Come to Jesus

It is a great privilege to be up here to bring the word to you this morning. I do want to say at the outset before I begin that I’m grateful for you all and your hospitality to my family. It’s been a tremendous blessing. I know my wife considers that to be a true statement by 110%. She has greatly benefited from the fellowship that she’s received here, along with my children in the Sunday school and all of those things. It never ceases to amaze me.

This is the second church that I’ll be leaving from on a job. And at that time, that was in Houston, it was quickly and immediately apparent, as soon as you set foot in that church that you were At home, you’re in unity with one another. A unity found only in Christ and we share that unity together with joy. So I wanted to give you that exhortation, thankfulness expressed towards you. One thing that certainly evident of this good and healthy church is that you love the Lord, your savior, and you express it to those coming and going.

Thank you for that. So, our passage this morning, found in Matthew chapter 11, verses 25 through 30. Let us read together. Oh, I must say on the outset, I apologize. I do not have an NASB, and I forgot to consult with Ron, so you have to forgive me. It’s an ESB, and we’ll work together on that.

At that time, Jesus declared, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my father, and no one knows the son except the father, and no one knows the father except the son, and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Let us pray. O gracious God in heaven, we thank you for this portion of scripture that depicts a loving Savior calling out to those that are lost and imploring them to come to him for rest. Lord, I pray that today you will show us the need for that Savior. You will cause us to rejoice as those that are in that Savior. And for those that are not, I pray that they will find such rest today. Lord, please be with your word as it is preached. In your son’s name, amen. Amen.

What I am constantly aware of, especially as I raise my own children, and many of you know doubtlessly, that no one needs to teach them how to sin. When we first had Benjamin, I realized that after a year or so, but after we had more, I realized it almost immediately, that our sin nature, that we are born into is our greatest need to be dealt with. When we’re born into sin, as is the result of Genesis 3, the fall of man from Adam, we are born at enmity with God. We have a desperate need to have sin dealt with, otherwise it will damn us to hell.

Now this is very pressing indeed. Now the reason I want to emphasize that is because if you don’t know your need, how are you to understand and see so rich a Savior because we have a rich Savior before us in Christ. And so that is what I want to present to you this morning. There are two types of people that I’m addressing here today.

There are those that have come to Jesus already and understand their need and have found their need and rested in him. I want to encourage those people. Then there are others that are still at war with God. They still do not understand he has come and called them to himself, to be saved, to put away and repent of those sins. It is necessary for us to understand this.

So what I sought to do, now that I’ve told you where we’re going, let’s begin by giving a slight historical context because I want us to understand a little better of Jesus’s mission and who he is. And ultimately what you’re going to see is that he is God and he has come to save sinners. So let’s look really briefly at Matthew 1.

You all remember, as we oftentimes see this passage during Christmas time, in chapter one, verse 21, speaking of Mary, who will bear a son, she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. which means God with us. Now already you’re beginning to see God’s plan unfold for the salvation of sinners. Now, if you’ve gone through the Old Testament, which I’m sure many of you have, you see on the outset, on the horizon, these things approaching, as many had looked forward to.

But let’s keep going. In Matthew 3, verse 17, here God is speaking at the baptism of Jesus. And behold, a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased. This is going to be important because we’ve already read the passage in verse 27, that the son and the father are one. Now, Matthew 4. In Matthew 4, 1 through 11, I debated whether to read this whole thing, but I want us to get a grasp Mainly I want us to focus in on who God or who Jesus says he is. And it’s implied in his answers to Satan throughout this temptation. So then Jesus was led up by the spirit in verse one into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

And after fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, if you are the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Then the devil took to him to the holy city and set him on a pinnacle of the temple and said to him, if you are the son of God, throw yourself down for it is written, he will command his angels concerning you and on their hands they’ll bury you up lest you strike your foot against the stone. Jesus said to him, again, it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory and he said to him, all these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, be gone Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.

Then the devil left him and behold the angels came and were ministering to him. Now you starting to understand you see the picture of who Jesus is. But you also recognize through the midst of these passages and this rebuttal to Satan is it is he is the only one who is to be worshiped. And as man and women born into sin We don’t worship God as we ought to. At MWPB Godly, we think of ourselves as God. We are at war with God. We worship ourselves.

That’s in a nutshell, but let us continue. As we look through this trajectory of who Christ is, because we’re plopping right down almost in the middle of his ministry in chapter 11, let’s see one more time in verse this prophecy in verse 14 of chapter four.

When he begins his ministry, he comes out of Zephylum and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light.

And for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. Now from there, you have the Sermon on the Mount through chapters five through eight. In chapters eight through nine, you see many miracles and works. In chapter 10, you see the disciples who are called and commissioned.

Then again here in chapter 11, where we find ourselves. In this particular case, We see chapter 11 with the entrance of John inquiring if this is truly the one we’re looking for and Christ answers him and goes immediately after that in this discourse about John, he goes and denounces the cities in which all these works have been done who did not repent. So that is the beginning of the backdrop of where we find ourselves at that time in verse 25.

But there’s also another portion of context that we need to understand also. There’s a parallel text that is almost verbatim in Luke. And we must draw attention to it. Turning pages today. Luke chapter 10, it puts the context a little more clearer. There are certain portions. Now, they’re not at war with one another. Matthew is not opposed to Luke. They had different perspectives and brought out different things for us to understand.

If you look in verse 21, it says, in that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you’ve hidden these things from the wise understanding and revealed them to the little children. Yes father for such was your gracious will all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows who the son is except the father who the father is except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.

Now in this particular context here that Luke expresses this comes immediately after he had 72 that he had sent out prior returned back to him. I must go back and explain that. So if you go and see and compare these two gospels together, Christ sends out the disciples in Matthew chapter 10 and he also sends out the 72 in Luke chapter 10. Part of the difficulty I found was that we’re in the timeline was at that time, was it immediately after he denounced the cities or was it after the 72 returned. Now I think they go slightly together, but in this particular case, I want us to draw attention to, in this way, that this happened after the 72 returned, after they came back rejoicing that they had success in their ministry. But let’s back up for one verse in chapter 10 again, because it helps build the context of these two parallel passages. In verse 17, the 72 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, now I want to draw our attention here. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you. That’s all well and good.

But rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Now, that is the backdrop I want to draw our attention to, is the salvation that Christ is calling out, as we’ve read already, is come to me in the backdrop of all those disciples. that were sent out from him, they are to rejoice, not from the success of their mission, but by their names being written in heaven. They are known by God. So let’s return now again back to chapter 11. So consider this in response. not only to the denouncement of the cities who did not repent, but to also the willingness of disciples to humble themselves, repent, and become Christ’s disciple, and be sent out by him.

They’re saved by him. So you see, there’s already a contrast beginning to build. At that time, Jesus declared, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Now let’s look at this contrast here.

We all think that wisdom is a good thing, and it is. There are many scriptures that discuss wisdom and understanding in a good light. They are something to be sought after. You’ll see that all day long in the Proverbs. So what’s going on here? What is this wisdom and understanding that that he’s hidden. Or I should say that from the wise understanding, he’s hidden these things from them. If they’re wise in understanding, why can they not understand it? Why is he only revealed it to little children? Is it simply the little children?

No, I think we understand that there’s more going on here. Now, there are many passages that we could go and investigate and explain the difference, but I will simply do this. We will look at one Proverbs that explains, I think, in a helpful way, of what the difference is between who is truly wise and understanding and who are little children.

Now if you look at Proverbs 3, 5 through 8, it begins like this, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Now we’re starting to see a clue of what this wise understanding is. that he’s in reference to. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. He will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Now this should start getting the juices flowing and how it parallels with our passage. Because we’re just itching to get to the rest that he provides.

Are we not? This burden that we have in sin needs to be dealt with. And part of the problem with our sin nature, as we’re born into it, is that we think that we don’t need a savior. In a sense, we think that we are wise. We think that we have it all figured out. We think that I’ve got the success here, I’ve got strength, I’ve got What have you?

You fill in the blank. But in reality, if you do not see your need, you’re not wise at all. And that’s what Christ is saying. You have no understanding because you do not understand who you truly are in front of a holy God who has created you to do such a thing.

So the little children, let’s see the other side of this conflict. What does it mean to be like little children? It’s not like we can make ourselves small again, or like Nicodemus when he asked the question, how can he be born again? Do you go enter a second time in your mother’s womb? Of course not, that’s not what Christ was saying. How are we to be little children? Children are dependent, are they not? You raise them, you know they can’t survive on their own. They need to be taken care of. That’s one thing, they’re dependent. as we ought to be dependent on Christ. Second thing is they trust, willingly, usually.

But for this particular example, I’ll use this. It struck me a long time ago, as I was throwing up one of my sons, I throw them all up in the air. Some of them, the daughters, grew a sense of fear. But not at first. When you throw them up in the air, there’s a happiness, there’s a thrill, there is a trusting notion, an unafraid notion that you will catch them and everything will be fine. To come with that faith knowing that I’m going to be taken care of by my father, that is to be like a little child.

And the last thing I have here is children, they need to be instructed. Now, I’m alluding to this portion of Scripture that Christ says, take and learn from me. Children need to be instructed. When you’re born, you don’t know how you ought to live. You need to be taught these things. Well, the same is true as so many preachers who have gone before me have taught us about our sin, about our need, and about our Savior. And the same thing applies here. The implications are clear throughout Scripture, again, Many examples in Proverbs about instructing children. You have Deuteronomy 6 and 11.

You’ve got Ephesians 6.1. All the implications are there that children need to be taught. And so this is how we are to be like little children. The necessity to be taught and not be wise in our own eyes thinking that I understand how to be saved. It’s keeping the law. I do this. I’m a good person. So what’s so bad with me? Now then, that was the first point. And that first point, I must say, I was remiss to tell you, was to whom salvation is to be revealed, which is to those who are not wise in their own eyes, but to be little children.

And now we see in point two that Christ has unity with Father in that salvation that he imparts to those. Let’s look at verse 27. all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him now you see this all things have been handed over to me you see it again in Matthew 28 the last the authority has been handed over to him what i want us to understand in this particular passage now is that Christ is stating that He and the Father are one and the Father’s gracious will is in accordance with His will as He chooses to reveal Himself. Just as Christ declared in John 10 30, He says, I and the Father are one. And inevitably, those who come to know Christ know the Father. They are known by the Father. So salvation comes through the Son.

There is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved. So in the context of the disciples being told what to rejoice in, if you remember back in Luke 10, is not to rejoice in the results, but rejoice in the fact that your name is in heaven. In that context, to have their names written in heaven is to be at peace with God. Be at peace with God the Father through the Son.

They are known by name. Now we’re starting to begin as we realize what it means to labor and come and find that rest in Christ. There are many things that we could preach on in this passage, and I’ll touch on it again later. But let’s not be deterred, as so many often are, by the statement to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Because in the next verse, We don’t sit there and waffle with ourselves, well, did I get chosen? Am I chosen? Will I ever be chosen?

It’s not Christ’s intention here. We see his intention by this continuation in verse 28, when he says, come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Recognize it’s indiscriminate. He’s not saying, ah, you’re very, I’ll take Josh, the rest of you, it was nice. Not what he says. No. All who labor.

Now, if we’re knowing anything at all about ourselves, and scripture says if you don’t have sin, or if you say you have no sin, you’re a liar, an honest man recognizes they labor, don’t we? Do we all labor and are heavy laden, weary from the effects of sin? A thousand times over, not to pick on Josh, but he knows this, since I worked with him, I can get a little cantankerous.

Work is sometimes frustrating. And the effects of other people or however that takes place, the difficulties of being a boss. I noticed from when I first started here to near the end where I’d get more and more agitated and easily agitated and frustrated. And then it got even more frustrating that I wasn’t handling it as well as I used to.

Sin is so difficult, that warfare that we have to deal with the sinful notions that come and go. Now that’s a sermon for a different time, but the point is this. Our circumstances, though they may be rooted in physical nature like our work, you can remember from Genesis 3, but it ought to tell us, it ought to show us.

I’m tired of sinning, aren’t you? I’m tired of having to war with it. And Christ says, come, all who labor are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. And that rest is immediate. It’s not coming in the mail, coming now. It is rest from Christ. So it is for those encumbered with their sin. It is for those who are lost and have no hope. It is for those who Christ has called repentance. It’s for those who Christ came, even the cities that he denounced. That’s who are laborers and are heavy laden.

So how do we acquire the rest? Well, we’ve alluded to it already. From Christ. Learn from Christ. that says, is gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. It almost seems like there’s two stages to this rest. There’s this immediate rest that comes from knowing Christ, and then there’s that continual rest that he applies to you as you weary yourself in combating sin and living a Christian life. I believe that’s the case here.

Because as Christians, we are learning, are we not? We learn at first from the beginning and then we continue to learn. And so Christ still continues to apply that rest. And I’ll test you that I found that again to be true as I prepared for this whole week. By learning from Christ, who does not hinder you, He declares that you will indeed find rest for your souls. That is a promise. And as a promise, he will not fail that. Has there ever been a promise of God that has fallen short?

The short answer and the only answer is no. Let’s examine this yoke. What is this yoke that Christ entreats us to take upon? We all know, or we should, maybe we shouldn’t, I don’t know. I assume that most people know what a yoke is. But a yoke is something to put on a team of oxen or cattle for pulling heavy, heavy loads. Pulling up the ground. Getting ready to plant seed. Hard labor. Long days of labor. That’s what the physical yoke was used for. One helpful commentator says a metaphor is The yoke is a metaphor for one person’s subjection to another.

So when you take this yoke upon you, let’s go back and look again at this word discipleship. Why were they called the disciples in the first place? Well, here’s the answer. They took on Christ, they were learning from him. They became disciples, they took on his yoke. And that’s why they could rejoice because their names were written in heaven. They took on Christ’s yoke.

This isn’t the yoke of trying to earn your salvation through the law of Moses, no. As we know throughout all of scripture, the perpetual blood of the lambs that continue to be slaughtered because the sins continue to be committed, never once could they fully atone for that sin. And yet the promised seed, as we saw, would satisfy that debt. It is no longer to be a slave to sin, but instead to be a slave to Christ. It means trusting and obeying Christ, knowing that you no longer need to earn that favor, because Christ has earned it for you. And then he says, take and learn from me. And how are we to do that? Well, we have his scriptures. We have his word. The truth will set you free. This is the true truth.

No more dressing yourself up. Be good enough. Sometimes maybe you could resonate. I would fall prey to this myself. or you fail, you’re like, I just don’t feel like going to church today. That sounds familiar. Like, I am not holy enough to come to church today. I need to feel better about myself first before I can come to church and worship God. He won’t accept anything I have to offer. That is being wise in your own eyes. That is not taking on Christ’s yoke. That is not learning from Him. That is still walking around with that burdensome old yoke upon your neck.

One of my favorite verses to tell the children because it’s so applicable each and every time is first John 1 9. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Love that portion about being just and doing it. As he has satisfied it entirely. He is willing and able and you can come freely to it.

Well, that was through the third point. I’m gonna have to get better at these points, but that’s all right. In closing, I wanna say this, Christ’s offer of himself, of salvation to those that come is without discrimination. I wanna remind you of that.

He does not peddle his gospel but offers himself freely. So as I’ve said before, be truly wise by being truly humble. And come to Christ with your burden and exchange it for his. In the Messianic chapters of Isaiah, you see a similar passage that I would be remiss not to share with you. It’s Isaiah 55, verse 1.

And he says this, come everyone who thirsts, come to the waters and he who has no money, come buy and eat, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labor for that which is not satisfied? Listen diligently to me. and eat what is good and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear and come to me, here that your soul may live.”

Let’s pray. O gracious God in heaven, I thank you for this morning. I thank you for your word. I thank you for the truths that are expounded so richly in it, inexhaustible truths of your goodness and your mercy and grace to us. I pray that you will teach us that you desire mercy and not sacrifice. and that we can come to you freely, casting all our burdensome sins upon you.

We have no other way to be saved but to call upon the name of Christ. I pray that from this time forth, we can again, for those that do know you, go from these doors with joy and spread that joy to whoever we come across. And for those that are still wrestling and warring against you, Lord, I pray that you Break their hearts. Break the pride. May they see the wisdom that is in Christ. Come to you. They will have no remorse for coming to you. In your son’s name.