31 Aug Help God! I want to change #4

Entering Gods Rest Overview

In this transformative message, Pastor William continues his ‘Help God! I Want to Change’ series by exploring humanity’s unique capacity for transformation. Unlike all other creation that was simply spoken into existence, humans were both spoken and formed by God’s hands from the dust of the earth, making us like soil that grows whatever seeds are planted within us. The sermon emphasizes that we have free will and are responsible for what we sow in our hearts, as we reap what we plant. Through being born again, we become new creations with incorruptible seed, but we must choose to sow to the spirit rather than the flesh. The key message focuses on entering God’s rest – moving beyond the cursed toiling of this corrupted world into the eternal realm where God’s life flows through our work and daily living, bringing joy and divine provision even in earthly responsibilities.

Entering Gods Rest Outline

• 0:00 – Introduction to Change Series: Reviewing the foundational truth that mankind was uniquely created to change
• 2:30 – Humanity’s Unique Creation: Exploring how God both spoke and formed man, making us like soil that grows what’s planted
• 8:15 – Free Will and Responsibility: Understanding that God is in charge but not in control, we choose what to sow
• 12:45 – Born Again as New Creation: Examining the incorruptible seed and transformation available through Christ
• 18:20 – Corruption vs Eternal Life: The consequences of sowing to flesh versus sowing to the spirit
• 24:10 – The Cursed Ground: Genesis 3 and how the fall brought toiling and stress into human existence
• 28:45 – Entering God’s Rest: Living above the cursed system while still working in this world
• 35:30 – Hebrews Warning: Learning from Israel’s failure to enter rest due to hardened hearts

Scripture References

Genesis 3:17-19, Proverbs 4:23, 1 Peter 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:2, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Proverbs 3:5-6, Hebrews 3:5-19, Psalm 95:7-11

Key Takeaways

• Humans are uniquely created like soil – whatever we plant in our hearts through thoughts, words, and focus will grow and manifest in our lives.
• We have free will and are responsible for what we sow; God is in charge but not in control of our daily choices and their consequences.
• Being born again makes us new creations with incorruptible seed, but we must actively choose to sow to the spirit rather than the flesh.
• The ground was cursed after the fall, bringing toiling and stress, but as believers we can enter God’s rest and live above this corrupted system.
• Entering God’s rest doesn’t mean we don’t work, but that we work with divine life flowing through us, bringing joy and provision.
• Hardening our hearts and going astray happens internally first – we must guard our hearts with diligence and maintain faith-filled confidence.
• God desires our transformation more than we do and has provided everything needed for us to partake of His kingdom benefits and inheritance.

Entering Gods Rest Notes

Pastor William masterfully unpacks the profound truth that humanity possesses a unique capacity for change that distinguishes us from all other creation. The Hebrew connection between ‘adamah’ (ground/soil) and ‘adam’ (man) reveals God’s intentional design – we are living soil that grows whatever seeds are planted within us. This agricultural metaphor runs throughout the message, emphasizing personal responsibility in spiritual growth. Unlike other creatures that were simply spoken into existence, humans experienced both divine speech and divine touch, receiving a special formation that includes free will and the ability to transform.The concept of free will versus divine sovereignty receives careful attention. While God remains in charge of the universe, He operates more like a parent who guides but doesn’t control their children’s choices. This framework places responsibility squarely on believers to guard their hearts diligently, as Proverbs 4:23 instructs, since the issues of life flow from what we allow to take root internally. The sermon challenges the passive mentality that expects God to change circumstances while we remain unchanged in our thinking and sowing patterns.The new birth represents humanity’s restoration to our original design for transformation. Through incorruptible seed, believers become entirely new creations – not merely improved versions of their former selves, but something that never existed before. However, this positional reality must be worked out through the ongoing process of renewing our minds, choosing what to feed our hearts, and actively sowing to the spirit rather than the flesh. The Greek distinction between ‘kainos’ (brand new) and ‘neos’ (renewed/refreshed) illustrates both the instant transformation and the ongoing process.Genesis 3:17-19 provides the backdrop for understanding humanity’s current predicament – living under the curse of toilsome labor and stressful striving. Yet believers are called to enter God’s rest, a realm where divine life flows through our earthly responsibilities. This doesn’t eliminate work but transforms it from cursed toiling into kingdom productivity marked by joy, provision, and supernatural enablement. The Hebrews 3 warning about Israel’s wilderness failure serves as a sobering reminder that being God’s people doesn’t automatically guarantee entrance into His rest – it requires ongoing faith, confidence, and heart posture.

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