Many things in life can drain us of energy – relationships, people, work and even ministries.
• We are tired because there are so many things that needs our attention, and so little time. So much work to do and so few people doing them.
• There are many expectations we need to meet – from our superiors, our parents, from teachers, and also from our pastor.
• How do we find the way to combat this draining effects of mounting and unending tasks, unmet needs and expectations?
We need to take a look at Jesus. He died premature at a young age of 33; worked only for 3 years and He was able to say at the end: “It is finished.”
• He died a fulfilled man, a happy man. In His last prayer with God in John 17, Jesus said, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (verse 4)
• I like that. I want that. Jesus did well despite the demands placed upon Him.
• Let’s look at this account in Mark 1:29-39. My theme today is, how we can stay replenished in the midst of the demands of life.
Jesus had a long day on Sabbath.
• Verse 21 tells us He started the day preaching in the synagogue. And verse 29 says when they left, they went to the home of Simon because his mother-in-law was sick. Jesus went to pray for her.
• And that evening after sunset, the people brought the sick and demon-possessed to the house.
I believe Mark tells us specifically that they brought ALL the sick and demon-possessed and that the WHOLE TOWN was there at the door – to highlight to us that it was a huge crowd.
• It wasn’t a small group seeking a GP at a clinic. It was a big group of people with needs, and many grave needs, “incurable” needs medically speaking – those tormented by the demons.
• I was likely a long night. And Mark noted Jesus healed MANY and also drove out MANY demons.
What a day. Jesus started preaching in the day, went for a home visitation, and then ended the day with a big healing service.
• Everyone was tired. I am usually very tired on Sundays. Preaching alone is mentally draining. I need to catch a nap in the afternoon before I return for the night service at 7.00pm. A few occasions when I did not get that chance to rest, I struggled to stay awake during the service. A pastor can also sleep in a service.
• Jesus must be tired. In fact, we have an account of Jesus sleeping in the boat right in the midst of a storm. That’s how tired he can be.
Yet the next verse, verse 35 tells us “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and left the house…”
• Why does He do that? Why don’t He sleeps in a little longer? I expected that. I won’t fault Him for that, after a long and tiring Sabbath.
• But Jesus got up early and went off to pray. He went out to talk with His Father. That was His habit.
Now I know why He needs to pick such time and place. This is His only chance to be quiet and alone with His Father.
• He is a public figure. Everyone recognises Him. He has few private moments. He needs to seize every opportunity He has to be alone with His Father.
But why such a pressing need? Hasn’t He been “talking” to the Father?
• He did that just yesterday – on the Sabbath – in the synagogue, in Simon’s house when He prayed for Simon’s mother-in-law, and at night during the “healing service” when many of the sick were healed.
• He has been praying all these times. YET He finds it necessary to commune with His Father again, early in the morning.
The significant word here is SOLITARY PLACE. It was between the two of them.
• It wasn’t intercession but communion. It wasn’t about ministry, but a relationship. It wasn’t about getting things DONE, it is the sharing of hearts.
• To Jesus, prayer is more than getting things done. It is more than the calling a help-line to get help.
• Prayer is ultimately about a relationship. Such communion time replenishes us. It refreshes our spirit. It helps us see the BIG picture. It restores our confidence and strength.
SOLITUDE WITH GOD REJUVENATES
Jesus needed a time-out with God. We too need time-out with God.
• We are too busy not to pray, Bill Hybels says correctly. There is so much at stake that we need to chat with Him.
• It is not something we DO on a NEED BASIS. We pray when there is a need. We stop praying when there is no need.
• Jesus finds it necessary to meet His Father one-on-one in a solitary place. We need to do the same. We cannot date in a crowd.
Incorporate such quiet moments with God in your life.
• We can pray in small groups. We can pray corporately in church. We can pray for those who are in need.
• But these cannot replace our own quiet times with God. You need to spend time with the One who loves you, one on one.
And don’t evaluate such times of communion. “What should I do? How long should it be? What am I supposed to pray about?” We try to “fill it up” again.
• Just share your heart. No need for any agenda. When lovers meet, they simply enjoy each other’s company. They don’t evaluate the time; they simply enjoy it.
• Was Jesus tired? Most likely. But something is more important than sleep.
COMMUNION WITH GOD NOURISHES YOUR SPIRIT
Something motivates Jesus here. Something that is more than the physical, like food or sleep.
• Remember the incident when He talks to a Samaritan woman by the well, the disciples came back with food and He said, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” (John 4:32)
• He was felt spiritually. He found rest in His spirit in being with God. That communion nourishes His spirit.
We care a lot about our emotional needs (soul) and physical needs (body), which is good and fine.
• We need also, if not more importantly, to take good care of our spirit – our relationship with God. That affects everything else.
• Time with God nourishes our spirit.
Jesus wasn’t just drained physically, He was drained spiritually because of the intense SPIRITUAL BATTLES He was engaged in the day before.
• He was preaching the Word and healing the sick. He was casting out demons – many of them, Mark said.
• He was fighting the devil like a solider at the front-line of a war. He needs to refill His tank. He refills it when He meets His Father.
Communion time with God is refilling time. You have nothing to give if you do not refill.
• Almost everything in life drains you. Only God can refills you. He restores you, revives you, renew your strength, rekindles your love, re-energise you with His Spirit. He replenishes what you have expended.
TIMES WITH GOD CLARIFY OUR LIFE PRIORITIES
God helps you see what is important, what you need to do.
Jesus was hunted down by the disciples. Peter said, “Everyone is looking for you!”
• Who is this EVERYONE? Of course, in this context, it’s the crowd that came looking for Him the previous night.
• There are many who are still sick and oppressed by the devil. The needs are great and many, and Jesus is expected to help them. He is the only One who can heal them.
There is a perceived agenda here: The people needs you. They require your immediate attention. Why are you hiding here?
• There will always be unfinished tasks and unmet expectations in life.
• Many things that you NEED TO DO. You don’t have to look for them; they will come after you. What are you going to do?
Learn from Jesus. His response was, “Let us go…”
• How can He be so heartless? How can He walk away from this? What will the people think?
• You can, when you are driven, not by needs and the expectations of people, but by God’s AGENDA.
Jesus wasn’t concerned about how people sees Him. He is concerned about fulfilling God’s purpose for His life.
• God has given Him clear direction. To meet the physical needs of those before Him is to IGNORE God’s will for His life - to meet the spiritual needs of the lost.
• I am forgoing the greater spiritual needs of the lost if I stay to meet the lesser, temporary, physical needs of your bodies.
• I need to PREACH the Gospel elsewhere (throughout Galilee) because THAT IS WHY I HAVE COME.
His time alone with His Father HELPED Him realigned His priorities. In the midst of all these competing needs, He saw His purpose in life.
• Times spent with God provides us clarity of purpose and help us stay focused on what is necessary and important.
• Jesus did not heal all the sick. He walked away from them. He did not meet every need. Neither do us. Some things can be left undone.
I’ve been leading FPM many years. There were times when we have many elderly members who were sick. We prayed for them, of course, but there was a period of time when we pray for the sick almost every Friday.
And the Lord showed me one day that something is wrong. How can we be praying for the sick and let it predominates? There are physical needs. The sick recovers but can fall sick again. Everyone is aging and more will get sick. We’ve let the physical needs dominates our mind!
Physical, material, emotional needs cannot predominate our prayers. There is nothing wrong with praying for them but they cannot fill up the entire prayer time.
Prayer is about God and His will. It’s about His Kingdom and His agenda. There are greater things that we should be concerned about - the spiritual things, the eternal stuff. Those must be pushed up front.
How can we be clear about these? Commune with God. He will show you.
