MAN, WORK, REST,THE DEVIL AND GOD

 

Intro:

Personal Stories

1. Do you know anybody who was always sleeping in class? Margaret Appiah and urinatrion

2.  London Stories-Pancho,

3. Church Sleepers and The Devil

Why church- Spiritual batteries recharge,  Salvation sustained and Glorify the Lord.

Reason #1: GOD rested and He said rest is important.

In the Genesis creation account, GOD spent the first six days working.

On the seventh day, He set an example for humanity to imitate: He rested.

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

(Gen. 2:2-3 NIV)

Reason #2: Your body is weak and needs to recharge.

Sometimes we can get into a routine where minimal rest feels "normal" to us over a long time.

Question 

Do you know people who sleep only a handful of hours each night and work hard six or seven days a week, all the time. 

What happens?

This leads to burnout and health problems.

The secret meaning of the Crucifixion 

Jesus, being subjected to human limitations, got tired and took time to rest.

Jesus himself needed Rest on the Boat

Recall the occasion where Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee. When the storm arose, Jesus lay asleep inside the boat on a cushion.

23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

(Matt. 8:23-25 NIV)

Apostles needed Rest

When Jesus was in anguish in the Garden and asked the three apostles to pray with Him, they continually fell asleep because the flesh is weak.

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

(Mark 14:37-38 NKJV)

So take time to rest so that your body is ready for action and productivity.

Reason #3: You make poor decisions when you're tired.

My late uncle Oluman Mbir once told me to avoid making major life-impacting decisions on the spot. He told me to Sleep on them, whenever possible, and ensure that i am refreshed before I  make big decisions.

Vince Lombardi is famous for correctly observing, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all."

When we don't regularly take time to rest, bad things happen.

We say things we don't mean—or say things we do mean, but shouldn't have said.

We make impulsive choices, often selecting what's easier as opposed to what's best.

Esau birthright

A great example of this is Esau selling his birthright to Jacob because he was tired and "starving."

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

(Gen. 25:29-34 NIV)

So Esau made a tremendous financial (and spiritual) blunder just because he was too hungry to fix himself something to eat. His short-sightedness cost him a lot.

Reason #4: You can't effectively serve others when you're exhausted.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow published a famous research paper entitled "A Theory of Human Motivation" in which he outlined a hierarchy of needs.

Reason #5: Rest enables you to reflect, realign and refocus on what is important.

A tremendous benefit of rest is that it enables us to mentally reflect on what is happening in our lives.

Am I headed in the right direction?

Do I need to make changes or adjustments in my life?

Am I properly fulfilling my roles? Does one area of my life need more / less attention?

Am I further along spiritually today than I was five years ago?

What should I focus on next?

These types of questions often don't enter our minds when we are constantly busy. But when we slow down, we have time for self-reflection.

Periods of meditation and self-reflection often lead to our most significant contributions and life accomplishments.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

but the folly of fools is deception.

(Prov. 14:8 NIV)

So let's commit to taking time to rest and relax, for the benefit of everyone, including ourselves

Prayers.