The date was
August 15, 1930. On that day, a 45-year-old New York State Supreme Court Justice named
Joseph Crater, after spending an evening eating out with friends, hailed a taxi
and was never seen or heard from again.
It
remains one of the most mystifying Missing Person cases in FBI files.
The
FBI immediately suspected
a kidnapping by someone who held a judicial grudge against Justice
Crater.
But
that didn’t seem to pan out. They then suspected Mafia activity because Justice
Crater was an enemy of the Mafia. But, again, that led nowhere.
There is only
one clue which remains to this day.
When
Mrs. Crater returned to their apartment the evening her husband disappeared,
there on the table was a large check made out to her and a note attached to the
check in her husband’s handwriting which simply said,
I am very, very
tired. Love, Joe
Maybe
you can relate to Joe Carter– tired and stressed out in life thoughts of
Checking out!
A)62%
of Americans are regularly dealing with stress –
Those
most likely to deal w/ stress are those in their 40’s
C)One
San Diegan is trying to help the Cause – just recently opened - Sarah's Smash Shack
1)$20.00
– for a ½ hr – Unload some stress
There
are many factors in life that can drive us to exhaustion and weariness
A)Young
parents with kids in diapers
B)Older parents with teenagers –
wondering when is your real child going
to return back to normal
1)Demanding
Job or boss
C)Many things that will
leave you Physically wiped out –Seeking rest and reprieve.
I
heard about a lady who had to go to the dentist for a root canal – she plopped down in the seat breathed a big sigh and smiled
– the dentist looked at her puzzled and said – are you ok – she said yes – it
is finally nice to just relax –
D)You know that something is
really wrong when a root canal is considered relaxing
“Life is like wrestling a Gorilla – you don’t rest when you get tired you rest
when the gorilla gets tired – problem is the gorilla never seems to get tired.”
E)But
there is a weariness much more draining than physical fatigue.
Physical
Fatigue is one thing – Emotional and Spiritual fatigue is the worst
No
matter what the fatigue and weariness you are dealing with today there is
something way better than Sarah’s smash Shack
A)Jesus offers to you a
great invitation and if you take him up on it –
It
will Change not just your week but your life forever!
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."
A
great invitation that promises a wonderful result
Note Several things about this invitation!
#1
The invitation of Jesus stands in absolute contrast to the religious systems of
man.
A)Religion basically says, “DO!”
Every
religious
system of man is all about what man must do in order to get to God.
B) “DO!” was the
mantra of the Pharisees
1)THAT
is one of the reasons they were so opposed to Jesus, who rather than say “DO!”
said, “COME!”
C) In
“For they bind heavy burdens, hard to
bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them
with one of their fingers.”
“They crush people with
impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.” NLT
A)The
religious leaders of the day had constructed endless pages of religious demands
– that completely missed the heart of God
B)They
had constructed a religious system that was like a ladder with a million steps
to get to God.
1)
Jesus completely ignored that ladder when – he said the words come to me
C)Genuine Christianity is
NOT about what we might DO in order to be saved.
1)Salvation
is NOT found in DOING
D)Salvation is only in a
Person, Jesus Christ.
{ FINISHED TE TELESTI } DONE !
Being
a Christian is all about COMING to the PERSON of Jesus.
A)Trusting
in His work upon the Cross – make you right before God!
SO
#1 These words of Jesus stand in absolute contrast to the religious systems of
man.
#2 NOTICE
what the invitation is to.
A)He did NOT say, “Come to
religion,” or “Come to church.”
B)The Son of God is inviting
you to come unto Him.
C)Church…
Religion… is not the END.
1)Church
should ONLY and ALWAYS serve the purpose us pointing us to Jesus.
Mamma where is the man who never
lets us see Jesus
D)If your focus or
attraction is me or some other vessel here – then I am not doing our Job -
SHEEP DOGS – Point you to Jesus – Get to know Him – fall in love with Him – want
to serve and please Him
#3 Notice WHO is invited?
28Come unto me,
all you that labour
and are heavy laden…
A)Jesus
was certainly speaking to those who were exhausted and burdened down under the
weight of RELIGION and LEGALISM –
B)Trying
to relate to God on the basis of works.
Am
I doing well enough for God to love me… accept me?
1)Such stuff CRUSHES men and women.
C)Religious systems create burdens – Performance
treadmill – never run fast enough never stay on long enough.
But the invitation also speaks to those who are burdened
under the weight of their sin.
(Psalm 38:4 For
my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy
for me.
A)Picture of a man drowning under the burden of sin 1)This is a burden that people try to be free from at any cost and by
any means.
B)They try to rid of it
through religious efforts
C)They try to be rid of it
by re-defining sin so as to not feel guilty
D)Some will try to ignore or
escape their sin thru Drugs or alcohol indulgence
1)But
as soon as the Buzz wears off you realize you are right back where you started
ONLY
Jesus who can remove THAT weight.
A)Because only Jesus bore the weight of the sin of the world on the
cross!
B)Religious
effort can not remove that weight
1)Moral
reform can NOT remove that weight
C)No
church can remove it.
ONLY
Jesus can remove the burden of sin! The
guilt that goes along with it
The
invitation also goes out to those who are living under the unbearable weight of
trying to gratify every selfish, self-centered desire!
A)Living to
please self is another huge Burden that constantly goes unsatisfied!
B)Have
you ever noticed that the pp who have what you really want don’t seem to be
happy
C)We live in the world of the next thing – the
latest and the greatest – except most of us can’t afford to upgrade all the
time – computers cars kitchens – what ever
D)Something
I have noticed – the guy with the latest model is happy until the new latest
model comes out –
1)or
until he discovers – there are one or two things that His new car / iphone/ computer/ whatever doesn’t do – This
would be perfect if it just did this
E)When you goal is life is
to please yourself at all cost – that becomes a burden that you just can’t
lift.
Now
Whether you are talking about the burden of trying to please self
A)The burden of sin
B)The
burden of religious performance
1)Or
whatever the burden is that you are personally carrying
2)You
can seek reprieve at the smash shack or you can respond to the words of Jesus
today
Jesus says V. 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest.
A)Literal
translation –I will rest you – I will lead you beside the still waters – I will
restore your soul
B)Like
a Champion race horse – race after race – rough 3 yrs into of being beaten and
pushed – now led out into the pasture – not beat and pushed anymore but now
pampered
C)See the pressure of the
race has been replaced by the pleasure of grace
1)We
come to Jesus – we benefit from His race –
D)Author and finisher of our
faith –
1)Running
in his tale wind - we enter his victory
– we rest in Jesus and thru him we bear fruit
Runners
world mag – Runners make the incorrect assumption –
“It is common for serious
runners to make the assumption that once the soreness in their muscles and
joints is gone then they are recovered –but 1,000’s of microscopic tares in the
muscles can take 4-6 weeks to fully heal.”
E)In other words true
healing takes more than a pause it takes – true rest
1)Same
is true emotionally spiritually - Only
the grace of Jesus can produce that true rest
Invitation
to Come to Him
The invitation
to COME is followed by an
invitation to TAKE. V.29 Take My yoke upon
you……………, and you will find rest for your souls.
A)We
often think of the fact that Jesus was a carpenter.
B)
The
carpenter in that day wasn’t framing up two by fours to build a house
1)Most
houses in His day were made of stone or mud brick, and tile roofs.
C)Jesus
might have made tables and Chairs – but the primary wood work of the carpenter
living in rural
D)The yoke was that wooden
harness that they put upon the oxen so that they could pull the plow.
Common Custom:
In order to
train a younger smaller Ox – a farmer would Yoke him with an older bigger OX
A)The pressure and weight
was put on the older ox – the younger ox – learned the ropes.
B)That little bullock is being broken into the yoke but
he is not actually pulling any weight.’
C)Same is true with us -when
we are yoked with Jesus Christ.
1)He bears the load and we who are yoked to
Him share in the joy and the accomplishment of the labor but without the burden
of the yoke.
The
Invitation to take His Yoke is a call to be His disciple
A)He is calling us to serve,
but we work and serve in the strength which He gives.
B) He is always there beside
us pulling the weight for us, if we will only yield our lives to Him.
C)The only time the load
becomes overbearing is when we try to take over and do the pulling, or handle
the load ourselves.
It was Frank
Sinatra who used to sing, “I Did It My Way.”
A)I
am afraid that we all have lived out that song.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We
have turned, every one, to his own way….(Isaiah 53:6 NKJV)
B)Our
way can often lead to a lot of misery and pain.
C)EXAMPLE:
Trying to do marriage YOUR
way is a painful thing.
1)Trying
to do parenthood YOUR way can lead to a lot of pain.
2)Trying
to do business YOUR way can be
painful.
D)The simple truth is that
we were never MADE to run our lives.
1)We
were made to be governed by God. Led by God
The
Rabbi’s in
A)The Sirach
an ancient rabbinical writing
“Put
your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction.”
B)So the rabbi’s talked
about the Yoke of instruction 1)They talked about the yoke of the
torah...the yoke of the law, the yoke of the commandments.
C)Instruction was also on
the mind of Jesus because He adds this phrase V.29 Learn of Me
D)It is a yoke of submission to His Lordship, to His
teaching, to His instruction.
1)Yoke yourself
to me and led me bear the weight
Let me lead your
life – let me take you places you never dreamed possible
Then
Jesus adds this statement in V.30
V.30
For my Yoke is easy my burden is light.
A)The
word “easy” means “well-fitting.”
B)The ox would be brought to
the carpenter, and the measurements were taken.
1)
The yoke was then roughed out, and the ox brought back to have the yoke tried
on.
C)Best yoke – allowed the animal the
full range of motion without chaffing, the yoke was perfect for the ox
CRUCIAL APPLICATION: God’s will for your
life is a PERFECT fit!
A)The
will of God for you is not a burden to irritate you or hurt you; your task is
made to measure to fit you.
Eric Liddell – Made me fast
and I feel his pleasure when I run
B)Whatever
God sends us is made to fit our needs and our abilities perfectly.
God’s will for your life is more than who you marry, where you live, what your job is.
A)It is a calling that has been tailor made by the Creator
of the Universe for your life. Good at Creating
B)You discover what that is
as you YOKE yourself to Him
C)I
never dreamed of being a Pastor – now I know that is what God designed
me to be –
1)and
even in the times I feel not quite together – His grace – Perfect fit
D)As long as I am yoked to
Jesus – As long as I am looking to Him and letting him lead the more I realize
this is exactly where God wants me
D)The
Goal of Christianity is to Learn of Him
1)He
does all things well
New Believers Read gospel - Mark – listen to his heart – watch how he
treats people
A)Sees
the outcast with compassion – sees the hurting / Protects from the
religious leaders
B)His
heart toward you – The heart He wants to produce in you
C)Once
you fall in love with Him – read John – be captured by His glory majesty and
authority as God in the flesh
Close by considering this one statement
V.29 learn of me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart
A)Now this is interesting?
Jesus only Biographical statement. and
This is what He says of Himself.
B)Now
if you were God come in human flesh and you thought you’d let it out of the bag
a little and tell people who you really were,
1)how would you describe
yourself? Greatest !
“I’m
all powerful.” “I know everything.”
A)Isn’t
it amazing? “I’m gentle and lowly of heart.
B)
Gentle also translated – Meek
Meekness
isn’t weakness it is power under control – Stallion that has been Broken
C)Jesus didn’t need to be Broken – but he
humbled himself – what Lowly means
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being
in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but
made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in
the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus humbled himself and came to earth
in meekness – came to heal to mend –
A)Came
to represent the heart and love of God – Seeking savior came to seek and save the lost
B)Many pp have this idea of God was that He was up in heaven with
a lightening bolt in His hand –
C)
He is up there just waiting for them to mess up so He could throw lightening
bolts to throw at them! POW!
D)I used to view
God that way: He lived somewhere in the sky who was just waiting for me
to blow it so He could get me.
Well He was waiting to get me.
A)But it wasn’t for the
reasons I thought.
B)He
was waiting to get me so He could put His arms
around me.
C)
He was waiting for me so that he could take every burden I was laboring
under and take it upon Himself.
1)
He was waiting for me so that HE could teach me about Himself.
D)He
loves ME – LOVES YOU!
Jesus gives to all of us this great invitation!
A)Those
of you trying to do life/ marriage/ parenting
Friendship
on your own – Come to me
B)Be
yoked to me – Let me lead you – teach you – empower you –
1)Find
Rest for your souls – fruit for your lives
Jesus says to you today – Burned out by
religious performance – those burdened by Sin!
A)Come
to me - I will give you rest
B)Died
for you – Rose again – Life – Joy
1)Rest
in my Finished work