REST AND RESTORATION Lesson 7 for the 15th of May, 2010

REST (CHANGING THE ACTIVITY) THE BALANCE BETWEEN WORK AND REST DAILY CYCLE WORK REST (CHANGING THE ACTIVITY) SLEEP SPIRITUAL REST WEEKLY CYCLE RESTING ON SABBATH SIX DAYS OF WORK

WORK When did God tell the man that he had to work? Before sin, work was given to man by God as a blessing (Genesis, 2: 15) What happened after sin with work? Work turned harder and man started to work to excess. Which are the dangers of working to excess? Loss of health, abandoning the family, break up of marriage...

We need to rest of our daily work, as Jesus and his disciples did. Rest involves changing the usual activity: exercise, reading, … REST

Sleep is essential to enjoy good health Sleep is essential to enjoy good health. It renews our energy and prints the acquired knowledge and memories in our mind. Not sleeping enough (from 6 to 9 daily hours) causes physical disorders which may lead to mental illnesses, diabetes, obesity, bad performance, accidents, … If you don’t feel sleepy by the day and your mind works fluently, then you have slept enough hours. SLEEP

SPIRITUAL REST While daily rest is essential for our physical health, spiritual rest is vital for our spiritual health. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew, 11: 28-30) Resting in Jesus involves leaving our worries, struggles and burdens on his hands, and being confident that He forgives our sins and gives us salvation. We can find spiritual rest praying, reading the Bible and meditating.

SIX DAYS OF WORK Laziness is criticized in the Old Testament. The fourth commandment involves working six days per week. I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man (Proverbs, 24: 30-34 NVI) The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing. (Proverbs, 20: 4) A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. (Proverbs, 19: 24)

Paul wrote a warning about that in the New Testament SIX DAYS OF WORK “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians, 3: 10) Paul wrote a warning about that in the New Testament

RESTING ON SABBATH What’s the purpose of Sabbath? Enjoying and reflecting on the gifts God gave us. Contemplating the goodness of God and praising His love perpetually. Expressing our confidence in the works of Christ, that can bring us salvation (and not our own works) Weekly Sabbath is essential for our physical, mental and spiritual rest.

RESTING ON SABBATH Benefits of Sabbath It provides time to set our works, struggles, stress and difficulties aside. It’s the way God lets us rest, relax, calm down and stop worrying without feeling guilty. It provides a way of getting spiritual rest, which our souls usually need. Weekly Sabbath is essential for our physical, mental and spiritual rest.

“"If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honourable, and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken” Isaiah, 58: 13-14