The Gift Of Rest

INTRODUCTION:

We are living in a world where the average person desperately needs rest! Not sleep, but true genuine, refreshing rest!

Many seek after and will trip all over themselves for the opportunity to win a free vacation, which ends up not being free at all. In this message we will look at a gift that will bring true, sweet, peaceful rest!

Today’s passage is one of those that have been referred to as a “Great Text” of the Bible. If you have been in church for even a small length of time you will probably recognize it right away. If you’re not familiar with it, you might find it one of these verses which will prove to be a source of true blessing in your life.

The Lord Jesus, our Great Shepherd, our loving savior is speaking, and he invites a group referred to as “All.”

Notice our Text: Matthew 11:28-30

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Illustration: One old Gospel song says,

"Hear Jesus calling, 'Come unto me, Come and I’ll give you rest.'

Don’t you remember what Jesus said? 'Bring you burdens and come to me.'”

Today’s message is about “The Gift of Rest.”

We will look at…

1. THE INVITE: The request for your participation. “Come”

2. THE INVITER: The one sending out the invitation. “Christ”

3. THE INVITEES: Those invited. “All Burdened and Heavy Laden.”

4. THE INVITATION: “Come and Find Rest unto your Souls.”

Humor:

Liz Taylor was married 8 times. So, I am going to tell you like she told her husbands, “I’m not going to keep you long.”

George Burns said, “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending, and to have the two as close together as possible.”

I will try to remember that! LOL

Lead into sermon…

I would like to start with the topic of REST.

Question:

Who do you know right now at this moment that needs rest?

Do you need rest?

This is not necessarily physical rest but rest for your soul.

True Rest: True rest seems elusive for most Americans. Only one in seven adults (14%) set aside a day a week for rest. And on that one day a week, what do they do? Mostly, they work. More than four in ten say they do enjoyable work, and an additional nearly four in ten (37%) say they’ll do non-enjoyable work if it needs to be done. Only one in five (19%) say they don’t do any work at all on their day of rest. Andy Crouch, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place Baker Publishing Group.

The Value of Rest: Today many of us have been [so] conditioned by efficiency that times [of sitting on the porch] feel unproductive, irresponsible, lazy, even selfish. We know we need rest, but we can no longer see the value of rest as an end in itself; it is only worthwhile if it helps us recharge our batteries so we can be even more efficient in the next period of productivity.

Waiting for Our Souls to Catch Up : An archaeologist once hired some Inca tribesmen to lead him to an archaeological site deep in the mountains. After they had been moving for some time the tribesmen stopped and insisted they would go no further. The archaeologist grew impatient and then angry. But no matter how much he cajoled the tribesmen would not go any further. Then suddenly, the tribesmen changed their attitude. They picked up the gear and set off once more. When the bewildered archaeologist asked why they had stopped and refused to move for so long, the tribesmen answered, “We had been moving too fast and had to wait for our souls to catch up.” Source: based on a story told in the movie Beyond the Clouds

WHAT IS “REST?”

The English word ‘rest’ means to cease work or movement to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength. It is an instance or period of relaxing or ceasing to engage in a strenuous or stressful activity. It is an intermission or cessation from any motion.

How many of us have gone on a vacation, which involved so much frustration, tireless hours in the car, rude people, uncomfortable environments. When we return, we need a vacation to get over our vacation. Not to mention how long it will take to pay for our vacation!

Elaborate on the topic of Rest!

WHAT IS “THE GIFT OF REST THAT CHRIST OFFERS?”