Taking up Jesus' Yoke

Intro:

Well good morning everyone and Happy Almost New Year. I want to finish up talking about our coming Savior this morning in our final instalment of this series. If you would go ahead and turn to . Last week we talked about taking trusting fully in God’s plan, just as Jesus did and to do that we have to let go of ourselves and view of the life and take upon His Yoke of life, which is what Jesus says in : Read

Pray

A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and then he bailed out. Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining. The doctor grabbed one and said "I'm a doctor, I save lives, so I must live," and jumped out. The lawyer then said, "I'm a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live." He also grabbed a parachute and jumped. The priest looked at the little boy and said, "My son, I've lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace." The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, "Not to worry, Father. The 'smartest man in the world' just took off with my back pack."

Boy sometimes we Just think we are smarter than God don’t we. We try to outsmart Him at every turn with how wise we have become. But, in the end what we realize is at some point we are just going to have to trust Him and give up our “Control” in life. This happens when, like Christ we fully trust in Him. We do this by laying our burdens, stresses, sin and very lives at the cross. The verse we just read about the Yoke is what it is all about. Letting go and picking up the life that God has for us. It begins with the Calling of the Weary and Burdened. Secondly, it requires us to lay down our yoke and pick His up. Finally, we struggle with this new and easy life, but we accept it because it is the Good Life. However, it could not happen if He did not call the weary and burdened.

I. Calling the Weary and Burdened – vs 28

A. Everyone –

1. No matter who you are

2. No matter what you have done

3. Don’t come to Christ fixed, but broken

B. Do we hear the Call

1. Let go of pride

2. Admit that we are hurting

3. Admit that we are broken

4. Admit that we need Him

C. Rest –

1. What God is ready to give us

2. What we need

a. Sabbath

II. Take My Yoke upon you – Vs 29

A. Put yours down first

1. Cannot carry two

2. Laying down at His feet

3. Giving Him everything

B. Take His yoke

1. Action verb

a. He isn’t going to put it on you

b. You have to reach out and take it

c. Requires movement

2. Has no guilt, no shame, no worries –

a. Takes away our guilt

b. We get to take His judgement upon us

c.

C. Don’t go back and pick yours back up

1. We want our burdens back

2. Defined by them

3. Almost feel empty without them

4. Throw them away like trash –

III. My Yoke is easy and burden is Light – vs 30

A. Find peace in this life

1. God wants us to have the good life

a.

b.

c. He is waiting on you

i. wants to bless you

ii. needs you to ask

iii. Won’t force it on you

2. Why do we fight Him so

B. Don’t know how

1. Too long we have been burdened

2. Like working all your life

a. Don’t know how to relax

b. Don’t know what leisure is

C. Simply let go –

1. My experience at Men’s Charge

2. Letting go was so freeing

a. Like monkey bars

b. Holding on and holding on

i. just hurts more

ii. Letting go brings relief

iii. Not always instant, but quick enough

3. You will have callouses

a. But you will be free

b. You will know peace

c. You will have joy

Conclusion:

So many people aim to be smarter than God, they want to hold on to their problems and become victims of those problems. So many people have said, you are a result of your environment, but I refuse to believe that, we are a result of who we are in God. But to fully trust in Him we have to listen for the call, the call to the weary and burdened. Those who are willing to let go of their pride and admit they are hurting inside. Then we begin to understand what rest is, but to find it I have to be willing to let my yoke down and take His yoke upon me. This means letting go of my sins, my shame and my guilt. I cannot allow myself to be defined by these things. Instead I want to be defined by his will, putting my Yoke down, to never lift it again. Finally, when I have done this, then I can find peace and rest in His yoke. For He is perfect and is not affected by the things of this world. I do not have to be good enough to accept this gift, only willing. So today, will you be willing to take the yoke of God upon you; to let go of all of your stuff and let God heal you with His peace today.