The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lasser Bradley Jr. Mm-hmm. Dozen tumblers seem My great Redeemer's praised the glories of my god and king, the triumphs of his race. This is James Kennedy, inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Oh maising grace how sweet the sound that saved the rich myst was lost but now I'm found was one I see was grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears sweet Our present grace of Himst I have already brought to his grace that draw me safe as far as And grace will live in home when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining God's song.
We know that's grace to sing God's praise than when we fall be gone. Today, Lazare Bradley Jr. continues with the second portion of the message titled Resting While You Work. From Joshua chapter 13. In the first part we considered how God gave Israel their inheritance and called them to possess it and in this concluding message we turned to the application what it means for us to rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ, while faithfully laboring in his service.
With the conclusion of our message, here's Lasserre Bradley, junior We're chosen by God. Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. We didn't have anything to do with our election. That took place before the foundation of the world, before we had being in ourselves. And it was God's sovereign pleasure to make choice of a people and to give them to his Son.
chosen by God. Chapter goes on to say that we're redeemed by Christ. Verse 7. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. They didn't have anything to do with redemption.
Jesus Christ, Tread the wine press of the wrath of God alone. He went to the cross, willingly laid down his life. shed his blood, paid the price. This necessary. In order for us to have peace with God.
Hebrews chapter 13, verse 20 speaks of the blood of the everlasting covenant.
So, just as there was a covenant involved with Israel receiving the land of promise. There was a covenant involved in us receiving salvation. The covenant Described as the everlasting covenant, the covenant of grace between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father making choice of a people. the Son redeeming them.
And the spirit called calling them. And then in chapter 2 of the book of Ephesians, verse 5, we read, Even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us. quickened us together with Christ By grace ye are saved. He quickened us. You were dead in sin?
You could not raise yourself. No dead man has ever gotten up out of the grave by an act of his free will. No dead sinner has ever been able to resurrect himself and come into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. And so all of this is something that has been done. for us by the grace of God, giving us an inheritance.
And then there is Rest. Rest as we consider what has been done for us, rest as we consider God's purpose in choosing us, God's purpose in sending His Son to redeem us, the work of the Holy Spirit in calling us. But there's rest in coming to Christ. These are his own words, Matthew chapter 11 verse 28. He says, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.
and I will give you rest. The original language conveys the thought of laboring to the point of exhaustion. Here's somebody that's extremely weary. And Jesus says, come. Come unto me.
The word come is a warm, inviting word. Beautiful word as it comes from the lips of Jesus.
Somebody might say, Well, I feel so unworthy.
Well, the fact we are unworthy in our human nature.
Somebody says, I feel like I know so little.
Well, none of us know what we would like to know and what we ought to know. But Jesus doesn't put up some difficult restriction. He just says, come. Come on the way. You're laboring?
You're Exhausted. Trying to make things right with God, trying to bring about a peaceful relationship, trying to earn your salvation. You're weary. You're heavy laden. It says, come to me.
Jesus said in the 23rd chapter of the book of Matthew: that there were those that made things even more difficult for those that were already burdened. Speaking of the Pharisees, he says, for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. It said there were so many Rules and regulations that have been added with the Pharisees that people couldn't even keep up with them all, much less be committed to observe them. An impossible situation.
So a person who's been struggling. under the rule of the Pharisees. or under the burden of the law. The law only brings about condemnation, it doesn't bring about relief, and to such Jesus says, come unto me. And I will give you rest.
Coming to Jesus means to believe on him.
So you come to Him. I believe He's the one that can help me. He's the one that can deliver me. He's the one that can lift this burden. I trust Him as my Savior.
But As we rest. Notice there's something else. There is work. To do. Show?
While we rest, We work. We take his yoke upon us, the twenty-ninth verse. Matthew 11, 29, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Now see that at first glance might seem like a contradiction. Jesus says, Come unto me and I will give you rest. And then immediately he talks about taking on his yoke. The oxen had the yoke on them so they could labor and pull together. And so when we take on his yoke, It means there's a labor for us to perform, there's work for us to do.
But Jesus adds the thought, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. This is not like the yoke of law service that burdens you down and brings you to despair. You're going to find joy in my service. You're going to be able to rest while you work. This putting on the yoke of Christ involves submission to His lordship.
I come to him depending upon him, believing in him, trusting in him, but surrendering to him. I'm surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, whatever He would have me to do. I want to do it. 1 John 5, verse 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous.
This is the love of God. If you love God, You Prove that. by keeping his commandments.
Somebody objects and says, well, the word commandment sounds too much like legalism. But this is a word Jesus used. Jesus said, if you love me, keep my commandments. And John is reiterating here. That Evidence that we love God.
is that we keep his commandments and the fact is his commandments are not grievous. They're not burdensome. They don't wear us down like the commandments. Of the religionist of Jesus' day. And then it says we are to learn of him.
Learn of him. The more we learn of Him, the more we learn about Him, the more we learn of His teachings, the more we learn of communion and fellowship with Him, the greater our joy, the greater our blessing, the greater our rest.
So we rest in him while we work. We learn. We learn to possess our possessions. Yeah. And show We rest.
We rest in him because we understand that the initial work It's God's work. We just quoted Ephesians 2, 8, and 9, and then verse 10 says, For we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath beforeordained that we should walk in them.
So the same God Who saves us by his grace. works in us where his workmanship We're created in Christ Jesus. in order to work.
So a person that gets the idea, well, if salvation is by grace, if it's a gift, if it's what God does for me, I just float to heaven on a flowery bit of ease. That's totally contrary to the teaching of Scripture. as you find rest in Jesus Christ. Then you find joy in his service. Blessing and peace in serving Him.
We're to be alert in our service. Romans. 13,11 says, and that knowing the time, That now It is high time to awake out of sleep.
So if we talk to somebody who is a little sleepy and groggy with the attitude, I believe God has saved me and I'm going to live in heaven someday, but I don't have to be too much concerned about what goes on in this immediate situation now. Is there no wake? It's high time to wake out of sleep, for now is your salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent. The day is at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the evil works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light.
So if there tends to be a little sleepiness just a little groggy, you're not alert, you're not awake, you're not zealous, you're not committed, you're not active in the service of God. Here's the call to get out of that sleepy condition. You see, there's a work for us to do. Yes, when Jesus Christ Died at the cross. He defeated Sin, Satan, and Death.
But Satan is still active. The death fatal blow has been dealt, and one day Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit and will suffer there forever. But right now, We still have the old Adamic nature. Even though you're a new creature in Christ Jesus, the old Adam nature is there. The flesh still has to be dealt with.
Satan is our great enemy. 1 Peter 5, 8 says, Be sober. Be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
Now what are you to do about that? Just spend time talking about it. Oh, that's dreadful to think about. Got a real adversary. It's kind of frightening to think he's going about as a roaring lion.
He's not just roaring to be making a noise. He's seeking whom he may devour. What's to me your response? whom resist steadfast in the faith. You resist him.
You don't just acknowledge his existence. You don't just pray for protection. You resist him. How do you resist the devil?
Well, you resist. Looking at those things that he would bring before you that would stir the lust of the flesh. You resist him by not uh Involving yourself with those that will influence you and lead you down the wrong path. You resist him by not reading a lot of material that it becomes evident he's the promoter of it. Resists the devil.
knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. The Christian's journey. is not a smooth path. where there's no conflict. The enemy must be resisted.
The enemy is real. And that's why we go on to see that in Ephesians chapter 6, we're told to be prepared, be prepared for the warfare. This is war. If you say, I'm following Jesus Christ. I believe I'm a Christian, but you haven't been awakened to the fact that there is a war going on.
You're in a dangerous place. Ephesians 6.10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord. and in the power of his might.
Now that's key. How are you going to be strong? Not in yourself, because in ourselves we are weak. We're going to be strong in the Lord. In the power of his might.
Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. The devil uses all kinds of trickery and subtle attempts to deceive and confuse and lead people down the wrong path. But you need to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities. See, this is a major situation here. This isn't just something on a little local level between you and some of the things that might distract you.
We're wrestling against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. You see that why you need the strength. of the Lord. You need his blessing to be able to stand.
Well, he's provided.
Something for you. to be able to stand successfully. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand, therefore. Read that passage.
You can't overlook the fact that three times he says stand. He's intending for you not to cave in, not to give up, not to fold, but to stand. Stand. Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth. Having on the breastplate of righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, and above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked.
Satan is going to hurl fiery darts, darts that will cause you to doubt and fear and tremble and worry, but you need to have the shield of faith that you can withstand them and take the helmet of salvation, that which will influence how you think, having your mind renewed, as we're told in Romans chapter 12, verse 1, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We need desperately not just prayer. Paul goes on to talk about the importance of prayer in that same passage, but we need the Word of God. to guide us, to influence us, to permeate our thinking. And so As we work in His kingdom.
we find rest. We find rest in what he has done. He's made us a new creature. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away.
Behold, all things are become new. He's delivered us from the bondage in which we were held by nature. Romans 6:13 says, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. Doesn't mean that the old nature is eradicated, but it means that now, by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you're not a slave to sin. It's not going to have dominion over you.
And so we rest. We rest in him because of what he has done. We rest in him because of his ongoing work. It's not just what he did for us at the cross or what he did for us in regeneration, but he continues to work in us. Philippians 2.12, wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Now somebody just read that without seeing the rest of the passage. They might come to the conclusion, well, looks like Salvation is not by grace after all. You gotta work for it. You've got to attain it. But notice the rest, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
work out your salvation. God gives you the salvation and now you're to work it out. Work it out. Understanding you're not on your own. You're not left to your own strength, plans, ingenuity, but God is working in you.
Isn't that encouraging? He works in you. Both the will and to do of his good pleasure. You have a desire to serve him. You have a desire to honor him?
That very desire. is a result of his works. He works in you to will and to do.
So it's not just a matter of talking about it and saying, here's what I believe and here's what I ought to do, but doing it. And you're able to do it. as you're enabled by his power and his grace. We rest. in his promises.
Now I said earlier that God gave a promise to Joshua that enabled him to have peace and rest in his own mind and heart as he went out on the battlefield. And that promise was, I will never leave you. forsake you. And God has given you That same promise. Hebrews Chapter thirteen, verse five.
I will never leave thee. nor forsake thee.
So sometimes this battle gets rough.
Sometimes Satan has been our accuser and Cast us down. Many things come to discourage us. But here's what holds us up. Uh says the Lord. will never Leave you.
No matter what happens, I will never leave thee. nor forsake thee.
And then we're reminded in 1 John 4:4, Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.
Sometimes it looks like the world has the upper hand. You Observe what Comes your way through the media for the most part these days, and it's very Contrary. to the truth of God's Word. very troubling and disturbing. But here he says, He that's in you.
The Spirit of God dwelling in you. is Greater. than he that's in the world. And furthermore, we rest. in this labor.
Because we know that the labor is not in vain. Nothing more frustrating than to have a task to perform. And You get nowhere. You just think. This was a total waste of time.
Why did I get involved in this anyway? But you see, in this matter of serving God, you have the assurance that your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15, 58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, not just at it half-heartedly, but abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Joshua Chapter 11, verse 15.
So did Joshua. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. What a testimony! Joshua didn't leave anything out. Whatever had been commanded of the Lord through Moses and that which came directly to him as well.
He performs. He didn't complain about it. He didn't murmur. He didn't say Lord. This is this is more than I can handle.
And the Lord had to give him unusual strength. Think about him on one occasion we read where he was traveling all night. The terrain was rough. He was going uphill. Up all night.
to get to the battle so he was ready to fight the enemy the next morning. God was with him. And God has promised to be with us when we do explicitly. what he has enjoined us to do. He had peace.
and rest in knowing that what he was doing was not in vain, it was pleasing to God. And In heaven? We will enjoy rest. while we work. That's what we're talking about in this message.
Resting? while you work.
Well, we like to think about it being a time of rest, and it will be. Revelation 14:13. Blessed are they that die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit. They may rest, that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them.
So it's clearly indicated that when they arrive in heaven, They will rest from the labors that they were involved in here. But they're not going to just be floating around on a cloud. They're not going to get bored. They're not going to be doing nothing. Revelation 7, 15 says, Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple.
And he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They're going to serve him day and night. But it's not a wearisome task. It's not something that they're longing to be delivered from. Yes, there is rest.
At the end of the journey, when we finish our labors here. but there is perfect, joyous labor. that we will perform even in heaven. Il Kim says O land of rest for thee I sigh When will the moment come? When I shall lay my armour by, And dwell with thee at home.
We'll work till Jesus comes. We'll work till Jesus comes, and we'll be gathered home.
Now a later version The words got changed from work to wait. I don't know if somebody thought There might be confusion here, and if we leave the word work in, somebody will think you're working your way to heaven.
Well It's not by works of righteousness that we are saved, but according to His mercy. But there is a place for work. And so the song in its original form is perfectly acceptable. We'll work till Jesus comes. Yeah.
We la long for that. Time to be at rest with him. O land of rest. For thee I sigh.
So The fact is That we both wait and work. We're waiting in fond. Anticipation. In joyous hope that Jesus Christ is coming back. We rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
We rest in the fact that his work was a success. We rest in his promise that he will return. But while we're resting, we're working. Over there. We will indeed lay our armor by because there will be no more battles.
There will be work. But No more battles. We'll serve the great King, Jesus Christ. All the battle's over. No more attacks.
but joy and peace in serving Him for ever. May we today. possess our possessions. Find that peace that Jesus speaks of. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
May we rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ, rest in the promises of God, rest in the fact that He is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure, but worked. diligently working out our salvation. Willing to serve and sacrifice every day that we live to live to the praise and glory. of Jesus Christ. Roger.
In today's message, Lasser Bradley Jr. has reminded us that the Christian life is one of both rest and labor, resting on what Christ has accomplished while diligently serving him day by day. May we find our peace in His promises, our strength in His power, and our joy in His service, knowing that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. Thank you for listening to today's broadcast, and until next time, may the Lord richly bless you all. Goodbye.
My tears forever flow. Good my sin the land uno. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder Lesseire Bradley Jr. Address all mail to the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217. That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45217.
Christ I bring simply to thy cross I sleep while I draw his sleeping breath when my eyes shall close in death when I rise through worlds unknown.
