The Rest Of God 3
Series About The Rest Of God. Important that we understand this
Biblical concept.
A. What Is rest? 2 CHRON 20:1-30. Describes the rest that God
gives.
1. Amon and the Kings of Moab went to war against Jehosaphat King
of Judah. He prayed for help.
(1) God said, "Rest in Me, The battle is not yours, but Mine."
Said, "OK, Went to bed and slept.
(A) In the morning he went to the battle field. It was filled
with dead enemy soldiers.
Dont worry about your enemies, pantry, future. Just live
out of what Gods provides.
(1) Resting means God becomes the basis of, the reason for all
you are and all you do.
(2) Israel never enjoyed the fullness of that experience.
(3) Interested in physical blessings. Missed the spiritual concepts
all together.
(1) God never has been, never will be Interested in a piece of
real estate on the
Medeteranian Sea called Palestine and Jerusalem. They are Spiritual
concepts.
(b) Forget the physical, material. God has always been interested
in something
higher. God is interested in the degree of your faith.
He wants you to rest in Him, not In the things of this world.
(B) The Jews never saw that. At best they would say,"Wow
I got a piece of property, I have
wealth, I have it made, my life is complete and perfect, I need
nothing else."
(1) They never did learn to rest in God. Thus, they were constantly
going off into sin.
(a) To the Christian God says, Dont make the same
mistake.
(b) Thats His message in HEB. 3:7-11.
(2) That message is not only to Jewish Christians but to all Christians
in every age.
(b) HEB. 4:1.
(c) That was God's promise to His Old Testament covenant people
and its still the
same promise to His New Testament covenant people. That promise
has
never changed.
b. What is meant by rest? HEB. 4:4.
Thats a reference to the Old Testament account of creation.
God created the heavens and earth and man. And then He rested
on 7th day.
It took 6 days to create world.
Man was created at end of 6th day. God rested on the 7th day from
all His work.
(2) The day man began was the day God completed every thing. Mans
1st full day in
the world was begun in the day God rested. It was the 1st full
day in a perfect world.
God said, "You don't have to do anything. It's all done.
Anything you now do, you will be able to do on the basis of what
I have already done". Do you get the picture?
Man was put into what God had done and when God was done, He rested.
And Man was created to enter into the rest of God.
God rested the 7th day which was Adams 1st full day. Man began
where God finished. Man began the fullness of his life in Gods
rest.
(B) Adam began in a perfect Sabbath Rest. Every thing Adam needed
was already complete. He lacked nothing. His life was perfect.
Adams education is learning to take what God already did
and enjoy It and rest in it
(2) You rest in God by standing with God, fellowship with God
by saying, Yes to God.
(a) The only education Adam needed was how to respond to God and
what God
had done.
Sin was that basic response of No, what you have done is
not enough. I talked to a snake this morning, "He said you
lied to me. I believe him therefore I refuse to say, "Yes
to you" . I say "No.
2. 2. Now man begins to live out of himself, his own wisdom,
ability. Achieve what God intended for
him to be without any reference to God. Without God being involved.
Man seeks to be his own God instead of living out of God and Gods
perfect supply.
(A) I don't have to obey God. I can be good, righteous, saved
with out any reference to
God. I can be my own God. I say, "No, to God and Yes,
to self."
(1) Man now constantly works at being good. Trying to regain the
righteousness of God
on his own. Thats the sin of self righteousness. The worst
sin of all.
(a) That's what Satan convinced Adam Eve to do. He did not say,
"You will be like
devils. you will be like God."
(b) Read it, that's what it says GEN.3:5.
(2) 1st Temptation to sin was calling man to be good without God
being involved. You
can be good without resting In God. The same sin man is guilty
of today.
(a) Achieve goodness by working at it my way. Work it out to my
own satisfaction.
(1) I don't have to do it God's way. I can do it my own way.
(2) I can be independent of God. By my own goodness, righteousness
without God.
(c) You end up living a restless, empty, meaningless life. Because
true joy.
peace, happiness is found only by resting in God's rest.
(B) God gave man 1 day in which to rest. Gave the Jews the Sabbath.
A constant
reminder of the goodness, perfect love and provision of God. A
reminder that man
was created to rest in God and out of that rest to do all that
he does for Gods glory.
(1) Realize that whatever man did was based on what God had already
done.
(a) We are not saved apart from God and the righteousness that
comes from Him.
(b) ACTS 4:12.
(2) Jesus is God's rest. In Jesus salvation is provided by God.
You can rest in all He
has done. You don't have to work to put God in you debt so Hell
have to save you.
(2) All you can do is just trust His promise and then rest in
it.
(3) Only one question remains. Are you resting in Gods
rest? Have you put yourself into Christ, who is Gods place
of rest?"
(4) If you don't know how to get into God's rest who is Jesus.
Ask me before
this day Is over and not only will I tell you how. I will help
you get into Him.
(3) AX 20:32.
Spur - 12/10/2000 am
|