Fresh Air 3 Catch Your Breath

14 As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led your people, Lord, and gained a magnificent reputation.”

But most of us don’t live this way. We hurry from one thing to another with no down time or margin built in to celebrate what you did, evaluate what you did and to prepare for the next thing. It’s like we put one file folder down and just pick up another.

That will mess you up after a while.

Here is our theme verse

Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

God wants us to choose life. Not just life like we have been experiencing, but a full, abundant life.

Step 1 - Fall in Love with Jesus

Step 2 - Choose a Christlike attitude

Handwriting on the Wall

Today we will deal with one of the reasons why we have no breath… no wind in our sails.

We are out of breath because we are so busy.

The hurried pace is killing us.

Family Life - home late because of traffic so we grab a slice of cold pizza or Popeyes

We try to help our kids with homework… Algebra … last learned in 73

The only intimate touch you get from your wife is the poke in the ribs to stop snoring.

You know you are too busy when...

You are too busy to finish reading the book you are reading … on stress

You tell your kids it’s time to eat and they get in the car.

Your car has more clothes in it than your closet.

If you are like the average American, in your life time you will...

Eat out 14,411 times (including 1811 trips to McDonalds)

spend 13 years & 4 months watching TV

Spend 1 year looking for mis-placed items… keys, phones

Attend 35 weddings

Drive 627,000 miles.

No one on their death bed wishes they had done one more of these.

Some one once said, my candle burns at both ends, it will not last the night, but oh my friends and Oh my foes it give a pretty light.

Truth - If you are burning your candle at both ends, you’re not a bright as you thought you were.

Most of you have probably heard the expression, the handwriting is on the wall.

That comes from a story in the Bible… it relates to our topic today.

King Belshazzar - hand appeared and wrote something - Daniel interpreted it.

Daniel 5:25 NLT

25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.

Daniel 5:26–27 NLT

26 This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. 27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.

Not what the king wanted to hear. He is saying you don’t balance out… You are out of order… out of balance.

How about you? Is the handwriting on the wall?

If God were to weigh your life, would it be found not measuring up?

What would your spouse say? kids say?

Here’s what I am asking you to do. Let God speak to you. Allow him to work in you.

Listen, the busyness of life, the hurried and frantic pace we run from here to there affects your life. You get tired...

When I am tired, the risk of sinful choices increases.

When I am tired, my resistance is lowered. The enemy usually doesn’t come at you when you are strong in the Lord… He waits until you are tired. He came at Jesus when he was tired… 40 days…

Jesus said bad choices would be a sign of the end times…

Luke 21:34 NIV84

34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.

dissipation - sucking of life out of you.

The culprit is our pace of life.

When you are tired the risk of making bad decisions that cause you to sin go up.

When I am tired, my emotions are inconsistent.

We have all been here. We get in a hurry and our temper speeds up.

We yell at cars on the highway… have you ever noticed that when you are in a hurry everyone in front you is not.

Try the opposite… against everything you believe… but try

Job 9:25 NIV84

25 “My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.

Any time you are in a fast pace - less joy. slow pace - more joy.

When was the last time you experienced joy?

Sometimes we are running so fast we fail to stop and enjoy what we accomplished.

When I am tired, I am less productive.

Steven Covey - Sharpen the Saw...

We think that the more we do, the more we accomplish… the harder we work the more we achieve - not true.

You will get more done if you sharpen the saw… take care of yourself. Physically, Mentally, Socially, Spritually

Sometimes you have to stop and sharpen the saw. Studies show you are more productive if you take a nap...

Proverbs 21:5 The Message

5 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

Proverbs 19:2 GW

2 A person without knowledge is no good. A person in a hurry makes mistakes.

If you find yourself making mistakes… slow down

When I am tired, I end up empty inside.

You get to the end of the day, and it’s empty.

This is critical. You start just going through the motions.

But you feel empty in the inside… maybe like David.

Psalm 39:6 NLT

6 We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

Burn out - you don’s get burn out by being busy. You burn out by doing things that don’t matter… life taking. You lose significance and purpose.

Activity without purpose = burnout

ILL - man helping people park… said this is the one thing that put’s life back in me.

The best thing beside Jesus we have to offer is to help you find your purpose and place to serve.

Many people are doing things they thought were constructive...

When I am tired, I can’t hear God.

This is the most critical. You get so busy you cannot hear God and you miss what he has to offer in your life. Listen to me. God is speaking, but you are so busy you can’t hear him.

Psalm 46:10 NIV84

10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We just are not still long enough to listen to the Lord.

When is the last time you did this? when you stopped long enough to hear from God.

If you find yourself Stressed

Stressed

Dessert

Catch Your Breath

So what’s the solution? stressed - turn that around - desserts

Here is the answer…/

Mark 6:31 GNB

31 There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn’t even have time to eat. So he said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest for a while.”

Jesus - come with me… to a quiet place… get some rest. Jesus brings us to rest.

Rest is not inactivity, it’s the state of your soul when it’s in balance and in order.

Here are three things that will help you.

1. Stop the constant push for more.

We get caught up believing the lie that more is better. We suffer in a syndrome called “the desire to acquire.”

It’s a vicious cycle.

We buy things we don’t need - with money we don’t have...

Try to impress people we don’t even know...

We become over extended in our families.

Now to make ends meet, everyone has to work.

Busy all the time trying to make ends meet.

We become so busy our relationships deteriorate.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 GNB

6 Perhaps so, but it is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than to be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.

It’s just better. Peace of mind is better.

ILL - when I was young, we would go play in the dirt. (brown stuff on the ground) and in the woods. We would visit… eat watermelon… some of you need to go outside and get dirty

I know we need more… my kids are playing 4 sports… they can do 5

We have to remember, the greatest thing in live is not things...

When I have been at someone’s death bed, I have never heard anyone in their final breath say, I wish I had made more money. Most say something like, I wish I had spent more time with my family or doing more for Lord.

So How do we slow down?

It’s more than clearing your schedules… that’s a bandaid.

We always seem to find replacement activities pretty fast.

We have to deal with the issue that causes us to be driven.

Answer the Question… Why do we take on more that we really need to take on in life?

More business? More clients? More whatever?

Why do we do that even when it causes us harm? emotionally, spiritually, physically, socially?

You need to ask yourself the question.

Will having more make me happier?

Will doing more make me happier?

Will having more activities make me happier?

The answer is no! We have to deal with our discontent.

Proverbs 14:30 NIV

30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

You cannot be relaxed and envious at the same time. You have to stop the constant push for more.

Learn to say NO… unless it’s a church… right?

Proverbs 20:25 NIV84

25 It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows.

We have to learn to say NO

Lessons: It’s always easier to get in that it is to get out

It’s always easier to get into a relationship than it is to get out.

It’s always easier to get into trouble than it is to get out.

It’s always easier to gain weight than lose it...

It’s always easier to ...

It’s easier to fill up your schedule than it is to clear it. So, we all have to decide what NOT to do.

We should not only have a to do list, but a not to do list. Or a What matters most list.

2. Keep the Sabbath Day holy.

When God put commands in the bible, they are for you… to provide something good for you and to protect you from something bad. 10 Commandments are the famous ones… the big ones...

Sabbath doesn’t mean … you go to church… it’s a day… a day dedicated to the Lord and rest.

Exodus 20:9–10 GNB

9 You have six days in which to do your work, 10 but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work—neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country.

Right there with don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery is keep the Sabbath holy and dedicated to Him. SERIOUS!

Most of us say we would never murder, steal, have an affair… but when was the last time you rested. god says I want you to rest every 6 days.... not rest 6 days and work 1.

Sabbath is not limited to one day… it’s about taking one day to rest and focus on Jesus for the day. It doesn’t have to be Saturday (OT Sabbath) or even Sunday (NT) Sunday is not a Sabbath for me… for sure.

Do you have a day that you STOP?

Sabbath is a day to rest, refocus, recharge… worship.

Proverbs 10:27 The Living Bible

27 Reverence for God adds hours to each day; so how can the wicked expect a long, good life?

Worship changes your perspective…

You may say, I can’t rest because the devil doesn’t rest. When did the devil become your model. God took time to rest… Jesus took time to rest… even though his time on earth was limited, he still rested.

3. Get close to Jesus.

Get close and Stay close to Jesus because here is what he will do for you...

Jesus is the shepherd of our soul.

Psalm 23:1–3 NIV

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Here is Jesus’ invitation to us

Matthew 11:28–30 NLT

28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Take my yoke… find the right purpose… right activities.

He is gentle and humble of heart…

When you spend time with the Lord it puts things into perspective.

Some of you are tired and weary… maybe even burned out on life.

Physically - tired muscles… tired bodies.

Emotionally - deeper… emotionally tired… dry

Spiritually - dry spirit… god feels far away.

You may need a vacation… some of you went YES!!! It helps, but it wont in itself help the last two. You need to renew your relationship with God.

Step #3

Isaiah 63:14 NIV84

14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.

Here is the step....

Step #3 Slow Down

Altar time

Jesus - come to me

You will never find rest or satisfaction in anything else.

HS what are you saying to me?

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