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.
This is a fulfillment of many prophecies. It had not been seen on the scale.
Yet many still did not believe, especially those in His own cities. Why? We mentioned a few but I believe most of all because they had a religious system that blinded them. They were blinded by what they expected and tried to achieve.
He closes this passage with what I want to conclude this message with.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Mat 11:28)
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. (Mat 11:29)
In other words, lets trade.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Mat 11:30)
Trading my sorrows lyrics by Darrell Evans
I'm trading my sorrows I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
We say
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Amen
I am pressed but not crushed
Persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I am blessed beyond the curse
For His promise will endure
That His joy's gonna be my strength
Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning
The Message
"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)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Mt 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
Pharisees
Matthew 23:15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
God’s desire is that we come to Him. Get away with Him and spend some time with Him. Notice this promise that you will recover your life.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)
2 Thessalonians 3:13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden..." The rules and expectations of religion often weigh a person down. I'm referring to the man-made, self-imposed rules of religion, not the instruction of God's Word. It's the duties of religion (with no grace) that wear people out.
I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Holy Spirit the Comforter
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
(Joh 14:16)
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (Joh 14:26)
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (Joh 16:7)
“…So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6.
Rip tides is waves that build up around the shore and is forced back out into the ocean.
You can’t fight against either wait it out or get out of it.
29 Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it.
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
Unforced – not coherced, forced,
Rhythms – systems, routines, part of having grace.
Grace – that which we do not deserve or can earn.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
But Jesus said, "I'll show you... Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace." Jesus had an unforced relationship with the Father. It wasn't based on duty or rules. He trusted the Father and the Father trusted Him. In the scriptures, we don't really see Jesus stumble (except for His honesty in the Garden of Gethsemane when He asked if the cup could be taken from him). Yet even this is a picture of unforced rhythms of grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. NKJV “My yoke is easy”
And notice He said, "I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you." Another translation says, "My yoke is easy and My burden is light." It's interesting that He used the word yoke. Dictionaries define it as an animal harness or restrictive burden. Yet He said His "yoke" (what we assumed to be a restrictive burden) is really very easy and light. Jesus was describing our assignment. His yoke is our assignment... what He's given us to do in life.
This is individual and universal. God's Word is our instruction manual for life. It contains guidelines and instructions to help us maneuver through this world successfully. You would think true freedom would be found under no yoke at all, but the opposite is true. When there's no help, no direction, no vision, we wander into danger and traps. But under the gentle yoke of our Maker, He keeps our foot from stumbling and leads us to lands flowing with milk and honey.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
MSG 13 No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
But besides the universal guidelines found in His Word, every believer also has an individual assignment. This yoke is easy and light. If your assignment seems heavy and burdensome, maybe you're in the wrong assignment. It shouldn't be ill-fitting. For example, in marriages husbands and wives have different assignments; what is meant to be a mantle for the man is a yoke to the woman. But too often, the woman either doesn't trust her husband or the husband lightly esteems his assignment as head of house, so the woman picks up the slack and it quickly becomes a heavy yoke -- one God didn't design (or grace) for her.
The yoke of religion can have the same effect. Unforced rhythms of grace only come through a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we yield and depend on Him, that is when we are the strongest. He said, "My grace [My yoke] is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in [your] weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, paraphrased). When we feel worn out or on the verge of burn out, it's a sure indicator we have either been doing things in our own strength or trying to carry out an assignment God didn't give us. So check yourself: Are you weary and heavy laden? If yes, walk with Jesus and work with Him. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
30 Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
(Mat 11:28-30)
I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2Corinthians 12:9-10
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.” I Samuel 17:44-46
