“I Am Christ Church” - The mission. What we believe. How we live.
Christ makes a Christian. Disciplines make the disciple.
The Wheel:
Never ends. Never outgrow.
Start anywhere. Finish everywhere.
Simple definition and complex definition.
We Rest
Identity, contentment, praise, kingdom of God
Genesis 2:1-4
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.
4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.
Sabbath (stop, rest) → Shalom (peace, wholeness)
Exodus 31:12-17
12 The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses: 13 “Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. 15 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. 16 The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. 17 It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’ ”
Living toward the kingdom of God vs. living in the kingdom of God.
You are a human being, NOT a human doing.
Stillness. Silence. Solitude. Slow. Prayer. People. Peace. Perspective. Fasting. Thanksgiving. Enjoyment. Celebration. Communion. Contemplation. Reading. Kingdom of God. Love of God.
Jesus and rest: Strict observance vs. no observance
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Jesus, rest, and the Resurrection
Further Resources
Sabbath as Resistance: Saying No to the Culture of Now by Walter Brueggemann
Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
1. Do you rest enough? Why or why not? What makes rest hard or easy?
2. Why does God command us to rest? What themes, stories, or narratives do you experience living in our wider culture related to rest?
3. If you could rest more, what would it look like to you? (practically and tangibly - give a concrete example)
4. When, where, and how do you experience a sense of God’s peace, presence, and kingdom the most? How does that relate to rest? How might you incorporate that into a purposeful time of rest?
5. What do you need to stop doing to experience rest? What do you need to start doing to experience rest? What gets in the way of your rest?
6. Why, in your own words, is it important for you to have a Sabbath rest related to the rest of your week?
7. What does Jesus’s invitation to “come to me” look like for you today? Tomorrow? What boundary or discipline do you want to commit to that might allow you to experience more rest? How will you hold yourself to this?