Sermon: Rest For The Weary Series

Sermon: Rest For the Weary

Scripture: Matt 11:25-28 “At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. 26 Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way! 27 “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Introduction: Matthew 11 follows Jesus' instructions to the apostles about taking His message and miracles to the towns of Israel. The disciples accompanied Jesus as he continued His own ministry of teaching. Jesus answers a question from John the Baptist, Are you the messiah or should we look for another? Jesus gives a wonderful answer to John’s followers. First, tell John what you have seen and tell John what you have heard. Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on: The blind see, The lame walk, Lepers are cleansed, The deaf hear, The dead are raised, The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.

Then Jesus gives strong witness to John the Baptist and ministry God had given. He concluded by saying, there no one born of a woman greater than John. Then he testified against the perverseness of the Jews. They refuse to accept John because of his rough style and mannerism. They consider John a loner, who lived in isolation. Jesus came being social, eating and drinking and they also rejected Jesus as a winebibber. He was a friend of sinner. The gospel was revealed in a simple and clear way, through messengers God chooses to send. When we reject them we reject the God who sent them.

Now being kept in prison, with an uncertain future, John must have been confused and heavy-laden. The influence of his ministry seems so limited. He is probably wondering, where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently? Has it been worth all the loneliness and sacrifice? After John's disciples leave, Jesus speaks to the crowds about John the Baptist with words of high praise. No one who has ever lived is greater than John the Baptist, Jesus says, He is the fulfillment of prophecy, God’s Elijah sent by God to prepare the way for the Messiah.

Though there are none to compare with John, every true minister of God can relate to the feeling of doubt, discouragement, and weariness. Weariness means to be exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness. It also means to lose heart or faint. When people get weary there is a temptation to give up; to become disillusioned, to give in to evil, to turn coward and leave the assignment. Believers must resist the human tendency of growing weary in doing the will of God. We have a duty as the elect of God to use our spiritual gifts in His kingdom enterprise.

I am amazed that Jesus, our blessed Redeemer never became too weary of his labor of love. He ministered to mass crowds, taught the disciples at night, rose early in the morning for prayer, faced relentless opposition and never gave up. Jesus found a rhythm in ministry. He knew when to work, and when to rest.

Have you found your rhythm in ministry? We should not be weary of well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Many struggle to find the proper rhythm for their lives. They react to one emergency after another. They rush to and fro, accomplishing very little. When they are at work, they think about home; when they are home, they are thinking about work. When they are tired, they think about vacation, when on vacation they about home. When you add ministry in the mix, they are tired, always tired. They get up tired and they go to bed tired. What about you, Do you feel drained, exhausted or overwhelmed? Do you question if there's even a point?

After three years of pandemic, economics uncertainty, civil unrest, wars and rumors of wars, inconsistent church attendance and so much more, what a great Word from the Lord. It is a comforting Word. Many are carrying a great load. Many are battling with everything that is within them. Yet, they fail to find rest in their own strength and effort. Jesus says three things, He says “come”, “take”, and “learn. That is all anyone needs to know about how to deal with the pressures of life.