Brother Gary Kelly Sunday Evening 3/3/13

Brother Gary Kelly Sunday Evening 3/3/13

There will be definite times that, as Jesus taught His disciples, we will need to come apart and rest.

Mar 6:29  And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Mar 6:30  And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.

Mar 6:31  And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mar 6:32  And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

I didn’t read the account of John the Baptist and what happened to him.  It is worthy of being read and is a lengthy reading.  His disciples were among those that Jesus spoke to when He said, “Come apart and rest.”  Their beloved leader had been beheaded by a wicked woman. 

You and I can be relatively confident that they had prayed and had hoped that he would be delivered out of prison to be back with them.  The account of this happening written by Josephus is just about beyond what you can read.

These disciples naturally were sad and gave him a respectable burial.  That is to be appreciated.  The disciples and apostles were gathered to Jesus. 

The apostles had been sent out and then came back and told Jesus all things.  We don’t know about the happenings, their journeying, how they were accepted or whether they were rejected.  They wanted to tell Jesus all about it.

You can tell Jesus all about things when you cannot tell many others.  They told Jesus what they had done and what they had taught.  Then it was Jesus’ turn.  He knew everything already.  He knew people, their bodies, and their strength; He knew everything about it all.  He taught them to come apart and rest a while.  He told them to come apart to a desert place.

It is vital for our spiritual man to be alone with God.  Among the men in church of God history that I feel so bad about is DO Teasley.  He was a man that was mightily gifted.  We know a little bit about Him from our song book.  I am convinced there is more about him that we don’t know than what we do know.  He lost out with God and his testimony in the end is not to be appreciated.

From what I read, DO Teasley was a real ‘go getter’ for God.  That is to be appreciated.  It isn’t just the fact of the desire to do things for God.  We must take care of ourselves.  There is an enemy that was strong against the church in that day and is strong against the church today.

Jesus said, “Come apart with me.” They got into a ship and went along the shore to a desert place and the plan was to be alone with God.

We know the value of being alone with God on a personal level.  It is important that we know how to be alone with God.  There will never be a lack of work or a lack of needs.  There were a lot of physical and spiritual needs to be met in that day, yet Jesus said to come apart and rest.

Jesus knows our need to withdraw from all crowds.  Most of the younger ones will be refreshed after one night of rest.  You will reach the place and age where when you become exhausted it will take more than that to meet your needs.

The crowd always has lots of needs.  When you walk into a crowd, there is a sea of needs.  The crowd also produces a lot of work.  One thing about Jesus and the teachings of the word of God, we are taught to be hospitable, to serve, and to give.  This is good, but there is also the other side.  To the servers and laborers there comes a time when they must get alone with God and be renewed. 

The crowd produces a lot of coming and going.  It isn’t bad, but is a part of the crowd.  Most people that come to Montana come with probably dual desires: they look forward to worshipping but also want to hike, to see Glacier, the buffalo range, go horseback riding, and if possible have a float trip on the river.

When you have company there is a lot of comings and goings.  This results in much work to be done.  Jesus takes tender care for His own.

Sometimes we fail to remember that Jesus takes tender care for His own.  We are not a machine that just needs the spark plugs changed, an oil job, and a grease job.  We are an individual that is fearfully and wonderfully made.

He recognized that the disciples of John were grief stricken.  Grief comes to us all.  Sometimes our grief is that grief of what could have been. 

There is something in every one of us that God made us so that we want to have a natural brother or sister.  If you say that your brother doesn’t mean anything to you then you have hardened yourself. 

Sometimes we go to a funeral and see children where their grief is not so much the loss but, “I am so disappointed that mom and I didn’t have a relationship.”  Or, “I’m so disappointed that I am not heartbroken that dad is dead.” 

Unfortunately some people choose to not be tender toward their family and then there is grief toward what could have been.

With John’s disciples that was not the case.  He had brought them to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  He had said, “Behold the lamb that takes the sin of the world.” 

There would not be one in this audience that would not have someone in their life that really cared for your soul.  You will always feel tender toward that individual.  The events of our time of fellowship may have caused you to not have that sweet fellowship any more but that doesn’t take away from the reality that they helped you.

The disciples of John were terrified.  There are things that have happened in our region that are hard to believe.  People in Paradise Montana not only lock their door in the night but also during the day because of things that have happened.  A lot of us can remember when the only way to lock our door was with the butcher knife.  If Dad was there, then we just went to bed; there was no reason to lock the door.

Because of John’s stand a wicked woman had him beheaded.  Some of his disciples may have wondered if she would find out about them.  They were exhausted after all that had gone on.  Jesus said to them, “Come apart and rest a while.” 

He said, “I will be your refuge.” 

Isa 32:2  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Isa 32:3  And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

Isa 32:4  The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

There is a refuge.  God is a refuge, a present help in every time of need.

The apostles had been out working for God.  We all know the thrill of working for God.  There is just something that is granted to us while working for God that is a real thrill. 

They had come back and were tired.  They had journeyed, they had labored, they had travailed, they had victories, and you and I know that they also had some heartache.  Some they had sought had rejected the message.

They came back and were exhausted and I’m confident they were also affected by John’s death.  Jesus said, “Come apart and rest a while.”

Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

We appreciate the comfort of the saints but isn’t it wonderful the comfort of God? 

Isa 40:28  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Isa 40:29  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

When you are exhausted, you can go to Him that doesn’t get tired but understands your exhaustion.  When you have exhausted your strength and resources and are so tired, He says, “Come apart and rest a while.”

He gives power to the faint.  It is vital that you recognize it when you are tired and exhausted. 

Did DO Teasley try to be a superman and go past the strength that he had and then find himself exhausted?  Then instead of seeking after God did he allow the enemy to take advantage of him?  There is no excuse but let us take the lesson.

In America we must prioritize.  This is what is important: what God would have be important.  There are seasons for newlyweds as to what is important and there are seasons for families as to what is important, then we go on to other seasons. 

When we are exhausted it is important to know how to take care of it so that we don’t go on exhausted but get rest.

He gives power to the faint.

I went through that season where I hoped I could be like a machine that could just go and go.  Part of our human frailty is that we will get tired.  When we are tired then we need to have courage and say, “I need to come apart and rest.” 

The needs will still be there and God has a plan.  Sometimes God wants us to cast all of our cares and all of the needs of others over onto Him and say, “I need to rest a while.”

To them that have no might He increases strength.

That is a promise.  We need to say, “I need to get alone with God and rest a while.” 

Isa 40:30  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

We will get tired. 

Knowing what we know, it is important that we recognize that children need rest.  It is sad when parents, pastor, grandmas, and grandpas don’t recognize that though children are young, they need time to be renewed and restored.  Even the youth shall faint.

There is not one child or young person in this congregation that we don’t want their life to be a beautiful temple for God.  Teaching, rest, and renewal are all vital for that to happen. 

May God help us as a church to know how to pray and to know how to love.  May God help us: The church is the mother and the Bible speaks of mothers in Israel.  May God help us to help the youth, the young men and young ladies, to come apart and rest a while, to be renewed and restored.

Isa 40:31  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Among the fruits of the spirit is patience.  Among the things that is vital that each of us knows how to have and increase in is this fruit of the Spirit.  We need to have patience and just wait on God. 

Our strength will be renewed.  It is a promise.  Our strength will be renewed.  This is a marvelous scripture.

They shall mount up with wings as eagles. 

There are a lot of truths that are applicable from the life of the eagle to your and my life.  There is a design to the eagles that in the storm they mount with their wings until they get above the storm and then they ride the storm.  The storm will come to all of us and there are a lot of different kinds of storms.  Some will beat you against the rocks with waves of the sea.

The eagle can pick a destination fifty miles off and head straight for that destination.  We need a vision far off.  We must get above the storm and sometimes we must come apart to do that.  Come apart and rest.  Get above the storm and have some long range goals. 

We need long range goals and short range goals: I want to get a Bible to give to someone and have some markers that say to turn to these scriptures if you are a young man or to these scriptures if you are a young lady.

The other day I gave a Bible to a young man and showed him some scriptures.  It thrilled my soul and made me feel like I was about 39.  I asked him if he had a Bible and he said that he did not.  When I asked him if he would read it if I gave it to him, he said yes.

They shall run. 

Sister Sue was trying to teach me how to run.  Run a minute and then slow up a while.  I didn’t really get it all done, but spiritually we need to learn how to run and learn that before we get exhausted and weary to rest a while.

They shall run and not be weary.

The mind and the body can only stretch for a season and then they need to relax.  In the natural, you can only stretch and have someone pulling on you for so long until something happens.  We’ve read accounts of children being abused and someone grabbing their arm and pulling it out of socket. 

The same spiritually, you can only stretch for so long, if you stretch too long, it will build up and bring destruction to your soul, your mind, and your body.

Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Tonight, maybe tomorrow, my mind will not be stretched so far.  We have ice-cream and blackberry cobbler on the counter at home.  That is as far as my mind can go tonight. 

I have learned that I can only stretch my mind so far.  I can only go over the same thing so many times.  You say, “I cannot quit going over it and shut my mind off because of this thing.”  You can wear yourself out all through the night and the day going over it one more time.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee because He trusts in thee.

Whatever you are concerned about there is a place to take it.  Take your burden to the Lord and He will carry it.  I practice leaving the burden there by the fire as I’m praying and as I go upstairs, I leave it there with Him. 

The only way I can keep my mind on God and on the good things of God is to pray earnestly and diligently and place my burden on the Lord.  You will not master this in five minutes.  You will not master this tomorrow and say, “I’m going to leave this burden at the bottom of the stairs.”  You may have to go back a few times.

We have to trust in God and have our mind in perfect peace. 

How long shall I rest?  How long shall I spend being restored?  How long shall I be renewed?  Rest a while, rest until your mind is renewed.  

It is impossible to make a good decision when you are mentally exhausted.  It is when you are mentally exhausted that all the pressure is put on you, “I have to do this now.”

Rest until your mind is renewed.  Rest until the inward man is renewed.  Rest until the outward man is renewed. 

When you are in a state of exhaustion you cannot make a good decision.  When you have a decision to make and your emotions are exhausted, when you are like the song, “sometimes I’m up and sometimes I’m down”, stop.  You need to find a place to rest.  Get alone with God. 

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

There is something wonderful about allowing God to refresh us until we feel spiritually renewed. 

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

When you are exhausted, when I am exhausted, it is difficult to be full of mercies.  He said to rest until you have added bowels of mercy, kindness.  Rest until you are kind.  Rest until you are humble in your mind. 

When you are exhausted you will be disgusted about things.  That is one of the signs that you are exhausted.  This bothers me, that bothers me, I’m frustrated over that...  You need to rest.  You need to come apart and rest a while. 

You bring yourself much spiritual victory by learning how to come apart and rest.

Humbleness of mind and meekness: it is wonderful to be refreshed by the river, by feeling God come down and you are renewed.

Longsuffering:  God spoke to me this last week and said, “Part of being consecrated to God is being long suffering.”  How we need to be refreshed to be long suffering.

Col 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Forbearing one another.  Those things that would aggravate you so badly about me…, get some rest.  It won’t bother you then that I wore this tie this morning and am wearing it now.

Col 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Put on charity which is the bond of perfectness.  When you are exhausted we need to come apart and add charity so that we can love.

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Thank God for peace with the past, with the present, and with the future.

Col 3:16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Let the word of Christ dwell in your heart richly.

The danger of exhaustion and continued exhaustion is failing of the grace of God.

Heb 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

No one is beating you up tonight because you are exhausted.  The teaching is that the enemy of your soul will try to get a root of bitterness to spring up and it will affect others.