3. The Power of One Day
Notes
Transcript
Me:
Me:
Welcome to part three of our sermon series, Guide to Greatness. In this series, we are using the NT book of Mark to discover Jesus’ guide to greatness. If you are new with us, this is part of a bigger Spiritual Growth Campaign where we are working through the entire Bible looking at 52 core verses that tie the Bible together and ultimately point us to Jesus.
Recently I had a picture from the past pop up on my social media. Facebook will often remind you of a past event by putting a picture of that event on your timeline. That happened recently where my first mission trip to Mexico popped up. I saw familiar faces, I looked younger and it brought back a whole set of feelings and emotions. However, it made me think this thought as well: Where has time gone?
Have you said that recently? Where has time gone?
You:
You:
I know I’m not the only one. Whether it’s a past event, a busy day, or just an evening binge watching your favorite show…we often find ourselves saying, “Where did the time go?” There’s another phrase I hear from people, including myself. It’s this phrase: “I just need more time!”
Even coming through a year of being shut down, I still heard the phrase, “I just need some more time.”
I want you to help me out by answering this question to yourself:
“You might be too busy if...”
You might be too busy if you don’t have time to answer this question.
I the first item on your To-Do-List is to make more To-Do-Lists.
If you have a five year daily planner and already have something scheduled for each day.
Ladies, you might be too busy if you put makeup on while driving.
Men, you might be too busy if you have ever shaved while driving.
You might be too busy if you have taken your cell phone into the bathroom. We can still hear you…and you have to flush right? Listen you have no business taking care of business, while taking care of business.
The truth of the matter is we don’t need more time! Here’s the thing, time is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, young or old. It doesn’t matter what gender or back ground or race. Everyone gets 24-7. Twenty four hours a day, and seven days a week. Now, granted not everyone gets the same amount of 24-7’s…but that doesn’t change the amount of time we get each day, with each get these moments of time. Time does not discriminate.
What we need is not more time—instead what we really need are clearer priorities. ~ Mark Moore
Who is the best one to help us discover clearer priorities? The would be Jesus!
Let’s take a look at what Jesus says about rest, time and most importantly, how to make clearer priorities in life.
God:
God:
If you have a Bible or a device, go to Mark chapter 2. If you are using the YouVersion Bible app go to the bottom right hand corner where it says “More”. In the new menu look for “Events”. There you should be able to find Iowa City Church. All of the Scriptures and sermon notes will be there.
Mark 2:27-28 is our Core verse for the week…and it also point us to how to find clearer priorities in our life. In Jesus ministry there were people who flocked to hear and follow him. However, there were a number of people who stood in opposition to Jesus. These religious leaders were referred to as the Pharisees and they often confronted Jesus as to why he wasn’t being religious enough. One of the main issues had to do with this thing called the Sabbath. Look at verse 27.
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
When we are done, I want you to have a better understanding of this verse, but also how it helps us find better priorities. The key word I want you to highlight is Sabbath. The word Sabbath simple means to cease. It also described the 24 hour time period between Friday sundown and Saturday sundown. That was Sabbath for the Jewish people and they were to cease work on the day.
Listen, Jesus was never opposed to the Sabbath. What he was against was how it was misused. The truth is, Jesus understood how the Sabbath helps us develop clearer priorities for our lives. Let me take you on a short history of the Sabbath to show you how Sabbath helps us make clear priorities about how we use our time.
Jump to the beginning of your Bibles, to where we find the origin of the Sabbath. Something Jesus was very familiar with. Just a reminder, when you are reading the Creation account in Genesis 1, try not think about how the universe was created…that’s not the point of Genesis one. Instead think about why it was created. What’s the purpose, and why is it created this way. You’ll see things in a completely different light. So after God has completed creation, we find that it has been his focus for six evening and morning cycles. Then we come to day seven. Here is what the text says:
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Was God tired from all of his creating? No, that’s not what’s going on here. Instead, he is building into the DNA of creation the need to cease, to stop, to rest. All of creation has seasons of rest, whether it’s daylight and night time…the time to rest. The growing seasons, winter, dry season or wet season. Just the simple understanding that creatures need rest. Do you know how many hours are ideal for human beings to sleep? Not surprising…seven. There is a healthy, God designed rhythm to life, and it includes a day to rest.
So a clearer priority we need to make is that we all need a Sabbath. Now, to be clear, it doesn’t need to be Saturday. Practically speaking that doesn’t work for everyone. However, you do need to schedule a weekly time when you Sabbath, when you cease.
But does that mean you take a nap all day? No, what it means is to take a break from your day to day work and relax, play, or do a hobby. The idea is that we are created to best function when we take some down time. It’s good for us physically, emotionally and spiritually.
So if you say, you need more time, the clearer priority might be: God created me to rest from my work so I can recharge and refocus.
Now jump ahead to Exodus. God has set apart Abraham’s descendants to live as his chosen people. In this covenant relationship he makes them, he asks them to be set apart from the rest of the people of the earth by giving them the 10 commandments. The first three commandments have to do with worshiping other gods. Here’s the fourth commandment.
“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
God wants his people to be set apart by keeping Sabbath, but there’s also another reason. Did you notice how this Sabbath command is grouped right next to “Have No Other Gods”? Often times as humans we worship ourselves because of our productivity. Now, understand this, God created us to be productive, he created us to work and build. But by being productive, that doesn’t make us gods. Yet, think of how much we worship ourselves because of our ability to produce. So much of our culture is based upon our individual performance. We think that we are impressive if we make all the sales, or get the best grades or make the most money. On the flip side, think of how much depression and anxiety we put ourselves when we don’t produce. I failed the class. Didn’t make the cut. I’m not good looking enough or not strong enough. So we are pressed to work hard to receive recognition or even love. Does that describe anyone here? You’ve labeled yourself a failure because you didn’t produce enough and you need…more time?
Also, remember the context. God is giving this command to a group of ex slaves, who never had a day off, who were measured according to their production. In this revolutionary command God says, take a day off, it’s not about your production…I love you just the way you are. I think some of you need to hear that today. God loves you just the way you are. God’s love isn’t based off of your production or lack of production. God loves you!
Oh and it get’s better. It reminds us to celebrate who we are. It’s really hard to celebrate, and enjoy life if we are always producing. Think of it this way, the best and greatest moments of your life aren’t lived in the grind of work, they are found in the margins. In the family vacations, the moments around the supper table, the times volunteering in ministry or on a missions trip. We need Sabbath to be reminded that God loves us and to celebrate the life he has given us.
I like to read how Jewish rabbis taught these commands to people. There are a few rabbis who teach this phrase to their children when it comes to understanding and living out Sabbath. Here it is:
We rest, we play, no work. God loves us.
Some of you need to write that down. Because you don’t need more time. You need a clear priority about your life. You’re not the center of the universe…and that’s alright because God loves you just the way you are.
Okay, let’s jump back to our core verse, except I’m going to read the context about what is happening before the verse. Now remember, the Jewish people have taken this command about the law and have tried to live it out. But instead of becoming a reminder that God loves them, it has become a rule they keep so that God will love them. Here is what happens.
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”
He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
The religious leaders come unglued because Jesus’ disciples break the law. Jesus however corrects them on the intent of what God commanded. Man was not designed for Sabbath. Instead Sabbath is designed or a gift to us. Here’s why this is such a big deal. The Pharisees intent was that by working hard to keep on the laws, including the Sabbath, the they would be righteous before God…he would love them because of their performance. Do you see how we are back to performance? God’s love is directly connected to our ability to perform well. We do something similar. We connect our performance of reading the Bible, going to church and praying as requirements to do, so that God will love us and forgive us. The same thing holds true about being good and being bad. We are convinced that when we are bad, God doesn’t love us. God’s love is not performance based.
This is so important to talk about. For many folks, maybe even you, your fairly sure that God is against you because your performance is not very good. So you need more time so that you can get your act together. You don’t need more time to get your act together so God will love you…you need a savior who can give you a sabbath rest. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Are you kidding me? What Jesus is claiming is that he is the literal embodiment of Sabbath. If you are ready to find rest of keeping rules and following commands to try and prove to God that you should be loved…give it up and put your trust in the embodiment of Sabbath…Jesus. Think of it. Jesus died on the cross for our sins on Friday afternoon. He was placed in the tomb on Friday evening at sunset. He spent Sabbath in the tomb…and on early Sunday morning he arose victories over sin and death. In him we find our rest!
Listen, you don’t need more time to get your life together so that Jesus will love you. You need a clearer priority: Jesus is your Sabbath, he is your rest.
Here’s what I want you to get this morning: Life can be hard, exhausting and confusing. Following Jesus is the best way to live life and find rest.
You:
You:
Here are some ways you can begin to live this out in your life:
Find Your Sabbath. Set aside a day to live out this truth: We rest, we play, no work. God loves us.
What Are Unhealthy Areas of Production You Need to Release?: Pleasing others, job performance, career goals, exercise, image, or relationships. This essentially means we stop worshipping our production and instead learning to trust God.
Stop Trying To Earn God’s Love By Being Good. Find rest by simply admitting your not strong enough and you need Jesus as your savior, and he will give you rest. One of the ways we mark this commitment is through baptism. Sometimes people will say: Baptism is this work trying to earn God’s love. The truth is just the opposite. In baptism, you do nothing. You see another person does all the work. In fact they lay you back under the water…they put you to rest, and you come up out of the water in Jesus…who is your rest. Today is baptism Sunday, and I would invite anyone here who has never had a chance to be baptized into Jesus by immersion to consider doing so today. Experience the Sabbath rest of Jesus.