The Struggle is Real
Notes
Transcript
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
How many of you know what it is like to get overhwelmed…anybody? Can I get a witness?
As the young folks say: The struggle is REAL, amen?
Getting overwhelmed means that you are putting out more energy, effort, passion, and emotion than you are replenishing through resty, recovery, and pleasurable moments.
As we have been studying through the life of Jesus this week, I want you to understand that not only does God UNDERSTAND how you feel when you feel that way, but Jesus specifically felt that way on several occasions.
That’s right....you heard me correctly....when Jesus took on flesh as a human being, the Bible says that He experienced all of the discomforts of a normal mortal human being that we do....including feeling overwhelmed, beat down, and burnt out…there is NO question about that. The question is: what did He do about it?
Asd we study His life together, Jesus gives us a good picture of how to handle struggles and burn out in our life so:
a. Scripture: Mark 1:35-45
a. Scripture: Mark 1:35-45
I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.
<Pray>
Thank you, and you may be seated.
II. Major Points
II. Major Points
Avoid Burnout
Love First
III. Point #1: Avoid Burnout
III. Point #1: Avoid Burnout
Explanation
Here we see Jesus has just healed practically everybody in the city last week....and now He is healing even more people. He had been casting out demons....And even after all of this is over, he has told people NOT to go and repeat what they had seen or what He had done for them....the people were relentlessly coming to Jesus for healing…following Him everywhere…and by the end of this discourse, Jesus has to go off to go away from the city to the less populated areas.....They were kind of like the paparazzi....Everywhere He turned, there they were....and I don’t blame them! Had you or I been there and had some kind of infirmity…some kind of sickness…or if somebody in our family was on their deathbed, we would have been looking everywhere we could for Jesus too looking for physical healing wouldn’t we?
Funny enough…we all have a terminal spiritual sickness called sin…yet the people don’t seek Him anymore…and we don’t take them to Him like we would if somebody was physically sick....if He was here and your child were dying…you’d move heaven, hell, and everything in between to get your child to Him....but we won’t bring our unsaved firends and family to Him who are dying without Christ....it’s a shame....it really is....
But we see here....even Jesus was beginning to experience burn out.
Illustration
I want to give you a list of 5 things you can do to avoid burn out that we can learn from Jesus here:
The word and concept of burn out comes from the idea of a flame ina candle or a fireplace....you see fire flourishes on consumption. It requires a fuel if you will to keep it going. That fuel could be wood…kindling…paper…pinecones....or the wick in a candle....anything flamable. In order to keep the fire going, it must continuously be refreshed and refueled…other wise it will burn out.
So note this: you MUST put something physical in or the flame will go out. Number 1 is replinish yourself physically. This could be rest....it could be a good healthy meal....it might be a vacation or simply a lazy day off areound the house....it could be a date night with your significant other or just hanging out with some good friends and spending time togther....So note this: You MUST put somethign physical in in order for your body to continuousely produce something physical.
Also, fire consumes something else: air. That means there is something unseen that goes into keeping a fire going....even a fire breaths. And when you cut off the air, you w ill eventually choke out the flame…and it will burn out....we are much the same way. We have a spiritual, unseen need in our lives as well. Number 2 is to replinish yourself spiritually. If we don’t put love, God, Bible study, church time, and prayer time in, you can bet that that flame will burn out just as quickly too.
Church: Jesus was close to experiencing burn out because everywhere He went he was exerting himself physically AND spiritually as he was helping these people....something was going OUT of Him....and He needed to recouperate....and Mark is very clear here where it tells us how Jesus handled that.
In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.
The first thing Jesus did is He got alone....in other words: He took a break. Number 3 is that you need to take a break. He found aplace to be by Himself....but more than that, while He was alone, He also replinished Himself spiritually in prayer. He understood that He needed to rest…and needed to spend time with God.
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
He understood that His strength wasn’t from the human side of Him, that it came from the Lord…and you know what church? Ours does too. Number 4 is to recognize that your strength comes from the Lord. You need replenishing when you give of yourself spiritually just like you need rest and nourishment after you have exerted yourself physically.
Let me tell you something, when I get up in the morning and come to church, sometimes I am exhausted from being up late writing or working on something on a Saturday night....but when I get here and just before I get up to preach....it’s like I just drank a 20 oz. Redbull…I could run a marathon. And God’s word that I have prepared and the Holy Spirit has led me to comes pouring out of me and I get SO excited to show you what He has shown me....but when I’m done....ya’ll I ain’t fit for nothin. I’m telling you....I step down from this stage for them to lead the invitation hymn....yall I got nothin left....I need a good meal and a nap....and then I’m ok. But I’m telling you, I have to replinish.
I know a lot of full-time pastors that take Monday off....they don’t do anything at all on Monday because Sunday took so much out of them....But if I don’t take some time, I’ll be burnt out…I won’t be good for anything Monday morning when those 11th graders walk into my classroom…and sometimes that means we have to tell others know....Number 5 is to make priorities. You can’t do everything…listen to what Jesus said in verse 45:
But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.
Jesus realized that if he stayed in the city, all he ould do is heal…he’d never get around to preaching the Gospel....it wasn’t because He didn’t sympathize with the people He didn’t heal, it was that His mission was to spread the Gospel....the good news of salvation....it was something that would heal people’s souls for eternity, not just for the moment.
Sometimes in Christianity, I think that we think we have to be busy 100% of the time or else we are somehow wasting time…and that’s not true. How many of you know even God took a day off after a week of work, can I get an amen on THAT? GOD took a break and He wants us to normalize taking a break....Jesus took a break....He went to replinish physically and spiritually. Church....if you want to avoid burn out: replinish physically and spiritually....take a break....take time for yourself....learn to prioritize what is most important....recognize that your strength is not your own, that it comes from the Lord....and make priorities. You can’t do everything, so don’t try.
IV. Point #2: Love First
IV. Point #2: Love First
Explanation
There is another very important element of this story that I don’t want you to miss. Jesus encountered a leper here....now there were people in Jesus’ day who just had skin conditions like exema and rashes and things like that....but if the people saw it and thought it was a leprosy, you might as well have had leprosy because you were going to be treated as thoough you did. This man may or may not have actually had the flesh-eating disease called leprosy....but he had something, to be sure.
Now when this man approached Jesus, Jesus could have told him to stay at a distance....and He could have healed him at a distance....but He chose a different route.
And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
You see at THAT moment…Jesus could have said “be cleansed” before touching the man....but what does verse 41 say happened?
Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
Illustration
Jesus TOUCHED the man BEFORE He healed Him....now you might be thinking “well He HAD to touch Him to heal him…right?”
In the next chapter does Jesus have to touch the paralyzed man that was lowered through the roof before he could walk?.....
Did He have to touch Lazarus to resurrect Him?...
Did God have to touch space and time in order to create it?....
The answer is NO!…In Mark Chapter 2, Jesus looked at that man and simply SAID get up, take your mat and go home!....and that man got up after a lifetime of not being able to walk and carried his mat home....
He didn’t have to touch Lazarus…He simply said “Lazarus....come OUT!” and man who had been dead for FOUR days breathed the breath of life…got up and walked out the grave ALIVE.
God didn’t have to touch space and time to create it He simply said the words “Let there be LIGHT!”…BOOM!...and there was light....
Jesus could have said be healed…and then touched the man to show love and compassion....but no…the Bible says He touched him first....he touched HIM! an unclean LEPER…risking leprosy…then He healed Him....
You see Jesus....loved before He healed....He loved first.
Application
You see when other people looked at that leper....they saw a dirty....unclean creature…less than human. Did you know they made lepers wear special clothing and shout “unclean! unclean!” when they came near people? He was gross....disgusting....beyond the love of people....
But Jesus looked at Him and saw a suffering man who believed in Him....He saw a child of the living God who simply needed healing.
Let me tell you something this morning church: when God looks at us....His holiness could allow Him to rightly see us for who we really are: disgusting…gross....sinners....plagued with the disease of sin…UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN! That’s who we really are! God could’ve shunned us....forgotten about us....refused to look upon us as He refuses to look upon sin....treated us as the outcasts our sin actually makes us....
But is that what He did?....No....instead of ignoring us....He saw us....and He saw a people that needed Him....a people that needed healing. He looked upon us and saw a creation that needed saving....Could He have saved us from afar? Coould He have simply said “Ye be saved!” just like He created the cosmos with a few words? I have no doubt in my mind that He could have....but no. He sent His ONLY Son Jesus…as a man…to TOUCH us first....with human, nail-pierced hands. To touch us....THEN heal us. God....loved us first…”for God so loved you and me…the wretched, sinful world…so much....that He gave His only Son....”....then offered us the healing…that whoever believes in Him might not perish…but live eternally with Him. He loved us first....
Church: Isn’t that good news? Can I get an Amen on THAT? God loved US first…and now Here it is church: he expects US to love too....to love Him…and to love eachother.
We love, because He first loved us.
Church listen: We need to stand for truth and righteouness....but we have to love too. If we can’t love one another, why in the world would anybody want to come to church? I know some churches and church folks they fight more than unsaved people I know....them folks will be thinkin: Lord, why would I go among that…I can get THAT kind of treatment at the house!
Show love and kindness....and then when you share those words....those precious Gospel words....they will have the added value of your good fruit to back them up....when you invite somebody to church....your love and kindness will add value to those words....
Reach out and love first…then offer the healing. That’s how God did it. Love first…the way Jesus did.
V. Conclusion
V. Conclusion
a. Let me ask you this morning: are you avoiding burn out in your life?…how is the struggle in your life? Is it real? How are you handling it?....and let me encourage you, in all your dealings: love first.
b. Let’s Pray