Come Unto Me

Title: Come Unto Me

Introduction

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you 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."

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Mat 11:28-30)

Matthew 11 begins with John the Baptist sitting in prison. He had started out with a bang. This man dressed in sackcloth and eating ashes went around preaching repentance and people followed him. They came from every where to be baptized by John. Then to cap it off there was Jesus, his cousin, but also his Messiah. John baptizes Jesus. The Holy Spirit comes down, like a dove. The father speaks from heaven, what a glorious event. This had to be the pinnacle. Then the crowds began to leave. It was ok they were following the Messiah. But then Herod gets angry at Johns preaching repentance. Heard had taken his brother’s wife and John called him out. John is thrown into prison.

Days, weeks and months passed. He went from being the famous preacher to being the one lost and basically alone in prison. Maybe he thought Jesus would deliver him out of prison. Finally his gives into his doubts and he sends word to Jesus,

And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Mat 11:2-5)

Then Jesus says these words:

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

(Mat 11:6)

Offended – to fall away, to stumble. Blessed is the one who does not stumble and fall away because of Jesus.

What causes doubt?

Different expectation

Becoming too familiar with what God is doing and not who God is.

When the systems/plans/duties seems to be broken?

(IOW God throw a wrench in out plans)

Honest answer Lord I believe, help my unbelief!

Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."

(Mar 9:17-29)

For the rest of the chapter Jesus sends a rebuke and judgement to those who are listening but not believing. Their heart is hardened even after seeing all the works. All the prophecies being fulfilled.

Mat 11:5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.