Okay, so we're reading from Matthew chapter 11 verse 25 and to Matthew chapter 12 verse 14 and that's page 977.
So Matthew 11 chapter 25.
At that time Jesus said,
At that time Jesus went through the cornfield on the Sabbath.
His disciples were hungry and began to pick some ears of corn and eat them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,
Look, your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.
He answered,
Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?
He entered the house of God and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread,
which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests.
Or haven't you read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?
I tell you that the one greater than the temple is here.
If you had known what these words mean, I desire mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent.
For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.
Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.
Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him,
Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?
He said to them,
If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath,
will you not take hold of it and lift it out?
How much more valuable is a man than a sheep?
Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Then he said to the man,
Stretch out your hand.
So he stretched it out, and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.
But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Thank you, Kate.
I'm now going to invite Peter, Peter White, to come and join me.
And I'm going to ask him a couple of questions,
or I'm going to let him tell us a little bit about him.
How, who he is, what he does, who's in your family, maybe.
And then maybe how, as a church, we can be praying for the church in Middleton.
And then I'm going to pray for him as he speaks to us.
So, over to you, Peter.
Thanks, Alex.
I'm Peter Whiting.
It says here that I run a boat business, which is sort of true.
We do have a connection with boats,
but really the main business is fiberglass,
which we sell the materials and we do some manufacturing as well,
and that's in Middleton.
My wife is Miriam,
and she is a cousin of Jill Smith,
if you want to have a connection.
And I have three kids,
Bobby, Nathan, and Claire.
Bobby is a good friend of Peter's,
and you might know Nathan and Claire as well.
So, my eldest is going to be 20 next week.
And my youngest is 14.
So, yeah, I'm an elder in Middleton.
There's three of us as elders.
Andy Compton is the pastor.
Colin Meikle and myself are elders.
And we have a church, I think, very, very similar to yours.
And we meet in the Middleton Park Hotel.
But when I see the logistics of all that you're doing here,
it's exactly the same for us,
setting up and all the rest.
We just have slightly more salubrious surroundings than you.
And so we meet there.
In terms of prayer for Middleton,
I was thinking, well,
you might know Paul McFarland,
Paul and Kate.
They have been with us for,
or Paul has been with us for a few years
acting as a worker with Andy,
but they're now moving on to you all.
So I think that leaves a bit of a hole for Middleton.
So maybe that's something we could pray for,
or you could pray for us,
as Andy no longer has another worker with him.
That would be something to pray for Andy
as we continue to try and do outreach
in the town and in the surrounding area.
So anyway, thanks for having me this morning.
Thanks, Peter.
So we'll just pray for Peter before he speaks to us.
Lord, thank you for all that we have heard this morning.
And we pray now for Peter
as he opens up your word to us.
I pray that it would challenge us,
change us, and transform us.
I pray that we would be people
who know how to rest
under the headship of Jesus.
Help us now to submit our lives
and our hearts under your word.
And bless Peter as he speaks to us.
Give us ears to listen
and hearts to hear.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Thank you.
Okay.
Sorry.
I'm going to put that here.
Ah, I could do it then.
Ah, he was really testing me.
Okay, thanks, Alex.
Good.
Okay.
I'm all right now.
The verse I want to look at
is 28 to 30.
And the theme, as you know,
is rest.
Alex asked me what that would be.
So that's why the theme of this morning
has been unrest.
And so I think some of you
have been on holidays
and some of you are away
or some of you are not here away.
And I know that Johnny and Kirstie
have gone on holidays.
And you've been, you've been.
I'm sure some of you are still looking forward
to going on the holidays.
I am.
We're heading off to,
down to the West Cork
in 10 days' time.
And I tell you,
I am really looking forward
to that.
And I think, you know,
holidays are things that
should and usually do
invigorate us
and get us ready to face
the pressures of normal life.
Because life is, you know,
it's stressful.
And we need these times
of rest.
As the saying goes,
all work and no play
makes Jack a dull boy.
So this is something
that we can all relate to.
And it is how God has made us
that we need times
to be refreshed.
Do you mind if I just drop this down a bit?
Okay, that's fine.
And so when Jesus says,
come to me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest,
what's he alluding to?
Is he offering us
a lie-in every morning,
a weekend away,
or a regular break?
So this is what we want
to just look at.
And the reason I read the,
or we read the passage before
and right through to the end
of verse 14 in chapter 12,
it's just if you,
that passage following,
you notice how it's about the Sabbath.
And obviously there's a discussion
about what you should
and shouldn't do on the Sabbath.
But what is really interesting
is the final verse 14,
the Pharisees went out
and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
And so I suppose you've got
this dichotomy of the Pharisees
that have,
they've been given this welcome,
this offer to,
this invitation to come to Jesus
and rest,
but they just turn
the other way
and just hope for us
that we will,
we will respond to this invitation
and there'll be no part of us
that's like the Pharisees
that actually
goes the opposite way.
So anyway,
thank you for the opportunity
to speak this morning
and I just pray that God
will bless us
as we look at his word
and may he encourage us
to live lives
to please and follow him.
So as we look at this invitation,
which I think is a wonderful one,
it just reminds me
there's another invitation
similar in John chapter 7,
you might like to turn that,
John 7,
verse 37,
John 7,
37,
on the last and greatest day
of the feast,
Jesus stood and said
in a loud voice,
if anyone is thirsty,
let him come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me,
as the scripture has said,
streams of living water
will flow from within him.
So we've got these two invitations
that Jesus made.
One is to come and be filled
if you're thirsty
and the other is to get rest
if you're weary and burdened.
And both of these invitations
have their roots
in the Old Testament.
We can turn back to Isaiah 55
and this is the one
that we're most familiar with.
Isaiah 55,
verses 1 to 3.
Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters.
You who have no money,
come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
without money
and without cost.
Why spend money
on what is not bread
and your labor
on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me
and eat what is good
and your soul will delight
in the richest affair.
Give ear and come to me.
Hear me
that your soul may live.
And then ones that are more specific
to today's reading
are in Jeremiah,
Jeremiah 6
and verse 16.
And this one says,
This is what the Lord says.
Stand at the crossroads
and look.
Ask for the ancient paths.
Ask where the good way is
and walk in it
and you will find rest
for your souls.
And then the second one
is in Exodus chapter 33
and it's where God says
to Moses,
verse 14,
My presence will go with you
and I will give you rest.
So as Jesus made this invitation,
his listeners
and especially the Pharisees
who would have been
very knowledgeable
of their Bible,
of their Torah,
would have understood
the significance
of what Jesus was saying.
that Jesus here,
when he makes this invitation,
is identifying himself
with the Old Testament God
of Isaiah and Jeremiah
and Moses.
And as Jesus gives this invitation,
he's basically claiming divinity.
That God who made that invitation
in Isaiah
is the same as Jesus
who was saying,
Come to me
and I will give you rest.
And if you look at the
verses 25 to 27
of our reading,
it says,
At that time,
Jesus said,
I praise you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
because you've hidden
these things
from the wise and learned
and revealed them
to little children.
Yes, Father,
for this was your good pleasure.
All things have been
committed to me
by my Father.
No one knows the Son
except the Father,
and no one knows the Father
except the Son
and those to whom
the Son chooses
to reveal him.
So,
when Jesus addresses God
as Father
and claims to be Son,
he is claiming divinity.
But we won't look too much
into that for now,
because that's a whole
different area.
So,
I now want to have a look
at what is it
that Jesus is offering
when he says,
Come to me,
all you who are weary
and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
If you look up the dictionary,
the definition of rest
is to cease work
or movement
in order to relax,
sleep,
or recover strength.
So,
the purpose of rest
is to relax,
sleep,
or recover strength.
And I think maybe
the last bit,
recovering strength,
is probably what it's really about.
In order for us
to keep going on,
we need to be
recovering strength.
So,
I want to have a look
at the concept of rest
in the Bible.
And if we turn back
to Genesis,
it's where we'll
start with the first
reference to rest.
And of course,
it's at the end
of the creation account.
Genesis chapter 1,
verse 31,
we have the completion
of the six days
of creation.
And God has been active
in creating.
And in verse 31,
it says that God
saw all that he had made
and it was very good.
And there was evening
and there was morning
the sixth day.
So,
we have the end
of the sixth day
and God is looking
at all that he's made
and it's very good.
And it says,
thus the heavens
and the earth
were completed
in all their vast array.
And by the seventh day,
so that's the next day,
God had finished
his work.
God had finished
the work
that he had been doing.
So,
on the seventh day,
he rested
from all his work.
And God blessed
the seventh day
and made it holy
because on it
he rested
from all the work
of creating
that he had done.
So,
we see here
that when God
had completed
his work of creating,
first of all,
he looks at it
and he sees
that it's good.
So,
he looks at
his completed creation
and he acknowledges
this is very good.
And I think
this is something
that we can relate to.
It can be as simple
as
cutting the grass
or
finishing exams
or
baking a cake
but you
look at it
and say,
that's good,
I'm happy with that,
that is how
I want it to be.
And God has
this sense
of satisfaction
and he's
looking at
this completed work
and he now
rests.
So,
this principle
of rest
is first
demonstrated by God.
God has been active,
he's busy
and then he rests.
So,
in the context
of hard work
and
in the fulfilling
completion
of a task,
do you know what?
It's okay
to take a breather
and to rest.
And I find that
really encouraging
that rest
is actually
something that's
ordained by God
and it's necessary
for normal
human functioning.
I remember
years ago
I was on an OM
team,
it was when I was
a young Christian
and
it was my first
experience
of
Christian work.
Those of you
familiar with OM,
maybe,
I don't know
whether anyone
was on OM
back in the 80s,
but OM
would have been
quite an extreme
sort of,
you know,
they worked you
hard.
And I remember
being on the team
and,
you know,
this is my first
experience of
Christian work
of any sort
and we arrived,
we were on this
team in France
and we arrived
at the home
of a missionary
family and I was
quite amazed
to see the family
were heading off
on holidays.
I thought,
wow,
so Christian
missionaries,
you know,
Christian workers
can go on holidays.
That's good.
Good.
And
I think
if you know
OM,
you know what I
mean when I
say that.
But that was
encouraging that
it's okay to
have holidays
and even
Christian workers
can have
holidays,
but I think,
you know,
they do need it.
They need it.
So you can pray
for your pastor
and the family
as they go on
holidays,
that they'll
be refreshed
and able to
come back
revitalized
for the work.
So,
we've got this
principle that
rest is something
that's part of
normal human
functioning.
But God
takes it further.
If you move on
to Exodus 20
and we have
the Ten Commandments
and the fourth
commandment,
of course,
is the
to keep the
Sabbath day
and Exodus
20,
verse 4.
Remember the
Sabbath day
by keeping it
holy.
Six days
you shall
labor and
do all your
work,
but the
seventh day
is a
Sabbath
to the
Lord your
God.
On it
you shall
not do
any work,
neither you
nor your
son or
daughter,
nor your
manservant
or maidservant,
nor your
animals,
nor the
alien within
your gates.
For in
six days
the Lord
made the
heavens and
the earth,
the sea and
all that is
in them,
but he
rested on
the seventh
day.
Therefore the
Lord blessed
the Sabbath
day and
made it
holy.
So now
not only have
we got rest
being a
principle,
but now it's
actually a
commandment
that the
Israelites were
to work six
days and
they were to
rest on the
seventh day
and the
pattern that
they took
that from
was that
that's exactly
what God
had done in
creation.
He'd
created over
six days and
he rested on
the seventh
day.
So that
is why they
were to do
it.
And it was
a commandment.
Not only is
it that it's a
good idea,
but actually it
is something that
we should do
because it
works for us.
And has it
ever occurred to
you why we
have a seven
day week?
Well, that's
where it comes
from.
Because the
seven day week
has no
astronomical
reasoning.
The reason I
say that is,
look, a year is
the time it
takes for the
earth to go
around the
sun.
A month is
the time it
takes for the
moon to go
around the
earth.
And a day,
of course,
is the time it
takes for the
earth to spin
on its axis.
But a seven
day week,
there's no
logical reason
for a seven
day week.
And if you
are interested,
if you go
online and look
up the old
farmer's almanac,
it says in
that no more
logic supports
seven days than
say eight or
five.
Yet the seven
day week has
resisted any
and all
attempt at
change.
So if you're
interested in a
little bit of
history, the
almanac goes on
to say that
atheistic
revolutionaries
tried unsuccessfully
to get rid of
the seven day
week.
In 1793, the
leaders of the
French Revolution
produced a new
calendar and
they divided it
into three
ten day
decades, they
called it.
So a week of
ten days.
It never
caught on and
Napoleon abandoned
it in 1805.
In 1929, the
Soviet Union
tried a five
day week and
there was one
day of rest and
the days of the
week were named
after colours and
everybody was
assigned a colour.
So perhaps a
husband might be
yellow, so
yellow was his
day off and
his wife, she'd
be given green.
So your day
off was yellow
and your day
off was green.
So obviously it
didn't really work
for families and
there was a lot
of confusion.
The plan was
revised in 1932
to a six day
week and
instead of
having colours
they had numbers
but by 1940
they gave up
and now Russia
is back on
the seven day
week.
And as the
almanac said,
the seven day
week has
resisted any
and all
attempt at
change.
So I just
think that's
really interesting.
You know, God
instituted, he
said this is
what you're
to do, man
has tried to
change it, but
what works is
the seven day
week.
And God
knows best.
And Psalm
103.14 says,
for he knows
how we are
formed and he
remembers that
we are dust.
rest.
So the first
point is that
if we are
finding that
we are heavy
and burdened,
that we're
weary and
burdened,
there's a
practical note
here, are we
getting enough
rest?
Maybe you need
a holiday,
maybe you need
to stop and
just get off.
Maybe you
haven't got a
proper rest in
your routine.
obviously we
can't always
take off one
day in seven
and we can't
always have the
privilege of
having Sunday
off, but
certainly the
principle of
getting rest is
necessary for
our proper
functioning as
a human being.
So, moving
on, a deeper
rest, and this
is something that
we've already
alluded to in
that Psalm that
Alex read,
Psalm 62, and
I think maybe we
could turn to
that because that's
in my notes as
well.
Psalm 62, and
this is a rest
of the soul, and
Jesus says here,
you will find
rest for your
souls.
So, there's the
physical sort of,
I'll just take a
day off, there's
that type of rest,
but there's also
the deeper rest,
rest for our
souls.
And in Psalm 62,
which we've
already read, a
wonderful Psalm,
David says,
my soul finds
rest in God
alone, my
salvation,
salvation, and
salvation.
He alone is my
rock and my
salvation.
He is my
fortress, I
shall never be
shaken.
And then in
verse 5, David
then points the
finger at himself
and says to
himself, find
rest, O my
soul, in God
alone.
My hope comes
from him.
He alone is my
rock and my
salvation.
He is my
fortress, I
shall not be
shaken.
So Jesus
says if we are
to find rest
for our souls,
we are to take
up his yoke.
We are to take
up a yoke upon
us and we are
to learn from
him.
I think we all
know what a
yoke is.
I know they're
not used anymore,
but obviously it
was the way that
the farmer used
to get his
oxen to do
useful work.
And the
yoke would
constrain the
ox to do
what the farmer
wanted.
And so in
this context,
when Jesus
says take my
yoke upon you,
there obviously
is this
context that we
are to be
obedient to
God.
And 1
John 5
3 says,
this is love
for God
to obey
his commands.
And he goes
on to say,
and his commands
are not
burdensome.
So this
rest of soul
that Jesus
talks about
is linked
with obedience
that we need
to put God
in the right
place in our
lives.
We've already
read that verse
in Exodus.
God says
to Moses,
my presence
will go with
you and I
will give
you rest.
And when
God spoke
to Moses,
the rest
that they
were looking
forward to
was the
promised land.
And as
you know,
Moses didn't
enter the
promised land
and the
Israelites at
that time
didn't enter
the promised
land.
And Deuteronomy
1.32 gives
the reason
why they
didn't enter
that land.
And it's
simply this,
you did
not trust
in the
Lord your
God.
That's
Deuteronomy
1.32.
And Hebrews
explains it
more.
Hebrews 3.18
says,
to whom
did God
swear that
they would
never enter
his rest
if not
to those
who
disobeyed?
So we
see that
they were
not able
to enter
because of
their unbelief.
So the
Israelites
didn't enter
the promised
land,
didn't enter
that rest
because of
their
disobedience.
Joshua
then was
the next
leader and
Joshua was
successful in
bringing the
Israelites into
the promised
land.
And when
God appointed
Joshua,
he said to
him,
be strong
and courageous
because you
will lead
these people
to inherit
the land
I swore to
their forefathers
to give them.
Be strong
and very
courageous.
Be careful
to obey
all the law
my servant
Moses gave
you.
Do not turn
from it to
the right
or the left
that you
might be
successful
wherever you
go.
So God
said to
Joshua,
be careful
to be
obedient.
And if
you're
obedient,
you will
enter that
rest in
the promised
land.
And of
course,
Joshua was
successful.
And Joshua
brought the
people into
the promised
land.
And Joshua's
words to the
people were,
remember the
command that
Moses, the
servant of
the Lord,
gave you.
The Lord
your God
has given
you rest
and has
granted you
this land.
So Joshua
was very
clear,
guys, if
you want to
enter that
rest, that
promised land,
be obedient
to God.
And at
the end,
after the
occupation of
the land,
we read in
Joshua 21,
43,
so the
Lord gave
Israel all
the land he
had sworn to
give their
forefathers,
and they
took possession
of it and
settled there.
The Lord
gave them
rest on
every side,
just as he
had sworn
to their
forefathers.
So if
you're a
Christian this
morning and
you're looking
for rest,
this rest of
the soul,
you're not
called to
take up
arms and
invade the
promised land
and engage
in battle
with the
Philistines or
the Canaanites
or the
Amorites or
the Amalekites
or any
other ites.
But we are
called by
Jesus to
take up his
yoke and
learn from
him.
But the
great thing
about this
yoke that
Jesus gives
us is that
it's easy
or not so
much easy
as it
fits and
it's
comfortable.
I think
what the
word means
is there's
no hard
edges,
it doesn't
press in
and poke
your spine
or, you
know, it's
not constantly
making you
uncomfortable.
It's a
yoke that
is, it
fits.
But obviously
it's also a
yoke that
keeps you
going in a
direction so
you're not
free to just
head off
wherever you
want.
And that's
what it's
like for
the Christian
that we
are to
be obedient
to him.
But as we
obey God,
it's not
burdensome,
it's not
tough and
uncomfortable,
it's not
harsh.
The word
is, it's
not harsh
or hard
or sharp
or pressing,
but it's
comfortable,
gracious
and pleasant.
That's what
the word
means.
And the
burden is
light and
easy to
be born.
So the
invitation that
Jesus gives
us is a
good one.
It's something
that we can
be encouraged
about.
It's not
difficult.
So how do
we enter
into this
rest of
God?
If we're
a Christian,
the principle
is the
same.
Trust and
obey.
And in
Acts 17,
that famous
sermon of
Paul to
the
Athenians,
to the
Greeks,
Paul says,
God commands
all men
everywhere to
repent.
So the
command that
goes out is
you must
repent,
but the
great thing
is that as
you repent,
this is when
you receive
the rest of
God.
Psalm 32,
maybe we
could look at
that,
because this
is a
wonderful
psalm which
speaks of
repentance and
forgiveness and
the rest of
God that
comes through
that.
Psalm 32.
Blessed is
he whose
transgressions
are forgiven,
whose sins
are covered.
Blessed is
the man whose
sin the Lord
does not
count against
him,
and in
whose spirit
is no
deceit.
So there's
the blessing,
and now we
have a
description of
somebody who's
resisting that.
When I
kept silent,
my bones
wasted away
through my
groaning all
day long.
For day and
night your
hand was
heavy upon
me, my
strength was
sapped, as
in the heat
of summer.
So you've
got this
description of
somebody who
is not
confessing
their sins,
who is not
turning to
God, not
repenting,
and there's
like this
physical
oppression that
they're receiving.
And then it
says in verse
5,
Then I
acknowledged my
sin to you,
and I did
not cover up
my iniquity.
I said, I
will confess
my transgressions
to the Lord.
And guess
what?
You forgave
the guilt
of my
sin.
And if you
then go back
to verse
1,
blessed is
he whose
transgressions
are forgiven,
whose sins
are covered.
Blessed is
the man
whose sin
the Lord
does not
count against
him, and
in whose
spirit is
no deceit.
So if as
yet we've
resisted Jesus'
call on our
lives, the
invitation is
to come to
Jesus.
And where
do we come?
We come at
the foot of
the cross.
we acknowledge
our sin and
we lay it
on him.
We thank
him for
taking the
burden of
our sin and
paying the
price so we
can be
forgiven.
We trust
in him.
John 3.16
For God
so loved the
world that he
gave his only
son that
whoever believes
in him
shall not
perish but
have eternal
life.
and I
think you
could replace
that eternal
life with
eternal rest.
Rest in
him.
So are we
trusting in
Jesus in
that way?
Have we
cast on him
the heaviest
of burdens
our sin and
found in him
the rest of
our soul?
That is
peace with
God.
Just in
closing I
just want us
to look at
a couple of
characters that
you're probably
very familiar
with.
It's in
Luke chapter
10.
Because let's
just bring it
home and
see some
people in
the Bible who
really demonstrate
this experiencing
God's rest.
And it's the
account of
Mary and
Martha.
And it's in
Luke chapter
10 verses
39 to
41.
As Jesus
and his
disciples were
on their
way he
came to
a village
where a
woman named
Martha opened
her home to
him.
She had a
sister called
Mary who
sat at the
Lord's feet
listening to
what he
said but
Martha was
distracted by
all the
preparations that
had to be
made.
She came to
him and
said and
asked Lord
don't you
care that my
sister has
left me to do
the work by
myself?
Tell her to
help me.
Martha, Martha
the Lord
answered you
are worried
and upset
about many
things but
only one
thing is
needed.
Mary has
chosen what
is better and
it will not be
taken away
from her.
So here we
have these
sisters and
they're friends
of Jesus and
they're very
different
characters.
Martha is a
doer and
here she is
she's busy
preparing,
she opens
her home,
she gets a
meal ready and
she's busy,
busy, busy,
busy but she's
frustrated,
she's not at
rest, she's
not at peace
and she's
frustrated because
her sister
isn't helping,
her sister is
sitting at
Jesus' feet
and she's
listening to
Jesus and
Martha goes
to Jesus and
says,
Jesus don't
you care that
I'm here on
my own doing
all this work
for you?
Tell her to
help me.
And Jesus
simply says,
Martha,
you're worried
and upset
about many
things but
you know
what,
your sister
has made
the right
choice in
this case.
The dishes
can wait,
the dinner
can wait,
you need to
find rest
in me.
Mary's chosen
what is better
and it will
not be taken
away from her.
what I love
about those
two sisters
is that
later on
there's another
account of
them and
Jesus is
again at
their house
and
Martha is
the one
doing the
preparations
but there's
no condemnation
here because
Martha is
different to
Mary and
obviously
this is not
an excuse
not to do
the washing
up young
people or
to help at
home but
there are
times where
we just
need to
sit at
Jesus'
feet and
find rest
and refreshment
in him.
So during
this holiday
season
may God
refresh us
and more
importantly
may we find
that rest
of our souls
in Jesus
as we
trust
and obey
him
throughout
the year.
Are we
going to
have a
closing?
So we've
just a hymn
that I'd
like us to
sing is
when we
walk with
the Lord
in the
light of
his word
what a
glory he
sheds on
his way
I forget
the words
but we'll
sing them
now
when we
walk with
the Lord.
Thanks.