Real Rest in Christ
- 1. Greetings from Dr. Joseph Tkach
- 3. What is your Dream Vacation?
- 4. What is your Dream Vacation?
- 5. What is your Dream Vacation?
- 6. What is your Dream Vacation?
- 7. What is your Dream Vacation?
- 8. Matthew 11:28-3028 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
- 9. What does this Scripture tell usabout REST?A. The futility of man’s strivingWhat wears us out? What causes us to be tired? Physically: All of us wear out physically. We get tired. It is amazing that we need a vacation from taking a vacation. Our bodies waste way. That is called the aging process. We start dying from the time we are born.
- 10. What does this Scripture tell usabout REST?A. The futility of man’s strivingWhat wears us out? What causes us to be tired? Emotionally: This is a deeper kind of restlessness. This is the weariness of the heart. People are also emotionally tired, carrying different burdens, problems, hurts, worries and fears. People strive to find comfort or solace in people, or things. But these are not the best solutions. People fail and let us down. Things may bring satisfaction but only for a while.
- 11. What does this Scripture tell usabout REST?A. The futility of man’s strivingWhat wears us out? What causes us to be tired? Spiritually:here we speak of the thirsty soul, and the broken spirit that often goes with the guilt of doing some things that we know hurt us and others. People like to reach out to God, and in the process, they are led by some people towards things to do in order to be acceptable to God. That is called the legalism of religion, replacing Gods activity for activity towards God.
- 12. Types of Religious LegalismFrom Rick WarrenFreddy the Pharisee: Rigid, narrow-minded, and legalistic, he has a rule for everything. His favorite word is "don't." And it's only natural for some people to fear they may become just like that if they become a Christian. But Jesus called people like Freddy the Pharisee, "blind guides," saying, "You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24 NLT).
- 13. Types of Religious LegalismFrom Rick WarrenSam Self-righteous: Holier-than-thou attitude and judgmental of others, her favorite phrase is "Thank God, I'm not like you!"
- 14. Types of Religious LegalismFrom Rick WarrenBilly Bible-thumper: He's an obnoxious and overzealous crusader. His favorite phrase is "Turn or burn!" Yet, God's plan for bringing us home to him is full of love, grace, and sacrifice (John 3:16-17 NIV).
- 15. Types of Religious LegalismFrom Rick WarrenPauline Praise-eluia: She can't speak without religious clichés. Everything is a miracle or the Devil did it. But God doesn't want you to stop thinking when you become a Christian; in fact, he wants to give you the mind of Christ(1 Corinthians 2:16 NIV).
- 16. What does this Scripture tell usabout REST?A. The futility of man’s strivingWhat wears us out? What causes us to be tired?B. The sufficiencyof Christ
- 17. The Sufficiency of ChristHe is the door to eternal life that we might go in,He is the great Shepherd who has offered his life for our need, He is the great physician by whose wounds we are healed, he is the bread of life that sustains us, the one who has calmed the storm, and He is the one who raised the dead to life. And He is risen.If you are weary and burdened with life’s burdens, He is someone you can count on.
- 18. 1The Confidence of Communion with HimCome to Me…
- 19. The closer we are to Him subjectively, the greater and deeper is our peace. The farther from Him we get and on to other things, the greater is our striving.
- 20. Before we can even come to Him, He has come to us. Before we can even accept Him. He has already accepted us. Loved us. 2 Corinthians 1:3 says He is the God of all comfort. We worry about many things, and while it is right to be concerned, the Lord invites us to entrust our cares to Him. This is what faith and trust in him is about.
- 21. His nearness to us is true, regardless of our doubts and feelings. The invitation remains fresh: Come to Me. It is the call of the Lord to believe and be in union with Him. He is there wherever we are and whoever we may be.
- 22. 2The Grace of Participating with HimTake My Yoke…
- 23. The yoke is also a symbolism of OBEDIENCE. Submission to Christ’s Lordship, which is an obedience that produces joy.Submission to Christ is the greatest freedom of all.
- 24. Dictionary Definitionrest (rest)nounpeace, ease, and refreshment as produced by sleep or repose, or a period of thisrefreshing ease or inactivity after work or exertiona period or occasion of inactivity, as during work or on a journeyrelief from anything distressing, annoying, tiring, etc.peace of mind; mental and emotional calm; tranquilltythe repose of deathabsence of motion; state of being still; immobilitya resting or stopping place; shelter or lodging place, as for travelers, sailors, etc.a thing or device for supporting something; support: often used in combination: a footrestMusica measured interval of silence between tonesany of various symbols indicating the length of such an intervalProsody, a short pause in a line of verse; caesura
- 25. Dictionary Definitionrest (rest)intransitive verb to get peace, ease, and refreshment by sleeping, lying down, etc.to sleepto get ease and refreshment by ceasing from work or exertionto be at ease or at peace; be tranquilto be deadto be or become quiet, still, or inactive for a whileto remain without change or further action: to let a matter restto be, or seem to be, supported; specif.,to lie, sit, or leanto be placed, based, or founded (in, on, upon, etc.)
- 26. What this REST is NOT:It is not a life of idleness.Good works do not produce salvation, but salvation produces good works (Ephesians 2:10)
- 27. What this REST is NOT:It is not a life of wrecklessness."Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.“ – Matthew 11:28-30, The Message
- 28. 3The Freedom of Knowing Jesus and the FatherLearn from Me…
- 29. What this Scripture tells us:Jesus is the One who reveals the Father.He is willing to share His knowledge and relationship with everyone. To Him, this is the ultimate wisdom: whoever knows Jesus, knows the Father in heaven.
- 30. 1The Confidence of Communion with HimCome to Me…2The Grace of Participating with HimTake My Yoke3The Freedom of Knowing Jesus and the FatherLearn from Me
- 31. ReflectionsBelieve and embrace the Confidence, the Grace and the Freedom that we have in Christ.
- 32. Live that dream, for Life!
- 33. Psalm 62:5-6Find rest, my soul, in God alone;My hope comes from Him.He alone is my rock and my salvation;He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.