Spiritual Rest

Trevor S. Ferguson


August 23, 2010
Matthew 11:16-19 (KJV)
¹⁶ But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
¹⁷ And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.
¹⁹ The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.


INTRODUCTION
Rest is a vital part of human life. The proper functioning of our body depends on adequate rest. Most of us will remember popular sayings which seeks to underscore the importance of rest to a successful life, such as "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise". The bible also underscores the importance of rest: After God completed his creative work he rested; God later enshrined the principle of rest in Sabbath command.

The world today however scoffs at the principle of rest. Numerous industries now offer 24-hour, 7-days per week work schedule. People are often forced to work overtime and on weekends or risk losing their jobs. The entertainment industry has no ends of late night parties and events, while at home we have 24 hour television with hundreds of channels. People therefore find themselves pulled by this incessant activity and end up sleep deprived, stressed, weary and heavy laden. In addition to physical stress and weariness many people find themselves spiritually malnourished as they can find no time for the things of God. The stress of sin beats up on them leaving them spiritually worn and weary while spiritual weariness often leads to hopelessness, depression and even suicide.


While the world is still trying to recover from the effects of the worldwide economic recession, many nations are trying to deal with the ravages of crime, terrorism, political turmoil and natural disasters. People are becoming increasingly hopeless! The passage read today however brings a word of hope to those who are worn, weary and heavy laden. In this passage that Jesus extends an offer for rest to the weary. Let's take a closer look at this passage to discover how we can find spiritual rest.

EXPOSITION
Matthew 11 begins with the story of John the Baptist being in prison and sending his disciples to ask of Jesus if he was the Messiah or if they should look for another. Jesus responds to them by healing several persons and then instructed them to tell John what they had seen and heard as evidence that he was indeed the Messiah. Jesus went on to pay a tribute to John the Baptist, describing him as being more than a prophet, as being among the greatest of humanity and that he was the promised Elijah which was to come. Jesus then went on to describe the unbelief of the generation of his time.

"How can I describe the people who are living now? They are like children who sit in the marketplaces and shout to other children, 'We played music for you, but you didn't dance. We sang a funeral song, but you didn't show any sadness.' "John came neither eating nor drinking, and people say, 'There's a demon in him!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and people say, 'Look at him! He's a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' "Yet, wisdom is proved right by its actions." Matthew 11:16-19 (GW)

People today are still very much like those in the days when Jesus spoke. In a similar way we can say unto many today – What will it take to convince you to surrender to Jesus? Some of our fathers came preaching brimstone and fire – they were accused of using fear tactics! Many today preach the love and mercy of God - we are often accused of being ineffective and powerless. I would however like to remind us that that it is foolish to believe that we can ignore God and get away with it. God will bring every work into judgment! It is better for you if you were never born or never heard the message of salvation than for you to repeatedly hear the word and reject God!

The focus today however is on the opportunity to find spiritual rest. Despite the fact that the people of Jesus' day repeatedly rejected the word of God, Jesus was willing to offer them another chance. The door of mercy still remained open. He saw that many were weary and worn out by sin. Many were being held captive against their will by the power of Satan. In loving kindness and tender mercies he reached out to them again: Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light!


The rest Jesus offers here is not physical rest but spiritual rest. Notice he quotes from Jeremiah 6:16 as he declares – you shall find rest for your souls. This is a spiritual rest; it is a rest from sin and a refreshing in the Holy Ghost. It has a present component and a future component. In Isaiah 28:11-12 we are told – "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people …this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing: yet they will not hear. Note that Paul ascribes this prophecy to speaking in tongues in 1^st Cor. 14:21, further supporting the fact that the baptism of the Holy Ghost brings us into a present spiritual rest. Spiritual rest however is not only for the present time. Hebrews 4 tells us of a future rest, this is an eternal rest: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV).


Let us look at some of the features of this eternal rest as described by John in Revelation 21:
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:2-4 (NKJV)


Application & Conclusion
We have seen how many today are worn weary and stressed by the cares of this life. The devil desires to use us, abuse us and then discard us. Jesus however offers us an opportunity to enter into His rest.

Today God invites you to lay your burdens at His feet and receive rest for your soul. He promises that his yoke will be easy and his burden light. Don't let the devil wear you out. Surrender your all to Jesus today and find his eternal rest. He will give you peace in your soul, joy in your heart and strength to make it though life's difficult paths. Embrace this opportunity, find spiritual rest today.

An Open Door

Trevor S. Ferguson
August 11, 2010

Revelation 3:7-10 (KJV)
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

John 10:1-10 (KJV)
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.


INTRODUCTION
The word door in its literal sense refers to a swinging or sliding barrier by which an entry to a building, room or cupboard etc is opened or closed; indicating the means by which access is granted or access is denied. The New Testament scriptures has several figurative references to the DOOR. The chief reference is to Jesus Christ as the door to the kingdom of God – the means by which man can obtain salvation. Another reference is to the door of opportunity, as illustrated in the passage from Revelation. A third, and important reference, is to the closed door as seen in St. Matthew 25:10.
Today I want us to reflect on Jesus’ teaching on the door from St. John 10 and also from Revelation 3. I will focus on three aspects:
(1) The Door of Opportunity / Door to Abundance
(2) The Door of Salvation
(3) The Door to Eternity

EXPOSITION
(1)The Door of Opportunity
The word to the church of Philadelphia was that Christ had set before them an opened door (read vs. 8). Note however the reason for the open door – they had kept His word and had not denied His name. There is great benefit to keeping the word of God and acknowledging His name. Deuteronomy 28: 1-4 tells us about the blessings of obedience:

1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

Note also the consequences of disobedience vs. 15:

But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

St. John 10:10 tells us that Jesus came that we might have abundant life – he came to give us a door of opportunity. The lot of the Christian is not one of suffering and shame but a lifestyle of abundance, adequacy and opportunity. We acknowledge some will suffer, some will have lack, but God is reminding us today that Jesus came to give us opportunities. He has set before us an open door. No man can shut it!

What do you do when you see an open door? – Walk right through it!!

Sometimes we see open doors but fail to take up the opportunity because of fear. Let us walk by faith. If we walk in God’s will he will not lead us into a dangerous path. Make sure you are living by His word. Walk through the open door!!

(2)The Door of Salvation

St. John 14:6 - I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
St. John 10:9 – I am the door by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved

The discourse in St John 10 also highlights the importance of Jesus as the door to salvation. Jesus uses the imagery of the sheepfold and the caring shepherd.

The sheep fold in bible times was a stone or mud-brick structure with only one entrance. After allowing the sheep to enter one by one the shepherd would lie down at the door of the sheepfold. No one ( animal or beast) could enter the sheepfold without the knowledge of the shepherd.

No one can come to God but through Jesus Christ – He is the only way to salvation. If one tries to access salvation though some other way, Jesus likens them to a thief or robber. The bible standard for salvation is through repentance, water baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Today God has set an open door to salvation for someone. You may have tried some other ways and came upon closed doors or false entrances, but God has set an open door before you today. Walk through that door and receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Repent, ask for baptism in Jesus name, believe on Him to receive the Holy Ghost

(3)The Door to Eternity
This life is only a temporary phase of existence. We all must live forever somewhere. Eternity has just two doors – a door to heaven and a door to hell. A door to joy and peace with Christ our Saviour, or a door of separation and suffering with the devil and his angels. The door to heaven requires first that we accept salvation as described above, but it also requires that we live a life of holiness until he comes. Let us be careful, because heaven requires more than just a conversion experience but also a continuing life of holiness. Failure to walk in holiness leads to a closed door

CONCLUSION
God has set before you an open door. Walk through the door of salvation, walk through the door opportunity and make sure you are prepared for the door of eternity!

When God opens doors for you, no man can shut it!!

Shalom.

Four Steps to Reconciliation

Trevor S. Ferguson
August 1, 2010

2nd Corinthians 5:17-20 (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

2nd Chronicles 7:12-14 (KJV)
12 And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

INTRODUCTION
Broken relationships have become exceedingly common in today’s society. Many people are at odds with just about everyone. Many marital relationships are “just existing”; there may be too many social ties – children, houses, etc – for them to separate, but there is no joy in the marriage. In many families parents and children only tolerate each other because they cannot reverse the genetic linkages. Some are ready to disown or disregard family members, others seek to alienate themselves. Sadly, for many of us our relationship with God is not any better than the broken relationships we just mentioned. We attend church services, participate in church activities, even lead in many activities but still we do not have a genuine or deep relationship with God. As Christians who are seeking to go to heaven however, we must seek to mend our relationship with God and also our family relationships. Today I would like to outline some basic principles which will help us reconcile our relationship with God and others and thus bring healing and harmony to our lives.

EXPOSITION
Reconciliation refers to an alteration or change in a relationship; specifically the restoration of harmonious relationships. Persons who were at odds with each other are brought back into harmonious relationship; persons who were at odds with God are brought back in harmony with God.

All of us were in conflict with God, but though the death of Christ the door to harmonious relationship with God is reopened. Paul tells us in 2nd Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are past away, behold all things are become new”. This is achieved through Jesus Christ. Verse 20 suggests that although we have received reconciliation with God at salvation, there is need for continuing reconciliation – Paul now pleads with the Corinthians – "... we pray you in Christ stead, be ye reconciled to God". In 1st John 2:1, John reminds us that if for any reason we find ourselves at odds with God we have an advocate who will seek to ensure we are reconciled to God - My little children these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

How does the Christian obtain reconciliation?
A simple formula for reconciliation is found in 2nd Chronicles 7 - "If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; the will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land". I find it useful to look at this as four steps: 1) Humble yourself; 2) Pray; 3) Seek God’s face; 4)Turn from our wicked ways.

Note that this was a promise God made to Solomon after his prayer at the dedication of the temple. This promise was contextualized as follows: "If I shut up heaven…, command locust to devour …, send pestilence …". One may therefore ask - Why would God do such things? The reasons are given in Chapter 6:24-30 – all related to Israel sinning against God! Similarly today broken relationships are the result of sin! Bruce Wilkinson in his book Secrets of the Vine suggests that often when we face adverse circumstances in our lives, it is God's way of bringing us to the awareness that we are drifting from where he wants us to be.

Today God wants to bring healing and restoration to His people; healing and reconciliation to broken relationships – relationships with family, relationships with friends, relationships in the church, relationships with God himself!!

How do we accomplish this?
We can find reconciliation by following this 4-step plan:
1. HUMBLE YOURSELF – admit that you are wrong, admit that there is a problem, accept that you need God’s help
2. PRAY – Prayer is the basic means of communication with God. Although God already knows our situation and knows our problems we must still come to him in prayer!
3. SEEK GOD’S FACE – desire real deep relationship with God, seek to know God him, not just know about him
4. TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS – true reconciliation requires a change of behaviour; if behaviour does not change then the relationship will be headed for disharmony again!! If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature …

CONCLUSION
As we reflect on the various relationships in our lives today, let us evaluate which relationships need reconciliation and apply these principles in order to restore harmony. Remember that it is God’s desire to be in a harmonious relationship with us and that we be in harmonious relationships with others.