Christ’s Great Invitation
01-19-03 p.m.
Parkway Church of God(Holiness)
Matthew 11:28-30
Carla Foote’, Managing Editor of Leadership Media for MOPS has a whiteboard in her office and on that board she keeps a quote to inspire her. Recently she has been pondering a quote by Michelangelo, "Ancoro imparo"- "I am still learning." Michelangelo said this at age 87, after he had already accomplished amazing things in his life, his attitude was that there was still more in life to learn and discover! Wow! I trust this evening you will learn something from this message: Christ’s Great Invitation
In order for us to understand Christ’s great invitation I believe it will be necessary for us to split up this message into four parts!
The first part of Christ’s Great invitation is wrapped up in a four letter word and that word is...
I. COME v. 28 READ
One invitation that comes my way on a regular is the invitation to the supper table. “Come and get it!” Ellie, time to eat, Jake, wait for Momma,---- I don’t like to miss out on too many of those invitations!
The invitation that Christ is giving here is to come. Why do you think he is giving us this invitation to come as Christians? Well, He knows that we are made of dust and he knows that our labors will take a toll on us and He invites us to come! What has been your struggle lately?....Jesus says come! What load are you carrying that no one knows anything about.....Jesus says come!
The second part of Christ’s invitation is to....
II. TAKE v.29
Christ’s yoke, of which he speaks here is the yoke of Sonship! What is the yoke of Sonship? Well, for us to understand the yoke of Sonship we need first to understand what a yoke is and who is in the yoke with us!
Yoke—Israel, Haiti,
Now, that gives us an idea of what a yoke is so for us to understand verse 29 in it’s fulness we need to understand whose yoke it is that we are putting on...Jesus says here take my yoke upon you.... In the Pulpit commentary the writer says this yoke represents the responsibility we have as a Christian to put on Christ.
On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription: "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family so that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom." No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of His true followers. Bill Morgan.
My friends, Christ is urging everyone, in this Great Invitation to TAKE HIS yoke upon (Sonship) us.....and the good thing about it is if we take HIS yoke upon us we will.....
III. Learn v. 29b
Are you past the point of being able to learn? Some people never learn!
Two friends were sitting in a coffee shop watching the eleven-o’clock news. A report came on about a man threatening to jump from the 20th floor of a downtown building. The one friend turned to the other and says, "I’ll bet you ten bucks the guy doesn’t jump."
"It’s a bet," agrees his buddy.
A few minutes later, the man on the ledge jumps, so the loser hands his pal a $10 bill. The friend says "I can’t take your money," he said. "I saw him jump earlier on the six-o’clock news."
Then the other buddy said “Me too”..... "But I didn’t think he’d do it again!" Some folks never learn!
Ohio Motorist, quoted in Reader’s Digest, June, 1994, p. 72.
What does Jesus want us to learn by taking His yoke upon us!
He wants us to learn that He is gentle and lowly in heart.
It sure is nice to be around someone who is gentle, isn’t it!
Jesus was gentle! Many able teachers are hot and hasty, which is a great discouragement to those who are dull and slow; but Christ had the know-how to help those who were struggling and help to open their understanding! Just take a look at how he handled those disciples of His! He was patient, kind, and gentle towards that motley uneducated crew!
Jesus’ great invitation is to...
I. Come...unto me
II. Take...upon you my yoke
III. Learn....of me, gentle-lowly
IV. Rest....v.29c READ
Do you ever get tired physically? Ah sure you do. Is it possible to get tired spiritually? Evidently because Jesus says here in this passage that if we Come to Him, if we Take upon His yoke, if we Learn of Him....the result will be that we will find REST for our souls. Are you burdened spiritually? Are you tired spiritually? The great invitation of Christ says...Come, Take, Learn, and you will find REST!
There’s no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in a rest. In our whole life-melody the music is broken off here and there by ’rests,’ and we foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune...but my friends, it is not without design that God writes the music of our lives. It our obligation to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the ’rests.’ They are not to be slurred over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote. If we sadly say to ourselves, ’There is no music in a rest,’ let us not forget that there is the making of music in it.
What is God trying to make of your life? Have you responded to the great invitation?
Come
Take
Learn
Rest
