Resting While You Work - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lacerre Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His grace!

This is Lacerre Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. In the rifted rock I'm resting, Safely sheltered I abide. There now falls your source to bless me, While within the cleft I hide. Now I'm resting, sweetly resting, In the cleft one's name for me. Jesus, blessed rock of ages, I will hide myself in Thee. In the rifted rock I'll hide me, Till the storm of life is past, All secure in this blessed wreckage, In naught the fiercest blast. Now I'm resting, sweetly resting, In the cleft one's name for me.

Jesus, blessed rock of ages, I will hide myself in Thee. I'd like to be able to send you a sample copy of our publication, The Baptist's Witness. If you'll request that when writing us, we'll be glad to send it your way. You can address your letter to Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Or you can go to our website, baptistbiblehour.org, and make a donation there.

We continue today with the message, Resting While You Work. The text is Joshua chapter 13. We look initially at verse 1. Now Joshua was old and stricken in years, And the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, And there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

Then verse 7, Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, And the half-tribe of Manasseh. We're noting in this message that we are resting, resting because of God's gift of grace, resting because of what He has done for us. But we're also working, not trying to obtain salvation, but because He's given it to us out of love and gratitude we want faithfully to serve Him. 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. It was God's sovereign pleasure to make choice of a people and to give them to His Son, chosen by God. The 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.

We didn't have anything to do with redemption. Jesus Christ tread the winepress 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 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 unto me. 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.

He 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 born 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. So while we rest, we work. We take his yoke upon us. The 29th 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 under your soul, 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. 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. First John chapter five, verse three, 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's objection said, 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 religion 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. And so we rest. We rest in him because we understand that the initial work is 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 had before named that we should walk in them. So the same God who saves us by his grace works in us. We are his workmanship. We are 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, it's what God does for me, I just float to heaven on a flowery bed 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. He says, Awake, 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 bottom of his 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 and Satan is our great enemy. 1 Peter 5 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?

No, that's dreadful to think about. Got a real adversary, that'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 be your response? Whom resists 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? 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 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 becomes evident, he's the promoter of it. Resist 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 resistant. 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 wilds 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 wilds of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities.

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 then 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 should 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.

I am 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 have 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're 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. 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 if 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've got to work for it. You've got to attain it.

But notice the rest. For it is God which worketh in you both the will and the 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 the 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 work. 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 nor forsake you and God has given you that same promise. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5, 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. I, 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 for 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. 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 halfheartedly, 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 performed it. He didn't complain about it.

He didn't murmur. He didn't say, Lord, 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, 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.

The old hymn says, O land of rest for thee I sigh, when will the moment come when I shall lay my armor 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're 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. Yes, we 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 battles over. No more attacks but joy and peace in serving him forever.

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 willing to do of his good pleasure but work 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. Heavenly Father, we thank thee for the truths of thy word. Pray that thou would help us to apply them as we ought, to rejoice anew in the gospel, to know what great things thou has done for us and that we find rest as we rest in Jesus Christ.

But may we never become complacent. Help us to be alert and jealous and serving and working in thy kingdom to the glory and praise of thy name. Hear us for Jesus' sake.

Amen. I hope that God's grace is given us according to his own sovereign pleasure but that our service is rendered out of gratitude to bring honor to his name. I hope that you'll take time to write us this week.

That's the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Till next week at the same time, may the Lord richly bless you all. Jesus, crucify for me. Blessed Savior, thine am I, fine to live and thine to die. Fight our death, our creature, fight.