Rest Ease

Ease

Rest wk 2

Welcome

Well I am sure glad that week was over

It always seems that when we preach or teach on something

That seems to be what we struggle with

I don’t know about most of you but some of you have struggled just like I have to fill your cup up

If you missed last week

You might be wonder whats going on

Last week we began our study of rest

We understand that you and I are called to Rest

We also understand that we rest because God rested

It was something He instituted

And last week the word was Refresh

We talked about the examples we have from Jesus

Mark 6:30–32 NASB95

30 The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32 They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.

We see that Jesus invites His disciples away to a secluded place

To refresh their souls

You and I are to get away to fill our cups us so that you and I can pour into others lives

If you and I won’t fill our cups then church we are no good to the body

We are to fill go away so often and ensure our cups are filled up

Church you and I are to fill our cups and spend time with Jesus so that when God sends us out next we are ready

Church you and I must learn to get away to fill our cups up!

The word for this week is Ease

Last week was Refresh and this week is Ease

So this week we will look at the need to ease things

Ease is defined as to make (something unpleasant, painful, or intense) less serious or severe

also move carefully, gradually, or gently

And to take it easy

Now I don’t want you to think this is a lazy sermon

I don’t want you to think that ease is well I get to take it easier and be lazy

I do think we are to understand that you and I have to put work into our relationship but at the same time we were created to rest

To physically rest

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

You and I were created to physically rest

This verse calls those who are tired to come to Christ and you and I will find rest

I believe this verse speaks to the spiritual side of rest but also the physical side of rest

See you and I go through life and for whatever reason we pick things us

See we pick up the stress of work

Everyone takes on a bit of stress from work

Where it be a boss, or co workers or customers or time at work or not enough work, but we all take on that stress

Then if you have a family it is a different stress vs not having a family

Or maybe you carry the stress of finances

Or maybe you are a student and class work and tests you carry that around

And we could go on and on

but understand that you and I were never designed nor intended to carry those loads around with us

We are to run to Jesus and church it is in Jesus that we find spiritual rest but it is also in Jesus that we are to find physical rest

We are to lighten our load

We said this last week but it is ok for you to say no

Would you know that the church will not cease to exsist if you miss one time

Would you know that people are not going to come to Christ if you miss one time

But they will not come to Christ is you are not physically rested and are not refreshed ready to pour into them

It is ok and sometimes very much needed to say no

because you and I were created to rest

In fact your body needs physical rest

Because if your body works and works and works and your body doesn’t rest then body begins to break down and won’t heal up

If your body doesn’t heal up then it will continue to break down

Its like a weight lifter

When weight lifters lift weights they are actually tearing the muscle tissue

Which stretches the muscle

If the weight lifter doesn’t take a rest day or allow the physical body to rest and the immune system time to repair and grow the muscle

You actually get weaker and not stronger

again you are no good because you aren’t actually benefiting from the lifting of the weights

If you go and go and go with no rest eventually you get burnt out

Your body needs physical rest

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

You and I are to be running to Christ

Notice though it doesn’t say that we are to be lazy or that we are to stay in a constant state of ease

It says that we were never intended to carry the loads of this world but we were created and designed to carry the load Christ gives us

His load is light and Easy

It doesn’t say that your life instantly becomes easy it just says the load is light and easy

Church your physical body needs rest if you and I can be used of God

His burden stops being light and stops being easy when we stop seeking the Lord

You and I need to say no to things and ensure we are running to Jesus

Because when we say no to somethings it allows us time to rest to say Yes when God calls

Church this morning is sort of a difficult topic to preach on because we live in a day and age where you and I are told to go and go and go and work and work and work and do and do and do

But church I believe the Bible calls us to physically rest

If you and I cannot physically rest then again church we are no good to the body of Christ

We won’t be used of God

So again understand this isn’t a sermon that allows you to be lazy and to stop ministering in the church

This is a sermon that is intended to remind you its ok to say no for the purposes of rest

so that you can go to the living water and fill your cup up so that you can pour it out when God calls you to

Does that make sense

Church we were created to rest

It is ok for you to go home and rest physically rest your body

Psalm 23:1–3 NASB95

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Church we have heard those verses before

We rest because God rested, He leads us to rest

Church God will at some point lead you and call you and invite you to rest

Church if you are not willing to rest then God as your and mine good Shepard will cause you to rest

I whole heartedly believe that God will strike you so that you have to rest if you are unwilling to rest

Church God is inviting you to a secluded place to rest

Closing

Last week it was about going away every so often apart from your daily quite time to fill your cup up

This week it is a call to physically rest

The sabbath not only was a mental and emotional rest but it was also a physical rest

We understand that every 7 years they would allow the land to rest that they wouldn’t plant anything in that particular land because they understood that the land need to rest

Your body is no different

Invitation

maybe you are here today and you don’t know Jesus

I want to invite you to the front and they will open the Bible up and show you how you can be introduced to rest today

How you can be a new creation this morning and you can rest

Or maybe you are here today and you are wore out, and you are struggling to get through the next day

You are exhausted

I want to invite you to rest today

the altar is open