Work & Rest with Jesus (TABLE & COUCH)

Sermon:

There we go, Church isn’t that awesome? My Kids are so excited for Kids Camp...I’M excited for Kids Camp - I really think it’s gonna be a meaningful part of our Summer together.

Hey, and because it is summer, I know today we have some of you joining us online from the beach, hope you’re having a great vacation. Those of you here at Lawrenceville or at a campus, hope you’re having a great…NON-VACATION :)

See, this is a great example of what Trey talked about last week. The difference between:

Work & Rest

So, right now, some of you are RESTING on the beach. Some of you will be going to WORK tomorrow. And some of you are at the beach with toddlers so you’re not RESTING AT ALL! Hahaha. WORK and REST.

Now last week, we talked about how WORK AND REST is lived out in your day to day life, but TODAY I want to take this topic of work and rest and apply it to our relationship with God…Because believe it or not, our relationship with GOD actually has a rhythm of WORK and REST.

Like there’s WORK that we do FOR GOD and there’s TIME that we spend WITH GOD. There’s times that we ACCOMPLISH things for Him…and then times where we don’t accomplish anything, other than just being with Him. See, there’s a tension here between WORK and REST in our relationship with God.

OK, so today, I want to tease out this tension by using an analogy. I call it:

The Couch & The Table

[At the table]

So, let’s start with the table. What do you do at the table? Well, in your kitchen, you use THE TABLE make dinner, you chop veggies, maybe it’s your kitchen island or countertop. If yours is anything like mine, it also has mail, school assignments, stuff to do.

You also use a TABLE or desk at work. The table is where your laptop or desktop is. It’s probably got sticky notes or papers on it.

Those of you in school, you use a TABLE too. It’s probably attached to your chair. You have a table in your chemistry class. A table where your assignments go…

So, what is a table used for?

The table is where work happens.

The table is the flat surface that work goes on.

[At the couch]

OK…now, what about the couch? What do you do on the couch? You sit, you talk, you listen, you laugh

We’ve got a couch in our living room where we sit for our Friday pizza and movie night. Our couch is where we share stories and make memories

Admittedly, I also nap on the couch — it’s the best place to nap so relaxing. But normally in the middle of my nap, I’ll have multiple boys wiggle their way on to the couch, and then my nap is OVER.

So what is a couch used for? Well, you don’t DO WORK on the couch because:

The couch is where connection happens.

The table and the couch.

[At the table]

Both are good…but which one gets our attention?

The older I get, the more responsibilities I have, the faster life keeps moving, and so the couch is simply the place you walk past to get to the table…because, c’mon, we got stuff to do.

And by the way, it’s all good stuff too: Work and Cleaning and Homework and Bills to Pay. These are all good things, and so the TABLE gets our attention.

And then this thought bleeds into our relationship with God. And so spiritually, the TABLE gets our attention. Because, c’mon, there’s a lot of REALLY GOOD THINGS I’m supposed to DO for God too, right?

Things To Do For God:

Go to church

Serve as a Daymaker

Read your Bible

Pray

Isn’t this what God wants me to DO? I mean if I DON’T do these things, there’s an issue, right?

But if I treat these things like a TO DO list, I mean if God is just a box to check, that’s an issue too, isn’t it?

And so a lot of times, as followers of Jesus, we get caught in this tension. And then we wonder why we don’t have joy…or peace. Have you ever thought, “I’m DOING all the right things…but it’s not working?” Some of us have gone so far as to say “I’ve tried that…I DID that…and it didn’t work” So WHY BOTHER? I’ve already got so much to do, why add another thing to my to do list…?

So, is that how it’s supposed to be? Is THIS what it means to have a relationship with God?

In other words:

How do we live out this rhythm of work and rest in my relationship with God?

And to answer this question, I want to lean into a moment that Jesus had with two sisters, Mary and Martha.

We’re going to be in Luke Ch. 10, so feel free to turn there in your worship center Bibles. And we’re going to see first-hand how each sister lived out the tension between work and rest…So, Luke Ch. 10:

Luke 10:38–40 NIV

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Alright so that’s the scene. But I want to this story come to life. And to do this, I’m gonna ask for TWO volunteers—Paul has already helped me with these volunteers, and what you didn’t know is one of you is gonna be MARY and one is gonna be MARTHA.

Martha at the table. Mary on the couch.

Martha - your motivation is JESUS is coming over and you’re getting everything ready to be PERFECT for Him. After all…it’s JESUS!

Mary - YOUR motivation is you’re … just sitting on the couch. OK, got it? Here we go!

TO MARTHA: So, tell me your name? [no…it’s Martha remember?] Oh, hey Martha. So, what’s going on? [aren’t you having a special guest come over?] NICE, Jesus is coming over. So, what meal are we having? Any appetizers? Dessert? Are you sure that’s GOOD enough for Jesus…C’mon JESUS is coming over!

TO MARY: Alright, well hello. What’s your name? [that’s right! you ARE Mary] So Mary, what are you doing? You’re just sitting there? You know who’s coming over right? JESUS….right on. So…You know Jesus is a big deal right? Shouldn’t you do something? OK so the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE is coming over to YOUR house and you’re just gonna sit there?

Alright now Martha, I’m gonna give you a line, can you read this?

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

And SCENE! Alright let’s give em a hand. GREAT job.

Alright, so do you feel what’s happening in the story? Martha’s doing all the work! It’s kind of unfair! Which is why Martha looks at Jesus and says:

Luke 10:40 NIV

She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

By the way, I actually love this question…because it’s so honest…so real. Like c’mon God, I’m doing all the right things! God, do you even NOTICE? Do you even care?

It’s like: I’m working and I’m trying to take care of the family, and I’m trying to get the kids to practice and get the bills paid. And then, GOD, if you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to do all the things you want me to do too!

And because of this, when we think of “Time with Jesus” it’s another thing ON THE TABLE…like Martha! It’s like “Jesus is in the other room, but I got stuff to do!” So time with Jesus is a quick prayer before we eat, It’s a worship song while I’m working out. Because I’m rushing from meeting to meeting, sporting event to sporting event, AND then I’m trying to ADD TO IT all the things that Jesus wants me to do too! And can I be honest… IT’S EXHAUSTING!!!

[PAUSE] Which is exactly what Jesus said:

Luke 10:41 NIV

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,

Hold on…that’s not just for Martha…that’s for me! That’s for YOU. Worried….upset…The ESV says you are ANXIOUS and TROUBLED about many things.

Ever felt anxious?

Troubled?

Ever looked at all the things on your plate and felt Worried?

Ever felt like there was too much to do and not enough time?

When we live our life at the table, and when our relationship with God is at the table it only ADDS to worry, anxiety…which is how Martha felt….that’s how I can feel. So Jesus says “You’re so worried about so many things”

Luke 10:42 NIV

but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

This is HUGE. He didn’t say, these are both good approaches. He didn’t say, “well some people have a personality”

He said, ONE is BETTER. In fact, Jesus said ONLY ONE is NEEDED. Which is why, when it comes to your relationship with God, Jesus says:

The couch is better than the table.

Or to make it REALLY clear:

My time with Jesus is better than my work for Jesus

One-on-one time with Jesus, non-productive time with Jesus, “not accomplishing anything” time with Jesus is BETTER than my work for Jesus.

See, Culture told Martha that there are all these things you’re supposed to do for Jesus. Get the house ready, make sure the food is perfect.

And right now we think: our Christian culture tells us there’s all these things I’m supposed to do for Jesus.

Meanwhile Jesus is saying, the thing I want MOST is YOU!

MORE THAN YOUR WORK, HE WANTS YOUR PRESENCE!

Now why did Jesus say this? Because THIS is how a good dad feels.

See, I have three boys. And yes, they have things we expect them to do. Clean their room, do their homework. They have the responsibility to be honor their mom, to be kind to their brothers. And of course I want them to DO these things. But do you know what I want MOST?! A relationship with them. See, it’s not GOOD if my kids got ALL A’s but we never spent time together. More than good grades, I want to BE with them.

This past week, my oldest Judah went to a 5-day sleepover camp. And let me be honest…the moment we dropped him off, Katherine and I both looked at each other like “He’s their problem now! We get a break!” And it took about 3 hours before we both thought…man I miss that kid. In fact, this camp posts pictures on their website. So, all week, we were scouring the website, hitting refresh, looking for pictures of Judah, why? Because I wanted to make sure he was being obedient? No Because I wanted to make sure he was handling his responsibilities well? No. Because He’s my SON! And I missed him. And I LOVE being WITH him. Because he’s my SON!

And this is how God feels about YOU. Which is why Paul wrote this:

Romans 8:15 NIV

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

The SPIRIT you received does not make you slaves

See slaves are all about DOING FOR. And if you do it right, you are in good graces and if you don’t, then you are punished. Slaves have no relationship with their master. The master doesn’t want to spend time WITH the slaves. The slaves are just there to do work FOR the master. And Paul is saying THAT’S NOT YOU! God is not a to do list.

So that you live in fear again

Fear of what if I don’t measure up. Fear of what if I don’t do it right. Fear of I hope I’m able to earn it. ANd Paul says NO it’s not about earning anything

Rather the spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba Father.”

You are a son. You are a daughter. And you don’t have to earn anything.

Listen, we don’t say “Master” we say “Father!” Because I’m not a SLAVE, I’m a SON!

I think sometimes, we need to sit with God, not to learn who HE is, but to learn who WE are. That you’re not a SLAVE, you’re a SON, you’re a DAUGHTER. That’s who you are. Which means, God is more concerned with your identity than your activity. Being with Jesus is better than working for Jesus.

Now, some of you might be pushing against this: So, Steve, does that mean I don’t do anything for God? Just sit at home and listen to worship songs all day long? No…See, for Mary, spending time with Jesus was clearly her priority…but that’s not all she did…

In fact, theres a few other times we see Mary in the Gospels and you’ll see that she was anything but lazy:

[PAD]

Mary (Lazy Faith?):

She ran to Jesus when her brother died (John 11:29)

She brought her friends to Jesus (John 11:45)

She sacrificed greatly and poured perfume on Jesus’ feet (John 12:3)

So, why did she do all this? To earn something? To try and get Jesus’ attention? No, because she LOVED Jesus and out of the OVERFLOW of her LOVE for Jesus, her actions followed… In fact, that last thing she did was the most elaborate form of worship and service recorded in the New Testament and it was prompted by the one-on-one time she spent with Jesus…because:

My time with Jesus is better than my work for Jesus

Not only that:

My time with Jesus fuels my work for Jesus

Let me say it this way: The couch may lead to the table, but the table NEVER leads to the couch. In John 15, Jesus even said: “REMAIN IN ME” spend time with me, be with me, and you will bear much fruit. But APART from me, you can do NOTHING!

Which is why Jesus is saying, come spend time with ME!

Right now, it’s like God is hitting refresh on the phone asking WHEN WILL SHE COME BACK TO ME? WHEN WILL HE COME BACK TO ME? When will they spend time with me AGAIN?

Every day, The GOD OF THE UNIVERSE would love to spend time with you. Not time where we’re accomplishing something. not time where we’re DOING something. Just you and Jesus…together.

So, will you take Him up on that invitation? To spend time with Him…every day? There’s no obligation here. I’m just telling you, your DAD in HEAVEN WANTS to spend time with you every day.

So we’re going to do that RIGHT NOW. Because Jesus wants to spend time with you. Time on the couch.

So right now, we’re going to take some time for you to have one-on-one time with your Father in Heaven. Think of this like a corporate quiet time. It’s just you and Jesus…and a few hundred other people :) But ignore everyone else. It’s just you and your dad. We’re going to have some music in the background, but this is just you and Jesus. This is your couch time with Jesus.

Some of you might be thinking: Steve, I don’t know where to begin. Well let me give you some options:

Conversation starters with Jesus:

“God, I’m struggling with…”

“God, I’m sorry for…”

“God, thank you for…”

“God, help me with…”

Listen (Silence, Scripture, Write down your thoughts)

Remember, this is just you connecting with my Dad in Heaven. Just you and Jesus. On the couch together. You can sit, kneel, you can even come down front and make this place an altar.

So, let’s take some time…not to accomplish, but to BE in God’s presence

5 Minute in God’s Presence - Yona singing “Nothing Else”

I want to pray, but before I do…man, your Father in Heaven would love to spend this kind of time with you every day. You don’t need Yona or a worship service….you just need Jesus.

So God, may today be the beginning of a MOVEMENT. A movement of people not trying to just DO a bunch of stuff. But a movement of people who spend time WITH YOU every day. In Jesus Name, AMEN

CPS (pick up after AMEN): (118 WORDS)

So church, we’re going to leave this as a sacred space. Just because the sermon is done doesn’t mean God is done. For some of you, you need to stay in your seat a little longer and talk with God. Some of you may need to come down front and talk to someone on our prayer team.

But remember, Your FATHER in HEAVEN wants to spend time with YOU. Not just today, and not just in this place. But every day. On YOUR couch. So we hope that this week brings lots of COUCH time with Jesus.

So church, we can’t wait to see you next week, FGIG, ATT, and ATT GIG