Series: Demands of Christ
COME UNTO ME
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
The first two messages on the demands of Christ was: You Must Be Born Again, and Except Ye Repent. The focus of both these demands is there must be a Change in your life if you are to inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Today, we want to focus on the demand, “Come Unto Me”. Again this command is all about change: Change in the direction of life as well as change in the quality of life.
Why Jesus Came Into This World
Jesus Came to Save the Lost
(Luke 19:10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus Came to Give Abundant Life
(John 10:10) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus Came to Minister to the Hurting
(Matt 20:28) Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto,
but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
WHAT JESUS PROMISES TO THOSE WHO COME
1)Come Unto Me And I Will Give You Peace (Matt. 11:28-30)
Harrison Ford: The actor whose movies have grossed over 2 billion dollars said, “you only want what you ain’t got.” What ain’t he got? “Peace!
(Pastor Jim Botts , “Rest For The Stressed”, Matt.11:28-30, Sermon Central)
Our world has become the world of the Red Queen of Alice and Wonderland: “Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that.”
Apparently we’re all experiencing the rat race. Just when you thought you were getting ahead, along come faster rats. But remember, he who wins the rat race is still a rat.
--Rest/Peace from the Burdens we put on ourselves
“labor” (kapiao: Pres/Active/Ptc: to be tired or weary, as the result of hard or difficult endeavor - ’to be tired, to be weary.’ )
(Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain. © 1988 United Bible Societies, New York.)
--Rest/Peace fromthe Burdens placed on us by another
“heavy laden” (fortizo: perfect passive participle; to place a burden upon, to load:… to load one with a burden (of rites and unwarranted precepts), Luke 11:46; ýpefortisme/no$ ý’heavy laden’ (with the burdensome requirements of the Mosaic law and of tradition, and with the consciousness of sin), Matt 11:28.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, PC Study Bible formatted Electronic Database. © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.)
2) Come Unto Me And I Will Give You Purpose (Mark 1:17)
(Mark 1:17) And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you
to become fishers of men.
3) Come Unto Me And I Will Give You Provision (John 6:35; 7:37)
(John 6:35) And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
(John 7:37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
(Isa 55:1-3) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
(Rev 22:17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
4) Come Unto Me And I Will Give You Power ( Matt 14:26-29)
26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM RESPONDING TO
JESUS’ COMMAND TO COME?
1) Fear of Giving Up Something
2) Fear of Failure
3) Fear of the Unknown
4) Fear of Ridicule
We Never Have To Fear To Come To Jesus because…
•He will never ask us to come unless He has something better to give
•He will never ask us to come unless He has first made a way.
Whatever the obstacle between you and Him He will remove it.
•We will never experience the blessings without taking the first step by faith.
CONCLUSION
Charles Spurgeon said “The message of our gospel is the gentle word, "come." Our Lord says, "Come unto me and I will give you rest." The law says, "Go and do." The law says, "Go and take heed to your path in which you walk. Break the commandments and perish; keep them and live." The law drives men with a whip; Christ draws men with bands of love. The law repels; the gospel attracts. Christ is the good shepherd who goes before His sheep and says, "Come, I will give you rest."
• Those laden with financial burdens
• Those laden with physical burdens
• Those laden with emotional burdens
• Those laden with sorrow and grief
• Those laden with the guilt of sin
