Untitled Sermon (3)

Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while. 

Concern for people who are fatigued and not having time to be alone with the Lord.

I happened to read the text about Jesus feeding five thousand and it reminded me of a time when I was younger. When I had a boat and after work my friends and I would head to the lake and unwind.

I know these four verses are only a snippet of a larger story but I think they are extremely valuable, I do feel as though the Holy Spirit has certainly given them to us for many reasons.

In the book of Mark chapter 6 verse 30 it says :The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

This takes place just before the feeding of 5000,

If you read this text quickly you can easily miss the point of what happens here. Many texts imply that the desolate place was a desert place and that they never got any rest, or, did they.?

I dont know about you but after dealing with mobs of people, the death of a friend JB i think there is no place id rather be than possibly eating, praying, learning or even just sitting quietly with my Lord off shore. I think perhaps this is the desolate place Jesus was refering to. I know that accessability for the crowd was impossible, It may have offered them just enough time for the Lord to give them just what they needed to carry on. Are you getting what you need to carry on with your day?

Are you feeling the love and compassion of Christ? Experiencing quietness with Christ?, Do you have Christ centred balance between work and rest? Most of all are you experiencing the peace that comes from really knowing Christ and what he has done for you?

You see, the unrest, or anxiety that comes from not knowing Christ is why the crowd was there, however we must agree many never found rest, but for those who do, the rest is wonderful, its a peace in our heart that is indescribeable to say the least. To have your sins forgiven because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for all who would believe is a peace beyond comprehension. But the question is “why are you feeling the anxiety, its one of two reasons.

Reason one is you dont know Christ, and if thats the case, then let me introduce you to him. Hes the God man who came to earth to restore our relationship with God and put it back in good standing. You see man sins against God, and because of that sin we are seperate from Him, the bible tells us the wages of sin is death, that death must be paid in full. I f you dont know Christ, its you who will pay that price. But the good news of Jesus Christ is that for any who would believe, Jesus suffered and died that death on the cross. He loves you so much he paid your fine and youre free to go, free to eternal life with God, unseparated thanks to Jesus.

Now reason two might be because you know Jesus, but youre not spending enough time with him for you to be blessed by his amazing comfort.

Set the setting, people everywhere, apostles healing, casting out demons, and they return to Jesus excited, and exhausted, amazed, yet hungry, popular but feeling crowded. Sound familiar?

And Jesus says to them: And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

So Im asking, what are you focused on that is pulling you away from this kind of love? Is your time too valuable and you have none left to spare? Jesus mission was to spread the gospel and proclaim the kingdom and later die on a cross only to live again, and your concerned about what again? Jesus made time to be with those apostles on that boat depite all that was going on, and his words imply that you can too.

In your car, in a boat, on a park bench, in your closet, on a train, in your bed, you can access this restoring power anywhere anytime. You dont need to go anywhere to enter this rest. All you need is the saviour and a willingness, an intention, a desire to be with him. You can do this through his word, through prayer, through meditating on his word, through song, in groups or all alone.

But so many dont, Why? Is it because your time is too valuable to you? Are you too busy focusing on something else? Are other things more important than spending time with the God most High?

The purpose of the entire Gospel of Mark is to tell us that the only way man or woman can find true rest is through faith in Jesus Christ.

I think a boat is a perfect desolate place, I remember those summers with my dad and the hours spent in that boat, the experiences, unforgettable. I can imagine what Jesus said to those men during that quiet time on that boat. Would you like to know? You can know, open your bible and see what he has to say to you. but you have to open, you have to be open.

Some translations refer to the text as a desert place, a desolate place, an isolated place, I can tell you Christian the translation of this word is irrelelvent and ill tell you why, Jesus Christ is with you everywhere. In a desert, in aboat, ive even been with him while I received an MRI.

Shepherd for the lost sheep OT implication

Although this is a small event inside of a larger event its certainly not one to skim over. The most important point of our relationship is in communing with JC, THS AND GTF. This is a precurser to what we would experience in our lives as Christians who have been blessed with the Holy Spirit. All we need to do is ask. the bible tells us 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.1

1 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Th 5:16–18).

Jesus also says: 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Mt 11:28–30). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The truth is, We are all like sheep that have no shepherd until we have been gathered like lambs in Jesus arms, so that he can give us rest.

The whole point of Gods plan of redemption is to give the sheep a shepherd. Before we begin our relationship with our saviour, the one who took our place on the cross we are like the verse says When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

How can our Lord teach us if we are not spending time with him, in his word, in prayer and in our minds.

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

Over and over and over again we hear about sheep eithout a shepherd. My question is do you think the bible is talking about someone else? Seek the shepherd!!

Seek the one who is humble, the one who loves his people, the one who knows all and gave all, even his life, his life on the cross for you and I

Are we too busy? are we too focused on the unimportant things of the world to spend time by ourselves? Are we focused on idols rather than the love, grace, mercy, and ultimate rest that is only found in Jesus. Are we substituting things of the world in place of the rest of our saviour? Are we like lost sheep without a shepherd?

What in this case is causing the exhaustion and what in this case is curing the exhaustion.

We are all looking for an easy fix, a pill, an idol, a drug, the answer is within, its Christ. He was in a boat, now hes in our heart.

There is only one way we can replenesh ourselves from the axieties of life, refocus on Jesus, spend time with him in a quiet place, in prayer, worship, and meditating on the word.

Intro: As kids we lived on the boat all summer, ate, slept, drank, and learned on that boat, no distractions.

Went to school all year, played organized sports, countless hours of homework, not to mention our parents lifes. Working, paying bills, feeding kids, teaching kids, dealing with issues. Life gets busy, how do we stay grounded?

The apostles had a very busy time, sent out by Jesus, not to mention the recent death of John the Baptist.

Jesus encourages the disciples to come away by themselves to a desolate place to rest a while.

Spending time alone with Jesus in the boat, eating, recharging, learning, praying.

The things in the world continued moving at a fast pace, the crowds were following the boat.

Upon arrival Jesus he had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things.

Life is busy, too busy, there is a way to slow it down, come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.

We can all relate to this burden

Romans 15:4

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Is there HOPE??