RESET II. Simplicity

Matthew 11:28-30

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.” 

 

Great Quotes on Simplicity:

 

“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.”

- Isaac Newton

 

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

 

“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex…”

- Steve Jobs

 

“The core of beauty is simplicity”

- Paulo Coelho

 

 

I.               GOD DEALS IN SIMPLICITY

 

1.     The Greatest Commandment -  NT

Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”  ³⁷ Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” 

 

2.     Summary of the Law - OT

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

 

3.     Christianity is Simplicity

                        2 Cor 11:3

                  But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his 

                  craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that 

                  is in Christ.

 

4.     Paul and Simplicity

                        1 Cor 2:2

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

 

 

II.              GUIDELINES TOWARDS SIMPLICITY

 

1.     Quiet Your Soul

            Psalm 131:1-2

Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don’t concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. ² Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,  like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother’s milk.  Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

 

2.     Reevaluate what gain really is

1 Tim 6:6-7

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. ⁷ After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.

 

3.     Lay Aside Every Weight

Heb 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 

4.     Mind your Own Business

1 Thess. 4:11

Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before.

 

5.     Strive for the Right Reasons

Eccl4:4

Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. 

 

6.     Change your thinking

Phil 4:8

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

 

7.     Major on the most important Things

Jer. 9:23-24

This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,  or the powerful boast in their power,  or the rich boast in their riches.  ²⁴ But those who wish to boast  should boast in this alone:  that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord  who demonstrates unfailing love  and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,  and that I delight in these things. 

 

8.     Find Your One Thing

Psalm 27:4

The one thing I ask of the Lord—  the thing I seek most—  is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,  delighting in the Lord’s perfections  and meditating in his Temple. 

 

9.     Remind yourself He is God

Psalm 46:10

“Be still and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation.  I will be honored throughout the world.”

 

 

 

 

RESET

 

Haggai 2:6-8

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; ⁷ and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁸ ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.⁹ ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

 

Heb 12:25

See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, ²⁶ whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” ²⁷ Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as ofthings that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

 

Def. Reset - set again or differently.

 

I.               CHARACTERISTICS OF A RESET

 

1.     Preceded by Shaking

a.     Removal of things that are made poieō – (constructed, made, created, caused, fashioned). 

Heb 12:27.

“…removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

 

b.    Preparing the nations to see the desire of all nations

Haggai 2:7

and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations

 

c.     Preparation for glory

I will fill this temple with glory,

 

d.    Preparation for wealth transfer

‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.

2.     Uncertainty

3.     Change 

 

II.              THE EXODUS A BIBLICAL RESET

 

Exodus 12:1-2,31

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you… ³¹ Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said.

 

III.            GOD’S PURPOSE FOR RESET

 

1.     Freeing you to worship Him more

2.     Freeing you to fulfil His purpose

3.     Breaking off long standing strongholds

4.     Showing His power and Prowess

5.     Establishing His Fear before the Nations (Exo 19)

6.     Testing us for Increased faith

Deut. 8:15-16

who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; ¹⁶ who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—

 

Exodus 16:4-8

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. ⁵ And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” ⁶ Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” ⁸ Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”

 

IV.            SATAN’S PLAN IN A RESET

 

1.     He will pursue you to try and keep you bound

2.     Tempt you to create your own god that will suit your fancy

3.     Lure you towards illegal pain relief

4.     Stir up division in the ranks to distract

5.     Seeks to keep you dependent upon a world system

 

V.             WHAT WE MUST DO

 

1.     Make sure your soul is anchored in the Lord

Heb 6:19-20

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, ²⁰ where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

 

2.     Respond in faith

 

3.     Change the way you do things (restructure)

 

4.     Collaborate 

 

5.     Pass the Test

-       Hardship in relationship

-       Temptation

-       Circumstances that require Faith

 

6.     Keep Pressing

Want to relax and rest but must keep pressing