We find ourselves in a non-stop culture and seemingly pulled in every direction. As the world proposes all kinds of false solutions for rest, God is the one who can deliver true rest to the weary, worried, and overwhelmed. In this week’s message, Jason Bradshaw defines a theology of rest, examines mankind’s desperate need for it, and how to establish and maintain a right rhythm of rest in everyday life.

Jason’s Main Points

1. Rest is a rhythm created by God.

2. God created rest for His people to continually be reminded of who He is.

3. God created rest for His people as a sign that they were His.

4. Rest is no longer a day, but a person– Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

• As our Creator, God is the expert authority on rest. Rest is a good gift from God for the benefit of mankind.
  
  
• Rest is an opportunity for God’s people to depend on Him for their provision and trust Him each day.  
  
  
• As God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian oppression, He established a rhythm of rest for them to be reminded of His past deliverance, enjoy His present provision, and trust Him for their future hope. They regularly responded to God’s good design for rest with doubt and disobedience.
  
  
• In Matthew 12:8, Jesus asserts Himself as “the Lord of the Sabbath.” True rest is not found in a passive lack of work or even a particular day, but in an active trust in the person of Jesus Christ.
  
  
• The burdens of life may not change, but their weight will as you depend on Christ.
  
  
• We need rest. We are not invincible. No amount of work can produce true rest.
  
  
• Cultural lies:
  1) I’ll rest when I’m done.
  2) Good rest is being passive.
  3 I just need a vacation.
  4) Self-care is rest.
  
  
• Self-centered methods of rest only train us to be more self-centered and less satisfied. Unredemptive rest will leave victims.

• God is still at work, even when we rest.
  
  
• Practical applications:
  1) Trust God with your day.
  2) Trust God with your life.
  3) Have a consistent rhythm of resting in the Lord. Devote daily, withdraw weekly, escape weekly, abandon annually.
  4) Be reminded of who God is when you rest.
  
  

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal reflection:

• Develop a plan to devote daily, withdraw weekly, escape monthly, and abandon annually for the sake of drawing closer to Christ, in whom true rest is found.
  
  
• In what areas of your life are you most stressed, anxious, and worried right now? Spend time in prayer for these particular burdens and remind yourself of who God is, along with His ongoing presence, provision, and promises.
  
  

Discuss with your community group:

• What cultural lies are you prone to believe? How can you personally and collectively grow in seeking true rest in Jesus Christ?
  
  
• God’s good design includes a rhythm of rest and remembrance. How have you seen God at work in your group throughout the past year?
  

Passages Referenced
Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 16:27-30; Exodus 20:1-2, 8-11; Exodus 31:12-13; Matthew 12:1-8; Matthew 11:27-30; John 15:5; Psalm 127:1-2; Matthew 6:25-34; Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 46:10.