Isaiah 28:20
The sermon emphasizes that there is no rest in this life except in Christ, and that all other attempts to find rest are futile.
Chuck Smith addresses the people of God who, despite their chosen status and blessings, live in ungodliness and contempt for God's word. He emphasizes that true rest can only be found in Christ, contrasting the false comforts of morality, religious observance, and past experiences, which ultimately provide no real solace. The sermon warns against the futility of relying on inadequate 'beds' for rest, such as moral standards or past spiritual experiences, which are too short and narrow to provide true comfort. Smith calls for a recognition of the need for a genuine relationship with God, as only He can provide the rest that the soul longs for.
Text
"SHORT BED WITH NARROW BLANKETS"
Intro: Can you imagine trying to sleep on such a bed. No true rest.
I. THE PEOPLE BEING ADDRESSED.
A. Gods chosen people.
1. Created as a people of God.
a. Had been given laws, promises, covenants.
2. They owed their existence to God.
3. They owed their prosperity to God.
B. Yet. A people whose impulses and perpetual mode was ungodliness.
1. They had scorn and contempt for words of the prophet.
2. Intellectually they still believed in existence of God.
3. In practice they had denied Him.
"Who hath believed our report?"
C. A people who had contempt for God's prophet.
1. "Whom shalt he teach knowledge?" vs. 9.
a. "Them that are weaned from the bottle."
2. "For precept must be upon precept."
"This kind of preaching is out of date."
3. When Isaiah warned of God's judgments, the replied...
1. We are not afraid "We have made a covenant with death
and hell."
4. Vs. 16.
II. THE MESSAGE - CHRIST ONLY PLACE OF REST.
A. Down in the deeps of your conscience you know that this life is not all.
1. If you do believe that this life is all, I am not going to argue
with you-I will pray for you.
B. We cannot stop the wheels of time, they are sweeping us to the end.
1. Some try to stop the clock.
2. Others try to turn back the clock.
C. No rest except in cornerstone God has provided.
III. BEDS MEN TRY TO REST IN.
A. "I have always been moral" morality.
B. "I have observed all the rites of the external church," religious experiences.
C. "Ten years ago I had a glorious experience - past experiences."
D. "God is too good to punish"- false doctrine."
E. "I haven't time for these things now."
Two Comments:
1. The beds are too short no rest.
2. The blankets are to narrow - will not cover.
A. Bed of Morality - Morality demands standards.
1. What is your standard? Golden Rule.
2. God's standard "Thou shall love the Lord."
B. Bed of religious observances.
1. Spiritual life never generated by mechanical actions confirmation
you renounced world, flesh, devil. Have you? Resting in broken
promises - bed too short.
C. Past experience must be translated into present experience.
1. Paul.
D. God to good to punish - truth is God too good not to punish. There are men,
if God let them into heaven they would turn it into hell.
E. For those who haven't time.
Sermon Outline
- The People Being Addressed points: - God's Chosen People - Denial of God's knowledge - Rejection of God's judgments - A people of ungodliness - A people who had contempt for God's prophet
- The Message - Christ as the Place of Rest points: - The futility of this life - The inevitability of time's passage - No rest except in Christ
- Beds Men Try to Rest In points: - Bed of Morality - Bed of Religious Observances - Bed of Past Experience - Bed of False Doctrine - Bed of Indifference
Key Quotes
“Who hath believed our report?” — Chuck Smith
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little;” — Chuck Smith
“We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement;” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- Recognize that morality and good deeds are not enough to provide true rest, and that we need to find rest in Christ.
- Do not rely on past experiences or religious observances as a means of finding rest, but instead seek to experience God's presence in the present.
- Be aware of the danger of false doctrine and indifference, and instead seek to follow God's standards and live a life of obedience to Him.