The Rhythm of Rest

Last week we finished our annual series on Faith Commitment Giving. If you are still praying about what to give, please feel free to pick up one of the faith commitment cards, fill that out and drop it into one of these black boxes.

Next week we will continue our studies on the sermon on the mount, but this week, I am stepping away from that series as I preach a special message titled The Rhythm of Rest.

Rhythm in music is defined as the strong and regular pattern of movement and sound. This morning we will be studying about the rhythm of rest. It seems a bit oxymoronic because we often think of rest as something that is quiet, peaceful, and does not involve movement, whereas rhythm implies movement and sound.

But just as neither a single prolonged note nor a prolonged silence is music, neither is prolonged activity nor prolonged inactivity a proper rhythm for life.

There must be a rhythm of rest in our lives. Too much work without rest causes a myriad of problems, as does too much rest without activity.

The second chapter of the Bible tells us us the example God set when He rested after creating the earth and everything in it. We know that the Israelites were commanded to rest on the Sabbath and do no work on that day.

But today, I want to talk about a little more than just physical rest. I want to focus on spiritual rest and emotional rest. Because we are created as triune beings: body, soul, and spirit, spiritual rest and emotional rest or soul rest will often need to be accompanied by physical rest.

There are six or eight instances in the Gospels that tell us of Jesus going to a desert place to be apart from others to rest or that he separated himself to be alone to pray somewhere. This was, in part, to rest and be refreshed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. One of the times that Jesus attempts to go and be alone to pray is right after the news that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been executed. This speaks of a desire to rest for emotional reasons.

Think about it, John the Baptist was not only Jesus' cousin, but the man that was used to prepare Israel for the Messiah. John's work before Jesus arrived on the scene was vital to Jesus' ministry, and one of the reasons that Jesus had so many followers. So when John died, imagine the impact that had on Jesus. He needed to get away for a while. In fact, when they receive the news about John the Baptist, the book of Mark tells us that Jesus tells the disciples that they need to go to a desert place to rest for a while.

So today, there are a few questions I'd like to answer about rest.

Who needs rest?

We find an answer to that question in Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 KJV 1900

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

If you are laboured (fatigued, tired from hard work, weary from grief) or heavy laden [anxious, overburdened, suffering from spiritual anxiety (resulting from sin or from not living in our correct spiritual identity)] you need rest. And the only significant rest that you will find is in Jesus.

How do you find rest?

The answer to this is also in Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11:28 (KJV 1900)

28 Come unto me...

A. COME UNTO ME... Being in the presence of Jesus brings with it a rest that is unparalleled. If it is spiritual anxiety that you are burdened with, then the way to approach God is through confession of sin. Emotional rest that you need, then talking to Jesus about what the stressors in your life are right now is a way to approach Him and be in His presence.

B. If you are fatigued and tired and overworked, if you are in a bind that is causing you stress, then approach God with what burdens you and follow the instructions of Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10 KJV 1900

10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Sitting in silence before the Lord in prayer is something that can be uncomfortable, if you have never done it before. At one time, I headed up a Radical Mentoring program at a previous church. This was a program designed for Christian men to mentor other men. One of the first challenges that we were faced with was to take 5 minutes of prayer time and just be silent. Like I said, if you have never done that before, it is extremely odd.

We are so used to immersing ourselves in noise and distraction. Ten seconds of absolute silence and we start to think that something is wrong or start to feel awkward. (Stop talking for a full ten seconds) See?!

But there are times when we need to be still and reflect on who God is. And just like the Hymn says, "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

It is a good thing to be still. But we need to also know that He is God. Reflecting on who God is is great way to be led to rest. When you’re anxious, remember that He is the one in control. When you’re stressed, remember that He is the one with the perfect plan. Remember that He loves you, cares for you, and watches over you because if you are saved, you are His child.

C. But the second part of that verse says I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. There are a particular set of songs that I listen to when I am tired and depressed and burdened. It is extremely restful to take time and exalt the Lord. To praise Him and worship him. Have you ever wondered why singing and praising God in church is so relaxing and restorative? It is because our strength is found in Jesus! When we approach Him and focus on Him it is like a recharge.

D. And similar to the oxymoronic phrase "the rhythm of rest," the next instruction is also similarly an oxymoron. Take up Christ's burden.

Matthew 11:29-30 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:29–30 KJV 1900

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

And you might say to yourself, "But yoke implies work." And you would be correct. But yoke is also implies sharing. See, a yoke would join two or more animals together and they could share the burden that they were pulling behind them. When we link up with Jesus, when we are committed to walking in step with Him, we will have burdens, we will have grief, and we will experience stress. But we will have Jesus, the comforter, the Prince of Peace, the Almighty next to us bearing that load with us.

Listen, whoever says that once you're a Christian you should have no sickness or stress or sadness or weakness is flat out lying to you and nine times out of ten they're probably trying to sell you something, DON'T BUY IT! There ain't no handkerchief, anointing oil, or holy water that will make you rich, heal you, or relieve your burdens. Jesus said, "Come unto me; walk alongside me, because my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Trust me, if you want to go it alone, you will still have grief, stress, and other burdens, but you will have to drag all that on your own. Jesus offers a restful alternative. A way to find soul rest.

I want to look at a very familiar Psalm. This Psalm is so familiar that it is easy to overlook the message of the passage. We’ve been studying this passage on Wednesday evenings. Turn with me please to Psalm 23

Psalm 23 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

There is so much to say about this Psalm. The author of Psalm 23 was David. David conjures up in our minds the image of a loving shepherd, a good shepherd, if you will. Jesus, approximately 1,000 years later, describes himself as the Good Shepherd that gives his live for the sheep; the good shepherd who knows His sheep and is known by his sheep.

So David starts out with The Lord is MY shepherd. This speaks of his personal relationship with the shepherd. He has meditated, he knows who God is. He didn't say the Lord is A shepherd, but MY shepherd. Hey, let me tell you, if you want to know true rest and peace, you are going to have to have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

He continues with He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. David is speaking of a God who fulfils our spiritual needs. Just as David, no doubt, had given his sheep rest and food in green pastures, the Lord gives us spiritual rest. Water speaks to being refreshed, and all throughout the Psalms you find it repeated over and over again, "The Lord is my strength." He refreshes us spiritually when we are fatigued.

But not only does he meet our spiritual needs, He meets our mental and emotional needs.

Verse 3 starts off by saying He restoreth my soul:

The word "soul" is a word to describe the essence of a man. His mind, heart, emotions, and will. It is what makes you, you. And if you read the story of David through 1st and 2nd Samuel, you will find so many times where David was mentally fatigued, stricken with grief, heartbroken, weak, and on the verge of giving up. The same David that experienced this over and over again is the same David that wrote of the Lord, "He restores my soul. He puts the broken pieces of my heart, mind, and will back together."

Rest is not found simply in lying in green pastures, however. We gain rest so that we can follow Jesus. So that we can link up with Him and so our steps will be in sync, and that is why David continues with He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

We understand that following Jesus means that sometimes he will take us through times that are dark and difficult. This is what verse 4 deals with.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

With Jesus, even in very dark times we can find rest and comfort. Because He is with us. His rod and staff provide that comfort. The rod was used by the shepherd to beat wild animals that wished to attack the sheep and the staff was used to gently guide the sheep and pull them back from danger.

When life takes us through the darkest valleys, we can be comforted knowing that our Good Shepherd has power in one hand and grace in the other.

We don't think of a battlefield as a very restful place, but in verse 5 David says that even when surrounded by enemies, God puts on a spread for us. It is a place where hungered souls and spirits are fed and where we are anointed with oil when healing is needed.

We long for the sweet by and by, but we are living in the rough now and now. And sometimes, our now is burdensome, dark, and tiring. Come to Jesus; He will give you rest. And when you have leaned on Him, you will see that His goodness and mercy have followed you all the days of your life.

Invitation

Home Groups

What are things that take away your rest spiritually and emotionally?

What are ways that you seek rest?

Have you ever thought that something would provide rest, and it ended up that you needed rest from your rest?

What do you do for emotional rest?

Have you ever sat in prayer without saying anything? Romans 8:26 -- Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. The context of this verse is suffering. Verse 18-25 deals with the suffering and travail that is brough on this earth because of sin, and it speaks of the longing that we have for our final liberty from the bondage of this world and the full transformation into perfection.

This suffering and other types of suffering are things that are at times hard to put into words. Sometimes you will approach God in prayer, knowing that you need to be in prayer, but not knowing what to pray. Just be still. Be silent. Let you mind focus on God, and let the Holy Spirit within you pray your prayer.

Be honest with God when you pray. Be like and the other psalmists. They didn't hide how they felt from God. They were totally open with Him. And when they were, God was able to speak into them, and they were able to see God in a whole new light.

Psalm 13

The Big Idea - Go to God for rest. Do it daily; do it multiple times a day, if needed.

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