Christ Wesleyan Church
Join us for our primary worship service each weekend.
Mark 2:27-28 ESV
A. Rest in the very beginning…
Genesis 2:2-3 NLT
1. God stopped His labor on the sixth day!
2. Shabat is Hebrew meaning to cease or to stop. It later became Sabbath or a day of rest.
3. The fourth commandment is the only one that starts with the word “Remember.”
4. The day of rest was literally, “set apart or consecrated to God.” It was to cease from all labor.
Exodus 20:8-10 NLT
B. Rest in the New Testament...
1. The New Testament believers began worshipping on the first day of the week, Sunday, after the resurrection.
Mark 16:9 NLT
2. Jesus broke the legalistic burden that the Pharisees had placed on the Sabbath.
Mark 2:27-28 NLT
3. The Apostle Paul took it one step further to more clearly guide the “day of rest” understanding.
Romans 14:5-6 NLT
Colossians 2:16 NLT
C. God designed us for times of rest...
Mark 6:31 NLT
1. A lack of rest...
a. Increases stress.
b. Depresses the immune system and increases disease.
c. Impacts not only our physical, but our emotional system bringing fatigue, doubt, discouragement, defeat, and despair.
d. Creates an out of balance feeling that says “I am not enough!! I am not doing enough! Busier is better!”
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
2. A sufficient amount of rest…
a. Increases creativity, productivity, focus, and memory.
b. Reorients our thinking patterns and increases our ability to resist temptation.
c. Recharges our batteries and strengthens us to resist worry and factors that wear us down.
d. Refreshes us in our mind and heart.
e. Revives us.
Isaiah 26:3 NLT
D. Jesus promises rest to all who would follow Him...
Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
1. It is impossible to rest when you are anxious.
2. It is impossible to rest when you carry your heavy burdens.
3. It is impossible to rest when you wrestle with unmet expectations.
4. It is impossible to rest when you struggle with unfair circumstances.
5. It is impossible to rest when you hold onto unresolved conflict or bitterness.
E. To find greatness in life, we must find soul rest...
Hebrews 4:1-2 NLT
1. God promises rest to us who believe!
Hebrews 4:3 NLT
2. God promises rest as we walk in obedience!
Isaiah 32:17 NLT
Hebrews 4:6 NLT
3. God promises rest by focusing on His Word!
Hebrews 12:1 NLT
4. Fix your thoughts on God and keep focused!
Hebrews 12:2 NLT
Psalms 112:7 NLT
Colossians 3:1 NLT
Hebrews 3:1 NLT
“What consumes your mind controls your life.”
“True faith is keeping your eyes on God when the world around you is falling apart.”
“The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with Him, the more the Spirit will make you like Him. The more you are like Him, the better you will understand His utter sufficiency for all of life’s difficulties. And that is the only way to know real satisfaction.” John MacArthur
“When you fix your thoughts on God, God fixes your thoughts.”
“Focus on God, not your problem. Listen to God, not your insecurities. Rely on God, not your own strength.”
“My relationship with God is my number one focus. I know that if I take care of that, God will take care of everything else.”