Sabbatical
Job 29:20, Mark 6:31
SCRIPTURE READING: Mark 6:30-32
INTRODUCTION:
Well, I’m back. In case any of you didn’t notice I was gone … I want to thank the Congregation for giving me a 2-month Sabbatical this summer. I really appreciate all the Staff and the Elders and others who pitched in and covered things I might have been doing during that time.
Once I told people I was having a Sabbatical, I started hearing about other Preachers who were on Sabbatical. Unfortunately, I found out “Sabbatical” is often a “CODE WORD.” Too often what Sabbatical REALLY means is:
• This guy’s in BIG trouble (There’s some sort of scandal going on …)
• This guys on his way OUT (We’re firing him … the slow way …)
• This guy’s already had a nervous break down (Which means it’s way too late for a Sabbatical to do any good.)
So, thanks for giving me a REAL, legitimate Sabbatical! (At least I hope that’s what it was!) At any rate, here I am back … the new and improved “Sabbatical Ed.”) That’s what my family started calling me this summer. I got so relaxed that if something went wrong they’d say, Oh, that won’t bother him, he’s “Sabbatical Ed.”)
For any of you who are interested (…and those of you who are just stuck here, interested or not…) Here are some of the things I accomplished during the 2 months. (Bill Crouch joked that I should put a sub-title on this sermon: What I did on my summer vacation.)
(I listed activities...)
Ten I spent 4 days at the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs as a time of spiritual renewal.
During the Sabbatical, I read some books, saw some movies, took some naps, … and golfed … only twice! I’m glad to say that I gained no weight. But I did become somewhat mellower … which I guess is why I got the name “Sabbatical Ed.”
So, what you get for your Investment is the new and improved, Post-Sabbatical Ed. I’ll describe it this way: I am now Loosened Up, Wised Up, and Prayed Up.
1. Loosened up
What I mean by Loosened Up can be explained by a word-picture in the book of Job. Job used the picture of a bow and arrow in Job 29:20: My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand.
In this verse, Job was referring to the way he saw himself before Catastrophe struck him. Later, in Job 30:11, he uses the same word picture when he says: Now God has unstrung my bow and afflicted me …
Job was experiencing what we could call a FORCED Sabbatical. We know from reading the first 2 chapters of Job that the affliction he suffered was actually from Satan --- but it was allowed by God. The end result was that Job was given some time off that he had not asked for.
When I think about Job this morning, I can’t help but think of the thousands of people along the Gulf Coast. What they have just experienced is as close to the experience of Job as anyone is likely to get. In a period of hours, people have suffered the catastrophic loss of every possession, their livelihood, their businesses, and --- tragically --- some have lost their loved ones.
I’ve heard some of them give testimonies of their faith in God when they are interviewed. They show the faith of Job who said, The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. We can pray that God will renew their strength just like He renewed the strength of Job.
The events that put Job “on the bench” so to speak were something like an extreme mid-life crisis. He was suddenly freed from all his possessions, his career, and all his loved-ones except his wife. (… and, by the way, his wife ended up advising him to curse God and die. So much for encouragement from the “little woman.”)
At the point when Job was terribly weakened and afflicted, he said God had unstrung his bow. I see the loosened bowstring as an appropriate image for a time of Sabbatical … but with a warning attached. We can either loosen our own bowstring, or it is possible that God may have to do the job for us. Sometimes it seems that “time off” works that way. We lose a job or we get sick or disabled … and our bow seems to lie useless in our hands.
I’m not a bow-and-arrow kind of guy, but it makes sense to me that it is not smart to keep a bow tightly strung all the time. Keeping the bowstring at maximum tension can wear out the bow or stretch out the string. If that’s the case, it seems equally true that it’s a problem for a human to be tightly strung all the time. All of us need some time to “loosen up.”
This summer while the Gibbs family visited Round Rock Community Church the same Sunday we were there. (Some of your remember them from a few years back when they were part of our church.) They told me that the church they now attend gives all of its minister’s regular Sabbaticals. I think that’s a wise idea. In fact, if more churches did that, there might not be so many Pastors and Youth Ministers who burn out, wear out, or fizz out. I can vouch for a Sabbatical being a good way to make the words of Job true: My glory will remain fresh in me, the bow ever new in my hand. Job 29:20 I can honestly say that I feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. I’m excited about what God has in mind for CHCC, and I’m more than ready to do my part.
2. Wised up
Besides helping me to LOOSEN UP, I think taking a Sabbatical type break can also help someone to WISE UP. In my case, I got a fresh perspective --- partly just from having a change of scenery.
For one thing, I enjoyed the chance to see how others “do church.” I saw some things that might be good ideas for us and some things that make me appreciate the way we do things already. For one thing, I’m glad to be back in my own pulpit because while I was away, I saw everything from Plexiglas pulpits to little round tables … which just made me appreciate this Pulpit. It fits like a glove. (It’s a good thing my associates are both over 6 feet tall, so it fits them, too.)
Visiting churches made me really appreciate the friendly, relaxed atmosphere of our church. The couple of times I came to CHCC, I felt like I was back home. Being away also caused me to realize how important this Sunday Morning time is. For many people, this is the one and only time that is set apart to worship our God. I want our Worship Services to create an atmosphere where was can forget everything else and focus on God --- who He is, and what He wants us to do.
The TEXT this morning told about a time when Jesus and his apostles had been so busy they hardly had time to eat or sleep. Listen to the instruction Jesus gave them: Come apart to a desert place and rest a while. Mark 6:31
I didn’t really have that verse in mind, but I DID go to Arizona which is about as much desert as you can get. There is a real benefit to surrounding yourself with new and different sights and sounds. Getting away from the usual routine, talking to different people, visiting different churches … all of that gives a new perspective.
Jesus not only called his men to take time off for rest, he also spent regular time alone with his Father for prayer and fellowship. Spending “alone” time with his Father energized Jesus, and he showed his concern for his own apostles by instructing them to take time away also.
We would all do well to follow His example. We need to learn to Come apart… or we may actually “come apart.” Not all of us will get the chance to take a formal “Sabbatical.” But we can find ways to “observe the Sabbath.”
The idea of Sabbath Rest is a God-Breathed idea … given for our benefit. I believe in our productivity-centric society, we have forgotten how to “clock out” so to speak. If you are one who finds it almost impossible to actually sit down and do nothing for a while … without getting a case of the fidgets … then maybe this is the message for you.
3. Prayed up
The last benefit I got from the Sabbatical was a chance to get PRAYED UP. Of course, there is always time for prayer, but I ended the Sabbatical with a trip to the World Prayer Center in Colorado. I went there to set aside time just for Spiritual Renewal. Renewal is a concept that’s hard to define. A renewed car looks like the day it was driven out of the auto showroom. A renewed Christian returns to that first intense, miraculous connection with God that sometimes gets lost in all the complexity of life.
While I was at the World Prayer Center, I read a book called Drawing Near that was sitting in the room. I got a lot out of that book about God’s desire for an intimate connection with each of us. It wasn’t a book I would normally have picked up, so I wondered if God had had me drive 1,200 miles just to read it.
One verse that took on fresh meaning to me is Exodus 34:14: You must worship no other gods, but only the LORD, for he is a God who is passionate about his relationship with you.
I took a lot of notes from that book --- in fact, I filled a journal with notes (and I’m no journal-er.) But what was different was that I was not taking notes for lessons or sermons. I was just focusing on my own relationship with a God who is passionate about his relationship with me.
Most versions translate that verse by saying, The Lord your God is a jealous God. But I think the New Living Translation actually captures the meaning better. We tend to think of jealous in a negative way – as a selfish and possessive kind of emotion. But the way God is jealous is not at all selfish or negative. It’s more the way a parent feels toward a child. A parent (or grand-parent for that matter!) has strong emotions toward their child. They passionately want a close relationship with that child.
When we love someone that way, we don’t want others – especially bad influences – to steal away the affections of the one we love so deeply. We want to guard and protect that close, intimate relationship. And we want our loved one to value us in the same way we value them. That’s the way God feels about every one of us.
CONCLUSION:
That’s why James 4:8 can give this promise: Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. That’s it’s important to take time away from the hustle and bustle of life and spend time with God.
Now, I’m all for Sabbaths and Sabbaticals. But you don’t have to wait for someone to give you extra time off in order to draw near to God. In fact, you don’t have to wait for anything. You don’t have to wait until you can “clean up your act” or do some good deeds or somehow prove that you are good enough to approach God.
I love the feeling when one of my grandkids sees me … and their face lights up with excitement. They come running toward me with their little arms held out so I can scoop them up. Imagine how I’d feel if I held my arms out and they just looked indifferent … or ran the other way. (Of course they would never do that because my grandkids are brilliant… they certainly know enough to realize I’m a wonderful Grandpa.)
We should know enough to realize we have a great and wonderful God … a God who wants to be our Heavenly Father. He’s holding his arms open for you God has already declared His love for you in no uncertain terms. God is passionate about His relationship with you.
He is waiting to see if you care about your relationship with Him. It’s really that simple. Will you draw near to God today?
