God our Resting Place

God our Resting Place

12 August 2005
Domenic Marbaniang


My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. (Jer. 50:6)
Mat 11:28 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.


Psa 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psa 116:7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
Isa 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with
Psa 132:8 Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.
Psa 132:14 This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
Son 1:7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thyflock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

Where do we turn to when we turn away from God?
To death from Life
To sorrow from Joy
To illusion from Truth

What causes people to forget their resting place?
Wrong Leadership
Lust
Delusion
Pride

1. The Delusion of Material Commodity
Message of the Robin
Martin Luther said, "I have one preacher that I love better than any other on earth. It is my little tame robin which preaches to me daily. I put his crumbs on the window sill. He hops on the sill and takes as much as he needs. From there he always flies to a little tree close by, lifts up his voice to God, sings his song of praise and gratitude, tucks his head under his wing and goes to sleep, leaving tomorrow to look after itself. He is the best preacher I have on earth."

2. The Delusion of Emotional Vanity
Love vs Infatuation. Joy vs. Sport.

3. The Delusion of Social Supremity
Trust in God
As D. L. Moody said, "Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity." Luther gave a similar testimony when he said, "I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess."

4. The Delusion of Intellectual Sublimity
Critique

5. The Delusion of Spiritual Superficiality
What is true spirituality?

Able to see us through: 2 Cor. 10: 13
Ours to Obey, His to Make Way
A pilot was having trouble bringing his plane down to land. From the control tower, he was given instructions. "But there is a pole there," he objected. The answer came back, "You take care of the instructions; we will take care of the obstructions."
So with the child of God. In the Word, he or she has God's instructions. God will take care of the obstructions. It is ours to obey the instructions from God's Word.

John Wesley was walking one day with a troubled man who expressed his doubt of God's goodness. "I don't know what I shall do with all this worry and trouble," he said. At that moment Wesley noticed a cow looking over a stone wall. "Do you know," asked Wesley, "why that cow is looking over that wall?" "No," replied his troubled companion. "I will tell you," said Wesley--"because she cannot see through it. That is what you must do with your wall of trouble--look over it and above it." Faith enables us to look over and above every trouble, to God, who is our help.