Earth! Listen to this:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT).

How comforting is it to know that Jesus sees the way we feel? He sees the stress, and striving, and pressure we experience in life. And instead of asking us to keep going and do more, He simply tells us to come to Him—to connect with Him. Why? Because there we can find rest.

Believe it or not, resting is a way to connect with God. When we pause the busyness, and stress, and pressure of our lives, we’re allowing ourselves to actually connect with God.

APPLICATION

2 MINUTES

Let’s be honest here: Don’t we all want to experience a little more rest in our lives? I doubt any of you are sitting there thinking, “That’s okay. I’m good with all this stress. I love feeling under pressure. I don’t need to feel peace at all!”

No, all of us know we need to find a way to incorporate rest into our lives. Because not only is it important for our physical and mental health, it’s also part of learning to connect with God. Because resting is a way to connect with God.

In order to really start making rest a part of the way we follow God, I think we have to ask ourselves a couple of questions.

1) What’s keeping me from rest? What’s in my life that’s getting in the way of slowing down and pressing pause? What’s taking so much of my time, energy, and attention that it’s causing me stress?

Maybe for you it’s school, or your team, or that club you’re in. Or maybe it’s a friendship you have or a goal you want to achieve. While those things aren’t bad by themselves, they can very easily get in the way of our rest when we let them take over our lives.

2) What does rest look like for me? What will help me disconnect from what’s stressing me out? What will help me connect to something that brings me peace?

Maybe for you that means taking a walk, or drawing, or taking a nap. Maybe it’s giving yourself time to spend with your friends, or setting limits on the things that get in the way of resting. Maybe it’s praying, or listening to music, or reading the Bible. Whatever it is, find a way to build that rest into your week!

Remember, resting is a way to connect with God. So this week, be sure to carve out some time to do just that: rest!

LANDING

1 MINUTE

As you close out this message today, I want you to think about this question: What’s one thing in my life that keeps me from resting?

Let’s pray.