STOP WORKING
AND REST
MF Blume
Sunday,
March 8, 1998 PM
Matt 27:50 -51 Jesus, when he had cried
again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the
temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake,
and the rocks rent;
Hebr 4:1-10 Let us therefore fear,
lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his rest, any of you should
seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as
unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with
faith in them that heard [it]. For we which have believed do enter into
rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my
rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God
did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this [place] again, If
they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must
enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because
of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after
so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not
your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward
have spoken of another day. 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.
The rest we must enter is behind the veil that was ripped open when Jesus
died.
- Notice that at the moment
Jesus died, and not before, did the veil in the temple, that blocked men
from entering the holiest of holies, was ripped open and removed.
- That is a message saying
God opened the way for us into the most awesome presence of God only through
the work of the death of Jesus on the cross.
During Old Testament days, the
glory of God shone in that holiest of holies twenty-four hours a day.
- God's glory lit the entire
room.
- The room was foursquare,
or cubic.
- The height, width and depth
were all the same measurement.
- And the glory lit it.
- Inside that room was where
the ark of the covenant sat.
- And we read about the veil
being placed there.
Exod 26:33-34 And thou shalt hang
up the vail under the taches, that
thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and
the vail
shall divide unto you between the holy [place] and the most holy. And thou shalt put
the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy [place].
- The Holiest of Holies was
called the ORACLE in the Temple.
1Kin 6:19-20 And the oracle he prepared
in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD. And
the oracle
in the forepart [was] twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth,
and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold;
and [so] covered the altar [which was of] cedar.
- The Holiest room was foursquare.
- The New City is also said
to be FOURSQUARE
Reve 21:16 And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is
as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
(The greatest thing in our
economy is gold. We measure our economy by gold. But if gold is going to
simply be pavement in the New City, what will be the greatest thing in Heaven?
As different as asphalt is from gold that is the difference between the golden
pavement and the greater blessings of God in that city!)
- This New City is what the
Bible calls the HOME of the Christian for all eternity.
- When we read that we have
a place called the New Jerusalem to dwell in after this world is over and
gone, and it says that this City is FOURSQUARE, and the GLORY OF GOD LIGHTENS
IT, as it did the Holiest of Holies, and we read that the Holiest of Holies
was foursquare as our eternal Home is, we are reading words that tells us
that when God is bringing us into the New Jerusalem, He is bringing us into
Holiest of Holies to LIVE.
- The New Jerusalem is the
real HOLIEST OF HOLIES.
THE REST
- Back to our text.
- There is a rest for us to
enter.
- God rested the seventh day
in Genesis.
- All previous days ended
and each day was described as... "And the evening and the morning were the
____day."
- But you read something different
when you read about the seventh day.
Gene 2:2-3 And on the seventh day
God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from
all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified
it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and
made.
- There was no end to the seventh
day.
- There was no more work.
- God concluded all the work
on that day.
- Yes, we have seen many "seventh
days" pass by throughout history, but on God's behalf, it never ended.
- We passed on into another
first and second and so forth since we did not enter into that rest with
God.
- Had Adam entered into that
rest, mankind would be there to this day with God.
- But Adam sinned and did
not ingest the fruit of eternal life into himself.
- To enter this place is to
cease your work and go on in and REST with God.
- You only rest when you know
the work is done.
- Well, God ripped open the
room that represents the REST when Jesus died, because when Jesus died the
work was done, and He invited all mankind to enter into His rest.
- That means we are wasting
our time trying to work ourselves to holiness and trying to work ourselves
to be so good, because Jesus did all the necessary work when He died on the
cross.
- No wonder Jesus cried, "IT
IS FINISHED"
Hebrews told us that when it
said:
"For he spake
in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the
seventh day from all his works. And in this [place] again, If they shall
enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein,"
"There remaineth
therefore a rest to the people of God"
- This rest is still available.
- It is still open to us.
- God wanted Adam to enter
it, he never did, and God still wants us to enter it.
Jesus spoke about it:
Matt 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye]
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- The Bible teaches us that
we need not worry about things in life.
- But people still worry.
- "Taking thought" infers
worrying in the following verses.
Matt 6:25-27 Therefore I say unto
you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;
nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth
them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can
add one cubit unto his stature?
- He told us to stop worrying.
1Pet 5:7 Casting all your care
upon him; for he careth for you.
- But people still care
- Jesus tried to get the disciples
to have FAITH and not worry since He is there with them, and nothing shall
destroy them.
Matt 8:25-27 And his disciples came
to [him], and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto
them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled,
saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey
him!
Matt 14:29-32 And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to
go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning
to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched
forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou
doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
Luke 12:28 If then God so clothe
the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven;
how much more [will he clothe] you, O ye of little faith?
LITTLE FAITH
He ascribed these words to them due to their lack of TRUST
THE REST IS A PLACE WE ARE SUPPOSED
TO ENTER.
- It is a spiritual state of
existence.
- And so many have NEVER ENTERED
IT YET.
- Let me stress at this point,
that the Holiest of Holies a place so secret from all men, was where God's
Glory dwelt and represented the Deepest presence of God.
Psal 91:1-5 He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God;
in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler,
[and] from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers,
and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth [shall be thy] shield and
buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; [nor] for the
arrow [that] flieth by day;
Notice this!!!
- This Psalm is speaking about
LIVING in the Holiest of Holies.
- And it says, in conjunction
with that thought, that GOD WILL BE MY REFUGE.
- HE WILL PROTECT ME.
- So I must stop trying to
do all the fighting and stop trying to make myself so holy, and realize He
did the work on the cross. NOW I MUST ENTER IN.
- I must learn to trust in
His strength rather than my own.
- In other words, I must stop
working and REST.
Remember that we already read
that God wants us to cease from our labours as God rested from His, and enter
HIS REST?
- God is trying to get us to
put two and two together and realize that the rest He is talking about IS
the HOLIEST PRESENCE OF GOD, and the only way we can get into that Rest is
to get a revelation that we must cease from our labours.
- STOP doubting.
- Mankind is backwards.
- He finds it so easy to place
himself in a situation where he does not exert faith but instead works his
fingers to the knuckles trying to sort out his problems.
- Instead of ceasing from
worry, and believing God to answer the need, (And when God answers it is
perfect), man works away.
- Think of it....
- God has healed people in
this building, but yet the world builds multi-million dollar hospitals since
they will not believe.
REVELATION IS AN UNVEILING
- When we see the veil removed
we see an unveiling
- And the veil was removed
when Christ died.
- You have to get a revelation
of how Christ's death allows you to enter the REST OF GOD.
- Get a revelation that God
will take care of it all.
PETER
- Peter saw a storm rocking
his ship
- And he called out to Jesus...
representing that we need to pray when in trouble.
- And Jesus gave Him a WORD.
- You will get a word if you
will pray.
- Peter then was required
to step out on the stormy water, while the storm still went on, and then
walk on it.
- This means you will have
to take a step of faith, while nothing is answered yet, and believe what
God said to you will work.
- Concerning... Your finances
will be blessed.
- Or ...Your body will be
healed.
- Or... Your family situation
will be solved.
- Jesus could have stopped
the storm before Peter walked out, but He chose not to.
- He made it so that you have
to totally trust Him before He will answer you.
- And the only way to know
you totally trust Him is to act upon His word despite what things look like!
- If you fall, Jesus will
come and pick you up.
- But you can see a miracle
if you will trust.
- Don't stop half-way out
into trusting God and suddenly get scared. "Oh, no! Look where I put myself!"
- When Peter looked at the
water instead of the Lord, he fell into the trouble.
- RISE ABOVE IT.
WHEN YOU FINALLY REALIZE
THAT GOD IS YOUR COVERT FROM THE STORM, YOU WILL STOP WASTING ALL YOUR TIME
TRYING TO SOLVE LIFE BY YOURSELF AND WALK INTO THE HOLIEST - INTO THE REST
AND REST WITH HIM.
Tie all these verses together.
Hebr 10:12-13 But this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand
of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Reve 3:21 To him that overcometh
will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am
set down with my Father in his throne.
1Joh 5:4 For whatsoever is born
of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, [even] our faith.
- Jesus sat down forever waiting
for all his enemies to become His footstool after He did the work on the
cross. In other words, that one effort was so powerful that has carried
on throughout the centuries , and still affects situations in lives today,
until all enemies are thrown down. He rests since that job was finished.
- We have an invitation to
sit with Him if we overcome.
- The manner in which we overcome
is by faith. You must truly believe if you want to overcome and rest. You
must believe the work is done, and Jesus did it, so stop working yourself,
and rest.
WHEN JESUS DIED, IT WAS LIKE THE
FATHER SAID, "NOW YOU MAY COME IN AND REST!! THE WORK IS COMPLETE. COME
INTO THE HOLIEST OF HOLIES AND SIT DOWN ON THE MERCY SEAT"
AND WE ARE TOLD WE CAN SIT DOWN
WITH HIM in His throne if we overcome.... by FAITH
- How do you overcome?
- work and work til the job
is done?
- NO! God finished the work!
You WORK when you worry.
- Perhaps the reason we hesitate,
thinking we're not good enough to enter, is due to the fact that the way
was closed for 4,000 years since Adam sinned.
- And now, since it is opened,
we are afraid we migfht not cut it if man could not do so for 4,000 years.
- But the fact remains, also,
that God opened the way since He did the work to make us fit to enter.
- He would not have opened
it if we were not able to enter.
- STOP WORRYING.
- REST!