Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The bedroom is the place where we find rest and restoration.

Exodus 20:2

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

God’s house is not a work camp, but a place of joyful work and grateful rest.

Exodus 31:17

“It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.”

God considers work and rest to be equally important.

Exodus 23:29-30

I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land.

We must run our race at God’s pace.

Our rest is directly tied to our trust in God.

Reasons We Don’t Rest:

1) Materialism – always wanting more

Luke 12:15

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

2) Covetousness - defining my desires by what others have

Ecclesiastes 4:4

Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

3) Insecurity - fearing I’ll never have or be enough

Ecclesiastes 6:7

All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.

4) Work Myopia - neglecting relationships due to work focus

Ecclesiastes 4:7-8

Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business.

5) Mistaken Identity - basing my worth on the wrong things

6) Pride - trying to look good rather than do good

Hebrews 4:8-13

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9 So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10 for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

1) We can give up the impossible task of atoning for our sins.

2) We can let go of the past and trust God with the future.

3) As we fight to hold onto this truth, we trust that one day our rest will be complete.

“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.”

- Augustine