KING JESUS: A JOURNEY THROUGH MATTHEW'S GOSPEL (PT 13)

There are twenty-four hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds in a day.  What we do with this time varies from person to person.  Some spend much of their time working, going to school, caring for the children, housework, volunteering or playing golf.  For some of us there just doesn’t seem to be enough time in a day to accomplish all that we need to accomplish. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with everything I must do, but to be honest working and staying busy seems to come naturally for me.  Author Stephen Covey writes in his book FIRST THINGS FIRST, “People expect us to be busy and over worked.  It has become a status symbol in our society – if we’re busy, we’re important; if we are not busy then we are embarrassed to admit it.  Busyness is where we get our security.  It’s validating, popular and pleasing.  It’s also a good excuse for not dealing with the first things in our lives.”  
  
Don’t get the wrong idea about all busyness being bad, in fact work is essential and work is good.  I thank God for the work I am blessed to do.  Because of work I can be one of the providers for my family and I can fulfill my God-given call.  Work is a blessing from God.  God established work.  He ordained it in Eden when he placed the man in the garden to care for, maintain and inhabit it.  I believe work was created to be pleasant, joyful, and fulfilling.  The problem is when sin entered the picture.
 
Rest on the other hand is another issue altogether.  Preaching a message about rest is very difficult for me.  Although I am better than I used to be, rest is something that I have a hard time doing.  Unfortunately, some of you may be like me and rest does not come very easy… I believe we don’t rest because we do not value it or we tell ourselves rest is a bad thing.  Did you know rest is one of the key themes of the Bible?  Genesis begins with rest, the Psalmists write about rest, and Jesus talks about entering his rest.  Rest, like work, is a gift from God.  

Genesis 2
Q:  Why do we need rest?  A: Because God modeled rest for us. 
Q: What is rest?  Is it lying around lazily and doing nothing or is there more to it?  
 
Verses 1, 2:  On the seventh day God’s work was finished.  It was complete.  Everything He set out to do was finished and then He rested.  There is no implication that God dropped everything and went into cruise mode.  The word rested is translated as “ceased” in some versions and the Hebrew word is “shabbat” which is where we get the word Sabbath.  It is interesting that the rest God took was not out exhaustion because he was tired, but it was a ceasing or finishing or completing his work of creation.  On the seventh day God had Sabbath.  This means not simply ceasing work to pick it up again, but being satisfied with what He had done and considered these things complete and 'moving on.  So, if God rested, shouldn’t we?  God is described as resting on the seventh day, but the narrator clearly implies that humanity, who is made in the divine image, is expected to copy its Creator.
 
Sabbath – We read about the Sabbath throughout the Old and New Testament.  Sabbath simply means to stop from ordinary work, from your normal activity.  It does not mean to stop all things and lay around (however for some people this may be the case) Exodus 20:8 – 11 gives specifics about the day of Sabbath.  

1. Remember the Sabbath.  Keep it in your mind, ponder it and observe it. 
2. Keep it holy.  In Genesis 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.  The word holy means to set apart.  The Sabbath is a distinct day (unlike the rest of the week) set aside for rest.  If God blessed this day, then this should tell us rest is important.
3. The Sabbath is the day that you rest from your normal work.  Sabbath is not simply inactivity. Instead of ‘producing’ (working and labor) it is a time to consume and enjoy what you’ve produced.

When God rested on the seventh day and set it aside, He did not intend to turn Sabbath-keeping into an oppressive rule (which unfortunately is what it became).   The Sabbath was intended to give true freedom, freedom from turning work into tyranny and freedom to enjoy fellowship with God, our neighbors, and our loved ones.  In short, the Sabbath wasn’t intended to be a burden but was intended to relieve us from burden.
 
Rest:  A Biblical Perspective
So, what does rest look like?  We need look no further than the Bible.  Before we start, I should note there is clearly a distinction between resting and laziness.  The author of Proverbs writes negatively about the person who is lazy and does not work.  In fact, the Bible never talks positively about laziness.  Laziness and rest are clearly two opposing ideas.  In the Psalms rest is synonymous to being still or waiting.  
 
Psalm 46:10 - This is one of my favorite passages and I think it is one of the best passages defining rest.  “Be still and know that I am God.”  The words “be still” means to cease or stop… Stop those things causing you burden… things like worry, work, frustration, anxiety, planning etc.… stop and trust God.  This could be defined as peace of mind.  Rest, have your mind at ease because God is in control.  Unfortunately for many of us this is easier said than done. 
 
Psalm 37:7 – “Be still before the Lord and wait…”  Stop!  Wait!  Do not fret (worry).
In Luke 10:38 – 42 we are introduced to sisters Mary and Martha.   These sisters had invited Jesus to their home.  When Jesus arrived, Mary sat at his feet and listened to his words.  She was literally resting at the feet of God and relaxing in His presence.  Martha, her sister, on the other hand was running around the house like a crazy person, making sure the house was clean, cooking the meal, setting the table, acting like some of you when preparing for Thanksgiving.  You know the scene everyone is sitting in the living room watching football and the workers are in the kitchen cooking the meal.  Eventually Martha had enough.  She approaches Jesus and says, “Jesus, can’t you see I am killing myself trying to get things ready and my sister, the bum, is just sitting at your feet doing nothing.  Could you please tell her to come help me?”  She thought that maybe Jesus could convince her sister to help around the house a bit.  Do you know what Jesus’ response was?  I can assure you it wasn’t what Martha wanted to hear… Luke 10:41, 42: But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” He was saying, stop being a busy body Martha, your sister has chosen what is important like spending time with me, and I will not take that blessing away from her.  Life is too short to be concerned with the little things of this world.  Spend your time on things that really matter.”  Now get this, Jesus was not saying Martha was wrong, he was just letting her know at this very moment of time I am (God himself) here with you so rest.  We’ll get to the other things (the meal) later, right now… Stop.  Wait.  Rest in the Lord.
 
Matthew 11:28 – 30:  This is one of the best-known passages regarding rest.  Jesus tells his listeners that true rest comes from him.  If you are weary, tired, stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed with life, come to Jesus and you will find rest.  We are told to put our burdens on him and when we do our souls will find rest.  This is a promise for future rest and a promise for rest today.  
 
Many are stressed, overworked, burdened and full of work-related anxiety.  Your minds are racing, your heart (spiritual and even physical) is heavy and unhealthy, and you have a hard time ceasing from work activity.  You may be thinking right now, “I wish he would hurry up and conclude because I have a ton of things I have to do today.”  My response is…Stop. Wait. Rest in Lord.
 
Sabbath Today
We are no longer living under OT rule and law.  Jesus fulfilled the law.  So, what does Sabbath look like for us today?  I believe first and foremost we should continue to take a day of rest from our usual work and activity; and it should involve worship.  Gathering today to worship is participation in Sabbath.  The point of the Sabbath is to “stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another” Resting in the presence of the Lord through worship, fellowship, prayer, and communion is how Sabbath should look.  The irony is that we don’t stop working on the Sabbath… Things still need to be done (at home and in the church).  Teaching, opening and closing buildings, meals need to be cooked, dishes washed, lawns mowed… These shouldn’t be burdens and I get that sometimes they do become burdensome and when they do, we are to cast these burdens on God and he will give the strength, joy, and rest you need to complete the task for his glory.   I conclude with this marvelous quote from author and Pastor Tim Keller who sums up what Sabbath means to us today, “Only Jesus offers you a 'finished work' to rest in. In fact, the very definition of a Christian is not just someone who admires Jesus, emulates Jesus, or obeys Jesus. A Christian is someone who "rests in his finished work" instead of your own. Remember, God was only able to rest in Gen 2:1-3 because his work was finished. A Christian is someone who knows that it would be quite all right if he or she died tonight. You've already finished your work--everything that must happen within your lifetime has happened. The rest is gravy, icing. Gravy and icing are quite tasty, of course--but not necessary.”  Because of Jesus our work is finished.  Yes, we labor and toil day after day, but our final rest is found in Jesus, and I can rest in that.
 
 

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