Get Some Rest, Part 1

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll, Jesus said, we come on his terms.

Recall receiving his offer, believing in him trusting in him. Please observe that we are not obligated, it's an invitation, just come to me come to me abilities of life. Some of our weariness is self-inflicted as were trying to pack 12 hours of work into an eight hour workday, but most of the time. Our fatigue is the natural outcome of a busy day weather is physically strenuous or mentally draining. We crawl into bed late at night with a heavy sigh today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll reminds us that Jesus said come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest sound inviting title. Today's message get some rest. God breathed and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man or woman of God may be brought to maturity and, therefore, we place great emphasis on these ancient words ever true changing me changing you working on a very small section of God's word today. Jesus spoke them there at the end of Matthew chapter 11 you have a Bible, please turn Matthew 1127 through verse 34 verses really the last three will be the focus of our attention. But all of these verses speak volumes to us, though they are brief, short or full of significance only reading from the new American Standard version. All things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father, nor does anyone know the father except the son and anyone to whom the son wills to revealing come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Though these are familiar words. Our hope is that we will enter into them in a fresh way realize how powerful they are for us in our walk with Christ you're listening to site for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll.

Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck about get some rest. Great gifts often come in very small packages.

We said that all our lives.

Less is often more and brief is often better. Never more true than in these closing words of Matthew 11 though they are familiar words to most of us who have been Christians for some time. They they hold meaning that I think we may have missed or we may have never really really gotten hold of.

Hopefully will be able to resolve some of that in our time together as we look at this very small package of information and ancient words that are ever true able to change both you and me. First of all, let's sort of set the setting for them in Matthew 11 you remember from days past that Jesus has been standing before a crowd of people, most of them are never named in fact none of them has a name that simply called the crowds at the end of verse seven, the disciples of John have walked away and now he's speaking. Please observe in verse seven to the crowds there run on a mixture of people just like a crowd would would represent today all different ages and stages in life. Many of them with needs that are and are not revealed in course he knows them all. So he speaks to them first about John the baptizer. There were familiar with John's ministry because it had come before Jesus said it had been out of the wilderness and filled with strong words and even commands that they repent, and that they turn to the one who is yet to come. And John is now gone. In fact, he is imprisoned and so Jesus speaks to them about John in the next few verses of Matthew 11 and and then he tells them about his kingdom which is an authentic offer. He offers them several times a business and occasion worries speaks of the kingdom calls it the kingdom of heaven. Verse 12 and he describes this kingdom as having been under attack and it has been run up to that moment you remember those words as we develop them last time and even talks about the response of these people to the message that he has offered them, compares them to children at play and then later you will recall, he denounces several towns there named forests of Decorah seen in Bethsaida, and Capernaum in the verses that follow 20 and 21 in he tells them that these who lived in those towns, though they had witnessed many of the things that Jesus did and said had sort of you on their way through them and you remember they had sort of a perfunctory attitude toward them and then suddenly he prays verse 20 50 father, he begins, Lord of heaven and earth. Thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever for revealing them to the childlike there listening as he prays, no doubt, orally.

I think what he saying among other things, is a the one who has pride for his mother cannot know God as his father. He calls them in this particular version. Those who think themselves wise and clever, and second, he says that the Lord reveals them only to those who are like children willing BT to be taught to learn from the one teaching them and he saying there that and a little later you doesn't know the sun doesn't know the father and cannot know the father until the Lord reveals the son to the it sounds like doubletalk.

It sounds confusing and in the midst of it.

He says in verse 27 something else that they would have never thought of before. Because they only knew him as a carpenter's son from Nazareth little more than that to become one who had begun an itinerant ministry of evangelism in the Galilean area says my father has entrusted everything to me, tells us in John's gospel that all judgment is given to the son so he saying that the Lord has all authority himself, the Lord Jesus is been given all authority here. The father are intimately in touch with one another. No one truly knows the son except the father and then vice versus no one truly knows the father except the son and if that isn't enough, we can't know the father except through the son, and none of it can happen unless the father reveals the truth the son to us. You know it is I read that and as I read it now and his eyes set alone to think of proof or quite a while in my own study. The feeling sort of overwhelmed me that it's almost as if God is at a distance that he is deliberately removing himself from us and words like this seem to underscore that feeling that is not God's desire at all because he speaks in profound terms in no way means that he wants to hold us at a distance, perhaps, is because of that, however, the Jesus is what he does in the verses that follow, lest anyone think that God is aloof and distant removed and desires to remain away from us. The Lord Jesus now turns with words that are very personal and frankly much more easy to understand given you an outline and I put these words in five categories making it Ojai hope a little more simple for you to follow when we give you the words that are described in these five categories and then will be able to go back and take them apart one by one. Hopefully explain them a little further, there are in these verses 28 2930 words that invite their words and exposes and then there are words that promise followed by words that relieve them. Among them there words even that describes a book that speak those words out. One of the inviting words. Look at verse 28, would be one of them. Next verse take that's a word, inviting us to do something take something from them and then learn learn from me see it right here in verse 29 so calm and take and learn would be words that invite your reading your Bibles look for categories like this will help break the verses down into little more meaningful segment words that expose by this I mean expose our condition fervently be will look again at verse 28 come to me all who are weary and heavy leaving you carry heavy burdens here. He tells us things about ourselves that we may not have told him we don't need to be already knows it. And certainly those in the crowd were weary, heavy late and some of them because of sin that had not been dealt with through salvation others because they had lived under the thumb of legalistic rabbis who were demanding and severe will get to that little later.

These are followed by words that describe look at this statement I am gentle and humble in heart, as best I can see from my study of the Scriptures. This is the only time Jesus self disclose its by that I mean reveals his personal is what we might call his emotional makeup know where else does he do that only here I'm gentle and I'm humble in heart, and in their words that promise you've already seen them. I will give you rest and later you will find rest, and finally there words that relieve my yoke is easy, my burden is light. First there words that invite come. Verse 28 begins. Jesus said, I can almost see him with his arms open. The gesture of open arms is an inviting gesture,, Noah jumps out at me doesn't say come to God doesn't say come to a creed or to a church or priest or minister says come to me come to me we come on his terms we come receiving his offer, believing in him trusting in him. Please observe that we are not obligated, it's an invitation. Some of you have not come many in the crowd had not come in. So it's a genuine offer genuine invitation, come to me will become more confident that he'll take us that he'll except us.

So once we have come. Please observe there's something we take and he invites us to do it.

Take my yoke upon you, pause there.

I know I'm being very deliberate in this ad is for a purpose.

These are ancient words ever true changing me changing you.

He does not say take my chair and relax. Take my bed and lie down.

Not even take my arm and hold tight. Just take my yoke was that about, unless you are from a farming that would be very few of us. You have never seen a yoke of close we know theoretically what it is but that's about it. So I did lose study allow me to share with you what I found out in ancient Israel ox yokes were handmade would buy very skilled carpenters know to oximeter the same. So each ox was to be fitted with an all out with it with a yoke, but being brought to the shop. The carpenter shop and the oxen would be measured much like a tailor would measure your body to put together a clothing for you or for me.

The yoke was roughed out by the carpenter and then the oxen would be brought back for a second fitting that interesting. The oxen would come in the carpenter would carefully mark the yoke so that it would fit well wouldn't go all the beast as it would stand there patiently the carpenter would make certain that this part would be shape back in that part would be left alone. Interesting. The term was widely used in ancient days as a mentor as a metaphor for submission. When you took the yoke you willingly submitted that fits for with oxen. The yoke was a major part of a harness that was used to pull a heavy cart or plow hard soil.

It was essential for the animal to be kept under control and guided correctly. Those that fit well would not irritate the animal and you could wear it and as we take his yoke notice it's take my yoke upon you, it's the one I fitting for you were able to pull whatever he asked us to pull her carry whatever were to carry, including across whatever it may be interesting. In ancient days the word slipped in the world of education, a student was often spoken of as being under the yoke of his mentor in ancient Jewish writing, there is this advice, put your neck under the yoke and let your soul receive instruction before I move on. Let me state here that what you bear.

No one else bears. Not even husbands and wives bear the same ordeal with this identical situations of you are called to go through things that are very painful and they are in in part designed to bring you into submission. Pain does that it's awfully hard to find arrogance on the hospital bed or demanding spirit among those wrestling with a terminal disease to kiss yoke. I would even use a colloquialism yoke up, put it on its yours to bear the fight much more to learn about this masterful illustration from Jesus. He said take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, you will find rest for your souls. Your listening to Insight for living.

Please stay with this because Chuck Swindoll will present some closing comments in just a moment and to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org. In light of our times. We understand that many in our listening family are bearing tremendous burdens right now.

This invitation from Jesus to find rest is certainly welcome. Perhaps you're feeling overwhelmed with responsibility because of the complications caused by the pandemic or maybe reeling from an unexpected loss, you're certainly not alone.

We often hear from listeners who tell us their heartrending stories and the way God has used his word to bring them to a better place. Chuck wrote a devotional book that's brought comfort to thousands of readers. It's called perfect trust when our world collapses and there's nothing but chaos left behind. Nothing will accelerate our recovery quicker than relinquishing control and trusting God to provide less the core message of this comforting book from Chuck again is called perfect trust and you can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/offer or call us if your listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 I want to share a personal story with all of you to me as a deeply personal. My mother's prayer for me years ago. Change the course of my life a few years ago I browse the books in my study and my eyes fell upon an old volume but one of my favorite authors FB Meyer, a British pastor of many years ago. On impulse, I pull that little volume from the shelf, leaned back in my old leather desk chair and began turning the pages to my unexpected delight, it was not FB Meyer's words that spoke to me that evening.

It was my mother's words in her inimitable handwriting she had added her own observations and prayers on the margin of many of the pages on the back cover. She had penned these words finished reading this may eight 1958 I looked up and pondered 1958, and I thought it was in May 1958 while serving overseas in the Marines that I had written in my journal. The Lord has convinced me I am to enter the ministry. I need to begin preparing for a lifetime of serving Christ. Amazingly, that very same month. My mother had finished reading FB Meyer's book as I scan her words with my eyes, I found one reference after another to her prayers. Some of them including me as I was overseas. Her concern was for my spiritual welfare per desire obviously was God's best for her son. I can still hear her voice as I was growing up, I love you Charles always walked with God son finish strong.

While sitting there clutching FB Meyer's book, I realized that my mother had prayed for me when I didn't even know about it at her prayer had change the course of my life I have been privileged to pass on the faith I learned from her as a child as well as the lessons I gleaned from pouring over the Scriptures. That's my story. I suspect you have your story to so often when I meet Insight for living friends. I discover that our stories are often interwoven. Many times our stories converge with something we learn together right here on this program while engaging in the truth of God's word using the admonition of my mother let me urge all of us to finish strong on June 30 will close another chapter on the Journal of our memories this year and your gift to Insight for living will be used by God to perpetuate and propagate his story around the world.

I cannot overstate the critical importance of your gift today. That's right, today, no matter the size, thanks so much for financially supporting this work of God. Let's heed the words of the song who called upon all of us to tell the world about his unforgettable.

The thinking check. Let me explain how you can respond today. Choose one of several ways to reach out to Insight for living. The quickest and most convenient way to give us to follow the simple instructions and insight.org/donate or use our convenient mobile app you can also speak with someone about giving a donation by calling us directly listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or go online to Insight.org. The listening again when Chuck Swindoll talks about the wisdom of getting rest is next time on Insight for living. The preceding message get some rest was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited