Finding Rest: Embracing God's Gift This Christmas
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Holidays are brilliant aren't they holidays are so good holidays are actually really important rest is really important you know some of the greatest sportsmen and women in the world spend a lot of their day resting and recuperating and that's one of the reasons why they're so good at what they do is they very carefully manage their energy and their activities output, and they rest accordingly. You know, God thinks rest is important as well. In the Bible, we read a lot about rest, actually. [00:31:46] (43 seconds)
Every seven years, something special happened. God told His people that even their fields should get a rest that year. So all the farmers, they were not to plant new crops in their fields on that seventh year. Even their field was to get a rest. They were allowed to eat whatever popped up out of the ground, but they weren't allowed to kind of deliberately work it and plant new crops in it. Their fields would get a rest. [00:38:11] (28 seconds)
Every 49 years. So maybe once in your lifetime, maybe twice if you were born at the right moment. Some other things would happen. If you owed anybody anything, any money or anything at all, that would be wiped clean. No more debt. If you had lost your property over time, so if your ancestors had been allocated a certain property, maybe a certain piece of farmland or something like that, that you could live on and make your living from, and you had lost that along the way, every Jubilee year, which is the 49th year, that would be returned to you. [00:39:20] (44 seconds)
In Matthew, chapter 11, He says, come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you, what? Rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. In Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, we can find rest for our souls. [00:42:51] (33 seconds)
In John, chapter 10, verse 10, Jesus said, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Abundant life. Whole completeness of life. Life, as it was intended. Just one verse later, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep. [00:43:27] (32 seconds)
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. I wonder if that reminds you of what we've been talking about this morning. Release for the captives. Freedom for the oppressed. Jesus really was the Lord of the Sabbath. [00:45:24] (40 seconds)
The promise that one day, one day, God's people would be able to stop and rest, to delight in his goodness and to worship him forever in the seventh day as it was originally created. I wonder, this Christmas, tomorrow, why? Dallas Willard called Jesus, he was asked, what word would you use to describe Jesus? What one word? And he said, As we stop and as we have a holiday, we set tomorrow apart from all the other days, pretty much of the whole year. [00:47:12] (71 seconds)
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Every seven years, something special happened. God told His people that even their fields should get a rest that year. So all the farmers, they were not to plant new crops in their fields on that seventh year. Even their field was to get a rest. They were allowed to eat whatever popped up out of the ground, but they weren't allowed to kind of deliberately work it and plant new crops in it. Their fields would get a rest. [00:38:11] (28 seconds)
Every 49 years. So maybe once in your lifetime, maybe twice if you were born at the right moment. Some other things would happen. If you owed anybody anything, any money or anything at all, that would be wiped clean. No more debt. If you had lost your property over time, so if your ancestors had been allocated a certain property, maybe a certain piece of farmland or something like that, that you could live on and make your living from, and you had lost that along the way, every Jubilee year, which is the 49th year, that would be returned to you. [00:39:20] (44 seconds)
In Matthew, chapter 11, He says, come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you, what? Rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. In Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, we can find rest for our souls. [00:42:51] (33 seconds)
In John, chapter 10, verse 10, Jesus said, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Abundant life. Whole completeness of life. Life, as it was intended. Just one verse later, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays his life down for his sheep. [00:43:27] (32 seconds)
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. I wonder if that reminds you of what we've been talking about this morning. Release for the captives. Freedom for the oppressed. Jesus really was the Lord of the Sabbath. [00:45:24] (40 seconds)
The promise that one day, one day, God's people would be able to stop and rest, to delight in his goodness and to worship him forever in the seventh day as it was originally created. I wonder, this Christmas, tomorrow, why? Dallas Willard called Jesus, he was asked, what word would you use to describe Jesus? What one word? And he said, As we stop and as we have a holiday, we set tomorrow apart from all the other days, pretty much of the whole year. [00:47:12] (71 seconds)
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