Matt. 11:28-30
Intro: Ever get tired?/Ever feel a need for rest? Ill. Our vacation
left me more tired than before! We are a weary people because we rush from one
activity to the other. We work long hours and fill our calendars with too many
obligations. The fact that we need rest makes this invitation from Jesus so
very appealing.
Look at verse 29b – “rest for your souls”. He
is not talking about physical rest, but He is talking about spiritual rest.
Most people are weary in their spirits today. Henry David Thoreau said, “Most
men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Many are troubled and agitated in
their souls, and they try to find rest in all the wrong places. Some look to a
mate/ a bottle or a pill/ friends/ pleasure/ entertainment/ a job/ money.
People look everywhere and try everything in the effort to find rest for their
souls. No thing and no one in this world can give you the peace and rest you
seek.
While people run here
and there trying to find peace, Jesus says, so simply and so calmly, “Come
unto Me, and I will give you rest.” There is a place of rest; a place
of quietness; a place of peace and His name is Jesus. He invites you to come to
Him to find the rest your soul seeks. People are looking, running, seeking,
struggling, striving, fighting, loving, rushing, searching all in an effort to
find what only Jesus Christ can give.
There is a place of
rest for the weary soul and that place of rest is Jesus Christ. In these
verses, through a series of commands, Jesus invites you and me to enter that
place of spiritual rest. Let’s examine His invitation as I try to preach on the
though There Is A Place Of Rest.
I. v. 28 THE CALL TO SALVATION
A. The Plea He Delivers – That is the essence of salvation.
Salvation is coming to Jesus! It is not coming to a church, a creed, a man, a
denomination, an altar, a baptistery, a new way of living, etc. Salvation is
coming to Jesus, **1 John 5:12; **Acts 4:12; John *14:6; Acts 16:31. (Ill. He invites “All” – Anyone who sees their need of
a Savior can come to Jesus and they will be saved, John 6:37; **Isa. 1:18; Isa. 42:3; Heb. 7:25.) (Ill. Come
to Jesus!)
B. The People He Describes – He is referring to those He has
been dealing with in this chapter. Some are struggling under the burden of
doubt, v. 1-6, the yoke of religious
legalism, v. 7-19, and the bondage
of sin, v. 20-24. He wants them all
to know that they can have rest!
1. You can see your doubts
put to rest – ***1 John 5:13 –
Come to Jesus!
2. You can be free from
legalism and self-righteousness – Ill. The Jewish religion and the
oppressions of the people by the Pharisees – ***Matt. 23:3-4; 15:10 – Come to Jesus! (Ill. All of your efforts can
never please God and earn you salvation – **Isa. 64:6; **Eph. 2:8-9.)
3. You can be free from the
bondage of your sins – **Rom. 6:6-14
– Jesus has the power to set you free! (Ill. If you want to be free come to
Jesus!)
C. The Promise He Declares – “rest” = “quietness,
calmness, peace, refreshment.” All those who come to Jesus are given
rest.
1. We are given peace with God - (***Rom. 5:1;) 2. Rest from our attempts to please God - Eph. 1:6 3. Calmness concerning our salvation - **Rom. 8:16; 4. Quietness about our future - **John 6:37; John **10:28; 5. Refreshment for our journey - (***Isa. 40:31) (Ill. If you want rest, come to Jesus!)
II. v. 29a THE COMMAND TO SURRENDER
(Ill. Salvation always precedes surrender. Ill. Can’t live like a
married man until you are married. After you are saved, you should live like a
saved person. A yoke is a wooden implement designed to allow two oxen to pull a
load together. It harnesses the power of both oxens to the load they are
attempting to move. Ill. The image of the yoke was also used to speak of submitting
to the instructions of a teacher.)
A. We Must Surrender To A Person – Jesus wants us to surrender
to His control in our lives. He desires that we bow to His authority. (Ill. He
has the right to demand this – 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 14:7-9; 2 Cor. 5:15.) Does He have the reigns to your life?
B. We Must Surrender To A Partnership – Jesus is saying, “Get
in the yoke with me.” He is not calling us to walk alone; He is calling
us to walk with Him. He knows that we cannot live this live on our own. He goes
with us and enables us to live for Him as we yield to His control in our lives,
**Gal. 2:20; John 14:16-18. (Ill. We
are not in this thing alone! True rest in the Christian life comes from
surrendering to His control.) (Ill. Little boy, his dad and heavy bucket.)
III. v. 29b-30
THE CHALLENGE TO SERVE
A. v. 29a Our
Pattern In Service – Jesus tells us to look at His example. He is
gentle and humble, completely yielded to the Father’s will. Jesus was sent to
this world to serve, Mark 10:45. While we are not saved by works, we are
clearly saved to work, **Eph. 2:10; James
2:18; **Titus 2:14. (Ill. The word “learn”
is the same word that is translated “disciple”. Jesus is looking for
people who will lay everything on the line as He did and serve Him with no
reservations –** Matt. 16:24; Luke
14:25-27; ***Phil. 2:5-8***.)
B. v. 29b Our
Peace In Service – When we trust Jesus by faith, we are given rest, v. 28. When we serve Him faithfully, we
find rest. There is a rest that gives us peace with God and peace of soul.
There is a rest that comes from serving Him. There is a joy, a fulfillment, a
happiness that can be found no where else in life. There is something special
about being in the center of His will for your life. If you want true
commitment, come to Jesus for salvation, yield to His will for your life and
serve Him faithfully. The fullness of peace and rest are found under the burden
of His yoke. (Ill. To be accepted and used of the Lord is a blessing beyond
words!)
C. v. 30 Our
Promise In Service – The word “easy” means “fits well”. Ill Jesus was
a carpenter. He will design a yoke that will fit us perfectly. His burden is “light”.
As we put our shoulder to the path He has chosen for us, there will be burdens
along the way. But, we will find that His yoke brings peace, joy, satisfaction
and fulfillment and that every difficulty in life is turned to our good by His
grace, (***Rom. 8:28). As we walk
with Him, we are aware that our trials here will work for our glory there, (**2 Cor. 4:17;) (**Rom. 8:18).
By Pastor Alan Carr
Pastor Rolando Ramos
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