I’m Exhausted
Texts: Matthew 11:28-30, Hebrews 4:9-11
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV - King James Version)
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. —Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV - King James Version)
Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV - King James Version)
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. —Hebrews 4:9-11 (KJV - King James Version)
I’m really preaching to myself for this series on REST!
Dad Joke Alert:
I dreamt last night that I was a muffler…
John Mark Comer, in his book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” discusses the broader issues of not just skipping the Sabbath but living a hurried life that disregards restful rhythms. In this book, Comer gave signs that someone is exhausted from not resting could include:
- Constant hurry: Feeling perpetually rushed, even when there’s no reason to hurry.
- Chronic distractibility: Difficulty focusing on the present moment and a tendency to multitask compulsively.
- Sensory numbness: Lack of appreciation for simple pleasures, and a need for increasingly high stimuli to derive satisfaction.
- Emotional disconnection: Struggling to maintain healthy relationships due to impatience or lack of presence.
Robert Morris, in his book “Take the Day Off: Receiving God’s Gift of Rest,” he emphasizes the necessity of observing the Sabbath as a day dedicated entirely to rest and worship. He suggests if we fail to do so it can lead to several signs of exhaustion:
- Physical fatigue: Persistent tiredness that does not go away even after sleeping or taking short breaks.
- Emotional drain: Feelings of being overwhelmed, irritable, or less emotionally resilient than usual.
- Decreased productivity: Despite working longer hours, the actual output either stagnates or diminishes.
- Spiritual dryness: A sense of distance from God, lack of joy in spiritual practices, or diminished desire to engage in community worship.
Let’s talk about why REST is so important!
What is so special about Sabbath Rest?
Genesis 2:2-3:
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Our
God resting serves as a model for human behavior.
God did not need to rest because He was tired or fatigued…because the scripture tells us that He doesn’t tire or grow weary…
So why did God rest? - He wanted to establish a
He wanted us to know that it was ok to set boundaries in our work lives.
Redeeming the
God sanctified time and declares it holy.
Because God sanctified it, He was showing us that there is a great
Yes, there is value in our WORK and value in our LABOR, and there is time for that too…we are not supposed to be LAZY!
Some people want to “REST” all the time…and they never get anything done…others never rest and they pay the price for that as well.
A Sabbath day is a day set apart for a different purpose - not for idleness, but for reflection, rejuvenation, and rejoicing in God’s creation.
God wants us to TRUST Him with our TIME, we might think we don’t have the time, that everything that needs to be done is so important.
God says we should take time away and TRUST HIM to help us with the rest!
But I can’t, because I am a control freak. So my body pays for it, my mental health pays for it, and so does my spirit!
in Action
We are quick to talk about holiness as separation from the world, but it is also separation
In fact that’s why God say to remember the Sabbath - to KEEP IT
When we REST the way that God commands us to - it is actually an act of Holiness…
We are separating ourselves from the things that want to overwhelm us, and drawing closer to God.
We are also becoming more like Him because even though He didn’t need to - He RESTED!
Rhythmic Rest
Sabbath REST as the Bible describes is a reminder of God’s sovereignty and care, it is a time to reflect on His creation and provisions.
By resting in this way, we acknowledge that we are not solely reliant on our own efforts but are sustained by God’s grace.
We need to build and guard rhythmic resting in our lifestyle.
There are so many
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? —Mark 4:38 (KJV - King James Version)
JESUS LEAD ME…
3 EASY STEPS WE WILL TAKE
So if you are like me, you are already thinking…GREAT…this is one more thing I have to figure out how to do…now I need to learn how to REST properly.
Here is what I want us to do…let’s ask God to forgive us for not observing Sabbath Rest like we are supposed to, and then take three simple and easy steps together.
How can we receive the REST that Jesus gives?
1.
COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN -
1. Come to Jesus Just as You Are: You don’t need to wait until you’ve solved your problems or improved yourself.
Jesus invites you to come now, in your current state, with all your burdens, all of your mess, all of the chaos! JUST COME!
2.
LEARN OF ME (JESUS) -
2. Learn from Him: Jesus is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
By spending time in His presence—through regular prayer, reading the Bible, and worship—we learn how to carry our burdens with His grace.
3.
TRUST AND OBEY (Hebrews 4:9-11) -
3. Trust His Ability to Sustain You: Cast your cares upon Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Trusting Jesus allows us to let go of the anxieties and stresses we carry, knowing He is sovereign and loves us deeply.
He can handle it. All of it. There is nothing too hard for Him.