QUADS Content, Week 3

1. Discuss the best vacation or trip you’ve ever been on? Was it restful? If so, what made it restful? If not, why not?

2. What are things that you currently do that bring you rest? There is a difference here between doing things that distract you / momentarily entertain you vs. things that give you rest. For example, most of the times I veg out and watch sports or Netflix I do so because I’m bored. It actually makes me anxious afterwards because I’m delaying what I probably should be doing. So I might think Netflix is a restful thing to do, but it’s really not (most of the time).

3. Read Joshua 23:1, 2 Samuel 7:1 and 1 Kings 5:3-4. How would those passages define rest? Is it different then how you've thought of rest?

Rest is one of the greatest storylines of Scripture. Canaan is the land of rest and the majority of the Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy) is about God’s people on journey into Canaan. When arriving they build a temple and find rest (the ceasing of their enemies). Later in the narrative they are brought into exile (because of their sin) and the prophecies they hear are hope filled, speaking about a future day of rest. Read Lamentations 1:3, Isaiah 14:3-4, Micah 2:10 to hear words of hope about this future rest. Perhaps a prophecy most vivid about the rest that will one day arrive is found in Zechariah 1:7-11 (specifically v. 11).

4. I think it is clear that rest is found in being delivered from our enemies. With that in mind, who are your enemies? (hint: our flesh, the devil, the world - Ephesians 2:1-6)

5. In the NT we learn that Jesus is our rest (Hebrews 3:7-4:13), not just in regards to eternal rest, but also experienced today. Our hurriedness / restlessness tends to come from being in sin, being influenced by worldliness (1 John 2:15-17) or by spiritual attack from the enemy (see the question above). Therefore, Jesus is our deliverance from those enemies, giving us salvation as a free and gracious gift, received by repentance and faith. This is most evidently found in the Gospel of Matthew. Read his invitation from Matthew 11:28-30 and discuss what it looks like for you to come to Jesus with your burdens and take his yoke upon you.

As you end your time together read the end of Scripture, Revelation 22:1-5, a beautiful depiction of our eternal home coming soon. Let this guide you in a time of hope-filled prayer.