Weary - Part 2

The following are my sermon notes from Pastor Ric Freeman at Life Fellowship Church . I had the privilege of attending his church this weekend and couldn’t help but notice that his sermon went along with what God revealed to me last Sunday.

Are You Weary?

Weariness is an emotional, physical, and spiritual wearing down of our sense of significance in the why we do what we’re doing.

It is the discounting of the worth of our purpose.

Weariness is infectious.

 

Galatians 6:7-9 (New King James Version)

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

We whine continually about people. It’s not us that have the problem… it’s the other people. When it’s really us that has the problem.

We are worn down from constant struggles and circumstances.

Being tired at night will help you sleep but being weary will keep you up.

Being weary will sap your strength and leave you overwhelmed.

Luke 15:11-24 (New King James Version)

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring^[a] out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Why did the younger son leave? How old is he? I always assume he’s around 18 - 20 but he could have been married and had children. He could have been much older. Let’s overlook some of our preconceived notions and look at it some more.

They were farmers. It was a lot of repetitive, tedious work with no immediate rewards. The younger brother had grown weary.

1. Weariness will cause us to exchange full reward for incomplete, immediate gratification.

vs 12 - it is possible for our weariness that others lose their focus also

Not talking about being tired but losing the sense of why you do what you do.

Weariness caused the other brother bitterness.

2. Weariness will put you at odds to others.

Weariness will cause you to lose interest in the very things you used to love. (lost the sense of the desire to do it.)

3. Weariness will impair your judgment (vs 13)

The how for prevention and cure

‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’

In Galatians 6:9 - grow = it’s a process that happens over time.

Being weary is not the result of what people say or do - but it will contribute to the wearing down process.

Our circumstances and our situations aren’t the reason why we are weary but they will contribute to the wearing down process.

*GUARD YOUR HEART AND YOUR MIND*

There are signs that are recognizable to us that we are growing weary and we will have to do something to stop the growth or the progression of that weariness.

You do not grow weary overnight.

Philippians 4:4-7 (New King James Version)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

1. Recognize weariness while it is beginning. Not after it is full grown and refocus why we do what we do.

Weariness is curable.

That was part one of a several part series. Unfortunately I will not be able to hear the rest of the sermons. Although, I could probably email them and purchase the CD’s.

My prayer is that these notes will bless you as much as they have blessed me.

*All Bible passages are from BibleGateway.com.