June 5, 2024 • 23 mins
Are you burnt out, working yourself too much? God gives us permission to rest and taking that time can actually enhance your productivity and bring you closer to God's peace. Find out more in Ep. 39 of the Changeless podcast.
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(00:02):
Hello, this is Pastor Ryan Clark.
You are listening to a message from St.
John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 4 00:00:15,44.897959184 --> 00:00:17,24.897959184 Just last September. 5 00:00:17,784.897959184 --> 00:00:28,144.897959184 There was an article in the wall street journal that said these words, business consultants are calling it the 85 percent rule. 6 00:00:28,614.897959184 --> 00:00:32,944.897959184 Are you giving it your all? Well, maybe that's too much. 7 00:00:33,754.897959184 --> 00:00:42,774.897959184 So many of us were raised in the gospel of hard work and maximum effort, taught that what we put in was what we get out. 8 00:00:43,539.897959184 --> 00:00:50,879.897959184 Now some coaches and corporate leaders have a new message to be at your best, they say, dial it back just a bit. 9 00:00:51,769.896959184 --> 00:00:58,579.897959184 Aiming for perfection often makes us feel awful, burns us out, and backfires. 10 00:00:58,939.897959184 --> 00:01:04,739.897959184 Instead, count the fact that you hit 8 out of 10 of your targets this quarter as a win. 11 00:01:05,179.897959184 --> 00:01:12,569.897959184 We don't need to see our work, our health, or our hobbies as either being perfect or a total failure. 12 00:01:13,74.897959184 --> 00:01:17,334.897959184 The trick is to try for 85%. 13 00:01:19,684.897959184 --> 00:01:29,944.897959184 That was in an article by Rachel Feinzig entitled Try Hard But Not That Hard, 85 percent is the magic number for productivity. 14 00:01:31,304.896959184 --> 00:01:41,864.89795918 Well what do you think of that? It's actually some really good advice, isn't it? Why is that such good advice? Well, because many, many years ago. 15 00:01:41,934.89795918 --> 00:01:51,54.89795918 So God said this, observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 16 00:01:51,404.89795918 --> 00:01:58,934.89795918 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. 17 00:01:59,154.89795918 --> 00:02:02,504.89795918 On it you shall do, you shall not do any work. 18 00:02:02,674.89795918 --> 00:02:10,554.89795918 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. 19 00:02:10,554.89795918 --> 00:02:10,584.89795918 Amen. 20 00:02:10,954.89795918 --> 00:02:15,944.89795918 Therefore, the Lord, your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. 21 00:02:16,944.89795918 --> 00:02:19,884.89795918 I got a question for the mathematicians here. 22 00:02:20,174.89795918 --> 00:02:29,284.89795918 If you work six out of seven days, what percentage of the days are you working 85. 23 00:02:29,774.89795918 --> 00:02:32,404.89795918 7 percent of the time. 24 00:02:34,34.89795918 --> 00:02:38,544.89795918 So that was really good advice, wasn't it? I love it. 25 00:02:39,9.89795918 --> 00:03:02,869.89795918 When something that people come up with today and it's all brand new and fancy and all, we've done all this study shows that many, many years ago, God already knew it and was trying to give us rest and actually better productivity in the rest of the time that we work. 26 00:03:03,869.89795918 --> 00:03:17,234.89695918 What good advice, huh? Looking back at that passage from Deuteronomy chapter 5, he tells us why we are to take some time off to rest. 27 00:03:17,594.89795918 --> 00:03:26,314.89695918 Because he says, remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. 28 00:03:26,534.89695918 --> 00:03:30,724.89695918 In other words, when you were in Egypt as slaves, you didn't get a day off. 29 00:03:31,394.89695918 --> 00:03:40,749.89795918 You worked from sunup to sundown and you Every day, seven days a week, but you know what? You're not slaves anymore. 30 00:03:41,589.89795918 --> 00:03:43,99.89795918 I brought you out of that. 31 00:03:44,119.89795918 --> 00:03:49,69.89695918 And so therefore you don't have to work seven days a week. 32 00:03:50,659.89895918 --> 00:03:53,609.89795918 You can only work six days a week. 33 00:03:54,629.89795918 --> 00:03:59,229.89795918 You see, it's not a have to it's a you get to. 34 00:04:01,664.89795918 --> 00:04:11,54.89795918 In Exodus chapter 20, the other place where we have the Ten Commandments, including this commandment, it says this, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 35 00:04:11,384.89695918 --> 00:04:17,364.89695918 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. 36 00:04:17,824.89795918 --> 00:04:26,374.89795918 On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 37 00:04:27,109.89795918 --> 00:04:34,829.89795918 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. 38 00:04:35,349.89795918 --> 00:04:40,49.89795918 Therefore, the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy. 39 00:04:41,159.89795918 --> 00:04:54,799.89795918 So, what's the reasoning here in Exodus 20? That we are to take a day off? Because the God who made us and everything that there is, He rested on the seventh day. 40 00:04:55,484.89795918 --> 00:05:00,544.89795918 And guess what? You and I are made in the image of God. 41 00:05:01,274.89795918 --> 00:05:12,904.89795918 So if we are made in the image of God and God did six days on and one day off, you and I can keep the same rhythm in our lives as well. 42 00:05:13,94.89795918 --> 00:05:18,474.89795918 In fact, that will be best for us if we do so. 43 00:05:20,954.89795918 --> 00:05:54,19.89795918 This whole idea that the Sabbath Was good for us and that God gave it to us Not as I have to but as a get to the religious leaders during Jesus time They didn't understand this and so it says in Mark 2 in our gospel account for today one Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields and as his disciples walked along they began to pick some heads of grain The Pharisees said to him look, why are you why are they doing? What is unlawful? On the Sabbath. 44 00:05:54,69.89795918 --> 00:05:56,709.89795918 See, they were looking at it as a have to. 45 00:05:57,869.89795918 --> 00:05:59,709.89795918 This is something we have to do. 46 00:06:02,199.89695918 --> 00:06:09,929.89795918 And so they were looking at picking heads of grain as somehow being work that God was discouraged that they were doing. 47 00:06:11,679.89795918 --> 00:06:19,589.89795918 But how did Jesus respond? He said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 48 00:06:20,109.89795918 --> 00:06:22,389.89695918 So the Son of Man is Lord even. 49 00:06:23,499.89795918 --> 00:06:24,29.89795918 Sabbath. 50 00:06:24,259.89795918 --> 00:06:31,359.89795918 In other words, God gave us this command, not as a have to, but as a get to. 51 00:06:32,429.89695918 --> 00:06:35,409.89795918 You don't have to do work seven days a week. 52 00:06:36,9.89695918 --> 00:06:37,509.89795918 You can take a break. 53 00:06:38,669.89695918 --> 00:06:42,979.89695918 In fact, God is telling you, you can take a break. 54 00:06:46,429.89695918 --> 00:06:50,19.89795918 There is a story I read this week about these two men. 55 00:06:51,334.89795918 --> 00:06:55,894.89795918 One man challenged another to an all day wood chopping contest. 56 00:06:56,384.89795918 --> 00:07:01,504.89695918 The challenger worked really hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. 57 00:07:02,84.89795918 --> 00:07:07,384.89795918 The other man, he had a leisurely lunch, he took several breaks during the day. 58 00:07:07,924.89795918 --> 00:07:17,184.89795918 And at the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. 59 00:07:17,989.89795919 --> 00:07:19,469.89795919 I don't get it, he said. 60 00:07:19,889.89795919 --> 00:07:25,189.89795919 Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did. 61 00:07:26,569.89795919 --> 00:07:34,569.89695919 But you didn't notice, said the winning woodsman, that I was sharpening my axe every time I sat down to rest. 62 00:07:38,999.89695919 --> 00:07:42,829.89795919 Like Ryan said, it's not just about resting. 63 00:07:43,939.89795919 --> 00:07:49,439.89795919 It's about taking that time to sharpen our axe. 64 00:07:50,404.89795919 --> 00:07:51,314.89795919 So to speak. 65 00:07:52,174.89795919 --> 00:07:54,344.89795919 What does that mean? Spiritually. 66 00:07:55,284.89795919 --> 00:08:07,34.89795919 Well it says in Isaiah chapter 26 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 67 00:08:08,294.89795919 --> 00:08:17,199.79795919 What does God want to do through this Sabbath day? The day that we take time off from work? He wants us to refocus on Jesus. 68 00:08:17,619.89795919 --> 00:08:20,969.89795919 To reorient ourselves to him. 69 00:08:22,159.89795919 --> 00:08:29,269.89795919 Why? Because when we do so, we will have what every single person on this planet is looking for. 70 00:08:30,529.89795919 --> 00:08:32,179.89795919 Perfect peace. 71 00:08:34,439.89695919 --> 00:08:48,529.89795919 You know, life gets crazy, doesn't it? Work and family and, you know, your, your neighborhood and your responsibilities at home and your responsibilities. 72 00:08:49,404.89795919 --> 00:08:57,864.89795919 Throughout the day, all of that comes crashing down on you, and then you have the unforeseen things that are happening in your life. 73 00:08:58,34.89795919 --> 00:09:08,314.89795919 And by the end of the week, I would say that a lot of us, if we were to analyze ourselves, are not at perfect peace. 74 00:09:09,464.89795919 --> 00:09:15,654.89795919 Where does perfect peace come from? It comes from getting our minds refocused and stayed on Him. 75 00:09:15,799.89795919 --> 00:09:18,959.89795919 So that we're, once again, trusting in Him. 76 00:09:20,59.89795919 --> 00:09:27,539.89795919 When do we do that? God has ordained it to be during a time of Sabbath. 77 00:09:27,819.89795919 --> 00:09:31,899.89795919 We need to refocus our eyes on Him. 78 00:09:32,789.89795919 --> 00:09:34,609.89795919 Here's our very important point of the day. 79 00:09:34,609.89795919 --> 00:09:35,179.89795919 It's this. 80 00:09:35,519.89795919 --> 00:09:51,174.89795919 We need to refocus regularly on the Word of God because God wants us to understand that the circumstances that happen to us and around us Don't determine, ultimately, what transpires in your and my life. 81 00:09:52,584.89795919 --> 00:09:53,384.89795919 He does. 82 00:09:54,794.89795919 --> 00:09:55,504.89695919 He does. 83 00:09:55,864.89795919 --> 00:10:07,34.89795919 Sometimes when all of these things are happening to us and all around us, it's easy for us to forget that and think that they have the final say in our life. 84 00:10:07,434.89795919 --> 00:10:08,194.89795919 But they don't. 85 00:10:09,554.89795919 --> 00:10:10,254.89795919 He does. 86 00:10:10,464.89795919 --> 00:10:19,554.89695919 The only way that I can remember that is if I take time out from the craziness of life to refocus on that fact. 87 00:10:20,164.89795919 --> 00:10:26,14.89695919 Here's just a few very quick pieces of advice on refocusing on the truth. 88 00:10:26,664.89695919 --> 00:10:29,644.89795919 I feel like with this first one I'm speaking to the choir here. 89 00:10:30,34.89795919 --> 00:10:33,994.89795919 But make church a regular weekly appointment. 90 00:10:34,439.89795919 --> 00:10:35,379.89795919 on your calendar. 91 00:10:36,619.89795919 --> 00:10:40,239.89795919 Some of you may be here today and maybe it's your time. 92 00:10:40,259.89795919 --> 00:10:43,349.89795919 You know, once every couple of months that you're here. 93 00:10:43,529.89795919 --> 00:10:44,369.89795919 That's great. 94 00:10:44,379.89795919 --> 00:10:45,719.89795919 That's better than nothing. 95 00:10:47,189.89795919 --> 00:10:48,739.89695919 But I'll just speak for myself. 96 00:10:48,809.89795919 --> 00:10:52,749.89795919 I need this every single week. 97 00:10:54,369.89795919 --> 00:10:57,199.89795919 Make it a regular weekly appointment. 98 00:10:58,249.89795919 --> 00:11:03,179.89695919 Secondly, make Bible reading a regular part of your day. 99 00:11:03,614.89795919 --> 00:11:06,424.89795919 For me, that time of day is first thing in the morning. 100 00:11:07,464.89795919 --> 00:11:09,224.89795919 I count backwards. 101 00:11:09,224.89795919 --> 00:11:12,564.89795919 I say, I'm going to need this much time to get ready to get to work. 102 00:11:13,54.89695919 --> 00:11:19,884.89795919 And now I'm going to take this much time ahead of that to get up and spend time with the Lord. 103 00:11:20,364.89695919 --> 00:11:22,944.89795919 I need that to refocus. 104 00:11:23,24.89795919 --> 00:11:30,134.89795919 Otherwise, it does, it takes me about three seconds to go back to the craziness of this life. 105 00:11:32,189.89795919 --> 00:11:47,429.89695919 And finally, number three, Memorize Bible passages that relate to the situations affecting your life at whatever time in your life, and repeat them out loud to yourself multiple times a day. 106 00:11:47,889.89795919 --> 00:11:52,399.89695919 We live in a time period where people are no longer memorizing. 107 00:11:53,464.89795919 --> 00:11:58,634.89795919 In days gone by, people would memorize huge passages of scripture. 108 00:11:59,104.89795919 --> 00:12:01,674.89795919 Entire books of the Bible. 109 00:12:01,824.89795919 --> 00:12:06,954.89795919 The Pharisees during Jesus time had whole books memorized. 110 00:12:07,554.89795919 --> 00:12:10,984.89795919 And we've lost that in our day today. 111 00:12:12,644.89795919 --> 00:12:27,684.89795919 But as you're reading along in the Bible or maybe at church you hear something, write that down, read it, Over and over and over again, put it to memory and then recite it over and over again. 112 00:12:27,694.89795919 --> 00:12:36,914.89795919 Why? Because it says in Romans 10, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 113 00:12:37,274.89695919 --> 00:12:43,614.89795919 Even if that hearing is out of your own mouth, faith comes by hearing it. 114 00:12:46,124.89795919 --> 00:12:50,104.89795919 Faith is once again, not a have to, it's a get to. 115 00:12:50,969.89795919 --> 00:12:59,89.89795919 It's a refocusing on the truths and the promises of God that you're not on your own in this life. 116 00:12:59,679.89795919 --> 00:13:05,569.89695919 God is there to love you, to help you, to protect you, to heal you. 117 00:13:07,179.89795919 --> 00:13:17,209.89795919 And so when you come upon a passage, recite it, memorize it over and over again. 118 00:13:19,69.89795919 --> 00:13:23,224.89795919 You see, Satan is a defeated foe. 119 00:13:25,344.89795919 --> 00:13:30,614.89795919 But until that day that Jesus Christ comes again, he's still fighting against you and me. 120 00:13:30,924.89795919 --> 00:13:34,954.89795919 And the way that he fights against us is he lies to us. 121 00:13:36,524.89795919 --> 00:13:38,814.89795919 Some of those lives are like this one up here. 122 00:13:38,964.89695919 --> 00:13:40,754.89795919 God is mad at me. 123 00:13:42,544.89795919 --> 00:13:47,4.89795919 No matter how hard you try to be perfect, you're never gonna be perfect. 124 00:13:48,69.89795919 --> 00:14:15,834.89795919 And there are times that you're gonna fail, you're gonna mess up, and after you mess up, Satan is going to try to take full advantage of that mess up to yell into your ear, God's mad at you, you can't expect anything from him now, he's not gonna answer your prayers, why would he? When that comes, you need to refocus on what the Bible says, things like this from, Romans 8. 125 00:14:16,114.89795919 --> 00:14:21,84.89795919 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. 126 00:14:21,464.89795919 --> 00:14:29,194.89795919 Because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death. 127 00:14:30,134.89695919 --> 00:14:36,14.89795919 If you believe in Jesus Christ and have been baptized, you are in Christ Jesus. 128 00:14:36,14.99795919 --> 00:14:40,4.89795919 And therefore, there is no condemnation for you. 129 00:14:40,14.89795919 --> 00:14:49,604.89795919 Why? Because 2, 000 years ago on a cross Jesus took your condemnation for you, and now there's nothing left for you. 130 00:14:51,344.89795919 --> 00:15:03,244.89695919 If you don't ever take time out of the busyness of life to refocus on that, you're going to get weighed way down with always feeling like God is mad at you. 131 00:15:04,464.89695919 --> 00:15:11,319.89795919 And if you think He's mad at you, you're not going to pray because you're going to say, What's the use? He's not going to help me anyway. 132 00:15:11,689.89795919 --> 00:15:14,459.89795919 But the truth is this, you are not condemned. 133 00:15:14,999.89795919 --> 00:15:17,719.89795919 Jesus took your condemnation for you. 134 00:15:19,649.89795919 --> 00:15:21,209.89795919 We need to refocus on that. 135 00:15:21,959.89695919 --> 00:15:22,979.89795919 Here's another lie. 136 00:15:23,959.89695919 --> 00:15:26,359.89795919 I'm on my own in this world. 137 00:15:26,509.89795919 --> 00:15:29,959.89695919 I'm on my own with the problems that I'm facing. 138 00:15:32,499.89695919 --> 00:15:35,409.89795919 Well, then you stop and refocus. 139 00:15:36,644.89795919 --> 00:15:43,394.89795919 And what do you find? You find passages like Hebrews 13 that say, Never will I leave you, God says. 140 00:15:43,744.89795919 --> 00:15:45,934.89795919 Never will I forsake you. 141 00:15:47,24.89795919 --> 00:15:48,444.89695919 I know this about our God. 142 00:15:48,454.89695919 --> 00:15:49,524.89795919 He is not a liar. 143 00:15:50,674.89795919 --> 00:15:53,524.89695919 If He says never, never means never. 144 00:15:53,524.89695919 --> 00:15:54,894.89795919 He will never leave you. 145 00:15:55,544.89795919 --> 00:16:01,854.89795919 He will never let you go on your own and forsake you in the problems that you're dealing with. 146 00:16:03,309.89795919 --> 00:16:08,869.89795919 He doesn't condemn you because Jesus took your condemnation and now he wants to help you. 147 00:16:09,49.89795919 --> 00:16:31,644.89795919 You can call out to him in Whatever situation you find yourself in Never will he leave you nor forsake you Here's another lie this disease This diagnosis that I've been given has the final say in my life Maybe some of you have gone through that. 148 00:16:31,644.89795919 --> 00:16:33,444.89795919 Maybe you're going through that right now. 149 00:16:34,854.89795919 --> 00:16:40,604.8969592 Maybe you went to the doctor and you were shocked at what you were diagnosed with. 150 00:16:41,284.8969592 --> 00:16:46,404.8989592 And maybe now you think that that diagnosis has power over your life. 151 00:16:47,744.8989592 --> 00:16:54,594.7979592 Well then, you take time out of the craziness on the outside and the craziness going on on the inside and the craziness going on on the inside. 152 00:16:54,844.8979592 --> 00:17:00,4.8979592 And you look to God's Word and what do you find? You find things like this from Psalm 103. 153 00:17:00,344.8979592 --> 00:17:11,524.8979592 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. 154 00:17:12,864.8979592 --> 00:17:16,934.8979592 What is he saying? Lord, I want to bless you. 155 00:17:16,934.8979592 --> 00:17:20,474.8979592 Why? Because here's the benefits of being your kid. 156 00:17:21,494.8979592 --> 00:17:22,124.8979592 Two things. 157 00:17:22,744.8979592 --> 00:17:25,984.8979592 You forgive me? And you heal me. 158 00:17:28,614.8979592 --> 00:17:29,654.8979592 That's who God is. 159 00:17:31,354.8979592 --> 00:17:38,134.8969592 And when you look through that set of lenses at scripture, it's over and over and over again. 160 00:17:39,54.8969592 --> 00:17:44,44.8979592 When Jesus came, what did he do? He came to forgive and heal. 161 00:17:45,404.8979592 --> 00:17:48,154.8979592 And we find this all throughout the Bible. 162 00:17:48,324.8979592 --> 00:17:53,804.8979592 In fact, he says in Exodus 15, I am the Lord who heals you. 163 00:17:55,919.8979592 --> 00:18:00,969.8979592 So this disease, this diagnosis, it doesn't have the final say in your life. 164 00:18:01,119.8979592 --> 00:18:04,139.8979592 He has the final say in your life. 165 00:18:04,479.8979592 --> 00:18:10,159.8979592 And He loves you, forgives you, and He is our healer. 166 00:18:10,759.8969592 --> 00:18:22,759.8959592 We had a healing service last night, and there were loads of people that came forward with diagnoses, with things that they're dealing with in their bodies or in their minds. 167 00:18:24,179.8979592 --> 00:18:34,879.8979592 And we were able to pray over them and send them home with the hope that they have a God who loves them, forgives them, and who heals them. 168 00:18:38,229.8969592 --> 00:18:47,849.8979592 This is a promise that I know I have to remind myself of every day, and so it's right outside of our shower. 169 00:18:48,404.8979592 --> 00:18:52,14.8979592 So every time I get into the shower, I read that Bible passage. 170 00:18:52,184.8979592 --> 00:18:55,84.8979592 And every time I get out of the shower, I read it again. 171 00:18:55,344.8979592 --> 00:18:59,384.8979592 So at least twice every day, I'm reading this promise. 172 00:18:59,844.8969592 --> 00:19:08,624.8979592 Jesus said, Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you've received it, and it will be yours. 173 00:19:09,674.8979592 --> 00:19:13,634.8979592 You say, Well, I'm having a hard time believing that promise, Pastor. 174 00:19:14,794.8979592 --> 00:19:16,244.8969592 Well, that isn't my promise. 175 00:19:17,19.8979592 --> 00:19:19,49.8979592 That's Jesus's promise. 176 00:19:21,309.8979592 --> 00:19:32,299.8979592 He says, whatever you ask for, whatever you need in your life, ask God for it, believe that you've received it, and it will be yours. 177 00:19:32,669.8969592 --> 00:19:34,259.8979592 That's His promise. 178 00:19:34,899.8969592 --> 00:19:36,409.8979592 I don't understand it either. 179 00:19:38,209.8979592 --> 00:19:44,232.4479592 But the more you read it, the more you begin to believe it. 180 00:19:44,232.4479592 --> 00:19:44,569.7979592 That's Jesus's promise. 181 00:19:45,679.8979592 --> 00:19:51,249.8979592 The more you're around the Word of God, the more your faith is going to grow. 182 00:19:51,699.8979592 --> 00:19:58,339.8979592 The more your faith grows, the more you will see miracles happening in your life. 183 00:20:00,449.8979592 --> 00:20:04,819.8979592 This is why we need to stop and refocus on the things of God. 184 00:20:05,79.8979592 --> 00:20:14,299.8979592 If we never stop, if we never take Sabbath time in our lives, to reorient ourself to the promises of God. 185 00:20:15,619.8979592 --> 00:20:18,429.8979592 Then we're, our faith is always going to be way down here. 186 00:20:19,779.8979592 --> 00:20:28,79.8979592 But the more we're around the Word of God, the more we take time to let that sink in, the more our faith's gonna grow. 187 00:20:28,279.8969592 --> 00:20:31,249.8969592 The more our faith grows, the more we're going to believe. 188 00:20:31,259.8979592 --> 00:20:36,259.8979592 The more we believe, the more miracles we'll see in our lives. 189 00:20:38,39.8979592 --> 00:20:54,29.8969592 Do you see why Satan wants so much to keep you away from church? I cannot tell you how many times in the last 22 years of being a pastor People have said to me when i've called them when they haven't been at church for quite a while Let's say pastor. 190 00:20:54,29.8979592 --> 00:21:03,19.8979592 I don't understand it Six days out of the week everything's going well And then it always seems like on sunday morning. 191 00:21:03,19.8979592 --> 00:21:15,979.8979592 I don't sleep Well during the night on saturday night or or something happens on sunday morning that keeps me from going to church Well, what do you think that is? We have an enemy. 192 00:21:16,549.8979592 --> 00:21:24,19.8979592 He doesn't want you to take time out of your busy lives to refocus, to reorient on Christ. 193 00:21:24,209.8979592 --> 00:21:27,509.8979592 So he's going to do everything he can to keep you from here. 194 00:21:30,439.8979592 --> 00:21:31,679.8969592 I've also heard this. 195 00:21:31,929.8969592 --> 00:21:45,149.8979592 Pastor, I really want to get up in the morning and spend time, but it always seems whenever I do, I wake up in the middle of the night, then I can't go back to sleep and or maybe my alarm doesn't go off. 196 00:21:45,169.8979592 --> 00:21:52,729.8979592 Why do you think that is? Because we have an enemy that doesn't want you to reorient to Christ. 197 00:21:52,989.8979592 --> 00:21:55,509.8969592 Because when you do, your faith's gonna grow. 198 00:21:55,509.8979592 --> 00:22:04,239.8979592 When your faith grows, you're gonna see miracles in your life, and nobody's going to be able to convince you that Jesus Christ is not who he says he is. 199 00:22:06,809.8979592 --> 00:22:16,864.8979592 See? Jesus said this in Matthew 11, come to me, all you when you're weary and you're burdened. 200 00:22:17,614.8969592 --> 00:22:20,684.8979592 And what does he say? I'm going to give you rest. 201 00:22:21,254.8979592 --> 00:22:30,784.8979592 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. 202 00:22:32,884.8979592 --> 00:22:35,274.8979592 This is what this whole message is about. 203 00:22:35,664.8979592 --> 00:22:36,334.8979592 Rest. 204 00:22:37,194.8979592 --> 00:22:44,684.8979592 Not just physical rest, but reorienting yourself to the one who wants you to live in rest. 205 00:22:44,824.8979592 --> 00:22:50,24.8979592 Not just for a day, but to be restful all week long. 206 00:22:52,664.8979592 --> 00:22:57,444.8979592 And so God gives you permission to rest. 207 00:22:58,534.8979592 --> 00:23:02,394.8979592 And take that time to refocus on Jesus. 208 00:23:02,974.8979592 --> 00:23:05,794.8979592 May God grant it to each and every one of us for his sake. 209 00:23:06,404.8979592 --> 00:23:06,814.8979592 Amen. 210 00:23:09,875.8979592 --> 00:23:11,525.8979592 You've been listening to a sermon from St. 211 00:23:11,525.8979592 --> 00:23:13,605.8979592 John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 212 00:23:13,925.8979592 --> 00:23:15,725.8979592 If you would like more information about St. 213 00:23:15,725.8979592 --> 00:23:21,385.8979592 John's and any of our ministries to our community and beyond, you can go to our website, www. 214 00:23:21,475.8979592 --> 00:23:21,715.8979592 stjohnsbuffalo. 215 00:23:22,955.8969592 --> 00:23:23,285.8969592 org. 216 00:23:23,665.8969592 --> 00:23:24,955.8984592 Thank you and God bless you.
Hello, this is Pastor Ryan Clark.
You are listening to a message from St.
John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 4 00:00:15,44.897959184 --> 00:00:17,24.897959184 Just last September. 5 00:00:17,784.897959184 --> 00:00:28,144.897959184 There was an article in the wall street journal that said these words, business consultants are calling it the 85 percent rule. 6 00:00:28,614.897959184 --> 00:00:32,944.897959184 Are you giving it your all? Well, maybe that's too much. 7 00:00:33,754.897959184 --> 00:00:42,774.897959184 So many of us were raised in the gospel of hard work and maximum effort, taught that what we put in was what we get out. 8 00:00:43,539.897959184 --> 00:00:50,879.897959184 Now some coaches and corporate leaders have a new message to be at your best, they say, dial it back just a bit. 9 00:00:51,769.896959184 --> 00:00:58,579.897959184 Aiming for perfection often makes us feel awful, burns us out, and backfires. 10 00:00:58,939.897959184 --> 00:01:04,739.897959184 Instead, count the fact that you hit 8 out of 10 of your targets this quarter as a win. 11 00:01:05,179.897959184 --> 00:01:12,569.897959184 We don't need to see our work, our health, or our hobbies as either being perfect or a total failure. 12 00:01:13,74.897959184 --> 00:01:17,334.897959184 The trick is to try for 85%. 13 00:01:19,684.897959184 --> 00:01:29,944.897959184 That was in an article by Rachel Feinzig entitled Try Hard But Not That Hard, 85 percent is the magic number for productivity. 14 00:01:31,304.896959184 --> 00:01:41,864.89795918 Well what do you think of that? It's actually some really good advice, isn't it? Why is that such good advice? Well, because many, many years ago. 15 00:01:41,934.89795918 --> 00:01:51,54.89795918 So God said this, observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. 16 00:01:51,404.89795918 --> 00:01:58,934.89795918 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. 17 00:01:59,154.89795918 --> 00:02:02,504.89795918 On it you shall do, you shall not do any work. 18 00:02:02,674.89795918 --> 00:02:10,554.89795918 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. 19 00:02:10,554.89795918 --> 00:02:10,584.89795918 Amen. 20 00:02:10,954.89795918 --> 00:02:15,944.89795918 Therefore, the Lord, your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day. 21 00:02:16,944.89795918 --> 00:02:19,884.89795918 I got a question for the mathematicians here. 22 00:02:20,174.89795918 --> 00:02:29,284.89795918 If you work six out of seven days, what percentage of the days are you working 85. 23 00:02:29,774.89795918 --> 00:02:32,404.89795918 7 percent of the time. 24 00:02:34,34.89795918 --> 00:02:38,544.89795918 So that was really good advice, wasn't it? I love it. 25 00:02:39,9.89795918 --> 00:03:02,869.89795918 When something that people come up with today and it's all brand new and fancy and all, we've done all this study shows that many, many years ago, God already knew it and was trying to give us rest and actually better productivity in the rest of the time that we work. 26 00:03:03,869.89795918 --> 00:03:17,234.89695918 What good advice, huh? Looking back at that passage from Deuteronomy chapter 5, he tells us why we are to take some time off to rest. 27 00:03:17,594.89795918 --> 00:03:26,314.89695918 Because he says, remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. 28 00:03:26,534.89695918 --> 00:03:30,724.89695918 In other words, when you were in Egypt as slaves, you didn't get a day off. 29 00:03:31,394.89695918 --> 00:03:40,749.89795918 You worked from sunup to sundown and you Every day, seven days a week, but you know what? You're not slaves anymore. 30 00:03:41,589.89795918 --> 00:03:43,99.89795918 I brought you out of that. 31 00:03:44,119.89795918 --> 00:03:49,69.89695918 And so therefore you don't have to work seven days a week. 32 00:03:50,659.89895918 --> 00:03:53,609.89795918 You can only work six days a week. 33 00:03:54,629.89795918 --> 00:03:59,229.89795918 You see, it's not a have to it's a you get to. 34 00:04:01,664.89795918 --> 00:04:11,54.89795918 In Exodus chapter 20, the other place where we have the Ten Commandments, including this commandment, it says this, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 35 00:04:11,384.89695918 --> 00:04:17,364.89695918 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord your God. 36 00:04:17,824.89795918 --> 00:04:26,374.89795918 On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 37 00:04:27,109.89795918 --> 00:04:34,829.89795918 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day. 38 00:04:35,349.89795918 --> 00:04:40,49.89795918 Therefore, the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy. 39 00:04:41,159.89795918 --> 00:04:54,799.89795918 So, what's the reasoning here in Exodus 20? That we are to take a day off? Because the God who made us and everything that there is, He rested on the seventh day. 40 00:04:55,484.89795918 --> 00:05:00,544.89795918 And guess what? You and I are made in the image of God. 41 00:05:01,274.89795918 --> 00:05:12,904.89795918 So if we are made in the image of God and God did six days on and one day off, you and I can keep the same rhythm in our lives as well. 42 00:05:13,94.89795918 --> 00:05:18,474.89795918 In fact, that will be best for us if we do so. 43 00:05:20,954.89795918 --> 00:05:54,19.89795918 This whole idea that the Sabbath Was good for us and that God gave it to us Not as I have to but as a get to the religious leaders during Jesus time They didn't understand this and so it says in Mark 2 in our gospel account for today one Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields and as his disciples walked along they began to pick some heads of grain The Pharisees said to him look, why are you why are they doing? What is unlawful? On the Sabbath. 44 00:05:54,69.89795918 --> 00:05:56,709.89795918 See, they were looking at it as a have to. 45 00:05:57,869.89795918 --> 00:05:59,709.89795918 This is something we have to do. 46 00:06:02,199.89695918 --> 00:06:09,929.89795918 And so they were looking at picking heads of grain as somehow being work that God was discouraged that they were doing. 47 00:06:11,679.89795918 --> 00:06:19,589.89795918 But how did Jesus respond? He said to them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 48 00:06:20,109.89795918 --> 00:06:22,389.89695918 So the Son of Man is Lord even. 49 00:06:23,499.89795918 --> 00:06:24,29.89795918 Sabbath. 50 00:06:24,259.89795918 --> 00:06:31,359.89795918 In other words, God gave us this command, not as a have to, but as a get to. 51 00:06:32,429.89695918 --> 00:06:35,409.89795918 You don't have to do work seven days a week. 52 00:06:36,9.89695918 --> 00:06:37,509.89795918 You can take a break. 53 00:06:38,669.89695918 --> 00:06:42,979.89695918 In fact, God is telling you, you can take a break. 54 00:06:46,429.89695918 --> 00:06:50,19.89795918 There is a story I read this week about these two men. 55 00:06:51,334.89795918 --> 00:06:55,894.89795918 One man challenged another to an all day wood chopping contest. 56 00:06:56,384.89795918 --> 00:07:01,504.89695918 The challenger worked really hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. 57 00:07:02,84.89795918 --> 00:07:07,384.89795918 The other man, he had a leisurely lunch, he took several breaks during the day. 58 00:07:07,924.89795918 --> 00:07:17,184.89795918 And at the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. 59 00:07:17,989.89795919 --> 00:07:19,469.89795919 I don't get it, he said. 60 00:07:19,889.89795919 --> 00:07:25,189.89795919 Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did. 61 00:07:26,569.89795919 --> 00:07:34,569.89695919 But you didn't notice, said the winning woodsman, that I was sharpening my axe every time I sat down to rest. 62 00:07:38,999.89695919 --> 00:07:42,829.89795919 Like Ryan said, it's not just about resting. 63 00:07:43,939.89795919 --> 00:07:49,439.89795919 It's about taking that time to sharpen our axe. 64 00:07:50,404.89795919 --> 00:07:51,314.89795919 So to speak. 65 00:07:52,174.89795919 --> 00:07:54,344.89795919 What does that mean? Spiritually. 66 00:07:55,284.89795919 --> 00:08:07,34.89795919 Well it says in Isaiah chapter 26 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 67 00:08:08,294.89795919 --> 00:08:17,199.79795919 What does God want to do through this Sabbath day? The day that we take time off from work? He wants us to refocus on Jesus. 68 00:08:17,619.89795919 --> 00:08:20,969.89795919 To reorient ourselves to him. 69 00:08:22,159.89795919 --> 00:08:29,269.89795919 Why? Because when we do so, we will have what every single person on this planet is looking for. 70 00:08:30,529.89795919 --> 00:08:32,179.89795919 Perfect peace. 71 00:08:34,439.89695919 --> 00:08:48,529.89795919 You know, life gets crazy, doesn't it? Work and family and, you know, your, your neighborhood and your responsibilities at home and your responsibilities. 72 00:08:49,404.89795919 --> 00:08:57,864.89795919 Throughout the day, all of that comes crashing down on you, and then you have the unforeseen things that are happening in your life. 73 00:08:58,34.89795919 --> 00:09:08,314.89795919 And by the end of the week, I would say that a lot of us, if we were to analyze ourselves, are not at perfect peace. 74 00:09:09,464.89795919 --> 00:09:15,654.89795919 Where does perfect peace come from? It comes from getting our minds refocused and stayed on Him. 75 00:09:15,799.89795919 --> 00:09:18,959.89795919 So that we're, once again, trusting in Him. 76 00:09:20,59.89795919 --> 00:09:27,539.89795919 When do we do that? God has ordained it to be during a time of Sabbath. 77 00:09:27,819.89795919 --> 00:09:31,899.89795919 We need to refocus our eyes on Him. 78 00:09:32,789.89795919 --> 00:09:34,609.89795919 Here's our very important point of the day. 79 00:09:34,609.89795919 --> 00:09:35,179.89795919 It's this. 80 00:09:35,519.89795919 --> 00:09:51,174.89795919 We need to refocus regularly on the Word of God because God wants us to understand that the circumstances that happen to us and around us Don't determine, ultimately, what transpires in your and my life. 81 00:09:52,584.89795919 --> 00:09:53,384.89795919 He does. 82 00:09:54,794.89795919 --> 00:09:55,504.89695919 He does. 83 00:09:55,864.89795919 --> 00:10:07,34.89795919 Sometimes when all of these things are happening to us and all around us, it's easy for us to forget that and think that they have the final say in our life. 84 00:10:07,434.89795919 --> 00:10:08,194.89795919 But they don't. 85 00:10:09,554.89795919 --> 00:10:10,254.89795919 He does. 86 00:10:10,464.89795919 --> 00:10:19,554.89695919 The only way that I can remember that is if I take time out from the craziness of life to refocus on that fact. 87 00:10:20,164.89795919 --> 00:10:26,14.89695919 Here's just a few very quick pieces of advice on refocusing on the truth. 88 00:10:26,664.89695919 --> 00:10:29,644.89795919 I feel like with this first one I'm speaking to the choir here. 89 00:10:30,34.89795919 --> 00:10:33,994.89795919 But make church a regular weekly appointment. 90 00:10:34,439.89795919 --> 00:10:35,379.89795919 on your calendar. 91 00:10:36,619.89795919 --> 00:10:40,239.89795919 Some of you may be here today and maybe it's your time. 92 00:10:40,259.89795919 --> 00:10:43,349.89795919 You know, once every couple of months that you're here. 93 00:10:43,529.89795919 --> 00:10:44,369.89795919 That's great. 94 00:10:44,379.89795919 --> 00:10:45,719.89795919 That's better than nothing. 95 00:10:47,189.89795919 --> 00:10:48,739.89695919 But I'll just speak for myself. 96 00:10:48,809.89795919 --> 00:10:52,749.89795919 I need this every single week. 97 00:10:54,369.89795919 --> 00:10:57,199.89795919 Make it a regular weekly appointment. 98 00:10:58,249.89795919 --> 00:11:03,179.89695919 Secondly, make Bible reading a regular part of your day. 99 00:11:03,614.89795919 --> 00:11:06,424.89795919 For me, that time of day is first thing in the morning. 100 00:11:07,464.89795919 --> 00:11:09,224.89795919 I count backwards. 101 00:11:09,224.89795919 --> 00:11:12,564.89795919 I say, I'm going to need this much time to get ready to get to work. 102 00:11:13,54.89695919 --> 00:11:19,884.89795919 And now I'm going to take this much time ahead of that to get up and spend time with the Lord. 103 00:11:20,364.89695919 --> 00:11:22,944.89795919 I need that to refocus. 104 00:11:23,24.89795919 --> 00:11:30,134.89795919 Otherwise, it does, it takes me about three seconds to go back to the craziness of this life. 105 00:11:32,189.89795919 --> 00:11:47,429.89695919 And finally, number three, Memorize Bible passages that relate to the situations affecting your life at whatever time in your life, and repeat them out loud to yourself multiple times a day. 106 00:11:47,889.89795919 --> 00:11:52,399.89695919 We live in a time period where people are no longer memorizing. 107 00:11:53,464.89795919 --> 00:11:58,634.89795919 In days gone by, people would memorize huge passages of scripture. 108 00:11:59,104.89795919 --> 00:12:01,674.89795919 Entire books of the Bible. 109 00:12:01,824.89795919 --> 00:12:06,954.89795919 The Pharisees during Jesus time had whole books memorized. 110 00:12:07,554.89795919 --> 00:12:10,984.89795919 And we've lost that in our day today. 111 00:12:12,644.89795919 --> 00:12:27,684.89795919 But as you're reading along in the Bible or maybe at church you hear something, write that down, read it, Over and over and over again, put it to memory and then recite it over and over again. 112 00:12:27,694.89795919 --> 00:12:36,914.89795919 Why? Because it says in Romans 10, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 113 00:12:37,274.89695919 --> 00:12:43,614.89795919 Even if that hearing is out of your own mouth, faith comes by hearing it. 114 00:12:46,124.89795919 --> 00:12:50,104.89795919 Faith is once again, not a have to, it's a get to. 115 00:12:50,969.89795919 --> 00:12:59,89.89795919 It's a refocusing on the truths and the promises of God that you're not on your own in this life. 116 00:12:59,679.89795919 --> 00:13:05,569.89695919 God is there to love you, to help you, to protect you, to heal you. 117 00:13:07,179.89795919 --> 00:13:17,209.89795919 And so when you come upon a passage, recite it, memorize it over and over again. 118 00:13:19,69.89795919 --> 00:13:23,224.89795919 You see, Satan is a defeated foe. 119 00:13:25,344.89795919 --> 00:13:30,614.89795919 But until that day that Jesus Christ comes again, he's still fighting against you and me. 120 00:13:30,924.89795919 --> 00:13:34,954.89795919 And the way that he fights against us is he lies to us. 121 00:13:36,524.89795919 --> 00:13:38,814.89795919 Some of those lives are like this one up here. 122 00:13:38,964.89695919 --> 00:13:40,754.89795919 God is mad at me. 123 00:13:42,544.89795919 --> 00:13:47,4.89795919 No matter how hard you try to be perfect, you're never gonna be perfect. 124 00:13:48,69.89795919 --> 00:14:15,834.89795919 And there are times that you're gonna fail, you're gonna mess up, and after you mess up, Satan is going to try to take full advantage of that mess up to yell into your ear, God's mad at you, you can't expect anything from him now, he's not gonna answer your prayers, why would he? When that comes, you need to refocus on what the Bible says, things like this from, Romans 8. 125 00:14:16,114.89795919 --> 00:14:21,84.89795919 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus. 126 00:14:21,464.89795919 --> 00:14:29,194.89795919 Because through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit of Life set me free from the law of sin and death. 127 00:14:30,134.89695919 --> 00:14:36,14.89795919 If you believe in Jesus Christ and have been baptized, you are in Christ Jesus. 128 00:14:36,14.99795919 --> 00:14:40,4.89795919 And therefore, there is no condemnation for you. 129 00:14:40,14.89795919 --> 00:14:49,604.89795919 Why? Because 2, 000 years ago on a cross Jesus took your condemnation for you, and now there's nothing left for you. 130 00:14:51,344.89795919 --> 00:15:03,244.89695919 If you don't ever take time out of the busyness of life to refocus on that, you're going to get weighed way down with always feeling like God is mad at you. 131 00:15:04,464.89695919 --> 00:15:11,319.89795919 And if you think He's mad at you, you're not going to pray because you're going to say, What's the use? He's not going to help me anyway. 132 00:15:11,689.89795919 --> 00:15:14,459.89795919 But the truth is this, you are not condemned. 133 00:15:14,999.89795919 --> 00:15:17,719.89795919 Jesus took your condemnation for you. 134 00:15:19,649.89795919 --> 00:15:21,209.89795919 We need to refocus on that. 135 00:15:21,959.89695919 --> 00:15:22,979.89795919 Here's another lie. 136 00:15:23,959.89695919 --> 00:15:26,359.89795919 I'm on my own in this world. 137 00:15:26,509.89795919 --> 00:15:29,959.89695919 I'm on my own with the problems that I'm facing. 138 00:15:32,499.89695919 --> 00:15:35,409.89795919 Well, then you stop and refocus. 139 00:15:36,644.89795919 --> 00:15:43,394.89795919 And what do you find? You find passages like Hebrews 13 that say, Never will I leave you, God says. 140 00:15:43,744.89795919 --> 00:15:45,934.89795919 Never will I forsake you. 141 00:15:47,24.89795919 --> 00:15:48,444.89695919 I know this about our God. 142 00:15:48,454.89695919 --> 00:15:49,524.89795919 He is not a liar. 143 00:15:50,674.89795919 --> 00:15:53,524.89695919 If He says never, never means never. 144 00:15:53,524.89695919 --> 00:15:54,894.89795919 He will never leave you. 145 00:15:55,544.89795919 --> 00:16:01,854.89795919 He will never let you go on your own and forsake you in the problems that you're dealing with. 146 00:16:03,309.89795919 --> 00:16:08,869.89795919 He doesn't condemn you because Jesus took your condemnation and now he wants to help you. 147 00:16:09,49.89795919 --> 00:16:31,644.89795919 You can call out to him in Whatever situation you find yourself in Never will he leave you nor forsake you Here's another lie this disease This diagnosis that I've been given has the final say in my life Maybe some of you have gone through that. 148 00:16:31,644.89795919 --> 00:16:33,444.89795919 Maybe you're going through that right now. 149 00:16:34,854.89795919 --> 00:16:40,604.8969592 Maybe you went to the doctor and you were shocked at what you were diagnosed with. 150 00:16:41,284.8969592 --> 00:16:46,404.8989592 And maybe now you think that that diagnosis has power over your life. 151 00:16:47,744.8989592 --> 00:16:54,594.7979592 Well then, you take time out of the craziness on the outside and the craziness going on on the inside and the craziness going on on the inside. 152 00:16:54,844.8979592 --> 00:17:00,4.8979592 And you look to God's Word and what do you find? You find things like this from Psalm 103. 153 00:17:00,344.8979592 --> 00:17:11,524.8979592 Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. 154 00:17:12,864.8979592 --> 00:17:16,934.8979592 What is he saying? Lord, I want to bless you. 155 00:17:16,934.8979592 --> 00:17:20,474.8979592 Why? Because here's the benefits of being your kid. 156 00:17:21,494.8979592 --> 00:17:22,124.8979592 Two things. 157 00:17:22,744.8979592 --> 00:17:25,984.8979592 You forgive me? And you heal me. 158 00:17:28,614.8979592 --> 00:17:29,654.8979592 That's who God is. 159 00:17:31,354.8979592 --> 00:17:38,134.8969592 And when you look through that set of lenses at scripture, it's over and over and over again. 160 00:17:39,54.8969592 --> 00:17:44,44.8979592 When Jesus came, what did he do? He came to forgive and heal. 161 00:17:45,404.8979592 --> 00:17:48,154.8979592 And we find this all throughout the Bible. 162 00:17:48,324.8979592 --> 00:17:53,804.8979592 In fact, he says in Exodus 15, I am the Lord who heals you. 163 00:17:55,919.8979592 --> 00:18:00,969.8979592 So this disease, this diagnosis, it doesn't have the final say in your life. 164 00:18:01,119.8979592 --> 00:18:04,139.8979592 He has the final say in your life. 165 00:18:04,479.8979592 --> 00:18:10,159.8979592 And He loves you, forgives you, and He is our healer. 166 00:18:10,759.8969592 --> 00:18:22,759.8959592 We had a healing service last night, and there were loads of people that came forward with diagnoses, with things that they're dealing with in their bodies or in their minds. 167 00:18:24,179.8979592 --> 00:18:34,879.8979592 And we were able to pray over them and send them home with the hope that they have a God who loves them, forgives them, and who heals them. 168 00:18:38,229.8969592 --> 00:18:47,849.8979592 This is a promise that I know I have to remind myself of every day, and so it's right outside of our shower. 169 00:18:48,404.8979592 --> 00:18:52,14.8979592 So every time I get into the shower, I read that Bible passage. 170 00:18:52,184.8979592 --> 00:18:55,84.8979592 And every time I get out of the shower, I read it again. 171 00:18:55,344.8979592 --> 00:18:59,384.8979592 So at least twice every day, I'm reading this promise. 172 00:18:59,844.8969592 --> 00:19:08,624.8979592 Jesus said, Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you've received it, and it will be yours. 173 00:19:09,674.8979592 --> 00:19:13,634.8979592 You say, Well, I'm having a hard time believing that promise, Pastor. 174 00:19:14,794.8979592 --> 00:19:16,244.8969592 Well, that isn't my promise. 175 00:19:17,19.8979592 --> 00:19:19,49.8979592 That's Jesus's promise. 176 00:19:21,309.8979592 --> 00:19:32,299.8979592 He says, whatever you ask for, whatever you need in your life, ask God for it, believe that you've received it, and it will be yours. 177 00:19:32,669.8969592 --> 00:19:34,259.8979592 That's His promise. 178 00:19:34,899.8969592 --> 00:19:36,409.8979592 I don't understand it either. 179 00:19:38,209.8979592 --> 00:19:44,232.4479592 But the more you read it, the more you begin to believe it. 180 00:19:44,232.4479592 --> 00:19:44,569.7979592 That's Jesus's promise. 181 00:19:45,679.8979592 --> 00:19:51,249.8979592 The more you're around the Word of God, the more your faith is going to grow. 182 00:19:51,699.8979592 --> 00:19:58,339.8979592 The more your faith grows, the more you will see miracles happening in your life. 183 00:20:00,449.8979592 --> 00:20:04,819.8979592 This is why we need to stop and refocus on the things of God. 184 00:20:05,79.8979592 --> 00:20:14,299.8979592 If we never stop, if we never take Sabbath time in our lives, to reorient ourself to the promises of God. 185 00:20:15,619.8979592 --> 00:20:18,429.8979592 Then we're, our faith is always going to be way down here. 186 00:20:19,779.8979592 --> 00:20:28,79.8979592 But the more we're around the Word of God, the more we take time to let that sink in, the more our faith's gonna grow. 187 00:20:28,279.8969592 --> 00:20:31,249.8969592 The more our faith grows, the more we're going to believe. 188 00:20:31,259.8979592 --> 00:20:36,259.8979592 The more we believe, the more miracles we'll see in our lives. 189 00:20:38,39.8979592 --> 00:20:54,29.8969592 Do you see why Satan wants so much to keep you away from church? I cannot tell you how many times in the last 22 years of being a pastor People have said to me when i've called them when they haven't been at church for quite a while Let's say pastor. 190 00:20:54,29.8979592 --> 00:21:03,19.8979592 I don't understand it Six days out of the week everything's going well And then it always seems like on sunday morning. 191 00:21:03,19.8979592 --> 00:21:15,979.8979592 I don't sleep Well during the night on saturday night or or something happens on sunday morning that keeps me from going to church Well, what do you think that is? We have an enemy. 192 00:21:16,549.8979592 --> 00:21:24,19.8979592 He doesn't want you to take time out of your busy lives to refocus, to reorient on Christ. 193 00:21:24,209.8979592 --> 00:21:27,509.8979592 So he's going to do everything he can to keep you from here. 194 00:21:30,439.8979592 --> 00:21:31,679.8969592 I've also heard this. 195 00:21:31,929.8969592 --> 00:21:45,149.8979592 Pastor, I really want to get up in the morning and spend time, but it always seems whenever I do, I wake up in the middle of the night, then I can't go back to sleep and or maybe my alarm doesn't go off. 196 00:21:45,169.8979592 --> 00:21:52,729.8979592 Why do you think that is? Because we have an enemy that doesn't want you to reorient to Christ. 197 00:21:52,989.8979592 --> 00:21:55,509.8969592 Because when you do, your faith's gonna grow. 198 00:21:55,509.8979592 --> 00:22:04,239.8979592 When your faith grows, you're gonna see miracles in your life, and nobody's going to be able to convince you that Jesus Christ is not who he says he is. 199 00:22:06,809.8979592 --> 00:22:16,864.8979592 See? Jesus said this in Matthew 11, come to me, all you when you're weary and you're burdened. 200 00:22:17,614.8969592 --> 00:22:20,684.8979592 And what does he say? I'm going to give you rest. 201 00:22:21,254.8979592 --> 00:22:30,784.8979592 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. 202 00:22:32,884.8979592 --> 00:22:35,274.8979592 This is what this whole message is about. 203 00:22:35,664.8979592 --> 00:22:36,334.8979592 Rest. 204 00:22:37,194.8979592 --> 00:22:44,684.8979592 Not just physical rest, but reorienting yourself to the one who wants you to live in rest. 205 00:22:44,824.8979592 --> 00:22:50,24.8979592 Not just for a day, but to be restful all week long. 206 00:22:52,664.8979592 --> 00:22:57,444.8979592 And so God gives you permission to rest. 207 00:22:58,534.8979592 --> 00:23:02,394.8979592 And take that time to refocus on Jesus. 208 00:23:02,974.8979592 --> 00:23:05,794.8979592 May God grant it to each and every one of us for his sake. 209 00:23:06,404.8979592 --> 00:23:06,814.8979592 Amen. 210 00:23:09,875.8979592 --> 00:23:11,525.8979592 You've been listening to a sermon from St. 211 00:23:11,525.8979592 --> 00:23:13,605.8979592 John's Lutheran Church in Buffalo, Minnesota. 212 00:23:13,925.8979592 --> 00:23:15,725.8979592 If you would like more information about St. 213 00:23:15,725.8979592 --> 00:23:21,385.8979592 John's and any of our ministries to our community and beyond, you can go to our website, www. 214 00:23:21,475.8979592 --> 00:23:21,715.8979592 stjohnsbuffalo. 215 00:23:22,955.8969592 --> 00:23:23,285.8969592 org. 216 00:23:23,665.8969592 --> 00:23:24,955.8984592 Thank you and God bless you.
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