Theme: Understanding How to Labour To Enter Divine Rest – Matthew 11:28-30, Heb.4:9-11
Week 1 Sunday Sept.6th, 2015
Topic: What Rest is and why we need to enter rest
Text: Matthew 11:28-30, Heb.4:1-11.
Introduction: From our text scriptures above, we can easily glean what rest is from the mouth of the Lord and from the Letter to the Hebrew Church. Here we see the Lord making an open invitation to all who are weighed down and burdened to come to him to find rest and He also went on to provide the way they can find rest as learning of Him. However, our text in Hebrews makes us understand that much as we are invited to rest, not all who actually receive the invitation to rest get to the place of rest because of the major hindrance of unbelief. So while rest is assured by the Lord, there is a monster called unbelief that could stop those who allow it from entering into their rest. Last month, we took the time to look at faith and how it can help us get to our place of rest and refreshing. This month however, we shall be looking at how we can actually enter into rest in spite of our enemy – unbelief. First we must establish from scripture what the Lord means by rest and see some examples of people in the bible who entered into rest and check our lives to know in what areas we have also entered the rest of God.
First, Rest is preceded by a promise of God. The entire bible is a promise of God to people that if they would live in a certain way, He would commit to bring to pass all His intentions for them. See 2Tim.3:16-17, Ps.119:105, Joshua 1:8, Ps.1:1-3, Matthew 7:24-27.
Second, when we hear and receive the word of God, we prove our reception of the word by first doing what the word says. The first thing the word of God commands us to do is repent and become a part of the body of Christ. When we do this, we become saved and the journey into God’s promised land of all the good things of life and eventually an eternal abode with God commences. Acts2:26, 38-39; John 3:16-18.
The good things of life are spiritual, soulish and physical. This is why in 3John 2, we are told that we are wished above all things prosperity and health even as our souls prosper. This sums up the good things of life. Man is spirit, soul and body; prosperity is required for all areas of life. See 1Thess.5:23.
Thirdly, on the journey of life to our promised land of blessing with total wholeness; nothing broken and nothing missing, the first thing we must enjoy is spiritual prosperity. When we find rest here, rest in every other area of our lives is guaranteed. In John 17:3, we learn that we are actually experiencing eternal life when we know Jesus Christ and the father in our personal experience. It is impossible to know Him if you don’t hear His voice. Thus if you are really his sheep, you must pay the price to hear his voice through learning. Remember, He says “learn of me…” see Mt.11:29, John10:27, Rm.8:14, 16.
Fourthly, whatever you hear from God by His Holy Spirit and His written word is what you will be tested on to know if you qualify for the promised land of blessing or not. See Heb.4:1-3, Matthew 7:24-27. You qualify when you hold on to what God says till it comes to pass for you [Heb.10:23, 36-39]. Those who failed this test were those who did not mix the word with faith [Heb.4:1-3]. The way we mix the word with faith is by doing what the word says.
Some examples of those who entered rest in the bible include Abraham and Sarah who were promised children and received the promise of a son after 25 years and then had to die not having received the promise of becoming parents to many nations. However, that promise is actualized today several hundreds of years later. This is because the promises of God are usually transgenerational. We must therefore raise our children to follow in our steps to continue to walk with God. Another example is Joseph who had to go through the process of slavery to obtain the promise and He did enter rest by first walking in the word of God and later rising from the prison to the palace overnight.
When John the Baptist was born, it was said concerning him by prophecy that He would be the forerunner of the most high. The process to get there made a hermit of him and the day He baptized the Lord, he entered the Promised Land. See Luk.1:76-77, Matthew 3:11-17.
Why do we need rest?
Rest is like giving birth to a baby that is conceived. If a pregnant woman does not give birth to the baby for instance, she cannot be relieved of the weight and could even be killed from the abnormality. This is why many of the children of Israel died in the wilderness as they could not deliver their promise because of unbelief. The place of rest is the place of fulfilment, rewards, comfort and refreshing. When God finished making the world, He rested on the 7th day and was refreshed. See Ex.31:17.
You cannot keep fighting battles without victory. Therefore rest is the place of victory. As we learn of the Lord on a daily basis, everything will eventually culminate in victory for us. See Rev.2-3.
Conclusion: What has God promised you? Whatever you are going through now is the process by which you will get there; so don’t give up, keep trusting in the Lord; it will come to pass.
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