Rest Rehab: ACT

Friends and family I not privilege this weekend tonight to be able to introduce to you mightily needs no introduction is one of our favorite teaching pastors here at the summa church. I have been told that I now have the distinct privilege of being everyone's third favorite preacher here.

The summa church and I will say whether this because number one or number two if you decide to have a car to send Roscoe's been on our team for quite some time now and does a lot of different things here at the church I one of the most talented individuals I've ever had a chance to work with up close. At night my daughter when my daughters said told stories about what was going on at work and that was to come up being on a team and was yes it was on that team and not mention Curtis's pastor cursing on the team, and she said that it seems that Curtis is on every team and that's about true there's very few places in this church that his ministry is wisdom's leadership have not affected his anointed brother he preaches with passion. He preaches with clarity and conviction and and has yet to fail. It is yet it is never happened where he did not bring a word that God did not use it to speak to me and reveal something to me. So this is not to be the first time that that ever happened.

So I want you to open your heart, I want you to open your Bibles I want you to prepare yourself to hear the word of God in all of her campuses would you put your hands together and welcome Pastor Curtis and Roscoe will welcome Summit family, my name is Curtis so good to see so many of your faces and a lot of joining us online. If you have never heard me tell my story. I became believer, a follower of Jesus. In February 2008 so little, almost 13 years ago and as I told my story to you guys. The six months leading up to February 2008 were some love if I'm just being honest here for some of the most miserable six months of my entire life. It was miserable because I was trying to have a foot in both worlds. I was trying to live in this this church world trying to bring myself to God, but that I was also still back in the party scene and it was just it was just horrible felt like I was being torn into constantly and during that six months God was drawing me closer and closer and nearer to himself and there was this verse. The single verse that kept popping up everywhere I say everywhere. I mean everywhere that verse is working to be today and that is Matthew chapter 11 verse 28.

I meant to say it like a thousand times. If you can get there quick. That's fine.

Matthew chapter 11 verse 28.

You probably heard it goes like this. It says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. The six months leading up to my salvation. I soul I heard. I took that verse and over and over and over there I was in 2007, I was tired I was weary I was buried in.

Honestly, I was just doing but then praise God.

My eyes were opened, and I finally came to know him now. Now I wish I could stand here and tell you that since February 2008. Not a single thing has gone wrong in my life is just been rainbows and sunshine is been nothing but joy and happiness with Jesus, but I would be like.

In fact, one of the things I have learned over the last 12 years.

In my walk with Jesus is that often the very thing that led me to Jesus in the first place has now become the very thing that keeps leading me back to Jesus over and over again. My battle against the burdens and anxieties of life, coupled with the weight of responsibilities often take me from this free worshiper to a wearied worrier notes. It's no secret that we live in a world that is a addicted to technology relationship skills are dwindling. Families are splitting up anxiety has a seat at almost every single table, our kids live in a fishbowl of comparison in society believes any and everyone. It deems fit to look up any survey or research right now on mental health in 2020, and every single negative thing has increased right now in our country we are battling depression and anxiety at historic rates and on top of that, it just seems like there are never enough hours in a day. But even when you use every single hour every single one of them you in the day by being worn out and just crawling across the finish line. One author said it like this is that we have taskmasters in our heads that Scheid and parade us if we simply sit down and rest.

They beat us over the head with unfinished tasks that are in front of us and they blame us as lazy good for nothing wimps if we even sneak away for a breath of fresh air is that we could spend our whole lives neglecting a Sabbath rest, never realizing that this may be the very reason why our lives are weary and empty in the first place. I think if I were to sum up all of the emotions going on in the world right now I'd summed up in one word, tired, tired, I'm not just talking about sleepy tired of not talk about the tire that can be fixed with a bit I'm talking about a soul wearied energy depleted joy stealing tire tired were you can no longer relax tired were you can no longer just be at home by yourself and sit in your thoughts because you have lost all sense of inner peace you feel this tired. It seems like every few years I come across a book that just absolutely blows my mind now not talk about Pastor Davies new book that just released but you should go get that and in fact all proceeds from that book go to fulfilling the mission of Christ and wait if you buy now, about a book you should go get that book fantastic books. I'm not talking about the Bible, of course, the Bible blows my mind every time I'm talking about a book by pastor named John Mark Homer called the ruthless elimination of hurry never read this you need is a should rush out and get it but that would be hurrying to get the book hers don't hurry. I get it up on Amazon and get it with no hop on right now because of the great book and in that book, he gives 10 signs attend science from a counselor that he knows what he gives 10 signs that you're suffering from what she calls hurry sickness K10 signs are suffering from hurry sickness so so I go through these and would you rate yourself on a scale of 10. How many of these you actually have number one be honest, irritability is just dead silent.

You'll already you're always on edge. CS Lewis said how you act when you are interrupted is how you really are at the core. Number two hypersensitivity find yourself sensitive to things linger by is out to get you hypersensitivity number three restlessness, restlessness, restlessness that even when you do stop you can't seem to relax that type restlessness number four compulsive overworking. I nobody out from that duty, not America.

Compulsive overworking number five. This is an interesting one. Numbness, numbness, sum you find it easier to feel nothing good to feel everything all at once. Number six about this escapist behaviors. This is like binge watching TV like excessive social media use or alcohol use on how about excessive caffeine use to get through the day.

Escapist behaviors number seven. Maybe you feel disconnected from your identity or calling you feel like you have so much going on in life. You are so tired, you're so where you're so burdened that you can actually accomplish and move forward and what you feel like God has called you to do.

Number eight. You are not able to attend to basic human needs like sleeping, eating and exercise like I'm down to 2 o'clock in the afternoon you like I haven't even eaten yet like that type of hurry sickness okay number nine hoarding energy you just saved up all your energy because you know a bad days coming. This is actually a sign of hurry sickness in the number 10. This last one. Slippage in spiritual practices to your spiritual disciplines your quiet time, your small group, going to church serving.

Given those things become less and less frequent. Be honest. How many of those that attend your outcome. If you have at least five out of the 10 regiment review nongroup and online. 5/10. I got home, he had only 7/10 right hand side, 7/1010 out of 10 anybody just nail it hundred percent well done A+ okay as I have only 7/10. At least 7/10 like we haven't signed yet.

I'm just here to pass along all the guilt and shame to you guys made me feel better, but I have the sickness or guidance. Some you're like no that's not. Also, you do not end up like that's not me like I have about this.

Tell me that when you're at the grocery store when you try to find a checkout line, you may be more than she wants children. You zoom out on over hurry sickness on on your way to church maybe when you stop at the red light you count cars right like there's less cars nestlings you get over your signs of of of hurry sickness okay when we all suffer from it. It's okay. It's a sickness.

That's why I'm preaching on it. When I first got in the ministry. Somebody told me that if I just preach for my weaknesses.

I would never run out of material and so I'm here to preach on this and in fact him even to try to preach those you that hurt me freedom excitable guy speak fast. I get my toes it's, what I do what I'm not even try to slow myself down as a way to apply this tonight. I hear this Pastor Curtis here I am on the pastor who lives a hurried anxiety filled wearied burden life and left to my own devices I only have reason to despair, pastor left to my own devices I only have reason to despair but Jesus else. It's no secret where I'm going today.

Yes, you may be weary, but Jesus yes you may be tired, but Jesus was and sometimes we can point to exactly what's causing our weariness, but often times we can't because most the time is not just one thing it's it's often this cumulative multilayered intersection of complexities and emotions in sin and suffering and physical frailties that just pile up on our backs and make us tired and weary and burdened, and in most cases, complex burdens cannot be relieved by simple solutions. But Jesus in Matthew 11.

Let's see what he does here because he steps in and he speaks a word into our tired and weary lives. That is so simple and so hopeful and so refreshing that it almost seems too good to be true. You've probably heard Bill saying if it's too good to be true that it probably is.

There are present before you, that if Jesus is his involvement. If you think it's too good to be true.

I promise you it's even better.

So let's read this refreshing word together. I want you to drink this word and like it like a glass of ice water on a hot day. And so, in fact, I'm going to read the verses and then there can be some verses that are underlined on the screen. I want you to say those out loud. Okay to read it on the line. Once you read those Ella, I rep you are Matthew chapter 11 beginning in verse 28 Jesus says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Somehow it's hard even say that word verse 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light like in case that's led by anyone actually want to read at a different translation. This time I just want you to listen don't even look at the word maybe even need to close your eyes and I just want you to let this wash over you. It's actually from the message which is actually more of a paraphrase from of the Bible is not really a translation, but it's brilliant here I think just listen to the words of Jesus he says are you tired, worn out, burned out on religion and come to me get away with me and you'll recover your life.

I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it, learn the unforced rhythms of grace because I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you learn to live freely and lightly that beautiful church we are gathered together, what, whether in person or in homes or digitally, and you walked in or you tuned in without knowing what you are walking into. But there are other brothers and sisters in Christ that they're all here. I have invited a doctor to our little meeting today.

His name is Jesus because were about to have a little intervention. Okay you have arrest intervention using Matthew 11 work to go through a few stages of what I want to call rest rehab rest rehab and I would be super Baptist and give you an acronym just remind you of how to proactively rest the acronyms GRAMMY act ACT and admit that were tired to come to Jesus and the right to take his yoke go through this okay and will be scared by this word rehab row to go through it together, to make it real easy unpromising. In fact, let's go ahead.

All of us together. Let's just get, step one out of the way.

It's the ANR act. Step one is to admit, I am tired. Let's say it together in the country okay to say I'm tired.

123 I am tired. If you're online you could type it up there next to somebody you can tell them if you're by yourself. You can just write it in a journal between you and the Lord. The goal is just to get out there one more time.

Account counted three less downtime 123 I am tired.

Step one complete.did I were making good headway here and doesn't just feel good. For some reason to know that so many other people are jacked up as well.

Doesn't like it just feels good to know why we are all sinners. Okay, that will hear while looking for Jesus will need Jesus to step one a is to admit that we are tired tonight will know that this message is for you, or maybe for your spouse that way. Okay, now that you know the messages for you to move on step two.

Step two is to come to Jesus come to Jesus. Look at verse 28 Jesus says come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Context is very important here. In fact, one of my jobs is a Bible teacher is to help you learn how to read your Bible for yourself. The most basic and important Bible principles that there is when reading the Bible for yourself is to remember that context is King context is King. So that begs the obvious question of what is Jesus's context here.

Who is he speaking to in this passage. When Matthew 11 Jesus is speaking to a group of weary, worn out people who've spent their lives running on what Pastor Brian likes to call the treadmill of religion. It's a group of people who are carrying the yoke of the Torah.

The first five books of the Bible and all the 600+ Commandments that you must follow in the Torah in order to be approved by God. In addition to the Commandments in the Old Testament distance and separation were actually very marks of the Old Testament. So in Exodus, God tells Moses not to come near him because L.N numbers.

Anyone who is impure has broken the commandment must be sent outside of the camp where God dwells in you can't be near God in Leviticus. It was only the spotless priest who could enter into the inner court of the tabernacle and temple in approach the presence of the Lord. This is the group.

This is the context that Jesus is speaking into the the audience. He is speaking into here there used to hearing that there used to hearing the Jewish law speak harshly to them saying go pay very close attention that you follow every last little law and commandment, lest you break one single one of them and perish and see the problem with this works-based approach toward God is that you just never know when it's enough. It's exactly what Jesus says here it's tiring. It's weird some because when when you know that you've done enough to please God help me only church services do you have to go to what what dollar amount you have to give. How often should you be sharing your faith. How long should your quiet time. Look, my praying enough in my sharing of my giving enough and serving enough in my living good enough to have God's approval on my life. In fact, in Matthew 23 Jesus talks about the same people saying they tie up heavy burdens that are hard to bear, and they lay them on people's shoulders to the same imagery is a Matthew 11.

In acts 15 Peter speaking to a crowd with the exact same problem. He says now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear.

This is the type of teaching the Jews are used to hearing.

At this time and then along comes a Jewish man named Jesus who bids them, not not do or learn or take or perform just simply come come in and in this context, it's a present tense imperative imperative is a command present tense. Now Jesus is commanding them is commanding you to come now, not tomorrow, not next year. Not when you have your life together. Jesus isn't just inviting us. He is lovingly commanding us to step off of the treadmill of morality and religion and to rest in him. He sang leave your labors leave your self-reliant efforts lead your sins, your presumptions, leave everything and everybody.

You have trusted in and just come to me and I will give you rest. There's nothing else to do other than simply come because God's rest is a gift to be received not a transaction we cannot earn it. Jesus already paid for it, so we just receive it as a gift. There's nothing we can do when my favorite shows is Parks and Recreation Parks and Recreation people.

Anybody think it's better than the office anybody bold enough. Okay, a lot more than I thought would be. You can argue about that online okay will if you nursing parks and probably the best character on there is this guy name Ron Swanson Ron Swanson is is a man's man. He's a misstep.

She owed man. He loves camping. He loves woodworking. He loves steak.

He loves scotch. This is like.

Just think, like Pastor John Moeller just wearing like doctors, khakis and polo that is Ron Swanson okay just just a man's man in one of the episodes Ron Connor gets roped in with the Scott and Chris, who is the opposite of Ron gets roped into going to do this, like meditation, yoga thing.

It's like a work thing he's forced to go as a Ron literally stands there the entire time is like the upset. He just stands there. Afterwards Chris is just amazed by the things like run like what were you doing that entire time and and and Rhonda says he just said I just stood there quietly breathing. There were no thoughts in my head whatsoever.

My mind was just blank and Chris kind of this Yogi the supernatural got he's like that's fascinating like it it it takes me so long as it takes me a ton of work to get that kind of clear headspace which Ron replies the wisdom in this he said, then don't try so hard. This church is the beauty of Jesus's invitation don't try so hard to stop trying so hard just Jesus's invitation does not impose any harsh conditions on us.

It's not do this and then come it is just simply come and who can come back in the text verse 28 come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All everyone. Anyone, all you who are weary and burdened, that indicates a condition that already exists. Jesus does not invite those of us who feel righteous and worthy enough. He invites those who are weary and burdened, right now, and you know I think one of the beautiful things in this passage is that there's a reason I think that Jesus doesn't give these burdens. Any special names knows that because I think Jesus is saying when I say all I mean all. Maybe your burden is from trying to follow the law and earn your way to God may be a burden is from religion. Maybe it's a burden with some type of sin or anxiety or an affliction or some situation that you are in right now.

Jesus does not say come to me if you have this specific problem or this particular difficulty. He simply says come all and so the question is so obvious. Have you come to Jesus I told you at the beginning that we were to go through rehab together and that nobody was in have to do it alone and that includes right here because I think we all need to come to Jesus today perhaps for different things, but we all need to come to him. Some of you right now need to come to Jesus for the first time and experience him as Redeemer. You need salvation today. You have been tired, given weird you've been burned just like I was all throughout 2007 before I finally came to Jesus and I received rest you need to come to the full realization that you are a sinner in need of a Savior that that desperate and empty feeling you feel on a daily basis can only be fulfilled by Jesus and Jesus alone and so you need to repent of your sins, you need to make a 180 in your life and turn from the burden of your old life and enter into the rest fullness of the new life that Jesus gives you when you come to him.

Others of you need to reexperience the rest that comes from coming to Jesus as those of you that know him as Savior.

But you're just burnt out tired your weary life is overwhelming. Come back to Jesus today leaned back into Jesus rest in his finished work. The work that gives joy and peace and rest for your soul.

Whichever camp you fall into there. I just begged you not to go somewhere else. Don't look to other people for relief.

Don't wait for help to come just as you are this very day. I bet you come to Jesus. If admitted you're tired come to Jesus in our last step is to take his yoke and rest last look at these three verses again. Verse 28, compounded in your head to get it come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. In this book I mentioned earlier, the ruthless elimination of hurry. The author points out that Jesus is imagery here of an easy yoke is a bit odd, especially given how far removed we are from any type of agrarian economy or society, should we forget often that a yoke is actually a tool for work yoke. If your cannot talk about the inside of an egg okay about these men. These wooden beams. I go over to Oxon. They link to oxen together and then you attach the yoke to do something else at a plow so you can you compile a field and and and if we read this oh so often we read the Bible we just fly past with we read this. This is really interesting. Don't you find this strange that right after Jesus gets done offering us rest now he's offering us a yoke again. A yoke isn't created for rest, it's created for work, so wasn't the last thing that a burnt out worker needs is is a tool to work like I don't. I'm here before. I don't want a yoke I want a vacation. That's what I want to go somewhere and I want the concierge to take my yoke and the usher me to the all-inclusive pool that's wrong I don't I don't want a tool I want some time off. Okay Jesus. That's what I need when I'm tired and weary and burdened, we expect Jesus to say select if I'm if I'm Jesus the God not defined Jesus on think on me, all you will remember it and I will give you rest in him, saying, hey yoke that's weighing you down, take that thing off throw it aside before you that things run flies sore be free to see Jesus here knows something that we don't because Jesus understands that life is just an unending series of burdens and that there is no way around the weight of responsibility that is life. This side of the resurrection, and so yeah she told US publishers to throw aside everything and run free of my work for a day a week, maybe even a month, but the burdens of life are going to catch up to you. So we Jesus does instead of giving us a temporary escape from the weight of life. He offers a new way to carry life. This is what Jesus offers in taking up his yoke. He offers us the the heat he allows us to be linked to him to be yoked to him to take his yoke to take his strength, his wisdom, his joy, his knees and facing all of life's burdens and because now we are linked with Jesus. Now we can rest. Augustine early church father compared Christ yoke to a birds feathers never thought maybe my mind just weird like this but on one hand a bird could actually complain about the weight in the burden of its feathers right but on the other hand, it's the birds wings and feathers, which asked actually enable it to sort like sales may add weight to a ship but it's how the ship itself comes to sale. That's what it's like to take up Jesus's yoke to life's problems go away. Absolutely not, is not that the burdens of the world go away, but now you have a new way, a new strength Jesus's strength to carry these things because you are linked with Jesus and carrying the burdens of the world so Jesus doesn't offer us an escape from life but rather a new way to go through it.

He offers us a new way to bear responsibility.

It's not release from the pressures of the world, but new resources and strength for the pressures because you are yoked with Jesus in your living life at his pace and with his strength.

So yes you put his yoke on and you serve him in his way. But that yoke is not a burden that weighs you down. It's a buoy that actually keeps you afloat. What first John five says, for this is the love of God that we disciples of Jesus keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome and this is where it gets really good because now with no we can stop seeking rest as a means to an in because we have now been yoked with Jesus who is our rest. Jesus is both the means and the end to our rest. Jesus is the very great reward of the gospel. And so, in this verse when he tells us three things he says come to me. Take my yoke learn from me when he knows that as we come to him. We get rest as we take his yoke we get rest. As we learn more about him, we are inevitably going to want to come to him work receive more rest.

Take his yoke even more.

Learn more about him combat. It's the cycle of rest because Jesus is our rest and so now that you believe by faith that Jesus is your rest. You can get super practical and actually make a plan to rest you can take hold of what is yours. What you have been given in Christ actually think most of you believe what I'm saying I think most of you believe that you need rest, but you still fail to rest why is we just don't practice it.

We simply lack the rhythms and the habits that allow for it again real talk. I'm not great at this. This is been one of the not most convicting sermon I have ever put together and preach because resting is so hard for me. My wife would be the very first person in line to tell you how little I rest I actually love the busyness of Christianity. I love serving I love preaching I love being active in the church. I love being busy with spiritual disciplines. I love my Bible checklists, but I often skip the other part, the rest is actually crucial to accomplishing all the other things that I love doing and so practically. Ironically, it actually takes a lot of preparation and discipline for me to leave work undone and rest to turn my phone off for a day to pause my inbox for a day. Some you just hearing those things like I could never do it. I'm one of those people right now to leave laundry undone for one more day. It takes discipline for me just to engage in what should be regular activities to just take time to read a book to go a walk or play with my kids activities that have no literally no impact on my bank account or any type of GDP, even if it's a kingdom GDP in my career I in this kind of life.

If you're up for living it with Jesus to walk in his pace go and tell you it is completely out of step with 21st American culture. 21st century American culture.

But it's what it means to walk with Jesus's yoke and not your own fear nothing else for me here this rest is not laziness it's medicine is a built in medicine.

Rest is not laziness it's medicine. Rest reminds us that God is the very point of our lives not work.

Rest reminds us that God is the provider in our lives, regardless of how much money you make. So how can we rest as we land the plane here. How can you wrestle me get super practical here.

Pastor Rick Warren Wichman to you prior the name gives probably the most practical plan for rest I've ever seen.

It's really number one.

He says you must divergent daily divergent daily just means whatever relaxes you try to do at least once a day. So for some you have read the book, it might be going for a walk. It might be journaling for me it's working out some you might be watching the show again. It's not falling into doing those things the entire day is divergent daily from the regular rhythms of life. Right number two. He says to withdraw weekly withdraw weekly. The Bible has a fancy word for this. It's called Sabbath. Okay once a week, but your phone away don't work once a week be present with the people who are physically in front of you. The concept okay and the number three.

He says abandon annually abandon annually as means to disconnect completely. This is like a vacation. And if you have the resources to to do that.

If not, some type of state.

Patient is perfectly fine. The point is just to get off the grid for a week.

There's just something about taking a week off. It makes you realize that usually a lot of things that you're stressing about really not that big of a deal and say divergent daily withdraw weekly and you abandon annually known and with this.

I hope it brings us home as a little kid, I sometimes get scared tonight.

I'm sure a lot of you did know my phone is funny to get kinda scared at night and we lived in Canada slow ranch-style home and if you're in the living room, my parents house grown up you could look straight down the hallway in the first door on the right was my bedroom as a kid. Sometimes I'll get scared.

My parents would let me make a like a little pallet right make a pallet don't have my head sticking out of my bedroom.

I can look down the hallway and I could just see my parents in the living room so I know I don't, he's my little seven-year-old heart scared, I don't know what was going on. I know why I remember this so vividly. But I really do want seven.

It was hard for me to be in my room by myself.

Maybe it was this fear of the unknown or stress of the darker the burden of being alone. Maybe at that age, my life it was questioning why the Green Ranger had become bad in the white Ranger when Jack and Kelly couldn't stay together they'll scared as I went by my mom's back and watch an episode of all your for the dark and terrified 90s kid, but eventually I would doze off, and then the strangest thing would happen every single time I wake up the next morning and I bemoaned that look under the covers and I have my pajamas on a seven-year-old iPod look around like crazy and asked the question that I can't hear. I was tired I was worn out I passed out and I get here.

Listen, I'll tell you how I got there when I didn't have enough strength when I was tired when I was burdened when I fell asleep while I was sleeping while I was resting. Dad found me and he picked me up and he put me in his arms and he took me where I needed to be some of you right now are so restless you're so anxious you're so worried you're so stressed the same God. I got this God so-and-so is relying on me for that� This bill to pay� These kids got I got these relationships got them supposed to be doing this I got this deadline and what God wants you to do is just come and arrest and while you trust. And while you rest. There is one who neither slumbers nor sleeps. It's your heavenly father. He is the faithful one.

He will be the righteous one. He will be the holy one.

He will be the all sufficient one. He's all-powerful and knowing the beginning everything in between.

And he has already poured the ultimate joke as he carried his own cross up the hill to Golgotha where he would prove his love for you on the cross. And now, because of his sacrifice.

All who come to him will certainly not be cast out, but will be welcomed and given rest on the cross, Jesus bore the unrest that you and I might have eternal rest church her dad stands ready to carry you today to come to him to come to him.I pray today that everyone who finds themselves tired, weary burden that they would come to you. They would rest we would take up your yoke would learn from you following you find more rest.

God would you these anxieties would you strip away stresses would you overturn circumstances, we find peace and joy and rest in Jesus and Jesus alone in his name I pray, amen