Dr. Tom Doubt, Senior Pastor
Four Mile Creek Baptist Church
February 15, 2004
FIND A PLACE TO LAND
BACKGROUND:
A. Illustration: It was a long day in 1985, I had taken a night flight from Helsinki to Moscow. A colleague joked about hoping the old Russian jet make it all way. The flight was turbulent that stormy night; making me wonder. The Aeroflot stared its slow descent, making a right turn pattern for landing at Moscow’s airport. I looked out the window, very few lights could be seen below. There were no lights suggesting we were near Moscow International Airport. The plane turned to its final approach. Still no lights. At the last second the runway lights came on. Later I was told because of a shortage of electricity lights were not turned on until needed. I could not see the airport, but the pilot knew exactly where to land.
B. Storms of life can wear us out, cause our spirit to be weary. Jesus offers us a safe place to land, even if we cannot see it at the time. The Lord makes a generous offer to give us rest at the conclusion of His prayer.
Read: MATTHEW 11:25-30
INTRODUCTION:
A. We have been examining the 5 F’s of dealing with engine failure.
1. Last week we learned to FLY with Jesus when our spiritual engine sputters. When aloft in an airplane, though the engine stops, we still have to fly the plane. Most storms of life never occur when parked in a safe hangar. They occur instead when we are out & about, up & away, from safety. So we still have to keep going, keep flying.
2. The 2nd F then is to FIND a suitable place to land.
a. The obvious preference would be to fly back to our home airport that we know & love.
b. In reality that may not be the best place to land.
c. Thus, we have to make some critical choices of how & where to land.
3. Exactly the same situation can occur in our spiritual life. Crisis & turmoil arise, spiritual engines fail, we need to find refuge & safety. Having learned the need to keep flying with Jesus, our next step is to find a safe place to land.
a. Our preference might be at home with mom & dad.
b. That may not be possible, or even best solution.
c. So we need a better plan, one based on what God’s Word has to say.
4. When look for a landing on our own, we may make bad choices.
a. What looks safe may contain hidden dangers.
b. A straight stretch of road may appear safe, but overhanging power lines can be fatal as you try to land.
c. Stress & uncertainty can produce anxiety & fatigue.
B. How will we ever find a safe place to land?
1. By following the prescription Jesus gave us.
2. No matter how bad the spiritual engine failure, no matter how far we seem to be from safety, God has the right landing place for each & every person. For each and every situation.
THESIS: The best way to land safely when the spiritual engine fails is to follow 5 action verbs:
COME to Jesus (v 28).
He GIVES rest for weary & burdened (v 28)
TAKE His yoke upon us (v 29)
LEARN from His gentle & humble heart (v 29)
FIND rest for our souls (v 29)
MESSAGE:
A. “COME” TO JESUS IS AN IMPERATIVE VERB FORM.
1. The reason it is imperative: Lord is reaching out to those who weary & burdened (v 28). “Weary” comes from root word in Greek meaning “to beat your breast in grief.” “Burdened” comes from a figurative root suggesting to overburden with ceremony. Both words, then, remind us how often we cry out in frustration from going through motions that go nowhere.
2. Illustration: I competed in the Reston Triathlon on cool rainy day in September, 1988. I finished in the middle of the pack after the 1.2 mile swim, but passed many other athletes on the 24 mile bike leg. Early into the 6.2 mile run my back began to cramp. Out of nowhere this young gal passed me, running effortlessly like gazelle. My male ego told me not to let her get ahead, so I picked up my pace. About a ½ mile later I heard a noise behind me. It was my tongue dragging behind me. I had allowed myself to become weary & overburdened.
3. When our spiritual engine fails, Jesus has what we need. Eternal life (John 5:39). Bread of life (John 6:35). Living water (John 7:38). Only the Lord can find the right place to land, a place of rest.
B. HE WILL “GIVE” US REST IS A VERB OF PROMISE.
1. The rest Jesus promises to give is not one of inactivity.
2. It is not an escape from work; nor a stoic attitude in unsettled times.
3. The significance of rest offered by the Lord is in pause, recovery, and refreshment.
4. Pause: stop what you are doing & come to the Lord. Just like when the crowds were overwhelming the disciples; Jesus told them to come with Him to a quiet place, to get rest (Mark 6:31). Just like when He said to stop doubting & believe (John 20:27). Just like His promise to proclaim freedom to prisoners, to give recovery of sight to the blind (Luke 4:18).
5. God also promises to refresh the weary, satisfy the faint (Jer 31:25).
6. Illustration: Max Lucado tells of an airplane trip where he was in seat 14-D, next to a woman in 14-E. Max was a professional traveler, he had work to do during the trip. He said the woman made him feel like he was sitting next to Gomer Pyle’s mom. She was excited about everything, curious, and talkative. She asked about the type of plane, what river was that below them, and even loudly proclaimed her pleasure that they put mayonnaise on her sandwich. Mid-way through the flight, Max realized she was the only one enjoying trip. At their destination, she said to Max, “Son, you worked the entire trip; you need to relax, enjoy the journey.” She was right. It does little god to make the trip & miss the journey.
C. “TAKE” THE YOKE OF JESUS UPON US IS A VERB OF JOURNEY.
1. “Yoke” => couples 2 things together, where one is under the authority of another.
a. Rules often are man-made yokes that weighs us down.
b. The yoke of the Lord is easy, the burden is light (v 30).
c. It is relationship, not rules, that is the yoke offered by Jesus.
2. When we take His yoke, remember we will get connection, direction, and resurrection.
3. CONNECTION to Jesus, the head from whom the whole body grows (Col 2:19).
4. DIRECTION by whom our footsteps are directed (Prov 20:24).
5. RESURRECTION that unites us with the Lord forever (Rom 6:5).
6. Once we get connected, we grow, we follow His lead, and we are united by His power.
D. TO “LEARN” FROM HIM IS VERB OF PARTNERSHIP
1. Learn from His gentle & humble heart means we have no panic in a storm. A gentle & quiet spirit is of great worth in God’s sight (1 Pet 3:4). We need to learn to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
2. Everyone who listens & learns from the Father, comes to Jesus (John 6:45).
3. Cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Pet 5:7).
4. Illustration: A young Husky was put into a dog sled team. The young dog decided to jump up by himself; he tugged & pulled alone on the harness until he was exhausted. Tired, he sat down just as the of the team started to run; the ran right over him. When he finally got back on his feet, he thought he could outrun the old lead sled dog, but all he achieved was getting choked on his collar. Then he saw a short cut, and veered to the right; the harness snapped him back. By now the young Husky was hating life; tired, hurt, and bruised. The old sled dog said to him, “come & learn how I do it.” The young Husky ran at pace, in line. After a moment, he said, “Hey, this easier than it looks.”
5. Learning can result in wisdom when we submit to the partnership of God.
E. THEN, WE “FIND” REST FOR OUR SOULS, A VERB OF FULFILLMENT.
1. The soul finds rest in God alone (Ps 62:1).
2. Fear of the Lord leads to life, then one rests with contentment (Proverbs 19:23).
3. Be at rest O my soul, for Lord has been good to me (Ps 116:7-8). The Lord has delivered my soul from death. My eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
4. The best place to land when our spiritual engine fails: in God’s quiet rest.
5. Illustration: John Thomas Oaks is musician in NYC [www.oaksengine.com] . On a chilly November, in Manhattan, he was playing at the Starbucks Café on 51st & Broadway. Others had said it was the most lucrative Starbucks in the world; tips were good if you played your tunes right. John was playing tunes from the ‘40’s to ‘90’s on his keyboard, and doing back up singing with his partner. He noticed a lady in chair swaying & singing along with “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Afterwards, she apologized for singing. John asked if she would like to sing the next selection. She asked if he knew any hymns. John picked His Eye Is on the Sparrow. Everyone in Starbucks listened attentively as they sang: "I sing because I’m happy, sing because I’m free. For His eye is on the sparrow & I know He watches me." The people in Starbucks gave her thunderous applause. She turned to John and said, It’s funny you picked that hymn. It was my daughter’s favorite. She was 16. She died last week of a brain tumor. I’m gonna be OK. I keep trusting the Lord & singing His songs.” Was all this just a coincidence of time, place, people, and a hymn? Hardly, if you believe in how God intervenes in our lives at just the right moment.
6. God has been arranging encounters in human history since the beginning of time.
7. No coincidence He found just right place for us to land. For a grieving mom in Starbucks, a struggling musician, & coffee drinkers. The melody goes on after the Lord lets them find a moment of rest.
8. If you know anything about reading music, you know there is no music in rest mark, but there is making of music in the rest. The melody of our life is broken here & there by rests. Foolishly we think we have come to the end of the tune. But this rest mark is merely an interlude as God finds a place for us to land, for the melody to go on. Our obligation is to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at rests.
9. Trust Lord to guide us to safe landing
DECISION:
A. For seekers: remember that Zacchaeus was called out of a tree (Luke 19). He was uffering spiritual engine failure. Jesus led him to a safe place to land. A place where he came to know Jesus as Savior. God has the same kind of landing place picked out for you, if you will let Him lead you.
B. For believers: maybe you are like the prodigal son, you know the Father, but have left His house. You have tried life on your own until your engine failed. You want to return home. Remember the story? The Father saw the prodigal son at distance, and guided him to his home. Are you ready to let God guide you home?
