Sermon Notes: Rest From Our Burdens

 Rest From Our Burdens

Matthew 5:3-5: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

·        The greatest sermon ever given was Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus describes what the new “kingdom of heaven dwellers” would look like…we still need to know these things today. Jesus begins with the beatitudes.

·        This is should “be our attitudes” …if we are kingdom dwellers.

·        If you took the beatitudes and turned them “upside down and inside out”, you would have a perfect description of the human race, because the “sons of Adam” are the exact opposite of the beatitudes.

·        Instead of poverty of spirit we find pride.  

·        Instead of mourners for sin, we find pleasure seekers.

·        Instead of meekness, we find arrogance.  

·        Instead of hunger after righteousness, we find hunger after money and power.

·        Instead of mercy, we find cruelty.

·        Instead of purity of heart we find corrupt imaginations of worldly lusts.

·        Instead of rejoicing in mistreatment, we find infighting and character assassination.

·        The culture, education, literature, entertainment, and atmosphere of this world are filled with “all kinds of evils” that make life worse for all of us.

·        Our imaginations, greed, pride and arrogance are the sources of more human pain than all the diseases of the world. All of our heartaches and many of our physical ills come directly the sins that so easily affect us.

·        When Jesus spoke these things to us…they were wonderful and strange.

·        There had never been any words like them because they were words from above. He is not offering an opinion; His words were direct from the Godhead. His words are truth.

·        He could only say, ‘blessed’ with complete authority, because He is the Blessed One come from above… He is the blessing to mankind.

·        As is so often true with Jesus…He used the word “meek” in the beatitudes but didn’t explain it until later on. He tells us more about it and explains how it applies to our lives.

Matthew 11:28-30: 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 (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

·        We have two things here that are in contrast with each other; burden and rest.

·        The whole human race bears its “burdens.” Even with extreme wealth we cannot escape our burdens. Burdens are felt by rich as well as the poor.

·        The burdens borne by mankind are heavy and crushing in weight, they are exhausting.

·        Rest is simply “release from our burdens.” Rest is not something “we do” but what we receive when we cease to “do.” His “meekness” is that rest… it is the opposite of “pride or self-trust.”

·        We have the burden of pride or the labor of self-love. It’s a heavy one.

·        Think of when someone speaks ill of you, as long as you set yourself up as your own little god, you must defend yourself and protect yourself from the bad opinions, criticisms, and attacks from friends, acquaintances, and enemies.

·        This burden is not necessary to bear.

·        Jesus calls us to His rest, and “meekness” is His method.

·        The meek man doesn’t care who is greater than him, or what others say; he decided long ago that personal self-esteem and esteem of the world is not worth the effort.

·        This “meekness” is not being like a little mouse concerned with his own inferiority, but instead is not fooled about himself and has accepted God’s decisions about his life.

·        He knows that in himself he is nothing; but in God he has everything.

·        He knows the world will never see him as God sees him so he has stopped caring, stopped defending himself.

·        He has found peace with meekness.

·        He knows that someday, His Lord will sort everything out, and is willing to wait for that day.

Matthew 18:2-4: Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

·        Little children don’t compare, they get enjoyment from what they have without relating it to someone else. Later on… sin stirs jealousy and envy and they are unable to enjoy things if someone has something bigger or better. This then never leaves them until Jesus sets them free.

·        I don’t believe children pretend to be someone else unless adults teach them this game. This continues in our lives because we’ve learned how to pretend to be someone else other than who they are.

·        There is the burden of pretending…or pretense

·        This is not being a hypocrite, it’s trying to put our best foot forward.

·        We try to lipstick on for a first impression. It’s the fear of being found out for who we really are. We try to keep up with the Joneses. We so often want to one-up someone else, whether its our appearance, job, or education.

·        We are afraid that people will see into the poverty of our soul.  Advertising is based on things we can buy that will shine us up on the outside, but protect us on the inside.

·        In a very real way, we are still a captive to sin’s nature. We are constantly trying to please men or please our “self,” this is deeply implanted within us… its natural to us!

Exodus 3:8; 8:1: So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey. And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.”

·        God never leads us out of something without leading us into something new, something better.

·        He wants a full deliverance for sin’s captives, never a partial deliverance.

·        We His need supernatural power for deliverance.

·        Our God, who in His gospel, proclaims men to be free, by the power of the gospel makes them free!

·        To accept less than this is to know the gospel in word only and but not in its power.

·        He leads us from slavery to freedom so that our life’s motives are changed and inwardly we are made new.

·        The little taskmasters in Egypt oppressing the Jews were nothing in comparison to the taskmaster of self, (our selfish nature) and its constant desire for approval.

·        The ways of this world and its desires are constantly bringing “self” back to being a friend of this world.

·        But we must see it for what it really is: its being a collaborator with evil and the enemy of God.

Galatians 5:24-25:  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

·        Paul had come to the conclusion, that in him (that is his flesh) no good dwells. He distrusts self.

·        He found that to the extent that someone trusts himself he will distrust God.

·        Paul saw himself clearly and came to the only conclusion… his selfish nature would never set him free.

·        Self loves itself, the world, and the things in it bring it pleasure. Self is never content but always wants more. Self will always want to compromise with the world. (just a little bit won’t hurt)

·        Only a supernatural act from God could ever set him free.

·        As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, asking Him for sanctification and consecration, He will lead us to the cross. All things in your life will begin to work for your good, but dying to self is never easy.

·        Paul is telling us to the key to the crucified life, turn away from self and turn towards Jesus, and let the Spirit do the rest. We can turn from the world and turn to Jesus all in one act.

·        We must have the revelation, that our pleasure source must be God… not self.

Philippians 4:11-13: Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

·        Here’s what the crucified life looks like, always content…because it does not seek fulfillment in worldly things but only finds contentment in Jesus.

·        It’s been said that the wealthiest man in the world is he who is content with what he has.

John 15:1-5: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 

·        Jesus says we have been made clean… being made clean is wonderful, but there’s so much more.

·        Now we’re going to need some pruning. Pruning is a cutting and breaking process.

·        It isn’t pleasant for the tree or vine.

·        It probably hurts, it bleeds some sap… but is necessary for the vine to be fruitful. The tree would probably prefer to grow without the process of pruning. But it would become unfruitful for the tree’s owner.

·        Maybe its like surgery, there need to be some pain to remove the tumor, does that mean we should shy away from the process? Not if we want to become fruitful to our owner.

·        Jesus says I got nothing in myself unless I’m attached to the vine, stay attached, live attached… rest attached.

·        This is wonderful, just stay attached… and He does the work.

·        Are you ready for some pruning?