Matthew 11

Memorial Services are in reality for the living and on such occasions they serve a three-fold purpose.

The First Purpose of a Memorial Service is to Remember the Deceased

The Second Purpose of a Memorial Service is to Review our Heart.

There is comfort in the memories of how __________ touched your life and made it different.

There is comfort in remembering that death is not the end.

There is comfort in knowing that you can see those who have a relationship with Christ again.

Our greatest comfort is found in Christ.

Jesus said, “come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

Jesus has promised through the writer of Hebrews, “I will never leave you ..nor forsake you.”

And it is through a relationship with Christ that we are able to say as the Psalmist, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

The Third Purpose of a Memorial Service is to Refocus the Living.

In reality we are not given a choice about whether to met death, or even when to meet death, only how to meet death. There is in the Gospel according to John a story recorded in the eleventh chapter that speaks to the situation we find ourselves in today. Here Martha and Mary’s beloved brother Lazarus has been sick and has died. Jesus’ words of comfort to this grieving family speaks to those whose hearts are heavy today.

Text: Matthew 11:28-30

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says,

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The Great Invitation

In this passage we have an invitation from Jesus and it’s an invitation to come to Him to prepare ourselves for the day we have to meet God face to face. Now, many of us try to live good lives, we often give what we can and help where we’re able. And all this is good; but it’s not what Jesus is looking for because He says, “Come unto Me.”

I. Peace with Christ is not found in religious Work.

Whenever I talk to someone about their relationship with the Lord they often say they’re a member or attend a certain church and they’re either excited or would rather forget they had ever gone. And some will associate what they know about the church with a popular television preacher or even someone they know who claims to be a Christian. But, Jesus doesn’t say that the forgiveness of God is found by going to church or by following anybody else but forgiveness for sin, is only found in Him.

People will say, “Well, I’m a religious person.” And the problem is, if you keep up with the news you’ve probably noticed that religion hasn’t solved too any of the world’s problems and if the truth be known it has probably hindered more than it’s ever helped. You see, religion is man’s way of reaching up to God; but when the Bible talks about a relationship with God it’s always God reaching down to man. And that’s why Jesus says, “Come unto Me.” A church can always help us grow in the faith but any faith without Jesus is no faith at all.

II. Peace with Christ is not found in Christ.

When we hear that we wonder, well, who is Jesus to invite us to come to Him? The Bible describes Him as the virgin-born Son of God who was crucified, died then buried and then He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament proves that He is who He says He is by showing Jesus doing miracles that only God could do. I mean, He healed the sick, raised the dead, walked on water, created food for thousands, cast out demons and He even controlled the weather. And those who knew Him, who were His disciples; claimed He was God, His enemies said He was innocent of the charges that were laid against Him and when God the Father spoke from heaven He said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Listen, this is the One who says to both you and I; “Come unto Me.”

III. Peace with Christ is offered to those abandon their way.

And then it tells us who should come when it says, “All you that labor and are heavy laden.” Where it says, all you that labor the word ‘labor’ carries the idea of someone who has been working to exhaustion. And some of those who were listening to Jesus back then and even some today have simply exhausted themselves trying to find relief from a guilty conscience. Some go to church, while others go to a psychiatrist and there are even some who go to a tavern but only Jesus can take our guilt away by forgiving our sin.

This being heavy laden is a kind of internal exhaustion that comes from looking for all the right answers in all the wrong places. The New Testament even describes those who exhaust themselves by being religious but without any relief. For instance, in John 5:39 and 40 Jesus describes the people of His day by saying to them,

“Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of Me. And you will not come unto Me that you might have life.”

Listen, Jesus says, if you’re tired of trying to find your own answers for sin then come to Me and be forgiven. It’s like He’s saying, you have this great burden of sin on your back and on top of all this sin someone has come along and dumped this huge load of religion that doesn’t seem to help.

And this huge load was all the customs and traditions or religious obligations that the church of their day had piled on the people. These people had rules for every conceivable area of life. And if a person believed that keeping all these rules would get them into heaven they’d either run around in total frustration or they’d spend all their time doing nothing for fear of doing the wrong thing.

So, Jesus’ message is, if you’ve spent all your time searching for the truth and you haven’t found it and you’re tired of trying to live a life that’s pleasing to God because you realize that you can’t do it, then He says, I want you to come to Me.

And when a person sincerely comes to Jesus Christ admitting they need to be saved from sin and they’re aware they can’t save themselves, the Bible says their sins are lost in the sea of God’s forgetfulness. He says He’ll take away our sin and put it as far as the east is from the west. And when that happens, then we can rest; because we know that God loves us and that all of our sins are forgiven forever.

IV. Peace with Christ is an Eternal Reward.

God rewards those who seek Him and part of His reward is that He takes us to a place called heaven. And heaven is best described by what’s not there.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Wouldn’t you like to live in a world where there’s no death, sorrow, sickness or pain? You can, if you simply come to Him.

Philippians 1:21

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

1. If for me to Live is Christ then to die is gain.

If for me to live is money, to die is a loss, If for me to live is pleasure, to die is a loss, if for me to live is self, to die is a loss, if for me to live is ambition, to die is a loss, if for me to live is sin, to die is a loss. if for me to live is this world, to die is a loss. But if for me to live is Christ To Die is gain.

We Gain a Better Body:

We gain a glorified ,immortalized, resurrected, body.

In this present body of clay we are subject to all the tears and sorrows that life is heir to. Age, sickness, and finally death are the inevitable accompaniments of this house made of the dust of the ground.

But in death and in the resurrection we gain a better body, one that can never grow old, know disease, suffer pain, and can never die. We gain a better body no more arthritis, diabetes, migraines, cancer,. Hallelujah a brand new body.

We gain a Better home.

No matter how beautiful your home here is, it can never compare to our mansion in the beautiful city of God.

Remember the Words of this Chorus. “This World is not my home, I’m just a passing thru my home is laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon me to heavens golden shore and I don’t feel at home in this world any more.

Sam Cowan is no longer singing “I feel like traveling on” He has moved in to his heavenly home he just left 119 wood street to his mansion on hallelujah square.

We gain a better inheritance:

Our final inheritance is not here it’s in heaven.( you have all seen the bumper sticker that says: We’re spending our Children’s inheritance”.

Our final reward is not down here it’s in heaven. It’s only beyond the gates of death that we even hear the precious words of our Lord “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of your Lord” Matt 25:21

We gain a better fellowship:

All of us in this world live in a dissolving family circle. Mother is gone, or Father is gone, or a child is gone or our beloved grandparents are gone. Or friends are gone. If we live long enough we shall be strangers in this earth. Everyone we knew and loved will be gone, but the circle is unbroken in heaven forever and ever there is no death there, no sorrow, and crying and pain for the former things are passed away. But best of all beyond our families and friends, who wait to greet us there, We shall see our savior face to face. We shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac ,and Jacob in the Kingdom of God and be with Our Lord For Eternity.

Most yokes were made for two and this reminds us that when Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us; that He is on the other side and He who accompanies promises never to leave nor forsake us.

And finally, He says, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” An easy yoke is one that fits right. And God calls each of us to serve Him in a way that we are able. In other words, He never asks us to do what we can’t do although He does ask us to do things at times that we don’t want to do. But, even then we find His will is best because His burden is light.

And whatever burden we’re called to bear, the scriptures teach us that God’s rewards outweigh any trials we are called to endure because we can cast our every care upon Him because He cares for us.

Horatio Bonar wrote,

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

Come unto Me and rest.

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down,

Thy head upon My breast.

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad.

I found in Him a resting place,

And He has made me glad.

Come unto Me the savior says and that’s an invitation to which we must respond. God has provided for our salvation through the death of His Son and now He says, and whosoever will come.

Announcements: There will be a committal service at Rochester Cemetery