I will give you rest... (Mother's Day)
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 13 viewsJesus promises both rest and burden - what can this mean for over anxious, worn out people?
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Let’s start today with a few questions
What has occupied your thoughts these last few days?
What has kept you awake at night?
Thoughts that elbow their way into your awareness way too early in the morning...
15 seconds…
Dear God, here we are, with the burdens of life bearing down on our shoulders.
We bring all we are, all these thoughts, life’s uncomfortable realities, and we lay it all at your gracious throne...
...
Have you noticed that even when we know someone, they say something, or do something, that gives a fresh glimpse of who they really are....
A few months ago, Leonie and I attended a little country church in the town where I was born. We went there to meet a long time family friend, Heather Fitzgerald, who will be 90 in a few months. On that day in church she was playing the organ.
As we sat there I realised this is what she has done pretty much every Sunday that for the last seven decades! 3500+ Sundays. And there she was again, not missing a single note.
Even though I've known Heather all my life, in that moment I saw her passion to draw people into praise and song. It was beautiful!
In that moment I learned something new about Heather that I’d never seen before.
Let’s consider how well we know Jesus…
Not my intention to be smart...
I’m not questioning the presence or authenticity of your faith.
It’s just that as we consider Jesus’ words, we may see something more of his character, or be reminded about something central to his person and work
The Burden is lifted
The Burden is lifted
Jesus says...
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Now obviously, these words were written around 65 AD to predominantly Jewish followers of Jesus to encourage them to share their faith in Jesus (Carson, EBCr)
But that reality that does not mean Jesus’ words are irrelevant to the burdens you may be carrying as you come here today.
rpt reading Matt 11:28
So, let’s think about what that word “burden” would have meant to the Matthew’s original audience.
In Jesus’ day the PTOL required people to carry “the burden of Torah” - the heavy burden of fulfilling the Jewish law with all its 613 commands.
The view of the Pharisees was that God would only intervene to save his people when everyone obeyed this Torah perfectly.
Until they did they would be dominated by their enemies (the Romans).
That was the first problem.
The second was The PTOL taught that understanding of the Torah was totally beyond the reach of the average believer, as much as brain surgery is beyond our reach.
Now that’s a burden, isn’t it?
No hope of God being involved in your life. No hope of every really understanding him.
That was a burden burden they were never supposed to bear.
Our burdens may be different: Things like...
Burdens of being church: we are called to be salt and light in an age where the church is out of favour - how are we supposed to reveal the Kingdom or share the good news in that climate?
Burdens of leadership: challenge of steering what sometimes feels like a mob of stubborn mules than a well-disciplined team leaning into the church’s mission
Burdens of being a Mum: juggling rising cost of living; weekend sports taxi runs; watching kids make sometimes poor life decisions. The heavy things you carry into the deep of night.
How do you deal with those burdens?
Could it be that some of the weight on your shoulders are burdens you needn’t be carrying?
I say this because it’s too easy to say all of life is in God’s hands, and yet live as if it’s all in ours.
It’s easy to confess Jesus is Lord and then live as though he is not.
You’re called to be a witness to his life and resurrection,
but you’re not called to carry the burden of changing people. That is Jesus’ burden, not yours.
Leaders: you’re called to oversee and provide the best resources for discipleship.
But the burden of ultimate growth is not yours to bear. That is Jesus’ burden.
Mums (& Dads): You’re called to bring your children up knowing God, to model what it means to follow Jesus.
But you’re not called to take responsibility for their decisions. That burden is not yours to bear. It belongs to Jesus.
So much weariness comes about because we are trying to carry burdens that are not ours to bear.
Of course, the greatest burden of all is the horrific burden of sin and guilt on every human heart.
Even if we’ve believe our sin and guilt is done in Christ, the temptation to still bear that burden ourselves is ever present.
Even though the burden no longer exists!
We try and deal with our guilt by religious acts: if I just worship more, or pray better, God will forgive me.
Or by compensating behaviour:
When we feel bad about ourselves, or something we’ve done, how easy is it to
go shopping / max out the card
eat a lot of chocolate
clean the house in a way that would put the best Dutch housewives to shame
drink too much alcohol
take it out on those around us.
Why must we try and bear burdens that Jesus never intended for us???
Is Jesus’ sacrifice not sufficient?
Did he not suffer enough on the cross?
Every time we try to carry the burden of our own sin and guilt we send him back to the Cross again!
Does he still need to do something more just so your sin is paid for?
1 Pet 2.24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
This is good news!!
Jesus has borne it all!
This is what we believe today!!
It’s gone! Conquered forever in the blood of Christ!
My sin - oh the bliss of this glorious thought -
My sin, not in part, but the whole -
Is nailed to the Cross
And I bear it no more!
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Oh my soul!
That’s why Jesus says
Matt 11:28 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
The Yoke is given
The Yoke is given
In contrast to the burdens others place on us, or the burdens we place on ourselves, Jesus promises something quite different:
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.”
Now at first, it seems odd. Jesus on one hand takes our burden, and on the other hand he gives a yoke.
How is that an improvement?
The idea of a yoke, of course, is that there is effort required.
An ox, a horse (to draw a cart), etc.
So there is some work for us to do.
Not to gain acceptance with God - Jesus has won that for us through his death and resurrection.
Not to move God to act - he’s already living and active in us as followers of Jesus.
This yoke is the yoke of gratitude for the grace, the forgiveness, the life we have in the Risen Christ!
Gratitude is easy. Forgiveness and grace are light!
This is good news! God has poured his life into us through his Son!
God has dealt with our failing in Jesus’ atonement!
We are free from sin’s punishment!
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!
When Jesus places his yoke upon us, he does not, as Don Carson reminds us, stand over us like a bully, demanding fear driven compliance.
This Jesus says ‘take my yoke’ because he knows it brings true relief, unceasing joy, and undying hope!
He does so because he knows you’ll thrive as you wear it!
You’ll find a life you never thought was possible!
The burden peddlers come only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it to the full!
So, how does this yoke help us enjoy life to the full? How is it easy and light?
To accept Jesus’ yoke is this: to live his way, to follow in his steps, to become like him.
Not an unbearable burden. Jesus will never crush you!
This yoke brings life! This yoke will cause you to thrive! This yoke feels good!
Think of it this way. I have, well, interesting feet. Flat arches, and a tendency to plantar fasciitis. So, sometimes I put on a new pair of shoes, and they feel shocking from the get go.
Like ‘Vans Off The Wall’ they look great, but on me, and after an hour, they are a burden God does not call me to bear.
But sometimes I’ll put on a pair of Merrills, or Keens, or even RMs, and they feel just right. Like they are not there. They are easy. They are light. And my feet thrive in them.
That’s what Jesus is getting at here: he gives his easy yoke. It sits well on our shoulders. It feels good as we bear it. Why? Because we were made to carry it, and it feels right as we do.
Even more wonderfully, Jesus promises to help us bear it. He has not left us alone with this burden, he gives life and strength and the wherewithal to live his new life - and that is nothing short of incredible!
His Spirit enables you to reveal the character of Christ in your life and behaviour.
God’s law is no longer a taskmaster. It bubbles from within up like living water, overflowing with new life!
God is not only aware of everything happening in your life…
Jesus living in you.
Jesus living through you.
How glorious!
For everyone here: when you feel drawn and exhausted with life, is there any better news than to know God is living in you and working through you?!
This is brilliant, friends!!
This is what Paul keeps writing to NT churches everywhere!
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me...
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
There’s the easy yoke of Jesus right there.
This is our comfort, right? Jesus is with us this very moment, he lives in us through his Spirit.
Resurrection life flowing through our veins! So much so that people in Christ are described as ‘new creation’.
Astounding!
And his joy is to have us bear his yoke, to live in his likeness and character.
To follow in his steps.
To become like him with lives of justice, love, mercy and grace.
At this point, I could go on for another 30 mins - but to get a sense of Jesus’ easy and light burden, let’s just ask ourselves a couple of quick questions
Thinking about your behaviour and attitudes right now - how would God want you to change?
Thinking about your life context (work/family/other) - what would God change if he were to make all things right?
Thinking about your church, recognising who we have and where we are, what would Jesus change if he became your pastor?
There’s Jesus’ yoke, right there
There’s your call to newness of life
These are the things he seeks to work in you
These are the broken things he wants to lovingly repair and restore in His Son
This is the yoke he will enable you to bear.
You see, bearing Jesus’ yoke will shine His light into dark places.
Not only will you feel the ease of Christ’s yoke, but others will start to see that God is among you.
“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.”
