Lighthouse Keeper

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,[e] just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:8-11)

Rest is a position of worship. It’s the opposite of striving and, as a striver myself, I find it difficult to enter into the rest that Christ has purchased for me. The Scriptures continually tell us to surrender to the faithful hand of God and yet…The whole world is obsessed with hustle culture and now our kids have anxiety and sleep disorders. Everyone just needs to slow down.

Thinking that we could possibly add anything to the blood of Christ is the heart of New Testament striving.

Here’s the problem: We equate rest with laziness. And being about the Lord’s business (Luke 2:49) has been mangled into a new form of ‘works’ as churches of all sizes spin different activities as church outreach or programmes. 

We keep looking at other people and churches and thinking we have to have the same elements or “we aren’t doing enough” for God. 

My friend Christine in Sydney worked at a Salvation Army mission station in Surry Hills. I remember her saying:

“The people of Sydney don’t need food. The charity groups have done research and every group is doing the same thing. Food banks. Soup kitchens. Meals. The people need other stuff (e.g. addiction services)  but they don’t need food”. 

Think carefully in your church planning about whether you are prioritising the foundations of the Christian life such as faith community, Bible teaching, prayer, worship, pastoral care….JESUS before you embark on copy/paste outreach programmes. People have busy lives and churches need to be a place of prayer and soaking, meditation and vitally, rest,  for world weary people. I’ve seen so many people come to church with enthusiasm and get burnt out by being on too many rosters and thinking that God is not pleased with them if they aren’t saving the world. Jesus has overcome the world, so you don’t have to. (John 16:33)

Jesus has purchased a Sabbath rest for those He has chosen and the fruit will naturally come from Christians as we abide and rest in Him (John 15:4).