May 12, 2018 - - Mark 6:31 A Strong Warning to Preachers

And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

Mark 6:31 KJV

This is particularly for preachers and for the leaders and congregations caring for them and praying for them!

In the midst of a long, unbroken stretch of labour the same affliction may be looked for (affliction of mind and body, exhaustion) as the bow cannot always be bent without fear of breaking it, repose is as needful to the mind as sleep to the body. Our Sabbaths, the LORD’s Days are days of toil, and if we do not rest upon another day we shall break down. Even the earth must rest lie fallow and rest and have her Sabbaths and so must we. Hence the wisdom and compassion of our Lord when He said to His disciples ‘Let us go into the desert and rest awhile.’ What?! When the people are fainting? When they are like sheep up upon the mountains without a shepherd? Does Jesus talk of rest? When Scribes and Pharisees like grievous wolves are rending the flock—does He take His followers on an excursion to a great resting place? Does some red hot zealot denounce such atrocious forgetfulness of present and pressing demands? Let him rave on in his folly. The Master knows better than to exhaust His servants and to quench the Light of Israel. Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength…”

from: Spurgeon "Lectures to His Students"

Perhaps the worship times in many denominations have collapsed into merely one a Sunday, down from three or two a Sunday, because preachers, ignoring the warning to rest are too exhausted and lacking the blessing of rest cannot gather the strength needed to prepare two or three excellent sermons a week. No wonder congregations rail against two services as they are munching dry straw in one sermon as it is.

May the LORD refresh His preachers.

May the LORD call His people to pray for their preachers and call them to account in terms of rest and refreshment, so that they can gather strength for the critical work of preaching.