I WILL GIVE YOU REST

Matthew 11:28–30 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

THE BURDEN

Develop thought from stanley about Daniel: About 605 B.C. The Babylonians invaded Jerusalem. Rather than destroy the nation itself, the Babylonians sought instead to destroy the Israelites identity and culture.

Culture of busyness

THE INVITATION

THE GIFT

Talk about screen time down an hour after not carrying 5 days

yoke is easy

burden is light

if it’s hard can it be his?

If it’s heavy can it be his?

Was a message of burden/law

We create our own burdens - Divert daily, withdraw weekly, abandon annually

Corderio leading on empty notes

Isaiah 26:3 ““The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.”

Message was much more about the call to Him, the out from/burden could be anything, don’t get hung up on the from, just move to Him.

Response: Lay my crowns down at your feet

PREVIOUS SERMON

Matthew 11:28-30 – We assume too much in Bible study

Quite simply today, The focus of our message today is to consider the invitations given by Jesus to escape the burdens and demands of a life being lived without the rest and the peace that we find in Him.

28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”

I. Burden – Insert Airport Parking Story

a. Religious – If we were just to briefly look at the context in which this passage exist, we could quickly see that the people were having very heavy burdens placed on them by legalistic authorities that were demanding perfection in every area of their lives. By the time 200 A.D. rolled around a document named the Talmud would contain over 11,000 laws or statues that the Rabbi had established as individual ideas that needed to be adhered to, in order to carry out those things written in the Old Testament. Because of this the people were constantly living in false guilt and the hopelessness of ever attaining Holiness. Spiritual fatigue and failure was surely imminent.

In today’s context we must realize that we will destroy each other with a constant condemnation of each other’s fault when Christ is calling out for unity alongside of Holiness in the church. Our goal then should be to avoid a legalistic approach to others faults and rather offer them a balanced and loving message of hope and mercy that will urge them to walk with God.

b. Self-inflicted - We are living in a country that is driven by material gain. Even humble ideas of saving for retirement or taking a vacation have been blown out of proportion. The constant push for attaining the material things of this world are leaving us financially destitute, physically exhausted, and spiritually irrelevant. We work long hours and refrain from giving in order that we can keep up with the Jones’. We spend money that we don’t have, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like. God has not called any of us to sit in an office for seventy hours a week. May I suggest that if you say that is what’s necessary to provide for the basic needs for your family then so be it. But in most cases, the money that could put food on the table is wrapped up in houses that are too big, cars that are too fancy, and clothes that we label each other with. The world screams more, more, more, while Jesus teaches less, less, less. We should take the material things in our life that are causing strife, anxiety, and unneeded work and do as I Peter 5:7 says to do and cast all of our cares upon Him because He cares for you. REST While worldly gain is the most prominent of self-inflicted burdens that cause hardships, the list could include unhealthy relationships, excessive hobbies, and habits that are damaging to our minds and our bodies. REST

Transistion: A culmination or summary of these types of burdens should cause us to see that at each level these burdens are insatiable. Their demand is one that will never be satisfied and will constantly beg for further satisfaction. With this picture of burdens in our mind let us consider the invitations that Jesus puts forth to us in this passage. (REREAD TEXT) 28 “Come to Me, all [a]who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For My yoke is [b]easy and My burden is light.”

II. Invitations

a. Come to me

i. Come away from other ways of thinking – Jesus offered the people a whole new way of thinking. His message was not one of diminishing the laws of God, but instead He wanted to teach the people how they might have the relationship with God that so many of them longed for. Attainment of the fellowship that they desired seemed so out of reach, but He came with new ways of thinking and new ideologies that needed to be adapted. Just as He wants to make our life less burdensome He wants to do the same in our relationship with Him. If we could leave the things of this world behind and begin to walk with Him, He would show us that the Spirit would cause us to discern all things. We would be dramatically changed from the inside out. No longer would there be questions of right and wrong, but instead we would begin to approach each area of our life asking the question, “What is most pleasing to God?”

ii. Come away from issues of your life (Make it Personal) – It is my belief that each one of us is given so much passion and energy in which we can direct towards the things of this life. And if we were to use rational thinking concerning this idea we can easily see that the more time that and energy we commit towards things other than God, the less amount there will be that we can use in working towards and for God. Therefore we must intentionally remove certain things from our lives that are causing our relationship with God to suffer. Chinese missionary Watchman Nee addressed this issue in his discussion of “The thing in Hand.” He speaks of the thing in hand as anything that might cause an exertion of your time, talent, strength, or passion to prohibit a further work of God. He states, “Our mental strength is limited. If we exhaust it on the things of the flesh we shall find ourselves mentally inadequate for the things of the Spirit.

We realize, then that just as our physical strength is limited, so it is with the soul strength of our outward man. As long as we have “things in hand” we cannot do God’s work. According to the number of things in hand, strength for serving God decreases or increases. Hence the thing in hand becomes indeed a hindrance, and no small one. (Nee, p.31-32) While Nee speaks here of our ability to serve God being slowed down by the other things of this life, the same idea applies when we attempt to grow closer in our walk with Him. Coming to Jesus means leaving the burdens behind. Talk Yoke. We assume too much in Bible study

Transition: So the first invitation that Jesus offers is for us to come to Him. Secondly, He invites us to learn of Him.

b. Learn of me (Philippians 2:5) Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

i. A lowly or humble mind (Matthew 11:29)

ii. A pure mind (I Peter 2:22)

iii. A strong mind resisting temptation (Matthew 4)

iv. A unselfish mind that seeks the will of the Father ( Matthew 26)

v. A prayerful mind (Luke 6:12)

vi. A loving and forgiving mind (Luke 23:34) Father forgive them

How we need to begin to learn about Jesus. How we need to take on His mindset and His ideologies. Many might say today that they struggle to understand God and the Bible, but if we begin seek God we will find Him. In James 1 we are told that if we lack wisdom to ask of God. In Exodus 33 Moses was making intercession for the people and going forward He asked that God would show him His ways. When we ask God to do something in our life that will draw us closer to Him, it will be a prayer He always hears. In verse 14 of Exodus 33 God replied to Moses by saying My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Not only is He giving us rest but let me tell you what else is so powerful to me out of this verse. He said to Moses MY PRESENCE will go with you. Oh how we talk about being in the presence of God. When will we come to the realization that His presence and His power are the same thing. People we need to get a hold of this thing. God’s power is able to give you relief from the things that are weighing down and destroying your life. REST

Transition: Now if we would understand these burdens that are weighing us down and begin to leave them behind and learn of Jesus. The end result will be rest.

III. The result

a. Rest – When I say rest today I’m not talking about a nap and I’m not talking about a day at the beach. I’m talking about something bigger than that. I’m talking about peace, I’m talking about relief from anxiety. We can and will be released from the worries, stress, and anxieties of this world. This rest is a promised rest as promised to Moses in Exodus. In Jeremiah 29:11 it is a rest in an expected future. The passage says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. And in Psalm 46 it is a rest of security. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

He is my shield, my strength, my portion, deliverer, shelter, strongtower, my very present help in time of need.

IV. Today’s Invitation

a. Come away from the burdens

b. Come seek Jesus and learn of Him

c. Find healing for the issues and worries of life

PRAY