Fathers Day 2018
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A Dad moment: Tell the story about coming home after ball game with Joel - as we walked I was going over the plays and giving him pointers - as we walked and talked started getting more agitated, more aggressive, eventually he Just blew up - angry upset
You see all he heard was - you can do better. If you just did this or that differently - if you tried a little harder - aimed a little higher ....
it’s basically what men are constantly being told in our society today - you can do better…and generally speaking men do need to do better - So we are told to get our act together. To man up. To try harder. To be better.
My concern for many of the Men here today - especially Dad’s - is that when we are teaching from the scriptures - whether it is principles for success, or passing on the faith to our children, participating in the mission, or developing habits of the heart - my concern is that all you really hear is ‘You can do better.”
Don’t get me wrong, There are times when we Men need a good kick in the pants! We need to grow up - being told to man up and do better isn’t necessarily a bad thing -
because if all you hear is man up, dig deeper, do better… its only a matter of time till you’re overwhelmed...till the weight of the responsibility being placed on you - leads to some kind of meltdown?
But When I look at the men in our church, I see that many of you are trying to live Godly lives. Your taking responsabilty for your family, you’re trying to love your wife, you are invested in our church family, you care about the mission, your battling selfish impulses, you making sacrifices…
BUT if ALL you hear is man up, dig deeper, do better… its only a matter of time till you’re overwhelmed...till the weight of the responsibility being placed on you - leads to some kind of meltdown?
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It was a ‘do better’ message that dominated the teaching of the Pharisees in Jesus day… the pharisees were super serous about teaching God’s Law. Their goal was to analyse and apply God’s law to their lives and to call people to “do better” - To obey the law. After all, that’s what God’s law does - it exposes how we can do better!
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
God’s law is the highest standard there is. So to help people keep the law the Pharisees spelled things out by adding their own layer of rules to ensure God’s law was being upheld - They called people to obey, to keep the rules. So their teaching was dominated by ‘Do Better’.
But The big problem with this ‘Do Better’ message is it keeps the focus on yourself - and even if you’re able to at least appear to be doing better on the surface. Deep down you know God’s law keeps exposing more ways you and I can do better… which leads to either pridefully pretending you’re doing better than you really are - constantly working to keep up appearance.... or pushing yourself harder and harder constantly trying to achieve a greater level of righteousness.
So If all we get from God’s word is his Laws - if all we hear is the ‘do better’ message of the pharisees… we will end up bearing the incredible burden of life’s complexities, our weaknesses, our emotional heartbreaks, and the greatest burden of all the consequences of our sin; all piled up on a tiny little unit that can not bear the weight — SELF
Even our language reinforces self reliance and self effort! If your stressed your told to look after yourself better. If you’re going to a Job interview your told to believe in yourself. If someone dares to criticizes you, your friends will encourage you to love yourself. When you’re going on a date the advice you’ll get is ‘be yourself’.
But the truth is, the more we look to and rely on ourselves to ‘do better’ the more burdens pile up and the more weary our souls get. A tired and weary soul - That describes many of the men I’ve interacted with over the couple of years - maybe that’s you today. So Dad’s, Men, and women too… we need to be reminded this morning - that the message of the scriptures is NOT “Do Better”! God doesn’t just give us his law. He gives us far more - he gives us Jesus…
Turn to :25-30
Listen to what Jesus says to people who had grown up listening to a ‘Do Better’ Message.
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Which is not Good News - it’s Bad NEWS -
But God’s word is ‘GOOD NEWS’ -
And it sucks the life out of us! The more we look to and rely on ourselves to do better the more weary our souls get.
The more we look to and rely on ourselves to do better the more we heap heavy burdens on ourselves, the more weary our souls get. Which is not Good News - it’s Bad NEWS -
it’s only a matter of time before we have some kind of meltdown…
on top of God’s laws to people were really obeying God’s law they added more rules
God’s law is the highest standard there is.
If all we’re hearing is that we need to do better - I wonder how long till we ‘blow’ - how long
The higher the expectation, the greater the responsibility, the more pressure we can put on ourselves. And that’s what many of us men do. We dig deep, grit our teeth and try harder.
I see a lot of Good men here today - men who take seriously their responsibilities, men who are
To be a Man of God just raises the bar even higher. God’s word calls us to an even higher standard and greater responsibility - we’re to take responsibility for our own lives but for our families too, love our wives like Jesus loves, be involved in the lives of our kids and raising them in the faith, we’re to be contributing to the life of our local church, we’re to be invested doing our part to advance the mission of the church, we’re to be adding value and being a benefit to our community...
The higher the expectation, the greater the responsibility and the more pressure we put on ourselves.
We’re often told the way to do better is to get our act together. To Dig deep within ourselves.
depend on a tiny little unit - yourself!
We’re often told the way to do better is to get our act together. To Dig deep within ourselves - and obey God’s word...
Even our language reinforces self reliance and self effort! If your stressed you need to learn to look after yourself better. If you’re going to a Job interview you need to believe in yourself. If someone dares to criticizes you, you have to love yourself. What should you do on a date? be yourself.
If all we’re hearing is that we need to do better - I wonder how long till we ‘blow’ - how long till the weight of the responsibility being placed on us - leads to some kind of meltdown?
If that’s all we’re hearing, I wonder how long till we ‘blow’ - how long till the weight of the responsibility being placed on us - leads to some kind of meltdown?
difficult to live up to a high standard that culture calls us to - even more difficult to live up to God’s standard…
“what the hell” effect = you know you’ve messed up badly so why bother… it’s often this mentality behind some terrible crimes and situations of abuse...
A lot of good men in this room today - I see you trying - I see you sacrificing -
Tired of bearing heavy loads -
Men today are living under a lot of pressure. The media is constantly telling us we need to do better, that men are problematic, they need to be tamed, held accountable, and called to a higher standard.
Men increasingly vulnerable to depression and even suicide...
Men increasingly vulnerable to depression and even suicide...
Even our language reinforces self reliance and self effort! If your stressed you need to learn to look after yourself. If you’re applying for a job you need to believe in yourself. If you’re at the tattoo parlor you must learn to express yourself. If someone criticizes you, you have to love yourself. What should you do on a date? be yourself.
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.
English Standard Version Chapter 11
25 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; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
Pharisee’s claimed to know God and were instructing people in the Law (which is
THe pharisees much like our culture would say, do better, man up, perform your duty…
pointing to self-effort and personal performance - simply exposes your weakness - which we try to hide - which leads to hiding
When burdents become heavy we natrually look for rest / relief - hide in our job, turn to pleasure (drinking, sex, vacationing, shopping) there are a host of things being offered us to help us deal with the stress and weight -
LAW is always BAD news because we fall short of God’s standard - we don’t have what it takes - we’re constantly failing, comming up short - even the guys who are trying hard and doing well know deep down you not there
THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS - because in the Gospel men we find our biggest break -
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.”
Good news! God doesn’t just give us his standard - he doesn’t just lay out the rules he’s given us himself in Jesus Christ -God in the flesh - who has done what we can’t do - He’s God’s obedient son, who obeys the father in every way - he knows the fathers heart and he honors and up holds it completely - he’s overcome temptation - he has atoned for our sin with his own life - he has cheated death - and all authority has been given to him to fulfill God’s promises and bring about his kingdom.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
He doesn’t say come to me so you can earn some rest! He says come to me and I will GIVE you rest! COME TO ME - IS an invitation to stop carrying the burden of dealing with the complexities of life and the consequences of sin through self- reliance and self-effort =
He doesn’t say come to me so you can earn some rest! He says come to me and I will GIVE you rest! COME TO ME - IS an invitation to stop carrying the burden of dealing with the complexities of life and the consequences of sin through self- reliance and self-effort =
Jesus doesn’t say ‘Do Better’ he says ‘Believe Better’
“Come to ME” is an invitation TO stop believing you should have what it takes, to stop trusting in yourself, to stop working so hard at keeping up appearances - and to rest in Jesus.
"Come To ME” Invitation to believe in him and in his work
Don’t trust yourself, don’t depend on your own ability to obey - look to ME - Trust me ME, depend on ME- come to me! - Jesus Makes us better…
29a Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me
A yoke is a wooden bar placed on animals to bind them together so they can pull a plow or cart. “the yoke of a rabbi” = Student/Teacher
“Take my yoke upon you, and Learn from Me”
Don’t trust yourself, don’t depend on your own ability to obey - look to ME - Trust me ME, depend on ME- come to me! Jesus says…
Phariseess
This is a clear invitation to discipleship - to let Jesus direct you and lead you and work with you… instead of relying on yourself to bind yourself to Jesus, to walk with him, to learn from him. To be his disciple to submit to his leadership, his instruction, to his calling for your life....
Again the message isn’t ‘Do Better’ it is ‘Believe better’ let me explain...
Again this is about
Story about falling into the river as a teenager...
Story about falling into the river as a teenager...
English Standard Version Chapter 6
29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
“Christ’s principles for living life [Didaché] are not some set of dry rules to be followed. They are His thoughts, His plans, His passions, His view of the world! They are living principles designed to guide our relationship with Him.
Take my yoke - take up what I’m doing - my work with you - (your calling in Christ)
“Take my yoke upon you, and Learn from Me”
He doesn’t say come to me so you can earn some rest! He some come to me and I will GIVE you rest!
He doesn’t say come to me so you can earn some rest! He some come to me and I will GIVE you rest!
Take my yoke - take up what I’m doing - my work with you - (your calling in Christ)
Learn from me (attitude of learning)
“Christ’s principles for living life [Didaché] are not some set of dry rules to be followed. They are His thoughts, His plans, His passions, His view of the world! They are living principles designed to guide our relationship with Him.
“I will give you rest”
to cause to rest v. — to cause someone to take a break from their activities in order to be refreshed.
Story about falling into the river as a teenager...
“Christ’s principles for living life [Didaché] are not some set of dry rules to be followed. They are His thoughts, His plans, His passions, His view of the world! They are living principles designed to guide our relationship with Him.
yoke n. — stable-gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team.
“Lowly in heart”
Lowly = humble adj. — marked by meekness or modesty; not arrogant or prideful.
Take my yoke - take up what I’m doing - my work with you - (your calling in Christ)
Learn from me (attitude of learning)
English Standard Version Chapter 11
I am gentle and lowly in heart
“what the hell” effect = you know you’ve messed up badly so why bother… it’s often this mentality that justifies terrible crimes and situations of abuse...
A lot of good men in this room today - I see you trying - I see you sacrificing -
Tired of bearing heavy loads -
A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 11:28
Who labor and are heavy laden is interpreted by TEV as a construction in which the conjunction and links two verbs that say the same thing: “who are tired from carrying heavy loads.” Most other translations retain a form similar to that of the Greek text: “all you who labour and are overburdened” (NJB) and “all whose work is hard, whose load is heavy.” Even more problematic than the form is the nature of the burden, which is easily misunderstood. It is the “yoke of the Jewish Law,” as is clearly brought out in the following verses through the use of the term “yoke” (see verses 29–30). GeCL completely restructures the verse in order to make the meaning unambiguous for its readers: “You are troubled by the commands which the teachers of the Law have placed upon you. Come to me; I will remove your burden.”
A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 11:29
Learn from me indicates the nature of the obedience which Jesus demands. It is that of discipleship, for the verb learn is made from the same root as “disciple.” The invitation of Jesus is, then, “Obey me (Take my yoke on you, or Take my task) and be my disciple.” In fact take my yoke … and learn from me may be understood as the same kind of construction discussed in verse 28, in which “and” connects two thoughts that are equivalent. One can then translate the two commands as one: “Learn what it means to be my disciple.” GeCL effectively retains the two verbs, though doing away with the symbol of the yoke: “Place yourself under my direction and learn from me.” Learn from me can also be rendered “accept my teachings,” “learn the truths I teach,” or “become my disciple.”
A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew Matthew 11:29
And you will find rest for your souls may be misleading, implying that eternal rest is intended. For your souls is merely a Semitic way of saying “for yourselves,” a phrase which may be unnecessary to carry over into translation. TEV telescopes: “and you will find rest.” The rest to which Jesus refers is that of a proper fellowship with God; GeCL has “… then your life will find fulfillment.”
You will find rest is tied to the invitations to come to Jesus: “Submit to me,” Jesus says, “and you will find rest in me,” or “… then you will experience relief.” Both “in me” and “then” make this relationship clear. Such explicit markers may not be necessary in all languages, depending on the structure of the passage.
For the dad who’s tired of carrying heavy loads - God’s word to you today is not DO BETTER - instead it is an invitation to BELIEVE Better -
Jesus has already ‘done better’
Believe in HIM
When Jesus Says, “Come to me” he is inviting us to
Believe in him
Entrust ourselves to his leading
Engage in learning from him
Rest in who he is and what he’s done for us