WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:05.440 How many of you guys appreciate our youth pastors Caleb and Ashley Wallace? 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:07.759 They are amazing. 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:08.960 We love them. 00:00:09.359 --> 00:00:12.080 So, so incredibly proud of them. 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:13.119 I'm excited. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.079 I'm another time goes up, as Ashley said. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:28.640 And I think, church, we are$13,500 away from raising a million dollars towards our building project in the last year. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:29.600 It's amazing. 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:35.439 It's awesome to see God's faithfulness in his people's lives and through his people's lives. 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:37.520 I mean, you guys know God has more. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.320 We haven't arrived yet, and he has more. 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:46.560 And so we're excited about all the activity that is happening on campus, and we're making room for more. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:54.960 We're believing that God has more and we're making room so that more people can come to know him and grow in the wisdom and the knowledge of him. 00:00:55.520 --> 00:00:58.000 It's exciting to see what God's doing. 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.399 Before we jump into the word this morning, who needs a dad joke or two? 00:01:03.679 --> 00:01:08.159 I just I love Miss Mar Van Natter back here in the risers. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:11.359 She is one of my biggest dad joke advocates. 00:01:11.599 --> 00:01:21.840 And and in case you're wondering, she pretty much out trumps everyone else because her and Doug have basically been a part of the church from its inception. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:23.760 Some 30 years ago. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.599 I think they were some charter members. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:29.200 So if she loves my dad jokes, I don't care what you think. 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:33.840 So we're gonna do a dad joke or two this morning. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:35.040 Here's the first one. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:36.000 Here's the first one. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:40.000 Why, why was six scared of seven? 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:41.280 Did I say six, seven? 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:43.760 We're all the did I just do that? 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.519 Where why was six scared of seven? 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.280 Because of seven, eight, nine. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:55.280 Get it, get it, seven, eight, nine. 00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:56.799 All right, here's another. 00:01:57.040 --> 00:01:58.959 Did you hear about the antennas? 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:01.760 The antennas that got married. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:04.799 The antennas got married. 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.480 Yeah, the reception. 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:12.159 Excuse me, the ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent. 00:02:13.120 --> 00:02:14.479 Totally butchered that one. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:15.840 Butchered it, butchered it. 00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:18.240 One more, everybody say thank you, Jesus. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:19.680 Did you hear? 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:26.639 Did you hear about the farmer who counted 196 cows in the field? 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:36.159 There is a farmer, he counted 196 cows in the field, but but when he rounded them up, there was 200. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:41.840 Did you get that one? 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:43.759 Some of y'all are still processing. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:45.039 I don't get it. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:49.520 He rounded, he rounded them up and rounded to 200. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:50.240 There we go. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.080 Everybody say thank you, Jesus. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:53.039 That's over. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:03:01.280 So we're in a series right now entitled Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. 00:03:01.919 --> 00:03:12.400 And we're looking at how God wants to form us for the future that He has for us. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:19.599 All month last month we we looked at the dreams that God gives. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:24.639 And many of you were inspired to dream bigger dreams. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:34.560 But I have found in my life that God just doesn't give us bigger dreams, He forms us into the people that can carry those dreams. 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.800 And that's what we're looking at together this month. 00:03:39.039 --> 00:03:51.280 And last couple of weeks, we've explored how that if we're not real careful, we can build a faith, as Pastor Caleb was talking about this morning, on our works. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:58.560 Last week we looked at how we could build a faith on our wounds. 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:18.079 But the Bible is clear from beginning to end that it's not about our works or our wounds, it's about our walk with Jesus and that He invites us to allow Him to change us from the inside out. 00:04:18.240 --> 00:04:22.160 How many of you are glad this morning you're not the person you used to be? 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:24.560 I'm so thankful today. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:26.160 I'm not who I used to be. 00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:28.160 I'm not where I want to be. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:44.560 If you're thankful for that today, can you just put your hands together and say, thank you, Jesus, that I'm not who I used to be by your glory. 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:56.000 I think sometimes, church, we can know in our heads that it's not about our works or our wounds, it's about our walk. 00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:04.319 But though we know it in our heads, we can practically live something else in our lives. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:13.040 Sometimes the farthest distance that you can travel is from your head to your hands. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:20.560 Is living something out that you know up here, but it's a hard time to get it to work out here. 00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:44.720 And I wonder if sometimes there's a disconnect in our walk with Jesus because we have a pace problem. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:06:01.680 What I what I mean is this is it possible that the pace of our lives is one of the biggest enemies of our spiritual depth and emotional health? 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:14.480 Could the rhythm, the pace, the cadence that we live at undermined what we know in our heads? 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:16.959 Could that be a problem? 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.079 I I think it is, and we're gonna look at that this morning. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.519 How many of you guys know today that we live in a rat race? 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:33.279 We live at a breakneck pace, but Jesus offers us a different pace to live at. 00:06:35.199 --> 00:06:41.839 A pace that doesn't take life from us, but gives life to us. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.879 And we're gonna look at his pace for our lives this morning. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.680 Would you stand with me together as we read God's word? 00:06:48.959 --> 00:06:51.040 Two passages of scripture. 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:55.759 Matthew chapter 11 and John chapter 15. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:09.519 In Matthew chapter 11, verse 28, Jesus says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.079 Can anybody relate to that today? 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:19.519 Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you what? 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:31.199 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find for your souls. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:37.439 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:42.560 What an invitation Jesus extends to his people. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:50.079 And then in John 15, verses four and five, Jesus says, Remain in me, remain in me. 00:07:51.920 --> 00:08:00.319 As I also remain in you, no branch can bear fruit by itself, it must remain in the vine. 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:04.160 We can't do it without him. 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:08.000 Remain in me. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:12.079 Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:14.560 I am the vine, you are the branches. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:20.399 If you remain in me and I and you, you will bear much fruit. 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:32.639 Do you realize that the fruit of your life isn't connected to your work, is connected to your relationship with Jesus. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.879 Apart from me, you can do nothing. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:47.200 Church, this is God's word, and the title of my message this morning is simply this: a new rhythm for a new you. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:51.440 A new rhythm for a new future. 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:54.000 A new rhythm for a new future. 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:58.399 Say that after me this morning, a new rhythm for a new future. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:03.519 Turn to your neighbor and say, a new rhythm for a new future. 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:10.000 Turn to the other neighbor and say, God has a new rhythm for your future. 00:09:10.240 --> 00:09:17.200 Turn around to the person behind you and say, God has a new rhythm for your future. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:21.840 Father, we thank you this morning for your word. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:25.200 Your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. 00:09:25.279 --> 00:09:28.559 It shows us the way to go and how to arrive there safely. 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:33.759 And I pray, Lord, this morning, we wouldn't just be hearers of your word, but that we would be doers of it. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:35.039 In Jesus' mighty name. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:38.000 And everybody said, You may be seated. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.159 Caleb, thank you very much. 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:56.879 So a couple years after Pastor Meg and I became the pastors here at Christian Life Church, this was probably around the year 2013. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:10:09.919 We were a couple years in and had been working feverishly with many of you to re really relaunch our church. 00:10:10.080 --> 00:10:18.960 And we were we were pretty tired and we'd been working nonstop for a solid couple of years, and we made a decision that we we needed a break. 00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:22.799 We needed to go take a good vacation. 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:29.039 We needed some time away to rest and relax and and recharge. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:30.639 Anybody ever been there before? 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:32.559 Know what I'm talking about? 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:39.759 And so we decided we were going to take our family away to rest and recharge. 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:44.720 And the destination that we decided to go to was Disney World. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:10:59.519 Your laughter understands what I'm saying. 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:04.799 How many of you guys know that is not a restful and relaxing vacation? 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:09.039 That is not the place you go to recoup. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:14.320 That's not the place that you go to recharge. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:18.720 That's the place that you go to and come back worse from. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:34.399 So we packed up our family and and and we drove down to Disney World and man, we did everything that you don't do to rest. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.600 We got up early in the morning because we wanted to beat traffic. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:46.240 And we wanted to be there when you could check in to the hotel and go directly to the park. 00:11:46.399 --> 00:11:48.559 You know, you I mean, all day, every day. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:49.360 We're exhausted. 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:54.639 The kids, kids are probably seven and nine, six and eight, something like that. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:03.039 And so we're up every morning and we're going every day, and we're standing in lines, and it's in June, and we're baking on the asphalt. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:06.080 Anyone know what I'm talking about this morning? 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:11.840 And it's one day after it wasn't just two or three days, we were there for seven days. 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:22.000 Still tweaking about it a little bit today. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:31.039 And we get up early, we get up, we go, we go, and so we're standing in line, and the kids, you know how it is with kids and standing in line all day. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:39.600 They want to, they want to hang and rock on the ropes and the chains of the line, and and they don't understand personal space. 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:48.320 So they're bumping up against the people that are in line with us, and I'm constantly nonstop all day, every day. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.960 Quit touching that, quit going there, quit hitting that person, quit doing this. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:54.159 It's that all day. 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.240 Everybody, anybody know what I'm talking about? 00:12:57.600 --> 00:13:09.600 And so we've come to the final day of this wonderfully restful vacation, and we have a dinner planned at a pretty neat spot. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:11.759 It's got a seafood buffet. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:14.799 Yes, Jesus. 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:24.879 It's got crab legs on the seafood buffet, crab claws, all kinds of wonderful food, and we cannot wait. 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:29.519 And and so before we go, we're gonna take a little time and and relax in the pool. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:40.000 And so we do that, and and and I tell Meg, because I'm just such a wonderful husband, hey, why don't you go ahead and go up to the room and get ready before all of us? 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:41.759 I'll watch the kids. 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:43.919 I'm just so selfless. 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:54.000 And so some time goes by, and I figure, okay, Meg's probably pretty close to getting ready, so I'm gonna get the kids. 00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.480 So I tell, hey guys, it's it's time to get out of the pool. 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:02.159 Well, they found a couple of friends and they're playing in the pool, and and I ask them to move. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:05.039 And they don't. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:07.759 I'm like, all right, I'm gonna give them a little more time. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.279 Then then then I go up to the hey guys, we need to get out of the pool. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:13.440 We got dinner reservations, we need to go. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:15.440 We come on, come on. 00:14:15.919 --> 00:14:18.240 And they don't move again. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:21.279 I've given them twice. 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:23.519 Third time. 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:30.559 Any parents in the room know what I'm talking about. 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.480 Third time, I don't ask, I just jerk them out of the pool. 00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:35.200 Right? 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:51.440 And so I take them and and I and I and I and I put them in there in the bathroom in the shower, and they're getting, they're they're getting ready, and and it's I mean, I mean, just absolute the yeah, yeah, and back and forth between them is driving me crazy. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:15:00.559 At the end of a wonderfully restful week, I'm I'm exasperated. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:10.000 I came to get rest and relaxation and recoup and rejuvenation, and after seven days, I'm worse than when I came. 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:11.200 And I'm done. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:19.519 So I I go into the into the bathroom, I jerk the shower curtain back and I say, shut up, shut up, shut up. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:23.279 Anybody know where I've been? 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:25.519 I'm just being honest with you this morning. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:36.000 And Meg, being the wonderfully patient parent, comes over, she just kind of grabs me on the arm and says, Jeremy, just go take a walk. 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:37.360 I've got them. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:40.799 And that's what I should have done. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.159 But I'm exasperated. 00:15:47.039 --> 00:15:54.639 And against my better judgment, I will around and point at her and say, and you can shut up too. 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:38.799 It was not good. 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:54.240 But we have a dinner reservation, and so we get ready and we go to this dinner reservation, and um it was the best worst meal of my life. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:05.279 Meg kept her composure from the best of my memory, and we pack up the next morning and we drive home. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:11.440 And the only redeeming part of this is that I made great time getting home. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:16.079 And and we're coming out of Montgomery. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:28.240 And if you're coming out of Montgomery on 65 North, you know, you it goes downhill pretty hard when you're crossing the Alabama River, and and I'm making great time on the way home and making great time down the highway. 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:30.559 And wouldn't there be a police officer there? 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:36.720 I pull over and he pulls up to me and all that kind of stuff. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:40.400 And and I'm thinking, I'm gonna get a ticket on top of all of this. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:45.039 He comes back and he says, Sir, I'm only gonna give you a warning today. 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:46.559 I'm like, what? 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:48.880 There is a God in heaven. 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:57.039 He said, based on the look of your wife's face, she's gonna take care of you more than I could, so I'm gonna let you go. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:01.440 Am I lying? 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:02.880 It's exactly what he said. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.599 He said, based on the look on your wife's face, she's gonna handle you way better than I could. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:10.720 That was the only redeeming part of the story. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:21.759 How many of you guys recognize this isn't just a vacation problem, this is a life problem. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:30.799 How many of you go on vacation or go to get a break, and you do exactly what we did? 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:44.480 You pack as much activity as you possibly can into the few days that you're going away, and you come back more exasperated than when you left. 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:59.039 And you you pack so much activity in those few days that you actually spend more money than you budgeted because you want to maximize every moment. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:11.039 And so now when you come back, not only are you worn out and tired, you're stressed, because now you gotta work to pay for what you did that you didn't have the money to do to begin with. 00:19:12.880 --> 00:19:19.359 This is the story of most of us. 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:36.799 Some recent stats on the average person in the United States reveals that two-thirds of American workers report significant levels of burnout. 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:42.079 Millions of Americans leave vacation days on the table every year. 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:43.039 I'm gonna stop right there. 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.319 How many of you leave vacation days on the table every year? 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:47.279 Let me see your hand. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:49.359 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:50.960 Y'all have a problem. 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.799 It's not just your problem, it's our problem. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:20:00.079 We have a problem with our pace. 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:10.960 And the message underneath everything in our culture is do more, respond faster, don't fall behind. 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:19.279 And that is the yoke our culture puts on us, and it's killing us. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:23.680 This is not the Jesus way, church. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:31.200 This is not the Jesus rhythm that He invites us into. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:35.839 This is not the life that God designed for us to live. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:49.680 And when we live this way, we're rejecting the invitation of Jesus to come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and find rest for your soul. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:51.839 Look in look at this in John 10 10. 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:56.319 The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:03.839 But Jesus says, I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.799 Here's a truth that you need to understand. 00:21:06.960 --> 00:21:15.119 If the enemy can't keep you from salvation, he'll keep you so busy that he will steal the significance of your salvation. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:17.759 What do I mean? 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:24.559 What I mean is this is that he may not keep you from heaven, but he'll keep you from bringing heaven to earth. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:28.559 And this is his strategy. 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:43.440 This is his design and his desire to steal the very thing from you that Jesus came to give you, and it's life and it more abundantly. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:50.960 As a matter of fact, the Bible prophesies this in Daniel chapter seven. 00:21:51.599 --> 00:21:59.519 In Daniel chapter seven, God gives Daniel this vision of the last days, of end times, and and listen to. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:06.960 The tactic that the scripture gives us that the enemy will have in the last days. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:09.440 It says he will speak against the Most High. 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:12.880 This was the Antichrist, and he will oppress. 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:19.359 The word oppress literally translates in the Hebrew to wear out. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:32.720 That the enemy's strategy to kill, steal, and destroy God's people is to wear you out. 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:51.759 To get you to embrace a pace, a cadence, a rhythm of life that steals from you the very thing that Jesus came to give to you. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:28.000 How many of you guys would say I live my life in a hurry? 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:31.440 Can I tell you something? 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:33.680 I'm gonna do this. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:36.240 I'm gonna ask you to kind of just respond with me this morning. 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:38.640 My dad does this with me every now and then. 00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:42.400 I want you to get your back off the seat and lean in here to me for a second. 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:44.720 Everybody just lean in, lean in, lean in. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.160 I'm gonna give you something that's transformational in your life. 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:49.440 Lean to me. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:54.160 It's really hard to hear God's voice in a hurry. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:13.759 It's really, really hard to hear God's voice when you're rushing from one thing to the next thing to the next thing to the next thing. 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:20.160 And that's exactly the way the enemy silences God's voice in your life. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:22.480 You wonder why? 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:23.920 You can lean back now. 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:25.200 You did so good. 00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:35.759 You wonder why sometimes the voice of the Lord may be dull in your ears. 00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:42.480 Wonder why sometimes you have a hard time discerning the will of God for your life? 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:48.559 It very well may be the pace of your life. 00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:56.240 That's deafening your ears to the sound of his voice. 00:24:56.480 --> 00:24:59.680 Let me give you a biblical illustration of this. 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:04.319 You know the story of Elijah in the Old Testament. 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:11.359 He fights the 450 prophets of Baal on top of Mount Caramel, defeats them. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.039 It's an incredible moment. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:23.039 The Spirit of the Lord comes upon him so powerfully that the Bible says as they're coming down the mountain, he outruns the horses and the chariots. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:25.599 I'd like to know what that 40 time was. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:36.880 Then King Ahab's wife, Jezebel, sends a word to Elijah on the backside of this incredible spiritual victory. 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:39.039 I'm gonna get your life. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:48.720 And he he begins to fall into depression and fear, and and God leads him out into the desert and 40-day journey. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:56.160 And finally, Elijah finds himself in a cave, and God shows up. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:26:02.720 The Bible says there's an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:07.279 There was a fire, and God wasn't in the fire. 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:10.240 There was a wind, but God wasn't in the wind. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:11.599 What was God in? 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:13.920 The whisper. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:21.680 It's hard to hear a whisper in a hurry. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:33.440 Jesus invites us to embrace a rhythm and a pace of life that is counter-cultural. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:44.240 But the beauty of this invitation is it may be counter-cultural, but it gives life rather than takes life. 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:48.559 I want to live at the pace of Jesus. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:50.400 Who else wants to join me in that? 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:58.000 So let's let's look at what Jesus says here in Matthew chapter 11, 28. 00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:01.599 He invites us to embrace his rhythm. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:03.039 Let's read these verses again. 00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:09.039 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:20.240 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. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:25.680 My yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:37.519 Jesus uses the imagery, the metaphor of a yoke to contrast the different rhythms that we can live life at. 00:27:37.680 --> 00:27:47.680 I have a picture of a yoke, and this yoke is both a physical representation and a spiritual representation of the rhythm that we live at. 00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:58.720 Physically, when you are plowing a field, you would take a yoke and you would put it on an oxen or some animal like that, and they would plow the field. 00:27:58.880 --> 00:28:14.720 Now, what's interesting about this symbolically is that when a farmer does this, he typically pairs an older, mature ox with a young ox. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:16.480 Why does he do that? 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:28.960 Because the old ox knows the pace they need to walk at, the pace they need to plow at, so they have enough energy for the whole day. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:35.680 The young ox has no idea how long the day is going to take. 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:45.119 He doesn't know how much energy he has to exert moment by moment by moment throughout the day. 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:56.559 So the old ox sets the pace for the young ox so they have enough energy for the journey. 00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:14.960 Spiritually speaking, in Jesus' day, the religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin, the rabbis of the day, all had an interpretation of the Hebrew scriptures. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:21.839 And their interpretation and its application was called their yoke. 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:36.160 And so Jesus is speaking both physically and spiritually to those around him and saying, there's a pace you need to live at. 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:47.119 And if you come to me and partner with me and walk with me, I can set a pace that you can sustain all of your days. 00:29:48.400 --> 00:29:51.200 Listen, there's nobody that knows us like Jesus. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:56.559 Before a day of ours came into being, he ordained and destined every one of them. 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:58.799 Listen, I want to be yoked with Jesus. 00:29:58.880 --> 00:29:59.839 How about you? 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.680 I want him to set the pace that we live at. 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:13.279 Our problem most of the time is that we want to be further than where we are, not understanding what it's going to take to get where we are. 00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:18.640 We wear ourselves out to get there, and then we have nothing for the place that we're now at. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:30.160 Yet if we'll just walk with Jesus and trust that he's guiding and directing our steps. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:36.799 And spiritually speaking, Jesus was also talking about the yoke. 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:49.680 Rabbis were notorious for putting load upon load upon load of how they needed to work out their faith. 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:57.680 There were 632 laws in the Old Testament, and rabbis would have an application for every one of those laws. 00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:04.799 And they were loading them on top of the people of Jesus' day. 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:10.640 And that's kind of the whole idea behind one of them asking Jesus, what is the two greatest commandments? 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:12.240 What are the two greatest laws? 00:31:12.559 --> 00:31:15.920 They were really asking, Jesus, what is the yoke of your leadership? 00:31:16.079 --> 00:31:19.359 And he said it's simply this love God and love people. 00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:24.240 And so we have this contrasting rhythm. 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:32.000 And I think I have this on the screen for you to show you the difference between the world's rhythm and God's rhythm. 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:37.279 The world's rhythm produces weariness and burden. 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:38.079 Why? 00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:48.079 Because we constantly, over and over and over again, we don't ever stop working and we continually add more to what we're doing. 00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:58.960 We have this horrible tendency in our lives to constantly add more at the same time not subtracting anything. 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:05.680 And we wonder why we're weary and we're burdened. 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:10.720 Well, we're carrying heavy loads that are constantly being dumped on top of us. 00:32:10.880 --> 00:32:14.720 Yet Jesus offers us something entirely different. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:19.440 He says, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. 00:32:19.519 --> 00:32:25.279 The word easy literally means it fits well and it's light because it's not overloaded. 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:31.200 I know what you can handle, so just walk with me. 00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:39.359 You know why we reject the rhythm of Jesus and embrace the rhythm of the world? 00:32:40.880 --> 00:32:42.640 We don't really trust him. 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:51.920 We don't really trust that he's gonna get us to where he wants to take us. 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:59.200 So we take more and we do more, and we listen to what others are doing more of. 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:04.240 We we work more, our kids are involved in more activities. 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:07.440 We gotta make sure they're involved in everything. 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:10.160 Church, let me tell you something right now. 00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:12.559 Let Jesus set your rhythm. 00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:20.079 Reject what the world says, that you gotta have your kid involved in everything in order for them to achieve. 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:24.160 The Bible says that promotion comes from above. 00:33:25.599 --> 00:33:36.160 Don't wear, stop wearing yourself out with the rhythm of the world and embrace Jesus' rhythm for your life. 00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:42.640 So I want to give you, I want to, I want to give you four biblical rules for life. 00:33:42.720 --> 00:33:48.559 Everybody say four biblical rules for life. 00:33:48.880 --> 00:34:03.359 These are rhythms that throughout church history, the church has continued to return to to help us as the people of God embrace his rhythm for our lives. 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:04.480 I want that rhythm. 00:34:04.559 --> 00:34:11.280 So let me give you four simple things that'll posture you to walk with Jesus rather than walk with the world. 00:34:11.440 --> 00:34:12.480 Here's number one. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:14.639 We have to embrace rest. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:15.920 Everybody say rest. 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:18.719 Everybody say rest. 00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:25.119 In Genesis chapter one, I want you to show you how important this is to your life. 00:34:25.280 --> 00:34:33.440 In Genesis chapter one, when God is creating the heavens and the earth, it says, God said, Let there be light and there was light. 00:34:33.599 --> 00:34:36.719 God saw that the light was good and he separated the light from the darkness. 00:34:36.880 --> 00:34:40.000 And God called the light day and the darkness he called night. 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:41.599 And then listen to this. 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:47.440 And there was evening and there was morning the first day. 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:48.719 Everybody say first day. 00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:51.039 Now here's the point that I want to make. 00:34:51.280 --> 00:34:56.159 When you think about a day, how do you think about the progression of a day? 00:34:56.480 --> 00:35:03.519 Most of the time we think about the progression of a day as from morning to evening. 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.960 But that's not what the Bible says. 00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:14.239 The Bible says the progression of a day is from evening to morning. 00:35:14.639 --> 00:35:16.719 That's counterintuitive, isn't it? 00:35:16.960 --> 00:35:17.440 Why? 00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:20.320 Because we have a wrong perspective. 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:28.079 See, the worldly perspective, the worldly rhythm is work so that you can rest. 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:33.039 But in God's economy, rest precedes work. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:38.400 It's a totally, totally different way of viewing life. 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:45.840 That we need to understand that we work from rest, not for rest. 00:35:47.360 --> 00:35:56.800 And this is what God's trying to help us understand is that we need to build rhythms of rest in our life. 00:35:56.960 --> 00:35:59.440 And you read the Bible from beginning to end. 00:35:59.599 --> 00:36:03.920 God, if you finish the Genesis account of creation and God rested on the Sabbath day. 00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:04.960 Why did God rest? 00:36:05.119 --> 00:36:06.320 Was God tired? 00:36:07.760 --> 00:36:09.360 No, God doesn't get tired. 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:11.280 He didn't rest because he was tired. 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:20.239 He rested to impart a principle of life for us to embrace that you need rest. 00:36:23.039 --> 00:36:26.639 Once a week, you need to stop everything. 00:36:28.719 --> 00:36:30.159 Stop your labor. 00:36:31.519 --> 00:36:33.119 Stop your striving. 00:36:34.400 --> 00:36:35.840 Stop your working. 00:36:37.199 --> 00:36:38.480 Just stop. 00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:42.719 And be with him. 00:36:44.960 --> 00:36:50.800 When I do that, what I'm practically communicating to God is this. 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:55.280 I trust you more than my effort. 00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:01.440 I trust that you're working all things together for my good. 00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:07.440 I trust that you can produce more than I can produce. 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:10.639 You can provide more than I can provide. 00:37:10.880 --> 00:37:15.599 That you are able to do what I am not able to do. 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:19.360 See, we really don't rest because we don't really trust. 00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:24.960 So number one, we need to learn how to rest. 00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:28.000 And rest is about ceasing from labor. 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:31.920 And it's always also associated with worship to the Lord. 00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:36.639 God, I'm going to honor you that you are the source and you are the sustenance. 00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:38.000 You are the provision. 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:40.480 You are my all in all. 00:37:40.559 --> 00:37:44.320 You are the center of my life, as we were singing about today. 00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:49.840 Listen, we can sing about him being the center, but if we don't practically rest, we're saying he's not. 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:55.039 Here's number two rule of life is prayer and scripture. 00:37:55.360 --> 00:37:56.880 Prayer and scripture. 00:37:56.960 --> 00:37:59.360 Let me show you what this does to you. 00:37:59.440 --> 00:38:09.119 In Romans chapter 2, Paul says, do not conform to the pattern, to the pattern, to the rhythm, to the pace of the world. 00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:16.480 Don't conform to how the world operates, but be transformed by the what? 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:18.960 Renewing of your mind. 00:38:19.039 --> 00:38:20.079 And what is he saying? 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:33.679 He's saying the way that you reject the rhythm, the pattern, the cadence, the pace of the world and what it's telling you to walk in, the way you reject that is by renewing your mind. 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:38.639 Well, how do I renew my mind with the will and the ways of the Lord? 00:38:38.719 --> 00:38:40.960 That's through prayer and scripture. 00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:42.480 The renewing of your mind. 00:38:42.639 --> 00:38:48.880 Then he says you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. 00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:51.519 Let me go back to what I said just a moment ago. 00:38:51.840 --> 00:39:03.519 Maybe the reason we struggle discerning the will of God is because we live at such a hurried pace. 00:39:08.400 --> 00:39:26.719 And when we pause to worship, to rest, and we pause to pray and to renew our mind with our word, what we are posturing ourselves to do is to hear his voice. 00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:31.440 I want his pace. 00:39:32.400 --> 00:39:34.320 I want his rhythm. 00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:37.760 Because I want to hear his voice. 00:39:39.599 --> 00:39:41.039 Number one, we need to rest. 00:39:41.199 --> 00:39:43.519