The Government Shall Be Upon His Shoulder
True rest and peace can only be found by surrendering everything to Christ and trusting in His work for us.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes that true rest cannot be achieved through external circumstances or temporary relief, but rather through the life and strength of God. He illustrates that deliverance from troubles or fulfilling home ties does not guarantee peace, as new challenges will always arise. Just as a wounded deer cannot find rest until healed, we must surrender everything to Christ, including our work, to experience God's true rest and peace. Simpson encourages believers to walk in holy obedience and allow Christ to govern their lives, focusing on His will and work as the path to fulfillment.
Text
You cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating. Certain drugs will do that, but that is not really rest. Let the breath of life come-God's life and strength-and there will be sweet rest. Home ties and family affection will not bring it. Deliverance from trouble will not bring it. Many a tried heart has said: "if this great trouble were only gone, I would have rest." But as soon as one crisis goes another comes. The poor wounded deer on the mountainside thinks if it could only bathe in the cold mountain stream it would have rest. But the arrow is in its flesh, and there is no rest for it until the wound is healed.
It is as sore in the mountain lake as on the plain.
We shall never have God's rest and peace in our hearts until we have surrendered everything, even our work, to Christ and believe He has taken it all. Then we have only to be still and trust. It is necessary to walk in holy obedience and let God have the government on His shoulder. Paul said, "This one thing I do." There is one narrow path for us all-Christ's will and work for us.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The Nature of God's Rest - It cannot be found in external things - It requires surrender to Christ
- II points: - The Importance of Surrender - We must give up our work to Christ - We must trust in His work for us
- III points: - The Path to God's Rest - Walking in holy obedience - Letting God have the government on His shoulder
Key Quotes
“You cannot make the heart restful by stopping its beating.” — A.B. Simpson
“We shall never have God's rest and peace in our hearts until we have surrendered everything, even our work, to Christ and believe He has taken it all.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Surrender your work to Christ and trust in His work for you to find true rest and peace.
- Walking in holy obedience is essential to experiencing God's rest and peace in your heart.
- Following Christ's will and work for us is the narrow path to God's rest and peace.