Cultivating Spiritual Discipines:Let Us Rest-Mark 6:30-31, Psalms 23:1-3

Mark 6:30–31 CSB

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Psalm 23:1–3 CSB

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Introduction: We must be intentional about spiritual disciplines or else we will neglect them. Spiritual disciplines are not about earning God’s love or approval but about positioning oneself to experience His grace more fully. We are not saved by spiritual disciplines but they create an environment in which we can grow through the work of the Holy Spirit. The danger that we can run into is to think that we are “holier than thou” or that we are “less than” because of how we practice spiritual disciplines.

The point is that we want to know Christ and to grow in Him and the practice of these disciplines in our lives are an avenue in which we experience His grace. With that in mind, let us pursue after Him with diligence.

THE DISCIPLES RETURN

Mark 6:30 CSB

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught.

The mission they returned from

Mark 6:7–13 CSB

7 He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. 8 He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, 9 but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. 10 He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. 11 If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

TELL THE STORY: The disciples had been doing the work that was given to them and they had some level of success at it. They had a holistic ministry. They preached and they saw people healed. They were also rejected by some.

Let us think about the wide range of experiences they had. No doubt there were a slew of different emotions and experiences (list a few). Then they come back to the one who sent them out and how does He respond

Mark 6:31 CSB

31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

He invites them to rest.

Application: We love either one of two things: busyness or nothingness. What we often lack is a balance of both. Jesus here shows us His concern with our human needs. We need work and we need rest. Rest is restorative and spiritual.

Illustration: Rest after a workout. The rest is just as important as the workout.

Point: Let us take inventory. Are we in the field doing the work of the Lord? If not, let’s go. Are we overworked? If so, let us rest. Are we overworked with things that the Lord didn’t give us to do? If so, let us stop.

The Invitation to Rest was Given by Jesus

Jesus invites them to rest. This indicates to us that we don’t just need any type of rest but that we need the rest that the Lord provides.

1 Peter 5:7 CSB

7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

All sleep isn’t rest (light, REM, deep, restlessness). You can go to bed and still wake up tired. We need the rest that Jesus invites us into. and we need to intentionally seek after it.

Psalm 23:1–3 CSB

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Embrace Rest as Worship

View rest as obedience: Resting in Jesus reflects trust in His provision and an acknowledgment that He sustains you Exodus 20:8-11

Exodus 20:8–11 CSB

8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy.

Jesus is our Sabbath in which we find rest

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Balance work and rest: While diligence in work is important resting shows reliance on God rather than self.

Colossians 3:23 CSB

23 Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people,

An Interruption........

After Jesus says this in Mark 6. We see where their rest was detoured by the feeding of the 5000.

Mark 6:34 CSB

34 When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

Jesus feed the multitude with 2 fish and five loaves of bread. and after it’s over.....

Mark 6:32 CSB

32 So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place,

remember earlier....

Mark 6:31 CSB

31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

The didn’t have time to eat but Jesus makes provision for them too. This is what rest is about. Knowing that Jesus will provide. (we shouldn’t be lazy or busybodies but worshippers)

Themes of Work vs. Rest-Mary and Martha

Luke 10:38–42 CSB

38 While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.” 41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Mary's Example of Rest

Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, prioritizing communion with Him over tasks (Luke 10:39).This mirrors the invitation in Mark 6:31: “Come away by yourselves... and rest.” Both emphasize the importance of spiritual nourishment through presence with Christ.

Martha's Example of Busyness

Martha is "distracted with much serving" (Luke 10:40), paralleling the apostles’ busy ministry where "many were coming and going" (Mark 6:31).Jesus’ gentle correction of Martha (“You are anxious and troubled about many things”) aligns with His invitation to the apostles to rest, reminding that ministry cannot flourish without time spent in God's presence.

Practical Application

Like Mary, the apostles (and all believers) are invited to prioritize time with Christ as essential to their spiritual and physical renewal.Martha’s busyness is not condemned but serves as a reminder to balance work with rest and devotion.

We ought to vies spiritual disciplines as a way we “rest” in Jesus.

Philippians 4:7 CSB

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.