Do you ever feel like life is flying by, out of control? You want to get off, but it is like a merry-go-round that is moving too fast. Jumping off can hurt more than staying on! So you just hold on and keep flying. I think we have that problem year round now, but it is at its worst at Christmas time. But what can we do about it? Many of us would like to stop, or at least pause briefly, but we can’t.
I was talking to another preacher about this sermon. He called on his way home from work last Monday and we talked about this sermon. Skip rush, find rest. The first question was, “how do you do that.” My friend said, “probably the only way to do that is to ignore Christmas altogether.” And that is true, but since that isn’t realistic, we thought we had better look to something else.
So that got me thinking, maybe we just need to find pockets of rest. But where do we find rest in the midst of rush? As strange as this may sound, all of that got me thinking about birth, which obviously is a part of Christmas, but it got me thinking about what has happened with birth in our time. To explain, let me tell you a story.
I remember when I first found out that Marilyn was pregnant. I thought, okay, we have 9 months to prepare for this. But I never dreamed how much went into that 9 months. We were living in a 2-bedroom apartment and we had to turn our guest bedroom into a nursery. Marilyn had a special cradle that had been in her family for years that she wanted to have. You buy bassinets and car seats and clothes. People give you gifts and ask questions that are way too personal. I don’t know why a pregnancy empowers them to do that, but it does. But that is not all. You go to these birthing classes. They were Lamaze classes back then, but I understand they have come up with a better idea now. You go to these classes and they teach you how to breathe and how to focus. I listened carefully because it was my first time and because my dad had delivered my middle brother at home. It happened so fast with my mom that she couldn’t make it to the hospital. Now I know that was not something that would effect Marilyn, but since we lived 60 miles from the hospital, the possibility went through my mind. I could just see myself stopping on the back roads on the way to the hospital and delivering my son. That might sound touching to you, but it wasn’t a pleasant thought to me!
During that time we made a lot of trips between Caldwell and Zanesville. There was a lot of anticipation and I wouldn’t call those 9 months restful.
To call it a rush would be a much more accurate description. It looked calm compared to Taylor and Trent’s birth, but I didn’t know any better at the time.
So the day finally came. I was doing a premarital counseling session in our apartment and when they left Marilyn said, “I think we are going to have a baby tonight.” We headed off to the hospital and Jordan was born the next morning on his due date. And it seemed like for the first time in 9 months, we were able to rest … temporarily! Soon you were back home and right back into the rush. Life would never be the same again!
One thing I noticed is that you are only in the hospital for two days, and that is not even two full days. If you deliver on a Tuesday night, you are probably going to get discharged on Thursday morning.
To be honest with you, I don’t think that is enough. They used to do 5 days, but insurance companies stepped in and they have cut it back to 2 unless it is a C-section. Now I know that most women want to go home soon, but it seems to me that the rest you get there is needed.
I told you that story because I think the same thing has happened with Christmas. You really can’t get away from the rush, that is part of it and has been for years. In fact, some must enjoy that because so many go shopping the day after Thanksgiving knowing that it is going to be a rush.
But there was a time when you got to Christmas and it all slowed down. You would have the week between Christmas and New Year’s sort of as the holiday. It is not that you didn’t work during that time, but things slowed down significantly. But like those hospital stays it has been shortened because things are planned in between. Part of that is our society. Since miles separate families, you find yourself traveling from one relative to another during that time. We are in that boat too, but we have always made sure to wait until the day after Christmas to start to travel. That makes us miss the first day of school after the holidays, but we think it is worth it. We traveled on Christmas day once before the boys were born, but we decided that wasn’t a good idea.
So part of the constant rush is the family situation. But part of it is the other rush continues. There are “after Christmas sales.” December 26th is becoming almost as big a shopping day as the day after Thanksgiving. And it is not just returns anymore. That is largely because of gift cards, but it makes the rush continue. The parties and expectations continue. And for some, it just never stops. What good is it to celebrate a holiday, even one as meaningful as Christmas, if it wears you out?
So while I accept that fact that you can’t completely skip the rush, I do want to encourage you to find some pockets of rest. I want to encourage you to find the time when you can slow down and enjoy your family the way that we as Christians should. (pause)
As I track Jesus’ three-year ministry, it looks like a rush. But I also see him looking for times to slow down, regroup and find rest. Sometimes he even got away from the crowds. As usual, his example is a good one to follow!
Peace and rest are two words that should be associated with a good Christmas.
There are a couple of Scriptures that I want to look at that bring up the importance of skipping the rush and finding rest. The first one is a familiar Christmas verse, but it is found in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Now I don’t think that means that you will need a wonderful counselor to sort out all of your family problems when you get done with Christmas. You shouldn’t live Christmas in such a way that it will take a Mighty God to get you out of debt come January!
There are some restful things in that verse that we should focus on. Isaiah tells us that Jesus will be a Wonderful Counselor. What makes Him a Wonderful Counselor? I could list characteristics all morning but let me give you three:
1. He UNDERSTANDS Your Struggles
He knows what you are going through and he sees the hundred mile an hour pace. It may seem like he doesn’t. When you are down or lonely he may seem a million miles away. But he is not, and he understands.
In Hebrews 4:15 we find:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
Jesus gets it. He understands it. He can relate to you. Sometimes when we are going through a difficult situation and someone says, “I understand what you are going through…” it seems empty because unless they have been through the same situation how can they possibly understand our problems? But Jesus does understand. He knows exactly what you are going through. When you come to him in need of counsel he knows your situation. He knows your heart and He knows your mind.
Because of that, the next verse in Hebrews 4 tells us: Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Have you ever been betrayed? He has.
Have you ever been wrongly accused? He has.
Have people ever gossiped about you? Have you ever suffered physical pain? Have you ever been in physical need? Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever suffered loss? Have you ever been afraid? Have you ever felt that you have reached the bottom and there is no way up? He understands.
The Bible tells us that: John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Jesus was fully human like you and I. He knows how mean people can be. He knows how rough life can get. He understands your struggles.
But if we left it there that would be pretty empty, wouldn’t it? To just understand isn’t enough.
2. He CARES For You
1 Peter 5:7 is a great verse to memorize, especially if you struggle with worry. It says:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
You don’t have to fret and rush and worry. You can cast all of that on him, because he cares for you. He doesn’t want you to be stressed out. He can take all of that from you. But he won’t jerk it out of your hand. You have to give it to him.
Some counselors only care as long as you can pay the bill. Not Jesus! He cares about you as a person. He cares about your character. He cares about your spiritual growth and emotional welfare. He cares about the pain you suffer. He considers you of value and of worth.
Jesus is speaking in Matthew 6:26 and says:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
We live in a society that has this upside down. A guy gets arrested for dog fighting. He is in big trouble. It is not only federal trouble, but the state is going to try him for animal cruelty too. Now I want you to know that I am not opposed to that. I joke about not liking dogs, but I am definitely not in favor of animal cruelty. But here is what bothers me.
His name is Michael Vick and Michael Vick could have beat up his wife and he would have been okay. But cruelty to dogs has a whole host of people coming down on him.
Don’t you think that there is something wrong with that? Did you know that it is a crime to kill some animals while they are pregnant? But yet we can kill babies and call it choice. Doesn’t that bother you? It does me.
Aren’t people worth more than dogs or even endangered animals? God thinks so! He thinks you have value – He thinks that you have worth. He thinks that you are worth a lot. He thinks so much of you that He sent His son to die for you – to rescue you from your pain and suffering – to give you new hope, new life and salvation.
So if you have been the victim of abuse ... maybe it is physical abuse, maybe it is sexual abuse, maybe it is emotional abuse ... don’t for a minute think that God does not care. Don’t for a minute think that he doesn’t understand. You may not find one person that will stand up for you or take your side. I want you to know that the wonderful counselor is on your side! There may be times when he is all you have, but he is all you need.
This Prince of Peace is not going to leave us to fend for ourselves. You have probably heard it said, "God helps those who help themselves." Some even think that is in the Bible. It’s not. The truth of the matter is when you have reached the bottom - "God helps those who can’t help themselves." That’s not in the Bible either, but the principle is. When you see no way out - God steps in - if you call on Him.
Maybe the best verse about skip rush and find rest is found in Matthew 11:28. It is the words of Jesus:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Now that is a promise! He understands and he can help, but he won’t force it on you! He won’t force you, but he won’t turn His back on you either. There is no way He will abandon you. He cares too much to let that happen!
And because of that…
3. He COMMITS Himself to You
Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with each of us. In other words, he wants to do life with us. It is not just that he wants us to come visit and honor him once a week!
Look at what the Bible says in John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
This verse tells me that Jesus speaks to us. If we have a personal relationship with Jesus – He is committed to us and He talks to us.
How Does Jesus Speak To Us Today?
A. Through the BIBLE
Look at what it says in Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
God speaks to us through His written word.
B. Though the HOLY SPIRIT
Look at what it says in John 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
You say, "Well I have never heard the Holy Spirit talk to me." Let me ask you, have you ever done something wrong and felt guilty about it? Good! That’s the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Part of His job is to keep us on track. He does that sometimes with conviction.
Have you ever had a verse of scripture come to you out of the blue – that may be the Holy Spirit trying to teach you something?
Have you ever thought about a friend or family member and wondered how they were doing – that may just be the Holy Spirit prompting you to send a card, make a call or write a letter? You see the Holy Spirit still speaks today.
The third way God speaks today is:
C. Though the CHURCH
I have had people say to me, “do you have our house bugged? How did you know that was what we needed to hear?” I always consider that a tremendous compliment because it shows that God is working through me. The truth is that I couldn’t know. I am not sure I would even want to know what goes on in some of your houses, but God knows, and when you come to church He is going to talk to you about it.
But it is not just in the preaching and teaching. The church is the world’s largest support group. Every single person in this room this morning has problems. Turn to the person on your left and say, “You’ve got problems!” (Some of you turned to the right, so maybe you should have said, “I’ve got problems!”)
Now turn to the person on your right and say, “You’ve got BIG problems!” Doesn’t that make you feel better! It was worth coming this morning just for that, wasn’t it?
And you know what else? You may not know the problems of the person to your left, or the person to your right, but God knows them. He knows your problems too, and he is okay with it. Even though you are an adult and don’t know your right from your left, He loves you anyway!
There are those who think that Christians consider themselves perfect. They think we are a bunch of hypocrites because we claim perfection. Maybe we should put a sign over the front entrance that says, “No perfect people allowed”. It would be true, but it would also let the world know that we know that we are not perfect. We are simply working to be a community where people can be open and honest about their struggles – where we can work together to overcome our problems.
Moses was a great leader, but he had some problems. Back when he was leading the nation of Israel through the wilderness – he was wearing himself out. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law came to him with some advice. He said Exodus 18:19-21
Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. [20] Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. [21] But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Do you know what Moses did – he listened! He took Jethro’s advice!
Proverbs 15:22 says,
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
When someone gives you good advice - take it! Seek out good sound advice. I am fortunate. I get a lot of good advice from my mom and dad. But I can also tell you that I have gotten some excellent advice from some of the people sitting right here. There are some extremely wise people in the Northfield family. I don’t want to embarrass them by mentioning their names, but if you are here for any length of time, you will know who a couple of them are. There are 5 to 10 people who can give you solid advice on a regular basis. But then there are many others that could give you great advice on certain subjects. I want to encourage you to take advantage of that. Listen to what they say. God will speak to you through other Christian people. They won’t know he is speaking through them. They won’t say, “God wanted me to tell you…” But if you find them and follow their advice, you will find a lot more peace and rest!
God can and does use other Christians to speak to you - listen!
I want to return to the thought that God is committed to you. We started reading from John chapter ten a minute ago – let’s continue on: John 10:27-28
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Did you know that when you commit yourself to God – He commits Himself to you! That’s a pretty good deal, don’t you think? When you give yourself to Him - He promises to hold on to you. Look at John 10:28 again.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
In your own Bible you might want to circle the words: “No one will snatch them out of My hand.” When God says “no one” He means “NO ONE”. God will not allow any one to keep you away from His love.
Paul understood this fact when he wrote in the book of Romans: Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God – because if you have committed yourself to Him - He has committed Himself to you.
But let me tell you something. It is hard to have rest if you don’t have your physical, spiritual and emotional life in order. I don’t mean they have to be perfect, but if you are dealing with some kind of unresolved sin, you are not going to have rest. True rest is more internal than external. If you are right with God, even in the midst of rush, you will feel an incredible rest.
There is another story from the life of Moses that just nails this subject right on the head. Moses was God’s spokesman. That was okay, but it often put him in a place between the people and God. At times he even had to convince God to not destroy the Israelites. On one occasion he convinced God to not destroy them, but God agreed to go with them as long as he stayed outside the camp. Symbolically he wanted to show that he could not coexist with their sin. But this created a problem for Moses. God was there, but he wasn’t there in some ways.
This account is found in Exodus 33 and it starts out with God’s instructions.
Exodus 33:1-3
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ’I will give it to your descendants.’ [2] I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [3] Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
Did you catch what God was saying? I will send my angel, my advance team will prepare things, but I can’t go with you or I might destroy these rebellious people. Moses caught what he was saying and he didn’t like it. So he tells God what he thinks.
Exodus 33:12-13
Moses said to the LORD, "You have been telling me, ’Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ’I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ [13] If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
Now that may not sound like Moses is saying, “you need to go with us,” but God understood it that way. Look at the next verse: Exodus 33:14
The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
I think God could see the stress that Moses was under and he affirmed, “I will give you rest.” I will be there, but not only will I be there, I will help you to find rest in the midst of the rush.
That teaches us a valuable lesson. God won’t force His way in. He won’t even force His way into your Christmas. But if you really want God to be there and you want to find rest from the rush, ask him and he will give you both.
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
But Moses wanted to be sure. Exodus 33:15-17
Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. [16] How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" [17] And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
Moses got God’s presence, but he was also received his rest. The same kind of rest that Jesus promises in that verse that we looked at in Matthew.
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
If you want that, it is yours. But he won’t force it on you. He won’t hold a gun to your head and make you take it. You have to have the desire and the willingness to make some changes. You have to be willing to look for that time or that place of rest. Maybe you can’t completely skip the rush. That might even be part of what you like about Christmas. But you can look for those pockets of rests. In can look for the inner rest that comes from the child who was found in a manger.
Luke 2:14
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
