Updated: 5/13/2026
Sermon Prep
October 2025 was a much better month for my family, but still a struggle for the church at large. Like last year, we flew out my Mom from Texas to Colorado to see us for a small trip. This time it was to celebrate our daughter’s first birthday, which was really special.
Given my Dad and older brother flew out for different reasons in September, we felt bad that my mom missed out on seeing us here in Colorado. I love being able to bless her and do that, so I think longterm it might become an annual tradition for us to do that in the Fall for her.
As for our church, things were still difficult. After Heidi’s funeral, a couple from our church had an ER visit and surgery for their son, which really put them under financially. Also the father whose wife and kids ran away from him in September turned himself into a mental health facility. This was due to an intervention made by one of our pastors who spotted that he was debating suicide after a difficult conversation and brought him to the facility for help.
All this to say, the hard times continued and other members in our church wrestled with their own workloads in life as well. The mood was still heavy amongst us. With all of this stress, we needed rest.
That’s where this sermon came in where at the last minute once again this year I learned I was teaching Friday around 1pm before the Sunday I taught this message. It was another break in-between sermon series and the teaching schedule got scrambled, hence the sermon prep situation. Given everything going on, I was encouraged by one of our pastors to teach on something related to rest and trust.
That nudge reminded me of Matthew 11:28-29, which is famous for being the only text in the Bible where God describes his own heart. I also was reminded of J. P. Moreland’s underrated book, Finding Quiet, which inspired the title of this message for me. As I prayed all throughout Friday until late that night, I struggled to find a central theme that also properly exegeted that passage in Matthew.
The temptation for teachers is to pick an idea, then find a passage that may support it. Even worse, some teachers will go so far as to bend the Bible to fit said preconceived idea. When it comes to topical teachings, I’m aware of that easy temptation and try my best to veer away from texts I’m not familiar with because of that very trap.
Since I’ve taught this passage before in previous sermons, along with having read Gentle and Lowly by Dane C. Ortland, I was quite familiar with this for a teaching that needed to be ready quickly. It was a quick turnaround, but I did get the sermon done on time. Below are the notes from that teaching and here is the YouTube recording.
Sermon Notes
Opening Prayer
- Father God, lead us this morning as we search the scriptures. Thank you for your Son whose sacrifice is our salvation. Would you speak through me, in spite of me, and beyond me. May you, Holy Spirit, dwell within us as you teach us today. Amen.
Intro
- Explain how difficult the last month has been for Reunion Church at large.
Main Point
- In Christ, we can find rest when we’re tired and strength when we’re ready to toil again.
Finding Rest | Matthew 11:28-12:13 (NRSVue)
“[28] “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] 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. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [1] At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. [2] When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” [3] He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? [4] How he entered the house of God, and they ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests? [5] Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and yet are guiltless? [6] I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. [7] But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. [8] For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” [9] He left that place and entered their synagogue; [10] a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath?” so that they might accuse him. [11] He said to them, “Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? [12] How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” [13] Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.”
- The Sabbath was the Jewish day of rest from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.
- Jesus identifies Sirach 24:19-22, which describes Wisdom as himself (Matthew 11:28).
- Augustine of Hippo, an African Church Father, agrees saying that “the Wisdom by which all things were made cannot itself have been made. It is eternal, as the Father is eternal; and this Wisdom is none other than the Son of God.” – Augustine of Hippo, On the Trinity, 7.2–3, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 3, ed. Philip Schaff (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1887), 122.
- The very center or essence of God is that he is gentle and lowly (Matthew 11:29).
- God is open and available to all who need rest from the worries of this world.
- A yoke was a wooden crosspiece for cattle to plow soil or carry goods.
- God wants to carry your cares and give you rest (1 Peter 5:6-7).
- A yoke was a wooden crosspiece for cattle to plow soil or carry goods.
- God is open and available to all who need rest from the worries of this world.
- Bread of the Presence was for priests, but communion is for Christians (Matthew 12:4).
- “Each Sabbath, 12 fresh loaves of bread were to be set on a table in the Holy Place (Ex 25:30; Lev 24:5-9). The old loaves were eaten by the priests.” – NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Grand Rapids; Zondervan, 2020), 1662, note on Matthew 12:4.
- Quoting Hosea 6:6, Jesus proves he and his disciples are more obedient (Matthew 12:7).
- Claiming to have lordship over Law and Sabbath, Jesus implies he’s God (Matthew 12:8).
- Jesus’ argument shows that humans are beyond just being animals (Matthew 12:12).
Why It Matters
- It’s ok to take a break and rest while on the spiritual journey. Retreat is necessary.
- “Retreat in the context of the spiritual life is an extended time apart for the purpose of being with God and giving God our full and undivided attention” – Ruth Haley Barton, Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), 4
“[1] Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. [2] Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” [3] Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there. [4] But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” [5] Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” [6] He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. [7] The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” [8] He got up and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.” – 1 Kings 19:1-8 (NRSVue)
- Sometimes the best thing for you to do is to eat, sleep, and trust God (1 Kings 19:5-8).
- The bread and water is a foreshadow of Christian communion (1 Kings 19:6).
- Our Sabbath rest is rooted in the reality of God’s grace and the work that he has done.
Power Text
- But to rest and find strength in Christ when we Sabbath isn’t always solo, but communal.
“[11] Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. [12] But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; [13] esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. [14] And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14 (NRSVue)
- Just as the spiritual journey isn’t a path we walk alone, we don’t always retreat alone.
Outro
- Today some of us are feeling defeated and exhausted by the weight of our own world.
- For those of you that are in a low in life, find rest and strength in Jesus Christ.
- For those of you that are at a highpoint, accompany and build up the lowly.
- It’s okay to accept God’s invitation to retreat and renew our souls in his strength.
- Just don’t allow a retreat to mold and sour into a spiritual resignation.
- We may be temporarily tired, but we will toil and work again.
- Just don’t allow a retreat to mold and sour into a spiritual resignation.
“[36] When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. [37] Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; [38] therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”” – Matthew 9:36-38 (NRSVue)
Final Thoughts
In spite of the circumstances that led to this message being produced in such a short window of time, the feedback was great. It seemed to resonate with a few people and was exactly what our church needed. I love how even in the mad dash of a situation like this one God can still use it for his means and ends.
We had our leader meeting afterwards and I heard even more good reception there too, which was nice. Lesson learned: when in doubt on how something might get done, trust God. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
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