“COME AND REST”

HIS INVITATION TO HIS COMFORT

Matthew 11:28-30

 

Introduction:  I believe that we need always to understand the historical setting of a passage in order to get a better understanding of the passage.  This chapter is the chapter in which John the Baptist has some doubts.  He sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He is really the One promised by God to take away the sins of the world.  Instead of really responding to their question, he allowed them to make their own judgment in the matter.  He tells them to report to John the Baptist that the blind received the their sight, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf could hear, the dead had been raised and the poor was getting the Gospel.  What a report these fellows had to take back to John the Baptist.  Before someone could criticize John for asking such a question, it is wise to remember that John the Baptist was in prison at this time.  His life will soon be taken from him.  If prison would not depress a man or cloud his judgment, there is probably anything that could do it.

  I do not find John the Baptist ever questioning the validity of Christ again.  He went to his grave with the reality of Christ as the promised Messiah.

  Also in this chapter, Jesus makes sure folks understand John the Baptist for who he was.  Jesus did not take any criticism of John. 

  In verses 20-24, he pronounces divine judgment upon cities in which he had preached and done miracles in them.  This really proves that a great miracle ministry rarely turns a city around for Christ.  If Jesus Christ was not able to do it, how can we mere mortals expect to be able to do it?

  This is a simple overview of the chapter except those last three verses.  Jesus is giving another one of His great invitations.  He is dealing with those who are under a burden. They are under bondage.  They are in the battle.  The bondage and burden of Satan is more than we can bear.  We need someone to help us.  I was talking with a friend who told me that last week he went through a battle.  He said Satan was attacking him.  Here is the perfect solution to his problem.

  Before getting into my message, I want to explore three words that should give us a real insight in the One who wants to give comfort.  It is the three words found in verse twenty-nine. "Learn of me." This is an interesting sentence.  Why?  Or rather is possible to learn of Jesus Christ.  The journey of learning of Him is started with baby steps so to speak.  You have to settle in your mind who is really is.  If all you see is a good man who went about doing good and teaching good thoughts, then your journey of Him is going to be very short indeed.

  He is much more than a good man.  He is the God-man.  While He was on this earth, he was one hundred percent man.  He hungered.  He was thirsty.  He grew tired.  He ate.  He spoke. He walked.  He knew pain.  He knew joy.  Yet He was still one hundred percent God.  He knew all things that would take place. He had the power over the elements and the enemies of God.  He cured diseases.  He raised the dead.  Yet He allowed Himself to be limited.  He was only in one place at one time while in the natural body of a man.  (I believe He did this for another reason other than the obvious.  He showed us that no matter how busy or important we are or think we are, you cannot be but in one place at a time.) 

      Think about that statement: “Learn of me”.  What a lifelong commitment that would be! “Learn of me”. What a lifelong challenge that would be! “Learn of me”.  What an awesome command that is! “Learn of me”. What a perfecting completion that is! “Learn of me”.  What a peaceful calmness is this! 

  There are some many truths you can learn of the Lord Jesus. If you took the time to study and learn about all His names, you could have a lifelong quest on your hands.  Let me give you a few of His names that will make you hunger for Him.    He is the Beloved Son of God.  He is the Author and Finisher of Salvation.  He is the Good and Great Shepherd. He is the Bread of Life.  He is the Deliverer.  He is the First and the Last.  He is the Head of the Church. 

      When you learn of Him, you can find that comfort in knowing the God of the Ages.  He understood that they were laboring under the yoke of religion. He wanted them to move beyond the yoke of religion and be yoked to the One who does more than demand.  He is there to help. 

      I want to give you three areas in which He can and will give comfort.  He is the comforter.          John 14:16

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”

I.  HE GIVES COMFORT AND REST FROM THE BATTLES OF LIFE. 

                                                1^st Samuel 17:47

“And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.”

      Life has many battles.  Many of the battles we face are of our own making.  WE are our biggest enemy.  What are some of the battles we face? 

      We face the battles of loneliness or friendlessness.  We feel that we are all alone even in crowds of people.  We tend to forget those promises that we have from our Comforter.  He is the One who invites us to rest in Him.      

                              Isaiah 41:10

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

                              Isaiah 26:3-4

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength”

   We face battles of finances at times.  As I said earlier, many times they are battles of our own making.  Some people have not learned the secret of giving to the Lord.  They are selfish and only worry about self.  They would not care if this church would close down by the way they give to God.  So since they rob from God, they find themselves in dire straits financially.  God blesses those who are obedient to Him and His Word.  Cars still break down for tithers.  Washers still go out for tithers.  Home repairs are still done on tithers’ homes.  But they know they have not robbed from God to get these items done. 

                              Malachi 3:8-10

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

      We face battles of the flesh.  This battle will continue until you go to Heaven and you get that glorified body that is like unto His Body. 

                              1^st John 3:1-3

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

                              Romans 7:18-25

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

            Our flesh always wants to go the opposite of what we know is right yet we go wrong.  This is why we need the Lord to keep us on the straight and narrow.  You cannot do it alone.  There is comfort in the fact that the Lord Jesus invites you to rest from battle of the flesh.

            There are many other battles that I could explore yet time does not permit us to do this.  The battles you have may be of your own making but Jesus invites to rest from these battles.  After all, the battle is the Lord’s. 

II.    HE GIVES REST AND COMFORT FROM THE BURDENS OF LIFE.

                                                 Jeremiah 6:16

             “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

            There are several questions that could be asked.  The first and foremost is this: What are the old paths?   D. M. Hardison defined it this way in a message.

I LIKE THE OLD PATHS WHEN:

      Moms were at home, Dads were at work, Brothers were in the army, Sisters got married before having children!

      Crime did not pay... Hard work did and people knew the difference.

      Moms could cook; Dads would work; Children would be quiet! Husbands were loving; Wives were submissive, Children were polite!

      Women wore the jewelry; Men wore the pants; Harlots wore the paint and children wore the stripes. Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen, and children looked decent.

      People loved the truth and hated a lie; they would follow the Pastor and ignore the world; they came to get IN and not to get OUT!

      Hymns sounded GODLY; Sermons sounded helpful; Shouting sounded normal and crying sounded often. Church folk were faithful; Sinners were respectful and everybody had manners.

      Cursing was wicked; Drinking was evil; Divorce was unbelievable; the Flag was honored; America was beautiful and God was welcomed.

      We READ the Bible in public; prayed in school and preached on the court house steps!  Going to Church was a blessing; going to school was an education and going to a gas station that sold beer was a disgrace.

      Grandma and Grandpa were wise; Mom and Dad were together and Children were precious.

      To be called an American was worth dying for; to be called a Christian was worth living for and to be called a traitor was worth fighting for.

      Cowards were shot; Deserters were hung and Criminals were sent to prison and not to WASHINGTON!!

      Sex was a dirty word; Homo was an unheard word and abortion was an illegal word.  Love was clean; courting was watched; and marriage was till death.

      Preachers preached because they had a message; Singers sung because they had a song; Christians shouted because they had the VICTORY and sinners got convicted.   Preachers preached from the BIBLE; Singers sung from the heart; Sinners repented and got SAVED!  A New Birth meant a NEW LIFE; Salvation meant a CHANGE; Joining the Church means you would attend.

      Being a Preacher meant you were CALLED of GOD; being a deacon meant you would serve the church; being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus and being a Sinner meant somebody was praying for you!`

      Laws were based on the BIBLE; HOMES read the Bible and churches taught the BIBLE!

      You could borrow money on your Church letter; a Man’s word was his bond and a woman’s virtue was priceless.

      Preachers were more interested in NEW CONVERTS than new clothes and new cars! Churches wanted to reach every creature with the GOSPEL more than new buildings and paved parking lots!  Prayed and wept over the lost in their community. God was worshipped.  Christ was exalted and the Holy Ghost was followed!

      The Bible was believed and not corrected; Sinners got Saved, Converts were CONVERTED and the Gospel was preached and not SHARED.

      THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN:

            We would go witnessing with tears; prayed a lot and talked little on the phone; spent more time with the Bible than the TV.  We would weep about lost souls, enjoy going to CHURCH more than anything.  We had testimony and song services.  We would really try to do something for God; we would say AMEN to the truth, and got to the ALTAR to repent of sin.  We would bring folks to Church, take Pastor home for Sunday dinner; give tithes and offering gladly.  We would seek the WILL OF GOD in everything and stand against sin anytime and anywhere!

            THAT WAS THE OLD PATHS!

            The second question is this: What burdens do we have?  We have the burden of sin.   Many times we beat ourselves up over sins forgiven.  We forget that God has forgotten them.  He has placed them behind His back.  The only time that sin should burden us is when we have not repented of them.  But He carried the burden of our sins to Calvary where the Blood can and does was them away.

            We have the burden of sorrow.  It is time for us to allow our Comfort to carry our burden.

                                    1^st Peter 5:7

“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

                                    Psalm 55:22

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

                                    Philippians 4:6

‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” 

Conclusion:  Do you know the rest and comfort that only our Saviour can give?  If you have never trusted Christ as your Saviour, you will never have that rest that comes from the Lord Jesus.

      If you are walking about with burdens and battles, it is a yoke that you can lose if you go to the Saviour who promised rest.  None of God’s promises have ever failed.  I did not deal with the word that is the central of the message.  It is the word “rest”.  It has three meanings.  They are: 1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labour in order to recover and collect his strength; 2) To give rest, refresh, to give one’s self rest, take rest and 3) To keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation.  If you cannot go on any longer, it is way past time to go to the Saviour and get the rest He promised.  Knowing that you can have His rest brings the comfort to life that He is in control.  One of the greatest blessings of this passage is found one word.  It is the word “all”.  All means all and that is all that all means.

      Too long we have carried our burdens and battles.  Too long we act like we can handle it on our own when Christ tells us in uncertain terms that He will give us rest.  His yoke is easy.  His burden is light.

      Come to Jesus for Rest and Comfort.  There is no time like today to do this.