TITLE: When You Can’t Stand Anymore TOPIC: The Easy Burden of Rest: TEXT: Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4: 1-11 THEME: Make sure you enter the rest God offers.

TITLE: When You Can’t Stand Anymore

• TOPIC: The Easy Burden of Rest:• TEXT: Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4: 1-11• THEME: Make sure you enter the rest God

offers through obedience to Jesus.

“What would drive a person to sacrifice so much and risk his life in

this way?

“What would drive a person to sacrifice so much and risk his life in

this way?

The adulation that is given to Yusai Sakai demonstrates the belief that this self-immolation somehow makes one more holy or that self-imposed suffering is somehow pleasing to God.

Each person, in his own way, runs his own “Death Run” in a never

ending pursuit of self-righteousness and to prove our worth

Barbaric and sadistic practices in attempts to appease God.

• The ancient Aztecs offered up hundreds of human



• Shite Muslims believe they can earn immediate salvation by “jihad




• Some priests and Catholic followers try to show penance through self-flagellation.




• Some priests and Catholic followers try to show penance through self-flagellation.

• Well-meaning Christians have a list of do’s and don’ts that they believe if practiced will find favor with.

Romans 2:12-14

“He will punish sin wherever it is found. He will punish the heathen when they sin, even though they never had God’s written laws, for down in their hearts they know right from wrong. God’s laws are written within them; their own consciousness accuses them, or sometimes excuses them. ”

“How will I know when I have done enough?”

How do we enter the rest that Jesus has offered us?

I. Understand the Nature of God’s Rest (1-5)

Hebrews 4:1-5

1 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

Hebrews 4:1-5

3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

“So I declared on oath in my anger,

‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

Hebrews 4:1-5

And yet his works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.”


A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.

“Rest” (katapausis) is used in three different senses.

1. Referring to the peace of God


1. Referring to the peace of God.

2. Referring to the Promised Land



2. Referring to the Promised Land.

3. Referring to the Sabbath Rest (based the rest of God after six days of creation).



2. Referring to the Promised Land.

3. Referring to the Sabbath Rest (based the rest of God after six days of creation). – All find their origin in the Old Testament


A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.– Israel was promised a rest:

Genesis 12:1-3

1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 15:18-19 defines the boundaries.

• The definition of these boundaries are part of the basis for the hostility between Israel and Palestine.

Understand the Nature of God’s Rest (1-5)

A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.• Israel was promised a rest:• The rest was contingent on their obedience.

Understand the Nature of God’s Rest (1-5)

A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.• Israel was promised a rest:• The rest was contingent on their obedience.

Hebrews 3

• Exodus 17:1-7 and Numbers 10:1-13.


A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.– Israel was promised a rest:– The rest was contingent on their obedience. – The Hebrews ran the risk of missing out on it.

The error of the Hebrews, for which this book was written, is

that they were living and believing as though the Old

Covenant were still in effect. The author strongly argues that is has

been superseded by Jesus and that there is nothing they can go

back too


A. God’s Rest finds its source in the Old Testament.

B. The Nature of the Rest finds its origins in God Himself.


– God rested on the seventh day. God values rest


– God rested on the seventh day. God values rest.

– God models rest for us


– God rested on the seventh day. God values rest.

– God models rest for us. – God established the Sabbath as a day of rest

Ex. 31:12-18

"Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you and for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord… The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever.”

Numbers 28:9-10

“‘On the Sabbath day, make an offering of two lambs a year old without defect, together with its drink offering and a grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with olive oil. 10 This is the burnt offering for every Sabbath, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering.

Stress vs. Burnout (Archibald Hart, “Adrenalin and Stress”)

Stress Burnout• Characterized by overengagement Characterized by

disengagement• Emotions are overreactive Emotions are blunted• Produces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and

hopelessness• Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and

hope• Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and

depression• Primary damage is physical Primary damage is

emotional• May kill you prematurely May make life seem not

worth living


II. Understand this Rest is realized in the Gospel. (6-11)

Hebrews 4:6-11

6 Therefore since it still remains for some to enter that rest, and since those who formerly had the good news proclaimed to them did not go in because of their disobedience, 7 God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.” This he did when a long time later he spoke through David, as in the passage already quoted:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts.”

Hebrews 4:6-11

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience


A. There is a rest Joshua was not able to deliver:



B. Gods rest still remains.



B. Gods rest still remains.

C. God’s rest is available to us today.

Work-related causes of burnout

• Feeling like you have little or no control over your work



• Lack of recognition or rewards for good work




• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations




• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations

• Doing work that’s monotonous or unchallenging



• Lack of recognition or rewards for good work• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations• Doing work that’s monotonous or

unchallenging• Working in a chaotic or high-pressure

environment

Lifestyle causes of burnout

• Working too much, without enough time for relaxing and socializing



• Being expected to be too many things to too many people




• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others





• Not getting enough sleep





• Not getting enough sleep• Lack of close, supportive relationships

Personality traits can contribute to burnout

• Perfectionistic tendencies; nothing is ever good enough



• Pessimistic view of yourself and the world



• Pessimistic view of yourself and the world• The need to be in control; reluctance to

delegate to others




delegate to others• High-achieving, Type A personality




delegate to others• High-achieving, Type A personality• Caregiver Burnout

Spiritual Causes of Burnout

• Disobedience to God


• Disobedience to God• Lack of Trust in God


• Disobedience to God• Lack of Trust in God• Depending on one’s own efforts.


• Disobedience to God• Lack of Trust in God• Depending on one’s own efforts.• Inability to achieve spiritual goals.

Our life may look a lot like Joel's first bike ride. Hooked on

the fast pace of life. We get dangerously out of control. It may a crash to help you slow

down and learn to stop.


III. We enter Gods rest through obedience to Christ.

A. Hebrews argues the New Covenant supersedes the Old.



B. The Old Covenant no longer applies.



B. The Old Covenant no longer applies.

C. The New Covenant is centered in Jesus Christ. The gospel is the rest.

“Necessary Endings” Henry Cloud

“Whether we like it or not, endings are a part of life. They are woven into the fabric of life itself, both when it goes well and also when it doesn't. On the good side of life, for us to ever get to a new level, a new tomorrow, or the next step, something has to end. Life has seasons, stages, and phases

“Necessary Endings” Henry Cloud

“For there to be anything new, old things always have to end, and we have to let go of them… Without the ability to end things, people stay stuck, never becoming who they are meant to be, never accomplishing all that their talents and abilities should afford them…The Lesson: The good cannot begin until the bad begins.” Pg. 6-8

Application

• If you are experiencing stress or burnout get proper and sufficient support.

Application


• Confront the beliefs that cause you to experience stress: denial, false hopes, cynicism or helplessness. Replace these beliefs with the truth that God loves and accepts us through grace.

Application



• Put an end to your past obsessions. Grieve past and present losses while giving your guilt, hurt, anxiety and aggression to God and accept the new, condemnation free life He promises.

Application



• Put an end to your past obsessions. Grieve past and present losses while giving your guilt, hurt, anxiety and aggression to God and accept the new, condemnation free life He promises.

• Acquire and apply new skills and like prayer, meditation and memorization of Gods work.

Dr. Tom Hufty

"Some things you learn from lectures, some things you learn from research, but some things you can only learn from experience. You've just experienced grace. One hundred years from now, if you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, your name will be written down in a book, and you will have had nothing to do with writing it there. That will be the ultimate grace experience."– (Denise Banderman, Hannibal, Missouri)

TITLE: When You Can’t Stand Anymore TOPIC: The Easy Burden of Rest: TEXT: Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4: 1-11 THEME: Make sure you enter the rest God offers.

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