Bringing Rest to a Crazy World (Genesis 6&7)

Bringing Rest to a Crazy World (Genesis 6&7)

God’s regret with humanity’s wickedness & violence is contrasted with God’s favor for Noah

Big Idea: Be a person others find “Rest” with from the culture and chaos of life! Jesus is our rest!

The Ark is Jesus… We are in Christ. He has closed us in. He is our security. He is our

1.  Love others “Rightly” so that God has an “Above Reproach” Reputation.

“If we love God most we will love others best.” John Bloom, Desiring God

What does it mean to “Love Rightly” ? ….
First there is a deep desire and devotion to God … a forsaking of anything that draws us away from our relationship with God. So that we are full of faith and more deeply committed to trust the Lord in every circumstance of life.
Second, we must be willing to look to others before our own interests as if it was our own interests.

Our behavior and love should be both Vertical and Horizontal

• Christians are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
• Christians are a chosen people, belonging to God so that we may declare His praises (1 Peter 2:9).
• The “actions” that glorify our Father in heaven are those that bear much fruit (John 15:8). This is, in fact, how we show we are His disciples. Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—should be the hallmark of Christian behavior, especially love.
• Christian behavior includes heeding Jesus’ call for us to be His witnesses to “the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
• Be imitators of God…and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
• Paul urged the Romans to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:2). This, ultimately, is the essence of true Christian behavior – surrendering our hearts and yielding our bodies to Christ so He might continue God’s work through us.

Book Who Am I?: Identity in Christ By: Jerry Bridges

Our values at Cornerstone… “Compassion, Kindness, generosity, intentionality, Hearing God … imitating Christ.”

Examples of loving rightly (Depends on Time)

• Abraham’s compassion for others including those who are wicked and under judgment … Plead with God…
• Joseph's kindness to his brothers even though the cost him half his life as a slave in a foreign country
• Barnabas’s generosity in giving his land and words of encouragement
• The intentionality and plan of Jesus and God the father… what is your intention during this time
• Jesus needed to go to Sychar… he was led by the H.S. into the wilderness… Enoch walked … we are to be led by the H.s. filled with H.s. just as we are gifted by the H.s. .
• Jesus was moved… compassion, kindness, generosity, these act… they move … forgive, forget, go forward… take the loss to love those FFG

2.  Find “Rest” for yourself by developing a Walk with God
Illustration… how to walk with God… Two guys moving furniture a coach were trying to get it through the door way… after quite a while struggling with it they realized they were trying to go in different directions… We must go in God’s direction… i.e. today for us it is to follow Jesus… to be Christ follower.

• Walk with God so others will be able to “Receive” your message!
• Walk with God so you will not “Resign” from your life of faith
• Walk with God so you will be able to “Resist” the culture and its tests
• Jesus was led by the H.S.
• Jesus did community with the Heavenly Father
• Jesus was God & with God… He became human and dwelt among …
• He is our focus Hebrews 12:1-4
• He is our image to imitate (Ephesians)
• We are not here to survive but to thrive and see lives saved because of the sacrifice of our lives. 

3.  “Risk” doing all that God says for you to do “Regardless” of what the world thinks.

Crazy things God asked people to do

• Build an ark for a thing that has never happened
• Take you son and sacrifice him
• Turn down into a valley with your back to the red sea
• Look to a snake and be healed
• Raise your hands and you will have victory
• Walk around the walls and they will fall flat
• Grab a sling and some stones and run at a giant
• Shrink your army to 300, shout, and break a lantern

What crazy thing does God want us to do?

• (2 Timothy 1:7) Live as though IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
• Live Strong… courageously for God… to trust courageously
• Love others
• Have a sound mind… think rightly about circumstances… to apply wisdom for living … to act

Challenge: Live “ready” & “without regret”!

• Answering "Here I am" … Abraham, Moses, Samuel …
• to Loving rightly… To Rove with God as a walk … to risk doing all that God asks us to do.
• Rain is promised but so is God’s presence & wisdom to build a life of rest from the storm!

DON'T FORGET

DON’T FORGET 

Big Idea: Jesus IS GOD, He Heals Don’t forget

Don't forget How Jesus Can Heal and Have Hope!

1.  Jesus is the great physician

• John 4:46-54 - Spoke healing over the Nobleman’s son by simply stating it as a fact.
• John 5:1-17 - Commanded an lame man by his words to get up, pick up and walk out
• John 9:1-12 - Healed a blindman by his own spit and dirt, and washing
• John 11 - He raised Lazarus from the dead by calling his name
• Matthew 8:1-4 Jesus heals a Leper by touching him
• Numbers 21:8 He heals by looking up to His power / John 3:14 Jesus must be lifted up like the serpent on the pole to heal us of the greatest plague… Our own sin nature. 

David’s response and understanding of God concerning troubles 

“Don’t forget God” Praise for the Lord’s Mercies. A Psalm of David. Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

2. Don’t forget HOW He has loved us. 

• He pardons our sins
• He heals our diseases
• He redeems life from the pit
• He crowns us with love and compassion
• He satisfies us with good things
• He renews our strength

6 The Lord performs [b]righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who [c]fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who [d]fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows [e]our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.

3.  Don’t forget WHO our God is that loves us

• He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger & abounding in lovingkindness
• He will not let any trouble go on too long, all trouble is temporary for us
• He plays favorites in regards to our sin, he is overly forgetful
• His grace is piled as high as the heavens from the earth
• His grace has hidden our sins as far as the east is from the west
• He is our Good Good Father giving us compassion instead of condemnation

15 As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its place acknowledges it no longer. 17 But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who [f]fear Him, And His [g]righteousness to children’s children, 18 To those who keep His covenant And remember His precepts to do them.

4. Don’t forget God’s love is WITHOUT END for those who are His children.

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His [h]sovereignty rules over [i]all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His, In all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul!

5. Don’t forget God is STILL on the throne

6. Don’t forget God is WORTHY! 


Challenge:

1. Do not doubt in this dark moment who God is!
2. Double down on trust, prayer, joy, and seek to find the good in all of this.
3. God is working and so I am looking for where God is working in this.
4. Grandma's apple pie / Jesus should be like grandma’s apple pie to those in our community.

7 Words to Remember in a Crisis

The Goodness of God 

(7 Words to Remember in Crisis) 

Psalms 27:13 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.

God is infinitely and unchangeably good ( Zephaniah 3:17 ),  God's goodness appears in two things, giving and forgiving."

Therefore, He is…

1. OMNIPRESENT: PRESENT in every life / I am with you -

I AM NOT ALONE IN ANYTHING. GOD IS WITH ME … MY HEAVENLY FATHER IS RIGHT HERE WHERE I AM!

2. OMNIPOTENT: POWER over everything and everyone / I am for you

I AM NOT WEAK, BUT STRONG. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.

3. OMNISCIENCE: PRACTICE for every life in every circumstance. I know the way to go!

WHAT I DON’T KNOW HE KNOWS, SO I GO TO HIM. HIS SPIRIT GUIDES & COUNSELS ME!

4. PAUSE … Be still and know that I am God … Trust … no leaning on own understanding


5. PURSUE… Seek first the Kingdom of God… Set your affections on what is above


6. PRAISE … Rejoice … (Philippians) … always … live with Joy as response


7. PRAYER … Be anxious for nothing … let your request be made known… Ask, seek, knock

CHALLENGE:

PERSIST 

KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS SO THAT YOU DON’T LOSE HOPE