Retreat Suite's Key to Peace

At Retreat Suite we are dedicated to helping you create space to find rest in the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can be refreshed and rejuvenated. Yet we recognize that even the best hotel with the most beautiful views can’t provide rest for your soul; only Jesus can do that! In fact Jesus makes a promise to you in the book of Matthew, Chapter 11 in verse 28, when He says, “I will give you rest.”

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of daily living, when you are overwhelmed by the demands and expectations of others, there is something about the promise of rest that brings joy to the heart. When you are tired, worn out, maybe even burned out due to the frenetic pace of life, there is something about the promise of rest that feels like an anchor for the soul.

Are you ready to find rest for your soul? This is Jesus’ invitation to you…

Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In order to enjoy the rest Jesus has to offer there are three steps you must take:

Jesus says…

Step 1 – Come to me… As Jesus invites you to come, the first thing you need is the necessary motivation to come. In the New Testament, Jesus said that He came to “seek and save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The good news is that He came seeking, the bad news is he came to those in need of a Savior. The reality is, unless you are convinced you need to be saved, you won’t be interested in what the Savior has to offer.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus’ invitation for rest comes to those who are weary and burdened by trying to be good enough. The people Jesus was speaking to were convinced that they had to obey the Law of God in order to save themselves. But the law was not given by God to save us from our sin. It was given to be the standard of accountability for our sin (Romans 3:19-20) and thus to lead us to Jesus for salvations rest (Galatians 3:24). But that does not stop people from trying to convince themselves that they can be good enough. If you want to see how well you match up to God’s standard, can I suggest a test? Follow this link (Test Me) and see how you do!

Now you understand why the people who were coming to Jesus were at the end of their rope. Weary and burdened by trying to be good enough they came to the hopeless realization that nothing they could do would be good enough. That is what made them ready for a Savior.

Unless you are at the end of your rope and convinced that nothing you can do can earn you the Savior’s rest, then you are not ready for His invitation. You lack the needed motivation to take the next step. But if you do realize you are weary and burdened and tired of being helpless and hopeless, than this invitation is for you! Jesus says come to me!

Step 2 - Receive from me… It’s not enough to be invited, you must accept the invitation! The promise is, “I will give you rest.” The implication is, I must recieve the rest that is being offered. According to the Bible we receive the Savior’s rest through faith as we lay down our personal pursuit of being good enough and instead receive a gift of divine grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) that gives salvation’s rest apart from our attempts to be good enough.

So how does your faith make you good enough? First you need to understand it has nothing to do with you, so therefore the amount of faith is irrelevant. The issue is the object of our faith. What makes us good enough? According to Scripture, the only sufficient object of our faith, which is able to save us from our sin and allows us to enter salvation’s rest, is Jesus Christ. According to the Gospels and the Book of Acts, because Jesus was crucified, buried, and then rose from the dead, He alone is able to grant salvation to those who recognize their need for it (Acts 4:8-12).

According to the Bible, the wages of sins is death (Romans 6:23). If you are employed, you get a wage for the work that you do. The pay you get for the work of sin that you do is death. According to the book of Hebrews, chapter 9 in verse 27, it says “…man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.” But here is the good news to rest in!

Hebrews 9:26-28 (NIV) But now (Christ) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

That is good news! When Jesus died on the cross He took your place. The innocent took the punishment of the guilty. The great news is that because of His resurrection from the dead, we have certain proof that he is able to return to receive us, and when he comes he will bring salvation with him! If your faith rests in the reality that Jesus paid the penalty of death for your sin and that His resurrection guarantees your future inheritance, than you have understood what is required to receive the gift of your Savior’s rest. To confirm your understanding of this truth, follow this link (I want the Gospel) to insure you are clear!

To receive the Savior’s gift of salvation rest it requires faith alone in Christ alone: You believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again and you recognize that your faith in Christ’s finished work is sufficient to save without the addition of your works. You confess your sin and accept his sacrifice on your behalf and you will be saved (James 1:8-9). If that is the desire of your heart than you can pray this prayer in affirmation of your faith:

"God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross at Calvary, and I long to receive the forgivenes you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen."

If you made this decision we want to know about it! Please email us at info@retreatsuite.com!

Step 3 – Learn from me… So what now? Now that you have entered the rest of the Savior you have the privilege of walking with Him as your Lord. This requires that you learn from Jesus. There are four ways to learn from Jesus:

1 – Learn from Jesus in community - Find a good local church in your area. We might be able o
provide some suggestions in your area if you let us know your need!

2 – Learn from Jesus on your own – Study the Bible and pray on your own. We would suggest that you read the Gospel of John. This will allow you to see Jesus from the perspective of an eye witness. You might also choose to follow this link (Who is Jesus?) for an investigative Bible Study which will help you understand who Jesus was and what He came to do!

3 – Learn from Jesus with the help of a mentor – The best way to learn is to be taught by someone else who has a passion for you to learn. In Christian practice we call this a discipling relationship. When you begin to attend a church make an appointment with the Pastor and ask him to help you find a discipler so that you can grown in your faith as you learn from Jesus!