"My presence will go with you, and I will give you Rest"
Rest is a peace in our heart, in spite of the turmoil around us. We're live in an age which is in turmoil; people are anxious & fearful - stressed out.
Rest is a gift to us. It's an experience you can come into, when no matter what's going on around you, you can still be at peace in your heart.
This is something God gives to us. It comes out of His presence being with us; and out of learning how to let go issues to Him. We're called to bring peace into wherever we go.
One of the things we saw in Exodus 33, when God spoke to Moses. He said:
“My presence will go with you, and I will give you Rest”.
So rest is a peace in our heart, in spite of the turmoil around us.
We're living in an age which is in turmoil, and people are anxious and fearful, stressed out.
The Bible tells us: Rest is a gift to us.
It's an experience you can come into, when no matter what's going on around you, you can still be at peace in your heart - and this is something God gives to us.
It comes out of His presence being with us.
It also comes out of learning how to let go issues to Him, and this is a great thing for us to be able to walk in.
We're called to bring peace into wherever we go; and wherever you go outside in the community, it's in turmoil. It doesn't take much scratching to see the turmoil and pain
I am just so delighted and proud of the groups that have gone out, and ministered to the turmoil, in very practical ways. This is the gospel in action, and I believe God is on it, and if you and we will continue to do that, we will continue to experience increase.
Moses said: “If you don't go with us, don't take us anywhere”.
He said: How will the world know that we are different, except Your presence is on our life, and there's a place of rest in our heart?
How will people know we're different? The reality is: people don't know Christians are different, because Christians seem to struggle with all the same issues.
Luke 2:41, this is Jesus' parents, His family; we can identify with family; and Jesus is doing stuff we didn't expect. How many have had an experience where Jesus did something you didn't expect?
His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.
When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it. But they supposed, they assumed, He was with them in the company; and they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances.
And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now it was after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening and asking questions.
And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. And when they saw Him, they were amazed”.
They were very distressed actually, they were shocked.
His mother said: “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
No peace there, is there?
And He said to them: “Why do you seek Me? Did you not know, I must be about My Father's business?”
But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them to Nazareth, and was subject to them, and His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.
Now the Bible tells us very clearly, in the Book of John, that all the things written about Jesus, you couldn't contain them in all the books of the world. So the Holy Spirit has selected some things, so we look here and you get a glimpse. The only glimpse into Jesus life growing up is this passage here; and it's an unusual story.
His parents have gone down to Jerusalem to the feast; they've come away from the feast, and He stayed behind - and of course the parents are totally stressed out.