The Emancipation Proclamation, penned by Abraham Lincoln, was issued on January 1, 1863. Just over 100 years later, on August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He declared that though slaves were legally free, the cultural racism, violence, and segregation that overran most of the nation kept this country and its people from actually being free, and experiencing the unity, peace, and blessing that stems from tearing down the divides of fear and hate.

On February 10, 1964 segregation was officially ended. The fight for civil rights and unity still wages on to this day.

This fight is not anything new. When we rebel against God and His word, we invite every form of social, economical, and political evil. When we become the gods and rulers of our own reality, everyone that doesn’t look like us, think like us, or vote like us becomes different, lesser, and eventually an enemy, something to be rejected, feared, and even hated.

Last week we looked at Leviticus 25 and how God created the sabbath for our benefit, so we can learn work with what He has given us, and to rest and trust in Him for we cannot do or provide for on our own.

Jesus healed on the Sabbath

Mark 2:27 The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

Jesus is our sabbath. In Him we live, work, and find rest for our souls. The Law commanded a day of rest from our work, to trust God’s provision and to focus on Him and our families.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream where people would walk together in unity – united under the banner of God’s love, truth, and power.

To dream, one must sleep. There are 5 stages of sleep, and only in the fifth and deepest level do we dream. Dreams are important for the memory, mind, and imagination. If we don’t dream our brains have a hard time of functioning properly which can lead to many mental / emotional disorders and even to insanity and or an early death.

Even so, we must learn to sabbath, to rest in Him. That we would rest into the deep places of God hitting the 5th spiritual rest stage of God’s grace where we can dream with Him.

Does this mean that we must not do any work one day a week?

Romans 14:5-6 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.

If you have a day of the week set aside, that is great and there are many benefits associated with that. Either way, we all need to develop a lifestyle of daily prayer, worship, and getting into the word so we can rest and dream and grow in Him as we encounter His Holy Spirit.

If you aren’t dreaming, it is very likely you are not resting in Him. Being busy does not mean being productive. As we looked at last week, when Israel let the land rest in the 7th year, God would provide triple the produce in year 6. Likewise, when they sabbathed on day 7, God would provide double on day 6.

What would you prefer, working 7 days, getting exhausted and barely scraping by, or trusting Him, resting and getting refreshed by Him while He multiplies your efforts. I want exponential fruitfulness and productivity, not exhaustion.

We now are invited to rest in Him and to rest from our labors in atoning for our sin, and trust in His finished work on the cross. “It is finished!” He finished His work of redemption on the cross so that we can now rest in Him.

The command to Sabbath 1 day a week was a type, shadow, or analogy for our continual rest in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:1,12-13 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship… But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time He waits for His enemies to be made His footstool.

The Father Sabbathed or completed His work in creation in order to teach us to rest in Him.

God then sent His Son, not to remove the Law, but to fulfill it. The command to sabbath on a day was a Law that does not apply to us directly because it was a shadow of the greater principal and reality that we are to rest in and trust Jesus every day of our lives. I’m not speaking against observing a sabbath day. The principle still applies that it is good to rest once a week to focus on God and our families.

Hebrews 10:24-25 let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The Father Sabbathed in creation.
The Son, then, Sabbathed after His finished work of redemption on the cross.

Jesus, then sent the Holy Spirit who is now working in us and through us His church, to reveal Jesus, expand His kingdom, and invite others to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is working in so many ways: Revelation, conviction, sanctification, adoption, administration of the Kingdom, transformation of the soul, interpreting between God and man, preparation of the Bride of Christ. I could go on. The Holy Spirit is busy!

The Father Sabbathed after creation.
The Son sabbathed after redemption.
One Day The Holy Spirit will also Sabbath or complete His work of revelation, and preparation.

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

The fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption for humanity will culminate in the eternal celebration when the Bridegroom, Jesus, comes back for His bride, the church, and we are united with Him forever. Just like MLK Jr., God has a dream.

This is the whole point of prophecy. It is the dream of God that He desires to see come to fruition and He invites us to dream with Him and we go through work/rest cycles of obedience and trust.

End-Time Events
(Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Gospels, 1 Corinthians, 2 Thessalonians, & Revelation)
1. Rapture – Judgment of rewards for the believer
2. Antichrist
3. 7-year Tribulation
4. War of Gog and Magog Against Israel
5. Mid-point of tribulation – “The Abomination of Desolation” – Persecution
6. Battle of Armageddon – Christ’s Second Comming
7. Judgement of the Nations
8. Binding of Satan for 1,000 years
9. 1,000 year Reign of Christ
10. The Last Battle
11. Great White Throne Judgment: final judgement of unbelievers
12. New Heaven & New Earth.

Revelation 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

For now, we are living in the middle of the story. To begin to understand what will happen, we need to look at what God said, and what has already happened.

John 3:29-30 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

John was the forerunner for Jesus’ first coming, the Holy Spirit is now revealing, convicting, and transforming the church. He preparing the Bride to be without spot or wrinkle, so that when Jesus comes back to receive His bride, we will be ready.

A huge part of getting ready for Jesus is spending time with Him.

Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Luke 10:38-41 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

We need to stop being busy Martha’s and start being Marys who sit at the feet of Jesus. We don’t need to hustle in the kingdom. We work to accomplish the tasks He has given us to do, with Him, by His grace, and all while we continually rest in Him. It’s not about being lazy but trusting Him enough to do it His way and allowing Him to protect and provide as only He can.

Sometimes we get too distracted by doing things for Jesus, that we forget to do things with Him. To be still in His presence, to wait on the Lord.

Repent of not trusting God with your finances, family, time, job, and life. Go to Jesus spend time filling your lamp with His oil in the word, in worship and in prayer.