Created for Stewardship
Series: Beginnings
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 20th October 2024
00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 Welcome everyone. My name's Steve. I haven't met you before. I'd be grateful if you had your Bibles
00:00:04 --> 00:00:09 open to that section. We are working our way through the early chapters of the book of Genesis.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:16 We'll be lingering in these chapters for a couple of weeks. So it'd be great if you had your Bibles
00:00:16 --> 00:00:23 open. And also the St. Paul's app will give you an outline for today's message. The song Friday
00:00:23 --> 00:00:32 On My Mind was released in 1966 by the Australian band The Easy Beats. It sat at position number one
00:00:32 --> 00:00:44 on the list of Australia's all-time favourite songs for over four decades. And the reason for that,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:51 according to those who study such things, is it catches something of the mindset of Australian
00:00:51 --> 00:01:00 culture. On Monday, I've got Friday on my mind. That is, the day I start working, I can't wait
00:01:00 --> 00:01:09 to finish working. I think about the day when I stop working. Early retirement, in fact, in our culture
00:01:09 --> 00:01:17 is the ultimate thing to aspire to. It's even an idol in our culture, because anything is better
00:01:17 --> 00:01:24 than having to work. And so what we're going to do today in this text is look at a couple of the key
00:01:24 --> 00:01:35 words that keep coming up in Genesis 1 and 2, the key words of work and rest. And I think it's a
00:01:35 --> 00:01:42 subject that's relevant for many of us today. There used to be such a thing called the 40-hour work week.
00:01:42 --> 00:01:47 Unless, of course, you worked for the government, it was 38 hours. True, I used to work for the government
00:01:47 --> 00:01:58 once upon a time, 38 hours. And so it's like, what happened to that? The rhythms, there used to be a
00:01:58 --> 00:02:06 rhythm, if you like. And even in ministry, when I first started ministry 30 years ago, there was this
00:02:06 --> 00:02:13 rhythm of work, rest, and play, and that almost doesn't exist anymore. What's happened? What's
00:02:13 --> 00:02:21 going on? Families and communities are suffering because of a culture of work in our society. So
00:02:21 --> 00:02:26 I've got three points on the app, called to work, how to work, and working well. So called to work.
00:02:26 --> 00:02:34 As part of the image bearing that we see there in the creation, people are called to work. God
00:02:34 --> 00:02:41 himself works. Genesis 2.2. By the seventh day, God had finished the work he'd been doing, and on the
00:02:41 --> 00:02:49 seventh day, he rested from all his work. God works. And although we read there that God ceased his
00:02:49 --> 00:02:56 creating activity on the seventh day of creation, we are told in John 5.17 that God continues to work.
00:02:57 --> 00:03:02 He still works. In fact, as the Lord of creation who upholds everything by the power of his word,
00:03:02 --> 00:03:08 if he ever ceased to work, everything we know now would dissolve into nothingness.
00:03:09 --> 00:03:16 He continues to uphold the universe as it is. And so this is an amazing statement here.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:21 What is so amazing about Genesis 2.2?
00:03:23 --> 00:03:30 In creation accounts of Eastern culture, for instance, the Babylonian creation account,
00:03:30 --> 00:03:35 probably the most famous Eastern creation account, called Eluma Elish,
00:03:36 --> 00:03:48 humanity is created as a primitive, lowly creature for the purpose of laboring to keep the world going
00:03:48 --> 00:03:54 so that the gods don't have to do anything. That's why humanity was created.
00:03:54 --> 00:04:05 And for creation accounts like Eluma Elish, work is considered bad, primitive, terrible.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 The divines don't work.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:16 On the other hand, on the creation accounts in Western culture, like those of Greco-Roman culture,
00:04:16 --> 00:04:20 the most famous of Greco-Roman culture creation account is Pandora's box.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:29 Zeus gives Pandora this box. It was actually a jar, really, but it's become known as a box.
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 And Zeus says, open it. And she opens it.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:39 And what comes out of the Pandora's box is all this bad stuff.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:45 Death, disease, decay, and work.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:52 And so in the Greek myths, work is bad.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:56 Eastern and Western, work is bad.
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 And Genesis 1 is the opposite.
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 Work is good.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:10 Genesis tells us that work is something that our creator God actually does.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 It is something good.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:14 In chapter 2, verse 7, we read,
00:05:14 --> 00:05:20 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground
00:05:20 --> 00:05:24 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 The man became a living being.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:35 I said last week that the book of Genesis, before anything else,
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 it is about God.
00:05:39 --> 00:05:43 It is the beginning of the doctrine of God.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:51 First and foremost, his name, God is referred to 35 times in the first chapter.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:57 And there is something really interesting that we note here about God.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:07 Up to this point in Genesis, Moses has used the name Elohim for the name of God.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:08 Up to this point.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:18 It's a name that portrays God's majesty as the creator of all that is.
00:06:18 --> 00:06:23 It signifies a omnipotent deity.
00:06:25 --> 00:06:33 But from chapter 2, verse 4, which technically is actually the beginning of chapter 2.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:34 We won't get into that.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:40 The guy who originally put the chapter headings in the Bible,
00:06:40 --> 00:06:41 because it never used to have chapter headings.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:42 It wasn't written with chapter headings.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 And when he put the chapter headings in, the guy who did that,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 apparently did it on horseback.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 So, you know, we're cutting some slack here.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:58 Chapter 2, verse 4, the name of God switches to Yahweh Elohim,
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 the Lord God.
00:07:02 --> 00:07:06 And so from chapter 2, verse 4, to the end of chapter 4,
00:07:06 --> 00:07:11 the dominant name for God is Yahweh Elohim.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:18 And it's a combination of the creator God and the covenant-keeping relational God.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:28 And the God of Genesis, therefore, is not a distant, cruel, angry God
00:07:28 --> 00:07:32 who creates primitive beings to do his labor.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 He is a God who is powerful but very good.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:41 He is a God who is humble and gentle of heart.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:48 And we get a glimpse of that, the first glimpse of it, in chapter 2, verse 7.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:57 This is such an interesting contrast to Greek philosophical thinking,
00:07:57 --> 00:08:01 which says manual work is bad.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 Manual work is a curse.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 Manual work is a punishment.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 Chapter 2, verse 7,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:15 God stoops down into the soil and forms man.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:22 This God is a God who's got dirt under his fingertips.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 Humanity is the apex of God's creation,
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 creating the image of God.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 According to verses 26 and 28 of chapter 1,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 we are his image bearers,
00:08:38 --> 00:08:42 and part of our purpose as his image bearers
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 is to rule the created order.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:49 We are God's royal figures,
00:08:49 --> 00:08:52 his vicegerents over creation.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:59 We exercise a delegated power on behalf of our God.
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 And then from verse 8,
00:09:03 --> 00:09:08 we see in verse 2 that God is the God who plants the garden.
00:09:10 --> 00:09:14 And then he puts Adam in it and tells him to be the gardener.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:21 All work, including manual work,
00:09:21 --> 00:09:23 is part of paradise.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:28 And all work is held up as good.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:32 It is part of God's good creation.
00:09:35 --> 00:09:39 This is so different than the way we think of things in our world.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:44 For instance, in communist ideology,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 professionals are disdained.
00:09:49 --> 00:09:52 Manual workers are disdained in capitalism.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:56 But in biblical Christianity,
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 all work is good,
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 and all work has dignity.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:05 So then how should we work?
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 That's my second point.
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 I want to touch briefly on three practical things
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 on how we should go about our work.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 Really simply, look in,
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 look out, look up.
00:10:16 --> 00:10:18 That's really the three points, really briefly.
00:10:18 --> 00:10:21 This is how we go about our work
00:10:21 --> 00:10:23 and what the Bible says about the nature of things.
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 So look in,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 that is, look into what you're gifted to.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:28 Take a look at chapter 1, verse 26.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 Then God said,
00:10:30 --> 00:10:32 let us make mankind in our image,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 in our likeness,
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 so that they may rule.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 God's image is that he is the creator
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 and ruler of all that he's made.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 And so he makes humanity in his image
00:10:44 --> 00:10:47 and he makes us rulers of all that he's made.
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 We are all made in the image of our creator
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 and so we create.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:58 The Hebrew word for God creating
00:10:58 --> 00:11:01 in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2
00:11:01 --> 00:11:05 is that he creates out of nothing.
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 That's his creative work.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 Ex nilio.
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 It is out of nothing.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 Nothing exists and he creates.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 And that's used three times
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 in Genesis 1 and 2, that word.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 Three times.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:22 All referring to God's creating work.
00:11:22 --> 00:11:24 But there's a heap of other words
00:11:24 --> 00:11:26 that are used in Genesis 1 and 2.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 Words like form, make, separate, shape.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:33 And they are used of both God and people.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:39 So the truest sense of our humanity's creating work
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 is to make,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 is to sub-create, if you like.
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 God's creative work
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 is to make something entirely new
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 from no matter at all
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 and only God can do that.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:58 To sub-create is to make something relatively new
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 using existing material.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:04 And sub-creating is what the spirit does
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 in chapter 1 verse 2.
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 Hovering over the empty matter
00:12:07 --> 00:12:09 and bringing order from chaos,
00:12:10 --> 00:12:12 newness out of unformed material.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 And every human being,
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 in some way,
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 has a desire to reflect
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 that work of God.
00:12:22 --> 00:12:27 It might be developing a product.
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 It might be starting a business.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 It might be creating a piece of,
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 or sub-creating a piece of art.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 It might be turning around
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 a dysfunctional work team
00:12:41 --> 00:12:42 or a dysfunctional partner,
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 a department,
00:12:44 --> 00:12:46 or a dysfunctional organisation.
00:12:46 --> 00:12:48 It might be an educator
00:12:48 --> 00:12:52 bringing out the potential in a student,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 a medical professional
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 bringing order to a broken body,
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 a therapist bringing order to a broken mind.
00:13:00 --> 00:13:04 I could go on and on and on and on and on.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:06 A mother changing,
00:13:06 --> 00:13:06 or a father actually,
00:13:07 --> 00:13:07 I don't want to get,
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 changing a nappy.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:14 Changing a nappy to bring disorder
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 from this mess.
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 You could go on.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:20 It could be bringing order
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 to gardens and buildings
00:13:21 --> 00:13:23 and people's hair and clothing
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 and raising.
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 I mean, you just go on bringing.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 That is the work of sub-creating.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 As I mentioned last week,
00:13:33 --> 00:13:36 in Greek philosophy,
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 divides the world
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 into the spiritual being good
00:13:40 --> 00:13:42 and the physical being bad.
00:13:42 --> 00:13:45 It is not biblical Christianity at all.
00:13:48 --> 00:13:50 There is something very physical
00:13:50 --> 00:13:52 about the work of spiritual work
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 that I do.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 And there is something deeply spiritual
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 about the physical work you do.
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 And I do.
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 God does not divide
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 between the secular and the sacred.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:10 It is not biblical Christianity
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 to do that.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 So as a Christian,
00:14:15 --> 00:14:17 if you are not well,
00:14:19 --> 00:14:21 pray to God about your sickness
00:14:21 --> 00:14:23 and go to the doctor.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 And go to the doctor.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:32 You are not being super spiritual.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 You are not being more spiritual.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 You're not being more mature
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 by not going to the doctor.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:41 If your car breaks down,
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 pray about it,
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 but call a mechanic.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:50 God has gifted humanity
00:14:50 --> 00:14:53 for the work
00:14:53 --> 00:14:56 of bringing order
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 out of chaos.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 That's his job.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 That is our job.
00:15:01 --> 00:15:07 So look into how God has gifted you
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 in that space.
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 I am so deeply thankful
00:15:11 --> 00:15:13 for the people who bring order
00:15:13 --> 00:15:16 in my life
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 amongst the chaos
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 in all kinds of way.
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 The legal professionals
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 who jump in
00:15:22 --> 00:15:25 when there's legal disorder.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 for Craig,
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 sitting over here,
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 the work that he does,
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 most of us
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 are not even aware of.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:34 We get to sit in an ordered building
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 because of this guy.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 We get to enjoy
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 ordered grounds
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 because of this guy.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 You ought to be praising
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 his work as much as mine.
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 Or more,
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 if you don't praise mine at all.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 Look out
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 is the second point
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 to a world around you
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 and give the world
00:15:55 --> 00:15:57 what it needs to have.
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 Chapter 2, verse 15,
00:15:59 --> 00:16:00 the Lord God took the man
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 and put him in the garden of Eden
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 to work and take care of it.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:05 To take care of it,
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 not to abuse it,
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 not to exploit it,
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 not to use it.
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 And this is the issue
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 of stewardship.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 We are stewards
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 of God's resources.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:15 We are stewards
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 of God's gifts
00:16:16 --> 00:16:17 that he's given us
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 for a higher purpose.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 our own glorification
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 but for the creating of order
00:16:23 --> 00:16:25 in society,
00:16:25 --> 00:16:25 in his world.
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 You see,
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 the first point
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 of looking in
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 to see how God gives me
00:16:32 --> 00:16:34 really does suit
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 the Western individual
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 mindset really well.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 Thanks for that, Steve.
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 Let's finish the sermon there.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:42 But this one
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 about the rest of the...
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 Not so much.
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 And this is the balance.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 work
00:16:47 --> 00:16:49 is not just
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 about using
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 my gifts
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 and fulfilling me.
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 It is about
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 working for the good
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 of others.
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 So the biblical view
00:16:57 --> 00:16:57 of work
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 is we are stewards
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 of the world
00:17:00 --> 00:17:02 and the people
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 around us.
00:17:05 --> 00:17:07 How is my work
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 in contributing
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 to the advancement
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 of society?
00:17:09 --> 00:17:15 How is it contributing
00:17:15 --> 00:17:15 to the advancement
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 of society?
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 That's a question
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 for you
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 before you go
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 to work tomorrow morning.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:23 Or if you're not sure,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:24 ask me,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 I can tell you.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 In one way or another,
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 it's really...
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 I mean,
00:17:28 --> 00:17:30 it's clear.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 I mean,
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 my optometrist
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 over here
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 helps me to see things
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 so I can write sermons
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 and read.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 Get a greater glimpse
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 of the world.
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 Bringing order
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 out of chaos.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 The last one
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 is to look up
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 to the one
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 who has called you.
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 There is to be
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 a sense of mission
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 or purpose
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 to our work.
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 Ephesians 2.10,
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 we are God's
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 handiwork
00:17:54 --> 00:17:56 created in Christ Jesus
00:17:56 --> 00:17:58 to do good works
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 which God prepared
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 in advance
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 for us to do.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 The Christian perspective
00:18:02 --> 00:18:02 on work
00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 is that if we look in
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 and see the way
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 God has gifted us,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 if we look out
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 to make a difference
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 to those gifts
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 in the wider world
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 to bring order
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 to chaos,
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 then we know
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 ultimately
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 that God
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 will use that work.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 And if we work
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 like this,
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 we will be content
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 with our vocation
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 in life.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 But we need
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 all three things
00:18:27 --> 00:18:27 together.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:30 All three of them.
00:18:31 --> 00:18:34 And that moves me
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 here to the final point.
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 Because what I've just
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 said can seem
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 so unrealistic.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 There is certainly
00:18:44 --> 00:18:46 truth in that thought.
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 Frankly,
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 for me personally,
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 I have a job
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 that ticks
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 all the boxes
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 for me.
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 My vocation
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 in life
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 ticks all the boxes
00:18:54 --> 00:18:54 for me.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 But even so,
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 every single job,
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 every single vocation
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 can be
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 unbelievably
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 frustrating.
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 And at times
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 crushing.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 And filled
00:19:11 --> 00:19:13 with all kinds
00:19:13 --> 00:19:13 of difficulty
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 and anxieties.
00:19:14 --> 00:19:18 I fully understand
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 that our work
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 can hurt us.
00:19:20 --> 00:19:22 It can drain us.
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 It is so frustrating.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:25 And yet,
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 we haven't got
00:19:28 --> 00:19:28 to the rest
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 of the Bible yet,
00:19:29 --> 00:19:31 which is so realistic
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 about this.
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 Work will never
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 be the good
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 it was created
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 to be
00:19:37 --> 00:19:39 unless we see
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 that
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 what we need
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 in our hearts
00:19:45 --> 00:19:47 in order
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 to work well.
00:19:48 --> 00:19:48 So let's move
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 to the third point
00:19:49 --> 00:19:52 on working well.
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 What we need
00:19:54 --> 00:19:56 in our hearts
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 to work well
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 is rest.
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 That's what we need.
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 Genesis 2,
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 2-3.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 By the seventh day,
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 God had finished
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 the work
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 he had been doing.
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 And so on the seventh day,
00:20:11 --> 00:20:11 he rested
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 from all his work.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 Then God
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 blessed the seventh day
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 and made it holy
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 because on it
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 he rested
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 from all
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 the work
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 of creating
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 that he had done.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 God finished
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 his work
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 and he rested.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 It is the only
00:20:27 --> 00:20:29 day of creation
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 that God blesses.
00:20:30 --> 00:20:32 He made
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 the seventh day
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 holy.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 That means
00:20:35 --> 00:20:37 it's been set apart
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 and it's been set apart
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 for us.
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 Unlike
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 the previous
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 six days,
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 the number
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 of the day
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 of this particular day,
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 day seven,
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 is repeated
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 three times
00:20:49 --> 00:20:51 in Genesis 2
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 and 3.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 Chapter 2,
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 2 or 3.
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 The seventh day
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 stands
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 apart
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 in
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 solidary
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 grandeur
00:21:03 --> 00:21:06 as the crown
00:21:06 --> 00:21:08 to the six days
00:21:08 --> 00:21:08 of creating.
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 God's rest
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 here
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 is one
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 of deep
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 pleasure
00:21:13 --> 00:21:15 and satisfaction
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 at the fruit
00:21:16 --> 00:21:16 of his labor.
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 From the beginning
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 of creation,
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 the seventh day
00:21:21 --> 00:21:23 was central
00:21:23 --> 00:21:25 not only
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 to creation
00:21:26 --> 00:21:28 but to the
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 ultimate
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 destiny
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 of all
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 of humanity.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 We can read
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 in these
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 two chapters
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 a rhythm
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 of work
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 and rest
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 and it's
00:21:41 --> 00:21:41 certainly good
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 for all people
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 to practice it.
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 But the Bible
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 tells us
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 there's more
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 to this rest
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 than is
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 immediately
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 obvious
00:21:49 --> 00:21:50 here.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 Immediately
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 obvious.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 if we
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 truly
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 want to
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 be able
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 to work
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 as we
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 have seen
00:21:56 --> 00:21:56 here
00:21:56 --> 00:21:58 then we
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 need to
00:21:58 --> 00:22:01 have a
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 truly
00:22:02 --> 00:22:02 Sabbath
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 rest,
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 a deep
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 Sabbath
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 rest.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 Let's just
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 dig a little
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 bit deeper
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 on that.
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 Psalm 95
00:22:10 --> 00:22:12 is all
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 about worship.
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 Psalm 95
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 all about worship.
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 At the end
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 of the
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 psalm
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 we read
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 something
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 that's a
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 little
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 unusual.
00:22:21 --> 00:22:21 I'll
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 paraphrase
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 it a
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 little bit
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 for us.
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 Hear
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 his voice.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:27 Do not
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 harden
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 your hearts
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 as your
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 ancestors
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 did.
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 So I
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 declared
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 on oath
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 in my
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 anger
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 they shall
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 never
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 enter
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 my
00:22:38 --> 00:22:38 rest.
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 It's all
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 about worship
00:22:42 --> 00:22:44 and God
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 says
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 they have
00:22:45 --> 00:22:45 rejected
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 me and
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 therefore
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 they will
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 never
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 enter
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 rest.
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 It
00:22:51 --> 00:22:51 doesn't
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 end there
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 though.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 If you
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 go further
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 into the
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 Bible
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 Hebrews
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 chapter
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 3 and
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 4
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 it says
00:22:57 --> 00:22:57 there
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 that there
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 is still
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 a rest
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 for the
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 people of
00:23:01 --> 00:23:01 God.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 What's
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 that all
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 about?
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 Well
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 jump back
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 into Psalm
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 chapter 3
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 verses 5
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 and 6
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 this is
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 David
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 I
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 lie
00:23:12 --> 00:23:12 down
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 and
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 sleep
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 I
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 wake
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 again
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 because
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 the
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 Lord
00:23:18 --> 00:23:18 has
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 sustained
00:23:19 --> 00:23:19 me
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 throughout
00:23:20 --> 00:23:20 my
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 sleep
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 I
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 will
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 not
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 fear
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 though
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 tens
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 of
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 thousands
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 assail
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 me
00:23:28 --> 00:23:29 on
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 every
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 side.
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 So here's
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 David
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 saying
00:23:33 --> 00:23:34 I am
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 surrounded
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 by tens
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 of thousands
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 of enemies
00:23:38 --> 00:23:40 and I'm
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 sleeping
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 like a
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 baby.
00:23:43 --> 00:23:43 Apologies
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 if your
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 baby
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 does not
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 sleep
00:23:44 --> 00:23:44 that
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 well.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 The
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 Psalmist
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 is talking
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 here about
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 deep
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 deep
00:23:51 --> 00:23:52 rest
00:23:52 --> 00:23:52 of the
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 soul.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 Deep
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 rest of
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 the soul
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 a rest
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 that we
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 all need
00:23:59 --> 00:24:04 and a
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 rest that
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 so many
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 do not
00:24:05 --> 00:24:05 have.
00:24:07 --> 00:24:08 And it
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 plays out
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 in our
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 work.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 She's
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 one of the
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 biggest
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 selling
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 female
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 artists
00:24:15 --> 00:24:15 of all
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 time
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 having
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 sold
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 over
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 400
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 million
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 albums
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 around
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 the
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 world.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 She's
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 done
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 TV
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 work,
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 film
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 work,
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 launched
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 her own
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 line of
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 clothing,
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 her career
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 has
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 expanded
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 more than
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 four
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 decades
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 and she's
00:24:28 --> 00:24:29 won
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 multiple
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 Golden
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 Globes
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 and
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 Grammys.
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 But
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 Madonna
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 still can't
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 find
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 rest.
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 When
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 Madonna
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 was in
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 the
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 heyday
00:24:37 --> 00:24:37 of her
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 cultural
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 significance
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 she gave
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 a now
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 famous
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 interview
00:24:41 --> 00:24:42 with
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 I think
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 it was
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 Vanity Fair
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 or Vogue
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 for me
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 I don't
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 care.
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 She said
00:24:50 --> 00:24:50 what she
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 said there
00:24:51 --> 00:24:51 about her
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 work was
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 very sobering.
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 I have
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 an iron
00:24:55 --> 00:24:55 wheel
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 and all
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 of my
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 will
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 has always
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 been to
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 conquer
00:24:59 --> 00:24:59 some
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 horrible
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 feeling
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 of
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 inadequacy.
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03 I'm
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 always
00:25:04 --> 00:25:04 struggling
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 with that
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 fear.
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 I push
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 past
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 one
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 spell
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 of it
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 and
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 discover
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 myself
00:25:09 --> 00:25:09 as a
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 special
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 human
00:25:10 --> 00:25:10 being
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 and
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 then I
00:25:11 --> 00:25:11 get to
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 another
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 stage
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 and I
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 think I'm
00:25:13 --> 00:25:13 mediocre
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 and uninteresting.
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 My drive
00:25:16 --> 00:25:16 in life
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 is from
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 this horrible
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 fear of
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 being
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 mediocre
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 and that's
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 always
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 pushing me
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 pushing me
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 because even
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 though I
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 become
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 somebody
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 I still
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 have to
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 prove
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 that
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 somebody.
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 My
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 struggle
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 has never
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 ended
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 and it
00:25:32 --> 00:25:32 probably
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 never
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 will.
00:25:34 --> 00:25:36 that
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 was her
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 answer
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 to the
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 question
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 of why
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 do you
00:25:40 --> 00:25:40 work
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 so
00:25:41 --> 00:25:41 hard?
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 Harold
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 Abrahams
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 was an
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 English
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 athlete
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 who won
00:25:48 --> 00:25:48 the 100
00:25:48 --> 00:25:48 metre
00:25:48 --> 00:25:48 gold
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 medal
00:25:49 --> 00:25:49 at the
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 1924
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 Paris
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 Olympics.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 What was
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 his motivation
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 to work
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 so hard
00:25:55 --> 00:25:55 train
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 so hard?
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 He was
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 asked that
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 question
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 what drove
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 you?
00:25:59 --> 00:25:59 He said
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 quote
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 I've got
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 10 seconds
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 to justify
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 my
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 existence.
00:26:04 --> 00:26:11 You see
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 on top
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 of the
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 work
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 that we
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 do
00:26:14 --> 00:26:14 our
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 vocations
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 in life
00:26:16 --> 00:26:16 is this
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 deeper
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 work
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 that's
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 going
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 on in
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 the
00:26:18 --> 00:26:18 soul.
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 A
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 work
00:26:20 --> 00:26:20 that
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 sits
00:26:21 --> 00:26:21 under
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 all
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 of
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 that
00:26:22 --> 00:26:22 work
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 and
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 for
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 most
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 part
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 for
00:26:26 --> 00:26:26 the
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 most
00:26:27 --> 00:26:27 part
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 it's
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 unseen.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:31 so many
00:26:31 --> 00:26:31 of us
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 unaware
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 that we're
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 not actually
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 just working
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 in our
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 vocations
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 we're
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 working
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 deep
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 in our
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 souls
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 at the
00:26:37 --> 00:26:37 same
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 time.
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 The
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 atheist
00:26:41 --> 00:26:41 Stephen
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 J.
00:26:42 --> 00:26:42 Gould
00:26:42 --> 00:26:42 put it
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 like
00:26:43 --> 00:26:43 this
00:26:43 --> 00:26:45 we're
00:26:45 --> 00:26:45 here
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 because
00:26:46 --> 00:26:47 one
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 odd
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 group
00:26:47 --> 00:26:47 of
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 fishes
00:26:48 --> 00:26:48 had a
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 peculiar
00:26:49 --> 00:26:49 fin
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 anatomy
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 that
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 could
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 transform
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 into
00:26:52 --> 00:26:52 legs
00:26:52 --> 00:26:52 for
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 terrestrial
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 creatures.
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 Because the
00:26:55 --> 00:26:55 earth never
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 froze entirely
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 during an
00:26:57 --> 00:26:57 ice age
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 because our
00:26:58 --> 00:26:59 small and
00:26:59 --> 00:26:59 tenuous
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 species
00:27:00 --> 00:27:00 arising in
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 Africa a
00:27:01 --> 00:27:01 quarter of a million
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 years ago
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 has managed
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 so far to
00:27:04 --> 00:27:04 survive by
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 hook or by
00:27:05 --> 00:27:05 crook
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 we may
00:27:06 --> 00:27:06 yearn for
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 a higher
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 answer but
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 none
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 exists.
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 This
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 explanation
00:27:10 --> 00:27:10 though
00:27:10 --> 00:27:11 superficially
00:27:11 --> 00:27:11 troubling
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 is ultimately
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 liberating
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 we have to
00:27:14 --> 00:27:14 construct
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 therefore
00:27:15 --> 00:27:15 any
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 meaning
00:27:16 --> 00:27:17 ourselves.
00:27:18 --> 00:27:18 And he's
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 absolutely
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 right.
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 If you
00:27:21 --> 00:27:21 want to
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 begin
00:27:22 --> 00:27:24 with the
00:27:24 --> 00:27:24 premise
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 that there
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 is no
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 creator
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 God
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 that it's
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 all an
00:27:30 --> 00:27:30 accident
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 a freak
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 accident
00:27:32 --> 00:27:36 then you
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 have to
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 construct
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 meaning
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 for
00:27:38 --> 00:27:38 yourself
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 because
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 no
00:27:39 --> 00:27:39 other
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 meaning
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 exists.
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 That is
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 the bedrock
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 of secularism.
00:27:45 --> 00:27:46 There is
00:27:46 --> 00:27:46 no such
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 thing as
00:27:47 --> 00:27:47 purpose in
00:27:47 --> 00:27:49 life and
00:27:49 --> 00:27:49 Stephen Jay
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 Gould is
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 one of the
00:27:50 --> 00:27:50 few
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 atheists
00:27:51 --> 00:27:53 who
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 actually will
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 acknowledge
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 that
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 or did
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 acknowledge
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 it.
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 And so
00:27:58 --> 00:28:00 many of
00:28:00 --> 00:28:00 us in
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 our
00:28:01 --> 00:28:03 productivity
00:28:03 --> 00:28:03 driven
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 western
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 world
00:28:05 --> 00:28:06 are
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 trying to
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 construct
00:28:07 --> 00:28:07 that
00:28:07 --> 00:28:07 meaning
00:28:07 --> 00:28:08 out of
00:28:08 --> 00:28:08 our
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 work.
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 Out of
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 our
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 vocation
00:28:12 --> 00:28:12 out of
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 our stages
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 in life
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 out of
00:28:14 --> 00:28:14 our
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 gifting.
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 There is
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 a deeper
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 work going
00:28:19 --> 00:28:19 on that
00:28:19 --> 00:28:20 our vocations
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 feed into
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 and that
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 we actually
00:28:23 --> 00:28:23 try to
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 extract from
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 our work.
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 And that
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 is what
00:28:27 --> 00:28:27 makes our
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 work such
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 a burden
00:28:29 --> 00:28:30 such a
00:28:30 --> 00:28:30 mess
00:28:30 --> 00:28:32 so far
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 from the
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 ideal.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:36 If
00:28:36 --> 00:28:37 anything goes
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 wrong with
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 our work
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 then our
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 sense of
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 self becomes
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 unraveled.
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 When we
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 retire our
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 sense of
00:28:44 --> 00:28:45 purposelessness
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 increases.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 Our identities
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 get rocked.
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 This is where
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 the Christian
00:28:52 --> 00:28:52 teaching on
00:28:52 --> 00:28:54 creation and
00:28:54 --> 00:28:54 work is just
00:28:54 --> 00:28:56 so helpful
00:28:56 --> 00:28:57 for our
00:28:57 --> 00:28:57 sense of
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 being.
00:28:58 --> 00:29:02 in Genesis
00:29:02 --> 00:29:02 2 when
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 God finishes
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 the sixth
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 day of
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 creating
00:29:05 --> 00:29:05 he
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 effectively
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 declares
00:29:07 --> 00:29:09 it is
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 finished.
00:29:11 --> 00:29:12 It's
00:29:12 --> 00:29:12 done.
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 Centuries
00:29:16 --> 00:29:16 later the
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 same God
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 cries out the
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 same words
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 it is
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 finished.
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 The first
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 time God
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 got rest
00:29:23 --> 00:29:24 because of
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 creation
00:29:24 --> 00:29:26 the second
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 time Jesus
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 Christ
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 calls out
00:29:28 --> 00:29:28 it is
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 finished on
00:29:29 --> 00:29:29 the cross
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 so that we
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 could have
00:29:30 --> 00:29:31 deep soul
00:29:31 --> 00:29:31 rest.
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 Hebrews 4
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 verse 9
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 puts it like
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 this.
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 There remains
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 then a
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 Sabbath rest
00:29:39 --> 00:29:39 for the
00:29:39 --> 00:29:40 people of
00:29:40 --> 00:29:40 God.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 For anyone
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 who enters
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 God's rest
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 also rests
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 from their
00:29:43 --> 00:29:45 work just
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 as God
00:29:46 --> 00:29:46 did from
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 his.
00:29:48 --> 00:29:49 See the
00:29:49 --> 00:29:49 rest of
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 Hebrew 4
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 tells us
00:29:51 --> 00:29:51 that we
00:29:51 --> 00:29:52 can enter
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 God's
00:29:53 --> 00:29:53 eternal
00:29:53 --> 00:29:54 rest
00:29:54 --> 00:29:55 the purpose
00:29:55 --> 00:29:56 of creation
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 right now
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 in Jesus
00:29:58 --> 00:29:59 Christ.
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 Right now.
00:30:02 --> 00:30:03 The approval
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 that every
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 human being
00:30:05 --> 00:30:05 needs
00:30:05 --> 00:30:08 is to be
00:30:08 --> 00:30:08 approved
00:30:08 --> 00:30:09 in God's
00:30:09 --> 00:30:09 heart.
00:30:10 --> 00:30:10 The
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 significance
00:30:11 --> 00:30:11 that we
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 really need
00:30:12 --> 00:30:13 is the
00:30:13 --> 00:30:13 significance
00:30:13 --> 00:30:14 that we
00:30:14 --> 00:30:14 get from
00:30:14 --> 00:30:15 God's
00:30:15 --> 00:30:15 eyes.
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 The
00:30:16 --> 00:30:16 security
00:30:16 --> 00:30:17 that we
00:30:17 --> 00:30:17 need
00:30:17 --> 00:30:17 is the
00:30:17 --> 00:30:18 security
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 of being
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 wrapped
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 in God's
00:30:19 --> 00:30:20 arms.
00:30:20 --> 00:30:22 work
00:30:22 --> 00:30:22 will
00:30:22 --> 00:30:23 never
00:30:23 --> 00:30:23 ever
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 give it
00:30:24 --> 00:30:25 to us.
00:30:27 --> 00:30:28 God's
00:30:28 --> 00:30:29 work
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 is
00:30:29 --> 00:30:30 finished
00:30:30 --> 00:30:30 on the
00:30:30 --> 00:30:31 day of
00:30:31 --> 00:30:31 creation
00:30:31 --> 00:30:33 and the
00:30:33 --> 00:30:33 day of
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 redemption.
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 The
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 Lord God
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 is Yahweh
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 Elohim.
00:30:39 --> 00:30:40 He is
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 our creator
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 and our
00:30:42 --> 00:30:42 redeemer.
00:30:43 --> 00:30:44 In
00:30:44 --> 00:30:44 Jesus
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 Christ
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 our
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 existence
00:30:46 --> 00:30:46 is
00:30:46 --> 00:30:47 justified
00:30:47 --> 00:30:49 before we
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 even get
00:30:50 --> 00:30:50 up in
00:30:50 --> 00:30:51 the morning
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 and head
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 to work.
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 He is
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 our
00:30:55 --> 00:30:55 existence
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 and he
00:30:56 --> 00:30:56 is our
00:30:56 --> 00:30:57 justification.
00:30:57 --> 00:30:58 He is
00:30:58 --> 00:30:58 not our
00:30:58 --> 00:30:58 work.
00:31:00 --> 00:31:01 Religion
00:31:01 --> 00:31:02 turns even
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 him into
00:31:03 --> 00:31:03 a work.
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 We will
00:31:06 --> 00:31:06 never have
00:31:06 --> 00:31:07 joy and
00:31:07 --> 00:31:08 freedom and
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 rest in
00:31:09 --> 00:31:09 our work
00:31:09 --> 00:31:10 until we
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 realize that
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 the deepest
00:31:12 --> 00:31:12 work,
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 the work
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 to redeem
00:31:15 --> 00:31:15 and to
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 justify
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 our souls
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 has
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 already
00:31:18 --> 00:31:18 been
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 fully
00:31:19 --> 00:31:20 completely
00:31:20 --> 00:31:20 accomplished
00:31:20 --> 00:31:21 and
00:31:21 --> 00:31:22 finalized
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 in
00:31:22 --> 00:31:22 Jesus.
00:31:24 --> 00:31:24 And so
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 what Jesus
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 does is
00:31:26 --> 00:31:26 he calls
00:31:26 --> 00:31:28 us to
00:31:28 --> 00:31:28 come to
00:31:28 --> 00:31:29 him.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 Come to
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 me all
00:31:33 --> 00:31:33 you who
00:31:33 --> 00:31:34 are weary
00:31:34 --> 00:31:35 and burdened
00:31:35 --> 00:31:36 and I
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 will give
00:31:37 --> 00:31:37 you rest.
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 Take my
00:31:39 --> 00:31:39 yoke upon
00:31:39 --> 00:31:40 you and
00:31:40 --> 00:31:40 learn from
00:31:40 --> 00:31:41 me for
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 I am
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 gentle and
00:31:42 --> 00:31:42 humble in
00:31:42 --> 00:31:43 heart and
00:31:43 --> 00:31:43 you will
00:31:43 --> 00:31:44 find rest
00:31:44 --> 00:31:44 for your
00:31:44 --> 00:31:45 souls.
00:31:45 --> 00:31:46 for my
00:31:46 --> 00:31:46 yoke is
00:31:46 --> 00:31:48 easy and
00:31:48 --> 00:31:48 my burden
00:31:48 --> 00:31:49 is light.
00:31:50 --> 00:31:51 He offers
00:31:51 --> 00:31:52 us deep
00:31:52 --> 00:31:54 deep rest
00:31:54 --> 00:31:55 because he
00:31:55 --> 00:31:56 took our
00:31:56 --> 00:31:56 burden.
00:31:57 --> 00:31:58 A rest
00:31:58 --> 00:31:58 that's so
00:31:58 --> 00:31:59 deep that
00:31:59 --> 00:32:00 your world
00:32:00 --> 00:32:01 can move
00:32:01 --> 00:32:02 into chaos.
00:32:03 --> 00:32:03 Your
00:32:03 --> 00:32:04 workplace,
00:32:04 --> 00:32:05 your vocation
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 can move
00:32:05 --> 00:32:05 into chaos
00:32:05 --> 00:32:06 and yet you
00:32:06 --> 00:32:06 can still
00:32:06 --> 00:32:07 have rest.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:09 He was
00:32:09 --> 00:32:10 crushed for
00:32:10 --> 00:32:10 our sin,
00:32:11 --> 00:32:11 he shouldered
00:32:11 --> 00:32:12 our burden.
00:32:13 --> 00:32:13 So how
00:32:13 --> 00:32:14 do we know
00:32:14 --> 00:32:15 that we
00:32:15 --> 00:32:15 are truly
00:32:15 --> 00:32:16 resting in
00:32:16 --> 00:32:16 the finished
00:32:16 --> 00:32:17 work of
00:32:17 --> 00:32:19 his redemption
00:32:19 --> 00:32:19 and not
00:32:19 --> 00:32:20 just his
00:32:20 --> 00:32:20 creation?
00:32:23 --> 00:32:24 Well, for
00:32:24 --> 00:32:25 a start we
00:32:25 --> 00:32:25 can take
00:32:25 --> 00:32:26 time off.
00:32:28 --> 00:32:28 We can
00:32:28 --> 00:32:32 stop and
00:32:32 --> 00:32:33 we commune
00:32:33 --> 00:32:33 with him.
00:32:36 --> 00:32:37 If we do
00:32:37 --> 00:32:38 not stop
00:32:38 --> 00:32:39 from all
00:32:39 --> 00:32:39 of our
00:32:39 --> 00:32:41 work to
00:32:41 --> 00:32:41 be with
00:32:41 --> 00:32:42 God,
00:32:42 --> 00:32:42 God,
00:32:43 --> 00:32:44 it's one
00:32:44 --> 00:32:44 of the
00:32:44 --> 00:32:45 first signs
00:32:45 --> 00:32:45 that we
00:32:45 --> 00:32:46 do not
00:32:46 --> 00:32:47 have
00:32:47 --> 00:32:47 spiritual
00:32:47 --> 00:32:48 rest in
00:32:48 --> 00:32:48 Jesus.
00:32:51 --> 00:32:52 Our
00:32:52 --> 00:32:52 experience
00:32:52 --> 00:32:53 of rest
00:32:53 --> 00:32:54 is
00:32:54 --> 00:32:55 proportionate
00:32:55 --> 00:32:56 to our
00:32:56 --> 00:32:57 trusting in
00:32:57 --> 00:32:57 him.
00:32:58 --> 00:32:59 Our
00:32:59 --> 00:33:00 wholehearted
00:33:00 --> 00:33:01 trust
00:33:01 --> 00:33:02 brings rest
00:33:02 --> 00:33:02 to our
00:33:02 --> 00:33:03 souls in
00:33:03 --> 00:33:03 all of
00:33:03 --> 00:33:04 its divine,
00:33:05 --> 00:33:05 cosmic,
00:33:05 --> 00:33:06 and ideal
00:33:06 --> 00:33:07 dimensions.
00:33:07 --> 00:33:10 as the
00:33:10 --> 00:33:10 great
00:33:10 --> 00:33:10 Saint
00:33:10 --> 00:33:11 Augustine
00:33:11 --> 00:33:11 said,
00:33:12 --> 00:33:13 our hearts
00:33:13 --> 00:33:13 are restless
00:33:13 --> 00:33:15 until they
00:33:15 --> 00:33:15 find rest
00:33:15 --> 00:33:16 in God.
00:33:17 --> 00:33:18 Life
00:33:18 --> 00:33:19 apart from
00:33:19 --> 00:33:20 Jesus is
00:33:20 --> 00:33:20 constant
00:33:20 --> 00:33:21 striving,
00:33:22 --> 00:33:23 and we
00:33:23 --> 00:33:24 will remain
00:33:24 --> 00:33:25 restless no
00:33:25 --> 00:33:26 matter what
00:33:26 --> 00:33:27 we obtain
00:33:27 --> 00:33:28 or what we
00:33:28 --> 00:33:29 attain in
00:33:29 --> 00:33:30 this world.
00:33:30 --> 00:33:32 And so
00:33:32 --> 00:33:33 Jesus calls
00:33:33 --> 00:33:33 you,
00:33:34 --> 00:33:35 the weary,
00:33:36 --> 00:33:37 the burdened,
00:33:37 --> 00:33:38 to come to
00:33:38 --> 00:33:38 him and
00:33:38 --> 00:33:39 receive the
00:33:39 --> 00:33:39 gift of
00:33:39 --> 00:33:40 rest.
00:33:40 --> 00:33:41 His deepest
00:33:41 --> 00:33:42 heart towards
00:33:42 --> 00:33:43 you is not
00:33:43 --> 00:33:44 to lump you
00:33:44 --> 00:33:44 with more
00:33:44 --> 00:33:45 work.
00:33:45 --> 00:33:46 His deepest
00:33:46 --> 00:33:47 heart towards
00:33:47 --> 00:33:47 you is
00:33:47 --> 00:33:48 gentleness
00:33:48 --> 00:33:49 and humility
00:33:49 --> 00:33:51 and rest.
00:33:52 --> 00:33:52 Come,
00:33:54 --> 00:33:55 follow
00:33:55 --> 00:33:55 Jesus,
00:33:56 --> 00:33:56 treasure
00:33:56 --> 00:33:57 Jesus,
00:33:57 --> 00:33:58 and find
00:33:58 --> 00:33:58 rest for
00:33:58 --> 00:33:59 your souls.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:01 Amen.