From my humble and rather limited perspective, nothing has perplexed the modern church more than the apparent inoperation of the "greater works" that Jesus guaranteed. On a corporate scale, the body of Christ is surely lacking the complete fulfilment of these precious promises. This inadequacy is even used as an attempt to discredit the authority of Scripture, and the authority of the name of Jesus.. how sad!
However, what the body of Christ often fails to do is look inwardly, and introspectively search our own hearts for any deficiency. Naturally, men do not enjoy this process, and therefore often avoid it altogether. We're so good at blaming God! But what if there's lack to be found in us? Is the apparent "spiritual lack" of our churches a direct result of our own doing? I believe so.
If you read the book of Acts, you repeatedly see men of God healing the sick, raising the dead, and preaching the Gospel with great power, and void of any compromise - all without the carnal strife that is so present today. Why is that? Acts gives us a small glimpse into an apparent necessity for these "greater works" to be in operation; a necessity that is, for the most part, corporately lacking. Observe..
"Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord" (Acts 9:31-35).
You will notice that this excerpt contains Peter healing a man who had been ill for 8 years. So ill, in fact, that he couldn't even stand or walk! But notice with me the very first phrase recorded for us here.. "then had the churches rest..." This "rest" is a precursor to the miraculous ministry that Peter had. It's simple cause and effect.. "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea ... And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately". Who can fail to see the obvious cause and effect presented here?
What is this "rest" of which I speak? Friends, this rest is nothing short of a habitation upon Mt. Zion - spiritual Zion - the eternal abode of God Himself! Here and here alone, upon Mt. Zion, is real, genuine and godly rest to be realized! Zion, God's realm of glory, is the only place where His inheritance can find relief from their weariness: "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary" (Ps 68:9). Such "old paths" upon Zion were the perpetual trek of the early church, and as a result, their ministries flourished and budded with the miraculous (Jer 6:16). Likewise, this was Jesus' counsel from the beginning (Matt 11:29), yet so many of us are negligent. We're to take Zion's yoke around our necks, burdened by the glories of that special place alone. There, and only there, is real rest ever found.. "This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing" (Isa 28:12). There, and only there, will your fruit be fully birthed!
Interestingly, the Greek word used in Acts 9 for "rest" is "eirene". It means, "to join, peace, prosperity, quietness, rest, to set at one again". It's the same word translated "peace" in the following accounts:
"Peace [rest] I leave with you, my peace [rest] I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you..." (Jn 14:27).
"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace [rest] from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 1:7).
"But glory, honour, and peace [rest], to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile" (Rom 2:10).
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace [rest] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1).
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace [rest]" (Rom 8:6).
"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace [rest], and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom 14:17).
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace [rest] in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Rom 15:13).
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace [rest], longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Gal 5:22-23).
"And the peace [rest] of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:7).
"And let the peace [rest] of God rule in your hearts..." (Col 3:15).
So what does all this tell us? It tells us, therefore, that such "rest" as was spoken of concerning the early church was not a mere retiring from a long day's work.. It doesn't merely reference a good night's sleep. Rather, it speaks of a spiritual rest, an entrance into glory, an unloading of the cares of this life, and an attraction toward Zion! Such a rest will always bear fruit, even as it did for Peter. Such a rest upon Zion will always facilitate the miraculous, even as Peter's ministry to the crippled man displayed. Friends, in a day when the world is aching ever more to taste and see that the Lord is good, let's be His vehicles.. let's take our rests upon Zion and watch what happens as we make it's rest our perpetual abode!
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