FIRST IN LAST OUT
RECEIVE THE REST THAT JESUS HAS PROMISED | Todd Elliott
For most people, advent is a season of preparation and anticipation for the birth of Jesus. For those of you who are doing production in your church, you’ ve definitely been living in a season of preparation and anticipation, but it isn’ t the same as everyone else’ s.
As far as preparations go, the list is long: building a Christmas set, pulling together enough volunteers to staff out all the services, making sure all the lighting cues are playing correctly in order. And don’ t get me started on what you’ ve been anticipating: late nights, faulty snow machines, last minute changes to the program.
With such long lists, it shouldn’ t be a surprise that focus can easily become all about the preparation and the anticipation and we lose sight of the purpose of it all. In our tunnel vision for getting the services done, we miss the reality that God’ s plan at Christmas is something He has done for us, not to us.
In Isaiah 40:11, the prophet Isaiah talks about the coming Messiah: He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart
And then in fulfillment of this prophecy, in Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says this:“ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
This is not just a message for the people that will have attended all the services you’ ve worked so hard for. This is for you. This is for me.
You’ re coming to the end of a long run of rehearsals and multiple services. You’ re weary. You have been carrying a burden. No question. Now it is time to receive the rest that Jesus has promised. This doesn’ t mean just plop down in front of the TV and you’ ll get the rest you need. This is a rest that we need to actively go after. The verse says“ Come to me” and“ Take my yoke upon you” and“ Learn from me”. These are not automatic. They require action from each of us. We each need to reach out to receive them.
All three of these actions lead into each other.
“ Come to Me”- Carve out time to be still. With your Bible, with a journal or a devotional. It doesn’ t have to be for hours or seminary level intensity. It can just be a few minutes at a time, to quiet yourself and let the ways of Jesus fill your mind.
“ Take my yoke upon you” and“ Learn from me”- This is a vision of taking the teachings of
Jesus and applying them to your life. How can the moments of stillness you spend with Jesus affect the actions of your day today?
Especially in this season, with so little margin, a
moment of stillness can be just that, a moment.
Jesus, as we come to the culmination of this Advent season, slow our hurried pace. Help us set aside the preparations and the anticipations and find rest for our souls in the simple act of drawing near to you.
Todd Elliott Todd is a writer, speaker, technical artist in the local church and Founder & President of FILO, which stands for First In, Last Out. FILO was born out of his own need as a technical artist in the local church to be in community with other church tech people, to learn new ways of doing things and to be inspired that what he did mattered. The more FILO-type people he met, the more convinced he was that these are things we all need. That’ s why FILO exists: to equip, encourage and inspire technical artists in the local church to become the best version of ourselves. Formerly the Technical Arts Director at Willow Creek Community Church, he started FILO in 2015 to help other technical artists become more effective so that the local church can be more effective.
FILO’ s flagship event happens yearly: Our next FILO Conference will be May 5 + 6, 2026 in Chicagoland, IL. Register now for best pricing options!
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92 January 2026 Subscribe for Free...