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Summer is just about over, school is right around the corner: tomorrow for Bossier City and next Monday for Shreveport. Summer is a time of rest and relaxation. It is a time of vacation. Frolicking in the sun, swimming, playing outside, … just good ole summer fun. Summer is a time of rest. … Does this sound familiar to you, or has your summer been anything but restful? Do we live in a world today where we sit in our own little dream world out on the front porch, sipping a glass of ice-cold lemonade and waving at the neighbors as they stroll by? It seems that we live in a world where rest doesn’t come easy. Many of us younger people are working a buy life with the family, and looking for our rest to come when the kids move away, or that great day when we retire. From my visitations, I hear that retirement is not nearly as restful as they would like it to be, or that they are busier after retirement than before.

We often look forward to going on a vacation, but we can’t wait to get back to get on a schedule again. We return from a vacation looking for rest. We live in a hectic world. The sermon text for today is based on the Gospel lesson. The twelve disciples have just returned from their first mission of preaching and healing. Scripture tells us:

^{30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had
done and taught.}^{It is interesting to note that the apostles were held accountable to
their actions. They reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. This is a
good reminder to all that we are accountable for our actions, especially when
the Gospel is concerned. While all are held accountable, pastors need to
especially aware that they do not have free reign to do whatever they want, but
will be held accountable just like the Apostles.
Scripture continues:
^{31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not
even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me
by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."}
Again, we see large crowds following Jesus and His disciples. The disciples
were tired and hungry. They had been working hard, carrying the Gospel to the
lost. Many of these lost had been found, and were now following the disciples.
They also wanted to see Jesus. Those of us here today that have faith, we know
Jesus. But, … what would you do if Jesus came to town or was in the area. I
think we all would want to see Jesus. We would get in our cars and drive to
wherever Jesus is, just to get a glimpse of Him. I can’t blame the people for
wanting to see him. Believers wanted to see Jesus. Non-believers had heard of
Him and His miracles and they wanted to see Jesus. They were spiritually hungry.

Notice what Jesus offers His Apostles. He offers them "REST". They had worked
hard and they needed rest. Jesus cares about our physical needs. He also cares
for our mental needs. A person needs a break to recover from a hard week at
work. This is so important that the Lord made provisions for it. After all, when
he created the earth and all the animals, he also created the Sabbath as a day
of rest. The Sabbath was made for man, not man was made for the Sabbath. It is
His gift to us that we should rest. He even incorporated rest into the Law when
He gave Moses the 10 Commandments. The Third Commandment is "Remember the
Sabbath Day and keep it Holy." Jesus cares about us and provides us a day of
rest.
We also need a mental break from a week at work. Our body needs to recharge,
but just important, our mind needs to be recharged. Just like tired muscles need
a chance to recover, our minds need a mental break.
There is another reason why we rest. Jesus wanted his disciples to rest
because He was going to send them out again to do the Lord’s work. They needed
rest to be refreshed. No one can work all the time without getting burned out.
God gave us the Sabbath to rest. He instructs His disciples to rest. Jesus wants
us to rest too, so that we can go out and continue to work some more.
Scripture states:
^{32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.}
Jesus separates the Apostles from their work to be by themselves. Even today,
we need time to be by ourselves in a solitary place. My family went to Tyler
State park to get away from the world. It was a solitary place. Sure, there were
lots of people around, but it was a different setting. A very relaxed setting
that took my mind off the work at hand and did the same for my family. I may not
have been alone, but neither were the disciples. It was good for them to get
away and it is good for me to get away… It is good for you also to seek rest in
a solitary place. That solitary place may be your home, or somewhere else.

Scripture continues:
^{33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from
all the towns and got there ahead of them.}
Jesus and His disciples wanted rest, but the others wanted to see Jesus and
they ran ahead of them. Again as stated earlier, I can’t blame them. I too would
be running along the shore to get a closer glimpse of Jesus, a better spot to
hear Him, or to even tough the hem of His garment, or to see another miracle.
Scripture continues:
^{34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many
things.}
We have talked about physical rest and mental rest. Now, lets focus on
another rest. Jesus saw the crowd and he had compassion on them. The crowd was
like sheep without a shepherd. They wanted a shepherd and were anxious. This
scene reminds me of a time at my families ranch in Columbus, TX. We had a stock
tank filled with large mouth bass, catfish, and brim. I loved to fish and
decided to go fishing. I had two calico kittens with me. These kittens were
really attached to me because we had taken them away from their mother at too
early of an age. They bonded to me as if I were their mother. I went out into
the lake in a small Johnboat and fished from out in the middle of the lake. I
watched the kittens run around the bank trying to keep up with me. They wanted
to be with me. I watched the kittens jump into the water and then get out, as if
playing. I lost attention to the kittens as I continued to fish. It wasn’t long
before I heard some thumping up against the boat. I turned around; only to see
that these kittens had swam out into the middle of the stock tank to be with me.
I pulled them into the boat as if they were a prize catch. Cats don’t usually
like water, but these kittens swam out to me because they wanted to be with me.
I can picture the crowds much like these kittens, wanting to be with Jesus and
His disciples.
Jesus had compassion on them and He taught them many things. We know from the
very nature of Christ that He was teaching them Salvation through God’s Word.
Jesus was teaching them about a third kind of REST. A rest that only comes
through faith in Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall have
everlasting life. You have hear and received this peace today in this worship
service. May you truly Rest In Peace!
Amen.}