Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20011104.htm

REST FOR THE SOUL IN THIS LIFE
Part I: Trading ALL HUMAN Expectations And Labors For CHRIST'S
(Matthew 11:28)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many people of late are in search of "true REST":

(1) On Tuesday, when I arrived at the office, I saw and ad in my mail from a mail order office supply company. It told how they would no longer use a white powder it has previously utilized in packing its catalogs in plastic wrap so as to reduce static. Customers are frightened by this powder in view of recent anthrax cases.

Will customers who used to deal with mail order companies EVER obtain REST regarding handling such catalogs again?

(2) The Investor's Business Daily newspaper editorial page on Tuesday contained an article detailing a concern about the critical Social Security fund issue, how that if congress does not make changes, it will be broke by 2038. It noted how the September 11 events have put this issue on the back burner for congress, so the editor was calling for politicians to get the issue back on the agenda now before Social Security overwhelms the tax base for Americans.

(3) At the local level, the needs are the same: several have talked with this last week about their search for "peace of mind" or for "the quiet life I once knew way back when"! Sometimes the culprit is financial needs, sometimes it's a job pressure, or critical housing shortages, or the fear for safety in air travel as family will be traveling during the holiday season, or about the safety of shopping at the mall on October 31st amidst even Justice departments warnings of possible terrorist attacks.



Can we gain REST to the SOUL in THIS life, or is that something we have to expect only in the life to COME?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "Is there ANY way to find RESTFUL PEACE in our taxing times, or must we give up trying to get it until we reach HEAVEN?!"
  1. Jesus offered REST to the SOUL IN THIS LIFE, Matthew 11:29c:
    1. When Jesus said His Hebrew listeners could find "rest for your souls" in Matt. 11:29c (NIV), they would have recalled God's Jeremiah 6:16 offer for "rest for your souls," R. A. Torrey, Treasury of Scr. Know.
    2. In the context of that Jeremiah verse, God had urged Judah to return to His "old paths" for God's comprehensive blessing in THIS LIFE.
  2. Jesus taught this REST BEGINS by TRADING ALL HUMAN labors and expectations -- ours AND others' -- for HIS, Mtt. 11:28:
    1. The word "labor" (KJV) or "weary" (NIV) in Matt. 11:28a is rendered from the Greek term, kopiontes that represents a weariness from one's own labor, UBS Grk. N.T., p. 41; Trench, Syn. of the N.T., p. 378.
    2. This self-induced weariness contrasts with the "burdened" (NIV) or "heavy laden" (KJV) state also mentioned in Matt. 11:28a which is written in the passive tense to describe loads OTHERS lay on a party, Ibid., UBS Grk. N.T.; Zond. Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 323.
    3. Thus, Jesus spoke of all who lack rest from vain toil in their striving to fulfill the expectations of BOTH themselves AND that of others!
    4. Then Jesus said He Himself (emphatic personal pronoun) would "refresh the inner man," what anapauso (translated "give you rest" in the KJV and NIV) means; Ibid., UBS Greek N.T.; T.D.N.T., I, p. 350.
  3. This "trading" effort applies to SALVATION AND LIVING issues!
    1. We BEGIN to find rest regarding eternal salvation by exchanging human expectations and efforts -- ours and others' -- for Christ's:
      1. Man's best efforts for eternal salvation are futile, Rom. 3:23; 6:23.
      2. Yet, what man can not achieve, Jesus freely did in man's behalf:
        1. Jesus' death in the place of every human being satisfied the righteous demands of God for them, 2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 3:25.
        2. When one then trusts in Jesus for salvation, God pronounces him just, and freely gives him eternal life, Rom. 3:24; Jn. 3:16.
        3. Such a person is thus unconditionally eternally saved, Jn. 5:24.
    2. We may also BEGIN to find rest in this life by exchanging human expectations and efforts -- ours and others' -- for Christ's:
      1. Though trusting Jesus unconditionally secures our eternal welfare, we can still live a restless, anxious life, cf. 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Phil. 4:6a.
      2. Thus, for rest in living this LIFE, the believer must as a way of life keep exchanging his own and others' expectations and efforts for Christ's expectations and power to achieve them (as follows):
        1. Jesus' message in Matthew 11:28-30 contrasts with the errant, "self-help" Pharisee teaching where human expectations both from within one's own mind and from without by the Pharisees led to laborious but fruitless efforts to make peace with God and live in rest, Edersheim, Life & Times of Jesus the Mess., ii, 143.
        2. Thus, Jesus opposed such "man-made" quests, teaching He would supply real REST in living were one to exchange ALL human expectations and efforts -- his and others' -- to do Jesus' expectations in Jesus' way and power, Matthew 11:28 implied.
        3. From other Scriptures, we know how this applies: (a) For rest in living, after one trusts in Jesus for salvation, he is to yield himself to do God's expectations (as noted in Scripture and God's leading, cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17) opposite letting himself get crammed into a mold of expectations and efforts by others or himself that do not align with Scripture, Rom. 12:1-2. (b) He is to perform God's expectations by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit given to him at salvation, Rom. 8:9; Gal. 5:16-23!
  4. GOD then supplies ALL we need IN LIFE so we CAN DO His WILL as LONG as He WANTS us to LIVE IN this EARTHLY life!
    1. Christ's "REST for our SOULS" phrase of Mtt. 11:29 refers back to God's Jeremiah 6:16 comprehensive blessing promise under the Law.
    2. Since the dispensation of the Church differs from the Law, we apply verses like Hebrews 13:5-6 to know God comprehensively provides for our needs for us to do His will as long as He wills we live this life!
  5. In the process, God gives us great peaceful REST, Jn. 14:21, 23, 27!
Application: To BEGIN to find REST for the SOUL in THIS life, (1) we trade the expectations and labors we or others lay on us regarding gaining eternal life FOR trust in Christ's death for our sin, and God FREELY GIVES us eternal life (Eph. 2:8-9) and unconditionally secures it for us (John 5:24)! (2) To gain rest in LIVING in THIS life, we trade the expectations and efforts we or others have of us FOR what Scripture expects, and we obey that Scripture by faith in God's power in us that EQUIPS us to do that will! God then BEGINS to give REST to the SOUL coupled with all we need in life to live in His will!

Lesson: Jesus BEGINS to offer REST to the SOUL in THIS life for those who TRADE their OWN and OTHERS' expectations and labors for HIS!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 To show how God's REST can be ours in a real way, I must tell the story of the southwest corner of our Church parking lot!

Now, that corner has been a critical plot of ground over the years. If ever weeds were to grow up, that's where they would thrive!

In fact, after Mike Terwilliger gave of his time, talents and equipment to redefine the area and make a nice corner in our missions work week, as few cars travel there, weeds had since overtaken it! I knew Greg Eldridge did his best to keep them down with the mower, but unless cars regularly drove over the spot, weeds would thrive there!

Several times I've kidded with Nadine upon driving into the lot Sunday or Wednesday evenings. She would see me make a wide turn out near that corner, and I would explain how I was doing my part to keep those southwest corner weeds in line by driving over them!

Yet, deep down, I was concerned about those WEEDS! I was bothered about how that part of the lot could negatively affect our TESTIMONY if they got out of line like they threatened to do!

Yet, I am ashamed to say, I DON'T RECALL EVER PRAYING OR DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THEM!

Well, a few weeks ago, a man from a state highway work crew knocked on our Church door and asked if his men could use our parking lot. They needed a place for storing cement forms, gravel and tractors for their replacement of road drains along route 202.

I told him it would be fine as I knew they needed the space.

He said he would have his men park their things against the SOUTHWEST edge so as not to conflict with our parking needs!

When the workers were done, their use of the lot had not only redefined the corner, but they'd spread out a fine sheet of what was left from the gravel pile that had been stored there right over the spot where those weeds had once thrived. It is now the BEST part of the whole lot! As I drive in to park here now, I even enjoy looking at it!