4 Things that produce rest

Be pleased beloved to Isaiah chapter 28 of Isaiah. I spoke to my good brother Badgley knowing he hasn't been able to open the Word of God to us today and he was a very gracious man. I'll say no more, I'll leave it there with him, you'll see that he is.

I want to notice four things that God gives to us as his people that produces rest. Rest in the heart of God's people in trial. We know that there are many avenues of trial that meet, that accost us today, many and some of them they seem to wear us down to the point where we say, Lord I quit, I can't handle it, I don't know what to do, I have prayed.

You know and having said that myself, I have to say that God taught me the real need and reason rather for the word prayer. Prayer is honoring God. It's actually an expression of trust and even though we cry out from our hearts where our problems are and we don't know how to handle them, we're actually saying God you'll have to do what I am unable to do, what I cannot do and furthermore we wish God to do it instead of what we can do.

So I want to notice four verses with you from the scriptures that speak about rest and the thing, the principle that gives rest to God's people. It is well for us to remember that the first one in the Bible whoever rested is God himself. In Genesis chapter 1 you'll remember he rested.

The word for rest or Sabbath that is used there is not the idea that God has said that's enough, I'm tired. No, it's the fact that he saw what the fruit of his work would produce and he was satisfied and as yet he has not seen the fullness of that but he will when his beloved son is crowned and coronated in Israel and he fills the land with righteousness he will be satisfied and that's what God had in mind as we know typically as we look at the three particular things in Genesis chapter 1 that speak of the purposes of God relative to the future of his will. Let us notice these verses if you will very very quickly in verse 5 of chapter 28 of Isaiah.

In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory and for a burden a diadem of beauty onto the residue of his people and for a spirit of judgment to him that sinneth or sinneth pardon me in judgment and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate. Look down to verse 12 to whom he said this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing yet they would not hear. Notice the last verse in the chapter this also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts which is wonderful in counsel the word for wonderful there really is intending to say he's the fulfillment of his own counsel that is the promise and he excelleth in working.

Look now please in chapter 32 of Isaiah verse 1 of chapter 32 behold a king shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgment and a man shall be as in hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Look down now please to verse 17 and the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. Jeremiah please chapter 6 of the prophecy of Jeremiah verse 16 thus saith the Lord stand ye in the ways stop stop and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls but they said we will not walk therein.

One final text in Matthew's gospel chapter 11 verse 28 of Matthew 11 words of our blessed Lord come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I'm going to pause for just a moment because there was a brother who's not well I think he might be as old as I am so he's middle-aged and he said to me you know do you understand all these men when they're praying in the meeting I said some of them I can get some of them I can't he says they're talking to the floor let me just say this for the sake of my younger brethren priesthood in the Old Testament I just say this in passing very quickly priesthood in the Old Testament led the whole congregation of God into the presence of God as he raised his hands and he prayed and that's what you're doing let the audience hear you speak to God speak clear enough and loud enough that you're leading the audience with you into the sanctuary and they will be able to say often you'll hear Murray saying a lot and it's good it's right he says amen and so should we all that's what God expects it to be so I just say that in passing and I have to leave early today so maybe you won't get after me but let me just notice with you these four things that give rest to God's beloved people sometimes as we have mentioned already and particularly as you read the book of Habakkuk you will find that the attitude of a grieving people is three questions one is why and the other is how and the other is when and those three questions are continually in a believers mind in a time of testing one of the reasons is because we're governed by time and we can't handle it when time is going and nothing's happening and another thing that but that bothers us is we realize that we can't see we can't see beyond the present and that bothers us because if I could only see I would know what to do so we think and the other thing that bothers us as well and we can't seem to get beyond it is the fact I'm I'm limited I once I know so much what needs to be done and my hands cannot produce so we let go can I say kindly brother and that these four verses teach me a lesson never give up on God never never give up on God knows the first one that we read is the rest of receiving promises you know it is a very moving thing to think that the eternal God of heaven gives a promise to an individual as we are you remember Abraham I love to think of it or to have the faith of that man God gave him a promise and he stepped out on it and never went back from it and that promise has yet to be fulfilled in his fullness he looked for a city whose builder and maker was God and he left what he had because God promised God promises to you and to I brethren one of those what these statements which we love to quote when we think of trial is when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee don't forget the word through he is with us through the waters there's a promise we're coming out that's a promise and that's what gives rest to God's people let me point out three things as I move on in this first passage the first one in verse 27 we can see that God speaks of dealing with their enemies and that gives rest that's a promise and the next verse 26 the previous verse God speaks of their rest and the last verse he speaks of his promise that's the promise that gives rest to the first thing beloved that we can rest in is a promise from the living God he can't go back on it he has no intention of ever forsaking it he will bring it to pass I know not why I know not how and I know not when I know God that's what he's saying the promise that can never fail the second one that we noticed in chapter 32 is the rest of righteousness in verse one of the chapter we read of a king reigning in righteousness now we know this looks to a future day for Israel in the greatness of their sadness and tribulation when God is going to deal with them and my as we look at our world today it's awesome to realize that every country that surrounds Israel today is in turmoil something's happening brethren something's happening and when we see the promise of God to that people they don't understand it yet they can't see through it they're still in blindness but the day is coming when a king shall reign in righteousness righteousness wouldn't work in our world today we know that we can see it the world is not righteous but righteousness in the life of a believer is what we have in this passage very simply the first thing that we notice is the person who is reigning he is right that's the first epistle of John chapter 2 he is righteous and brethren that is so precious every word he speaks is right every touch of his finger is right every withdrawal of his hand is right every silence of his voice is right and every word of his mouth is right God is righteous all the preciousness the security the unchangeableness of our blessed God he is righteous a king shall reign in righteousness in that same verse we find the program of his righteousness as we read he's going to be the hiding place he's going to be the covert from the storm he's righteous he will be there that's who he is and that can't change and what he is saying is who I am in my work is as reliable as my name that's what he's bringing before them all the righteousness of our blessed God it gives rest to searching and weary hearts and last of all in that he mentions the practice of it as we have there'll be no more wars he says no more wars that'll be the end of it why because the king reigns in righteousness now I know it's easy for me to say those things beloved but it's reality it's factual it's in my life it's in your life every beloved Saint that's weary and the tear dims their eye and they know not which way to turn perhaps you came to the conference hoping God would speak to you I hope he will and give you to see a righteous God can be trusted the third thing that we know is in chapter 6 of Jeremiah Judah was seeking to substitute obedience to the Word of God as we know in that passage and with increased sacrifices and rituals of their own desires as we were hearing concerning Malachi but God speaks very solemnly to them in in this passage and he's going to say three things to them the first thing he's going to say to them is stand still now the word for standing still there really means stop and ask yourself the road I'm taking where's it going to lead me what's the destiny of the road I'm presently treading what I'm stewing over and therefore I'm acting reacting in it where's it going to take me stand still that's hard for us to do we feel when we're standing still there's no progress no brother when we're standing still we might be saving ourselves because God says stand still and then notice the next thing that he mentions in that same verse he says ask for the old paths now that's a very definite indication that not only do we have we forgotten but is it possible that the path I'm on is because of a rejection of something I knew that's a compromise says God ask for the old paths what paths what are the old paths the old paths are the unchangeable word that was given to you from God no matter how old you are no matter what your circumstances are mine God's Word and God's paths have never changed Oh brother not so precious we can just turn around and go right back to them they remain the same I think one of the greatest examples of that in Israel's history is Hezekiah dear Hezekiah you know how he had he strove so much to get that Passover back where it belonged and God gave him the understanding of a different date because of the desires of his heart just to get back to it and the same with the book of God he got it again got the priests in order got the singers in order he went back to the old paths God preserve us brethren there's rest in restoration that's what God is seeing restored love and restored paths and restored purpose as we see stand still ask for the old paths and the final thing he says is walk in them step out on it you'll see it gives rest there is rest of soul in restoration to the old paths as I close notice in Matthew chapter 11 we find rest of service of our blessed Lord the language of the Lord Jesus here is so beautiful when you think we often use it in the gospel says so very true brethren but he's speaking about himself and you know the interesting thing just for the sake of those who are here and you don't know the Lord is your Savior when the Lord Jesus said Matthew 11 and 28 there was a lady took him at his word a sinful woman she didn't make any noise she didn't come forward but she followed him she followed him to the house where he was having supper she went in the back door she did what I'm waiting to do she fell at the feet of the Lord Jesus and kissed his feet for she had found rest rest of soul about her sins rest of soul about her relationship with God and his son all that you would come to realize that the rest the Lord Jesus offering you will never find until you come as a sinner to Jesus come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest now notice how the Lord Jesus speaks after that he doesn't repeat that but he mentions concerning himself as the rest giver in that verse and the first thing he mentions in concerning his own person is my yoke take my yoke upon you they've been bearing a yoke of which he said to the leaders he said you're laying a yoke on the people and you never lift your baby finger to help them they had a heavy yoke they could never fulfill it they never had rest never received a rest to go to bed with at night and say thank God my sins are forgiven Christ is mine God is my father they yearn for it they sacrificed for it they prayed for it they did all kinds of things but they never put their faith in the blessed Messiah of their nation our blessed Lord but here we have that same one and he says take my yoke now my yoke here of the Lord Jesus is my word instead of Moses word that's what he's teaching them you're taking the wrong word you'll never find rest in the words of the law and you'll never find rest beloved nor will I in the words of men but the Lord Jesus says take my yoke now his word is yoke his word rests upon our shoulders that we are to bear it with him in our life it's not just something that comes and goes and something for today and forget it you don't need it tomorrow it's there brethren to serve him and he says you'll find rest the beautiful rest of yielding to the yoke of our blessed Lord his word knows the next thing he says learn of me I'll teach you how to carry it keep in step with me I'll teach you how ah brethren that's that lovely verse of Micah 6 isn't it what does the Lord require of thee but to do righteously to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God rest Oh God give me that rest we sang of it at the beginning of the meeting closer nearer to thee nearer to thee the reality of his rest and then he says I am meek and lowly in heart now it's amazing to me why the Lord Jesus said that there why did he say to them I'm meek and lowly of heart I'm not going to be like the law and beat you over the head when you make that you know you're going to stumble you're bound to stumble you're bound to get out of step with me sometime but I'm not going to beat you I'm going to teach you for I am meek now the idea of meekness is bringing all his reserves into the control of that yoke with me oh what a Savior what a Lord is this he wants me to have rest rest with him learn of me take my yoke upon you I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoke is easy and the word for easy very simply means it's not going to break your back it's not going to break your shoulders my yoke is easy and my burden is light and the word for light very simply means the fact it's not going to weigh you down it's not going to keep you away from rest the first thing brethren that gives rest to us as we noted in the first chap first reading in chapter 28 of Isaiah the rest of divine promises thank God for his promises I love that word concerning the Lord Jesus all the promises of God in him are yea and amen now I know that that relates to all the unfoldings of the purposes of God through the redeeming work of Christ right to the end of the ages but it's in my life and in your life as well as those circumstances that's a promise and again and we have the rest of righteousness the king reigning in righteousness in our life in our ways in his word and then we have the rest of restoration may it be our portion to rest in our blessed God the paths which he has given us walk there in and ye shall find rest unto your souls and last of all brethren the rest of yoking with our beloved Lord his yoke is easy there is no rest like it just to rest in his will I remember a dear man Verne Markle his name is he's gone to glory worked in Cuba for a while and then he worked in the Maritimes your mark dear Marv Marvin he was a great boy he said one thing he used to say it a lot there's one thing most important in my life to be right in the center of the will of God rest God granted to us for his name's sake