Minute By Minute: Rest

Minute By Minute: Rest In Peace

October 25th, 2020/The Lookout

Story: Rest when you die. Rest when you retire. I want to rest now! I need rest now!

Title: Rest In Peace

Pray:

Main Points: The Sabbath

1. Created By God
   1. “So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. 2 On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy (set apart), for on it he rested from all his work of creation.” - Genesis 2:1-3 CSB
   2. Since the beginning of time, God created, He designed a pattern for us to live by.
   3. This is the first reference to the word “holy”.

   4. Rest without work is lazy. Work without rest is irresponsible. There is a pattern. There is a process.

      1. He worked, then He rested. He gave us a pattern, a process.

      2. A Command From God

         1. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy. (set apart)” - Exodus 20:8-11 CSB
         2. John Flavel, a presbyterian pastor and puritan, notes several special marks which God placed on the fourth commandment.

      3. It is the longest of all the commandments.

      4. It has a solemn reminder and warning prefixed to it.
      5. It is delivered both positively and negatively, which the other commandments are not.

      6. It is enforced with more arguments to strengthen the command than any other.

         3. The 10 Commandments given to Moses

      7. You shall have no other gods before Me.

      8. You shall not make idols.
      9. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
      10. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
      11. Honor your father and your mother.
      12. You shall not murder.
      13. You shall not commit adultery.
      14. You shall not steal.
      15. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
      16. You shall not covet.
          4. “For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For he who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you murder, you are a lawbreaker.” - James 2:10-11
          5. We do not get to downgrade one of the 10 commandments. We do not get to pick and choose which command we will obey or disobey.
          6. In the Old Testament we see that ignoring or disobeying the sabbath day was punishable by death.
          7. When Christ came, all of the strict laws and extra regulations given to Moses for sabbath-keeping ended. Also, once Christ came, all symbols that pointed to him were fulfilled. The command stands. The day is not fixed. It is one day in seven set apart for God.
          8. God knows best.

      17. A Calling For God’s People

          1. “Therefore, a Sabbath rest remains for God’s people. 10 For the person who has entered his rest has rested from his own works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, then, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall into the same pattern of disobedience.” - Hebrews 4:9-11 CSB
          2. We don’t work for sabbath rest, we work from sabbath rest

      18. When Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week, He rewrote the script, He fulfilled the deliverance that was to come.

      19. Sabbath is less about a retreat from work, and more about your spiritual pursuit. Your worship!

          3. Our Sabbath is found in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. In His death, burial, and resurrection.

      20. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

          4. “Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.” - Colossians 2:16-17
          5. Why do we still practice a sabbath today?

      21. It observes the creation decree and one of the ten commandments, which are abiding moral law, written by the finger of God.

      22. It is a day set aside for worship and the pursuit of Jesus
      23. It is a witness to the world
      24. It is a sanctifying practice, ordering the priorities of God’s people.
          6. God’s plan is the best plan, He knows best

      25. You’re either going to Sabbath by design or by default

          1. Story: Working 100+ hours a week and body shutting down. (*or the moment in Chickfila)

          2. God knows we need to slow down, He knows we need to rest, He designed us this way! 2. Happy Hormones During Rest

          3. Dopamine - Also known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that’s an important part of your brain’s reward system.

          4. Serotonin - Helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.
          5. Oxytocin - This hormone can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships, and oxytocin levels generally increase with physical affection like kissing, cuddling, and sex.

          6. Endorphins - Endorphin levels also tend to increase when you engage in reward-producing activities, such as eating, working out, or having sex. 3. Health Benefits of Rest

          7. Protects Your Heart

          8. Reduce Inflammation/Boost Immune System
          9. Improve Memory
          10. Fight Depression
          11. Regulate Appetite
          12. Better Problem Solving
              7. Sabbath is less about when and where, and it is more about who and how.

      26. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” - Psalm 23:1-3

      27. Illust: Beach Vacation & Family Holiday trips
      28. Just because the atmosphere is green meadows and peaceful streams, it does not guarantee rest and peace of mind.
      29. You can be on the beach, watching the sunset, and be stressed out about a deadline you have at work when you get home
      30. You can be on a mountain top gazing out over the rockies and be anxious about the relationships in your life
      31. This is not a description of a geographical location or necessary environment in order to experience peace, this is a metaphor for the feeling that God gives you as you walk with Him.

      32. You cannot experience rest beside the stream until you’ve been satisfied by your Shepherd

          8. Don’t be legalistic about the Sabbath

      33. “Then he told them, “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 28 So then, the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” - Mark 2:27-28

      34. Jesus owns the sabbath and He is to be the focus of its worship!
      35. Story: Fun Family Fridays. The Sabbath day for the Manuel Family.
      36. Here's how I'd apply that: if you break the sabbath for an emergency, that is ok. The Sabbath was made for man. But if it becomes a habit, then it is disobedience.
          9. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” - Psalm 91:1

Closing: Rest In Peace

Walking Points:

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” - Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT

1. Take an inventory of your life
2. Maximize present opportunities
3. Obey the process God gives us