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Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Divine Rest Pt.4

Let's turn back to Philippians, where we were this morning. We want to continue to talk about the divine rest, the ability to allow God to work His will and His pleasure in us. "For it is God [Philippians 2:13] which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

So we've seen that the will of God is that we're able to bring forth fruit. God has ordained us, John says, that we would bring forth fruit and that our fruit would remain, and we've seen the process of that in John's gospel. He speaks very clearly to us of how that process occurs in each of our lives. We're so quick, many times, to think that anything that's painful or anything that might be pressure situations or circumstantially other than pleasing in our lives can't be the will of God, and yet we see in John 15 that it's exactly the opposite. The Lord speaks to us and makes it very clear that if we're abiding in the Vine, as fruit begins to manifest in our lives the one thing that will happen, the one thing that must happen, is that there will be a purging process or a pruning process so that we might bring forth more fruit. Then ultimately we see in John 15: 5, that passage that we've quoted so many times, the bringing forth of fruit that remains, the bringing forth of this abundance of fruit that comes through a continual purging process in our lives; He reminds us in the midst of all of this, "...without me ye can do [What?] nothing."

So what's happening is, He's pruning out self, and everything that remains that's acceptable unto Him, as we shared before, is of Him. There's nothing that we can do in our own strength that pleases God; it's all a stench in His nostrils. It is not the sweet smelling savor of true, genuine worship. Like Cain, we want to bring gifts at our own hands. We want to bring those gifts that we delight in and that we've prepared, and yet God is looking for that, as Abel's offering, that He prepared, that only He could create. So it's important that we understand the process, and as God's teaching us to abide in Him and to rest in Him, in the midst of all of this there are going to be trials. The trying of our faith is going to work patience in us, and we're to let it have its perfect work.

There's a process that the Apostle speaks of in Hebrews that has to do with our sonship. We talked this morning about the sonship and what manner of love Father has bestowed upon us that we should be sons of God, but the Scripture says that if you're sons, one thing comes with that package of sonship, and it's what? What's Hebrews tell us? Chastening, isn't it? There's going to be chastening in our lives if we're sons. If you don't stand up under the chastening, if you can't endure the trials, the chastening, the purifying process, then very graphically the Holy Spirit says, "You're not sons, but you're bastards; you're illegitimate."

The one thing that shows the fact that we are legitimate children of God is our capacity to be patient, to rest, in the adverse circumstances of life. Just as we saw in the skit tonight, it's the bastards that run. It's the hirelings that flee when the flock is in need, and not the true shepherds. It's a basic principle of selfishness: when things get tough, the natural man, the selfish man, will do whatever it takes to save his own skin, to take the pressure off. How about when the circumstances are a little tough? Do you find it easy, just even in the small things--you know we talked about the fact that if the footmen weary us in our trials, how are we going to contend with the chariots? When the finances are a little tight, do you find it easy to lie on your income tax statement? It's about that time of the year isn't it? Is that extra few bucks worth your integrity, worth the presence of God? Do you find it easy to lie when the pressure is on at work--just to back off the boss, just to back off whoever it is that might be pressuring you? It may not be a bold lie; we're just shading the truth a little bit. If there's any shade in it, it's not of the light, and who is it that works in darkness? Satan. Where are we in the midst of allowing God to bring us, as children of light, into the pure expression of not only proclaiming His truth but manifesting His truth in the way we live, and coming to grips with--and this is the thing that we're going to deal with a little bit tonight--and coming to grips with--this is the hardest thing for many of us--who we are in truth? A real look at ourselves and what God's doing in our lives--a genuine look into the mirror.

Some of those pictures that were hanging in the back last week--they're in the back room now on the table. We were getting ready to come into service, and the one that was on the top happened to be the one of me in my Navy uniform. We were walking out and Greer [Pastor's wife] made some kind of a comment. I can't remember exactly what it was, but it was along the lines of--it was a true statement about how handsome I was. She did use the past tense. No, actually what she said was, "Look at that handsome sailor, and he's even more handsome now." And I said, "I've got a mirror!" And her comment was, "Well, you are!" And I said, "I've got a mirror; I know what I look like." It's scary. I looked in there and my dad looked out at me! Where do you buy those mirrors? That thing had to have come from Wal-Mart. There's something wrong with that mirror, when your dad looks back at you. Are you able to come to grips with what you see in the mirror [the Word of God], or do you go away forgetting what manner of man you are?

I shared a little bit this morning as we were closing--you know, you just get a glimpse of the vileness of your heart. I don't know where your mind went. I'm not talking about some gross sin that I've committed in these days. It's not gross in the sense of how we would grade sin, but it's gross in God's sight whenever you begin to move back into that area where self begins to make decisions and, many times, the pride of life that would manifest. I saw it coming and didn't deal with it in the last weeks. What gave place to that in my life was that I began to be compelled, driven, in this one area. It was all just a pride thing, to set a national record. So in the process, we began to manipulate and try to get to an event in Louisiana, and it rained out. So we were pulling a bunch of strings to then try to get to Mississippi, and it rained out. So this weekend we went to Delmar, and we were able to make the first pass. Everything went well, and we came back to set the second pass. As I was staging, a couple of drops began to fall on the window. The starter didn't wave me off, so I launched, and we went down and ran a better time and did everything that was necessary and set the national record in that class for the truck.

It was an exciting thing, and we were celebrating. The next morning we found out that it was taken away from us because of a technicality, something that we weren't aware of. We had met the weight class--we had met the weight, all of the different requirements--but some obscure thing that we weren't aware of. At that particular point--the Holy Spirit had been dealing with me, as I had said, from when we were in Lake Tahoe--basically the Holy Spirit said, "How much more do you want? Now, you can either deal with this, or I'll just keep spanking you." I said, "No, I'm through." It was so nice to be free again, to be cleansed, to have this obsession gone and that pride dealt with, that ego that drives us, so many times, in areas of our life. I know none of you deal with that, but this is just something that I have every once in a while, that I have trouble with about once every ten years. Did I say years or minutes? And to be able to come, each of us, into that place where we can just rest in God's goodness to us and realize that the things that He's doing in our lives are for eternal consequences, not things that we put importance upon in the natural realm.

Whatever it is that you're dealing with in your life--and I know that we all have our own areas, but flesh is flesh--the principles apply across the board to whatever it is that you might be dealing with. We have to come to that place where we can learn to rest in the will of God. And it will never manifest until you allow that pruning process that you've been going through to be revealed by the mirror of the Word of God, come to grips with who you are, let Him bring you to that point of repentance as you change course, as your focus comes back on the eternal, as Father restores the peace to your heart again and you're able to hear and see from the eternal perspective again--then you'll see clear enough in that time of humility to do what Hebrews says has to be done.

Peter says we've got to humble ourselves. God resists the proud but He gives what? Grace to the humble. Now, why would He give grace to the humble? You'd think the proud would need the grace. As we humble ourselves we need grace because once you've humbled yourself, what is it that God wants from you? More humility. "Well, look, I don't think I can get any more humble than I am right now. I mean, you know." So He gives grace to us so that we begin to see that the only way He can be glorified is as we empty ourselves and His majesty and His ability are seen in us, and our righteousness is as filthy rags. Everything that's done is done of the Lord, because without Him we can do nothing.

How, then, is this accomplished? Look at Hebrews, chapter 4. We've been there numerous times; we'll keep bouncing back and forth to it. The principle, we're aware of, but I want you to see the context again very clearly, of Hebrews chapter 4. We studied the other night about the evil heart of unbelief--unpersuadableness. We saw that the Word that they had received, chapter 4, verse 2, couldn't profit them because it wasn't mixed with faith. Now, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, but the Word has to be mixed with the fruit of faith, and we shared with you what faith meant: assurance, reliance. We find that that independent spirit has to die and that absolute, innocent dependence on Father has to be restored. The Word has to bring us back to that childlike faith to where there is a trust (that assurance, that reliance) in the promises of God. It has to be mixed in with an obedience that goes to the cross that we spoke of this morning, and there must be--look with me over at verse 10--a ceasing from our own works.

There is a rest to the people of God. "There remaineth [verse 9] therefore a rest to the people of God. [But to enter in]...he that is entered into his rest, [must cease] from his own works, [Now, watch; this is an interesting statement. Cease from your own works] as God did from his." That's quite a contrast. What caused God to cease from His works? He spoke and it was sure. Amen? The context of this is the Word of God--whether we're going to trust the Word of God (the promises of God), or whether we see a need to have a Plan B, a works net, as we talked about the other night, under our faith. God ceased from His labors. He spoke and it was! And it's been continuing from creation, and the worlds were framed by the Word of God. The things that are were created from things that are not seen. He's telling us here that if we're ever going to enter into that divine rest, there's going to have to be a ceasing from the works of the flesh, from that demand, as we were talking about this morning, that we somehow are able to comprehend, that we see the plan, that we understand it, that it's logical to us.

Now, it's not going to come naturally, because verse 11 says that we have to labor to enter into the rest. You're going to have to work to stop working, but it's a different kind of a work. What kind of a work is it? It's now a labor in the Word of God. You're going to have to spend time laboring, studying the Word of God. You're going to have to spend time meditating. You're going to have to spend time doing, or obeying, the Word of God. There's going to be a need in our lives of spiritual discipline, of prayer, of fasting, of seeking the eternal in the spiritual things. "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest [of ceasing from our own works], lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief [or unpersuadableness]." You see, the Word did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith, but look how the Word will profit you. "For the word of God is quick [it's alive], and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword."

You know, the thing that's cool about the Word of God--it is a two-edged sword. You know what it does? It'll cut both ways. You've got to be careful with this thing. The Word of God can be the most accurate, razor-sharp instrument that can perfectly circumcise your heart! Now, we know what circumcision was. It was symbolic wasn't it? A cutting off of the flesh, and that's what this Word does. It'll circumcise our hearts; the Word cuts the flesh out of our lives. You pull that mirror up, as we were talking about earlier, and it'll cut the flesh out of you. It'll reveal what manner of man you are, if you'll become a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.

But you know, there's another edge to that Sword, and that edge will kill and bring the judgment of God. He does not bear the sword in vain. So we need to see then, that we're going to contend with the Sword of God one way or another. The Horseman, the One upon the white horse, the One with the sword that proceeds from His mouth, the One that speaks and the nations are destroyed, the One Who will bring that last judgment is the same One speaking into our hearts today trying to circumcise our lives, our hearts, from the flesh. We're going to do this Word one way or another! This Word will become preeminent in our lives one way or another: to humble us or to condemn us. But it's alive and it's powerful and it's a discerner of the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. You're never going to know what manner of man you are by looking in the natural mirror, by comparing yourselves by yourselves, by listening to your own public relations agents. You're not going to know what you look like when you listen to your wife and she tells you how good looking you are. So many of us are content to believe that lie, and in doing that, we're outside the rest of God; we're still laboring. We're still about our own kingdom, and He's trying to bring us into a liberty here to where that Word can pierce into the deepness, verse 12 says, of our soul and our spirit and discern the very thoughts and the intentions of our heart. It's not what we do; it's why we do it. What are your motives? You see, so many judge on the outward. There's a self-righteousness, as we've talked before, and the "help the old lady across the street" syndrome and all of the works syndrome of helping the needy. What is the motive behind feeding the poor?

We were in Florida, bringing the rent-a-car back. It was Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Have you ever rented a car from them? It's interesting. You get a good rate and stuff, and they were close by. They actually came down and picked us up at this place, and we got the car. Well, we're coming back, and it's interesting to me. You know, we're in a resort town--we're in Orlando--and these people close at noon on Saturdays. Was it a Saturday? So we go back to return the rent-a-car; they're closed and there's no key drop. So I thought, "Well now, let's see. We have two choices. I can sell the thing to the first guy that comes by, or lock the keys in the car." They were thankful we didn't do that; they said it was their only set. I think this is a real budget operation. It was a pretty nice car; it wasn't like Rent-A-Wreck. It was a decent car. If I had had it the night before, we would have raced it. They had a street night at the drag strip where we were; you could just race anything you brought. That rent-a-car would have been out there, baby. We would have been racing--it was a bad van!

So we were returning the car, and it was hot down there--it was close to ninety degrees--and there's this little Mexican guy. I'm watching him, and the whole time we're trying to call--Greer's on the phone with headquarters, "What do you do with these things; what should we do?" and this kind of stuff. I'm watching this guy, and he's got this cane. He could just barely walk, and it's taking him literally ten minutes to get up the street. He comes up and he stops. I said, "What do you need?" He said, "I was coming to rent a car." I said, "Well, what for?" He said, "I'm going to see my daughter. I was going to rent a car." I don't know how much further he was going. I was hoping she wasn't in Jacksonville or something, and I thought--all these thoughts were going through my mind--"I wonder why his daughter didn't come to see him?" So about this time Star (Pastor's son) comes pulling up; they were in the toter home across the street. We're getting ready to run across all these lanes of traffic to jump in the thing, and this little guy kind of pulled up. He sat down there, and we were getting ready to take off. I had this jug of water, brand new bottle of water. This guy's sweating and he's going to sit down. So I said, "Would you like some water?" And he said, "Oh, thank you." He was just sweating like a stuck pig. I said, "I just want you to know something. You know, the Bible says a cup of water in Jesus' name--while you're sitting there and resting, just thank Jesus for how good He is."

I don't know where this little guy went from there or what he was doing, but just the literal giving of a cup of cold water--what are the intentions of our heart when we do those kind of things? Now, the Lord didn't speak this to me, but what if the Lord had said, "Give him a ride to his sister's"? That never came to my thoughts until now as I'm telling the story. So now if the Lord tells me and I've got to go back down, he's probably still--I can probably find him about a block and a half away. But it never came to me; this was not something that was done. I'm trying to remember exactly what was going on. He talked something along the lines like he was going to call her to come and get him--I don't know the whole story. What if the Lord had said that, and now you're dealing with, "Man, I gave him some water! I don't have time. We're trying to get 800 miles up the road"? What are the intentions? I wonder, could we do it to be seen of men? Could we do it to appease our conscience? You know, so many people give to the poor because they're guilty that they have something. What's the motive behind what we're doing? Jesus said, "Don't give to be seen of men."

Now, we're talking about ceasing from our own labors, about letting the Word of God come into our heart so that it could discern the thoughts and the intentions. Do you already have in your own thinking a level of holiness that you'll strive toward, and "That's sufficient. That's about all I'm going to do. Surely God's satisfied with this"? And it's as good as eighty percent, and we compare ourselves by ourselves. Where are we in God revealing who we are? Because you'll never be at rest until you come to grips with who you really are, until the Word of God has discerned, judged--that word "discern" means to judge through properly--the thoughts and the intentions of our heart.

"Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." Are you at rest that everything's out in the light? You can't hide anything from God anyway. We all know that, but I'm talking about you having dealt with it. "Let us labour therefore to enter into the rest..."

Worship went a little long, and the skit--I know it's getting late--but let this stir your heart, and begin to, as we go into this next week and we prepare for this series that we're in right now, spend a little bit of time this week from the mirror perspective. Just spend some time where you sit down and say, "God, show me my heart. I'm not satisfied with where I am in the transformation to Your image."

You know, we asked the question a little while ago: what are you doing to prepare yourself? The guys said they had addressed this--I don't remember if it was in men's fellowship or in school or whatever it was--but what are you doing personally to prepare yourself for this next step, whatever it is that's ahead for us? What are you doing in your systematic destruction of the flesh? How are you systematically putting the old man to death and training the spiritual man to excel, to achieve? Because if we're going to excel, if we're going to be champions in our spiritual lives, then we're going to have to become temperate in everything else. What are you doing to redirect the priorities, the emphasis?

In the skit tonight they talked about the earth-dwelling spirit, the preparation. What are we holding back to ourselves, just in case what the Word says doesn't manifest in its entirety in the way that we deem? We'll talk about some of these practical aspects as we go on. Again, we're not talking about presumptuousness; we're not talking about foolishness. As we go on into the study we're going to talk about the biblical faith and patience that God is wanting to work in our lives through the constant daily chastisement. We're talking about looking around so we can be followers of those who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises of God. "Yeah! I want to find--who is that around here that's inheriting the promises? Who is it that just got the raise, the big job, the new house, the fancy car?" That's not what that Scripture's talking about. "...[Be] followers of them who through faith and patience [are] inherit[ing] the promises [of God]" (Hebrews 6:12). The promise that says that you can be free from sin, you can be free from the flesh, you can be free from selfness, you can cease from your own labors because the work has been finished in Jesus, and you can find rest for your soul.

Father, we thank You for the Word of God. We just delight in Your presence in our lives, and we so look forward to this work being done in our hearts. Give us ears to hear as we go into this study. Give us wisdom and understanding, Father, as we instruct Your people. Help us, Father, to discern accurately the spirit of our day. Father, give me an understanding of the hearts of these people and then speak through me so that Your children might be free and prepared for this hour. We don't seek man's wisdom; we don't seek the natural methodology. We must hear from Your Spirit, Lord, and we must cease from our own labors. Give us the ability this week to pick this mirror up and look into it and come to grips with the fact that without You we can do nothing! Totally incapable of pleasing You in any way in our own strength and in our own ability. Our best is as filthy rags. We thank You for the pure robe of Your righteousness, Jesus. By faith we adorn ourselves in it and declare ourselves, through Your finished work, the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, and we just say, "Thank You." Thank You, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. Take a moment as Gary plays for us and we allow the Holy Spirit, from His indwelling throne, to begin to speak encouragement to our heart. He's working in us to will and to do His good pleasure. He's working in us to will and to do His good pleasure. We're resting; He's working, praise God. You've got one job: humble yourself. You've got one job: die. You've got one job: pronounce yourself ugly. We're all pretty proficient about pronouncing everybody else ugly. What drives you toward those material things? Selfishness, pride, fear, lust. What is it that places value on the title, the position, of being over others? The reality of your worth; they call it low esteem. Man knows he's worthless and does everything to try to put a value on himself, but let's redirect our value system and become humble and become servants of all, and let our treasures be in the eternal and the spiritual realm and not in the natural. Let our contentment be in the things that aren't seen but are declared in the heavens. Rejoice in this: that your name is written in the Lamb's book (Luke 10:20). What greater value is there than that? Not in some blue blood registry, but in the Lamb's book, praise God! A new value system: our worth is no longer in our accomplishments but in His accomplishment. Our work, our worth, is vicarious.

Oh, help us to rest, Lord. Humanity is driven to find purpose and contentment and peace and gratification, and in You there's perfect peace. "I give you peace, not as the world gives" (John 14:27). In Your presence there's fullness of joy, and at Your right hand, pleasures forevermore! Godliness with contentment is great gain! Hallelujah! Oh, the realities, the eternal truths. Help us to embrace them, Lord, and be satisfied. We'll give You the praise, Father, in Jesus' name.

As we sing this together, just rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and rest in His presence. Hallelujah! For He is a holy God. "Hear the sound..." Just bless Him tonight. Give Him His praise. Hallelujah! Oh, sing it again! "Holy, holy..." You are, Lord! There's none like You! Hallelujah! Just take a moment and worship Him! "Holy are You..." You are, Lord, and we delight in Your presence! We thank You, Lord, for the free gift that You've given us in Jesus. We thank You for the cleansing of the blood! Hallelujah! Oh, the washing of the water of Your Word, the infusion of the life of Your Spirit, the grace that You give to the humble. Finish the work, Father; we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "He gives grace to the humble." Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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