Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
Notes
Transcript
Order of Service
Order of Service
Welcome
Welcome
Hymn - JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA (704) - CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT 1789-1871
Hymn - JUST AS I AM, WITHOUT ONE PLEA (704) - CHARLOTTE ELLIOTT 1789-1871
Psalm Reading
Psalm Reading
Psalm 75:9–10 “But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.”
Prayer
Prayer
Teen Talk
Teen Talk
Hymn - WHAT KIND OF LOVE IS THIS (449) - BRYN HAWORTH & SALLY HAWORTH
Hymn - WHAT KIND OF LOVE IS THIS (449) - BRYN HAWORTH & SALLY HAWORTH
Notices
Notices
Prayer Meeting - 7:30pm
Friday 7pm - Online
Sunday Morning 11am & 6pm
Tithes & Offerings - £
Main Prayer
Main Prayer
Birthdays
Birthdays
Prayer Items
Prayer Items
Hymn - THE POWER OF THE CROSS (1188) - Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
Hymn - THE POWER OF THE CROSS (1188) - Stuart Townend and Keith Getty
Sermon Search
Sermon Search
Reading
Reading
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Sermon
Sermon
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
No matter how good you think you are, unless you accept and obey Jesus, you are going to hell.
The Thanksgiving that Precedes It
The Thanksgiving that Precedes It
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
A gracious invitation is about to be extended
The Burdened are going to be urged to come to Jesus
No one comes unless the path has been revealed to him
The one who invites knows those what those invited
It would not make sense; unless, he has whatever it takes to satisfy this need
We may be naturally puzzled that Jesus is thanking the Father not only for revealing matters touching salvation to come, but even for concealing them from others
Punishing those who are “wise in their own eyes”
Deuteronomy 29:29 ““The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Romans 9:20 “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?””
Rewarding “little children”
Paul speaking of those enter the faith as infants....
1 Corinthians 3:1 “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.”
Hebrews 5:13 “for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child.”
1 Corinthians 13:11 “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”
Physically, “Liitle children” are thoroughly aware of their absolute dependence on others
“Spiritually, they are those who humbly confess their own nothingness, their emptiness and helpnessess and who being thoroughly aware of their absolute dependence up on the might and mercy of the heavenly father.”
Not a difference between the educated and uneducated
Difference between:
Those who imagine that because of their practical “wisdom” or superior “intellect” they can save themselves, at least to some extent with their doctrine of good works
Those who realise that they must be saved by “Grace Alone”
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Is it not worthy of everlasting praise and adoration that the sovereign Ruler, who is self-sufficient and does not need man, is nevertheless willing to reveal the way of salvation to him?
yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
Jesus reflects on the Father’s Gracious Will
Matthew The Thanksgiving that Precedes It
H. Bavinck, “In a certain sense, the fall, sin, and eternal punishment are included in God’s decree and are willed by him. But this is true in a certain sense only, and not in the same sense as grace and salvation. These are the objects of his delight; but God does not delight in sin, neither does he take pleasure in punishment.”
The Claim that Gives Meaning to It
The Claim that Gives Meaning to It
Question: Does the one who extends the invitation to accept salvation have what the sinner needs, and does he know what he needs?
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
He has what the sinner needs...
Jesus has “all things” necessary for carrying out the mediatorial task entrusted to him by the Father
Authority over:
Satan (Matt 4:11)
Demons (Matt 8:28-32)
Over human Ailments and disabilities (Matt 9:20-22)
Wind and Wates (Matt 8:23-27)
Body and Soul (Matt 9:1-8) - sins are forgiven
Life & Death (Matt 9:18-26) - girl restored to live
12 Disciples and other people
To save them (Matthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”” )
To judge (Matthew 7:22 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’” )
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
He knows what the sinner needs...
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“No one knows the Son except the Father”
So great and so glorious is the heart of this Mediator that none but the Father can fathom its riches of knowledge, wisdom, and love
“Son” reveals the inner relation between the Father and Son, a relationship that existed from eternity
Paul speaks of the “fullness of wisdom and knowledge” of Jesus
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
And speaks of the “fulness of the godhead”
For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
return...
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
The sinners’s inner self and his needs are known to God alone (Psalm 139)
And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
to know a person means to be able to see him as the Father sees him
It is the Son, the Son alone, who knows the father, and who also knows the sinner and his needs
return...
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Since tson knows the Father, he alone is able to reveal him
and does reveal him
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
The Content that Encourages its Acceptance
The Content that Encourages its Acceptance
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden”
John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
Coming to Jesus means “believing” in him
Knowledge, agreement and confidence all in one
Faith being the goft of the Holy Spirit produces:
Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control
It brings forth works of gratitude, performed in spontaneous obedience to Christ
It is to the weary and burdened ones that the invitation is extended.
exhausted or tired through overuse or great stress or strain
Jesus speaking to Pharisees and Lawyers....
And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
Jesus later speaks of this heavy burden...
They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
The scribes and Pharisees placed loads of rules and regulations upon their shoulders
Only when the person’s life obedience to all these traditions outbalances his acts of disobedience can he be saved
The result was painful uncertainty - clutching fear, gnawing anxiety and gloomy despair
Christ’s invitation applies to anyone who, for whatever reason, tries wholly or partly to achieve salvation by means of their own exertion
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“I will give you rest”
rest is:
absence from uncertainty, fear, axiety and despair
peace of mind and heart
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me”
In jewish literature “yoke” represents the sum-total of obligations, according to the teaching of the rabbis, a person must take upon himself
yoke of the Torah
yoke of the commandments
yoke of the kingdom of heaven
misinterpretations. alterations and augmetation of God’s holy law became the “yoke” was placed on the people’s shoulders of a totally unwarrented legalism
Jesus is saying “accept my teachings, namely, that a person is saved by means of simple trust in me”
“for I am meek and lowly in heart”
meekness: power under control
humility before God
Making a stand against Sin
The Beatitudes for Today Windows on the Word
John Brown: ‘An enlightened conviction of the infinite greatness and excellence, the sovereignty, and wisdom, and holiness, and righteousness, and condescension and kindness of God, and of our own insignificance as creatures, and demerit as sinners, lies at the foundation of that meekness which forms an essential part of the character of a genuine Christian.’
defined as one “who finds refuge in the Lord, commits his way entirely to him, leaving everything in the hand of him who loves and cares”
return..
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“and you shall find rest for your souls”
no can ever find or obtain rest unless Christ gives
“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”
simple trust in Jesus and obedience to his commands out of gratitude for the salvation already imparted by him is delightful
it brings peace and joy
the person who lives this kind of life is no longer a slave, but free
He serves the Lord spontaneously, eargerly and ethuysuastically
He is doing what he wants to do
Slavery: an attempt to save onself by means of scupulous adherance to artificial rules and abitary regulations superimposed upon the law by scribes and Pharisees
The authoritative advice Jesus gives is not only good for the soul; when heeded it also greatly benefits the body.
The rest—peace of heart and mind—which Jesus here provides is the very opposite of the aggravated mental stress that sends so many people to doctors, hospitals, and death.
Absence of peace, whether in the form of anxiety or of rancor and vindictiveness (the lust to “get even”), may lead to ulcers, colitis, high blood pressure, heart attacks, etc.
The teachings of Christ, if taken to heart, have a curative effect on the entire person, soul and body.
He is a complete Saviour!
Summary
Jesus does not promise to salve the unbelievers problems
Jesus invitation is to find spiritual rest through faith in him
A realisation of the love, grace and mercy of God in which eternal salvation is assured
In which the fruits of the spirit are abundantly enjoyed
A new life in which what was previously important is rendered inconsequencial
in which true freedom results in the willing obedience and praise of a heavenly Father
Hymn - YET NOT I BUT THROUGH CHRIST IN ME (1275) - MICHAEL FARREN, JONNY ROBINSON, RICH THOMPSON
Hymn - YET NOT I BUT THROUGH CHRIST IN ME (1275) - MICHAEL FARREN, JONNY ROBINSON, RICH THOMPSON
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
Doxology
Doxology
