447 - Completing the Destiny of God's Son in Rest#
(JP Text Group - shalom compilation)
Dear family, peace in the Lord, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will share God's words together.
The topic of sharing is: Completing the Destiny of God's Son in Rest.
Let's read Genesis 2:1-3 together:
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’s start with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you for starting our new week of life. You are the creator of all things, the source of our lives, and the source of blessings! At the beginning of the week, we first receive your words. Please lead us to gain something, to enter into life with your strength, and to use your words in our lives! Thank you and praise the Lord. Bless the following time, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
This passage of scripture is about God's work of creation. Verse 1 says: Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
God created the heavens and the earth in six days, including everything that humans need. By the seventh day, God's work of creation was finished, meaning there was no need for further creation. Everything that humans need has been prepared by God. Then it says: on the seventh day, He rested from all His work.
What is rest? Rest is not death, nor is it doing nothing. Rest is recognizing God's work, knowing what He has accomplished, and doing things with His victory. Just like the text we read, everything was completed, and God allowed humans to live on this earth, which is God's destiny for us. We need to live according to God's words, obey His destiny, and follow His laws to avoid problems. If we insist on struggling ourselves, seeking another place to live like the earth, the Bible does not say that there is another place for humans to dwell.
Everything was completed; God allows humans to live on the earth. When we encounter problems, we need to pray to God and solve them according to His words. For example, God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and on the seventh day, His work of creation was finished, and then He entered into rest. We also need to follow God's method: work for six days and enter into rest on the seventh day. Therefore, rest here refers to everything that God has prepared for us. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, so that people would remember His works. Otherwise, if people keep working and working, they will forget the blessings that God has given them.
Many people never rest, constantly working, always feeling that they need to rely on their own efforts to achieve more. This is not God's law. God does not want us to work tirelessly to exchange for wealth or what we need.
What is God's law? Work for six days, and on the seventh day, come before God and enter into rest. He wants to restore your body and restore your inner strength. Before entering into work, one must first enter into God's rest, just like Adam. God created Adam after creating the heavens and the earth, and then He brought Adam into rest. After entering into rest, He allowed Adam to manage the world.
This is similar to our lives. If we do not first enter into God's rest, do not know that God is the creator of the world, do not know that God is the source of all blessings, we will not live according to God's words. Then our work will be laborious and burdensome, and we may end up with nothing. Only when we realize that everything is prepared by God and are willing to live according to His words, willing to obey His commands, can we easily receive God's blessings in the other six days and experience His presence and power. Therefore, rest is when we have realized God's work and do things with His victory and power.
Hebrews 3:7-11:#
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
This is what the Holy Spirit says, and it is also God's message to us. If you hear His voice today, whose voice is it? It is God's words, the words of Christ. Do not harden your hearts, as the Israelites did when they provoked Him and tested Him. This refers to the Israelites, who had seen God's works in the past, but still refused to obey God's words in the wilderness. Naturally, they did not have rest.
Think about it, what is in the wilderness? Desolation, heat, cold, no supply, unsuitable for survival. But God allowed the Israelites to learn to obey His words there. Even though they were in the wilderness, if they were willing to obey God's words, God would provide manna, a cloud by day, and a fire by night, which represented God's provision for them, preparing everything they needed! Yet, despite this, the Israelites still refused to believe in God, disobeyed Him, and tested Him ten times!
We might say: How rebellious were the Israelites? In fact, when we evaluate the Israelites this way, we should also reflect on ourselves. God wrote these things in the Bible not only because the Israelites acted this way, but because we can also act this way. We should take warning from their failures.
Most of the time, Christians lose their rest, thinking that they must rely on themselves to accomplish things, forgetting God's work, forgetting that they are God's children. They often complain like the Israelites, acting according to their own preferences, unaware that obeying God's words brings greater blessings!
The Israelites tested and tried me, and watched my works for forty years. After seeing for so long, did the Israelites believe? No, many times they still wanted to rely on their own cleverness to do things. This is the Israelites.
Verse 10: Therefore, I was angry with that generation and said, “Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways!”#
Brothers and sisters, when people do not know God's works, they lose their rest. What does it mean to not know God's works? It does not mean they have not seen; they have seen, but still have their own ideas, which contradict God's works. The Israelites had their own ideas and were unwilling to act according to God's words, but God taught them that this is the best way to live.
God wrote His words in the Bible to tell us that this is the best way to live on earth. Just like a manual for winning in life, when you buy a piece of clothing, you should check what material it is made of; when you buy an appliance, you should look at the manual to see how to use it.
Our manual for life is the Bible. The Holy Spirit will explain it to you. When you do not understand, pray to the Holy Spirit; He will tell you. Believe that God has prepared everything, and just do things according to what God has said. Do not act against God's words, as that will only lead to failure and suffering, with no rest in sight.
Verse 11 says: So I declared on oath in my anger, “They shall never enter my rest.”#
It is not that God does not allow the Israelites to enter rest, but that their hearts were too confused, and they did not believe in God's works, so they could not enter God's rest.#
For example, God had already told the Israelites: I will bring you into the land flowing with milk and honey! Yet every time the Israelites encountered difficulties, they gave up and complained to the Lord: Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? Is there no grave in Egypt? Their complaints reflected their lack of rest, and the reason they had no rest was that they did not know God's works. Even though there were difficulties before entering Canaan, God is greater than those difficulties. If the Israelites had realized this, they would not have complained; they could have chosen to obey God's words and solve these problems like Caleb and Joshua.
Are we like this? Many believers complain when they encounter difficulties: Lord, please take me away; I don’t want to be in this world anymore! Clearly, they have lost their rest because they do not know God's works. If people believe that God is omnipotent and that He can still give them the best, even if it seems bad now, God can turn it into something good that ultimately benefits them, then they would not complain, right?
We need to complete the destiny of God's Son in rest. Jesus is the Son of God, and He also encountered many obstacles and difficulties in this world. His work was not always smooth, but He believed in the Father's works. In everything, He prayed to God and sought God, and He overcame. We are also God's children and need to follow Jesus. No matter what we encounter, we must believe in God's works and know His power. Amen.
When people do not recognize God's works or do not know God's works, they will inevitably rely on themselves. Relying on oneself brings many uncertainties; for example, one might succeed or fail. Isn't that what the world tells you? Many people participate in training, and they will tell you: If you work hard like this, you might succeed! But they cannot guarantee your life 100%, because no one can guarantee your life except Jesus. In Him, we will have true rest because He has overcome the world, overcome sickness, overcome curses, and overcome death. He has already won; there is nothing He has failed at. When He says it is possible, we should believe it, and then we will naturally have rest!
Let’s take a look at what they needed to do on the Sabbath in the Old Testament, Exodus 16:23-26:
23 Moses said to them, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’” 24 So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will not be any.”
In the wilderness, because there was no food growing from the ground, God gave them manna as food. They ate manna for forty years. This manna fell from the sky with the rain every night. Before the sun came up during the day, the Israelites had to go out into the wilderness to collect the manna to eat. For six days, they had to work. At that time, the so-called work of the Israelites was to go out and collect manna for six days, and then return to make various delicious dishes. That was their work.
Moses told them: You can work for six days, but on the seventh day, do not go out again, because the seventh day is a holy sabbath. How was this sabbath established? God worked for six days and entered into rest on the seventh day. God hoped that His people would also work for six days and enter into rest on the seventh day. This rest is not what we call death; the holy sabbath is for them to stop worldly work and focus on worshiping God.
On the seventh day, the holy sabbath is for the Israelites to put down their worldly work and focus on looking up to God. This is what is meant by the holy sabbath. Since they are not doing worldly work, what about their daily needs? On the sixth day, God told the Israelites: Today you can take double portions back and save them for tomorrow; it will not spoil, nor will it have maggots or stink! The next day, when the Israelites saw that it was indeed so, this is called God's blessing.
So on the holy sabbath, they did not go out to collect manna. What were they to do? Because it is a holy sabbath to the Lord, which means that on the sabbath, God wanted the Israelites to stop their worldly work and worship God, reflecting on God's works. There are times for work and times for rest, so that our bodies and souls can rest and be refreshed. Thank the Lord, God knows our physical structure; working for six days can be very tiring, and we must have a day of rest. That day of rest, coming before God, receives God's provision and the watering of spiritual words. When the new week begins and we go back to work, we will be very empowered.
If there is no rest, people will indeed become tired after working for a long time, feeling very anxious. At that time, God trained the Israelites to live in this way, but they were not used to it because they had been slaves in Egypt, where there were no days of rest; they just worked continuously. Isn't that the way of the world? If you can work, work more; if you can avoid resting, then don't rest. But God's law is like this.
Many people never rest when they are young, and in the end, they become ill, suddenly needing to rest for all the days they did not rest before, and they may even suffer a lot. Brothers and sisters, why do it this way? So we must live according to God's way; this is the destiny of God's Son. God does not want us to be so busy that we do not even have time to receive words from God, nor time to stop and reflect on God's grace.
Matthew 12:9-14, let’s see what God allows them to do on the sabbath:
9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, 10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?” 11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbath.” 13 Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Clearly, this is a sabbath day. Jesus entered a synagogue according to Jewish customs, and something happened there: a man had a shriveled hand. Someone asked Jesus: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath? The intention was to accuse Him. Brothers and sisters, think about it, what were people doing on the sabbath in that era?
Initially, God established the sabbath to allow them to stop worldly work and focus on reflecting on God's works and worshiping God. But now, on the sabbath, they may have become too idle and unwilling to worship God or honor God, and instead began discussing trivial matters and gossiping. Even during the sabbath, these people were fighting with each other. Because they were not doing worldly work on the sabbath, they had a lot of time to test and accuse Jesus, asking Him: Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath?
Jesus made it very clear to them: If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? This is actually a sarcastic statement, implying that if you had truly stopped working on the sabbath, how could a sheep fall into a pit? If they had truly kept the sabbath and honored God, the sheep would not have fallen into the pit because they would have kept it in the pen before the sabbath. The reason it fell into the pit is that they had been working on the sabbath, yet they still asked Jesus if it was lawful to heal on the sabbath.
So Jesus said: How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the sabbath. The good deed here refers to coming before God on the sabbath to receive provision, which includes healing of the soul and body.
If people come before God on the sabbath to listen to His words, they can receive healing, peace, and joy. What is the problem? When the Pharisees preached on the sabbath, they condemned the people. The people did not find rest on the sabbath; their guilt may have been heavier than usual, and how could they face new life?
Jesus was different. He also preached on the sabbath, but He brought release, peace, joy, and the love of the Father. So these people came to seek Jesus and found rest in Him. If there is no rest on the sabbath, what is the point of that day? For the man with the shriveled hand, what he needed was healing. With healing, he found rest in his heart and in his body. Hallelujah! That man received healing in front of Jesus and found true rest! But the Pharisees could not tolerate it; they went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. So brothers and sisters, many times we lose our rest, often worrying, being troubled, or even fearful, because we lack God's words.
I would prefer everyone to follow Jesus, to give yourself some time, a week, to ensure that you have time to quiet your heart before God, to put down worldly matters, turn off your phone, read the Bible, sing hymns, listen to sermons, or share the goodness of Jesus with brothers and sisters. Your soul will find rest. After the fellowship, after listening to the word, earnestly seeking God, when you go back to work, it will be very different from before; it is completely different from always working. This is what God hopes we will accomplish on earth, and it is something we should willingly do from our hearts.
Many people say: I will worship God when I have time; I will listen to sermons when I have time! While this is possible, many times our hearts are not at peace. For example, today is Sunday, so we can set aside other matters and dedicate a time to worship God, sing hymns, listen to sermons, or share with brothers and sisters. Put everything else down and do not worry about other matters; what you gain will be much more. Amen.
Of course, other times are also fine. For example, besides Sunday, you can listen to sermons, and you can listen to sermons while working; that is not a problem. However, if you specifically set aside a time, the effect is likely to be better. Amen.
Having rest is related to believing in God. How can we know if we have rest? It is related to whether we believe in God. If you do not believe in Jesus, there is no question of rest. Only after believing in Jesus can one have rest. Some people believe in Jesus but still live according to worldly methods, and they do not have rest.
Matthew 11:25-30:
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 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.”#
This is Jesus' encouragement to us, and it is also Jesus' prayer for us. Jesus prayed to the Father, saying: Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I thank you! Because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned.
How can this be? Why are these things about rest hidden from the wise and learned? It is not that God wants to hide them; it is because these so-called wise and learned people think they are clever and do not take Jesus' words seriously. They do not put Jesus first; they prioritize their own matters and only think about worshiping God or listening to sermons when they have finished their own tasks.
But Jesus is not like that. He puts the Father's words first and makes them His only priority. He reveals them to little children. Clearly, little children take Jesus' words seriously because they believe their parents' words wholeheartedly, and in their hearts, their parents' words are the only ones worth believing.
When children are very young, when night falls, they no longer seek strangers to hold them; only their parents holding them gives them a sense of security. Isn't that so? Now, God's words are our life; the Father is our Father. When darkness comes, we must realize that we must be in the Father's embrace to be safe. Many people still follow the world, wandering in darkness, completely unaware of the crisis; Jesus is not like that. Jesus fully believes in the Father and puts the Father's matters first. Amen.
All things have been committed to me by my Father; no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. What does this mean? Jesus believes in the Father and does only what the Father tells Him to do, says only what the Father tells Him to say. He does as the Father says, and because of this relationship, Jesus is filled with satisfaction, and in everything, He has overcome. Why can many people not overcome in everything? It is because they have many of their own ideas; they think they are too clever and that God's methods are unreliable, believing they can do better on their own! They even think some of God's words can be omitted, believing their own methods might be better than God's!
But Jesus is not like that. He does as God says, so He ultimately receives glory and victory in everything. If we can understand this, you will definitely not be a failure; you will be in God's rest because God has destined you to receive glory and victory, not to live in despair. Amen.
Verse 28: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.#
This is Jesus' call to us. Who are the weary and burdened? All people who feel they have many burdens they cannot bear, many sorrows they cannot endure, and many problems they cannot solve. Acknowledging that they cannot do it themselves, they can come to Jesus. Why can only such people seek Jesus? Because wise and successful people will not seek Jesus; they feel they already have enough and are doing well, so they do not need Jesus.
Just like when Jesus called others, generally, it was those in poor circumstances. For example, Peter that night caught no fish and was washing his nets in despair when Jesus found him. In the end, Jesus called him, saying: Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!
Thank the Lord, this is why many people can believe in Jesus; it is during times of disappointment, failure, or confusion that they can hear Jesus' words. It is not that God specifically comes to find people at this time; God has always been seeking people and moving their hearts. It is often at this time that people's hearts can open to God because they feel weary and burdened. Does our Lord only appear when we need Him? No, He is always there; it is just that many times we are unwilling to draw near to God. As children of God, those who have believed in Jesus, many still act this way: when everything is fine, they do not seek God; they say: I will worship God and praise God when I have time!
When they fail or have health problems, they become very pious, and this piety needs to be put in quotes, coming before God crying: Lord, I was wrong, forgive me! I was too busy pursuing this world before, but now I am willing to come before you and repent! There is no need for this; this is not the way to move God. When you feel weary and burdened, you can go to Jesus, and He will give you His rest. Only then can you see God's rest. If people do not encounter difficulties, how can they realize that Jesus is correct and great?
So there is no need to wait until that time to come before God. God hopes we will do things in rest, doing things in His victory. This way, why should you experience the pain of others? God does not want us to go through that. Amen. After Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit first led Him into the wilderness. After 40 days of fasting and prayer, He overcame the devil's temptations. Why did He do this? Because Jesus knew that while we are in this world, we are often like being in the wilderness, frequently tempted by the devil and often failing. So Jesus came to help us walk through that wilderness first, overcoming the devil's temptations, showing us how Jesus won.
Since Jesus has already passed through that wilderness and has overcome, we should believe that following Jesus is the right choice. Why should you experience the wilderness and the devil's temptations again? People often fail at such times. Since Jesus has already walked that path, we only need to follow in His footsteps. We should do as Jesus says, putting Him first in our lives, and we will surely experience the destiny of victory that God wants to give you. Amen!
We are God's children, and we should follow in Christ's footsteps. You can experience God in rest, experiencing Jesus' victory, His glory, and His goodness, all of which are in rest. First, you must believe that Jesus has already won. Amen!
Verse 29 says: I am gentle and humble in heart; you will find rest for your souls.#
What does this mean? Jesus is gentle and humble inside; He is not arrogant or proud. Jesus knows that everything He has is given to Him by the Father, and His victory is not by His own ability but by the Father's power. We should also follow Jesus in how He overcame. Therefore, Jesus says: Take my yoke upon you. What does it mean to take His yoke? In the agricultural era, two oxen would typically work together, with an older ox leading a younger one. They would have a yoke, a wooden frame placed on their necks, allowing both oxen to plow the field together. The younger ox only needs to match the pace of the older ox, making the work very easy to accomplish.
In fact, God wants us to take His yoke to learn Jesus' way. He has already won; why should we not learn from Him? This means walking with Jesus, working together with the Lord Jesus. To work together, we must be of one heart, understanding what Jesus' heart is like, seeing how Jesus does things, and then doing according to His pattern. We will surely experience victory!
If both oxen are plowing, and the younger one goes east while the older one goes west, they cannot move forward, and both will feel very tired and pained. If you are also trying hard in life and feeling painful, sad, or anxious, it indicates that you are not in sync with Jesus' direction and pace. Whether too fast or too slow, or to the left or right, it will not work. You must stay in harmony with Jesus; this way, you can enjoy the rest that comes from God. Amen. Many things that are not going smoothly in life will start to be adjusted, including your body. It will also be adjusted. Amen!
Remember, brothers and sisters, following Jesus does not make us more miserable; it makes us relaxed. That is why Jesus says: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Similarly, listening to sermons is like this. After hearing the word, if it enters your life and helps your life, helps your being, then that word is correct and the best. Amen. If you listen to someone preach and it makes your life worse, making you arrogant and indifferent, then that indicates that the word is problematic; it comes from man. Jesus is gentle and humble; He always builds others up and brings benefits to others. If we have Jesus' life within us and learn Jesus' way, we will also be like that. Amen.
Mark 6:1-2:#
1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?”
What should we do on the sabbath? Some people say that resting means doing nothing and just waiting for God to bless us. That is not the case. You see, Jesus was teaching the people in the synagogue on the sabbath. The sabbath is also a time for work; it is absolutely not as some people say that there is nothing to do. That is not rest; that is merely taking a break. Brothers and sisters, on the sabbath, Jesus was teaching people and healing many. Amen.
So the sabbath is for us to come before God and receive God's words. Jesus taught people on the sabbath, and He gave this rest to the Israelites. So today, as I share God's words with you, it is to give you the rest of Christ. When you listen, you will naturally find rest, working with the faith of victory that comes from God is completely different from working on your own. Amen.
Acts 17:1-3:
1 When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
Paul also went into the Jewish synagogue on the sabbath, brothers and sisters. Therefore, the sabbath is a time for work; rest is doing things related to God. You are in rest when you listen to the word, and you must listen to things related to Jesus.
Paul, as was his custom, went in, indicating that he went to worship God and explain God's words every sabbath. He reasoned with them from the Scriptures, so we must explain the Scriptures on Sundays. On Sundays, we should not talk about trivial matters or criticize others; we should speak God's words. Amen!
Explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead means that we must communicate with others about Jesus and His work on the cross. Only then can you truly have rest. Hallelujah!
Paul also said: This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah. Therefore, on the sabbath, we must preach Jesus because our rest is related to Jesus. We are God's children, and the destiny God has for us is also related to Jesus. Our Heavenly Father blesses us according to Jesus. If we do not understand or experience Jesus, how can we receive this blessing?
Luke 13:10-17:
10 On a Sabbath, Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. 14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.” 15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
This is also something that happened on the sabbath. The sabbath can be understood as the Lord's day, which is correct. This means that the focus is not on which day it is, but that you set aside a specific day to worship God and communicate God's words. Now we are on Sunday, sharing God's words together and experiencing God's words, which is completely the same as what Jesus did at that time.
On the sabbath, Jesus encountered a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus approached her, He said: Woman, you are set free from your infirmity! Jesus usually has a habit of healing people after preaching; He first gives people God's words, allowing them to have God's words in their hearts, gaining faith, and then receiving healing.
However, the synagogue leader was very angry. Under the law, he said: There are six days for work; you can come and be healed on those days, but not on the sabbath. Jesus replied: Shouldn't this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the sabbath day from what bound her? Therefore, when the people saw what Jesus did, they were delighted.
If all believers can worship God together on Sundays, listen to God's words together, and share God's words, they will also experience God's glory, God's healing, and will be very joyful. Amen. This is God's destiny for us; do not lose this blessing. Do not keep working and working without time to worship God or draw near to God; that will cause you to lose much joy and peace! It is not that God does not give you; it is that you are too busy and have no time to receive! Therefore, we need to adjust ourselves here. We must give God some time, a dedicated time, to draw near to God, whether in prayer, listening to sermons, reading the Bible, or sharing and gathering. You will surely experience His joy and glory.
Revelation 6:9-11:
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.
Some people say: Rest means doing nothing and waiting for God to do things. But we see that Jesus has accomplished something, and we just watch! In fact, it is not like that; it is definitely related to work. When the fifth seal is opened in Revelation, God shows us something: under the altar are many who have been slain for witnessing for Jesus and for the word of God. This indicates that sometimes, to uphold the truth and God's words, one suffers persecution. This can only be done in rest; otherwise, when danger comes, you may stop and say: I will not believe anymore; I will clear away the Bible and everything; I will not believe in the Lord!
But these people lost their lives for the Lord. Under the altar, they cried out: How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?
Then each of them was given a white robe, indicating that God did not forget what they had done for the Lord. He then told them: Wait a little longer. What does the white robe refer to? It refers to the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ. Without the robe of righteousness, there is no rest. We do not know whether what we do is right or wrong. But if God recognizes you, and you do it because of Jesus, with the robe of righteousness on you, when we see that robe, we will have rest.
So God said to them: Wait a little longer. Their rest is to wait and see what happens in this world, waiting for what? Waiting for their fellow servants and brothers and sisters to be killed just as they had been, meaning that many brothers in the world uphold God's words and are killed while working. However, they have rest in their hearts. For example, Stephen was also killed while witnessing for Jesus, but he had rest inside; he said: I see the Lord welcoming me! And he said to those who harmed him: Lord, forgive them. What is this? This is the fruit that comes from his heart having rest; he saw that God was with him. This is God's destiny for them and also God's destiny for you. Hallelujah!
Do not think that rest is just enjoying God's blessings and doing nothing. It is not; we are in rest when we see God's works, see God's destiny, know our identity, know our glory, know our authority, and face any situation without losing heart. We do things with the authority of God's Son. This is God's destiny for us, and it is something that everyone needs to fulfill.
Consider what God's destiny for you is. What does God call you to do? How does God hope you will live? Thank the Lord, this is something you need to reflect on yourself. If you merely think that Jesus saves us to change our lives for better food and clothing, that is true, but it is too superficial. What God gives you far exceeds this. Amen. He hopes that you will rely on Him in everything in life, putting Jesus first, and you will experience more of Jesus' power, Jesus' glory, and Jesus' victory. Hallelujah! Thus, in everything, you will have faith and be able to experience the goodness of Jesus. Even if there are still difficulties and problems, these will not trap you; instead, you will be able to improve your character even more in such problems.
Finally, let’s look at Hebrews 3:12-14:
12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
What does this passage mean? First, this passage is also addressed to believers. Brothers and sisters, you must be careful. What should you be careful about? So that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. This refers to what? It does not mean that a person does not believe in God; it means that in certain matters, some people do not believe in God, just like the Israelites when entering Canaan. They did not believe that God could bring them in, but they still believed that there was a God.
Many people confuse these two concepts. Some say: I believe in God! It is not that you do not believe in God; it is that you do not believe in God in certain matters, and you will lose rest. You will rely on your own strength to do things, and you may experience failure. It is not that there is no possibility of success; relying on oneself may lead to success, but there is also a possibility of failure, and the odds are quite high.
In everything, you must believe in God and experience His power. Always encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” encouraging what? Encouraging brothers and sisters to honor Jesus, encouraging brothers and sisters to make God's words the standard in their lives, encouraging brothers and sisters to draw near to God and worship God. While it is still called “Today,” encourage one another so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
Some people are unwilling to draw near to God, and over time, they become unwilling to listen to God's words. Once they leave the habit of listening to sermons, they will not want to listen to sermons anymore. Once they leave the habit of gathering, they will not want to gather anymore. This means they have been deceived by sin. Sin has a certain attraction and temptation. If a person leaves Christ, they will be attracted to these things.
For example, some people scroll through short videos every day. They spend the whole day doing this. Do they not have time? They say they are busy! They are busy doing this, but when asked to listen to a sermon, they cannot do it! They fall asleep as soon as they listen! What does this indicate? Their hearts are bound by other things, so their hearts become hardened. We need to encourage such people to turn back, draw near to God, and communicate more with brothers and sisters, and the situation will improve. Amen.
If we hold firmly to the faith we had at first, we will share in Christ. What does this mean? If you can hold on to the faith you had when you first believed, you will walk with Christ in everything and experience His power. Then you will often have joy and peace from God in your life. The closer you draw to God, the more willing you are to draw near to God, the more you will experience God, and the better you will be in every aspect of your life. Many people will envy you, and it will be a positive development. I hope brothers and sisters will be like this! Do not go to the other extreme of being deceived by sin, doing frivolous things every day, becoming increasingly empty, and unwilling to believe in God. These are two extremes.
I hope brothers and sisters will complete the destiny of God's Son in rest, experiencing His victory like Jesus every day, communicating with the Father every day. Hallelujah! Pass the blessings on!
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you for encouraging us through these words! The new week has begun, and we know that you are still in control today. You have prepared everything. We are willing to walk with Christ. May the Holy Spirit help us to rely on you in everything and live according to your ways, granting us wisdom to experience you more and know you better. Let us discover the destiny of God's Son, knowing that among all things, there are many blessings you have given us. Let us see, discover, and experience your presence and power! In the name of the Lord Jesus, bless the work of our hands and let us see your beautiful blessings in our lives, knowing you and experiencing you more! In these last days, let us encourage one another and communicate often in Christ. Thank you and praise the Lord for experiencing your joy. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.