Hi Kids,
If you are tired, do you go to the mall on the weekend, or to a fair, or to the children’s zoo? Why not? There are so many things to see and people all over. If you want to have an important talk with someone, do you go to a busy store, or the fair? Why not? It is difficult to hear one another because there are lots of people talking plus other sounds.So, if you want to rest and have an important talk with someone, where do you go? We go to a place where there are no people or things that will distract us from keeping our mind on one thing and to listen to each other.Such a place often is called a “retreat.” You say, “retreat.”
[Show the women’s retreat pamphlet.] This pamphlet is inviting women to a retreat this fall. There will be time to rest from doing what their regular jobs are. There will be time to talk. But most of all, there will be several Bible studies which the group will attend to help their faith grow and to learn more of what God teaches us. When we hear about Jesus as our Savior our soul gets to rest. What work did Jesus do for all people when he lived on earth so that we get to rest? He did everything God requires so we can go to heaven. When we study the Bible and learn this about Jesus, our soul can rest because we are forgiven from our sins and get to use Jesus obedience as our sinlessness. That is why Bible study is like a retreat with Jesus.
Dear Redeemed who through faith wear Jesus’ righteousness as your holiness to be accepted by God, whose sins have been paid for by Jesus’ suffering sacrifice so God has declared you innocent, who will triumph over the grave and live in heaven because Jesus has risen from the dead and ascended to heaven to prepare a place for you,
When Jesus had been rejected by his home town, he left Nazareth and made his base for ministry the city of Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He had sent out his disciples in groups of two to tell their fellow Jews about him. Because he sent them out, Mark calls the disciples “apostles,” a term we usually wait to give them after Easter when Jesus sent them into the whole world with the completed message that included his crucifixion and resurrection. Their current message was “repent and believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.” How much they understood about his future on Good Friday and Easter morning, left much still to be learned.
When they came back to Capernaum, it was important for them to be able to discuss with Jesus what happened on their trip and rest. Debriefing is a valuable tool for improvement. You get to hear the techniques others used with the results explained. You get to learn from the experiences of others. It is a way to unwind. But there were so many people around Jesus that it was impossible to discuss these subjects. They had not even had the time to eat. Imagine trying to talk in the middle of a crowd at a busy mall. Then add the shocking news that John the Baptist had been beheaded, an event which most certainly had an impact on what they thought of their future as disciples. So Jesus was going to take them to a retreat. JESUS ALWAYS IS FULLY AWARE OF PEOPLE’S NEEDS. In Capernaum he saw that (1.) The disciples needed physical rest.
The disciples were tired from their first missionary tour: the travel, the stress from witnessing, especially the times they were treated as unwanted visitors. The atmosphere as they gave their mission reports was excitement and relief from now being in friendly and fully supportive company. They reported all that they had done. The disciples had driven out demons from possessed and healed diseases. These special abilities were given as credentials that they were sent by God who overcomes the results of sin and overpowers the Devil. They also reported all that they had taught.
The disciples had taught the SAME MESSAGE AS TODAY: law and gospel, that God is the one who defines what is right and what is sin and punishes all sin –the law; that Jesus is the Chosen One whom God sent to substitute himself and his works to live the perfection God requires for us to enter heaven and suffer all the punishment from God we deserve to avoid hell—the gospel. The message still is “repent and believe this about Jesus Christ for eternal life.”
The significance that they reported “all” to Jesus is that they didn’t try to hide anything. They were open to learning even from weaknesses, oversights, rookie mistakes. There was sadness for sure when their report included “shaking the dust off their sandals” in some instances because their message was rejected. There was nothing they were not willing to have evaluated with discussion for the purpose of improving on expressing God’s message and handle people’s reaction.
It is good to ask ourselves, “Am I this thorough when I talk to Jesus?” What do I include in my prayers as I explain my day’s activities and choices? I don’t like to talk about my faults. I don’t want anyone to know them. It makes me look inadequate, weak, undeserving of rewards. But, if I try to hide my weaknesses, especially from God (which you and I know is impossible), then I never will get beyond them. Repent means that I come to God with my weaknesses and failures and plead for his mercy and forgiveness that he promises through faith in Jesus. I surrender all thoughts and efforts to earn his love and reward by what I try to do. I rely on his undeserved love for all blessing. When I retreat to God’s gospel, there I receive his grace.
Jesus commands the apostles to come with him for a getaway rest. Why? Large crowds wanted to hear Jesus and see him do a miracle. Where did Jesus take them? Not to Cedar Point, Disney world, of a county fair. He took them away from the city to a supposedly empty, grassy, hillside across the Sea of Galilee. He took them to a retreat How? Was it a relaxing boat ride like a cruise? Did the boat have a sail, or did the disciples have to row? How does the apostles’ short “vacation” compare to yours? Ours so often is go…see…do so that when get back home exhausted. Jesus planned for his disciples to get away for rest and review and spiritual rejuvenation. But some of the crowd saw them leave and figured where they were going.The ran along the shore and got to the retreat before Jesus’ boat arrived.
Upon his leaving the boat Jesus saw the people gathered and knew that (2.) The crowd needed a spiritual shepherd. What evidence showed this to Jesus? The people Raced to intercept Jesus to see and hear more. If they were fulfilled in their soul with Judaism, they would have stayed home. But Jesus could see that they were looking for peace of mind with God. He felt in his gut the sadness over their inner confusion and the compulsion to change this. He knew that the two basic problems for shepherdless sheep are: 1. That they are vulnerable to predators misled by false prophets. The spiritual leaders of the Jews were not directing them to a Savior from their sins, and hence the people were being eternally lost; 2. That they were starving spirituallynot know where to find water and pasture. They were not being directed to the “water of life,” to the gospel, but only to law which is powerless to save a soul because it is based on our accomplishments. They were not being directed to believe in Jesus, “the bread of life,” who alone satisfies our spiritual hunger by giving us eternal life through Jesus’ accomplishments, his perfection and payment credited to our name through faith.
JESUS ALWAYS IS FULLY AWARE OF PEOPLE’S NEEDS. Ask yourself, “Do I look at people and wonder if they are without a shepherd?” “Am I loving enough to ask ‘what do you believe about Jesus?’” Christian love is concerned about people’s physical needs. But the greatest need every person has is spiritual. They only way a person will live forever is by believing that Jesus is God’s Son who came and rescued us from hell and the grave. What is the solution to supply this need? Jesus shows us. He began teaching = feeding and leading.
Every time we spend time in Bible study, Jesus takes us to a retreat with him to bring rest to our soul with complete forgiveness. And so our goal must constantly be to get people connected to Jesus through Bible discussion so we can offer the gospel promises. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. And borrowing the words from today’s Psalm 23, he took the crowd to the green pastures of the Gospel that explains him and his saving actions. He led the crowd beside the still waters of forgiveness that declares that we are at peace with God. His anger against our sin has been satisfied forever by Jesus’ suffering on the cross. Jesus restores our souls by sending his Spirit to generate in our heart a faith in the Son of God as our life and light. Our soul has been raised from the dead already with this action by the Holy Spirit.Bring the gospel to others and offer them the same glorious result—eternity with Jesus in heaven. Amen.