Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Run to the Rest Pt.1

Interesting letter I got today--just before we get into the teaching--from Barry Meguiar. Not "Eve of Destruction" Barry McGuire. That's for you old guys. How many of you have ever heard the song "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire? Okay, everybody showed that they're over 40, at least. This is the Meguiar car care products guy. How many of you have ever seen those in the store? Meguiar is one of the bigger wax, cleaning detailing, etc. I was going through and I've got all kinds of car stuff, of course, that comes in and most of it I can see, and I start to trash. I started to throw this thing away, and I looked and it had "Meguiar's" gold embossed seal on it. It wasn't just the typical junk mail. I thought, "Well, that's strange; it's not like junk mail." So I stopped and opened it. It was very interesting and began reading this way, "Dear Pastor Scott, I was at Chip Miller's funeral, and I told my wife that I had just heard the purest, most unthreatening presentation of the gospel of Jesus to a secular audience that I'd ever heard." That was a quote.

He went on to say that he felt the Lord had been prompting him to go see Chip. He's a believer. Then, he found Chip had died and he was just really devastated. He said when he heard there the testimony of how Chip had been reached through the Finish the Race Ministries, he said his heart just leapt in him. He was rejoicing, and just went on to say that he knew how many lives had been touched through that ministry on that day, and then was asking if somewhere he could meet with us, and just have some more time together, and hear what God's doing in the ministry, etc. It's an interesting thing that lives are being touched all the time. Amen? You just don't know how, you don't know who.

For some reason--Jeff had commented today at lunch he said, "The Lord brings you across the most interesting people." As I've sat back and looked, everything from as we've shared with you, the Supreme Court justices to powerful attorneys, people in Congress, you name it, it just goes on and on. Each of us has a different little niche that God's put us in. As we shared on Sunday, none is more important than the other. I just want to encourage you to just continue to speak the gospel wherever you are; you never know who's listening. Amen? You never know what life is going to be affected, whether it's a little one, or men who may be prominent in the secular society. It makes no difference; God is no respecter of persons and just don't fear men's faces; be ready to speak the truth. The thing that blessed me--it was an interesting thing, it's not an easy thing to do. You're in a secular setting like that you know who's there, all different religions, many people that are very successful, wealthy people, people that would really just rather there wasn't anything said about the Bible. "Let's just honor this man and get it over with." You're in that kind of an environment and to just see the grace of God move, and to be able to come in, and speak to hearts, you just marvel always at the grace that God affords us if we'd just open our mouths, and speak in faith. Amen? Without any guile. Without any agenda. Without fear of men's faces. Without having to try to prove anything, "I just can't help but speak the things that I've seen and heard," praise God. We just encourage each one to just go out into your world and let the light shine, and let's see who God is going to add into our midst.

Let's turn to the book of Hebrews for tonight. I want to talk a little bit about the rest of God. That ability to just lean back into the arms of a loving heavenly Father, experiencing the fruit of that promise, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." To experience the fruit of that promise, "Cast your care upon Me, I care for you." The rest of God, that ability to know that God cares, that God's good and that God wants to order your steps. He wants to bless you with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. He wants to open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings that you can't contain. He wants to be your present help in trouble. He wants to be your shield, your buckler and your high tower. He wants you to experience His shepherding as He brings us beside the still waters to be refreshed, and eat the green pastures. We get weary. We get through the trials of life and the mundane warfare that we experience. So many times we forget that God has made provision to refresh you, to bring you to rest. We so often look to the natural.

Now, I know that starting next week we're going to have a general exodus around here and that's good. It's good to get away, to have that change of scenery, and to go on vacation. We're going to set ourselves apart and we're going to get some rest. Now, if you vacation like I vacation, there's nothing restful about it. Now, most of you don't. I know that in fact, I would venture to say probably, nobody here vacations like I do. Most of us don't really rest; we just do something different and that's refreshing to us. I'm sure that there's a few of you that just go out there and you hit a hammock, and seven days later they flop you out, load you in the car, and bring you back. Most of us will at least go out and build a sand castle with the kids or at least let them bury us. We'll spend some time out on the boat fishing.

We're all looking for that time of refreshing and even more this society that we're living in. But we've all found that's not the rest that we need. Is it? You come back and the weights are still there; the oppression is still there as you go out into the work force. The pressures of daily living, they're still there. The Scripture says there's a rest for the people of God. The thing that causes us to become so weary is when we begin to take on the responsibility of providing for ourselves. We take on the weight that should be the providential care of God and we begin to work at the things that we should be resting in, and that work keeps us from working in the things that will bring us the rest of God. We want to talk about that and identify some of these things a little bit tonight.

Now, let's look at the third and fourth chapters of Hebrews and see these things that we are needing so much in our lives. Jesus said that we're to take His yoke upon us and learn of Him, for He is meek and He's lowly. The great thing that He tells us is that when we take that yoke of dying to self and being able to say with the apostle, "It's no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me." He says, "The one thing that you'll find when you yoke up with Me is, and I'll give you rest." One of the things that we need to ask ourselves this evening is, "Can I really say that I have the rest of God, that I'm refreshed in my spirit?" I might be weary in my body from working and laboring, and all these different things. I may be experiencing adversity, different types of trials and persecutions. Because all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer what? Persecution. You know, if you're not being persecuted, it's probably an indication that you're probably not living godly enough. People ought to be upset by our separate living, by our reliance on His lordship, by our uncompromised presentation, through our lives, of the Word of God. "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me."

Now, the one thing that we need to learn about Jesus is this, and this is very important. If you want to be able to rest, then you're going to have to get rid of your agenda, because your agenda will keep you uptight. Your goals, your ambition, your methodology, your ideology will wear you out, and everybody around you! Jesus said, "I didn't come to do My will, I have no agenda. I've only come to daily speak the words and obey the commandments of the Father." Nothing to prove. The ability to live without an agenda is one of the greatest secrets to the divine rest, the yoke of God. "For I am meek and I'm lowly." Listen to those words, the meekness. We know that meekness is not weakness. We know that meekness will stand against men. Moses was the meekest man of his generation and yet he took on Pharaoh. Meekness just means you're not trusting in yourself, not thinking of yourself more highly or putting yourself forward. The meek spirit is one that's not selling self, but God. "For I am meek and lowly." What kind of a reputation are you trying to live up to? Whatever that reputation is, it's probably self induced. We have this image of ourselves and we promote ourselves; we're our own best public relations (or PR) man. We're selling ourselves, our ideas and our will all the time. We stay so busy trying to live up to that reputation, to that image and Jesus says you need to take on that spirit of lowliness. Humble yourself and let God do the exalting. Humble yourself and believe that God knows what things you have need of. Oh, beloved, if we could really come to live that way, what a rest there would be, what a peace that passes understanding, the Scripture says. Do you have that kind of a peace tonight? If not, then, you probably have an agenda.

Now, what is it that causes that peace to leave? What is it that causes that fear and the anxiety to come in and grip our hearts? He says, "Cast your anxiety, your care upon Me, for I care for you." He said, "Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer, supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God, then, that passes all understanding will keep your hearts, and your minds through Christ Jesus." Are you uptight? Are you anxious? You know where it all stems from? Discontentment. Treasures that we must have to be successful, happy. We find our self worth in our accomplishments, our portfolios, our dwelling places, and Jesus says in Matthew 11:29 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me...and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Do you want that rest tonight? There's that compulsion, that drive to excel. Where do you think that comes from? Who is it that was the originator of self promotion, of discontentment, of the need to excel beyond the place that God had put them? Lucifer. Do you think that you're ever going to be satisfied? You've lied to yourself that "If I could have this, then, I'm going to be satisfied. I'll be content with that." This creature had everything, but rest. That discontentment, that haughty spirit, that desire to excel was all part of the original sin. Wasn't it? And it was the very thing that seduced Eve, and it's the same thing right now that just everyday eats at you, and tells you, "If you had a little more, if you had a little more respect, if you had a little more money, if you had a little better possessions, you'd be satisfied.." Jesus said there's only one rest that will satisfy you, and that's the rest of yoking with Him, of identifying with Him.

You know, Exodus 33, of course, we're all very familiar with that passage, but look over there for just a second. Exodus, chapter 33, verse 14; it's real close to Hebrews 4. I think this is one of the great passages that reveals to us where the real treasures are, and where that seduction is that causes the discontentment in so many of our lives. In the 33rd chapter, of course, we know the context of what's taking place here. God is refusing to go up with the people because of their sin, because of their forsaking His presence again for other gods. As Moses was interceding for the people, the Lord speaks in verse 32 of chapter 32 and He says, "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, [Moses interceding. If you're not going to forgive them Lord, then] blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book [too] which thou hast written. [The Lord responded and said,] ...Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." Each one's going to reap the consequences of their own rebellion, their own sin.

As Moses was interceding, he said, "I'll give my life for the people." God said, "You're not qualified to give your life for the people, but Someone's going to come later that's greater than you, that is qualified, and there will be true redemption of men's hearts." But until then, lead the people into my presence. Lead the people into a life of obedience. "And I will send an angel before thee; [Chapter 33, verse 2] and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: [and bring you] Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee in the way." Now, begin to hear what's being said to us here. You see, many of us think that if we had possessions, if we had more, if we had peace, if our bodies were healed, whatever it is, then I'd finally be at rest, I'd be content. God said I'll give you all of that but I'm not going to be in your midst, because you're a stiff-necked people. Let's ask ourselves the question tonight, how hardheaded are we? How stiff-necked are we? How deceived are we to truly believe that the fulfilling of our agenda is going to bring us contentment and peace? That we know better of what we need than God does? Most of us would never say this, we wouldn't verbalize this, but to be discontent, to be anxious, is just to say God doesn't care, God doesn't know, God is not able. He gives the people this option, he says, "I'll tell you what, I'll send the angel, I'll bless you in this land that flows with milk, and honey but I'm not coming because you're stiff-necked. Basically, what He's saying is, "You really desire all of these things more than My presence and since you do, I'll give you them, and I'll just keep My presence to Myself."

The Scripture says in verse 7, "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation..." Very interesting thing: God's presence was removed from them; they had to now go seek God. God was seeking them, God was available to them, but they had chosen time after time their own agenda, their own treasures, their own methods, and God said, "Fine, I'll just leave you to yourself." The Scripture, then, says that it came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle, verse 7. As the story goes on you see that the Scripture says, "...when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked [intently] after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle" (verse 8). When Moses would enter in, the glory cloud would descend. All the people verse 10 saw the pillar, the Shekinah at the tabernacle door, and the people rose up and worshipped every man at his tent.

The Lord, verse 11, spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. "...he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." I always loved this passage. The spirit of Joshua, the young man, who is not content outside of the presence of God. You know, he had a pretty good position; it meant something to be seen hanging out with Moses. Moses was "the man." Joshua could be standing with Moses and walking around with him through the congregation, but because he spent time with Moses he knew what the real treasure was. He wanted what Moses had, a face to face relationship with God where he could speak to him as his friend. The people were anxious; they were waiting and looking for that visitation.

What I'm trying to get you to see right now is what they lost because they took it for granted. You have more than they ever had. "I will be with them, I will be in them. I will take their heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh. I will tabernacle in them." Can I ask you a question? Have you taken it for granted? We could lose it too. "Well, how will I know if I've ever lost it?" Do you have peace tonight, do you have rest? Are you continuing to look for something that will satisfy you or have you tasted and seen the goodness of God? Joshua wouldn't leave the tabernacle. He was consumed with the presence of God. Nothing else could satisfy him. Moses saying, "Lord, You said to bring the people up, there's no way I can bring these people up. You say that I'm Your friend. You say that You've called me and ordained me for this."

"Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, [verse 13] that I may know thee [Show me by Your visitation that the people are willing to follow, that they have an appetite for You, that they're not going to be cast off and cut off again in their rebellion. These are Your people. Lord, show us the grace. Show me that I have found grace in thy sight.] that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. [Now, watch what happens when the grace of God is expressing itself in you fully. Look what God says. "Okay, I'll prove you are partaking of my grace."] And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

Look at verse 14. Do you wonder if the grace of God's working in you? "I'm going to give you rest." Moses responded in verse 15, "And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." "I'm not interested in going in any other strength. I'm not interested in success as man knows it. I'm not interested in the abundance of things--money, houses, lands--they don't satisfy. I'm not interested in Your angel going before me and causing me to partake of the abundance of the land that flows with milk and honey. If Your presence doesn't go, I'm not interested in going." Is that where you are tonight, really? If God is not the source, then, I don't want it. You know, I've tried to live that way, and God's given me grace to be able to do it much of the time. It not only causes you to appreciate the value of God but it strengthens and sustains you because of the grace, the peace, the presence, that rest that comes along with it. Anything else leaves you hungering for more. Discontent, fearful, ambitious.

Moses goes on and says, as the Lord's dealing with him, "For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth" (verse 16). That will cause the awareness of the separation, the distinction between us and the nations, and God said, "Okay, I'll go with you that it will be known that you have found grace in My sight." Then, of course, the Lord manifests himself to him. Remember now, when we're talking about grace, and the presence of God, it's going to be discerned by rest, by peace.

As we look at this study, as we've spent a little bit of time looking into this, we need to start off by asking ourselves that question, "Am I at rest?" Or, let's say it another way, "Am I content right now?" Are you? Are you content with your economic status? Are you content with your marital status? If you're not content with your economic status don't get married, it will affect it greatly! Is there a contentment? How satisfied are you in this society with the way you look? Today, of course, if you don't like the way you look, we can nip, tuck, and implant. Hey, they can make you look like a lizard. I saw this thing the other day, I was watching on TV, it was interesting; this guy--there are people getting tattoos. One of them looks like a leopard; spots like a leopard tattooed all over his body. He's running about naked out somewhere, and drinking out of the streams and everything. I thought, "Man, you know, the dude needs a tail." Another guy had his tongue split down the middle, you know, and all of this kind of stuff, and had horns put in. These people are looking for something. There just seems to be a little bit of discontentment in their lives.

We look and we say, "How bizarre," but we do the same thing with clothing, jewelry, just little tattoos. We don't do our whole body, "I mean, that's stupid." What's the origin of all of this? What causes this, to be dissatisfied with who we are, how God's made us, how He's gifted us? This preoccupation with self, this selfness, this selfishness. Because we're not living in that life of serving and giving, we've always got plans of how to get and that compulsion is what is killing this rest. You just can't believe that God, your Father, is going to give you what's best for you. You just don't believe that your Father's good and that He's present, and that He knows best. We have a little too high of an opinion of ourselves, our perception, our value systems. Jesus says, "What you really need to do is yoke up with Me, and I'll bring you to that rest. I'll introduce you to that presence of God." The awareness of that presence that comes through obedience of speaking His will alone, and then the nations will know who you are, a people separate, holy, a peculiar people, a holy nation that show forth the praises of Him that's called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Hebrews 4, verse 3. A passage we're going to begin with tonight will be our ending Scripture. "For we which have believed do enter into rest..." Let me ask you a question. Are you at rest? Then, maybe you're not a believer. "For we which have believed do enter into rest..." True faith is the ability to rest, to trust, to rely on God. True faith is not being able to muster up some kind of force within yourself that can speak whatever your lusts are into existence. But genuine faith is the ability to trust God and know that what He's provided is sufficient, has eternal value, and can most glorify Him. The reason that the children of Israel could not enter in was because of their unbelief, their inability to rest. They were fearful of the circumstances around them that they would experience lack, that some how the gods of the world were greater than the One who had delivered them from Egypt. The carcasses of them, Chapter 3, verse 17 says, fell in the wilderness after they wondered for 40 years unable to believe how good God is that there was a rest to the people of God "For we which have believed do enter into rest..." We're going to talk about that. We're going to talk about faith, the power of faith, the need to believe God and to trust God. Not to fulfill your agenda but to effect His eternal good and purpose in your life. That's the rest that God's called us to.

Father, we thank You for Your Word tonight and You've told us to labor to enter into that rest. There's a process, there's an effort made. It's a daily dying to self; that's the labor that brings rest. There is a rest to the people of God. Those that would be without agenda, that like Joshua and Jacob would take hold and say, "I'll not turn You loose until You've blessed me. Until I've had an awareness of Your majesty, Your goodness, and Your purpose. I'm so overcome with fear and lust, and covetousness, and discontentment. Show me Your face that it would suffice me for there is no greater treasure than Your presence, no greater reward than Your rest." Make it real to us, Father, and we'll give You the glory in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "There is a rest, praise God!" Amen, go in peace. God's love go with you.

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