Gentle & Lowly - Matthew 11:28-29 - The Heart of Jesus

All right hey guys live in is good to see you were excited to dive into a brand-new sermon series this weekend, but I want to welcome you, especially if you're brand-new with us guys the Easter weekend is one of those things that we look forward to all year to celebrate the resurrection also have an opportunity to invite a lot of new people into our church. This is cool you got to celebrate. As of May we have we got 16 services across four locations and five campuses that are very first service was Wednesday night college service three college kids gave their life to Christ and were baptized. That very night.

I have this is that we listen this is nothing greater than that in the sea God moving that way you are you brand is your first time ever with Mercy Hill or it might be one of those things where you have come to come in and out the really never really engage that much. And if that's where you are. We want you know, across all of OF all of our campuses and locations that you are really an honor just with us this weekend. We would love to get a chance to meet you to hear your story to tell you more about our church.

We have a gift for you at all of our locations are right outside of the lobby area were to be a what campus you're out there's a first time guest and out there. We love to give you a gift to get to meet you there were churches about the next generation college students church planning missions and the hardest places on planet Earth were Christ is not been named.

This is what it's about for us at Mercy Hill over some of you guys my thing. That sounds really big and I'm not sure what has to do with my life, will it really does because it all begins with each one of us just taking step after step after step in our spiritual journey right so that's what we want to do first and foremost is meet you where you are and help you, take steps if that's something that you're interested in writing. Part of that is that we dive into the Bible every single weekend of that is we are to do this weekend so you have a copy of Scripture, you take it out and turn with me to Matthew chapter 11 all right were to be in Matthew chapter 11 for this weekend, but what I want you guys to hear is that we are starting a brand-new sermon series this weekend.

That will carry us for the next 10 weeks, so this sermon connoisseurs as an introduction for this whole series, but really the big idea is here in this sermon when we see in Matthew chapter 11 that Jesus Christ describes his own heart in a very particular way and it's good to be important for us to catch all right I don't know what comes to your mind when you think about Jesus.

I don't know what comes your mind when you think about God. I don't know what you think that his thoughts towards you are, but were to get a chance to dive into that exact idea for like the next 10 weeks and the reason that is so important is because many of us are and I know not everybody okay I know not everybody is from the south or grew up in the South. North Carolina is a very hot place. People are moving here from all over our so you may be here for the West Coast, or you may be here in the Northeast like that were glad to have you say we don't really want you to turn here into their but were really glad that you're here okay were excited that you're here hate what a few things you gotta know if you're if you if you didn't grow. Did you notice a few things about the cell menses suite here okay mac & cheese is a vegetable here all right normally depending on where you are not really this your summer starts in about April.

Here all right. One of these you got no you're not from here is that when somebody says bless your heart. That is not necessarily complement okay you know to talk about right there something that is, that way. Hey, one of the things about the South right is that there is and this is just demographic studies will show you this, there's just a religious tradition here and and what that and that's good and bad okay it's good because people get to hear it's bad because here's what happens. All right, people end up having mechanical parts of a story and they think that that means that they understand the heart of Christ, and here's what I mean. You may view brokenness. A lot of people like men at vacation Bible school.

My background, my SL is a Sunday school teacher. I was invited to you As a kid or whatever and what happens is if somebody says church Bible Jesus go. A lot of people can say virgin birth cross, resurrection, and that's it. And you have these mechanical parts of the story. You can have the mechanical parts of the story without understanding the reason behind them or the heart of Christ for you. You got understand this what Jesus did matters only when we understand who he is. In this series were not just going to chase what he did although men talk a lot about that.

But in this series were not just to chase what he did.

We want to talk about who Jesus is, what he did only matters if we can understand who he is towards us and we see that when Jesus Christ begins to explain his heart for humanity, his heart for you this weekend matter what location you're at.

Here's the big idea already on the screen what Jesus did flows from who he is and who he is is gentle and lowly. I know that may not that's theological that's Bible language but here's what it means gentle and lowly means that his expression toward you is not harsh and arrogant. Again, what you see, what is the look on his face.

When you picture Jesus is a scowl. Is he pointing his finger again every single failure that you've ever had in your life is he exploiting the gap between how awesome he is and how terrible you are and that's what you envision in your mind. Many of us think about God hears. We see that Jesus reluctantly came because he was sent by God the father.

He came but he didn't want to say the people that he secretly annoyed with and disgusted by and maybe even frustrated with even here today what I want to see that he is a come that way to you when you picture Christ. Hopefully after the series and hopefully after today.

I hope what you see is that when you come to him what you get back from him is gentleness. Many thought crossed his arms shaking his head. He's got his arms wide open nail down nodding you over say come to me come to. That's who he is in his heart is not who we are in our heart. Many times, that's who he is in his heart, and we see that in Matthew chapter 11 will you look at three really tuba three verses here this weekend.

Let me dive into them.

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.

I know at Easter weekend is happened every single year Mercy Hill. There can be hundreds of people here that maybe even have never sat through what I'm doing right now you like know what what is this okay. It's about a 30 minute okay maybe closing 40 all right teaching. I am over to this.

We do everything we okay every single week. We opened up the oven of the word of God, read from and then were going to explain what it means because not about what I think is just exposing the truth of what God's word says and so that's what I want to do with us this week and luscious, walk through slowly here.

Verse 28 come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What is this mean they here's very simple what it means. Jesus is talking to a group of people and I would put us squarely in that camp.

Okay, who feel burdened. It is an agri-Aryan time and I know that many of us to grow a farmer, whatever okay but it's an agrarian type of thing and what he's saying is when you looking you see that animal that's been saddled with the burden that they just can't even bear, and entered their struggling to walk in there there giving way.

Their weary that's another word and another translation that comes out there weary. They are heard in he's talking to a group of people that feel that way for a very particular reason of even felt weary on his room felt burdened by this just took this this took the country by storm, about 100 years ago 1938 got a Joseph crater was a New York State Supreme Court judge I and and he meant very well known in that area. He walks out of a restaurant Manhattan August August 6, 1930 walks out of that restaurant and is never seen again archiving and it took the country by storm.

Apparently I wasn't there okay but it's a good thing. The storm of the country by storm, even as late as 2008, the Baltimore Sun had reprinted some of the stuff because people were like what happened you just walk out of the restaurant. This very hot high profile figure never seem to get the only bit of evidence they ever got was a note that he had written to his wife on the day that he disappeared with a check for a large sum of money and all the notes said was I am very weary that weariness can make you just kind of disappear. It can make you just can walk out they can make you just can't quit on everything that is going on all around you. I'm very weary. I don't know if you feel very weary man out of the come now to cover the word for last year was your member languishing okay that's not what I say about pop-culture guys admit that's that's the word people are feeling. It's not. It's this man coming out of a tough season and there's so many burdens with family and financial. There's different things are going on in our church. You've been around. You know this will experience an immense amount of tragedy in the first, just three months of the year with people that are walking through very hard things.

There's a lot of burdens but listen again. I can understand appearance about what I want to get what Jesus is talking about and what Jesus taught about this passage is not a generic burden what he's talking about.

This passage is a religious burden negative religious.

Is this a church. It is let me define religion for you okay religion whether it comes from a southern pulpit with a Bible open or comes across the world in a world religion. Religion is anything that is preach that says you gotta do X, Y, and Z to make God love you and if you can succeed in making yourself acceptable, then God will accept you see Jesus stands up for group of people and I am today and he says if you are burdened. If you are weary from all of the religion that is being preached in your day, you gotta do X, you gotta do what you got a doozy see Jesus was speaking to a group of people that were living under the tyranny of a bunch of religious leaders who love to later rule upon rule upon rule that created fear.

Upon fear upon fear that if you can't live up to everything you are supposed to live up to that God is just waiting to smash you like a bug and kick you out of family right and that's religion God freaks all over the world live right, and God will do right by you. Sometimes even preach the Bible, sadly. But Jesus is saying here and this is the most basic point there is another way. There is a way this light. There is a way that is easy, that comparatively when it comes to the religion that is Matthew 23 Jesus said they love to tie up burdens upon you, and so that you are crushed because we see this in our day to with religion you maybe some of you growing up in this you have something good and godly like a sex should be inside should only practice inside of marriage for what people do with it in their humanity. Then they say they come back made a certain layering up the rules right and I say well you know we we know that's what God wants. So he was word essay that nobody should ever dance ever because you know what dancing leads to right and right and if somebody else comes up and I still actually you know the problem is not the dancing, the problem is the music that's gotta be in it okay because you know if you hear music with a beat Alisa dancing and we all know that leads right and so then the next person comes in and in and I say actually know it's not the music that's the problem it's the places that people go where there is music so never go to a movie. Never go to a mall. People do that anymore.

Anyway, I know you never go to these things because you may hear music that has a beat and if you do, you may want to dance and we all know where the and that's that's an enemies that is kind of a silly example know Jesus is talking to a people that are living under that times 1000 and so was not he living under that today you living under all these rules and regulations. Your layering things up in order to make yourself acceptable before God. And you gotta understand something today that will never end. If the if the if that is the model I gotta do more things so that I can justify myself before God every single night, you will lay your head on the pillow and you'll realize I failed today. I gotta have more rules tomorrow. More rules and more fear and will produce a little bit of right behavior, but will not produce a heart loves God and a producing a heart the resents God because he's asked to do much. Things that you could never do in a million years.

This is religion. I know somebody here might say today and I'm not a religious person at all okay and I don't Arkansas were having a bit of dozen people. I got all of our locations right and so that my view today.

I wanted to say to me I would tell you meant when even even take on the picture we live in a day and age where self-justification runs rampant. Just look at our culture. Everybody is trying to be quote a good person there trying to prove to the world that there a good person.

Look, I recycle all know I I have a dog.

He looks too much like a purebred animal and so therefore I didn't rescue him him terrible right I didn't post fast enough on social media of this condemnation or somebody tell McDonald's wrapper to my car, terrible person that this is and we only can we layer up all of these rules that society says and here's the funny thing about them just wait five minutes till change tomorrow. It self-justification to the max min assignment. You guys know Hamiltons here okay yes all this, I am just got me thinking about that in and out of Greensboro if anybody may pick some owners of small new store in you and you guys see the fact that Will Smith slot Chris rock name. I see that I so this is what does like I thought about this today and I thought it's funny because the self-justification is how fast can you condemn Will Smith went 200 years ago. The justification would've been calling for him to charge and to challenge Chris rock, probably to a duel to the death. And if you don't do that, then you're a coward. It never ends. The self-justification will whether it's religious, whether something in our culture what she's gonna say today is that there is another way don't live under that yoke don't live under that burden. Look what it says in verse 29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and I'm lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I don't know where you go to get out of the feeling that God is upset with the way that you are living, but you gotta go somewhere coming every few minutes ever lived on the face of the planet. One day at some point realizes man kind of wicked and deceitful and I've lived a life that if there is a God in heaven is probably looking upon it, and maybe he's frowning a lot of people in their life. What they decide to do is they just decide to distract their way out forever in his endless binges on Netflix and its endless amounts of different addictions and alcohol and food and all the Senators try to get away from the feeling of condemnation course other people turn to the burden of religion in a take that yoke upon them that I'm to take this harsh yoke that is fueled by pride and arrogance, to try to do better every single day and it's exhausting in your comes Jesus and he says on not that yoke. Take my yoke upon you know my visit the site agrarian again. Okay yoke is what you would put on like an ox sin or a bird, a beast of burden the skin to carry something we save is the religious one is too heavy. You need to put mine on instead and here's the deal. When I get into what Jesus did, just a minute okay because what he did matters, but I want talk about who he is. Before we talk about what he did. I don't know if you caught this. But what he says in verse 29 is I am gentle and I'm lowly in heart, church, do you realize, today there are four Gospels 89 chapters of text and able one place where Jesus tells you what his heart is like and he says it's a gentle what is that mean, gentle me, the office of a harsh, general means that the way we react to each other is not the way that Jesus reacts to us general means that when we have this mental picture of a God in heaven, and Jesus Christ, the son of God, looking at us with his finger pointed pointing out every single thing that we've ever done wrong when we see him and his arms are crossed and his head is shaking a scallop on his face.

Actually, that's the wrong picture that if we come to him the pin. As we says those who come to me that we come to him that is not as expression for us all. His expression is even though men even though you are one who is is sinful and has failed men are bridging the gap between you and I I'm coming to meet you where you are.

My arms are wide open toward you. His gentle, the Scripture says that he is lonely.

We don't use that language anymore, except sometimes when you're a Christmas or something in a religious setting lowly just means humble okay now humble Excel life is not easy thing to define either right, but lowly means humble and humble means this a modest estimation of yourself. A modest estimation of one's own importance. Now don't get this twisted Jesus Christ is the son of God. He is the greatest at everything that ever was. Okay, I'm nothing. We do not what it's saying is like Philippians 2 says that as he comes to us his heart towards us takes a posture of humility. How different is that in the culture that we live it under the guise of same and I wasn't around. I wish I was with you guys are probably around actually see Mohammed Ali fight okay and then if you ever there's there's document risotto documents coming up in what Ali say about himself just in line with every other athlete in our world and our tradition in our culture.

Ali was the greatest right and he would tell you that Sonny listen I was the big fight Sonny Liston will fall in eight to show that I'm great that was his life right.

He was the greatest. What athletes do nothing to be there chest athletes point their finger at the difference between you and I mere mortals okay and how great they are, that that's kind of an endless number of us in on them. This is kind of what are natural disposition is a lot of times is that we don't come in in humility and loneliness were not trying to bridge the gap between somebody else and ourselves. Many times we are pointing to it and exploiting it. But Jesus Christ comes to the very center of his heart. He is gentle and he is humble towards us. You know that it says that there is that way in his heart, and you guys know this doesn't mean just innovate an actual heart right my grip on the King. King James version. I don't have any because the right, but it was it was a great version the Bible for being like a 10 or 12-year-old because a lot of times when we say Hark the King James version would say bowel I so that just creates a lot of fun when you're middle school or whatever okay but you know you and the ideas not is not heart or bowels, or something else that name to different cultures say different ways. The point is the emotional center.

I want to say the heartbeat.this mixing metaphor, but you know you and your shiny what what animates Jesus the very center of you say like this, Jesus is gentle and lowly in his emotional center, and here's why that matters. And I want to read this exactly the way that I have written matters. For this reason that Jesus didn't humble himself to the cross for you because God sent him to do a mission that he didn't really want to to save a people that he secretly disgusted by Stephen cut his posture toward us is not all right got all go I would have messed it up again. Can you believe these people.

They can't go one day without failing well failing you think they just can't get it together right that's not his posture toward I don't know what your last week is like last year's look like this may be the first time you step foot in a church since the last Easter I don't notice look like for you if you would come to him today. Your to find a Savior, who is not looking staying there with his arms crossed, tapping his foot where you been, is that he is going to be here and gentleness and humility toward you. He is going to bridge the gap and bring you and many of us secretly view Jesus in that analogy that I've used before. Think of a husband whose wife comes to him and says do you love me, and his responses. How could you ask me that. Don't you see me get up every single day to see me breaking my back for you in this family you asked me that walks out the door as she's left dangling on the end of the rope looking at what he did but not sure how he feels about her. Jesus is not that way to you what Jesus is to you is, given what he did okay what you and what he did is pretty amazing, especially while we celebrate like crazy today, but he didn't because his heart is gentle toward you, and his heart is lowly toward you. Now what did Jesus do that to the point is this.

We got to see what Jesus did in the light of who he is and in light of who he is. This is what Jesus did for you he came he lived the life that you didn't live we can live a thousand more lifetimes and we would mess it up. How many of us can even go one day without breaking one of the 10 Commandments right and Jesus comes and he fulfills every single law that God would say leads to human flourishing. Everything that God wanted human to do. He did it at the end of his life meant he went to the cross to died not for his sin, but for years is what we call the great exchange. Jesus goes to the cross and it at the cross he gives you what he deserved and the rewards of a life well lived before God gives us his righteousness is called gift righteousness.

But what is he take many takes what we deserve, which is the death and separation from God. This is why we celebrate today that Jesus came and he died a death that was supposed to be ours and then three days later.

Praise God, he walks out of the tomb alive.

Why, because death had claimed one. It wasn't his God wakes him up, and here's the deal. He becomes the firstborn of a new creation. He becomes the one that we, through our faith are now wrapped up into. We pray that sinners prayer when we and we say the self become a Christian asked Jesus into your heart you know whatever it would however you want to say we step over that line and say, realize what I've done. I admit I'm a sinner. I believe what Christ has done for me.

Not my works before me.

I confess him as the Lord of my life and we step over that why we are down to Christ as long as he is alive. We will be alive and he got defeated death once church is never to have to do it again. He will be alive for all time and we will be with him. This is what he's done what he's done only matters if we see who he is towards us and his heart towards us. I got three questions that I want to leave us with. I don't there are answers their questions okay and what to say. The question on the kinda guy does. Based on this truth toward what I think the right answer would be an ominous say hey this is where we need to come to land the plane.

I hear this, we can number one very quickly what is Jesus disposition toward you looking at this text Minnie's looking the people that are burdened by religion. Many sees what they been tied up with and he says not know my ways a different way my way as I come to bear that burden for you and then you believe in me, and every single time God looks at you from now on. You put your faith in me. He doesn't see all your failures and sell a time that you messed up instead. He will see what I have done my work applied to you. This disposition toward us. He didn't do that stuff because God sent him on some mission that he didn't really really want to do.

He did it because he is gentle and he is lowly toward you. The best way I can explain is this when you see Jesus when you see him in your minds eye.

What's the look on his face and can can you see that it is one of welcoming and understanding today and is calling you to himself is nodding you over. He's not shaking his head number two. What is our disposition toward others analyte of who Jesus is towards us. Okay you think about this. What what is what is our relationships looking like if you if you are a believer today and maybe a part of her seal. Have you been a believer for a long time. One quick application we can make. I think for this weekend is what is Jesus disposition toward us, push us to in terms of our disposition towards others right and wanting people to get our order wrong people.

People in the community that we see in our kids are our parents, siblings, people that were in community group with like in our relationships, are we the ones a minute I'm speaking myself or anybody else, okay, are we the ones with arms crossed headshaking. Why can't you get it together or we people to realize man.

Praise God, you don't do that us right right.

Can we can we see that today and we can we allow that to change our disposition towards others. I know that everybody here at our camp is not apparent okay I know that but if you if you are parent maybe will resonate with this because one of the areas in our life that we get this wrong so many times is with our own kids. We love them so much and they annoy us so much. Sometimes right. It's like we we we love them, and yet at the same time we can become frustrated and we can end up not having the disposition toward them that praise God. Jesus Christ has toward us. You know, long time ago. You know, but I don't know. Some decades now. This poem was written, and it's been it's been put out there and so many different forms and all of that, I grabbed it and I want to show you an example of what I'm talking about every human knows what it's like, okay to mess up in this area and not have the disposition, the Christ has put us toward somebody else. Parents and fathers that even a particular understand it acutely and everyone of us have that understanding we wake up to the question is then what we do you guys check out this video is only couple minutes since I'm saying this is you lie asleep one little blog crumbled under your cheek and the blonde curls sticking we went for have stolen into room alone just a few minutes ago as a set reading my paper in the library. A stifling wave of remorse swept over me. Guiltily I came to your bedside. There are things I was thinking someone had been crossed to you and scolded you as you were dressing for schooling as you gave your face merely took you to task for not cleaning your shoes. I called out angrily you through some of your things on the floor is not helpful to build things you gulp down your food your elbows on the table.

He spread butter too thick on your end as you started off to play I made for my train turned and waved her hand and called goodbye daddy and I frowned and said in reply. Hold your shoulders back and began all over again the late out as I came up the road, I spied you down on your knees and my mother's there were holes in your stockings. I humiliated you before your friends by marching you ahead of me to the house. Stockings were expensive and if you had to buy them you would be more careful to remember later that I was reading in the library, came intimately with neurons. When I glanced up over my paper and patient at the interruption you hesitated. What is it you want said nothing but ran across in one semester at college and through your arms around my neck and in her small arms tightened with an affectionate God and set blooming in your heart and which even neglect could not and then you were gone well so shortly afterwards that my paper slip my hands in a terrible singing fear came one is the habit of finding phone reprimanding this was my room working for me. It was not. It was that I expected too much of youth. I was measuring you your stinky years. There was so much that was good and monitoring your character little heart of yours was as big as the dawn itself. This was shown by her spontaneous impulse to rush and kiss me good night.

Nothing else matters come to your bedside's and I have no is feeble atonement.

I know you would not understand these things if I told them to you during your waking hours, but tomorrow I will be a real daddy Shumway and some nation words keep saying as if it were ritual is nothing but I'm afraid I have visualized he was a man yet as I see you now sign crumbled and greener. You are so yesterday you were in your mother's arms your hand on her shoulder.

I have asked too much, too much man is up is a powerful pole right but here here's the thing that I got I got to get you to see every single human understands what it's like to realize men I have not been treating people the right way and then to have that moment of what he called direct quote. A feeble atonement, tell you why it's feeble because whoever wrote that poem within three days treating her kid the same way unless something changes that rearrange the heart and and it cannot just be I'm gonna not do it anymore. Is it I'm saying like we all know what that feeling is like, and then all the sudden took to say I'm not to do and we know it is like to go do it again what we've got to see and sit in front of his this beautiful truth in the gospel.

We are guaranteed a God who doesn't treat us that way.

Even though we fail and treat others exactly that way he doesn't treat us that way. That is not his disposition toward us and if we can stare right in the face of that over and over and over God's mercy that we have a simple strategy for you for growth. It's it's very simple.

Come to the gathering. Get a small group learn how to give your time town treasure and going beyond mission. That's it. Gather groups give go.

This is not a religious system of building up for good works before God.

All these things are is giving us an opportunity to sit and look at the disposition that God has toward us and his love for us hate everyone of us has one of these here right here that this is going to be our our group study for the next 10 weeks when our groups kick back off. I just want to get you to grab on those and take it with you to be incredible studies are not a group and I pray that you would get in one so that we can drink deeper of the heart of Christ towards us so that we can actually change right thirdly and finally, last thing I want to get into your last question is this will we choose to come to Christ.

Today there are only two ways to think about getting into relationship with God. Two ways worldwide. One is religion no matter how you dress it up and the other is this way that Jesus talks about where his burden is easy in life and coming to Christ.

I don't know which one of these you may decide to choose today, but I hope it's not religion.

I want to share this one time with you guys but if it is religion, you're in for a rude awakening to tell you why, because if you start trying to sell justifying your life, you say well here's what to do minimal start, sir, come to church as much I can write and then will we talked about dancing today, so does not go do that anymore. Okay. And then we say will man okay him to start giving I start giving something somewhere in them to make sure that I end up with the right amount of, you know the right amount of friends and not the wrong amount friends and not the wrong types of friends and all that, stuff you start layering up rules upon rules you gonna start feeling weary you start feeling burdened and what you end up happening is that sooner or later. I pray sooner or later here you are going to end up okay so let's get a happening now here's the only the only worse news than this what anybody the group in church and had a vibrant relationship God and then one day they don't need more that's what happened. The only thing worse than that is been somebody that just like that drywall was trying to do actually can carry all that stuff because they become the most prideful people on the planet right. This is the path of religion is not the path of Jesus calls you to.

Instead he calls you to a different path when he calls you to a path of salvation through him through coming to him in the gospel. Here's what to do with the rest of my time right. I got a really cool testimony video that I want you to see this can prepare our hearts for what your life can look like when you give it over to him in order to have an invitation and a call for baptism and that of the US echoes video back about 2019. I was introduced to mercy Obama wife and her younger sister phoned me to see him and see a certain kind of see how she's a huge part in our story trade first outline for touring way remember having this feeling knowing that God was Canary Nene's family and knowing mankind was writing something really really have always been a believer but didn't really feel a part of the Christian church or church really had all juggling a lot of things in my life, my career and becoming a new father. I was struggling and I was trying to do it on as far as I need to make sure that I'm leaning my family and not showing any sort of pain or any sort of notion I'm supposed to be leading us keeping everything together and and we talked about church. I remember one Sunday Bible was speaking to me and Sandy Hansen came to feel what you're feeling right now. I think it's important for you to share that with your family and your community reached out to my community and breaking point decided to like commit my life to Christ and just say yes, please take the pain away. Please help me soon as the worship music came on. I remember stepping out into the aisle and then just calling and came back into the worship service with no and and and family surrounding me doing well and reindeer and then spelling it was to see changes in people's time something clicked really cleaning our family getting his life on his worries to Jesus and said doing that right now I family soon our daughter's name. This is the next thing very hesitant to get ties because I don't like to be infinite people and I was sitting in church and I got out at the very end and I saw Sally Nance and baptized in season sejant country's anti-this is amazing now making children in Christ centered the number one train person just seen her pray so hard for tonight's temporary family incredible.

It's just really clear to me that now it feels like we're praying for him in the airplane feel like a new person to spread all over you guys stories just like that are playing out not just that Mercy hills are great churches all over our community hundred stores are playing out like that all the time I got to change people's lives. The question is for you today and what is that mean what are you carrying are you trying to be a good person you try to make sure that you done enough to the big man upstairs and never ending exhausting hamster wheel is not the life Jesus calls you to Jeremiah 6 says this stand at the crossroads and look for the path of rest and here comes Jesus saying I give rest of those who come to me. His heart is gentle and lowly toward you. If you come to me doesn't say indiscriminately to everybody.

It says to those who come to me, would you come to him today because women take just a minute here of our heads and close our eyes be taken note to put that stuff down. We got a few minutes. Your schedule just for an opportunity for imitation geysers. What would our heads and close our eyes here for just a minute is really to get away from the endless distractions are all around us and create some space in our life.

For God to move for God to work. Are you ready to step across the line today and to give it to Christ right Jesus Christ you think about you think about what Jesus did anything about it just for a moment. He's telling us today. My way is easy and like the only one easier life for him, he was nailed to a cross and died in our place is only easy in light because of what Christ has done in caring all of our burdens, all of arson. The weight of all of it was put upon him. So would be for us. We can only take upon his jug because he Artie took up our yoke. This is the God we serve. This is the son, would you come to him today if you are ready to step over that line, and most people management months in the making.

Maybe, maybe, is not any of your branding. One of our campuses here.

First time ever in a church we hear that story sometimes as well, but of God has been moving in your life or today's the first time if he is calling you today.

You gotta hear me there is no guarantee he will call you tomorrow and there's no guarantee you will be here tomorrow. Is he calling you today. Give your life to him today if you want to take that step with me here today than they do this up.

Pray with me and I'm afraid ABC admit believe and confess rights and so you sprain your heart after me arrive father we come before you today. Knowing that everything necessary to save us. You pray these words after meter ago. I admit that I'm a sinner. I know that created separation from you and another religion is not the way back I believe that Jesus Christ took the burden of my sin on the cross to the penalty of my sin. There three days later he rose from the grave with his hand open and extended to me and I want to join him and that and pray this. I confess him ABC.

I confess him as the Lord of my life, save me every single Christian that is ever lived on the face of the planet. There is a moment in time where they warn a believer and then they were the gospel is foolishness. Until one day it's not to us, and you put your faith in Christ. Are you praying that he would come into your life right now when I pray for these that are making a decision right now got a pregiven courage and boldness. Keep your heads bow drives close just a matter campuses as well and it has to take a bold step right they listen. If you place faith in Christ today you prayed with me for the first time today on ask you to raise your hand just a minute right why Massey do this because I want things that wants to go little bit publicly what you done.

I want you to pray for you are and I want to see what God is done in this room across our church today so just prepare your heart is like manna pray these words. I'm not telling anybody well what sense was real Jesus on the cross publicly for us. We can take public steps for him and so I pray that you'll take this the listen no more playing around.

Maybe God has brought an incredible journey of the last couple years and it's culminating right now. He's been orchestrating this moment in your life. Maybe for decades, would you let me know place faith in Christ, across all of our locations pay on the count of three.

If you place faith in Christ is about as close just another minute here, three just raise your head up high for me so that I can see it and see what comfort is here today, right if you accept the Christ today, man. Just raise your hand, 3123 let your hand up high praise God praise God that you can apply keep it hard for just a minute mischance is another chance him only one look around right wall of the room. Praise God.

Father I pray for those that accepted Christ and got pray for those that that that obviously are following you would need to take this other stuff to work to give them the opportunity to know Christ name we pray.

Amen.

You guys look at me here at the invitation time is not over yet one more. They were right and that is to give everybody an opportunity to evaluate whether they need to go public and take that big step and get baptized this very weekend, right, we believe a mercy Hill informed through the Scripture special the book of acts is the baptism is the first step of discipleship and a new believer's life. Okay hey there was some you I think in this service here and I don't know the cameras. I bet it was the same in this service there is for five people seem like it raise her hand on top of my faith in Christ today step for you is baptism. That's not six months from now, after we discipled you know you get in these waters you are going to be paired up with somebody who's going take you on a journey okay but that the step for you today is these baptismal waters in baptism we identify with Christ. I go down in the water into his death. I come bursting forth, just like he did. He came forth from the grave alive and I join him in a resurrection.

You need to take this the you got saved today. The time is now, don't go, don't think about this later.

Why would God want you to go out and spend weeks and months and maybe never do it and rob him publicly of the glory that he deserves for changing your life today right that is not is something to tell you not today netting of God. If you're believer have never baptized because truth is that he wants you to get the water. If you become a believer today are I hate the other thing is, this happens every time a mercy Hill adventuring this size are no across our campuses.

There are dozens of people got saved as a kid you got saved is you can't. You got saved two years ago. Mercy Hill which which he never took that step and now your little bit like man want people to think they don't know that I'm not baptized.

You know they don't know that I never took the stuff there's no there's no way of knowing what, spiritual problems come from disobeying the first thing that God calls you to for years right to you how to get another one more day.

Make today the day going public with my profession of faith in these baptismal waters. Today right you can do it today. No, they widened I can come by and come ready for that we were ready for you okay we got we had everything that you're getting the right you think now I close a close, we got we got towels got hairdryers for crying out loud. Okay, we do everything that you need.

We we have all that some of you in here like a baptized kid and I don't how your family is a baby. I mean I don't how much it was still about that will baptism scripturally comes after you place your faith in Christ. I don't know exactly how your family feel about you but I know this taken the step today is walking in the life that they were trying to set you on to walk a faithful life before God. Right under some of your like manna came with people out of the way for me the way for you okay I like it, you know, and if they don't wait for you. We got a whole brand-new set of friends the way for you here today okay so they will with you. We got stand with me will stay with me. Hey listen, this is the moment. Okay, here is what I do.

If you need to get baptized and you know and God is pulling your heart to do this right if that's where you're at. As soon as we start to play this song were word I just say Hank just slid right out all our campuses. There's a lot you slid right out to the lobby and there will be baptism counselors out there waiting to greet you with a smile. They want to talk to you they're not even our staff. Most of the time there people from our congregation that are just regular everyday believers are mature believers.

They want to talk to you about your story they want to see is the right step for you to take. They want to connect with you so soon as the music starts to play that you know today's the day that all of our campuses. Step right on that. I'll and you go to the back and you know this thing down public right was