350-Rest, A Powerful Lifestyle#
350-Rest A Powerful Lifestyle
(Japanese Text Group - Edited by Benjamin)
Genesis 2:1-3:
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Let us start with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for preparing such a wonderful time. We come before you once again, asking you to lead us to receive strength in rest and enjoy your blessings. Let us know Jesus and the perfect work He accomplished for us on the cross, so that we may live empowered by this strength, no longer fearing the road ahead. Help us to seek every brother and sister here, that they may receive strength from you. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Sharing Topic: Rest, A Powerful Lifestyle
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord!
Looking at the text, Genesis 2:1-3, Genesis 1 describes God's creation, and by the time we reach chapter 2, it is completed. What happens after it is completed? Rest. The rest here refers to God ceasing all creative work.
The first verse of this text says: "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array."
Do you know what this means? God has prepared everything you need; it is complete. When we often say 'complete,' what does it mean? There is no longer any lack. It is not that one day God might say, "Oops, I didn't think of this." This is a common mistake people make. When we encounter unexpected events in life, we might say, "I can't believe I didn't think of this." Will God ever have this problem? No.
The heavens and the earth were completed.
This includes Adam and the subsequent sins of all humanity; God knows. The meaning of 'completed' is that God already has a solution. So God is not afraid of your failure; what He fears is that you do not rely on Him, that you worry blindly, and end up losing sleep over your worries. God says, "If you have problems, it's okay; come to me, and I can give you rest. Amen!"
Verse 2: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."
I want to give you a definition: Rest is not sleeping, nor is it doing nothing. Rest is knowing Jesus and the work He accomplished on the cross, and working with His power, so you can achieve more with less effort. Amen!
Now you know what rest is, right? Do not misunderstand it. Many times, it is because we are influenced by the world, and some people have the wrong concept, thinking that rest means being dead. At funerals, people say, "Rest in peace," which means being dead, truly doing nothing. God indeed completed His creative work; He does not need to create anymore, but His rest does not mean God is dead. Rather, it means God has stopped His creative work at this moment; everything you need has already been prepared. As long as you believe He has prepared it, you will no longer worry when facing any situation.
Rest is a state of inner peace and stability, knowing that your Lord will surely help you. Just like the song we sang earlier: "The Lord is your strength; what of the mountains? What of the waves?" You know your God is still seated as King today. Only when you know that everything created by God is complete, and He is the Creator, will you no longer worry in any environment, because you believe your God will surely help you. Amen!
Jesus was filled with rest in His heart. When He was on earth, He also faced difficulties and people who were dissatisfied, but He was never flustered. He had wisdom, power, and everything we need. What does it mean to be a successful person in the world? Many people think having a lot of money means success, but many who have money lose other things: family, love, friends—everything is gone. Do you need such success?
Some people, after becoming successful, have no time left. They are busy from morning till night. They may earn a lot of money in a year, but they do not know what to do with that money. Many people exhaust themselves to death, and the money they earn may just be enjoyed by others. This is not rest; it is a terrible thing. The rest God gives you is: "No matter what you encounter, you can respond peacefully. You will never be flustered; your heart will always have peace and joy."
Some people lose their rest due to work, some due to illness, and some due to economic lack. But when you know your Lord still governs the world today, He is the Creator and your loving Father, you will have hope. What should you do? Hold on to God's promises, and you will no longer fear. As long as you live by holding on to God's promises, you will naturally have rest.
Let us first look at God's promises and see what He has done for you. God rested from all His creative work. Is the Sabbath because God rested that we have a Sabbath? You do not enter the Sabbath and then have rest; it is the day you enter rest that counts as the Sabbath, right? Brothers and sisters.
The Israelites observed the Sabbath on the seventh day each week, but many people do not have rest. If you have Jesus' rest in your heart, every day is a Sabbath. Just like today, many people come to hear the word, but their hearts are still filled with worries, pressures, and burdens. For you, this is not rest; indeed, those problems still exist. When you come to God's house and say, "Lord, I know you are seated as King, you are still the Creator, and you are still my loving Lord," you will find rest. We must understand that the Sabbath cannot bring you rest, but the Lord of the Sabbath can bring you rest. Hallelujah.
You should use this phrase: "Jesus has accomplished everything I need, so I can rest." Amen!
What if we change this passage? On the seventh day, God rested from all His creative work. How should we view this phrase? God has prepared everything I need, so I rest.
When Adam was created, God had already prepared everything and brought Adam into rest. Do you know this? God did not say, "Adam, I will create you first, and then you can help me create the world."
What God meant was: "I have completed everything; you should enter rest with me."
Isn't Jesus like this? In terms of salvation, Jesus has fulfilled everything you need. I mean everything is accomplished. Your life, your living, Jesus can help you and save you. So Jesus says: "I have accomplished all this; come and enter rest with me." This is God's promise.
The first point of sharing: Rest is God's promise.
In the past, the Israelites lived in Egypt without rest, without security, without peace. They often complained, crying out to God. God sent Moses to save them. God not only wanted to save their bodies from Egypt but also gave them some laws and commandments, hoping they would live a holy and blessed life. God wanted the Israelites to change their lifestyle, to break free from the mindset and behavior of Egypt, and to live in His rest, under His provision.
Do you know that Egypt symbolizes this world? After we believe in Jesus, our Lord saves you from the world in the spirit, but He also hopes that your life will be separated from the world, living a holy style and a blessed life. Therefore, at that time, God had some requirements for the Israelites.
Exodus 31:13-17:
13 "You are to speak to the Israelites and say: 'You will keep my Sabbaths; for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. 14 Therefore you shall keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath shall be put to death.' 16 Therefore the Israelites shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign forever between me and the Israelites; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed."
These are some laws and commandments from the Old Testament. I have mentioned before that breaking the Ten Commandments leads to death. The laws and commandments are related to our lives; God also has some requirements for the lives of the Israelites.
First, let’s look at this: You shall keep my Sabbath.
Do you know why God insisted that the Israelites keep the Sabbath? Some say it is a sign between them and God, which is correct. But why designate this day as the Sabbath and say, "Do nothing on this day"? We might tell God, "You don’t know what’s happening at home. If I do nothing for a few days, and something happens, I can’t get through this day." Don’t we have many excuses?
But did God say, "If you have something urgent that you must do, you can skip it"? What God means is: If you do something else on this day, you shall be put to death; whoever does any work on the Sabbath shall be cut off from his people. You might think, "How could our God be so cruel? He knows we have to work at home, yet He insists we worship Him?" Have you ever thought that if you view these laws from a legalistic perspective, you might think God is very harsh and does not care about our lives?
But have you ever thought about why God insists that the Israelites do this? Because God wants them to live a holy life. A holy life means living completely differently from the world. What does this mean? Even if you have many problems at home, perhaps sickness, but on the Sabbath, you come before God with your heart directed towards Him, praying to Him as your Lord, He gives you promises. If you are here, He will help you solve those problems. This is what it means to live a separated life. Amen!
Otherwise, after believing in the Lord, what difference is there between us and the world? So God tells the Israelites: "You shall keep my Sabbath." Should we keep the Sabbath? So that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.
Let’s first talk about what holiness means. Since the Sabbath is called the holy Sabbath, what is holiness? Holiness means being set apart. When Jesus brings you out of the world to belong to Him, you are different from the world; you are holy. You set this day apart from other days for God. On this day, you worship God and think about God’s matters. God says this is a holy day; I want you to think about my words on this day because this is a lifestyle that my holy people should have. If you are willing to live this way, I will solve all your other problems.
God is not unaware of your life; He certainly knows. That is why He initially enforced the Israelites to keep it. If they do not keep it, He will cut them off. Why? It has already been told to us that this is God's eternal sign with the Israelites. So do not think of keeping the Sabbath as a burden; it is a sign that God gave to the Israelites when they just came out of Egypt, a mandatory rule they must follow. Why?
Because in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed. Whether in the Old Testament law or the New Testament grace, it all boils down to one word: "Love." Even the laws and commandments of the Old Testament are because God loves us. Because God has prepared everything and entered into rest, He set a day for you to enjoy His presence, His rest, and His refreshment. You must think this way; this is not an ordinary day; it is a day of being with God, a day when your heart can have peace and stability.
If even this day is gone, how exhausting it would be to live in the world! Look at the world; many people work three jobs a day, sleep only 3-5 hours, and wish to split themselves in half to keep working. They have no days off in a year. If such people can earn a lot of money, do you want to become such a person? There is no rest; the heart is always worried, always afraid, always uncertain about the future. This is not rest.
What God means is: "I am your direction, I am your freedom, I am your strength and provision." He wants to tell the Israelites: "Do not worry; do not live like you did in Egypt, not knowing if you will survive tomorrow, not knowing if you will have to work overtime today. You have already left Egypt and entered my promised land. You are under my governance and provision." Amen. You should think this way.
The seventh day is the Sabbath; do you know what the seventh year is? The year of rest, very correct. Everyone has learned to do math. What are seven years of rest? After seven years of rest comes the Jubilee year. Many people may not know what the Jubilee year is about. In fact, the Israelites placed great importance on the Jubilee year. We seem to have lost the feeling of celebrating the New Year, but when we were young, we eagerly anticipated it because there would be meat, dumplings, and fun. You could eat at anyone's house without doing any other work.
But the Israelites looked forward to the Jubilee year even more than we do. A person has only one chance in a lifetime to see a Jubilee year, once every fifty years. Let’s see if the Jubilee year has anything to do with us.
Leviticus 25:8-11:
8 "You shall count seven Sabbaths of years, seven times seven years. That is a total of forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall sound the trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his own clan. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you. You shall not sow or reap what grows of itself, or harvest the grapes of your undressed vines."
God's requirements are getting more excessive, have you noticed? One day a week, you are not allowed to work. You might say, "I have endured for 49 years; now you want me to do nothing for a year. How can I survive?" Is our God so cruel? If you read the context, you will understand. At that time, the Israelites did not understand and said, "If you make me not work for a year, what will I eat?" God said, "Don't worry; the previous year I will give you three times the harvest. You will eat the old grain until the next year's harvest comes out, and you won't run out." Isn't that God's blessing? When God tells you to rest, He is saying, "Don't worry." He is your rest. So what are you worried about? Besides, does worrying help? When has worrying ever helped your body? It is impossible.
Look at this year of rest; you shall count seven years of rest, forty-nine years. After that year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, there is a Day of Atonement, and throughout the land, there shall be a trumpet sound proclaiming what? Atonement. Have you noticed that the year before the holy year is the year of atonement? First, there is atonement, and then they enter the holy year, which is the Jubilee year.
After Jesus Christ came, He told us: "He came to atone for our sins and then bring us into the Jubilee, proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor." Do you remember this? After He atoned for our sins, He immediately brought us into the Jubilee, which can also be said to be a year of rest, right? Brothers and sisters.
The year of rest is a year when you do not need to do anything. You do not need to do anything in the fiftieth year; that year is a holy year, and all the inhabitants of the land shall proclaim liberty. Do you know what this freedom means? Your hands are freed, and your heart must also be freed. That year, you do not need to work because you already have three times the harvest. You can indulge in eating, drinking, and having fun.
We celebrate the New Year for only one week, but the Israelites celebrated the Jubilee for a whole year. Do you know what they did that year? They traveled all over the world, fulfilling whatever wishes they had that year because God's blessings had abundantly come upon them. If God gives you such life principles, would you want to live this way? In your life, having a year without worries is so wonderful.
From birth to death, many people do not even have this opportunity for a year. Today God says: "You have it." Amen! This year is your Jubilee; each person shall return to his own property and clan. Do you know what this means? From the context, we can see that during the Jubilee, there is a proclamation of freedom, a proclamation of forgiveness, a proclamation of return. At that time, debts owed to others and debts owed by others are all reset to zero; they are no longer counted. Isn't that wonderful? Do you know what this means? This is what the Israelites on earth have received a little of; earthly matters point to a reality in heaven, which refers to our future kingdom, where you will enjoy eternal rest. Hallelujah!
In that place, everything is reset to zero; you do not need to work. What about debts? Do you still have to repay them in heaven? Everything is settled; you do not need to repay. At that time, you can rest assured that when you arrive in heaven, you will not need to harvest or pick grapes because God has already prepared everything. We should look forward to the coming of that day. Amen! Jesus will return to take us to that place where we enjoy eternal rest.
Look at the Israelites during the fiftieth year; they had a great expectation. The most recent one should be the year 5775, which they call the year of rest. At that time, there were trumpet sounds everywhere proclaiming freedom, and they lived well. But we are more blessed than they are. Do you know why?
Because you must believe that every year is your year of rest. Jesus has forgiven you completely; you do not need to worry about repaying God anymore. God says: "I have prepared everything for you." First, accept one thing in your heart: Jesus is your Jubilee; every year is your Jubilee. Amen!
If today someone believes in Jesus and someone says, "Sorry, come back in 50 years; there is no freedom this year, no proclamation of forgiveness," would that work? No, that would be too late. But now, every day, every year, you have the opportunity to accept Jesus, and Jesus will grant you forgiveness and freedom. This is a blessing greater than what was given to the Israelites. Amen! They proclaimed freedom in the fiftieth year, while we can proclaim freedom every year. Our God hopes you realize that every day, every year, you are free, you are at rest because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
The reason you can rest today, no longer fearing or worrying about tomorrow, is because you know He cares for you. Look at the children at home; do they worry about what to eat or drink tomorrow? No, why not? As long as their parents are alive, they do not need to worry at all.
Now look at Syria; do you know how much those children worry? Every time they hear the sound of bombs, they tremble. They do not know if they will see the sun tomorrow. They spend every day in fear of war, with no security, no protection, not knowing when their lives will end.
But you are different. You know our Lord is seated as King today. You know our God has overcome the world. What should you do when you have worries? Cast them on God; you must give them to Jesus. If you do not give them to Jesus and carry them yourself, many people regret it. At the arrival of the New Year, they still carry the burdens of the past. Some are even more regrettable, having carried the burdens of the past ten years or even decades. The worries of the past, the grievances of the past still weigh on them. God says: "It is time to be free, time to forgive, let go of these burdens." Once you let go, you will know what rest is. After letting go, you will find it easy to receive greater blessings because He cares for you. Cast all your anxiety on God. Amen!
The second point of sharing: Knowing Jesus and what He has done is the only way to have true rest.
Many people do not understand; they think that just talking about rest will bring rest. In fact, it is not the words "rest" that can bring you rest, but your true awareness of what God has done for you, what He has prepared for you. You know that all this is prepared by God for you and given to you freely, and that is how you can have rest. Every time you come here and hear messages about freedom, about release, about what Jesus Christ has done for you, you will naturally have rest.
Because in this world, you hear too many voices of unrest, urging you to pay your mortgage, car loan, and various repayments. Hearing such voices too often, how can you have rest? Today, the child has a cold again; recently, there is a new pneumonia virus affecting children... so you lose rest. These things take away your rest. What should you do? Cast your worries on God; you know He cares for you, and then you will truly have rest. Amen! Only by knowing Jesus can you have true rest.
In this world, there is no place to find rest. True rest is in Christ. When you know Jesus and what He did for you on the cross, rest will naturally be in your heart. From then on, you will no longer fear life or worry about tomorrow because you know He loves you and is willing to help you.
Let’s look at a passage, Matthew 11:28-30:
28 "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."
Do you see Jesus' invitation? If you have someone like this around you, bring them to Jesus. If you are fortunate to be brought here by a friend today, you are a blessed person. Your friend brought you to believe in Jesus, not to give you a heavier burden or to keep you from entering religion; they want to give you Jesus' rest. Hallelujah!
If you say, "I am facing many difficulties now."
Come to Jesus!
If you say, "I am very troubled and have many burdens."
Come to Jesus!
Jesus did not come into this world to give you a heavier burden or more laws; He came to let you enjoy rest.
Let’s take a look: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened." Do you know what kind of person this is? If you have ever been a religious person, keeping this and that, observing the Sabbath, observing the Lord's Day to receive God's blessings, working hard in church every day, praying punctually every day, thanking God every time, yet still not finding any rest, always worried, always anxious...
This is your burden. What should you do? Jesus says: "Bring your burdens to me; all you who are weary and burdened, no matter if you face life, family, or work burdens, come to me." This is Jesus' invitation: come to me. When you come to Jesus, what does He give you? "I will give you rest." Amen! This means He is telling you, "Don't worry; give me your burdens, give me your worries, and I will carry them for you. Then you won’t have to worry anymore." This is the good news Jesus wants to give you.
If you say, "I have an illness now."
Please come to Jesus; Jesus says, "I am the healer."
You say, "I don’t know how to handle relationships."
Jesus says, "I am wisdom."
You say, "I have no life."
Jesus says, "I am the life, I am the way, I am the resurrection, I am the fortress, I am the high tower."
What do you need? Jesus has everything you need here, and it is all free. Amen! In this world, you might buy some expensive things; the most expensive things require payment. But here with Jesus, everything you need is free. Look up at the sky; the blue sky, white clouds, air—aren't they all free?
Just as in the beginning, God said: "I have prepared everything you need." Have you ever given your family or children a few planets as decorations? Look at the sky; at night, when you see the twinkling stars, those are planets. God says: "I have arranged all kinds of stars in the sky for you to see. This is a gift for you; it is not something you need to create; it is something for you to look at." Amen!
Our God has prepared everything you need. When we see God's creation, we say: "Lord, I believe you; I have rest in my heart; I am no longer afraid." He can manage such a vast universe; can He not manage your little family matters? Can He not manage the small matters in your life? If you know He can manage them, please come to Jesus to receive His rest.
Jesus says: "I am gentle and humble in heart; you should take my yoke upon you and learn from me."
Do you know what this means? God knows that the moment you believe in Him, you cannot become a holy person overnight, living completely according to the way recorded in the Bible. Jesus says: "Come, you can first learn from my example." When I went to seminary, someone once asked me a question: "Can you tell me what theology is?" Have any of you studied theology? Do you know what theology is?
Some say: "I know; what is the English word for it? What is the Greek word? Theology involves learning various systematic theologies; it is too complicated." But if you turn it around, you will know what it means: "Learning God." If you learn a whole set of theories in theology and leave God out, that is not theology; that is merely some moral laws of the world. Learning God, learning from my example, is actually very simple: do as Jesus did, and you will have rest.
This morning, I was at home watching a cartoon with my child—The Exodus. Because it is an animation, the scenes are magnificent. When Moses raised his staff towards the Red Sea, and the sea parted, my child exclaimed in surprise. When we encounter problems, can we learn from Moses, learn from our God, stretch out your hand towards your problem, and in the name of Lord Jesus, command it to part? You need to learn to believe in Jesus in your heart. When you do this, you will see miracles.
This is why there are so many miracles in our church. Many people say: "Healing is so difficult; this problem is so hard." Do you know what we do? Brothers and sisters, is it difficult to train yourself regularly? Even children can do it. Stretch out your hand and command this illness to leave you now in the name of Lord Jesus. When you say this, the illness disappears. Jesus said it is very simple: "You should take my yoke upon you and learn from me; then your heart will find rest." Hallelujah!
When you live using the name of Jesus, you will see Jesus' power. His words will come to fruition in your mouth. So what are you worried about? God has already given you this authority and power. He just wants you to do one thing: learn from Jesus' example. Many people do not learn from Jesus' example; they learn from the example of religious people. Can they not be proud in their hearts? Learning from Jesus' example will only make your heart gentle and humble, allowing you to enjoy His rest more and more. Amen!
The more you know Jesus, the more rest you will have in your heart. Rest is not something you talk about; it is something you learn. I tell you this today because I hope that after you go back, you can use Jesus' words to live. You can also stretch out your hand and declare to your Red Sea, and you will see surprised expressions appear. Amen!
In the cartoon we watched today, when Moses first met Pharaoh, he threw down his staff dramatically in front of Pharaoh. There was a classic moment when the staff lay on the ground without any movement. Moses looked at it, and Pharaoh looked at it: (What is this thing you threw down?) After a few seconds, the staff began to turn into a snake.
I think this is what many people worry about. They say: "I threw it down, but nothing happened." Can you wait a few seconds? Many people want it to turn into a snake the moment they throw it down; that is what they want. Does this resonate with your thoughts? We are too anxious. I think that cartoon was well made because the reality might be just like that. You throw it down, and everyone is watching. What is the point of throwing down a staff? Then a miracle appears.
Can you, when you have problems and mountains weighing down on you, command that mountain to move in the name of Lord Jesus, and then wait a few seconds? Let’s see how God does things. When you see it, your heart will have rest, and you will say: "Wow, it turns out God is a God who keeps His promises, a faithful God." So come to Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, no matter how busy you are or how big your problems are, please come to Jesus. The message you are hearing now will bring you rest and give you freedom and release in your heart because the one who gives you this freedom is not me, but Jesus in this sermon. If you can believe that this Jesus is such a God, you will receive it.
Let’s look at a passage, Luke 13:11-17:
11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. 14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." 15 The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.
This is a miracle; Jesus performed a miracle on the Sabbath. First, I want to ask everyone a question: Can miracles happen on the Sabbath? Can they? Does performing miracles count as work? Yes, does that violate the Sabbath law? Yes, then does it violate the Sabbath? In fact, the Pharisees and the ruler of the synagogue did not understand why God established the Sabbath. They kept the Sabbath to the point of turning it into a rule, becoming a religious ritual.
Just like today, many people do not understand why they come to gather. They say, "Because it is Sunday, and I am a Christian, so I must go," and they do not know why they should pray, "Because I am a Christian, so I must pray every day." If you keep such festivals and laws this way, it will become a burden for you.
Jesus knew what the Sabbath meant. It is the day God set apart for us to be released and to be free. Amen! That day, God does not want you to do worldly work because worldly work will indeed cause you anxiety, worry, and bondage. The more you do God's work, the more you will be released. This is a principle.
Serving is like this, brothers and sisters; the more you serve, the more joy you will have. If you suffer more while serving, it means you are using worldly methods. Have you ever thought about why the more people serve in our church, the more willing they are to serve? Because they see this great power. If you don’t believe it, you can try it.
If this New Year, when you go home, and someone among your relatives is sick, you say: "Come here, let me pray for you. In the name of Lord Jesus, I command this illness to leave you now." If that person is healed at that moment, will you say, "I will never do healing ministry again"? You will be very eager to do it again. In such ministry, the more you serve, the more joy you will have, and Jesus understands this principle deeply.
On the Sabbath, Jesus did something. There was a woman who had been bound by a spirit for eighteen years. This might be a hunchback spirit. Just kidding; this spirit made the woman hunchbacked, unable to straighten up. When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said: "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." I hope everyone can see what Jesus did. You can find rest. For such an illness, we really have no way. She was very old and had been hunchbacked for so long. From a medical perspective, she could not move; moving might break her. What should we do? People have no way out.
Jesus came over and said a word that anyone in the world could say: "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." Can you say such words to a sick person?
You say: "I can't say that." Impossible! Even a first grader can memorize this sentence. Have you ever said this to someone? Why not? Why don’t you say it? What if I say it and nothing happens? In fact, that is not the point. The point is: Do you believe God has this ability? If you believe 100% that God has this ability, you will definitely say these words. As for the result, you do not need to worry about it; God has never asked you to worry about the result.
The reason you do not have rest is that you worry too much about the result not happening. But conversely, it is God who does the work, not you. What are you worried about? No matter what the result is, our God is doing it. What can you do? Just say this word in the name of Lord Jesus. The more you say, the more you will see God's great power. If you always worry and cannot say it, thinking, "What if I say it and nothing happens? They will laugh at me..." Let them laugh; just consider it practice. When the real miracle happens, who will laugh at you? They will be amazed: "Wow, God is among us." Brothers and sisters, learning from Jesus' example means doing as Jesus did.
Starting this year, please live by holding on to God's promises. What does holding on mean? It means I am not worried about what will happen next; I hold on to Him. I will say what He says and live as He lives. Is that simple? Like today’s words, can you say them? If your child has a fever, what should you say? Do not just copy; we need to apply it flexibly. Do not say: "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." He is a boy; you should say: "Son, you are loosed from this cold." Just change it, and you can say: "In the name of Lord Jesus, you are loosed from this illness."
Have you noticed that when I often pray for healing and deliverance, I say it this way? Many miracles happen for this reason. I am not doing anything beyond what Jesus did. Jesus did not jump around like a shaman, chanting and shouting. Jesus was very calm. Why was He calm? Because He had rest within Him. There is no need to jump around; only shamans do that because they want to bring the spirit into themselves, so they keep jumping and shouting.
In the Old Testament, when Elijah was with hundreds of false prophets, how did the false prophets act? They hurriedly asked for rain, cutting themselves with knives, singing, shouting, and calling. That was the action of false gods. Our Jesus does not need that. Jesus has rest in His heart. Whenever a problem arises, He looks and says: "There is a solution. Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." You can visualize this scene. To those around, this problem may seem huge, but to Jesus, it is just a matter of a word. Amen!
It is a matter of a word, brothers and sisters. Our prayers are also very simple; it is a matter of a word. When you see this woman, you can say: "Wow, your back is so hunched." That is something you can say to her: "Wow, you are so pitiful." What kind of words will you give her? From now on, let us learn to speak like Jesus: "You are loosed from this illness." Amen! Then Jesus went over, laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God!
At that time, there was an aunt in our church who had leg pain and back pain. Do you remember when we prayed together? I said: "Get up, in the name of Lord Jesus, your pain in your back and legs has disappeared. Please stand up and take a few steps." She was in pain when she walked. I said: "Is it still painful? It doesn't matter; in the name of Lord Jesus, command this pain to leave now." As she said this, I said: "Get up." As she walked, she began to run.
At that time, a young brother was present and recorded a video. I hope you do not record audio or video during my sermons; I hope you focus entirely on receiving for yourself. Amen! The message I preach does not need you to review; as long as you can receive it on-site, you will definitely use it. When we listen to the message, do not listen for others; they can listen to the recording later. You should listen for yourself on-site.
At that time, Jesus healed this woman. She stood up and glorified God. Did this person get healed? She thanked God, thanked the Lord. The ruler of the synagogue was unhappy because Jesus healed on the Sabbath. He spoke angrily to the crowd, saying: "There are six days when men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath." Is there such a person as the ruler of the synagogue? He is the church leader. Because his congregation was healed, he was very angry. What was he angry about? Because Jesus healed people.
What is the use of such a synagogue ruler? He preached to the crowd, but his message was worldly: "There are six days when men ought to work; on those six days, you can seek healing, but not on the Sabbath." Anyone can preach legalistic things. I can also say: "There was a woman who had been sick for eighteen years and could not straighten up. You can seek a doctor on the six days..." Has she not sought a doctor? She has, but there was no way to be released, no way to be free.
She also looked forward to the Jubilee year, proclaiming her freedom, her healing, her release, but she did not encounter it. But she met Jesus, and that is good news. I hope today you encounter Jesus in this sermon. For you, this is your freedom, your Jubilee, your rest.
At that time, what did Jesus say to them? The Lord Jesus said: "Hypocrites! What does it mean to be a hypocrite? It means being inconsistent in words and actions. They only require others to do so but do not do it themselves. Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? This proves that the ruler of the synagogue indeed did other things on the Sabbath, but this woman truly needed to be released and healed, yet they could not do it. They could not do it and did not want others to do it. How despicable!
Moreover, this woman is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years. Shouldn't she be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"
Brothers and sisters, this is a holy day. On this day, by listening to the message, just sitting here and listening, you can be released from the bondage in your heart, you can be released from some curses on you, and you can be released from some pressures on you. Amen! Just sitting here, you can receive it. This is why many people receive healing while listening to the message; they have already possessed Jesus' rest, believing that this word is fulfilled in me at this moment.
And Jesus' words are powerful; they transcend time and space. Even now, for example, someone listening to the message in America can receive healing if they accept this message. God's words can penetrate the earth and bring healing to them. Jesus' words have this power.
You must think of the God you believe in as the God who created the heavens and the earth. When you know that Jesus is such a Lord, and He has this ability, the more you meditate on His power, the more you will realize He loves you and is very willing to heal you, release you, and let you be free. The more you meditate on this in your heart, the more your body will change, and you will be free.
When Jesus said this, His enemies were put to shame; those people were speechless. They could not bring rest to people on the Sabbath. The Lord of the Sabbath is Jesus. On this day, you can receive strength, provision, and comfort. This is why we come before God on the first day of the week, receive His message, and then live with His rest.
Let me emphasize again: Rest is not doing nothing; it is believing that God has prepared everything for you. Everything you need, Jesus has prepared for you: the clients you need, the relationships you need, and the blessings ahead of you—He has prepared them all. You face the week of life with the victory and provision of Jesus. Amen! With this, you will look forward to each day, always having hope. You believe that God is with you on this day, and you can live by holding on to His promises. You have nothing to worry about.
Just like we talked about in the Bible study on Friday, life and death are in God's hands. God does not allow anyone to take your life away. If God has solved the problem of life and death, what are your small problems worth? Every time you meditate more on Jesus, you will have rest in your heart. This kind of rest arises unconsciously. You will find that you are joyful, and your heart is at rest. Amen.
Let’s look at a passage, Hebrews 4:1-2:
1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
There will always be a small group of people who ask me questions: "I have been listening to grace for many years, specifically for about 8-9 years now. I have heard many pastors' sermons, many series of sermons. Why has my illness not disappeared?"
Where is the problem? Is it God's word that has a problem? Some say: "Your faith is still small." If you tell her that, she will stumble.
How can I have great faith?
You say: "Listen to more sermons."
I have listened to a lot! I have read a lot of the Bible! I have attended many gatherings...
What should I do? You just need to let her do a bit more, and she has done it all, yet still nothing. In fact, the real problem is not how much she has heard, but whether this word has been received in her heart, whether she has learned from Jesus' example.
It is clearly stated here that God has left us a promise of rest, meaning that everyone has the promise of entering rest. This promise is given by God to every child of God, right? You can all enter rest. So why hasn’t she entered? It is not God's problem. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. Now the conclusion has been given to us: Why did they not enter?
But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
This does not say: "Your faith is small," but rather, "They had no faith." To put it another way, just as we said earlier, when Jesus said to the woman who had been sick for eighteen years: "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity," at that moment, they said: "You cannot say that." Was it small faith or no faith? Indeed, it was no faith.
They had no faith mixed with the word they heard.
What does this mean? When you are in church, you feel passionate and think you can save the world. But as soon as you step out of the church door, you are still you. You think: "Forget it; let the world save me." This is because the word remains in your mind; that hour of time is gone. I hope everyone, after hearing this word, thinks about it every day. The most important step is to try to speak this word out. I only want you to speak it out. Once you speak it out, you will see the results.
This is what we have been training everyone to do. If you do not train, you will always think you can do anything, but when it comes to actually doing it, you will find it is not that simple. This week, I hope everyone receives Jesus' power, provision, freedom, and forgiveness. When you go home, see which area we need the most, and speak more of God's word in that area, declare it, and release it. That area will change. It is that simple.
Hebrews 4 actually says that some of the Israelites did not enter Canaan. Why did they not enter? Was it because God did not give them a promise? God told every Israelite before they left Egypt: "I will bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey." This was told to every Israelite. Why did so many not enter? Because when they reached the edge of the Jordan River, they said: "We cannot enter; God has let us die in the wilderness. We are destined to die in the wilderness." They did not have the faith to mix the word they heard.
God's word says so, but they insisted on believing otherwise. How can they see? When God says: "You will live," they say: "I will die." When God says: "You will be healed," they say: "I will die." When God says: "You are strong," they say: "I will die." How can they not die? The words you speak determine what your life will be like. Amen!
But we do not just copy; from now on, we will start memorizing: "I am healthy, I am prosperous, I can do all things, I am saving the world..." Even if you memorize this, it is useless unless you have God's rest in your heart, believing that God's power is with you, that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, and that Jesus has already accomplished this. That is why you speak it out.
When you speak it out, you will find it is different because you are convinced and then speak it out. This is how to mix the word you hear with your life. Now there are too many people who have heard countless graces, but they lack this part: mixing this message with their lives. Once you mix it, you will find you are super warriors; it is incredible.
Finally, let’s look at a passage, Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
This passage is for everyone. This week, meditate more on this passage at home. What can you receive from this passage? Please put it into practice and learn from Jesus' example. Here it mentions that we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven. Do you know what the high priest did in the past? The high priest would declare God's Jubilee during the year of rest, proclaim God's forgiveness, and proclaim God's freedom. The high priest did this. On the Day of Atonement, he would come out and say: "All your sins have been forgiven by God." This is what the high priest declares. Do you know that our high priest is Jesus? We should hold firmly to the faith we profess, meaning we believe what Jesus has said and that He has prepared everything you need.
What should you do when you encounter problems?
Just approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help you in your time of need.
How should this be practically applied? It is very simple. When you encounter problems in life, and you cannot find a verse in the Bible that applies to you, develop the habit of listening to the word regularly. When you encounter problems, a verse will pop up immediately. You do not need to search for it. Our brains are faster than search engines. You know? When you open the internet and search for something, it may take a few seconds. But if you regularly store God's words and truths in your heart, when you encounter problems, they will pop up immediately, and you will know how to declare and use God's words to overcome the problem. It is that simple. This week, I hope brothers and sisters often meditate on God's words, hold on to God's promises, and live in rest.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you. Thank you for giving us this time to come before you and receive rest. You have prepared everything we need. The salvation we need in our hearts and souls has already been prepared by Jesus. Therefore, we do not worry, we are no longer anxious, and we do not worry about tomorrow. We are willing to live by holding on to your words, believing that you are my loving Lord. I receive your provision and no longer worry about my current problems. I know you have the power to solve them.
I am willing to learn your example because your burden is light. You said: "All who are weary and burdened can come to me." I believe that this week I will be different, living in your victory, working and dealing with people in your rest. Please help me and grant me wisdom. All glory belongs to you. In the name of Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!