REST FOR THE WEARY
MARK 6:30-32
One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did." But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest."- Source Unknown.
As Servants of God, it is important that we take ample time to rest, relax and prepare for our labor. We must take the time to sharpen our ax! Many people underestimate the importance of rest and relaxation.
We have all heard (or even uttered) the statement “I’ll rest when I’m dead”.Someone rightly responded to that sentiment by saying “Death may find you sooner if you don’t rest”.
Spiritual and ministerial burnout is a dangerous reality. Many wonderful servants of God now find themselves unqualified for ministry because they refused to address the exhaustion in their lives. It is not only people who are weak in the faith who suffer from burnout. Burnout is an issue that has been experienced by some of the greatest servants of God in history. A prime example is the prophet Elijah. Elijah took a stand against idolatry and prayed fire down from Heaven. Immediately after this he slew 450 false prophets. But the very next day he was threatened by an evil woman and he ran into the wilderness, sat down under a juniper tree and asked God to kill him. If Elijah suffered as a result of mental, physical and emotional exhaustion, then we are certainly not exempt.
The Bible makes it clear that we cannot work to earn our salvation. If we cannot earn our salvation, then we cannot work to keep our salvation. Comprehending this reality will help us to enjoy the rest that is available in Christ Jesus. The writer of Hebrews says “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11)
There is no doubt that we have been saved to serve. God expects His servants to serve Him obediently, faithfully and consistently. But we must understand that God will not be disappointed when we take a break and seek rest in Him. In fact, that is exactly what He wants us to do! Furthermore, God gave us a great example of the importance of rest. He is the all-powerful mighty God, and even He took a day off. In 6 days the Lord created the Heavens, the Earth and everything in it. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 1:31; 2:1-3)
God intends for His people to rest from time to time. This fact is evident in our selected text. After a time of great labor, Jesus directed His Disciples to stop for a while. When He did this, there was still much work to be done. There were still great multitudes that needed to be reached. But for just a little while, Jesus took His disciples away from the hustle and bustle and they were alone with Him. By doing so, He would prepare them for what was ahead. By taking a little time off, they would be better prepared for the ministry that was ahead of them. You have often heard it said “there is no rest for the weary”. I am glad to report that, there is rest and it is found in Jesus. I would like to take some time and preach on the subject “Rest For The Weary”.
There is no doubt that the Lord’s Disciples were weary at this point in their ministry. There are likely some servants of God in this place who are tired and weary. Paul says 2 Thessalonians 3:13 “brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” We must be cautious of growing weary, but we also must ensure that we are “doing good”. How can we do what is good? We do this by obeying the call that God has placed on our lives. Let us begin by considering:
I. THE WORK THAT IS PERFORMED BY THE LORD’S DISCIPLES - v30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
From the vast multitude that followed Jesus, He selected 12 to be His Apostles. He had recently empowered these men and sent them out in pairs to preach the Gospel. (v7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.) The Disciples were faithful to their calling. (v12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.)
The Gospels do not tell us how long the Disciples were traveling and preaching. It could have been a few weeks, or it could have been several months. When their short term mission was complete, the Disciples arrived and told Jesus all about the things that they had done and the words that they had taught. (v30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.)
I can just imagine the conversation that took place when the Disciples were reunited with each other and with Jesus. I have been in the ministry long enough to know that if you get a bunch of preachers together it won’t be long before they start comparing numbers. They will begin to share how many they average in Sunday School, Worship and outreach programs. They will tell you how many conversions and baptisms they had in the last year. And they will find a way to mention their budget surplus and current building programs. In many instances you will find someone who just wants to brag. But there are other occasions when you encounter a faithful servant of God who just wants to share how good God is and to rejoice in the opportunity to serve Him and to experience His blessing on their ministry. We do not have an in depth record of all that the Disciples experienced as they traveled and preached. But we can be sure that they saw some amazing things. Don’t forget, Jesus had given them the power to heal the sick, cast out demons and even raise the dead. When they were reunited I am sure that they spent some time sharing about: the crowds that they had reached; the lives that had been changed, and the miracles that had taken place.
I am sure that Jesus rejoiced with them. He must have been thrilled that these men that he had been training for this purpose had been faithful to their calling. But even in the midst of their excitement, Jesus knew that they were tired and weary. They had been traveling and ministering for some time. Though there were many who gladly received their message and rejoiced in the miracles of God, there were many others who had opposed them. Jesus warned them that they would be rejected and He instructed them as to how to respond when they were. (v11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!")
While Jesus approved of their faithfulness to serve, He also recognized that they needed a break. When God’s servants are exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally it can have a negative impact spiritually. It is important for us to cease our labor (for a time) in order to rest and recover. The Lord has called us to serve Him and we must be faithful to that calling. Wherever He has placed you, whatever He task He has assigned you to perform, it is vital that you obey His will for your life. Each of us has a specific gift or talent that is to be used to glorify God. And we must seek to bring Him honor and glory in all that we do.
Furthermore, there are some universal commands that we are all expected to obey. God wants us to love others, pray without ceasing, and to worship and obey Him. Also, every born again Christian is expected to participate in the Great Commission. If you are willing to serve the Lord, He will open doors for you to do just that!
After I surrendered to the call to preach, one night I was praying and I said “Lord, you have called me to preach, if you will open the doors I will go and share your Word. Since that time there have been very few Sundays that I have not been preaching somewhere.
I can assure you, if you will surrender to God’s call on your life, He will give you ample opportunities to serve Him. Let’s consider that fact for a moment. In verse 31 we see:
II. THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE LORD’S DISCIPLES - v31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.
As the Disciples reported the things they experienced to Jesus, many gathered together hoping to see or experience a miracle. Instead of doing great miracles among the people, or even allowing His Disciples to do great works in their presence, Jesus took them away from the crowds. This illustrates the importance of rest and recuperation. In this life there will never be a shortage of people who need to hear about Jesus.
(John 4:35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!) The fields were ready to harvest back then and they remain so today. And while it is our responsibility to share Jesus with others, we are not able or expected to reach them all.
Many of us possess inflated egos. We have it in our minds that without us, the Gospel ministry will come to a halt. But the fact is, God has many servants in this world, some that we do not even know about. On one occasion Elijah cried out to the Lord and said "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left” (I Kings 19:14) God said to Elijah “I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal” God had a plan and a people who would accomplish His will and the same is true today.
Paul had a desire to minister to the people in Asia, and there was no shortage of people who needed to hear the Gospel there. But the Holy Spirit prevented him from going to Asia; instead he received a call to go to Macedonia. Because he was obedient, an innumerable multitude came to faith in Christ. Even Jesus was not able to reach everyone. This is why He empowered the Disciples to go out and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom. This is also why in the future He would send out 70 more on a similar mission.
Sometimes doors are closed for us so that God can use other people to minister in those areas. God has a perfect plan and His perfect plan involves putting the right people, in the right place at the right time. A great example of this is found in the miracle that Peter and John performed at the gate of the Temple. (Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple)
This man was laid at the gate of the Temple daily. Jesus had gone to the Temple numerous times during His earthly ministry but He did not give this man the ability to walk. Jesus certainly could have, for there are numerous examples of lame men who were healed by Jesus. But if Jesus had healed this man, Peter and John would not have had the opportunity to do so. Because Jesus gave Peter and John the opportunity to do this great work in this man’s life, it opened the door for them to share the Gospel with all who were in attendance.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
God will open many doors for you. There will be innumerable opportunities for you to minister for Him. But you must understand that you cannot reach everyone. Certainly we must be faithful to serve, but in order to serve successfully we must take some time to rest and prepare. This leads us to consider:
III. THE REST THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR THE LORD’S DISCIPLES
v32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
As the crowds compassed Jesus and His Disciples, He knew that it was time for His servants to get away for a while. He instructed them to get into a boat and to go to a quiet place away from the crowds. This would not be a long break for the crowds ran ahead of them and thronged them once they arrived in the other side. But if nothing else, they had a brief respite while they were on the boat with Jesus.
There were many great victories that the Disciples had been a part of. They had seen and even performed many amazing miracles. They were on a spiritual high, but physically they were exhausted. At this point they were probably just running on adrenaline. Even with all the victories, there were some dark clouds hanging over their ministry. Though they had been received by many, they had likely been rejected by even more. They had suffered opposition and persecution. Also fresh on their minds was the death of John the Baptist. Some of them had been disciples of John, and we can be sure that the others admired him greatly. Along with their personal grief, there was probably some concern that they would endure a similar fate as John. And History tells us that most of them did die for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted His men to get away from the crowds so that they could rest and be renewed mentally, emotionally and physically.
Mark tells us that there were so many people coming to them that they didn’t even have time to eat. Even a short boat ride would be a time of refreshment for these men. Verse 32 tells us that “they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.” Jesus and the Disciples traveled to a deserted area near Bethsaida. Thousands of people would be waiting for them on the other side of the lake, but for just a little while the Disciples were alone with Jesus.
We live in a fast paced society. There is never a shortage of things to do and people to reach. While we have no excuse for apathy or lethargy; this doesn’t mean that we are not allowed to rest for a little while. However, it is important that we make the most of our down time. They key to the Disciples rest was that they were in the presence of the Savior. They talked to Him and He talked to them. These men had accomplished some great things for God, but they still had a long way to go in their walk of faith. Jesus used every occasion to strengthen their faith. And those down times were just as important in this process as the many miracles that He performed among the multitude.
We have the great privilege to serve the Lord. If we will present ourselves as vessels to be used by Him, He will do just that. He will use us to reach others and to advance His Kingdom. But like the man in the wood chopping contest, we must take a break and sharpen our axe. Like the Disciples we must get away from the “busyness” and spend time with our Master. We must take the time to walk to Him in prayer, and we must take the time to allow Him to speak to us through His Word.
I pray that you will not “grow weary in doing good”. I encourage you to take some time this week and get alone with Jesus and allow Him to prepare you for the ministry that is ahead.
Obviously none of the things we have seen today apply to those who are not followers of Jesus. But the good news is that He has extended and invitation for you to come to Him today. He said in - Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you 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.
This is an invitation for all to hear, but the ones who will respond to this invitation are those who are burdened by their own labors. In this verse Jesus was speaking to people who were weary as a result of their futile attempt to earn their salvation by following the Law. Those who sought righteousness in the Law never found true rest. But those who turned to Christ found a permanent rest in Him apart from the Law.
Some of you have spent your whole lives trying to find spiritual rest. Jesus makes it clear that He is our only hope of salvation. You cannot get to God based on the things that you do or the things that you avoid. Your only hope of salvation, your only hope of spiritual and eternal rest is found in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to put your faith in Him and find that rest today. So, for those who belong to Jesus and for those who will turn to Him, there is indeed “Rest For The Weary”.
