Rest in the Arms of a Sovereign God.

Opening:

Good morning Connection Church. I am so glad that you decided to come out and worship with us today. It is a wonderful thing to be able to gather together on the Lord’s day to worship God. As always we worship God through fellowship, giving, the singing of praises, the learning of truths, and the reading and preaching of God’s Word.

Preaching is such an honor. I am incredibly grateful that I am called here to be your pastor. It is not a responsibility that I take lightly. It is not something that I take flippantly. I see this as a responsibility given to me by God that I must approach with fear and trembling. The puritan John Knox said, “I have never once feared the devil, but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.”

This must be true for preachers, and I pray it is true of my life. I do not fear Satan but I fear every time I open the Word of God to say unto you “Thus saith the Lord.” This is true on most normal Sundays, but it is especially true for me this Sunday. I have dedicated more of my heart and time into this sermon than I normally do.

Preaching is not an easy task. When one preaches, he pours his heart into the presentation of the Word of God. You have to wrestle with the sermon for maybe an hour. I, the preacher, have wrestled with it for a week. And this sermon is one that I have wrestled with more than most. This text is a hard text. It is one of what is known as the “hard sayings of Jesus.” Jesus reveals things to us in this text that we must wrestle with.

But as always, what we may think or feel is irrelevant. It only matters what the Word of God says. Our opinions, however strong they may be, do not hold any weight on the Word of God. We are about to read Sacred Scripture. This is a weighty thing that we are about to do. We must not take it flippantly. Let us not take this lightly. We are about to read God’s Word. God help us.

Introduction of the Text:

Open with me to Matthew 11:20-30.

Reading of the Text:

Matthew 11:20-30 20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

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. 27 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. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Prayer:

Our Father, forgive our pride. forgive us if we approach this lightly. Forgive us if we do not tremble before you. You are holy God and we are but lowly sinners. We are in desperate need of you. We need to fall before you and tremble and beg for forgiveness.

Lord, help us. Help us to understand your Word. Help us to apply your word. Help us to never take it for granted. Help us to live holy lives. Lord, if anyone is here who is not saved, save them today. God I pray that you would work in hearts today. Reveal yourself to us today.

Lord I ask for your help today. I am not able to preach this text today. I need your help. I especially need you to guard over my mouth today of all days. As I stand here in your pulpit to teach your sheep, I need your help. Do not let me lead these people astray. Do not let me say anything that is untrue of you or your word. Help me be faithful. Lord, help me not to speak anything against you.

We ask these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Introduction:

As I said earlier, this is a very hard sermon. We tend to ignore passages about judgement. We want passages about hope and grace, but there are hard truths in this passage directly from Jesus. Because of our tendency to skip over the hard things, we miss things in these passages. We do not see important things in Scripture because we skip right over passages like this one. We see woes and our minds just turn off, but this must not be!

We must pay close attention to these woes. The woes within Scripture cannot be missed of paid any less attention to than anything else. And is what Jesus does in this passage. Jesus pronounces woe.

1. Jesus Pronounces Woe.

Explanation:

But what is a woe? A woe is a word from a prophet pronouncing judgement. It is a terrifying thing. A prophet declares that God is going to bring judgement and destruction. Woes are also very common from prophets in scripture. Positive prophesies started with “Blessed.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” But when a prophet started off by saying “Woe unto you...” the people tremble.

But who are these people that Jesus declares His judgement upon? Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are all villages by the Sea of Galilee. But more importantly, they are places that Jesus has done His miracles. Jesus has done many miracles in these places, more than are recorded in scripture. But beyond this, these place were places that had refused to repent. They were happy with Jesus doing mighty works there, but they would not accept the message and repent.

But what about these other places? What of Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom? Well, Tyre and Sidon were both gentile villages that were known for their Idolatry and wickedness. They were corrupt and sin filled. The had brought idol worship and sexual immorality to Israel in the past and they still carried connotation in the minds of the Jews. To give you an idea, the wicked queen Jezebel was from Sidon. This was not a good place.

But perhaps what is most shocking it that Sodom is mentioned. Sodom was a great city that God had wiped off the map with fire and brimstone during Abraham’s time. God destroyed them. He sent fire and brimstone from heaven and left nothing of Sodom.

Jesus declares this woe against the cities He has been in because they have refused to repent. He says that if He had done these things in the wicked and pagan cities, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. This is truly deep hearted repentance. They would not have sort of repented, they would have repented to the extreme degree.

Because of this, Jesus says that it will be better for these wicked and pagan places on the day of judgement than for those who have heart the gospel and refused to repent.

Argumentation:

We see hard truths in this passage.

Judgement day is coming.

The nature of judgement.

Eternal.

Torment.

It gets worse.

a. God’s Varying Judgement:

Explanation:

Jesus says that it will be worse for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum than for Tyre and Sidon.

We see here the varying judgment of God.

God’s wrath will be worse for some than for others.

God’s wrath will be worse for those who have heard and rejected the gospel than for those who have never heard.

Argumentation:

God will Judge all.

God will judge all according to their sin.

God’s judgement is not all equal.

All have sinned and deserve hell.

Those who do not repent and turn from their sin will face hell.

Hell is not an equal plain of punishment. There are differing punishments.

Hell will be worse for those who hear the gospel and reject it than for those who never hear.

We often object at the idea of those who have never heard going to hell. We think it is unfair.

All are sinners. Sin is what damns us to hell.

We seldom of think of the varying punishment.

If you are hear under the teaching of the gospel and rejecting it, it will be worse for you than for Sodom.

Jesus says this in a parable in Luke 2:48 “48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”

This is a powerful statement.

b. God is All Knowing in Salvation:

Explanation:

Jesus knows what would lead Tyre and Sidon to repentance.

Jesus knows what would have kept Sodom from being destroyed.

Abraham’s prayer of “even if 5 righteous people”

Argumentation:

God is omnipotent. He is all knowing. This includes salvation.

He performed miracles in Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum and they refused to repent.

He knows that if He had performed these miracles in Tyre, Sidon, or Sodom they would have repented.

He knows what will bring people to repentance yet does not offer mercy to all.

We all know that salvation is limited. We are not universalists.

There is no way to remove from the Bible the fact that people will go to hell.

We have even in this passage acknowledged that Jesus is talking about people facing judgement and hell.

But this passage is expounding how salvation is limited.

We like to think that we limit it. All people have equal opportunity to accept the gospel. But this is not the case.

God did not take the gospel to the people of Sodom or Tyre or Sidon, even though they would have repented.

This is a hard truth.

If God knew how to bring them to repentance, why didn’t he?

If God knows how to save all and does not, is God unjust?

Romans 9:14-24

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 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?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

We have no right to answer back to God.

God is primarily concerned with His Glory.

We idolatrously think that God is primarily concerned with us.

Transition:

This is not an easy truth. This is why I preach in an expository manner. The Word of God determines what I preach on.

I want to be able to say with Paul that I preached the full counsel of God. I did not skip the hard truths of sacred Scripture.

Jesus then transitions from His woes to rejoicing and thanking God. In doing this Jesus shows us God’s will in salvation.

2. God’s Will in Salvation.

Explanation:

Jesus begins to rejoice and prays to the Father thanking Him.

He thanks Him for hiding these things from the wise and revealing them to little children.

It is not the wise or learned who understand the gospel but the humble.

Jesus then says that all things are handed over to Him

Jesus has all authority.

No one knows the Son except the Father. No one knows the Father except the Son.

We see the intimacy in the members of the Trinity.

If the statement ended here, we would be hopeless. There would be no hope of salvation as salvation only comes through knowing God.

And anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Here is our hope.

a. God is All Powerful in Salvation:

Explanation:

And yet we see God is all powerful in salvation.

It is not the learned or wise who come to faith in Christ.

We cannot work our way to Him.

It must be revealed to us as little children

How is it revealed?

It is revealed by Jesus to whomever He chooses.

This is echoed in John 6:43-44 “Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Unless God draw you, you cannot be saved.

Illustration:

We do not like this image do we?

We want God to be under our power, not the other way around.

We picture salvation like this:

We sinners are drowning, paddling for all we are worth. We can barely keep our heads up.

We are sinking, but God throws us the life-jacket. We grab on and are saved.

We like this because were it not for our grip on the life-jacket, we would have died. God played His part, but we played ours.

However, this is not what salvation is like. We are not sinking, and swimming. We are already dead. Eph 2:1 2 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”

Dead. We can do nothing to save ourselves. If the life-jacket were thrown to us, we wouldn’t be able to grasp it.

We need to be brought to life. This is what God does. He brings us to life.

Argumentation:

As I said, we don’t like this idea. We want God under our power; we don’t want to be under His.

We want to be able to say “God couldn’t save me unless I let Him.”

This is pride and arrogance.

We feel that we must contribute something. We must bring something to the table.

We do bring something, our dead, filthy, wretched sins. All we have to offer God is unrighteousness.

We have nothing good to bring. Salvation cannot be at all attributed to us. It is 100% the work of God. It is not 99.99999% His work and 0.00001% ours. It is 100% His.

We want to be able to say “God couldn’t save me unless I let Him.” But the truth is, We couldn’t be saved unless God called to us.

This is the gospel. Naked, dead, and poor I come; light, life, and love thou gives.

Calvin says on this passage, “ The meaning therefore is, that no man can obtain faith by his own acuteness, but only by the secret illumination of the Spirit.”

Transition:

But I do not want to communicate that you should just know that God is in control of salvation. I want you to know that resting in God’s sovereignty brings peace.

b. Resting in God’s Sovereignty brings peace.

Explanation:

I have heard some of you attempt to pick on me by saying that “sovereign” is my favorite word.

You’re darn right sovereign is my favorite word!

Without God’s sovereign election I would be lost and bound for hell.

True peace is found in God’s Sovereignty.

God’s Sovereignty is the only reason I can sleep at night.

J.C. Ryle echos this sentiment on this passage saying “THERE are few passages in the four Gospels more important than this. There are few which contain, in so short a compass, so many precious truths. May God give us an eye to see, and a heart to feel their value!”

Jesus closes this section in the famous verses of Matthew 11:28-30 by saying “28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Remember the context, it is vital. Jesus has laid out the judgement for those who are lost and the great judgement for those who reject the gospel, and then He has laid out His sovereign election.

Now He lays out the beautiful picture of rest for all those who come to Him.

Illustration:

Jesus uses the image of a laborer who is tired and worn down from his work.

Jesus will give you rest.

Jesus uses the image of oxen who are yoked.

it was the common practice to yoke a new ox to an old one so that the old one could teach the new one.

Jesus says He is a gentle and good teacher.

His yoke is easy. It is not hard.

His burden is light. It is not heavy.

Argumentation:

Yes the sovereignty of God is one of the dearest doctrines to my soul.

It gives me rest.

It teaches me to fear and love God.

It guides me gently.

I honestly believe that the sovereignty of God is the most beautiful doctrine in all of Christianity.

The sovereignty of God removes burdens.

We can simply be faithful and trust God with the results.

As I preach, I am not responsible to soften your hard hearts.

I may just be faithful and leave the results to God.

I do the best I can. I pour out my very heart before you each week, but I can then trust God to bring the harvest.

We can trust He will call those He chooses too.

If I pour out my heart to you beloved, and in your hardness of heart, you reject God, I can have courage to remain faithful.

If I pour out my heart to you beloved, and you respond in faith, then I cannot take any credit. It was God who drew you and called to you.

But most of all, the sovereignty of God gives rest.

My salvation is not on me.

I did not save myself. I do not keep myself saved.

I can courageously walk the pilgrim’s way and trust God to hold onto me.

If God gives salvation, nothing can take it away.

My soul leaps within me at this thought.

My soul echos what Paul speaks to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8-12 “8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.”

Or what Paul says in Romans 8:31-39

“31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Application:

I pray that as you go from here you cling to these truths as one clings to life itself.

Dear Christian, are you tired? Are you burdened? Are you broken by the cares of this world? Beloved, cast your cares upon God.

Cast Your Cares Upon God.

In Him and Him alone can you find rest.

If you have been trying to find rest and satisfaction in anything other than Christ, you have been doing so in vain. It is hopeless.

Come to Christ. Find your rest in Him.

If grace alone saved you, let grace alone be enough to sustain you.

But there are some hard things in this text.

Should we not preach to people because God is sovereign?

By no means! We must follow the example of Christ!

We must share the gospel!

We Must Share the Gospel!

Jesus shared with Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum even though the did not repent.

He did great and mighty works there.

He shared the message of repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.

God’s sovereignty is no excuse to not share the gospel.

We are commanded to share the gospel with all.

We must follow Christ’s example.

“If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect, I would go around lifting shirts. But since he didn’t, I must preach “whosoever will”; and when “whosoever” believes, I know he is one of the elect.” — C. H. Spurgeon

May we too follow this example. We do not know who God will draw, we must preach to everyone and trust God with the result.

You Must Respond.

I leave you with this; If you are here and have not repented of your sins and trusted Christ as your savior, you must do so.

If you do not, Christ’s warning to these towns will be true of you.

If you hear this gospel and do not repent, it will be better for Sodom, Tyre, and Sidon on the day of judgement than for you.

I beg of you, repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Do not delay. Confess your sins to God and believe that Jesus is the only way to be saved and you will be saved.

Close in Prayer:

Doxology:

Closing Benediction:

May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and sustain you all until we meet again. Amen.