The Gift and the Promise - Tony Nguyen

Passage: Exodus 20:8-11; 23:12; 34:21; 16:22| Leviticus 2

Sermon Note:

1. Review:

a. Rest is a Gift: that you may remember your identity, and the purpose of why you do what you do.

b. Rest so that you may Delight and know Him more

c. Rest so that He can prepare you to do what He has planned for you

2. Rest requires Faith: So today we are going to answer

a. Why does God give us this rest?

b. The amazing promise of God if we take the rest in faith

I. (Why does God give us this amazing gift? Why does God allow for us to have this one day in seven in which we do not need to do the chores of life?)

a. For our Refreshment Exodus 23: 12

i. So that when we go back to the daily chores of life, we can hit them with renewed energy and purpose.

ii. We will be invigorated. We will come back with a new zest and a new enthusiasm for the rest of life, because we had a rest day. \

b. This gift is ever so important during the busiest time of the year. Exodus 34:21

i. I give you the rest day especially in those days. (Exodus 34:21)

ii. Even when you have a limited amount of time to do it and your entire economic livelihood depends on it getting done…REST.

II. Two Problems to deal with (Is this really for us? If I follow God on Rest, I won’t get anything done…I can’t study my exams properly, I won’t get my job done, I can’t manage it)

a. Is this promise for us?

i. I thought this is Jewish law? Aren’t Christians free from the law?

ii. Yes! The 10 commandments is permanent. They traverse the centuries and never changes.

1. It’s always wrong to worship another God, to make idols for yourself.

2. It’s always going to be wrong to murder someone, to sleep with another person’s spouse.

3. These commands are permanent, they speak to the very moral reality of our soul.

iii. Christ even said, Man was not made for the Sabbath…It wasn’t like, God made a day and didn’t know what to do with it and said, okay guess I’ll make some people to observe it.

1. No, the Sabbath was made for man. God has given you a day. To step out from the chores, the burdens, the tasks, and cares of life.

2. A day to step into joy, a day to delight.

b. The second problem is, great, but I won’t get done what I need to get done.

i. The promise is this “If you will take that one day to Rest, God will see that you will accomplish what you need to do on the other six days.”

c. Where is that in the bible?

i. Exodus 16 the story of the manna

ii. Leviticus 25, the Sabbath year

iii. This is the promise of God’s gift to you.