You Need Rest
Notes
Transcript
Scripture
Scripture
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Intro
Intro
There are some things you don't realize you need until you've gone too long without them.
Water — sometimes you don't realize you're dehydrated until the headache or fatigue hits.
Exercise/movement — you often don't recognize what inactivity has done until ordinary movement feels harder.
Rest is one of them.
You can run hard for a long time.
You can meet the deadlines.
Take care of the family.
Handle the problems.
Show up for everybody.
Get through the season.
And sometimes you don't even realize how tired you are until the season changes.
The pressure lets up.
The deadline passes.
The kids go back to school.
The project ends.
The crisis is over.
And your body says, "I'm tired."
But sometimes you take a day off…
and you're still tired.
You sleep…
and you're still tired.
You go on vacation…
and come home needing a vacation from your vacation.
Because there are different kinds of tired.
Sometimes your body is tired.
Sometimes you've been running too long.
And sometimes what's tired isn't your body at all.
It's your soul.
As we continue this series called Reset, I want us to look at something God built into us from the very beginning:
We need rest.
Regularly — because we're created with limits.
Seasonally — because some seasons take something out of us.
Spiritually — because there are burdens sleep cannot fix.
Transition
Transition
Jesus' invitation is bigger than taking a day off. Before we understand the rest Jesus gives, we need to understand the way God designed us to live.
The 1st design is..
Rhythmic Rest
Rhythmic Rest
On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
God created EVERYTHING! -
Things we understand.
Things we don’t understand, but are aware of
Things we have no idea about
Yet still, God had no need of rest, and He rested.
We get tired from going up a flight of stairs, dealing with co-workers, leading ourselves, leading people
And think we don’t need rest. Or forfeit it like it’s an option!
Point: Rest Is Part of God's Design
Point: Rest Is Part of God's Design
… not a response to our dysfunction.
It’s not response to
our frustration with coworkers
tension in marriage
sickness in our body
It’s a part of God’s design
In Gen 2, God said let me establish a way of life and in Exodus 20, he said let me make it a commandment.
Not a suggestion
“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. …
It’s more than a design. It’s also a display of God’s love
Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.
Rest is a gift before it is a command.
God didn't create humanity and say, “Work until you're exhausted and then rest.”
God said I know you’re going to need it, so i’m going to give it to you!
He created a rhythm.
Work.
Rest.
Serve.
Rest.
Train.
Rest.
Transition
Transition
The Rhythm of life is the foundation, but it’s not the only time we need rest!
God also designed…
Seasonal Rest
Seasonal Rest
There are moments where Scripture doesn't show a weekly Sabbath specifically. Instead, someone has poured out, endured something difficult, completed an assignment, or is preparing for what's next.
Turn to Mark 6:30 …
Context for Mark 6:30-32
Context for Mark 6:30-32
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus sends the Twelve out two by two on a ministry assignment.
Mark 6:7–13 — Jesus gives them authority and sends them out to:
Preach repentance
Cast out demons
Anoint and heal the sick
This wasn't their normal routine. This was a significant ministry assignment
The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught.
Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.
So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.
Assignment → Return → Rest → Next assignment
Jesus recognizes their need for recovery!
Point: Some Seasons Require Recovery
Point: Some Seasons Require Recovery
Application/illustration
Application/illustration
Jesus called them into the ministry season.
And now Jesus is calling them away from it.
If Jesus can tell you when it's time to go, Jesus can tell you when it's time to stop.
Don't be so committed to being productive that you become disobedient when Jesus says rest.
Jesus taught this so well
Luke 5:15–16 — crowds are increasing, “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Jesus doesn't only withdraw when ministry is going badly.
He withdraws while ministry is growing.
May call us to withdraw
When business is doing well
When the kids are flourishing
When you get the promotion
Sometimes you’re not tired because something went wrong.
Sometimes you're tired because things went right.
Fruitfulness doesn't eliminate the need for recovery. Sometimes fruitfulness creates it.
A fruitful season can still require recovery.
Transition
Transition
You can take the vacation.
You can clear the calendar.
You can sleep eight hours.
You can sit on the beach with nowhere to be…
and your mind is still running.
Because not every kind of tired is physical.
There are some burdens sleep can't fix.
There are some weights a vacation can't remove.
There are some things you can only rest from when you finally release them.
Because sometimes changing states (awake to sleep)
changing locations (office to beach)
Doesn't change what's happening in your soul.
That's why Jesus doesn't only say, "Come away." Mark 6
In Matthew 11, He says:
"Come to me."
Point: Your Soul Needs Rest Too
Point: Your Soul Needs Rest Too
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Jesus addresses the burdened soul.
Reality is:
You can take a vacation and still be anxious.
You can sleep eight hours and wake up worried.
You can have Monday off and spend the entire day mentally carrying Tuesday.
Your body can stop while your soul keeps working.
What ends up happening is … you remove yourself from the work without removing the weight from your heart.
Some rest requires stopping.
Deeper rest requires surrendering.
Physical rest sometimes requires pulling away. Soul rest always requires drawing near—to Christ.
Here’s the best part!
Rest isn't only something Jesus practiced.
Rest is something Jesus provides.
That's why Jesus doesn't say:
“Come away and I'll give you a day off.”
“Come to me, and I will give you rest!”
Transition “Take my Yoke”
Transition “Take my Yoke”
I'll give you rest.
Then immediately: Take my yoke.
That's strange.
Jesus' definition of rest isn't the absence of responsibility. It's a different way of carrying responsibility.
Jesus doesn't say, “Come to Me and you'll never carry anything again.”
He says, “Take My yoke.”
But Jesus doesn’t stop there!
Then, in verse 29, He essentially says..
"Let Me teach you how to carry it."
Maybe some of us keep getting exhausted because we keep asking Jesus to give us rest without letting Jesus teach us how to live.
Jesus says:
Come to Me.
Take My yoke.
Learn from Me.
Closing
Closing
So yes, sometimes you need to go to sleep.
Sometimes you need to take the day off.
Sometimes you need to come away for a while because the season you've been through has taken something out of you.
But there is a kind of tired that a day off can't fix.
Sometimes you need to come to Jesus.
Maybe your Reset
Maybe your Reset
Maybe your reset is a rhythm.
You've been running seven days a week, treating rest like it's optional.
You need to rest.
Maybe your reset is recovery.
You've come through a season that took more out of you than you realized.
Don't rush into the next thing just because the last thing is over.
You need to rest.
But maybe you've rested your body and you're still tired.
You've taken the day off.
You've slept.
You've gotten away.
But you're still carrying it.
That burden isn't going to be lifted by another day off.
You don't just need to come away.
You need to come to Jesus.
Because rest isn't only something Jesus practiced.
Rest is something Jesus provides.
And maybe that's the reset some of us need.
Not another vacation.
Not another day off.
Not just more sleep.
We need to come back to Jesus.
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Remember this…
Rest is not an interruption to the life God has called you to. Rest is part of the life God has called you to.
