Sermons

Mark 6:30-32 - The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

Main Idea: Being obedient to Christ, includes hard work, and resting in Him. 

I. We have been called to work hard.

Mark 6:30-32 - The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

A. These guys were working hard!
B. Working hard is important, obviously, the apostles had important work, but so do all of us. The Bible actually has a lot to say about being a hard worker.

-Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
-2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
-2 Timothy 2:6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.
-Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
-Proverbs 6:10-11 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
C. Hard work must be motivated by something. What’s your motivation?
• Career advancement
• Money
• Approval
• Responsibility…
• Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
D. As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be known, in part, by our hard work…

Main Idea: Being obedient to Christ, includes hard work, and resting in Him.

II. Resting isn’t extravagant, selfish, or lazy. It’s commanded.

Exodus 20:8-11 - “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lordyour God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

A. Why did God create the Sabbath? Mark 2:27 - And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
B. The Bible makes it clear, we need to rest.
• Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
• Psalm 127:2 - It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
C. Notice how Jesus didn’t tell them to suck it up? I mean, there was a lot more work to do…
Mark 6:30-32 - The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

D. When done correctly, and with intention, growth often occurs during times of rest. We need mental breaks in order to make sense of things sometimes.
E. Rest, like work, should be done with intentionality and where and how you rest matters. 

Main Idea: Being obedient to Christ, includes hard work, and resting in Him. 

III. Where do you turn to find rest?

Media distracts us from rest, especially our phones. According to one study: Staring at a bright screen just before you try to fall asleep actually suppresses melatonin release by up to 22%, making it harder for us to fall asleep. Not only that, using your phone before bed keeps you alert which means you won't naturally feel as sleepy.

The problem isn’t just sleep, the phone and what you do on it isn’t only keeping you from finding rest – it is likely being used for downtime in all the wrong places..

Mark 6:30-32 - The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

A. The Oxford Dictionary defines rest this way: cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.
B. But, rest isn’t just the absence of work  - although, if the work is physical, you need to rest for your body to recover. But real rest, beneficial rest comes from one source….
C. The Apostles returned to Jesus – they had worked hard, and they were tired.
D. The most beneficial type of rest comes when we are in close proximity to Christ – They got on a boat with Him, and didn’t get much time to rest, as we will see next week. But the time they had was beneficial because who they were with…
E. They also went out to a desolate place – this is important – we need quiet places to really rest…
 
Conclusion: As followers of Christ, we need to model hard work – work as we are working unto the Lord. Our motivation should be the glory of God and growing in Him.

Pastors Challenge:

There is a Bible study discipline that dates back to the 3rd Century called Lectio Divina. This week block off 30 minutes to an hour of time to practice it – find a quiet place where you won’t be distracted – read John 15:1-11 – reflect on the text – respond in prayer  - & rest in silence

Speaker: Dan Krause

July 21, 2024

Mark 6:30-42

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