WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.080 Jesus brought joy on the Sabbath. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:08.480 And he certainly brought joy to the woman who had been crippled for 18 years. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:11.039 And he healed her in Luke. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:25.359 And then the the passage says that the people that were all watching and listening to the interaction between Jesus and the religious leaders, they were all filled with delight and wonder. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:26.800 They were full of joy. 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:32.000 The ones that weren't, I don't know if you caught that, the religious leaders were not full of joy. 00:00:32.640 --> 00:00:34.159 They were pretty upset. 00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:41.840 Jesus, he doesn't abolish uh Sabbath in this moment. 00:00:41.920 --> 00:00:46.560 He doesn't put Sabbath away and say, this isn't necessary anymore. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.240 In fact, what he does is he brings clarity to what Sabbath is. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:01:05.519 He does, he has these interactions like the one that Jake read a few times where he's interacting with different people and he then he has this engagement with these leaders and they get really angry about what he is saying and what he actually does on the Sabbath. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:16.000 There's another time, another scene, Jesus is walking with a small group of disciples, and there are some religious leaders with him, and it happens to be on the Sabbath day. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:22.879 And I wonder if Jesus kind of smirks knowing the situation and knowing what's about to happen. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:30.480 The disciples are kind of hungry and so they begin to pick grain off of the heads of these of the grain stalk. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:31.680 Is that what that would be? 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:35.439 And they begin to just throw it in their mouth and chew on it. 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:40.879 And this is how the Pharisees, the religious leaders say, respond to that in Mark chapter 2. 00:01:41.120 --> 00:01:47.680 The Pharisees say to Jesus, look, why are they doing what is so unlawful on the Sabbath? 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:55.120 And they've been, these leaders have been interpreting the Sabbath like this for for decades, if not centuries. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:02.400 They kept on adding these different laws of what you can and cannot do on this day of the week, on this Sabbath. 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:08.240 And they keep on burdening the people over and over again. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:15.919 Kind of like these watchdogs looking for someone just to slip up just enough to call them on it. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:25.439 And then look at how Jesus replies Jesus says to them the Sabbath was made for man. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:28.800 Not man for the Sabbath. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:33.520 So the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:40.159 Jesus says that the Sabbath was made for us for made for you and I is what he's saying. 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:44.080 It's not to be like this burden that the Pharisees keep on heaping on the people. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:50.719 In fact what he what how he would describe it is it it sounds like it might be something that's for our flourishing. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:03:39.520 So if Jesus said that Sabbath was made for humans should you and I practice the Sabbath what do you think about Jesus saying that the Sabbath is made for you what is what comes to mind when you hear that that the Sabbath was made for for humans to experience like when when someone makes a gift and gives it to you and this is supposed to be for your flourishing you you would receive it if you were if you you would receive that gift so God sets this example way back in the creation story in Genesis. 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:43.039 God begins to set this example of what this might look like. 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:54.560 And in Genesis chapter 2 Allison read uh this passage and in verse 2 it says by the seventh day God finished the work he had been doing so on the seventh day what does he do? 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:04.479 He rested from all his work and we're reminded of this passage in the Exodus story. 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:36.399 In fact there is this portion of scripture in the Exodus story where God speaks to the people and then he begins to tell them these instructions of how they could live within his covenant and in one part he says in Genesis or Exodus chapter 20 God speaks all these words verse one and then in verse eight he says Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. 00:04:36.639 --> 00:05:24.000 On it you shall you shall not do any work neither you nor your son or daughter nor your male or female servants nor your animals nor any foreigner residing in your towns for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that's in them but he rested on that seventh day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and made it holy all right would you consider this question with me why does God desire for humans to experience the Sabbath rest humans that he would say you need Sabbath? 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:41.839 All right call back what ex what does God know about humans that he would say to us you need a Sabbath Okay well yes heck yeah okay uh who said what and where? 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:46.319 All right Eric welcome back um all right Eric what'd you say? 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:48.240 Retire. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:52.560 Oh yeah I think a few of us could say yes amen to that uh today. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:54.480 Anyone else who there were some others. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:06:02.560 I don't think we would oh there would be something in us that wo we wouldn't if he hadn't said for us to do that. 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:03.279 Okay. 00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:17.199 Somebody over here may weak like that the weakness in us in humanity needs that so if God rested why would we not do that? 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:17.759 Okay. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:20.720 What's that? 00:06:21.360 --> 00:07:55.360 Oh it gives us moment of reflection uh because because we may not do that naturally um okay I hear I there's a uh a great Trevor Hudson says um it's not the experiences that transform us it's our reflection on experiences that transform us and our need to look back at things and so I appreciate yeah this need for reflection somebody else oh yes over there his love for oh God so loves that he would say hey this is a gift for you that's good somebody else here said something okay because it's in that that that uh command to remember something to is that what you're like a time to remember something that's good okay so we have that in the in these commands here uh the commandments aren't necessarily and here's what I want to keep on teaching over the next few weeks they aren't necessarily meant just simply for us to be moral although morality is good this is meant for us to do something deeper than that it is it is meant for us to become like into this deep relationship with our creator and then to live out the way he would want us to live that would bring the most flourishing for us to live with other people and with his creation to steward his creation well. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:05.920 And so these commands aren't just meant to be something that's like oh yeah let's do these checklists and now we're gonna be more moral because what will happen out of us is we will become judgmental towards each other. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:06.879 We're good at that. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:11.920 And we would condemn each other for not doing the checklist like I did the checklist this week. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:24.240 And so this is actually a call for us as Wilfred was saying this call because God loves us and he wants us to live in a way that where we can love him more fully and we can love others more fully. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:51.679 So we entered we began to study the Ten Commandments a couple of weeks ago and in the scholarly world these are referred to as a decalogue which means the ten words so if you've heard the phrase hey I need I can I have a word with you it doesn't mean that an individual's giving you one word they're actually going to have a long conversation with you most likely so these are like many words that God wants to give to his people so that they could flourish. 00:08:52.879 --> 00:09:00.320 And this fourth commandment the Sabbath is such an interesting command to include in the ten. 00:09:01.919 --> 00:09:14.799 I mean it's etched right in the stone with don't kill anyone and don't steal from them and don't covet anything and don't commit adultery we have this invitation into Sabbath rest. 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:32.080 Eugene Peterson an author and pastor describes the Sabbath as uncluttered time and space to distance ourselves from the frenzy of all of our own activities so that we can see that we can see what God has been and is doing. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:10:12.960 If we do not regularly quit work for one day a week we take ourselves far too seriously the word Sabbath actually means to stop to cease so Sabbath is this invitation from our Creator to be still to make stopping part of our weekly rhythm which is tough because some of us most of us if many of us if we admit it cannot even stop at a stop sign in the week we used to on the West Coast we call that a California roll like roll right on through the stop sign. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:12:01.679 And so so here we are invited to stop to slow down God the creator of all things suggests or says hey this is going to be good for you and he offers it to us so uh do you remember your first job I want you to lean toward over to somebody next to you and tell them what your first job is yeah go ahead go like what was the first job if you need to call across the uh the poll the pews there what was your first job my first official paycheck I think I have this memory that it was$72 and I was 13 years old it was our first full summer in the Las Vegas heat and uh and my dad worked at a concrete plant that built that made cinder blocks and I came to work with him uh in the summer heat of the desert uh and cleaning the uh the concrete plant yard so I would go around and I'd just clean up all the trash uh and that was my first job I remember uh just a little shortly after that my my next job was at Taco Bill uh and uh I think every person needs to work in restaurant industry so that you tip better um and uh and so so uh then my next job was blockbuster poor blockbuster uh there was a time for those of you who are younger where you actually had to leave your house to find a movie to play at home and sometimes it was it was not rewound and you were really upset because of how long it took you to rewind. 00:12:02.799 --> 00:13:16.480 Ask your parents what rewinding and rewind uh means um all right so later I got a job uh working with my best friend his dad owned a block mason company and so I was back out there at the 110 degree heat plus in the summer building block walls mixing mud uh doing that kind of work and I remember uh I'm not I wasn't a uh getting up early kind of person at that time but I was told that we need to beat the heat that was the construction term let's get out there before the sun goes up so that you can beat the heat but but my friend's dad was all about working us until the late into the afternoon where we never beat the heat it was constantly beat down on us and so we worked we worked hard uh throughout those uh I did that for about 10 years um but my experience was nothing like the Hebrew people making brick every single day of their life they never had a break because they were enslaved by a Pharaoh who wanted to keep making their life harder and they never had a day off and they worked sun up and sun to sun down. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:42.720 And that's when the Hebrew people cry out to God God sends Moses Moses goes in he eventually they all escape they find themselves on the base of a mountain and God wants to speak to them and so God is going to tell them some things and he and Moses is going to listen and the people are going to listen and included in that are the Ten Commandments and so in your bulletin just inside you'll find I have there are two places where the Ten Commandments are are in the Old Testament. 00:13:42.879 --> 00:13:47.039 The first is Exodus 20 that we read out of the next one is Deuteronomy 5. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:54.480 They're both in there the Deuteronomy one comes 40 years after the first one it's just a reminder hey don't forget this is what you're gonna be doing. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:03.200 And so you can look at those I think it's really good to study with things paralleled right next to each other so you can read and see what the similarities and differences are. 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:53.519 Deuteronomy 5 says remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out the out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm he says therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day God calls his people into a day off a weekly holiday a gift he calls them into and it would have been really difficult for the Hebrew people because they've been working every single day of their life I mean think about the times when you work every day and then you have a day off you are super antsy because you feel like you need to be doing something and so here they are they're having their whole culture shifted by their creator. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:02.559 And there is nothing quite like this command in all the other written things from that period of time. 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:24.399 This is a really unique command for this people in fact the neighboring nations would think that the Hebrew people are lazy because they want a seventh day off in ancient times mostly the wealthy would have experienced the day off regularly the poor and certainly the slave would not have something to look forward to like a weekend. 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:31.200 In this commandment God reminds the Hebrew people that they're no longer slaves. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:35.919 They no longer are living under the rule of Pharaoh who doesn't care about them. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.960 And so he invites them to do something different. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:46.399 He invites them to have some dependency on him and once a week they will be reminded that all things are from him. 00:15:46.960 --> 00:16:07.679 He is the great provider and they would have to rely on that in a season in a world where there was no refrigeration necessarily and and you would have to go from day to day a sustenance kind of plan making sure you knew where your food was going to come from and so God is going to ask them to rest to depend on him which would be super vulnerable. 00:16:09.039 --> 00:16:18.080 And then I think who said it somebody in here said it that it reminds us that we that we are limited I think you said weak, right May? 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:27.039 That there is a limitation to who we are that you and I are not gods that we cannot go through this life unceasing. 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:33.600 But at some point we got to slow it down and rest just a moment to gain our energy back up. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:45.200 There is only one God that has no limitations and therefore we have to be reminded oh wait a second I'm limited and so the Sabbath would invite us into that reminder. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:55.440 And this this day off would be really unique because it also reminds us to worship. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:04.640 This was a day of reflection on who God is what he has done for us and what he has yet to do for us. 00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:17.039 And it's this regular ritual or observation or or practice that that we would continue to do no matter what the circumstances are around it that led us up to that day. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:29.200 It would stop everything no matter the season no matter the crisis we would stop and we remember who God is and we reflect on what he's done before and remind us of what he's going to do. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:49.759 Pastor and author Tim Keller said to rest is actually a way to enjoy and honor the goodness of God's creation and our own to violate the rhythm of work and rest in either direction leads to chaos in our life and in the world around us. 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:58.480 Keller says that work and rest are needed in both directions that we need work and we need rest. 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:02.160 So what was the practice of Sabbath? 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.400 What would it look like for the Jewish people? 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:20.880 Well the days for the Hebrew people at that time began in the evening so you would start your day on the evening at sundown and so on Friday evening the Jewish people they would begin their day around a table with friends and family. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:32.160 Candles were lit people had different parts to play and they would sing at some point and they would go for long periods of time not in a rush to go off somewhere. 00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:37.039 And then they would go to sleep and they would wake up slowly the next morning. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:19:25.279 And there would be some part of synagogue going to the synagogue they would go and they would uh pray and listen and be a part of the synagogue and then later that day they would just delight in good things and they would rest and they would finish it out that evening with a meal what got tricky though at some point is when Jesus resurrected on a different day he resurrected on a Sunday and so those who are Jewish still were practicing Sabbath but then they stepped into what do we do on Sunday because we want to celebrate this too and so so they began to celebrate both of these days there would be let's go into to Sabbath and then we're also going to celebrate on a Sunday because of the resurrected king. 00:19:27.759 --> 00:19:36.079 But Sabbath is more than not working and it is more than not than gathering for worship. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:40.400 Something deeper is happening when Sabbath takes place. 00:19:41.759 --> 00:20:08.960 Keeping the Sabbath would deepen our love for our creator it would deepen our love for one another I want you to as we go into these next commandments because the next commandments are all going to be different than these first ones as we go into the next ones I want you to consider these are meant for us to love our Creator more and love one another more remember Jesus summarized the whole of all the commands as we'll learn next week to love God and love others. 00:20:09.279 --> 00:20:12.640 And so for some somehow the Sabbath will do the same. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:15.119 It's meant for me to love God and love others. 00:20:15.279 --> 00:20:44.000 Have you ever been around an exhausted person whose filter has just diminished over time and they are saying the things right they're saying all the things I mean you might be sitting beside an exhausted person who has said all the things this morning right we we know that rest is necessary even if it's just for us maintaining a filter of what we say and don't say right and so this invitation of loving God and loving others can be experienced through Sabbath. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:49.759 And to rest does not mean to avoid all pleasure and delight. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:21:08.319 I think there was this era, maybe you grew up in it where when you considered a Sunday it meant it was going to be boring that you would not even enjoy anything that day that we would have to if it was pleasurable we needed to not do it. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:53.680 I don't know if you've experienced that but when we read about the Sabbath and when Jesus speaks about it there is delight that's surrounded around this day that is supposed to bring delight in us so I want to just I want to I I hesitated to do any uh any lists because I don't want it to sound like part of the law like where I would add like a Pharisee and say okay these are the things you need to do to really celebrate Sabbath I hesitated but I'm gonna do it anyways and these this isn't a checklist this is just ideas all right some of the ideas could mean now this first one is it Sabbath to be a person of God to be a people of God Sabbath would include worship. 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:55.519 It always includes worship. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:01.599 So if your Sabbath ends up landing on a Sunday it would be to gather With people in worship. 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:08.480 It involves worship songs like us to sing, and some of us would rather just sing alone. 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.680 And so there's an invitation to sing. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.599 But it also could include a good meal with friends and family. 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:19.759 You've heard me say that a lot to gather around a table. 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:26.480 Maybe it includes waking up slowly and having a breakfast that you wouldn't have normally the rest of the week. 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:29.039 Like a good cinnamon roll, right? 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:30.319 Yeah. 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:35.839 So maybe you don't do errands or housework on that day. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:38.079 That you just kind of resist that. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:41.200 Maybe you read a book. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:44.000 Some of you are like, that is laborus. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:46.000 I have no desire to read a book. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:51.759 Maybe it's to go for a hike or a walk or a bike ride with someone. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:54.400 Maybe it's to take a really good nap. 00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:56.880 That sounds nice. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:22:59.599 Some of you already are right now. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:00.799 Just kidding. 00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:02.640 Just kidding. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:11.680 This next one is serious because it uh it um if you're married, maybe it's a good afternoon delight. 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:15.680 The Jewish people talked about it. 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:17.759 And that was part of Sabbath. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:23.119 And so you're like, yes, okay, now you got me. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:30.240 Uh so these are like ideas, and in that bulletin, there's like some more ideas of what Sabbath could look like. 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:34.559 And maybe if this is new for you, maybe you can't do a 24-hour period. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:42.799 Maybe you're like, okay, I'm gonna try a two-hour Sabbath rest, because maybe you're like a high octane person, and to slow down would be really tough. 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:52.640 And so maybe you kind of slowly step into this and say, okay, if God has intended this for us, if he made Sabbath for humanity, then maybe I need to step into it. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:57.279 I encourage you, maybe consider even if it's just a two-hour period at first. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:09.440 A good question to ask yourself to consider what practicing the Sabbath is, is this what would you do for a 24-hour period of time if the only criteria was to pursue your deepest joy? 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:18.480 And would that deepest joy lead you to your creator? 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:30.480 So, so I I want to, I was asking a few people this week, hey, what what questions do you have about Sabbath? 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.160 Um and so a few people had some common questions about Sabbath. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.400 One of them is uh, does it have to be on a Saturday or Sunday? 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:41.119 Because there are people who work on Saturdays and Sundays. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:43.920 Is it required to do it on a Saturday or Sunday? 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:47.440 Some Christians believe yes, it's required to do it on a Saturday. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:50.400 Other Christians say yes, it's required to be on a Sunday. 00:24:50.559 --> 00:24:54.319 The Apostle Paul would say, there's no holy day and non-holy day. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:57.119 All the days are holy, and we're gonna live in all of them. 00:24:57.279 --> 00:25:02.000 And so he would he was saying that to the Gentiles who had never practiced Sabbath before. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:04.799 And he was like, There's no one day that's better than another. 00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:10.720 You'll see that in Romans 14, you'll see that in Colossians chapter 2, where he's like, all days should be holy. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:14.480 They're set that word holy is to be set apart to be something special. 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:22.319 And so it does include some uh in some conversations morality, but overall, it is this like set apartness. 00:25:22.480 --> 00:25:25.839 And Paul would be like, No, one day is not greater than the other. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:27.599 All of them are created by God. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:30.480 I practice Sabbath on Fridays. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:34.559 Uh, Sundays are not an option for me to cry uh to not work. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:41.119 Um, and so so this is part of my work, and and so I'll practice Sabbath on Fridays. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:42.960 I don't do it great every time. 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:48.160 And uh and there are days that, or there are weeks that it's just like that was not restful. 00:25:48.319 --> 00:25:51.920 Um and but it is an invitation into rest. 00:25:52.960 --> 00:25:59.759 What about a person who's working multiple jobs to make ends meet in a season like we're in right now? 00:26:02.079 --> 00:26:04.079 How could they possibly rest? 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:12.000 What about a person who's who's a caregiver and there is no stopping on caregiving? 00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:26.079 I think that's an invitation for the church to respond, to offer respite to a caregiver and give them some rest, even if it's just a couple hours. 00:26:26.559 --> 00:26:34.079 I think it's an offering of generosity to know that somebody else is struggling, and can we be generous to that person? 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:43.599 If you work with that person to offer to take their shift and then give them the money for the work that you did. 00:26:44.160 --> 00:26:51.759 There are lots of options for us to be invited into somebody who's got a season of life that doesn't that doesn't allow for rest. 00:26:53.680 --> 00:26:58.559 What if you're retired and every day is a day off uh from work? 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:06.240 Uh I I've been told over and over again, it seems like life gets more busy at retirement than it was before. 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:07.119 Is that true? 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:08.799 Okay, I got some head nods. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:09.519 There we go. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:19.279 I would invite you to consider make one day out of the week very different than the rest, and then to guard that well. 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:24.960 Like to figure out how could that Sabbath rest be different than the other days of the week? 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.960 And that you would guard it. 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:30.799 There's a lot of conversation that could be had around this. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:37.440 Author uh Letty Kalman writes about this story about a traveler who visits Africa. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:49.279 And she hires these carriers and these guides on the journey, and and she from from the uh you know the Western world, she's ready to go and she encourages a really swift pace. 00:27:49.359 --> 00:28:01.599 Uh, and she's pleased that the first day they've traveled a long distance, and she wakes up ready to go the next morning and she puts on uh on her backpack and she gets out and she realizes wait, all the carriers and guides are not ready to go. 00:28:01.759 --> 00:28:05.279 In fact, they are they are off sitting underneath a tree in the shade. 00:28:05.359 --> 00:28:06.319 Why are they not ready? 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:13.519 They don't even look ready, and so really frustrated, she goes to the leader of these carriers and guides and says, What's going on? 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:15.440 Why are we not ready to go? 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:22.160 And the leader's response was the first day they traveled way too far, way too fast. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:27.440 And now they're waiting for their souls to catch up to their bodies. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:35.039 John Ortberg, a favorite pastor and author of mine, he talks about soul fatigue. 00:28:35.359 --> 00:28:39.200 Like that there's something more than just a physical fatigue. 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:43.599 There's actually a soul fatigue, and maybe some of you have experienced that. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:48.319 Where you're exhausted and you just feel it inside. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:54.559 And the way he describes it, he'll say, you know, there are symptoms of soul fatigue. 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:59.039 There are symptoms of wondering, oh man, is my soul aching? 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:08.240 And these symptoms uh individually may not mean that you're you have soul fatigue, but collected maybe they will. 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:10.720 Let me just read a couple. 00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:16.799 Things seem to be bothering you a lot more than they should. 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:23.279 It's hard to make up your mind about even the simplest decision. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:33.519 Impulses to eat and drink and spend are harder to resist than they otherwise would be. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:42.720 You're more likely to favor short-term gains in ways that leave you with high long-term costs. 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:47.599 And your judgment is suffering. 00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:55.440 That isn't meant to be a uh um a burden. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:30:04.160 It's meant to just assess and see if you could take advantage of a gift, a gift of your creator. 00:30:07.440 --> 00:30:12.000 So back to that conversation with Jesus that he has with the Pharisees. 00:30:12.240 --> 00:30:18.960 And when he says, hey, the Sabbath is made for humanity, humanity wasn't made to make Sabbath happen. 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:29.920 But then he makes this other statement that he is the Lord of the Sabbath, which is pretty remarkable, and it ends up him being on a cross. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:43.599 He calls himself the Lord of the Sabbath, which means that he offers himself as the answer for soul fatigue, especially because of the burden and the slavery of sin. 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.160 That Jesus himself is the Sabbath. 00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:53.599 The book of Hebrews would describe him as the rest that we need. 00:30:54.559 --> 00:31:00.799 The rest that we search for and so many other things, but are never fine, never find satisfaction in. 00:31:01.839 --> 00:31:12.799 And Jesus, in his beautiful way in Matthew chapter 11, talks about he is rest and that all are invited to experience it. 00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:18.400 I love how the uh the message translation describes what he says. 00:31:19.119 --> 00:31:20.480 Are you tired? 00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:22.960 Are you worn out? 00:31:23.920 --> 00:31:26.319 Or even burned out on religion? 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:28.799 Come to me. 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:32.880 Get away with me, and you'll recover your life. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:36.160 I'll show you how to take real rest. 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:38.400 Walk with me. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:41.920 Watch how I do it. 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:45.039 Hi, kids. 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:50.000 And look at this beautiful phrase here. 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:54.079 Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. 00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:58.799 I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:05.119 Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly. 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:11.119 Doesn't that sound great? 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:15.039 Freely and lightly. 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:22.160 Jesus, would you teach us the unforced rhythms of grace? 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:28.240 Oh living water, would you help us to drink from you? 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:35.440 That we would continue to be transformed and our thirst would be satisfied.