REST

By Lonny R. Bower, 29 October, 2006

I apologize that I did not get this recorded, I thought that I was recording when in actuality I was not. A good friend of mine use to say to me: "Lonny, sometimes I feel like the smartest man alive - other times I feel like the dumbest man alive" tonight I can relate with the later! God bless and enjoy the message.

I trust that you have come to not only worship God, but hear His word tonight. I can stand here and ramble on about a whole lot of nothing; I can tell you some great stories and even try and humor you a little. But that is not what God has called me to do, I’m a preacher not an entertainer and I cannot help but to preach His word and His word is profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for correction and for instruction in righteousness, so that you will be thoroughly equipped for every good work! It is not my intent to waste your time, but in this next hour give you a much of God’s word as I possibly can! My words will fail, but His word will never fail or return void, but will accomplish what He intends! Don’t reject the word of the Lord tonight it is for your benefit, take your eyes off of me and train them on God’s word.

Rest is something we can all relate with at least we should all have a very comprehensive understanding of it. Everyone, almost without exception has pushed their body to the limit at one time or another and can readily identify with critical fatigue. All would agree that proper rest is essential to healthy living. People all over the world are suffering fatigue because they do not take the time to rest. Studies have shown that few actually get the proper rest their bodies need and that this physical fatigue often leads to numerous sicknesses. While physical rest is important, it was not what Jesus was talking about when He said "I will give you rest." He was talking about spiritual rest, which is far more important than any amount of physical rest one can attain. Spiritual rest is important because it carries with it eternal benefits. Physical rest however is temporal and will only last for a season. The word of God says that our lives are but a vapor, that is, compared to eternity 70, 80, 90 years it is nothing. Perhaps this is why so many neglect physical rest. Often their attitude is I don’t have time to rest – I’ll rest when I’m dead. Unfortunately, this is the same attitude many have toward spiritual rest. The end result of course is spiritual fatigue! While we may find physical rest from time to time and renew our much needed energy how often do we focus on our spiritual rest? How many are suffering from spiritual fatigue because they have not found rest? There is only one way to find this rest and that is in Jesus Christ. Many have pursued other avenues, but in the end they are physically and spiritually spent because they missed the One who can give them eternal rest. Without Christ in ones life, there is no hope for rest. The word of God says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and spiritual wickedness in high places. Anyone who thinks they can wage this warfare on their own is deceived; we need to turn the battle over to the champion – Jesus.

He has already defeated the spiritual wickedness in this world, that is why He’s able to give us complete spiritual rest. All the things that wear us out, all the sin we struggle with, not only has an affect on our bodies but our souls too. Many suffer from insomnia because of the spiritual wickedness that’s trying to destroy their life. The devil is very crafty and deceptive, he will bring things into your life that may seem (especially in our day) normal to the world. The stresses of our daily lives, the relationship confrontations at work and home, is his attempt to rob us of peace and plant the seed of bitterness that opens up the door to a host of other sins and problems. Many today are weary and heavy burdened, unable to cope they turn to a gamut of other things in their attempt to pursue rest. Some turn to suicide thinking that it’s their only way of achieving rest from their circumstances. Some turn to drugs and/or alcohol, sex, adultery, fornication, pornography all in an attempt to find rest from their current weariness and burdens. Some think they can find the answer in religion, but often end up with just a temporal solution. People all over this world are seeking rest, being tossed back and forth from one opinion to another. They are literally wearing themselves out and cannot understand their lack of satisfaction because they’re seeking in the wrong place and for the wrong thing. What the world is seeking is a pseudo rest, which will not last and will not completely satisfy. I think that the Stones hit it right on the head with their hit song "I can’t get no satisfaction". For those who reject the Lord, the truth of this song will echo down though the ages until Jesus comes! The song may just well be sung I can’t get no rest. Money cannot buy it, sex, drugs and rock & roll cannot satisfy it, in fact sin of every sort will only increase ones weariness and burdens. Self help doctors like Dr. Phil and many others who get their wisdom from the world can only worsen the unrest of those they attempt to help. They have risen to a position of popularity because they don’t deal with the root cause of peoples problems – sin. While the godly and their messages are rejected because they are perceived by the world to be intolerant and out of touch with mainstream. This is nothing new in our world listen to what the Lord spoke through Isaiah 30:1, 9-11. The Dr. Phil’s of our day may provide a pseudo rest for a season, but in the end the ones being helped are far worse than they were in the beginning! Let me remind you what Jesus said Matthew 12:43-45. This is the end result for all who turn to the false teachers for rest. Yes, they are false teachers because they don’t give people the truth. The only way to attain true rest from all of your anxieties, sin and struggles is to come to Jesus and anyone who teaches any different is a false teacher and is contributing to the destruction of the body and the soul of the one they’re offering false hope to.

I don’t consider myself to be a smart man, by the world’s standards I am not. However, one thing I do know is I have the truth and the truth has set me free from the prison of anxiety, unrest and sin and because I know it to be true, I have the answer for the world’s unrest – His name is Jesus! I have the answer for the drug and alcohol problems of Andersen, Guam and the world. We don’t need another social program, we don’t need another plan, we don’t need another gospel, what we need today more than ever is the truth and His name is Jesus! What we need more than ever are godly people to take a stand not on their own words but on the word of God; we need them to step out of their comfort zone and begin to speak this truth to everyone without exception! Until we confront the problems of this generation with the truth – the living word of God. There will be no hope of rest for the weary and burdened! We must call sin, sin and we must stand against it as never before. We need more of God’s people to not only speak the truth, but to walk in the truth so that the un-restful souls will long for the peace we walk in! I have no problem telling people that they need Jesus! I have people come to me all the time that are tormented by their sin and confused by their circumstances. I can sit there and give them the politically correct answer and ignore their real need, I can sit their and tell them everything’s going to be alright knowing it’s not, but I won’t! I give them the biblically correct answer, what I know works; I give them what has been tried and proven I give them God’s word, I give them Jesus! If I didn’t I would not be able to rest, knowing that I participated in their deception and contributed to the works of the enemy! I’m telling you it’s time for the church to take a stand, it’s time for the church to not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ! We must give this lost and dying world the only option to their sin and unrest – we must give them Jesus and if we choose to give them anything else, then we not only share in the works of the devil but in the destruction of a soul! Though they may reject the truth, we must present it to them! Jesus has made the call He says come unto me, are you tired (weary) are you burdened down by the pressures of life and your sin? Jesus says come and I will give you rest. I want to talk to you tonight about His rest and how you can enter His rest. I have taken the liberty and turned the word REST into an acrostic. R is for reconciled.

If we’re going to have rest, true rest we must be reconciled to God. How do you know if you’re truly reconciled to God? First, you have peace, though the world around you may be falling apart, though your own life may be turned upside down by the storms and circumstances so often encountered, you are able to rest as Jesus did in the midst of the storm!

When the boat was about to be overcome by the sea, when the disciples had lost all hope and feared the worse – my Jesus was sound asleep! He was not ignorant to the storm, He wasn’t being irresponsible, He had told his disciples that they were crossing over and that was that – as far as Jesus was concerned it was as good as done! The storms of life will come, Jesus never promised us freedom from the storms, He never promised us that we’d be comfortable, but He did promise us that if we’ll just endure till the end we would see our salvation! He promised all who would be reconciled to Him peace that surpasses understanding, He promised us that He would stand by us, He promised us that if we’d believe on Him, we’d see His glory, He promised us rest! Are you able to rest in the middle of the storm or are you being tormented by the unknown, is your flesh ravished by the anxiety that has gripped your life? Be reconciled to God! The second way to tell if one is truly reconciled to God is this. Are you bringing this message of truth to those around you, are you busy trying to reconcile the lost to the Father through Jesus, or are you so focused on the unrest and circumstances in your life that you don’t have time or the desire to share the gospel message? There is only one way to be reconciled to God, it’s not through religion, it’s not through tradition, it’s not even through living a good life, there are a lot of good people in hell today because they never heeded Jesus’ call to come! The only way to be reconciled to God is to enter though the way – Jesus. The word of God says that He is the gate; He is the way, not one of many ways, but the only way! We must enter through Him for He alone is able to reconcile us to God. One must first come to the realization that because of sin they are eternally separated from God and are in need of the rest he offers. Second they must realize that He is the only one who can help them and without His intervention in their life, without turning to Him in faith they will spend eternity in a hell that was never prepared for them. This, my friends is a message that the world does not readily embrace and many reject, but that does not change the truth of it. Third they must turn from the way of sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness – they must repent. To repent is not only to be sorry for the sin but more importantly turn from it and move toward the Lord. The Lord is calling out to us today, come unto me and I will give you rest, I am the only way; no one else can offer you peace, and rest for eternity. My friend if you have not been reconciled to God you are far from the rest He has for you – I implore you, be reconciled to God and begin to live a life of true rest. Praise God! The Lord saved me out of sin, rescued me from the grip of the devil and reconciled me to His living presence! Oh, but He didn’t stop there!

He said Lonny I have more for you and He empowered me with His Spirit by baptizing me in the Holy Ghost! He put within me a sincere desire to preach His word and then gave me opportunity to do it! As long as I have breath in this body, He’s not done with me! I press on toward the mark and prize and high calling which is in, my Jesus the Christ! E is for empowered; have you been empowered?

As Pentecostals we believe that the scripture teaches quite plainly of a subsequent experience to salvation. That is, after we repent and become Christians it is God’s desire to baptize us with His Spirit. Just like we recognized our need for salvation, so too we must recognize our need for the power. Once received The Holy Spirit births within us a desire to not just share His word but to speak it boldly without shame and to daily walk in it. No one who is baptized in the Holy Ghost is ashamed of sharing the gospel message. Oh, I’ve met a lot of people who play the part and may even claim to speak in tongues, which we believe is the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. But they do not even have the courage to stand up and proclaim their faith in Jesus the one who saved them! You will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you will be my witnesses! No power to witness – No baptism in the Spirit! You might ask how does this relate to rest? Let me tell you that when the Holy Ghost consumes you and your baptized in His presence He empowers you to do what you are unable to do in the flesh, that is to reach the world with the gospel message! You may be able to stand in your own strength and preach the gospel, but you’ll wear yourself out doing it! However, if you stand in the power of the Spirit you’ll be able to preach God’s word and be at rest; never will you tire, never will you burn out! I have the answer for the burnouts in God’s kingdom, quit doing it in your own strength and let the Holy Ghost take control – rest in Him! This is a hard teaching for those who have never experienced the Power of the Holy Spirit come upon them, but once He is experienced, Just like the sinner coming to salvation – they know and understand that He, the Holy Spirit is essential for their rest! When He the Holy Spirit comes upon you and consumes you with His presence He takes control of your very being and begins to speak through you. The word says in Romans 8 that the Holy Spirit prays through us, that He communicates directly to God through us. While He is speaking it builds us up, this is the closest we can come to complete rest while in the flesh. To know that God’s Spirit is speaking through you is an awesome experience that the Lord wants each of us to walk in – He is not just for some but according to Acts 2:39 He’s for all who will believe!

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you of the initial evidence of the baptism of the Spirit in ones life. According to the scripture when one is baptized in the Holy Spirit they will speak in tongues. Acts chapter 2 records that after the Holy Spirit came upon them they spoke in tongues. Act chapter 10 the gentiles received the Spirit too and also spoke in tongues as evidence and in Acts chapter 19 the Ephesian disciples were taught about the Holy Spirit and afterward Paul prayed for them and they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. Furthermore, it is still testified to today as those who ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit speak in tongues, this is the Holy Spirit praying through us and empowering us to be witnesses to the entire world. To receive the Holy Spirit as God intends is to yield yet another part of our lives and bodies to Him in order to fulfill His purpose and will and it is not His will that anyone perish but all come to repentance. Therefore, to walk in the Spirit is to walk in the fullness of God with a sincere desire and Spirit driven ability to reach the lost. Once one begins to do this they have a broader understanding of God’s rest. Praise God I’ve been reconciled, I’ve been empowered and I’ve been sanctified! S is for sanctified.

Sanctified means to be set apart for God’s purpose, to be freed from sin. When we are truly reconciled to God, the Holy Spirit living in us begins to transform us taking these old things and making them part of our permanent past – as the scripture says the old is gone and the new has come. We are now washed in His blood and sanctified by the washing of His word. We cannot be sanctified apart from His word, apart from His word we cannot enter His rest. His word keeps us from sin, His word guides our footsteps, and His word gives us wisdom to deal with the world. It is in this sense that though we are sanctified, we must also daily choose to be sanctified and not to return to the life we once led, the life we’ve been given rest from. If we are not sanctified then all we have is religion and we are missing the rest the Lord has called us to. Too often I see those who are only sanctified a little bit, sanctified on Sunday but not any other day, is it any wonder their lives are in turmoil, is it any wonder they can’t find rest? The Lord’s desire is that we are sanctified – set apart for His service, freed from sin and at complete rest in His presence. Rest is the end result of sanctification. Anyone who is not freed from their sin is not at rest, but the scripture says in Romans 6 that they are a slave to sin. Finally, to fully enter His rest we must be transformed. T is for transformed.

In our world, the need for genuine transformation cannot be overstated. I continually see those who are tossed back and forth in their lives because they have failed to be transformed. Anyone who is tossed back and forth lacks rest. One cannot be reconciled to Christ and continue on living as the world does. Though many try, in the end they are miserable and cannot identify with true rest. To enter into true rest we must be transformed, this means we no longer think like the world thinks. Being reconciled to God through Christ we have a new perspective on life, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit we have a desire and boldness to share God’s word that has sanctified us and enabled us to be transformed into His likeness. Sin no longer rules our lives because it does not appeal to us, but being set free from it, we have a sincere desire to communicate to the world the peace and rest that we experience each day with Christ as Lord of our lives. Our minds can only be renewed as we dwell on God’s word and walk in His Spirit. This is true rest; this is the rest that Jesus was talking about when He said come unto me….

The call of God has gone out – salvation has appeared to all men. Have you entered the Lord’s rest, or are you being tossed back and forth by men’s teachings? When one finally enters the Lord’s rest there is no fear of the second death which those who reject God will experience – an eternity in a hell that was never prepared for them. If you will hear His voice, listen to what he says Matthew 11:28-29…. We must enter His rest so that we can rest from our own futile work so that our souls will be saved. To enter His rest is to recognize that the work He accomplished for our salvation is sufficient and to cease working for it ourselves. We can never earn our rest by working for our salvation, we must accept His work and we must enter His rest if we have any hope at all! Today if you will hear His voice, you can enter into the rest of your life, a rest that will last for eternity. However, if you reject His call you may be missing the last opportunity you have to enter His rest – don’t wait. Tonight my Jesus can free you from your sin and give you rest from your toils; it’s your choice. Apart from Christ, there is no life and there is no rest. So while the world is seeking rest it is not physical rest we need, for our bodies are but a temporal fixture here on earth but our souls are eternal and we will spend eternity either in rest with the Lord or in torment in hell separated forever from His glorious presence.