The Trap of Self-Powered Rest: Why Your Decision Isn’t Enough

• Spiritual Rest vs. Physical Sleep [00:01:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes between physical exhaustion and the need for soul-level rest, asserting that sleep alone does not resolve spiritual weariness.
• The Sabbath Commandment [00:03:19 ▶️ 📄]
  > He identifies the commandment of taking a Sabbath as one of the most ignored commands by believers, framing it as a gift that requires revelation to receive.
• Divine Character and Rest [00:14:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > He connects God's humble and gentle character to the provision of rest, arguing that a God who cares about rest is fundamentally different from a torturer who keeps people awake.
• Abundant Life vs. Cultural Ghetto Life [00:07:39 ▶️ 📄]
  > He presents a binary choice between living the abundant life God provides through rest and living the 'ghetto life' of cultural stress and exhaustion.
• Divine Character vs. Cultural Misconception [00:14:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the cultural view of God as angry with the biblical character of God as humble and gentle, emphasizing that God cares about human rest.
• Pattern vs. Magic Pill [00:16:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that God provides a sustainable pattern (Sabbath) rather than temporary miracles, comparing it to giving a skill set rather than just money.
• Rest as a Weapon and Freedom [00:18:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Rest is defined as a spiritual weapon and a proof of freedom; only sons rest, while slaves are constantly working.
• The Lie of the Grind [00:19:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor debunks the cultural narrative that one must 'grind and hustle' to earn rest, labeling it a deception from the enemy.
• Sabbath Definition and Order [00:26:41 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines Sabbath as a 24-hour pause and corrects the order of operations: God commands rest first (Day 1) as a prerequisite for work, contrary to human tendency to work first and rest last.
• The Order of Work and Rest [00:30:15 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that humans have inverted God's design by working six days and resting one, whereas God intended rest on the first day to prepare us for work, acknowledging human limitations compared to God's omniscience.
• Exhaustion as a Spiritual Weapon [00:32:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > Drawing from Exodus, the pastor identifies exhaustion, rather than death, as the enemy's primary strategy to neutralize believers, citing modern distractions like news cycles and family drama as tools of this exhaustion.
• Identity vs. Performance [00:38:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the lie that approval must be earned through work with the truth that believers are already approved and praised by God, using Jesus' baptism and his own children as examples of receiving affirmation before action.
• Sabbath as Resistance [00:44:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > Rest is redefined as a 'power move' and resistance against the devil, citing James 4 where humility (resting/trusting God) precedes the ability to resist the devil.
• Spiritual Warfare and Rest [00:46:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that resting is a primary tactic to resist the devil, who seeks to keep believers in anxiety and unnecessary activity, citing James 4:7.
• Sabbath and Land Rest [00:49:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Exodus 20 and 23, the pastor explains that God commands rest for people and land, warning that ignoring this leads to captivity.
• The Danger of Constant Activity [00:53:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor links constant busyness to spiritual and physical captivity, using energy drinks and modern hustle culture as examples of avoiding necessary rest.
• Divine Multiplication vs. Human Effort [00:58:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > Referencing the manna in the wilderness, the pastor illustrates that God multiplies blessings when we rest and obey, whereas trying to store or control outcomes through work leads to rot.
• Pastoral Sabbatical and Transparency [00:59:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor announces his upcoming sabbatical, framing it as an act of obedience to the principle of rest he just preached, contrasting it with the fear many pastors have of taking breaks.
• Pastoral Vulnerability and Sabbatical [01:00:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor admits his human limitations and desire for low-key activities, announcing his upcoming sabbatical to reset his soul and avoid burnout, contrasting this with the cultural pressure on pastors to remain constantly available.
• The Danger of Comparison and Hustle Culture [01:05:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor identifies comparison as a primary source of exhaustion, urging the congregation to step back from social media and work to break the cycle of constant productivity.
• Distinguishing Rest from Work [01:06:58 ▶️ 📄]
  > He warns that activities can shift from restful to work-like (e.g., biking, golf, cooking) when they become competitive or demanding, urging listeners not to lie to themselves about their need for rest.
• Jesus as the Source of Rest [01:13:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The sermon culminates in the theological claim that rest is a person (Jesus), who finished the work of salvation, allowing believers to cease striving and receive eternal peace.
• Salvation and Decision for Christ [01:14:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor urges listeners to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, framing it as the greatest decision of their lives and a moment of eternal significance.
• Corporate Prayer and Community [01:15:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor emphasizes that the church prays together, stating 'nobody prays alone' as they prepare to lead a corporate prayer for new believers.

• Sermon Illustration [00:04:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor introduces his junior preacher, Arlo Phoenix Medcalf, who delivers a simplified message about Genesis 1-2, noting that God worked for six days and rested on the seventh, highlighting that even a child understands this basic truth of rest.
• Sermon Illustration [00:08:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > He plays a video meme depicting a conversation where someone refuses a nap from God due to bills and emails, illustrating the modern resistance to rest and the absurdity of prioritizing work over divine instruction.
• Sermon Illustration [00:10:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > He uses an analogy of birthday toys that require batteries to function, explaining that God wants to put 'batteries' (rest) into people before requiring them to produce fruit, emphasizing that rest is the power source for proper function.
• Sermon Illustration [00:20:32 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal testimony about his company slowing down, initially fearing it was a failure, but realizing God was saving his life and marriage by preventing him from overworking.
• Sermon Illustration [00:16:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy comparing giving someone money (which they will spend and ask for more) versus giving them a skill set or job (which creates a sustainable pattern of provision).
• Sermon Illustration [00:27:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > A historical illustration of ancient life where people had to kill animals and sew their own clothes, highlighting how radical it was for God to command rest when survival required constant labor.
• Sermon Illustration [00:28:17 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy of birds and lilies that do not worry about food or clothing because God provides for them, used to illustrate how humans should trust God when they rest.
• Sermon Illustration [00:40:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his daughter Gia, who wakes up excited for her birthday party because she already knows she is loved and will receive gifts, illustrating a life lived from a place of received approval rather than performance.
• Sermon Illustration [00:42:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the biblical story of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath and the religious leaders' anger, using it to illustrate how legalism twists God's gift of rest into a burden, contrasting it with God's heart for mercy.
• Sermon Illustration [00:44:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about choosing to get a massage and play golf instead of fighting battles, trusting God to provide while he rests.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references the 'Christian chicken place' (Chick-fil-A) as a business model that generates significantly more revenue per store by closing on Sundays, illustrating the principle that rest leads to greater productivity and blessing.
• Sermon Illustration [00:52:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the biblical account of the Israelites failing to let the land rest, resulting in their captivity, to illustrate that God sometimes forces rest through hardship when humans refuse to obey the Sabbath principle.
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal story of a friend who suffered a severe ankle sprain for six months because they refused to rest, illustrating God's intervention to force physical rest.
• Sermon Illustration [01:01:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor announces his own upcoming sabbatical, explaining that he is following the method of rest he preaches, and invites the congregation to trust God during his absence.
• Sermon Illustration [01:03:11 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a restaurant owner who would never leave without a 'bomb chef' to reassure the congregation that spiritual food will continue during his absence. He also shares a personal anecdote about his friend Charles, who started riding bikes for rest but turned it into a professional-level competitive activity, illustrating how rest can morph into work.

• Pastoral Charge [00:06:42 ▶️ 📄]
  > Turn to the person next to you and ask them if they are tired.
• Pastoral Charge [00:12:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Verbally affirm 'Rest' as the answer to weariness, rejecting the idea that mere sleep is sufficient.
• Pastoral Charge [00:15:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > Repeat the word 'rest' aloud to internalize it as a key spiritual concept.
• Pastoral Charge [00:18:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Write down the statement that rest is a weapon.
• Pastoral Charge [00:27:04 ▶️ 📄]
  > Write down the definition of Sabbath as a 24-hour period of refraining from work to remember God and rest.
• Pastoral Charge [00:27:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > Commit to observing a weekly 24-hour Sabbath period of refraining from work, remembering God, and resting the soul.
• Pastoral Charge [00:32:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > Look up Exodus 5:7 on their own time
• Pastoral Charge [00:42:02 ▶️ 📄]
  > Check the reference Matthew 3:17
• Pastoral Charge [01:01:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor informs the congregation of his upcoming absence for rest and assures them of his continued intercessory prayer during this time.
• Pastoral Charge [01:04:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > Select a specific day to disconnect from work and social media.
• Pastoral Charge [01:08:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Lift hands to indicate a need for prayer regarding rest.
• Pastoral Charge [01:15:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > Raise hand to accept Jesus as personal Lord and Savior.
• Pastoral Charge [01:14:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > Slip hand up to be included in the prayer for salvation
• Pastoral Charge [01:15:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > Shoot hand up in the air

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:00] What's going on, family? I am so excited you're here, and it's a good day because three reasons. Number one, you're here, I'm here, God's here. Number two, I have a message today that is about to help you. But before we get into that, number three, we are releasing a brand new podcast this Friday called Pop. June 5th, Progression Over Perfection is coming to every streaming platform, and I want you to be a part of this new journey we're going on to help people
[00:00:30] understand the reality of following Christ, walking in purpose, and understanding the concept of progression over perfection. This is going to help you because if you're filled up with the right thing, you have no other choice but to elevate. And I can't wait for you to pop. I need
[00:00:47] you to know today's message is going to help you pop if you listen to the words of God. Hear me, many of you are tired. Matter of fact, let me just ask you the question, are you tired?
[00:01:00] Are you overwhelmed? Are you exhausted? Are things coming into your life and your sphere that have you just wanting to go to sleep? May I submit to you, you might not just need more sleep.
[00:01:11] You might need rest for your soul. And today's message, I believe, is going to transform your life if you would humble yourself and be ready to learn something brand new. I'm not talking from speculation. I'm talking from transformation. And I believe that rest is actually a weapon.
[00:01:29] So listen, this message is what you've been praying for.
[00:01:33] Are you tired?
[00:01:35] Win the wrestle with rest.
[00:01:37] I'll see you on the other side.
[00:01:39] Today is going to be the last installment in a series we've been in called Six Figures, which are six figures that I believe God uses to expand our faith and grow us in a life
[00:01:57] of abundance.
[00:01:58] and today's message is going to be good because it's going to help everybody. How many people it's going to help? Not everybody. It's going to help everybody. And that includes you. Now, right now, if your heart is like, prove something to me, Pastor Mike, you're not going to get this.
[00:02:16] You got to open up your heart to be able to receive. And so what I thought about, what would be the best thing to open up the heart of people about a subject that they already are
[00:02:30] wrestling with? I said, I got to put it in a package that they can receive it in. Because today I'm talking to the people of God about rest. Rest. And I'll look at your face right now and
[00:02:53] know you tired. I can see by how you respond that you're tired. Some of y'all's Facebooks and Instagrams are telling on you. You tired. There are things that God suggests in his word. And then there are things that he commands in his word. And one of the commandments that is most
[00:03:19] ignored by people who claim to know him and love him is the commandment of taking a Sabbath, the commandment of resting. And right now I feel people clenching. You don't know my story. You don't know how much responsibility I have. You don't know where I came from. I got it out the
[00:03:36] mud. You don't understand. I'm a blue collar worker. You don't understand that I have so much to provide for. You don't understand. You don't understand how much God loves you.
[00:03:45] God loves you so much that he gives us the gift of rest. But if you don't have the revelation of it, you never open the gift. So today, I know it's hard right now. Some of y'all feel the
[00:04:01] resistance. I feel the resistance. So I wanted to put this message in a package that you could receive it. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome to the stage preaching his first message, my junior preacher today, Mr. Arlo Phoenix Medcalf. Would y'all give it up? Oh,
[00:04:23] you can do better than that. What's up, big dog? Arlo has a message. Would you please get your

[00:04:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:04:34] notes ready? Go ahead, Arlo. Hello, my name is Arlo Phoenix, Metcalf, and I'm going to preach today. Everyone turn to your neighbor and say six, seven. Six, seven. Turn to your other neighbor and say six, seven. Six, seven. Genesis chapter one, God creates everything in six days. The sixth
[00:04:58] day he creates man the seventh he rest that reminds us we need rest um jesus asked all of us a question are you really tired um he won't only give you rest for six days but seven six

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:05:16] seven hey can we give it up so proud of you buddy high five we can go home some of y'all

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:05:49] was smiling so much y'all didn't hear what he said what he said was that God worked for six days

[00:06:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:06:01] but on the seventh day he rested and it's crazy that at seven years old Arlo has a revelation that most 67 year olds don't have the the truth of the matter is um rest is something that is
[00:06:21] necessary so I'm going to title today's message are you tired oh I don't know what that message just did to somebody but somebody's telling on themselves the rumbles in the crowd look at your neighbor and just ask them the question are you tired if you have the faith you can answer them
[00:06:42] come on look at your other neighbor come on say other neighbor are you tired today I gotta talk about the wrestle that you're having with rest some of y'all are wrestling with rest now I don't
[00:07:00] want anybody to confuse this with laziness I gotta say this up front because somebody's like perfect the message. No, I'm going to, I'm going to give you context to this, but some of you are really
[00:07:13] wrestling with rest. And today I hope that this message by God's grace gives you a revelation of rest. Matter of fact, just, just to let everybody calm down, everybody take a deep breath in, let it out and say, relax. I'm not about to condemn you. I'm not about to try to make you
[00:07:34] change today. I'm going to just present some things to you that God presented to humanity.
[00:07:39] And then I want you to make a decision. Do you want to live the abundant life that God provided, or do you want to live this ghetto life that culture is giving you? I have no idea what's
[00:07:49] happening right now. It's ghetto down here. I want you to live in freedom. I want you to enjoy the abundant life, life and life to the full. And if you only hear things in memes or, or, or
[00:08:03] captures. I want you to catch this little, the whole message I put in a meme. I'm trying to break this big thing down to something simple. Arlo was first. This is my second attempt to just
[00:08:13] make you relax with this. I want to give you my message in a meme. Will you play that video real

[00:08:17] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:08:17] quick? Did you take a nap today? No, I didn't. You need one. What was her response? What if God

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:08:49] was coming to you today and saying, you need a nap? Would you tell him? No, I don't. I have too many bills to pay. No, I don't. I got to be outside. Oh, y'all know what I'm talking about.
[00:09:03] No, I don't. I have too many emails to answer. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. And I think God's coming to you today through your pastor and saying, you need one. Have you had a nap? Watch
[00:09:17] this. Not today. Have you had a nap this week? Have you had a day off this week? Have you had a day off this month? Have you had a day off this year? The reason I'm asking this is not because I,
[00:09:33] as much as I love you, I just want you to be healthy and thriving in all of the latest things that culture is telling you. This is an ancient principle that our God put in place because he
[00:09:48] wanted us to work, not work, but he wanted us to function properly. So because God wanted humanity, his creation to function properly. He knew what they needed before they ever went to work.
[00:10:06] My daughter Gia's birthday is coming up. And one of the things, as we had her birthday party yesterday, one of the things that I learned is that there are a bunch of toys that say they work,
[00:10:16] but they don't work until you put batteries in them. And the thing that I realize is most toys don't come with batteries. So we ordered a ton of batteries that allowed us to do something before
[00:10:33] it actually produced. God is saying, I want to put something into you before I require anything out of you. You missed it. All right, let's go back to Arlo's illustration in Genesis.
[00:10:49] God created day one God created day two God created day three day four day five day six what did he create man and on day six we get with God in connection the first day we experience with
[00:11:08] God is a day of rest not a day of work your first day inexistent as humanity was not a day of work it was a day of okay and this is the problem with most of us we do not have a revelation of rest
[00:11:26] so today i'm going to try to give you some revealed truth and when i say revelation of rest it's like something is there but you can't see it and a revelation is like oh i can see it one of
[00:11:36] my friends said it like this a revelation is something that comes from north south it comes from god a lot of our change and and good information comes east west from friends and pastors, but you need a revelation to come from God to you. And that's what I'm praying for you
[00:11:50] today is that for the first time and the last time you get a revelation of how important rest is to God and to you. Matthew chapter 11, verse 28. Are you tired? This is Jesus was Jesus's response.
[00:12:08] Then Jesus said, come to me, all you who are weary. Another translation says tired.
[00:12:14] and all of you who carry a heavy burden and i will give you say it out loud say it strong say it like you can take the next week off jesus response to weariness and to people carrying a
[00:12:36] heavy load was not prayer i'm about to mess with your religion it wasn't a worship service his response to your tiredness was not a meeting with the pastor the response to your heavy load and weariness was what and some of you think i'm saying sleep sleep you can do that and still wake
[00:13:13] up tired okay okay i need to find the real people in here how many people sleep and still woe out Come on. Rest. If you read down and we're going to read, it's rest for your soul. Is your mind
[00:13:30] at ease? Is your wheel at bay? Are your emotions tamed? Some of you are literally sleeping to escape reality. Going through stuff. I just need to sleep. Come on. Okay. Come on, y'all. I just
[00:13:51] need to sleep. You'll take things to do it. I got to, I got to shut my mouth, my mind down. I got to shut. I got to, you'll watch certain stuff. I got to numb out. These are all terms and you
[00:14:04] may have different ones, but what I'm saying is what you're doing is sleeping. What God provides is. And so today I want to give you the revelation of rest because this is God's gift to us. Rest is
[00:14:17] not a luxury. It's a necessity. So then when you look at this in verse 29, it says, this is Jesus talking, take my yoke upon you and let me teach you how to rest. So this is beautiful because we
[00:14:33] don't know how to do it on our own. This is why Jesus says, let me teach you how to rest. Let me teach you what you don't know naturally. Let me teach you what your nature goes against. It says,
[00:14:45] let me teach you because this is my character. I'm humble and gentle at heart. That means I'm thinking about you think about this if people think God is mad at you still like he's a God
[00:14:57] that's mad at you there's no other God in any other religion that thinks about your rest if God was really if you was mad at somebody do you want them to get rest do you know that keeping
[00:15:14] people up is a form of torture used in warfare it's like how do I torture this person keep them awake. And what God says is I'm a God that cares about you so much. My spirit is humble and I have
[00:15:30] a gentle heart. I'm asking you, have you rested lately? I know you're doing all of these things to, to prove to your childhood self that you're actually significant, but I'm asking you to come to me because you're weary. You're heavy. I want to give you say the word again. This is a new
[00:15:49] four-letter word that you need to say a lot, rest. Say it one more time. It says, if you let me teach you, it says you will find rest. Oh, I like that. When God says, I'm going to find something,
[00:16:05] he says, you will find rest for your souls. He says, for my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. To receive a revelation of rest, you're going to have to be
[00:16:16] humble and teachable. And this is why I need everybody to understand the character of our God.
[00:16:23] God's trying to tell you what you heard about me has been misrepresented. I actually love you.
[00:16:29] I care about you and I want you to be okay. Not just today, but forever. So I'm not going to just give you a miracle. I'm going to give you a pattern right now. There are people who need
[00:16:43] money in your life. And if you give them a hundred dollars, they're going to come back next week and ask you for a hundred dollars. And then they'll come back two months from now and ask you for a
[00:16:51] hundred dollars but if you give that person a skill set and you give them a job or you give them a thing then they can actually learn a pattern that will produce what they need
[00:17:00] God is saying I didn't want to just give you a magic rest pill I wanted to give you a pattern of a sabbath so that you could always have everything you need to do what I'm asking you to
[00:17:14] do it's a gift and as we look at scripture today I realize that there is no other religion in the world where the deity does not demand work from them. If you search every other religion, I'm just
[00:17:33] trying to give you a revelation. I'm talking to your mind so that it can drop to your heart and then it'll actually appear in your life. There is no other religion that says you don't got to work
[00:17:42] for this. How many times do you need to pray? Where do you need to turn? How many sacrifices do you need? All of these things is work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work. They
[00:17:51] demand work for stuff. God gives rest for your soul. This is the God we serve. So why will you not receive this gift of rest? Other religions offer a ladder to climb. Jesus offers a refuge
[00:18:12] of rest. And this is why he does it. Write this point down because rest is a weapon.
[00:18:20] Rest is a weapon. If you actually were rested, how good would you be?
[00:18:28] If you actually were rested, I'm talking about in your soul, your mind, your will, your emotions and your body was rested.
[00:18:36] How how would you handle hard situations if you were actually rested?
[00:18:43] How many more good ideas could come through you? You've done what you've done.
[00:18:48] Woe out, not war out. You've done what you've done in life.
[00:18:55] All this says woe out. You can't even enjoy what God has blessed you with.
[00:19:03] because you trying to keep up with it so did god bless you with it because the blessings of the lord make it rich and addeth no uh-oh let's just put the scripture out there some of y'all is whoa
[00:19:13] out calling it a blessing but losing your marriage you got 10 000 square feet no peace you got cars to choose from but no vehicle to find safety in your soul i'm asking you is are you
[00:19:31] rested and the truth of the matter is the culture we live in today is offering the opposite promising the opposite it's saying grind hustle do all this do all this and then you'll have money to take a
[00:19:46] vacation and then you'll have money to buy a second home and then you'll be it's grind hustle get it all of these things are deceptions from the enemy because i heard it said one time what
[00:20:05] the enemy can't get in front of and stop, he gets behind and pushes. And some of y'all are being pushed to the brink. You're being pushed. You're so exhausted that you cannot even sense the
[00:20:19] presence of God. God's got you in a good situation right now and you calling it bad because it's not moving fast enough. Okay. All right. Am I just talking about my own issues? Okay. I'm telling
[00:20:32] you, God had to teach me. He said, I slowed this thing down. You think the company's going down?
[00:20:38] He said, I'm saving your life. All delay, all backup, all deals not working are not from the devil. Some of the things that God is doing is because we don't have enough sense to preserve
[00:20:54] ourselves. You know, if that deal actually went through, you would have lost your marriage.
[00:20:58] If, if, if you actually would have made it in that field, you would have lost your mind.
[00:21:03] okay let me stop part of what i know with my literal makeup is that i can go go go go go go go god has had to teach me michael just because you can doesn't mean i want you to
[00:21:23] uh-oh uh-oh just because you can watch this here's my insecurity mine just because you can doesn't mean that you should do it. Cause how many people, if it makes us feel good and it scratches some childhood wound of feeling significant or, or people are going to praise me
[00:21:48] for this, or I'm being too honest up here. Okay. Let me, let me go back to the scripture.
[00:21:53] Um, what I'm trying, what I'm trying to tell everybody is the same faith. It takes you to believe for miracles, it takes that faith to rest. And most of y'all have faith to praise God and not
[00:22:07] faith to walk away from the desk. You won't shut the laptop. You won't stop checking the email and the Dow and you won't see, oh, it's going, it's crazy. How in the world is a little ticker
[00:22:19] controlling your peace? It's quiet in here and it's okay. I get it. Because what's happening is that the mindset of culture is a mindset to keep you enslaved.
[00:22:45] Okay. The problem is right now is that you think you're free, but you're enslaved.
[00:22:54] That was the same problem with the children of Israel. They went, when they were enslaved, they had no days off. The proof you were a slave is you didn't get to rest. So when God brought
[00:23:13] them out from under Pharaoh's rule and they were in the wilderness, one of the commandments that God made sure to on the top 10 list put on there is you should observe the Sabbath. Why? Because
[00:23:29] the Sabbath was only reserved for sons. Only sons got to take a rest. So the Sabbath proves your freedom. Oh God, I'm going to need a whole series. When you can take a break, it means you know
[00:23:54] who got it. When you can walk away from being God, then you have a God.
[00:24:04] When you walk away from being provider, then he's Jehovah Jireh, your provider. When you can step back and moonwalk out of having to literally do everything for yourself, it means you make room for god to step in many of us still have our egypt mentality if it's gonna happen for me i got to get
[00:24:33] it out the mud hold on wait did you not come into the kingdom economy did you not believe jesus when he said you are no longer a slave the curse is broken off of you whom the sun sets is free we
[00:24:48] don't think about that you're free to rest oh god whom the sun sets free and you think you're noble I'm just you know me I'm gonna just put in that extra and God said I didn't ask you for all that
[00:25:08] there I didn't actually I call it disobedience you actually think you're doing something noble it's sin did y'all hear what I just said when you don't observe a 24-hour period where you walk away from your work every week God's like why do they disobey me all the time
[00:25:36] grace, grace after grace, mercy after mercy, day after day provided for them. They in that little house that they didn't think they could ever get. And I did that with the job. They didn't never
[00:25:51] think they were going to be able to get. And I did that and I provided and I restored and I was, and they still don't trust me. I gave them the blessing of the book. I gave them the blessing
[00:26:04] of the business. I gave them the blessing of the thing. And they still won't trust me.
[00:26:09] what do I have to do to let them unwrap this gift that would relieve their soul of weariness some of you don't need a new career you need to take a day off you're so overwhelmed life is just no you're disobedient what is a Sabbath
[00:26:41] it's a pause it's a pause it doesn't mean I'm not coming back to this it means I have to stop right now. And it takes faith to pause. A 24-hour period, write this definition down. A Sabbath is a 24-hour period that God gifts humanity with to refrain from work,
[00:27:04] remember him, and rest your soul. Every week, God wants to give every person under the sound of my voice a 24-hour period that God gifts you with to refrain from work, to remember him, and to rest your soul. I'm going to read it one more time. So your soul can hear it every week.
[00:27:29] God wants to gift you personally with a day to refrain from work, to remember him and to rest your soul. Even in the ancient times, this was a radical innovation at the time because everybody was working. I mean, they didn't have buildings and they didn't have
[00:27:50] bulldozers. Everything they did, they had to make. They didn't have Amazon. They couldn't order nothing. You want a purse? Go kill something, dry out the skin, sew it together. You got some more fig leaves over there. You had to make everything. So think about all of the work that was happening
[00:28:08] and God saying, hey, take the day off. Come walk and talk with me. Remember how good I am.
[00:28:17] look at those trees are they worried you don't have to either look at those birds I know you've missed them every day because you've been so occupied but they've been here every day they don't worry about what they're gonna eat or drink you see them lilies over there look how beautiful
[00:28:31] those colors don't those colors make you feel something they didn't dress themselves I did that I'll do that much more for you if you would rest I said it before but slaves never rested only sons did and this is where I have to bring this up because culture is feeding us a lie that
[00:28:52] I have to correct with the word of God culture says rest is a reward for work hear what I just said to you culture says you better work and you better work until you earn a rest God says
[00:29:10] rest is a requirement for work first full day rest and the prerequisite was because God knew Adam was about to work I'm gonna give him rest because he about to put in that work rest should be a sign that God wants you to work it is not oh I'm not gonna work because I just
[00:29:37] need to rest it's like no you better get this rest because after this rest we about to put in this work you can't even feel rested if you don't feel worked oh god I'm talking people who don't
[00:29:54] work. Anybody who really work know that the only way of rest is good. If you did good work. So, so, so what I'm trying to tell you is God gave a six day work period and a one day rest. But I
[00:30:15] think a lot of us got the God complex. So what we did is we did what God did instead of what he said.
[00:30:23] day one work day two work day three work day four work day five work day six work day seven rested but then he told us don't do what i did do what i said rest day two work day three
[00:30:42] do you see what i'm saying okay let me start it again god worked on day one to day six then he rested he made us and said rest on day one work the other six days he was trying to say
[00:31:00] I'm setting you up because you can't handle what I did you're not built like me you can't work and then rest I'm God I can do all things I know everything omniscient I know everything all at
[00:31:15] once he said because I love you you rest first I know you I know your attitude I know you get hangry. I know your habits. I know your temperament. I know you need to go to sleep first.
[00:31:30] You rest. And then all the things that are there, they're going to be there tomorrow.
[00:31:35] Those contracts will be there tomorrow. Those, those, those emails will be there tomorrow.
[00:31:40] Some of y'all that don't have, do not disturb on your stuff. How do you function? The level of interruptions of your life that you allow in right now, how in the world do you have any peace?
[00:31:52] it's quiet in here today okay so let's keep going if you go to exodus chapter 5 verse 7 i want you to look it up on your own time pharaoh's strategy was never to kill the children of israel it was
[00:32:08] to exhaust them y'all didn't hear what i just said what if the enemy doesn't want to kill you he just wants to exhaust you what if what if your adversary's goal is never to take you out just
[00:32:27] make you not strong enough to do anything. Exhaustion is the new weapon of mass destruction.
[00:32:40] Have you ever been tired just scrolling? Come on, switch fingers. Some of y'all on your pinky fingers scrolling. News on 24 seven, got four news channels on. What's Fox saying? What's CNN saying? What's MSNBC saying? Exhaustion. News feed all the time. And then don't get into your
[00:33:11] family group chat the emotional disability of cousin jerome locked up again stacy dating somebody that dated your other cousin again like y'all know what i'm talking about or watch this the exhaustion of silence because the manipulation that happens many times
[00:33:41] relationally because we're not talking okay let me I'm going too deep what if what if there was a way to reset every week where all of that stuff lost its power in your life if God knew he wasn't
[00:33:58] going to take us out of this world but he would give us tools in this world to actually live higher than this world this is what the scripture means when it says we are in it but not of it
[00:34:09] but you in and of it jesus doing his greatest miracles with a shot clock on three years left big miracles everybody coming what does jesus do all right y'all all right it's been fun god bless you he would withdraw often on your greatest day of miracle impact
[00:34:34] money our our culture is like do it again run it up we can pack it out again four nights at Madison Square Garden. Back to back to back. Let's get all this money. And God was like, yeah,
[00:34:49] where's the limit? And some of us are so close. Why are you telling me be careful? You won't rest.
[00:35:06] Be careful. Be careful of the decisions you make unrested. Be careful of the people you keep around your children unrested. Be careful. Be careful of saying your opinion. I'm just being honest right now be careful of talking at all some of y'all some of y'all just need to say can
[00:35:33] i respond to this tomorrow why are you saying this pastor mike because nobody makes their best decisions exhausted sabbath the sabbath or a day of rest isn't just rest from work it is your proof
[00:35:55] of freedom and i just want to let you know pharaoh is not dead it just comes with push notifications that algorithm that for you page that next deadline that inbox those emails all it's doing
[00:36:14] is exhausting you to the point where you don't dream you don't worship and you don't fight back this is why you are being beat up at the same level as people who don't know god
[00:36:34] it's because you're on the same training plan as them you're exhausted and so you're too exhausted to pray. Come on, let's be honest. God, do it. Okay, y'all gonna act like I'm the only one that
[00:36:54] prayed a prayer like that. Let your will be done. Bible talking about pray without ceasing. You're

[00:37:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:37:02] like, Lord, if you don't do it, it won't be done. You're exhausted. Are you tired? Why are you still

[00:37:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:37:19] wrestling with rest when it's the gift that God gives to you? Husband and wives, y'all haven't been able to have a civil conversation, not because you don't love each other, because you're tired. You're both tired trying to provide for a home that neither one of you like coming to right
[00:37:37] now. Not because the home is bad, because y'all, you need to go get a one night stay and a holiday in. I'm not, I'm trying to give y'all real secrets. Somebody needs a staycation at the
[00:37:56] Homewood Sweets and the other one at the Best Western and then you need to talk after your all right all right Pastor Mike why are you saying this because the lie is that I need to perform
[00:38:18] and if I perform then I'll get approval and praise so the reason why people work is because if I if I work and I get this money or if I work and I get this accolade or I work and I get these grades
[00:38:29] and I work and I get this thing and I work and I get this compliment then I will be approved and praised and the reason why this is important is because all people even down to children
[00:38:40] the reason why we clap so loud for arlo is because we innate innately know that a child needs to be approved and praised arlo could have got up here and said abcd jesus is lord
[00:38:55] and everybody still would have like why because you know from a child you need if i'm gonna do this again, if I'm going to actually become everything, if he's going to stand up here and
[00:39:11] preach one day, he has to be approved and praised. So guess what? The enemy tries to tell you work for it, work for it. And God says, I'll give it to you first. Can I give you an example? This is an
[00:39:31] eternal example that Jesus literally gets baptized by his cousin, John. And the first thing that happens before he ever works a miracle this is before he turns water into wine this is before the fish is in the loaves this is before he heals any blind eyes before he ever starts working
[00:39:48] he gets approved and praised he gets dumped down in that water the skies open and the bible says like a dove descending it says this is my son identity in whom i'm well pleased i'm approving
[00:40:06] him and i'm praising him in front of everybody and from that place he went to work all right so the lie is you need to perform so that you get approval and praise but the truth is you're
[00:40:21] already positioned this is my son this is my daughter i'm well pleased in them you already got approval and praise now go work what's your last name todd go put in that work my daughters
[00:40:35] they get i hyped them up before they do anything and it and i mean it's at the borderline right now like maybe too much like but I hyped it I hyped him up what's your name my name is Gia what
[00:40:46] you do everything good and I'll be like ah my Gia she she wakes up in the morning we had a birthday party yesterday I said how you feeling today I feel great not good I feel great I said I'm glad
[00:41:01] you feel great what's today it's my birthday party day I said what you what you mean what you how you feel she's like people are coming over we gonna swim and I'm gonna get some presents because I
[00:41:13] already know y'all got me some good presents. I said, how did you? But what I'm saying to you is she lives from approval. My baby doesn't wake up in the morning and be like, daddy, hey, dad,
[00:41:29] hey, how many dishes do you want me to wash? What do you need me to do to be called your own?
[00:41:39] What I'm saying to you is you're good enough right now for God to approve you right now.
[00:41:48] gotta keep moving. All right, here we go. If you need to check that reference, that's Matthew chapter three, verse 17. I'm moving because there's so much that I have to say because there are people that are hearing me about the Sabbath and right now your mind's going to
[00:42:02] legalism. Well, okay. So technically if I start my Sabbath at 6 p.m. and I don't check my email until then, well, what if somebody, stop. Since God has gifted us the Sabbath, people have tried
[00:42:16] to actually dip it in legalism, but the Sabbath is dipped in love. All he's saying, he said, I'm the Lord of the Sabbath. I gave, I gave this to you so you could be good. So don't, if you'll,
[00:42:34] there's a, there's a story in the Bible that Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath and all the religious people got mad. Now, first off, the man was literally sick, blind, jacked up. If I was a
[00:42:46] religious person i'm like that is good for him i'm wow that's awesome what day is this a sabbath hey don't tell nobody my man can see like immediately they were like you you are not
[00:43:00] good because you did on the sabbath and he's like yo what how did y'all get this love gift confused with all this legalism he said if your if your ox falls into the ditch on the sabbath
[00:43:12] don't leave your ox there till tomorrow it'll be dead pick it up get your friends a couple y'all gonna have to work today but this can't be the pattern so so so so if it happens just make sure
[00:43:29] it's not the if your ox is falling into the ditch every time it's a sabbath that's you can't drive yeah like that's a pattern but god's saying like if something happens if they email you or if you got to go into work or you like, okay. But every week, every week on your
[00:43:56] off day, your boss want to have a meeting and you've never set any boundaries to be able to let them know, Hey, I'm going to just leave that. I'm going to back away from the camera.
[00:44:08] I mean, all I'm saying to you right now is if you get this revelation of rest, I'm almost done.
[00:44:17] rest becomes a resistance. Pastor Mike, what are you talking about? It is the meekest, most power move you can ever make. It's not big and boisterous. It's like, no, I'm about to go rest. Yeah. I'll be back for that. God, you see what's happening over there. I'm about to trust
[00:44:41] you at your word right now. While worry is trying to creep up my back and fear is trying to make me intimidated. And I don't know what's going to happen with all those people and what they
[00:44:52] talking about, father, you said, if I trusted you and I did what your word says, you would fight my battles. So father, what I'm about to do is go get a massage and play golf today. And I'm going,
[00:45:02] y'all don't hear me. And I'm going to trust that as I am resting, you're working. I'm going to trust that you're providing for the needs that I can't even make happen for my life. What would
[00:45:12] happen? What would happen if we really believed God? What would happen that you could be playing laser tag with your kids developing a greater relationship that will last for decades while God is telling those who have been enemies or adversaries against what you was working on
[00:45:40] he was moving them out the way somebody say resistance exodus chapter no I'm gonna go James chapter four real quick because I got to give you this this is the revelation I need you to see
[00:45:55] Oh, I've heard this scripture my whole life, but the Holy Spirit gave me new revelation on it.
[00:46:02] It said, and he gives grace generously as a scripture say, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Okay. Verse seven. Here it is. So humble yourself before God.
[00:46:17] Now the next part requires humility first. Okay. Humble yourself before God.
[00:46:25] then what's the next part of the verse? Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
[00:46:35] One of the greatest resistance or resistances you can have against the devil is to rest in his face.
[00:46:44] You want the devil to flee? Go ahead and rest. He's trying to keep you up in anxiety and depression.
[00:46:56] i'm telling y'all this right here has been one of my greatest tactics to fight the enemies in my mind the enemies that come from the outside is to say you know what god if your word says
[00:47:15] to resist the devil and flee what i'm about to do is about to be a lot of activity for no reason i'm about to email this person make sure these people know my point of view i'm about to go here
[00:47:28] do this try to make this get a fifth job try to go do this i'm about to trust you and i'm about to resist the devil because the devil is watch this watch this watch this thank you jesus when
[00:47:48] the devil came to tempt jesus everything he was trying to get jesus to do was activity outside of his purpose the way he resisted the devil is he had to rest and remind the devil of the word
[00:48:08] if you jump from this if you go from this i'll bring you he was trying to create unnecessary activity do more work do more work prove to me turn these stones into bread do more work prove
[00:48:24] to me and because he was approved by his father before he went into this wilderness he said i don't gotta work for you to prove who i am i've already been approved i've already been called
[00:48:39] i've already been i've already been seated so the next time you're gonna see me work is when god gives me approval to do these miracles okay so rest is a resistance somebody needs to say i'm
[00:48:56] ready because i'm rested what if that was the truth what if it was the truth that every time something hard came you were ready for it because you were rested pastor mike are you serious about
[00:49:11] this is this like a message that you're i'm gonna teach this every year and i have been for the last almost decade. The reason I'm saying it is because most people are looking for a miracle when God
[00:49:24] wants to give them a method. He's trying to give you a principle that will allow this not to be a one-time thing for you. So rest is a resistance. And then watch this. Rest is a reminder. Exodus
[00:49:44] chapter 20 verse 10. But the seventh day is the Sabbath day. It's a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day, no one in your household may do any work. This includes all
[00:49:55] your sons, your daughters, your male, your female servants, everybody work for you, livestock, foreigners, all of that. Don't do no work. And I started to think about that. And then I started to think about the Christian chicken place. And there's not too many companies that like publicly
[00:50:16] like, like, hey, we're closing down today because we're honoring our staff and honoring the Lord.
[00:50:25] do you know the chicken christian place y'all know who they are until they sponsor us i ain't

[00:50:34] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:50:34] saying their name no more no i'm just kidding holla at me um but but i just want i want you to

[00:50:45] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:50:45] know every almost every other establishment is 24 hours seven days a week how many people are buying McDoubles at 3.30 in the morning. Somebody is, but not that many somebodies.
[00:51:05] I just, I want you to know, like, the idea is more time, more money, more. You know that Christian chicken place? They make almost five times per store what all them other places make, being closed more times than all them other places is closed and having a full 24 hours
[00:51:37] where they do not bring in any revenue, less footprint on the earth, more productivity.
[00:51:48] Now we could just act like it's coincidence or we could say there's a blessing for following the principles of God. Exodus chapter 20 verse 10, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day. It's so you can rest. Exodus chapter 23 verse 10, it says, plant and harvest your crops for six years,
[00:52:11] but let the land, watch this, be renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. God is so gangster about the Sabbath that he even wants the land to rest. He said, plant and harvest for six
[00:52:26] years, but let the land be renewed and lie uncultivated. Don't plant nothing. Don't pick nothing for the seventh year. Then let the poor among you harvest what grows on it and leave the rest for the wild animals to eat. The same applies for your vineyards and your olive gardens. The
[00:52:40] children of Israel were in a place where God was like, Hey, I'm gonna let it be harvest for six years. And then I need y'all to have a limit and let this land rest. You already got plenty.
[00:52:50] There's already enough. I need you to trust me and let it rest. They didn't do it. They kept picking, they kept sowing, they kept harvesting. And what God had to do is he had to let them be
[00:53:04] taken into captivity so the land could rest. My question to you is what are you still working that God is requiring rest from? The sad truth is God allowed all those people to be taken into
[00:53:20] captivity. And this is my point. Constant activity leads to captivity. If you're always doing something, something's going to trap you up. There shouldn't be this many energy drinks that are successful. Core, rage, monster, just say any kind of word and it's an energy drink. Don't give me no
[00:53:47] emails, but coffee shouldn't be making that much money. That coffee, not just because it tastes good. Stop it. Stop it. You're tired. Maybe not all of it, but some of it is. I got to do this
[00:54:05] because I got to stay up I got to do this because somewhere in my life I'm not rested there's pills there's Adderalls there's all kinds of stuff there's all people do all kinds of stuff
[00:54:20] to do what they think they need to do when God's already given us a gift and today I'm asking you to activate your faith if you have faith to pray you have faith to come to salvation if you have
[00:54:41] faith to believe in miracles if you have faith for all these other things in our Christian faith I'm going to ask you to add one more to that. Would you please have faith to rest?
[00:54:53] Matter of fact, you might need crazy faith to do this. What would happen if our love was actually rested? How would we interact with our children and our kids and our neighbors? Oh, the people that we were called to help know Jesus. Some of us can't even interact with the people
[00:55:18] around us because we're just, we're so unrested. And you know, when you're not rested, you got one nerve I don't know where your nerve is but like and then it just be like people get on your nerves
[00:55:33] somebody said my last nerve huh the kids you made out of love you start my wife she says go talk to your father and it's like your father your dad will help you whoa what she really does is say
[00:55:57] your daughter needs you I'm like hold on your daughter our daughter why am I why it's because when you're unrested maybe maybe this is my last point rest produces restoration if you would rest something on the inside of you would come back alive if you would rest that creativity that
[00:56:28] I'm having writers brought you're tired and it's been tight listen the children of Israel he had to let the land rest the equivalent if you study it out was the amount of sabbaths they skipped
[00:56:40] that they had to let the land rest. Your body is keeping score and so is God. I'm going to say something that's strong. I'm going to say something that's strong, but I need you to hear me say it.
[00:56:55] There are people that I know God had to sit down because they wouldn't sit down. You can take that however you want to take it, but you shouldn't. That little ankle sprain should not have taken
[00:57:14] you out for six months. But what I'm saying is God was like, you will not, you won't rest.
[00:57:22] You won't sit down. You won't, you won't stop. You won't reflect. You won't refrain. You won't repair. You won't restore. You won't renew. You won't revive. Y'all want a revival? I bet you it'll come if we start resting than spending time with God. And in that prayer, we're not
[00:57:53] struggling to get a word from God. He just drops it because it's just the context of our relationship. He's like, oh, yeah, you've been resting all day. I know you're going to need this tomorrow. Do you know all of the things that have been most impactful in my
[00:58:08] life has happened after I've rested? The ideas, the books, relationship goals was the first series that I preach off a sabbatical so was crazy faith so was everything else that ever was I'm just saying like I just feel like there's an impact that God gives I'll give you one last
[00:58:29] example the children of Israel they were supposed to pick up food for six days but on the sixth day he put double out so on the seventh day they didn't have to work he's that good he said don't
[00:58:43] try to store it. He said, if you store it and you try to harvest it, it'll rot. And some of you have been frustrated because what you've been working for has rotted. You thought it was going to be
[00:58:56] more for you. You thought it was going to create security and abundance. And God said, that's got to rot because you're not obeying me. But if you would rest, let me work. I'll double it. I'll
[00:59:08] multiply it. I'll give you what your work did not deserve. Oh, why? Because it's my nature.
[00:59:14] I'm the God who does exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask think imagine or work for come to me all who are weary and I will give you say it with me are you tired are you tired
[00:59:39] today God wants to give you rest many of you know that this is the time of the year if you're new at our church um that i take a time of rest since the beginning of our church
[00:59:58] um my oversight pastor pastor tim ross has told me he's like you got to take a break every summer because i need to make sure that you don't need that like you think you need it and i need to
[01:00:17] make sure that your family is a thing that lasts and i've watched people give their whole life to ministry and lights and big and all this other stuff and gain the whole world and lose their
[01:00:28] soul and every summer there's people like well I'm not going to church because Pastor Mike ain't there like I'm not God I would really like you to know I love I'm human too I love that you like
[01:00:45] how I speak and all that other stuff but God can use a donkey and sometimes that's how I feel up here he all like sometimes that's exactly how I feel like he can use I'm just being real man like
[01:01:02] Like I much rather do some other stuff that was more low-key and different things like this is what he called me to do So I stand up here every sunday and do it to the best of my ability not perfection, but progression
[01:01:14] But one thing that I I am doing is I following the method And so for the next couple Of months i'm not gonna be here And I want to say this because most pastors hide it. They do y'all know y'all have made pastors in america so scared
[01:01:32] To even tell you that they're not gonna be there because you're going to vote whether you come or not to hear from God if they're going to be there.
[01:01:45] I'm not a slave no more. I'm free. So I'm just going to let you know right now.
[01:01:53] I'm not going to be here. I'm going to be with God. I'm going to be with Natalie. I'm going to be with them kids. I'm going to be praying every day for you. I can't take a break from that. That's my
[01:02:02] job as your pastor. I go to God on your behalf and ask God for wisdom. I'm asking God for what is the word of the year where are we going what are you saying for us to do are we doing conference
[01:02:13] next year are we not god how i'm i'm putting everything on the table the reason i'm telling you this is because i want you to be this free in your own life to create some patterns that allow
[01:02:27] you and listen i just need everybody hear me i'm not going to speak for other people i'm not now working working working working because i'm not working here i am really trying to reset my soul
[01:02:40] and if you love me and you love this church pray for me this has gotten to a place that was out of my sight this is beyond my wildest dreams and imagination I'm just out here trying to follow
[01:02:54] God and I believe that we are called to represent God to the lost and found for one reason what is it transformation in Christ and so I would just ask that you pray for me and I want to let you
[01:03:11] know, the one thing a good restaurant owner is never going to do is leave you without a bomb chef. The one thing you're going to do every Sunday here is you're going to eat, eat. You're
[01:03:25] not just going to eat, you're going to eat, eat, you know, as you put it twice. Hey, so I just want everybody to know Pastor Charles is about to do a brand new series that's about to, and then Pastor
[01:03:43] Tim Ross is going to come behind him and do a whole series like this summer you about to because God can use anybody that's willing and open what I'm asking us let's grow but I don't
[01:04:04] want this just to be for me I've embraced this principle so much that there are people that leave the church every year I take a sabbatical no pastor should hold on wait a minute pastoring
[01:04:15] is the only full contact sport without an off season. People will cuss you, fuss you, talk about you, make YouTube videos about you. You're supposed to just get up there and pray for them. Sometimes
[01:04:29] we need time to heal, hear, be held. I'm being too vulnerable. Okay. What I'm trying to tell you is this is so real that you need it in your own life. So I'm just going to ask you, we get seven days
[01:04:49] before next Sunday? Pick a day. Pick a day that you're going to step back from the work. Step back even from social media. Because some of y'all, it's not even the work that exhausts you. It's the
[01:05:05] comparison that does. Comparison is exhausting. Just pick a day. Talk to your spouse about it.
[01:05:17] Talk to your friend. If it starts at least coming out of your mouth, maybe that's evidence that maybe one day it'll happen. Come on, let's be honest. Some of y'all, it's just in your head.
[01:05:25] and some of y'all trying to figure out, so how do I do it? How do I do it? I got you. You're going to have to learn how to do this. You're going to have to listen to this message every day this week.
[01:05:35] You may be going to have to go back and search the scripture. God, give me a revelation, north, south. Give me a revelation so that I don't, I don't break this standing all over this
[01:05:45] building. The last thing I want to say to you, just because I don't want you to get too spiritual and not realize the practical. I've tried to be practical through this whole message, but I want you to hear this last thing rest is good and you can have recreation did you hear
[01:06:17] what I just said I don't want you in a room with a candle for 24 hours no hear me because I like go do something recreational go fishing go take a walk in nature go shopping within your means
[01:06:45] also i want to give you this because this is just my heart as i do this because people are about to try to do this and i don't want you to i want to give you all that i can right now also if it
[01:06:58] starts off as rest and then it becomes work it's no longer rest me and charles talk about it all the time when we start doing stuff it might start off as rest and then we start dialing it in he
[01:07:13] became he started riding a bike like what three or four years ago three years ago he started riding bikes and then now he's like a professional bike rider like he'd be coming to the house and
[01:07:26] full like gear and and stuff and I was like what is this and he said it used to be restful but then it turned into work so it no longer doesn't mean he can't do it it no longer could be
[01:07:39] considered a part of his sabbath unless he's doing it on a huffy unless the only way if it's a pink coffee. I know you're not going hard. Okay. Cause sometimes what's golf might start off
[01:07:57] restful. And then you're in a competition. Cooking may start off rest. You know what?
[01:08:05] I'm going to bake today. And then it's like the rest of the, the red velvet. It's not right. No, you stressed. The reason I'm saying this is because watch this. If you lie to yourself,
[01:08:19] you'll never live a right life. I'll never be there when you're doing what you're considering rest. You can convince your husband or your wife it's restful, but you will be the only one that knows. Don't lie to you. Don't lie to your own soul. Are you tired? Because God wants to give
[01:08:40] you rest. If you need rest in an area of your life, whether you're in this room or online, would you just lift your hands? I want to pray for you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. I thank you,
[01:08:51] Lord. God, today here we all are saying that we need your rest, rest for our souls. Today, Father, many of us are admitting we're tired, tired of how it's been done, tired of how we've had to
[01:09:08] function, tired of how we've chosen to live. And today we are coming to you and we're saying we want to do it your way. If you gave us a day of rest, a Sabbath as a gift, today we're going to
[01:09:22] unwrap that gift. And we're going to unwrap it every week. I'm praying for practical wisdom of how this applies to each one of our lives, God. For those of us who need to set boundaries,
[01:09:37] I thank you that you're giving us courage right now. For those of us who need to even figure out language, Father, to be able to renegotiate things that we've already put in place or contracted or
[01:09:50] said that we're going to do. Father, I thank you that when you see your heart, you begin to work on the hearts of man. So today here we are. Father, many of us, the reason why we're working so hard
[01:10:01] is because we're trying to make ends meet. And today, God, I'm asking you that you would give us the ability to produce wealth, but not have to sacrifice our health. God, I'm asking you to help us as a body to embrace your principles that are counter-cultural. God, I'm going to go
[01:10:25] to Instagram today and ain't nobody going to be telling me to rest, but your word has told me that this is an ancient practice that produces eternal results. So today I trust you. Would you
[01:10:45] calm the inner critic in me that has judged others for not working hard enough? Would you, would you, would you calm father and even forgive the inner Pharisee and Sadducee that have literally mocked other people, Father God, for doing too much. Today, Father God, I'm asking, I'm coming humbly
[01:11:09] asking you to give me grace to start a new pattern. Let my family benefit because of this new pattern. Let my soul be refreshed because of this new pattern. I trust you enough and I have
[01:11:27] faith enough to rest. Thank you, Lord. I believe God's doing a work on the inside of some of you right now that won't be undone by hurry. I can even hear the single moms or even the people with
[01:11:54] young children's like, how am I going to do this? God's going to give you wisdom. He's going to give you wisdom. No nap times are going to turn into a place of rest for you. God's going to give you
[01:12:05] some people that can watch the children for a few hours to be able to do so. I'm telling y'all.
[01:12:10] And some of y'all are the answers to people's prayers. Some of you be like, I don't know what to do with my time. And God's going to tell you, go get your nephews. Go get your nephews from your
[01:12:21] sister for a little bit. Take them out. Take them to the park. I just feel like God's going to give all of us a piece to play in how we all are sustained. Here in this room, under the sound
[01:12:37] of my voice, and you're weary of life, I want you to know this. I was almost going to make it my last point, but I didn't get you nine last points already. So I'm about to go on sabbatical. God
[01:12:49] bless you um rest is a person he said come to me all who are weary and I'm gonna give you me I'm gonna give you rest I'm rest I'm peace in the middle of the storm I'm the way out of no way
[01:13:16] I'm the cornerstone I'm the prince of peace rest has a name Jesus if you need rest you actually need Jesus this is why you can't get it in nothing else this is why when people try to make false
[01:13:39] gods and all that stuff they live their life working because he said I am rest I'm the one that makes you stop working I'm the eternal sacrifice listen to his language it is finished think about the language Jesus talks about he's like I'm the one that finished it all so you can
[01:13:53] rest all you have to do is receive me so today your first step to walking into rest if you're tired of how life has treated you and what you've been going through is to accept Jesus he is rest
[01:14:08] for your soul not just today eternally your name will be written in the lamb's book of life pastor mike how can you do this because he take people like me who were liars and manipulators
[01:14:20] and addicted to pornography had all kinds of bad stuff in my heart and God said I'll take you if you'll receive me and I gave him all my heart and he helped me change my habits
[01:14:31] today if that's you in this room or watching online I don't care how you got here today is the day of salvation and I need the church to begin to pray because somebody's eternity is in
[01:14:43] the balance right now you may have been walking around God for a long time but he wants you to walk with him today I want to introduce you to rest I want to introduce you to Jesus in just a
[01:14:55] moment, I'm about to pray. And if you want to be included in this prayer, I just want you to slip your hand up on and count it through. You're saying, pastor, I want to be included in that
[01:15:02] prayer. I want to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and savior online, YouTube. If you're watching on the Pando app right here in this room, everybody's included in this. If that's you, I want you to make that decision. And it's the whole reason that Jesus came so that you can have
[01:15:15] freedom in your own life. One, you're making the greatest decision of your life. Two, your name is about to be written in the Lamb's book of life. If you want to receive Jesus right now, three,
[01:15:26] shoot your hand up in the air all over this place. I want to see you. I see you. I see you. I see you.
[01:15:31] I see you. I'm so proud of you. I see you. I see you. I see you. And more than that, God sees you all the way in the back. Transformation Church, can we give God praise right there? Hear me.
[01:15:44] Hear me. We're leaving in two minutes, but at Transformation Church, nobody prays alone.
[01:15:49] so for the benefit of those who are coming to christ would everybody just lift your hands and pray this prayer with me say god thank you for being my place of rest today i come to you i
[01:16:04] believe you lived you died and you rose again just for me here's my life i repent of the old way and i turn to you change me renew me transform me i'm yours forever in jesus name amen hey all
[01:16:30] over this building can we join heaven and rejoicing for those who have just joined the family welcome to the kingdom family if you just made that decision as the altar workers come i want you to text SAVE to 828282. If you're watching online, that's for you too. Our team wants to
[01:16:50] send you some resources to help you walk this out. Remember, it is progression, not perfection.
[01:16:56] And if you're in this room and you need prayer, the worship team is about to sing one more song as people are going to grab their kids and leave in. And I want you, if you need prayer in this
[01:17:07] room, I want you to come get prayer. There are people that need agreement right now for things that are going on a loved one a child hard time you need might need revelation in this resting
[01:17:19] you need somebody agree with you come up here for prayer and we want god to do the work that only he can do i am so excited that this is my church and as you go through this summer i just wanted to
[01:17:31] want you to know i'm praying for you and i believe the best is yet to come for us father thank you for your people bless them to have a restful week and we declare father god
[01:17:43] that you will be lifted up as we live this life of abundance so people can know you and be transformed in Christ. In Jesus name. Everybody say we agree. We expect. Amen. Go out and live
[01:17:57] a transformed life. I love you so much. Are you weary? Are you heavy burdened? God says I will give you rest. The Sabbath is not for you just to sleep. It's for you to resist work, to rest and
[01:18:14] spend time with him for your soul and become everything he's called you to be. I'm praying that this week you pick a day, pick a day. And for 24 hours, you do something that has nothing to do
[01:18:28] with the thing you got to do. Spend time with God, recreate, rejuvenate, revive. And I'm telling you, You're gonna see God do miracles not just for you, but in you that nothing else can do
[01:18:40] I'm so proud of you because some of y'all are about to take this journey and I'm telling you there's a revelation of rest that Changes everything resist use rest as a weapon I'm so fired up about it because I know how it's changed my life
[01:18:52] And some of y'all is just tired and you need to give God all that you are giving To everybody else by just having the faith to rest. All right, I'm done I want you to do two things for me.
[01:19:04] Number one, if this has blessed you in any way, I need you to share it with somebody.
[01:19:08] If you know anybody else that's tired, if you know anybody that's overworked or overwhelmed, I need you to send this to them.
[01:19:13] Put it in the family group chat.
[01:19:14] Email it out to them because this could be just what they need to be able to transform.
[01:19:20] And if this ministry and these messages are helping you in any way, I want you to pray about partnering with us and giving to this cause and this mission.
[01:19:29] And God is doing some things to expand this vision that take resources.
[01:19:33] And we don't ask anybody to do anything that God hasn't told them to do.
[01:19:37] So if you pray and he tells you to do something, obey that thing.
[01:19:40] And until next time, I'm telling you, I want you to go out and live a transformed life.
[01:19:46] This is your best season ever because you're going to live a life abundantly.