Why Not Rest

WHY NOT REST

9:30 1/29/93 Text Matthew 11:28-30 Psalm 23 Matthew 11:25-30

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RICK

The story is told of a lady who became very angry at the

pastor. When she finally caught up with him, she said, "I called

you all morning at the church and dropped by to see you in the

afternoon on Tuesday and you were not there." The minister said,

"I’m sorry Madam, but Tuesday is my day off." "Your day off",

she said very self righteously. "I’ll have you know that the

devil never takes a day off". The minister replied, "you are

absolutely right my dear, and I suppose that if I did the same

thing, I would become just like him."

TOBY

Sometimes we confuse being busy with working for God. We

forget that not only did Jesus say go and preach, he also said

come and rest. Once a great revival was taking place after Jesus

had sent out the twelve disciples. People were repenting, demons

were driven out, and sick people were anointed with oil and were

healed. People were coming from all over the place and Jesus and

the disciples did not even time to eat. It’s interesting that

Jesus did not extend the revival for two weeks, instead He told

the disciples, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and

get some rest." Jesus considers our health and well being to be

more important, than doing ministry for God.

RICK

Too many people pay a heavy price with their families, their

health, and their well being in search of some goal. When they

obtain it, they realize the price is too high. I once had a man

tell me, that when his marriage started to interfere with his

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devotion to his job, he knew he needed to get out of the mar

riage. How do we become so sick, that things, and power, and

money mean more to us than those who deserve our love and affec

tion?

TOBY

Jesus had more energy than we could dream of having, yet

Jesus was smart enough to realize that He needed to take some

time to rest. He would often go to the hills alone to meet God

and be refreshed. His rest didn’t always come from lying in a

bed. That’s only part of what we need. His rest came from and

through a regular fresh encounter God. Jesus wants us to know

that He has rest stops planned for our lives.

RICK

Our text for today is Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus is the one

speaking in the passage and He begins with the word "COME". If

we want rest and peace of mind, we have to take action. We must

be willing to let something else either wait, or learn to do

without it altogether. For Jesus has said for us to come. What

do you say about a dog who when you say, "Come", looks up at you

and then puts his head back down, not moving the rest of his

body. This is a how a lot of people respond to God. They hear

the call, but don’t think its worth the effort to get up and see

why the call was given.

TOBY

Jesus said, "Come to Me". If we desire rest, we can’t come

to the first thing that looks like a solution. The destination

of our movement has to be toward and to Jesus Christ. The Bible

ð 7 3 Štells us to fix our eyes upon Jesus and put away any sin and

anything else that would cause us to look somewhere else. Jesus

is the only true place for us to find rest, because everything

else is going to pass away.

RICK

Jesus goes on to qualify who is eligible to come to him. He

says, "Come to me all who are weary and burdened". Jesus’s

invitation is only extended to those who realize that they need

help. Have you ever tried to help a little child get dressed

only to be told by the child, "Stop! Let me do it by myself."

You go ahead and let the child do it. 5 minutes later you see

shoes on the wrong feet, buttons uneven, tag, and hair that looks

a mess. That’s what we look like to God without Jesus--a mess.

TOBY

Jesus did not come to help people who could do it all them

selves. Notice that Jesus does not put a limit on what kind of

burdens we need to have, or how large the burden has to be. All

that’s needed is a recognition of burden, a heartache, or a pain.

They come in all forms. Husband or wives that won’t do right.

Children in trouble with school or the law. Burdens of loneli