Glimpses of Glory God's Rest

Series: Isaiah

Speaker: John Lau

Date: 21st May 2023

00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 What picture comes to your mind when you hear the four-letter words, rest?
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 Do you think of normal assignments, assessments,
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 or other deadlines that are breathing down your neck?
00:00:17 --> 00:00:22 Or, holidaying somewhere that's warmer, or with your favorite climate?
00:00:22 --> 00:00:31 Like, being somewhere alone, or with only a few people who follow everything you tell them to do without arguing?
00:00:33 --> 00:00:37 Or, having everything taken care of, so you don't have to think.
00:00:38 --> 00:00:39 Don't need to think about what to do.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 Don't need to think about what to cook to feed all those hungry mouths.
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 You know, those hungry and angry type.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:56 I know someone who likes to do some small upper-fixer job around their home or their office as their rest.
00:00:57 --> 00:01:01 Some think of gardening, mowing the lawn, or cleaning up their house.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:09 Most people will have a glass or two of their favorite drinks to celebrate their job well done.
00:01:12 --> 00:01:15 If you have been following our preaching series in the Book of Isaiah,
00:01:15 --> 00:01:20 you may find it strange that I am asking you to imagine rest.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 From the beginning of the book to chapter 27,
00:01:24 --> 00:01:30 it has been a restless picture of imminent judgment and a call to repentance.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:39 The Book of Isaiah is about the Holy Creator restoring His holiness among His people
00:01:39 --> 00:01:50 by prophesying and allowing them to be taken captive and subject to a ruthless, unmerciful, ungracious ruler.
00:01:51 --> 00:02:01 God revealed His glory and grace to His people by giving them a negative example of life without Him.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:10 At this point in the book, the topic of rest reminds us that God is gracious and glorious.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:19 The God who made the world and all the things in it, who the Bible reveals and all Christians believe in,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:28 is not as promoted by many other religions as a God that manipulates His believers' lives to keep them in fear,
00:02:28 --> 00:02:34 so they will keep bringing their offerings and serve it with their hands.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:40 God does not take joy in playing with our life or punishing His creations.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:46 God, the Creator, is not as many people choose to believe,
00:02:47 --> 00:02:51 especially many atheist philosophers, that is unloving and distant.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:58 God did not create this world to leave it to run itself.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:05 God has cared for you in every minute of your life since the world was created,
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 whether you have reached out and found Him or not,
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 or realizing these threats or not.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:17 The Apostle Paul highlighted this fact about God's creation
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 and God's interaction with His creation
00:03:20 --> 00:03:27 when he visited the city of Athens in Acts 17, verse 26 to 27.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:31 From one man He make all nations that...
00:03:31 --> 00:03:41 From one man He make all nations that they should inhabit the whole earth,
00:03:42 --> 00:03:47 and He mark out for their appointed time in history and the boundary for their land.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:53 God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him,
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 though He's not far from any one of us.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 If you have reached out and found God,
00:03:59 --> 00:04:02 and you have been a Christian for a while,
00:04:02 --> 00:04:07 however, God seems so far from your life and you are restless and troubled,
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 or you have never reached out to find God,
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 let's get back to some basics about our world,
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 about the God who made it,
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 and our life by looking at the three aspects of rest.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:25 Rest installed, rest interrupt, and rest restored.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:30 From Messiah 28, another part of the Bible.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:32 There's the outline...
00:04:33 --> 00:04:34 Sorry.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:45 There's the outline in our SingPause app that you can use,
00:04:45 --> 00:04:50 and also you can use this app to drop some notes for yourself to review later.
00:04:50 --> 00:04:56 A few weeks ago, our Senior Minister Steve highlighted that
00:04:56 --> 00:05:02 the Book of Isaiah began with calling the creation as witnesses against God's people.
00:05:03 --> 00:05:07 First 1 to 4 of chapter 1 says,
00:05:07 --> 00:05:30 A book full of woes, warnings, and images of restlessness.
00:05:30 --> 00:05:37 The session beginning from chapter 28 up to chapter 35 presents seven woes.
00:05:38 --> 00:05:41 They provide stark contrast to the creative order,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:46 the original bootplines where the concept of rest is installed.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:49 In Genesis 1 to 2,
00:05:51 --> 00:05:55 as we read about how God created this world in six days,
00:05:55 --> 00:05:58 the faith God saw that it was good
00:05:58 --> 00:06:01 is repeated so many times
00:06:01 --> 00:06:04 that it required great faith for anyone
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 to think or believe that this world come about
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 by some accidental explosion like a Big Bang.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 I do not know about you.
00:06:15 --> 00:06:18 I do not mind receiving negative comments
00:06:18 --> 00:06:21 when I know I have not done an excellent job.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 But if it's something I'm proud of
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 and consider a job well done,
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 I do not like criticism or being accused
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 that I don't care about what I have done.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:37 Suppose the God of the Bible didn't make this world
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 and consider his creation as good.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:45 How absurd and insulting would it be to him,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 the creator,
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 for humans to believe that this world and our life
00:06:49 --> 00:06:52 are meaningless and without purpose,
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 as proposed by some atheist philosophers.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:00 Humans rightly deserve our woes
00:07:00 --> 00:07:02 if we forsake our creator.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:06 Sprung the holy God and turn our back on him.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 God's original blueprint for our life
00:07:10 --> 00:07:12 was not to be dysfunctional,
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 under or unfulfillment or restless.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 Genesis,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 tell us that after six days of creating the world
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 and everything in it,
00:07:23 --> 00:07:27 God was pleased and satisfied with his creations
00:07:27 --> 00:07:31 and rest from all his work on the seventh day.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:34 Genesis 1, 31 tell us that
00:07:34 --> 00:07:37 God saw all that he made
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 and it was very good
00:07:38 --> 00:07:40 and there was evening
00:07:40 --> 00:07:41 and there was morning,
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 the sixth day.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:45 Thus,
00:07:45 --> 00:07:48 the heaven and the earth were completed
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 in all their vast array.
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 By the seventh day,
00:07:51 --> 00:07:53 God had finished the work he had been doing.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 So on the seventh day,
00:07:55 --> 00:07:57 he rests from all his work.
00:07:57 --> 00:07:59 Then God blessed the seventh day
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 and make it holy
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 because on it,
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 he rests from all the work
00:08:03 --> 00:08:04 of creating that he had done.
00:08:05 --> 00:08:08 Rest is installed in God's creative order
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 and the creation
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 were meant to enjoy
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 resting with God.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:15 God even stipulated
00:08:15 --> 00:08:17 for us to rest with him
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 as part of the first set of law
00:08:20 --> 00:08:22 that he gave humans.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 He called it the Sabbath day.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 Exodus 20,
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 verse 8 to 11,
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 commands that,
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 remember the Sabbath day
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 by keeping it holy.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 Six days you shall labor
00:08:33 --> 00:08:35 and do all your work.
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 By the seventh day,
00:08:36 --> 00:08:38 is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:39 On it,
00:08:39 --> 00:08:41 you shall not do any work.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 For in six days,
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 the Lord made the heavens
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 and the earth,
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 the sea,
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 and all that is in them.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:49 But he rests on the seventh day.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:50 Therefore,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 the Lord blessed the Sabbath day
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 and make it holy.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 God take rest from his work.
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 He blessed that one day
00:08:59 --> 00:09:01 of rest and make it holy.
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 It is for our good
00:09:03 --> 00:09:07 that we rest from our work regularly.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 God knows it
00:09:08 --> 00:09:10 and cares enough about us
00:09:10 --> 00:09:12 to set it as a command
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 for us to follow.
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 The day of rest
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 is a Sabbath to the Lord our God.
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 Only in God's rest
00:09:20 --> 00:09:23 can we grow our appreciation
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 towards our Creator
00:09:24 --> 00:09:26 and be made holy.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 Human and God's creation
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 were not designed
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 to keep going without resting.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:34 Our passage today
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 in Isaiah 28,
00:09:36 --> 00:09:37 verse 24 to 25,
00:09:38 --> 00:09:39 used a few rhetorical questions
00:09:39 --> 00:09:41 to highlight this fact.
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 When a farmer prows for planting,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 does he prow continually?
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 Does he keep on breaking up
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 and working the soil?
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 When he has leveled the surface,
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 does he not sow caraway
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 and scatter cumin?
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 Does he not plant wheat in his place,
00:10:01 --> 00:10:02 barley in his pot,
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 and spout in his field?
00:10:05 --> 00:10:07 We are not meant to work continuously.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 Earlier this month,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 a ferry captain in Hong Kong
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 collapsed and died at his work
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 after being on duty
00:10:16 --> 00:10:19 for 23 consecutive days.
00:10:19 --> 00:10:22 The workers at that ferry company
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 have a 25 days on
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 and five days off roster.
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 Death by overwork in Japan
00:10:29 --> 00:10:30 is so common
00:10:30 --> 00:10:33 that there is a specific Japanese word
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 for that incident.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 A sad reality
00:10:36 --> 00:10:39 of our modern world
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 that has been true
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 throughout the ages.
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 Modernity has some benefit,
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 but its damage and consequences
00:10:48 --> 00:10:50 far outweigh its usefulness,
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 especially as it denied
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 the assistance of God
00:10:54 --> 00:10:57 and ignored God's original plan
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 for his creation
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 to rest with him.
00:11:01 --> 00:11:02 During the time of Isaiah,
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 facing the imminent threat
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 of invasion,
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 God's people think
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 that they have the situation
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 worked out
00:11:09 --> 00:11:11 by turning their back on God
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 and agreeing with the neighboring nation
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 to give them protection.
00:11:15 --> 00:11:17 They even boast about
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 that arrangement
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 in verse 14 and 15,
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 and they were celebrating
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 that treaty
00:11:23 --> 00:11:25 to the point of getting drunk
00:11:25 --> 00:11:25 and vomiting
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 in verse 1 to 8.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 However,
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 God calls their arrangement
00:11:31 --> 00:11:33 a covenant with death,
00:11:33 --> 00:11:35 an agreement with the realm of death.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 When humans think
00:11:38 --> 00:11:40 they are wiser than God,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 the God who created them,
00:11:42 --> 00:11:42 and forsake,
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 and turn their back on him,
00:11:45 --> 00:11:47 what do you think
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 is the most reasonable thing
00:11:48 --> 00:11:49 to do
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 by a loving and righteous God?
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 When humans
00:11:53 --> 00:11:55 interrupt God's plan,
00:11:55 --> 00:11:55 rest,
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 a holy, loving God
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 will take action
00:11:59 --> 00:12:00 to restore that rest.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 Ever since humans
00:12:04 --> 00:12:05 disobeyed God
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 from Genesis 3,
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 which started with the question
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 that twisted God's command,
00:12:09 --> 00:12:11 did God really say?
00:12:12 --> 00:12:14 The rest that God
00:12:14 --> 00:12:15 installed in his creation
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 was interrupted.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 Since then,
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 God has warned
00:12:20 --> 00:12:20 and called his people
00:12:20 --> 00:12:21 back to the rest
00:12:21 --> 00:12:22 that he installed,
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 calling us back to him
00:12:24 --> 00:12:26 like in verse 11 and 12.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:29 God will speak to his people
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 to whom he say,
00:12:30 --> 00:12:32 this is a resting place,
00:12:32 --> 00:12:33 let the weary rest,
00:12:33 --> 00:12:35 and this is the place
00:12:35 --> 00:12:36 of response.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:38 But the result
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 has always been,
00:12:40 --> 00:12:41 but they would not listen.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 We are very similar
00:12:44 --> 00:12:45 to the people
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 in Isaiah's time
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 in our attitude
00:12:47 --> 00:12:49 towards God's message
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 and teaching.
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 When it comes
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 to listening to God,
00:12:53 --> 00:12:53 we are like
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 in verse 9 to 13.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 Every word
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 coming from God
00:12:57 --> 00:12:57 becomes,
00:12:58 --> 00:12:58 do this,
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 do that,
00:13:00 --> 00:13:00 a rule for this,
00:13:01 --> 00:13:01 a rule for that,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:02 a little here,
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 a little there.
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 God's people
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 would not listen to God
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 has been an issue
00:13:08 --> 00:13:09 from the fall
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 of human after creation
00:13:10 --> 00:13:12 to now.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 The creative order
00:13:14 --> 00:13:16 was interrupted
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 because we turn
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 what is meant
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 to be a relationship
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 into a transaction
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 or something mechanical.
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 We are not looking
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 into God's word
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 to have a relationship
00:13:28 --> 00:13:29 with our creator.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 We are looking
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 for a way
00:13:32 --> 00:13:33 to justify
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 our way of living,
00:13:35 --> 00:13:35 looking for the
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 bare minimum requirement
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 to put our
00:13:39 --> 00:13:39 restless soul
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 at ease.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 Many people
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 are interested
00:13:43 --> 00:13:44 in looking
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 at the Bible
00:13:45 --> 00:13:47 to find out
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 what they must do
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 instead of what
00:13:49 --> 00:13:50 God has done
00:13:50 --> 00:13:50 for them.
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 God's word
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 has become
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 a set of rules
00:13:54 --> 00:13:54 for them,
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 not the words
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 from the heart
00:13:57 --> 00:13:57 of their gracious
00:13:57 --> 00:13:58 creator
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 that they want
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 to treasure.
00:14:01 --> 00:14:02 Many people
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 are looking
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 into the Bible
00:14:04 --> 00:14:05 for religion
00:14:05 --> 00:14:07 instead of a relation.
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 What about you?
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 If you have been
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 coming to St. Paul's
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 for a while,
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 how is your
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 relationship with God?
00:14:17 --> 00:14:17 Have you been
00:14:17 --> 00:14:19 growing in your faith?
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 God created us
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 to enjoy
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 a restful relationship
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 with the Trinity,
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 finding our fulfillment
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 in life
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 in our relationship
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 with Him,
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 but many
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 treat God
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 as a vending machine
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 to become happy
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 and secure.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 As a result,
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 our life
00:14:39 --> 00:14:39 becomes restless
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 and troubled.
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 Theologian
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 Tim Keller
00:14:44 --> 00:14:45 said in one
00:14:45 --> 00:14:46 of his devotional,
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 when we are
00:14:48 --> 00:14:48 in trouble,
00:14:49 --> 00:14:49 our soul
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 chatter to us.
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 We have to have this
00:14:52 --> 00:14:54 or we won't make it.
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 This must happen
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 or all is lost.
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 The assumption is
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 God alone
00:15:00 --> 00:15:02 would not be enough.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 Some other circumstance,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:04 condition,
00:15:04 --> 00:15:05 or possession
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 is necessary
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 to be happy
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 and secure.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 God's people
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 would not listen
00:15:11 --> 00:15:11 to God
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 because they
00:15:12 --> 00:15:13 do not treat God
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 as the God
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 that created the world
00:15:15 --> 00:15:17 and everything in it,
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 as the Lord Almighty
00:15:18 --> 00:15:20 that is glorious,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 full of justice
00:15:21 --> 00:15:21 and strength.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 God's rest
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 is interrupted
00:15:25 --> 00:15:27 because we
00:15:27 --> 00:15:27 do not listen
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 to God.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:30 How often
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 do you hear
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 when God
00:15:32 --> 00:15:32 say to you,
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 I've got you,
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 but you turn
00:15:35 --> 00:15:35 your back
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 and push him away
00:15:36 --> 00:15:36 and say,
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 I've got it.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 I know what I'm doing.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 You are the only one
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 who would know
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 the answer
00:15:43 --> 00:15:45 to the following questions.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 Have you sacrificed
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 your relationship
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 with God
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 and his people
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 to build a buffer
00:15:51 --> 00:15:53 in your bank account?
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 Have you worried
00:15:57 --> 00:15:57 more about
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 your job security
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 or finances
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 than your relationship
00:16:01 --> 00:16:01 with God
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 and his people?
00:16:05 --> 00:16:06 Have you concerned
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 more about
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 how your kids
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 are doing at school
00:16:09 --> 00:16:11 than their knowledge
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 and understanding
00:16:12 --> 00:16:12 of God?
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 Are you finding
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 rest in God?
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 Is God
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 your resting place,
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 your place
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 of refuge
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 and hiding?
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 King David
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 wrote in Psalm 62,
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 in verse 1 and 2,
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 he said,
00:16:34 --> 00:16:34 Truly,
00:16:35 --> 00:16:36 my soul
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 finds rest in God.
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 My salvation
00:16:38 --> 00:16:39 comes from him.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 Truly,
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 he is my rock
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 and my salvation.
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 He is my fortress.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 I will never be shaken.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 It is God's
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 full intention
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 for us
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 to find rest
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 in him.
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 He installed
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 that rest
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 in the creation,
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 but humans
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 were unwilling
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 to listen
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 and interrupt
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 God's rest.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 Isaiah told us
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 in a couple
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 of chapters later,
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 in chapter 30,
00:17:03 --> 00:17:05 15 to 18,
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 that
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 this is what
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 the Sovereign Lord,
00:17:08 --> 00:17:09 the Holy One
00:17:09 --> 00:17:09 of Israel,
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 says,
00:17:11 --> 00:17:11 In repentance
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 and rest
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 is your salvation,
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 in quietness
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 and trust
00:17:15 --> 00:17:15 is your strength,
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 but you will
00:17:16 --> 00:17:19 have none of it.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 You say,
00:17:21 --> 00:17:21 No,
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 we will fleet
00:17:22 --> 00:17:23 on horses.
00:17:23 --> 00:17:24 Therefore,
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 you will fleet.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 You say,
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 we'll ride off
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 on shift horses.
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 Therefore,
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 your pursuer
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 will be stripped.
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 Yet,
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 the Lord
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 longs to be
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 gracious to you.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 Therefore,
00:17:37 --> 00:17:37 he'll rise up
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 to show you
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 compassion.
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 For the Lord
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 is a God
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 of justice.
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 Blessed are those
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 who wait for him.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:47 our restlessness,
00:17:49 --> 00:17:49 like those
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 experienced
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 by God's people
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 in Isaiah's time,
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 is a direct result
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 of us
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 not listening
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 to God.
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 Because you
00:17:58 --> 00:17:58 try to flee
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 from God,
00:18:00 --> 00:18:00 you will always
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 be running.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:02 You will always
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 be pursued
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 because you
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 try to run
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 away from God.
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 As determined
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 to have us
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 rest with him
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 in the blueprint
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 of the creation,
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 God is also
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 determined
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 to restore rest
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 in his world
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 and into your life.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 What humans
00:18:20 --> 00:18:21 have done
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 did not follow
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 God's original plan.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 God has restored
00:18:26 --> 00:18:26 the rest
00:18:26 --> 00:18:28 by pursuing us
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 to repent.
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 The Lord,
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 our God
00:18:31 --> 00:18:32 of justice,
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 has righted
00:18:34 --> 00:18:34 the wrong
00:18:34 --> 00:18:36 humans committed
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 against him
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 and reinstalled
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 righteousness.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 Isaiah 32,
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 verse 17
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 and the 18
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 said,
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 the fruit
00:18:44 --> 00:18:44 of their
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 righteousness
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 will be peace.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:47 Its effect
00:18:47 --> 00:18:49 will be quietness
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 and confident
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 forever.
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 My people
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 will live
00:18:53 --> 00:18:53 in peaceful
00:18:53 --> 00:18:54 dwelling,
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 in secure
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 home,
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 in undisturbed
00:18:57 --> 00:18:58 place of rest.
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 Verse 16
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 to 17
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 of our chapter
00:19:03 --> 00:19:03 today,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 in chapter 28,
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 tell us
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 a picture
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 of God's
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 rebuilding works.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 God
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 rebuilds
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 his peaceful
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 dwelling place,
00:19:12 --> 00:19:12 a secure
00:19:12 --> 00:19:12 home,
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 the undisturbed
00:19:14 --> 00:19:15 places of rest
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 by laying
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 a precious
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 cornerstone
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 at his
00:19:19 --> 00:19:19 true foundation.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 So,
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 as with the
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 Chauvin-Law
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 say,
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 see,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 I lay a stone
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 in Zion,
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 a tested stone,
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 a precious
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 cornerstone
00:19:29 --> 00:19:30 for a true
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 foundation.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 The one
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 who relies
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 on it
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 will never
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 be stricken
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 with panic.
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 I will
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 make justice
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 the measuring
00:19:38 --> 00:19:38 line,
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 and righteousness
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 the plumb
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 line.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 A cornerstone
00:19:43 --> 00:19:44 is the first
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 stone laid
00:19:44 --> 00:19:46 when building
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 a house
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 in the ancient
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 time.
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 It determines
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 the orientation
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 and the size
00:19:50 --> 00:19:51 of the house
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 by setting
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 the mesh
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 lines of it.
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 It will also
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 help to secure
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 to ensure
00:19:57 --> 00:19:57 the walls
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 are straight
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 by setting
00:19:59 --> 00:19:59 the plumb
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 line against
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 it.
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 Apostle Peter
00:20:03 --> 00:20:05 has personified
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 this precious
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 cornerstone
00:20:06 --> 00:20:06 as Jesus
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 Christ himself.
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 He rephrased
00:20:09 --> 00:20:11 these verses
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 in 1 Peter
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 2, 4-6
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 by switching
00:20:14 --> 00:20:16 him into
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 it.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 As you
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 come to
00:20:18 --> 00:20:18 him,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 the living
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 stone,
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 rejected
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 by human,
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 chosen by
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 God,
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 and precious
00:20:25 --> 00:20:25 to him,
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 you also,
00:20:27 --> 00:20:27 like living
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 stones,
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 are being
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 built into
00:20:30 --> 00:20:30 a spiritual
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 house to
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 be a holy
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 priesthood,
00:20:33 --> 00:20:33 offering
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 spiritual
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 sacrifice
00:20:35 --> 00:20:35 acceptable
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 to God
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 through
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 Jesus
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 Christ.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 For in
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 the scripture
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 it says,
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 see,
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 I lay a
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 stone in
00:20:42 --> 00:20:42 Zion,
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 a chosen
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 and precious
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 cornerstone.
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 The one
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 who trusts
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 in him
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 will never
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 be put
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 to shame.
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 Anyone
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 who trusts
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 in Jesus
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 will never
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 be put
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 to shame
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 or be
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 stricken
00:20:55 --> 00:20:57 with panic
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 because God,
00:20:59 --> 00:20:59 Jesus,
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 did not run
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 away from
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 God or
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 God's plan
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 for him
00:21:03 --> 00:21:03 to save
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 the world.
00:21:05 --> 00:21:05 He died
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 for us
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 and raised
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 us up
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 from death
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 to show
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 us God's
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 compassion.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 Jesus was
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 rejected
00:21:13 --> 00:21:15 by humans
00:21:15 --> 00:21:16 so we can
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 be accepted
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 back to
00:21:18 --> 00:21:18 God,
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 and we
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 are given
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 a new
00:21:20 --> 00:21:20 role
00:21:20 --> 00:21:22 on this
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 earth.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:24 No longer
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 are you
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 to run
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 away from
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 God.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:28 Every follower
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 of Jesus
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 is being
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 built into
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 a spiritual
00:21:30 --> 00:21:31 house to
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 be a holy
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 priesthood of
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 God for
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 his people.
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 As believer
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 in God's
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 mercy and
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 grace,
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 your central
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 role is
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 no longer
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 building your
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 bank account
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 or credential,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 nor your
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 family or
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 business.
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 As believer,
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 God has
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 given you
00:21:51 --> 00:21:51 a new
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 role to
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 offer
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 spiritual
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 sacrifice
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 acceptable
00:21:55 --> 00:21:55 to God.
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 Make every
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 moment of
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 your life
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 a living
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 sacrifice.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 When you
00:22:01 --> 00:22:01 write up your
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 report for
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 work or
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 your assignment
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 for
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 university,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 write them
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 as an
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 offering to
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 God.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 When you
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 cook for
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 your family
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 or serve
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 your customers,
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 do it as
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 an offering,
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 a sacrifice
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 to God.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 Jesus
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 invite us
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 in Matthew
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 11,
00:22:20 --> 00:22:22 come to
00:22:22 --> 00:22:22 me,
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 all you
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 who are
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 weary
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 and
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 burdened,
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 and I
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 will give
00:22:26 --> 00:22:26 you rest.
00:22:27 --> 00:22:27 Take my
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 yoke upon
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 you and
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 learn from
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 me,
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 for I am
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 gentle and
00:22:31 --> 00:22:31 humble in
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 heart,
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 and you
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 will find
00:22:33 --> 00:22:33 rest for
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 your soul,
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 for my
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 yoke is
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 easy and
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 my burden
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 is light.
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 What is
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 Jesus'
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 yoke?
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 What did
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 he come
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 to do?
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 Jesus
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 answered that
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 in Luke
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 19,
00:22:47 --> 00:22:48 he said,
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 for the
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 Son of
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 Man came
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 to seek
00:22:50 --> 00:22:51 and to
00:22:51 --> 00:22:51 save the
00:22:51 --> 00:22:52 lost.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 When you
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 live your
00:22:56 --> 00:22:56 life as a
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 light in
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 the darkness
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 for others
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 to find
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 God,
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 if your
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 primary concern
00:23:03 --> 00:23:03 of your
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 life is
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 the salvation
00:23:05 --> 00:23:06 of others,
00:23:07 --> 00:23:07 you will
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 have rest
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 in your
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 life.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 Use every
00:23:11 --> 00:23:12 moment of
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 your interaction
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 with others
00:23:14 --> 00:23:14 to show
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 them Christ.
00:23:15 --> 00:23:17 for
00:23:17 --> 00:23:17 believers
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 and
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 unbelievers.
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 In
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 repentance
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 and rest
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 is your
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 salvation.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 In
00:23:26 --> 00:23:26 quietness
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 and trust
00:23:27 --> 00:23:28 is your
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 strength.
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 Come to
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 Jesus today.
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 He will
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 give you
00:23:33 --> 00:23:33 rest.
00:23:34 --> 00:23:34 He is a
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 resting place
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 with
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 true
00:23:36 --> 00:23:36 foundation.
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 All this
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 also comes
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 from the
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 Lord Almighty,
00:23:42 --> 00:23:42 whose plan
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 is wonderful,
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 whose wisdom
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 is magnificent.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 Come to
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 Jesus today
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 to get
00:23:50 --> 00:23:50 God's rest
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 for your
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 soul.
00:23:51 --> 00:24:21 All right.