Balance: Time vs. Rest – Genesis 2:1-3

Balance: Time vs. Rest

Genesis 2:1-3
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Pastor Mike Bailey

Introduction

We all have so many things going on in our lives that are overwhelming. Our to-do lists are never-ending, and we are pulled in multiple directions every day. There are so many needs: family and friends to care for, errands to run, pets to feed, meals to prepare, rooms to clean, money to make, bills to pay, homework to complete, laundry to fold, floors to mop, doctor appointments to schedule, lawns to mow, cars to maintain, and so much more. How are we supposed to balance it all and stay on top of everything? What needs to be done first and what can wait? The answers can be found in Scripture where God clearly tells us how to balance the lives we are blessed to live.

March 31: God vs. Life – Matthew 6:19-34

April 7: Life vs. Family – Psalm 127:3-5

April 14: Family vs. Work – Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

April 21: Work vs. Money – 1 Timothy 6:6-12

April 28: Money vs. Time – Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

May 5: Time vs. Rest – Genesis 2:1-3

IMPACT Church 101 E. First Ave. Parkesburg, PA 19365
(610) 857-3887 [email protected]

Balance: Time vs. Rest

Genesis 2:1-3

You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 2 Peter 3:17

1. Rest is exemplified by .

¹ So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 

² On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.

³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Genesis 2:1-3

Notes:

2. Rest and work have a ratio of .

⁸ “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 

⁹ You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 

¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 

¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Exodus 20:8-11

Notes:

3. Rest does not come to us.

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1

⁹ because you have not yet arrived at the place of rest, the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.

¹⁰ But you will soon cross the Jordan River and live in the land the Lord your God is giving you. When he gives you rest from all your enemies and you’re living safely in the land, Deuteronomy 12:9-10

Notes:

4. Rest comes from giving up .

¹God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it.

² For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God.

³ For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world.

⁴ We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”

⁵ But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”

⁶ So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God.

⁷ So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

⁸ Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come.

⁹ So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 

¹⁰ For all who have entered God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 

¹¹ So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. Hebrews 4:1-11

Notes:

5. Our ultimate rest is in Christ.

Then Jesus said,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

Notes:

It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Isaiah 59:2a

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Challenge: What change will you make this week to Balance your time and rest?

Answer:

All Bible verses are from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.