WINTER WARMERS: REST(TALK 1/3: REST + GOD)

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

CONNECT: How do you demonstrate a daily dependence on the Lord?

WARM-UP

1. What immediately comes to mind when rest is mentioned? How does the world typically rest?

READ Psalm 62

2. What is different about the rest David is writing about? Why can David rest in God? 3. In the original language, the same word translated to rest can also mean silence. What does it mean to

be silent before God? 4. How does God being a rock impact the way we relate to him and live our lives? 5. David was under quite a lot of pressure from his enemies. What were they doing? How was he stopped

from falling? 6. Why does David similarly restate verses 1-2 in verses 5-6? What is the same and what is different? 7. Have you ever had to take refuge from something? What does it mean for God to be a refuge? 8. How do we take refuge in God? How does this give us rest? 9. What human structures do people typically rest in? Why shouldn’t we rely on these to give us rest? 10.The creation is described as just a breath. What does this mean and how does this change who we fear

and put our trust in? 11.How is God’s word different to ours? 12. If all power belongs to God, what power do human authorities have? How is God’s use of this power

different to that of human authorities? 13.How is verse 12 a source of great comfort?

READ Psalm 62 Again

14.How are we able to have this close relationship with and rest in God? 15.What may it have meant for Jesus to sing this Psalm? How did he live it out? How in your week can you

live this out? 16.What areas in your life do you need to hand over to God so that you can rest?

APPLY: How can you remind yourself of God’s rest this week?

PRAY: Gracious, sovereign Lord, all power belongs to you and rest can only be found in you through Jesus. Help us to rest in you, our rock and redeemer. Where there are areas where we need to rest, expose it and help us to pour out our hearts to you so that we can trust in you and find rest in you. Amen.

For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

WINTER WARMERS: REST(TALK 1/3: REST + GOD)

GOING DEEPER RESOURCES On Your Front Line this Week

• Rest can seem like an elusive concept at home and at work. Can you invite a friend or colleague along to a Sunday service to hear how rest and faith connect?

For Families

• VIDEO: Psalm 62:1-2 Memory Verse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nzcxDMybbY

Audio and Video

• AUDIO: “My Spirit Rejoices in God My Saviour” by David Short https://stjohnsvancouver.sermons.io/sermons/my-spirit-rejoices-in-god-my-saviour

• AUDIO: “Haven’t You Heard?” by Paul Tripp http://mp3.sa-media.com/filearea/102609110298/102609110298.mp3

• AUDIO: “Find Rest O My Soul” by Col Adamson https://www.st-thomas.org.au/podcast/find-rest-o-my-soul/

• AUDIO: “Finding Rest” by Stuart Coulton https://www.smbc.edu.au/resources/bibletalks/finding-rest/express

Articles

• “When Under Attack” by Ray Ortland https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/ray-ortlund/quietness-of-heart-4/

• “The Power of Deep Rest” by Timothy Keller https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-power-of-deep-rest/

Other Helpful Resources

• "You Are Doing Something Important When You Aren’t Doing Anything” by Bonnie Tsui https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/opinion/summer-lying-fallow.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

• HYMN: “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” cover by HeartSong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vT6HQ1QaU4

For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU "

• Passage: Psalm 62 • Location: 730, 930, 1800 • Big Idea: True rest is only found in God • Structure:

• We Can Trust God Because: • He is a Mighty Rock In the face of Enemies • He is our Hope In the Face of Hopelessness • His Word is Sure All power is his

• We are a weird bunch of people...Aren’t we? Christians are really strange people • We are odd. We’re different in the way we spend our Sunday mornings (who else steps into

the cold at 7AM to go to building with lots of people, sing a few songs, hear a hopefully not boring talk, eat a tiny wafer, drink a little bit of port, shake a minsters hand at the door, drink a coffee, have a sandwich and then go Home?),

• our time, our finances,. In the way we work, talk, and act. • But We are different because we are called to be distinctive as followers of Christ. • And as we will see today and over the next 3 weeks, we are different in the way that we

rest. • If you were to go and ask your friends what rest looks like for them, I imagine it might be: • A holiday, a night off from the kids, someone to do the washing up [or that might just be

me!], less debt, no exams • But as christians, We don’t rest by doing nothing but by being in relationship with God

• We don’t rest in the absence of work or troubles, but our true rest is found in the fullness of our relationship with God.

• We can rest in God because: • He is a Mighty Rock - In the face of Enemies • He is our Hope - In the face of Hopelessness • His Word is Sure - All Power is his

• He is a Mighty Rock - In the face of Enemies • Now this psalm is written by David. There isn’t a time period given for this particular Psalm

but that won’t matter too much here. • David’s rest, David’s soul silence is in God alone. • V1: “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my Salvation comes from him.”

• So what does it mean to rest in God? In the original language, the word for ‘rest’ can also be used for silence, or a waiting for a response. • What happens when we are silent? It means we aren’t talking, it means we are waiting, it

means we are being patient and being still. It means we aren’t trying to fix anything by ourselves. It means The ball is in another person’s court, we are putting control in the hands of someone else.

• For David, he can wait and put his soul, his whole life in the hands of God. And not just physically rest, but his whole being can rest. He trusts in God. Why? V1 “My Salvation comes from him" • David’s salvation, his rescue comes from God. Not from anywhere else! Not from a

holiday, not from a break from his enemies from a while, no. His rest and rescue can only come from God. And for us, our rest and our rescue can only come from God.

• But how? What credentials does God have for us to be able to rest in him? David says - God is a rock. • I don’t know if we have any geologists here today but here’s what I know about rocks, well

at least the rock that David is talking about: • It’s a sure and steady thing. It doesn’t change. It’s immovable, It can’t be picked up or

shaken by a great wind. • This is why David can rest in God because he is a sure and steady thing, God doesn’t

change, God doesn’t move: • V2: “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” • Brothers and Sisters, As we put our trust and rest in God alone, we are putting our trust in a

sure thing. • Apparently in this world, there are only two things we can be sure of: Death and Taxes -

everything else is uncertain! I don’t know about you but that is a pretty worrying picture of life. • NSW winning state of origin isn’t a sure thing, • Money isn’t a sure thing, • Food isn’t a sure thing, • Our houses aren’t sure things, • Jobs aren’t a sure thing • Our Health isn’t a sure thing

• So in this world of change, how are we to be able to rest?? • in this world of fleeting happiness how can we rest,

• in this world which is completely uncertain, how on earth are we able to rest? • The reality is that if we are relying on something on earth to give us rest, we won’t have it.

• Rest can only come from something external- Our Rock. Our Salvation. Our Fortress. Our sure thing. God.

• As we do this, in the face of troubles and uncertainty, we won’t be shaken. Will it always be easy? No. But can we trust God in the hard times? Yes. In the easy times? Yes. And we will be able to find rest…//

• David certainly had hard times as we’ve just looked at in our 1 Samuel series. And it was hard! He was just hanging on! He was on the brink of collapse!

• V3: “How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down - this leaning wall, this tottering fence?”

• David’s enemies wanted to bring him down. And he was just holding on. • If you think about a wall that’s leaning over or bowed, all that’s really needed is a push and

it will fall over. It’s useless, it’s not good for anything. • But there’s more in V4: “They take delight in lies; with their mouths they bless but in their

hearts they curse.” • His enemies have no integrity, they say one thing but they do another.

• How can David keep on going when he’s completely ‘under the pump’? • He cries out, prays and acknowledge that this is his reality! He’s on the brink! He’s at the

end of his tether! These people who are against him constantly lie and deceive and curse in their hearts!

• How can he find rest? Silence? Stillness? Only in the Rock. In God alone.

• He urges his soul to be still before God: • In the face of enemies and in the face of uncertainty - he urges himself on to trust in God. • V5-6 - “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; My hope comes from him, truly he is my rock and my

salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” • These lines are repeated like a chorus because they are really important! They’re

supposed to get stuck into our heads! • How often do we forget this great news?

• I don’t know about you but I also need constant, constant reminding that God is a rock and a fortress who I can trust in and rest in.

• I can get so caught up in myself and in what I’m doing to try and rest and forget that it all begins in God. My heart is a factory of pride wanting to do everything by itself without making reference to God.

• So I need these lines to be repeated over and over again. I need the constant refreshment and renewal in the Gospel daily. I’m sure that I’m not the only one here who need this repeated as well.

• When we are reminded of the Gospel we are reminded of the greatness of our God, of his love for us, of his compassion, of his sovereignty over all circumstances that we find ourselves. We are reminded that He is ultimately in control over all things and so we can rest.

• We are reminded that when life happens and everything seems like it isn’t in control, we know the one who is in control, our heavenly Father.

• Indeed, my soul, find rest in God.

• But these lines are slightly different. This time, David says that his hope comes from God. • He is our Hope - In the face of Hopelessness • His hope doesn’t come from the relief from enemies, but in God.

• In a constantly changing world, God is unchanging. • In a world that seems to have no hope, God is the only source of Hope.

• More than once I’ve heard people who aren’t Christian say that they wouldn’t want to have children here in the year 2019 because the world is such a grim place. Because societies are on the brink of collapse. Because poverty and war is so prevalent. Because there seems so be no compassion in politics at all.

• Frankly, if God was out of the picture, I could see myself sharing their sentiments. • However, God is in the picture. And yes, this world can be a hopeless place, but our hope

can be in something greater than the world. • We can put our hope and our trust in the one who created and sustains the world. And it’s

only as we put our trust in him, that we can really rest, and be still. • V7: “My salvation and honour depend on God; he is a mighty rock, my refuge.”

• Being rescued from this hopeless, broken world can only come from God. Having true glory and honour can only come from God. Yes, people in the world will want to bring us down, to silence us, to shame us but we can be lifted up, vindicated by God.

• And We can also be protected by God - our refuge, our hiding place. • Refuges are places where people can go in order to find shelter, warmth, and ultimately

protection.

• Like a bunker in the midst of a great storm; or a school hall in the midst of raging bushfires.

• For us, God is where we can go for protection, for shelter from the world, and for warmth from his never ending love.

• You may have come here today just on the brink. Work may be relentless, studies may be immense, marriages may be straining, health may be failing, sleep may be lacking, that addiction may be still so so overwhelming, or your children may be driving you crazy.

• If this is you, find refuge in God. Find hope in God. Hide in his loving arms. Pour out your heart to him and as we read in V8

• V8: “trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” • Yes we can pour all our hearts, our troubles, our concerns, our deepest desires, our heart

breaking news before our God because he is our refuge. He is a hiding place. We can find safety, help, security, peace, hope, and ultimately, rest in our God…//

• So why trust in God and not in anything human made? Because everything and everyone on this earth is like a breath. • Now when the conditions are right and you go outside and breath out, you’ll be able to

see that condensation coming from your mouth. But what happens to it almost immediately? It disappears! One moment it’s there, the next moment gone as if it never existed.

• That’s what humans and human devices are like! • V9 - “Surely they lowborn are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie. If weighed on a

balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath!” • If you put the whole of humanity on your set of bathroom scales at home, they’ll weigh as

much as a breath. • It doesn’t matter if we are the richest person in the world, or the poorest, • if we are the CEO or an employee, • If we are young or old…we are just a breath. • One moment here, the next, gone. So why would we put all our hope in humanity and

human made structures? You know how we sometimes see news stories that are supposed to “restore our faith in humanity?” What a preposterous idea! • Now please don’t here me saying that human life isn’t valuable. Life is precious. Life is an

amazing, great gift from God - but there’s the point - trusting in humanity and not in the one who created humanity is futile.

• Trusting in the creation and not the creator isn’t a good idea • Trusting in a breath and not a rock won’t give us rest.

• We are just a breath. Those who oppose us, bring us down, silence us are also just a breath. So we shouldn’t have any reason to fear them or to trust in them.

• V10 - “do not trust in extortion, or put vain hope in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.”

• Trust in God, our refuge, our rock, our hope in this world which seems hopeless. • Then, we will be able to rest in him. • We can rest in the God who’s word is sure, who has all the power.

• His Word is Sure - All Power is his • In V4 we saw that people say one thing but do another But in V11 look with me - “one thing

God has spoken, two things I have heard: power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”

• God has spoken once. He doesn’t need to speak again because his word is sure, his word doesn’t change, his word has no errors.

• So what do we do? We listen to it. We meditate on it. We chew it over. We wrestle with it. David has listened to it and has recognised 2 things.

• Firstly, All power, belongs to God. He’s got the power. Yes earthly authorities have some power and some rule over people, but they are only powerful because God has made them so.

• He literally owns all power. So what does he do with it? Does he abuse it like an unruly king? Not at all. In fact, he does the complete opposite.

• With God is unfailing love. His love is completely different to ours. His love never ends, no matter what we do or have done, his love never leaves us. He is a powerful, loving God who we can rest in. • In his commentary on the Psalms, John Calvin wrote - “Why should we fear - How can we

be afraid, when the God who covers us with the shadow of his wings, is the same who rules the universe with his nod, holds in secret chains the devil and all the wicked, and effectually overrules their designs and intrigues”

• We can put our trust in an absolutely amazing, powerful, loving God. • And Secondly, we know that because he is in control and loving, justice will be done to

those who oppose him, and vindication will come to those who put their trust in Him. V12: “you reward everyone according to what they have done”

• We don’t have to panic when we are opposed. We aren’t to seek revenge when we are, because God is the one who will judge and we can rest in his judgement.

• So how can we enter this rest? How can we actually rest in a relationship with God? Only through the one who showed what resting in God truly means.

• Through the one who suffered greatly, the one who was constantly opposed yet: • “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no

threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:23-24

• We can come into God’s loving presence through the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. • So are you tired? • Are you just barely holding on? • Do these next couple of weeks or months or years seem utterly overwhelming for you? • Does even the thought of rest seem totally far fetched? • Maybe you are thinking, “I really need this rest rest right now!”

• I want to urge you today to come afresh to Jesus. See his love for you, see his rescue, power, and authority that you can rest in.

• He rested and truly trusted in God even to death on the cross - • so we can have rest. • So we can have salvation • So we can have hope • So we can have a steady rock • So we can have a mighty fortress

• All through our relationship with God through Jesus.