A New Way To Live

Matthew 11:25–30 NASB

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes.“Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight.“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.“For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

Matthew 11:25–30 CNVT

就在那時候，耶穌說：「父啊，天地的主，我讚美你，因為你把這些事向智慧和聰明的人隱藏起來，卻向嬰孩顯明。父啊，是的，這就是你的美意。我父已經把一切交給我；除了父沒有人認識子，除了子和子所願意啟示的人，沒有人認識父。你們所有勞苦擔重擔的人哪，到我這裡來吧！我必使你們得安息。我心裡柔和謙卑，你們應當負我的軛，向我學習，你們就必得著心靈的安息；我的軛是容易負的，我的擔子是輕省的。」

INTRO:

Funny invitation story(a dad invited me to his house but only to try and set me up with one of his daughters:awkward) that was an invitation I should have refused!

BUT

This afternoon Jesus gives us an invitation that we do not want to refuse! We’ve all had invitations we might have wanted to refuse.

MAIN IDEA: We can know God as Father and have rest for our souls only through the revelation that Jesus Christ brings.

Main Point of Text: Jesus alone reveals God to be a Father and reveals Him to be a Father who brings us rest from our labor and our burden of sin.

We’ve been asking this question: how we stay devoted as disciples of Jesus in an age of distraction?

Last week we saw that it begins with believing that distraction is destructive and believing that Jesus alone can deliver us. Not busyness, not more serving, not doing more things for Jesus, but first allow Jesus to serve you, through His grace, through His mercy.

This week Jesus brings us an even deeper revelation.

POINT 1: Jesus alone reveals the Father 耶穌啟示天父

CONTEXT: Jesus is rebuking unbelief. In opposition Jesus begins to praise the Father. In the midst of opposition we can still praise God. Jesus shows us why:

The Authority of the Father

25: At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants.

Jesus reminds us that there is no secret revelation that the Father does not know. There is nothing that happens that is outside the mind or the knowledge of God the Father. He knows all things, and He sees allthings, and He is sovereign over all things in your life.

Church family I know the temptation we can all feel at times like this to get drawn away into theories, videos, books, or movements that claim some sort of special revelation. Right now we have conspiracy theories, ect. No different back then. You had groups that were claiming “special and hidden revelation”.

Jesus praising God why?

Hidden: concealed from being able to see

These things? What things?

From wise:people who are characterized as wise intelligent: people who are characterized as intelligent Revealed: to make known

infants: people characterized as simple or infant Jesus begins by praise God the Father for hiding “These things” from people who are considered to be intelligent or wise and the Father has revealed them to people who are considered to be simple or childlike(key word)

What does it mean that God has hidden “these things”?

Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers from seeing. IT’s not that everyone started out seeing and God holds something over their eyes. No this spiritual blindness is judgement from our sin. Our sin and satan blinds us from seeing the glory of Jesus. Have people do an exercise: walking around with hands over their eyes, acting like they really see! You don’t! You can’t, unless someone comes and takes the veil from your eyes. And Jesus alone brings this revelation of God as a Father. This was what was happening in this context. People were witness the miracles of Jesus, they were seeing Jesus’ glory being displayed and yet they would not believe. So Jesus says hey Satan has blinded the minds and hearts of those who don’t believe. Yet there are some, for whom this knowledge is revealed: who are they? For so many people when they think about God, they picture some tyrant in the sky, throwing down lightning bolts, or they picture some stern old white guy, or maybe they picture a lifeless idol, or a military conqueror, BECAUSE it is only through the revelation that Jesus Christ brings, that we are able to know God as a Father. Who is this revelation given to? Jesus says “infants”. (How do I plug this into what people are experiencing at home)

Right now if you have kids, or are in a home with kids, they are probably asking you right now, how long is Collin going to share for, can I get a snack, can we watch Netflix instead! Kids are in need of their parents. Kids know that they are not self sufficient but they need the care of their parents. Jesus says to us, for those of you who are self sufficient and wise in your own eyes these things will continue to be hidden from you. But for those of you who are child-like, who know that you are in need of a Heavenly Father, that you are in need of God doing something for you that you cannot do, these things are revealed.

Jesus alone reveals the Father!

27:All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him.

“all things” not just “these things” but all things!

Colossians 1:15 CSB

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:15 CNVT

這愛子是那看不見的　神的形象，是首先的，在一切被造的之上。

Colossians 2:3 CSB

In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:3 CNVT

一切智慧和知識的寶庫都蘊藏在基督裡面。

Jesus is the key to knowing the Father’s teaching, The Father’s will, the Father’s nature No one knows the Son except the Father

No one knows the Father except the Son and

Anyone! To whom the Son “desires” to reveal Him. But these who Father has been revealed by Jesus are called “infants” or “childlike” in verse 25

Jesus is telling us is that He is the key to know the Father. The only way to the Father is through Jesus. (hold my keys) you can’t get into my house.

Jesus says the same thing. It’s not buddhism, it’s not islam, its’ not in the name of science, to truly know the Father, we must come through Jesus! He alone reveals the Father.

Jesus tells Philip if have “seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Wow that means that as we take a long look at Jesus we can see the Father perfectly revealed in the person of Jesus.

Ask Mark to share, what does it mean for God to be your Father?

POINT 2: Jesus alone brings true rest for our souls.耶穌帶領安息

Something about rest.

But there is tension here in Jesus’ words. He says that ONLY the Father knows the Son, and ONLY the Son knows the Father, and anyone the Son CHOOSES to reveal Him to. So how do we get in on this “exclusive club”? IF only The Father, Son, and The Spirit know each other perfectly, then how do we get in?!! How do we receive this special revelation?

The more and more we study the Gospel the more and more Jesus stands high above and set apart from any other religion. Other religions will say that if you want deeper revelation you have to do certain works, you have to pay money, you have go to a fortune teller and pay money, you have to bai bai, or maybe only the spiritually elite can get this special revelation. But what Jesus? What does Jesus say to us?

Right now where you are. Trying to watch this thing online, trying not to be anxious over COVID, what does He say?

“Come to Me.” I’m the key, I’m the way, I am the truth, I am the life.

Come to Me. You don’t need to go to the temples anymore, you don’t need to hurt yourself anymore, you don’t need to try and pay money anymore, just come to Me. This is the ONLY one, who can reveal the Father to us! He is giving you an invitation that you and I do not want to refuse!

Who is this invitation for? Only the spiritually elite? Only the super christians? Only the one’s who have cleaned themselves up? Only those who have done enough good works? Quite the opposite.

All of you. If you feel tired, weary, and heavy burdened. IF you right now, feel tired. Tired of the sin that exists in our world, the division that we see. Weary from understand that you can’t save the world from this destruction. But also you are weary because you know you can’t save yourself either. So you are carrying this heavy burden(illustration:walking around with kids,ect) because you can’t get it off of you! You’ve tried. You’ve gone to the temple, you’ve come to church. But Jesus didn’t go to the temple, He didn’t just go to church. IF you want rest for your soul, if you want this burden to be lifted, you must go to Jesus. Go to Jesus. Anyone, and everyone is welcome.

Why Don’t we come to Jesus?

29Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Do you find it interesting that Jesus offers weary, heavy burdened people an instrument of work? A yoke. Jesus invites weary, burdened people and gives them an instrument for work. Do you see the irony here?

Yokes are for farming, not for rest. So Jesus offers tired workers what we think we need the least: a instrument for work!

Yet, look at the beauty of Jesus’ invitation. The yoke here has two meanings: one it is an instrument for work. It ties two oxen together and it allows for things to be carried easier. The other meaning of the word “yoke” is that a Rabbi’s teaching would be called a “yoke”.

Do we see Jesus’ invitation here? Jesus is saying the most restful gift HE can offer us, is not just a vacation, not simply a nap, but an entire new way to live. A new way to carry the burdens of life. One author said that instead of offering “Escape” Jesus offers equipment.

What is this yoke? His ways, His teachings, His message.

Essentially Jesus is saying that His invitation to you and to me is to come to Him as the Lord of life, and that coming under His Lordship, as His disciple, living in ways, receiving His message, something begins to happen. We find true rest for our souls.

Other yokes, other ways of life, will rob you of your joy, and ultimately your soul.

Jesus says “so what if you gain the world. You have all the toys, have all the money, have all the success, but ultimately you lose your soul.”

And we feel that. We have been living under a different master. Could be the master of success, the master of sex, the master of image, the master of greed, whatever, and it is robbing you of your joy, your soul, your life

Here is the reality we are all giving ourselves over to something or someone. But Jesus says come to me and learn from Me. How does Jesus describe Himself?

Gentle and Lowly.

So here in this text Jesus alone reveals to us both the authority of the Father “Lord of heaven and earth!” But also the affection of the Father “gentle and lowly”. That’s what we all want isn’t it? We want a dad, who is both sovereign over all things that are going on right now. We need to believe that all things in the heavens and on the earth are under the authority of our Dad. But also a Dad who is gentle and affectionate with us. Jesus gives us both.

*****Mark, when Jesus offers you rest for your soul, what does that mean for you?****

By coming to Jesus and living in the ways of Jesus we find true rest for our souls. Not just a nap, not just a vacation, but a new way to live.

ILLISTRATION

“Learn from ME.”

Are we learning Jesus? What this means is that as a disciple Jesus’ words are meant to have ultimate authority in our lives. Church Family I understand the temptation to allow other ideas or things to have authority in your life. Sometimes we can be ruled by fear, by conspiracy theories, by the news, by the stock market, but Jesus says if we want to find rest for our souls, then we must have Jesus’ words reigning in our hearts.

Are we both hungry and humble? Are we hungry to learn about Jesus or are we content just staying in immaturity? Are we hungry to grow in Christ?

(illustration?)

I love the word here “learn”. It’s not come to Me and then be immediately transformed into the perfect disciple. Jesus understands our frailty as humans, and He says come and learn. Being a disciple of Jesus is not about perfection, it is a process. We are learning Jesus. Are you learning Jesus?

Are we learning together? Who are you learning Jesus with? Ask yourself this question.

GOSPEL福音

The only reason we can take Jesus’ light burden and make it ours is because HE took our heavy burden of sin and made it His. (This is the Gospel)

Here is the question: how can anyone, how can Jesus invite anyone! Especially those of us who are weary, heavy laden, burdened with sin and distraction live this kind of life? The only way we can take on Jesus’ burden which is light, is because Jesus takes our burden of sin to the cross. That means that Christian, you don’t ever have to carry around the burden of sin, shame, guilt, your past mistakes, because Jesus has already carried that to the cross! You can now trade your burden of sin, for His burden of grace, mercy, peace, and rest.

The picture of a yoke is two being yoked together. We are toked together with Jesus, carrying the burdens of life, carrying the worries of life, but Jesus is doing most of the heavy lifting, not you. Before we carried this all alone, but now Jesus has already carried it to the cross and is carrying it with us now.

1 Peter 5:7 NASB

casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 CNVT

你們要把一切憂慮卸給　神，因為他顧念你們。

God Remembers You

Genesis 8:1 CSB

God remembered Noah, as well as all the wildlife and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water began to subside.

Genesis 8:1 CNVT

神顧念挪亞和所有與他一同在方舟裡的走獸和牲畜；神使風吹過大地，水就漸漸退了。

APPLICATION

How Do we Do this?

I want to give us some practical application: spiritual disciplines/bible meditation

Bible Meditation: so important right now(look at your screen time right now). I’ll tell them mine to be honest: we need more bible meditation and less Netflix meditation. Meditation is the bridge between bible reading and prayer. Let’s take the yoke of Jesus and let Him rule and lead us through this time together.

Really press into Spiritual Disciplines during this time.