05-17-20 REST

Scripture  Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

How well do you sleep on a regular basis? Answer in the comments.

I have trouble sleeping – mostly going to sleep and I don’t sleep a lot.

I never like to go to bed before midnight because I can’t get more than 6 hours of sleep on a good night. I prefer not to go to sleep till I am feeling like I am falling asleep because if I go to bed wide awake I will lie there wondering why I can’t go to sleep.  If I wake up during the middle of the night – to go back to sleep I usually have to change locations – like the couch.

Kim is just the opposite – she could go to sleep anytime, get up for a while and take a nap or two during the day. She works hard and in on the go when she is working but when she isn’t working, she can be the queen of sleep.

The message title is REST not SLEEP. They are not the same. I believe rest is more important and harder to obtain, and biblically commanded.  You can get rest when you sleep but not always – people say they are a “restless sleeper” meaning you are not getting good rest while sleeping. Before I had a CPAP machine the little sleep I did get was not restful at all – in fact it was a danger to my health.

ILLUSTRATION

When my eldest son, Drew, was a toddler, bedtime was a battleground in our house. I think he felt cheated by the prospect of sleep. He hated the thought of going to bed while the rest of the world continued on. Instead of welcoming rest, Drew confronted it. He steeled himself against the prospect of sleep the way a wrestler braces himself to meet an opponent. “No night-night! No night-night!” he cried in indignation. To no avail. He was consigned to his crib by the superior force of parental authority.

One night my wife walked past his door and heard him muttering to himself. There was nothing left for him to do but mutter. “Stay awake! Stay awake!” he commanded himself. The prospect of sleep can be unnerving. While we sleep the world continues to be active. We are oblivious to our surroundings, and powerless. We are not in control during sleep but must depend on the mercy and protection of God. Our vulnerability is captured in the familiar children’s prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

          Not a comforting prayer for a child – but reveals that when we sleep, we give up control to the world around us or to God.

JESUS SLEEPS & ALSO RESTS IN THE BOAT

Luke 8:22-37

One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.

          In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

JESUS RESTED – THE DEMONIAC DID NOT

          They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

          When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

Two stories back to back – we know the differences in the stories – one is Jesus at rest while the rest of the world is in chaos around him and he brings the storm to rest – he rested the external circumstances.  But another day would see storms and then what?

          The second story is about a man out of control, not by his external circumstances, but the things that were out of control inside of him. Ultimately Jesus rested what was going on inside of him which brought rest to the man. It seems like that rest is longer lasting and vitally more important. If you are at rest on the inside, when storms and winds come, you can be like Jesus and still rest in the midst of the storm.  Isn’t that the point of our theme text – Build your house on the rock and it will stand even in the storm. On the sand – when the storm comes it will not stand.                                To rest while you sleep you have to remember to Surrender. (song Remember Surrender)

          So how do we rest internally? Let’s first understand what that means.

Have you ever had a moment when it hits you that you feel like you have a total sense of wellbeing?  You are not afraid the other shoe will drop or something bad is going to happen? You are free from anxiety and depression? It seems like an odd thing to ask but very few of us have a total sense of wellbeing - At best, we have an absence of any major life problems but that is still not a sense of wellbeing or “rest”.  You can shake out your shoulders – get a massage – take a deep breath and your body begins to find temporary rest. But I am talking about rest for your soul which affects the rest for your body and mind. And there is only one way to find that rest – in Jesus – to realize he is in the boat and you will not drown.

Original title was RELAX – an action suggestive acrostic:

R       remember who’s you are

E       envision a quieter life/soul

L       lean in to the words of Jesus

A       accept your failures

X       (e)xpect God to work so that you can rest.

                                Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel --- will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day, --- nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life;

8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going --- both now and forevermore.

While you sleep – God does not. When you need rest, God still works. You are tired, hungry and dirty from the daily struggles of life. You enter your home and Jesus sets you down, he has a towel on his waste and a basis of water and begins to wash your feet just before serving you a meal that represents him doing the ultimate work of offering his life – his body his blood to also make you clean on the inside – receiving that gift from Jesus alone will give you a rest for your soul you have not known before.

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."