A Rest Unto Your Souls!
Hebrews 4:9
Nov 18, 2012 PM
Pastor Craig
Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Hebrews
4:9)
A.
There is a rest for the people
of God!
1.
A rest that goes beyond the
body
2.
A rest that every human being
desperately needs, but only Christians can experience
3.
Everyone seeks this kind of
rest, but will never find it unless they get born again!
B.
What kind of Rest?
1.
NOT the absence of troubles
(John 16:3)
2.
But the ability to relax in
spite of them (Mt 8:24)
3.
It is a rest that is relaxed,
at peace inside – not uptight, or stressed
4.
Able to sleep, and enjoy life
– no matter the storm raging around you!
5.
Because it occurs in the
deepest part of our lives – in our spirit!
C.
Sounds awesome doesn’t it?!
D.
Unfortunately, very few
believers ever experience it (Isa 30:15-17)!
II.
Message
A.
Different Kinds of Rest
1.
There is rest for your Body
(Mark 6:31) – it is called SLEEP
a.
Some people sleep because they
are exhausted
b.
But then wake up still “unrested”
- unrefreshed
2.
Salvation provides rest for
your Soul (Mt 11:28,29)
a.
No more wrath of God resting
upon it
b.
This is where the mind is able
to finally be at rest
c.
But few people actually allow
their new walk with God to affect their mind
3.
The place we need the most
rest is in our Spirit (2Cor 2:13)
B.
What Makes It Hard to
Rest? Even for Christians?
1.
Not what you normally think!
Two things that DON’T make it hard to rest:
a.
Not WORK – that is good for
you! “The sleep of a labouring man is sweet”
b.
Not STRESS – all of life has
pressure and stress - expectations
2.
Sin in your heart and life
(Psalm 38:3; Isa 57:20,21)
3.
Stubbornness / Rebellion
against GOD (Isa 28:12,13)
a.
An attitude that will NOT
soften
b.
We have to have everything
perfect before we bend
4.
Worries, Fears (2Cor 2:13; Jer
30:10) – your mind stressed out! Panic, fretting
5.
Bitterness (Eph 4:30-32; Heb
12:15; James 3:14-16) – Unforgiveness is killing Christians
6.
Laziness in the Home (Prov
29:17) robs families of their rest
7.
There are other causes, but
these are the BIG causes of unrest
C.
How to Obtain Rest
1.
Harden Not Your Heart – Get
Right with God (Heb 3:15-18; Isa 30:15)
a.
Start with getting all of the
above fixed!
b.
Sin? Expose it and confess it,
and forsake it! If you want to sleep again!
c.
Stubbornness? OBEY your
authorities! Humble yourself! For YOUR sake!
d.
Full of worry and fear?
e.
Bitter at someone? You had
better go to them and admit your bitterness and FORGIVE them!
f.
Laziness in your home? Take
your home back and start doing what you know you need to be doing, and limiting!
2.
Believe God – Whatever He says
(Heb 3:15,18,19)
a.
God had told
b.
That HE would fight for them
c.
But when 10 spies told them it
was impossible to conquer the Caananites, they believed THEM instead of God!
d.
Look Forward, Not Back (2Thes
1:7)
1)
No matter the trouble
2)
You CAN rest if you keep
looking up, and forward – expecting the Lord to help, especially to come soon!
3)
Trusting God means waiting
patiently on Him as He works on you and your circumstances
e.
Trusting God has a marvellous
effect on the heart and the body of a Christian!
3.
Fear Losing Your Rest (Heb
4:1) – it is so delicate and can be stomped upon!
a.
Don’t throw it away because
you are used to panicking, and giving up!
b.
God gives REST every day, just
like He gives GRACE to help – just like he provided Manna – it can be ignored
and missed!
4.
Allow Jesus to be your Rest
(Heb 4:3,8; Isa 11:10) “My rest”
a.
His kind of rest is MARVELLOUS
b.
Remember, upon His shoulders
shall be all the problems of government (Isa 9:7)
5.
Labour to Enter into that Rest
- Moderate Your Life (Heb 4:11; 1Cor 9:27)
a.
Schedule your sleep time, your
wake up time
b.
MAKE yourself eat healthy
c.
MAKE yourself exercise
d.
You are a sorry Christian if
you can bring your body under subjection
e.
Make yourself be in church,
and read your Bible through, and pray about every need
f.
It takes WORK to balance
things out so you can rightly rest, and be at rest!
6.
Have a lot of grace with
everything, even with yourself (2Cor 12:9,10; Eph 4:29;
a.
That means, put up with –
allow things to happen that shouldn’t
b.
You are not the Saviour of the
world – you are not the judge of the world either!
c.
You CAN fall, and it will be
okay
d.
People can fail you and it
will be okay
e.
So, have grace with everyone –
be kind! HARD
f.
If you do not show kindness,
you will not be able to sleep without pills, and without stress, and without
bitterness
III.
Conclusion
A.
How to Obtain Rest
1.
Harden Not Your Heart – Get
Right with God
2.
Believe God – Whatever He says
3.
Fear Losing Your Rest– it is
so delicate and can be stomped upon!
4.
Allow Jesus to be your Rest
5.
Labour to enter into that Rest
- Moderate Your Life
6.
Have a lot of grace with
everything, even with yourself
B.
Let’s all be
well-rested Christians!