Christ’s
Great Invitation
01-19-03
p.m. Parkway Church of God(Holiness) Matthew 11:28-30
Carla Foote’,
Managing Editor of Leadership Media for MOPS has a whiteboard in her office
and on that board she keeps a quote to inspire her. Recently she has been pondering
a quote by Michelangelo, "Ancoro
imparo"- "I am still learning."
Michelangelo said this at age 87, after he had already accomplished amazing
things in his life, his attitude was that there was still more in life to learn
and discover! Wow! I trust this evening you will learn something from this message:
Christ’s Great Invitation
In order for us to understand
Christ’s great invitation I believe it will be necessary for us to split
up this message into four parts! The first part of Christ’s Great invitation
is wrapped up in a four letter word and that word is...
I.
COME v. 28 READ
One invitation that comes
my way on a regular is the invitation to the supper table. "Come and get it!"
Ellie, time to eat, Jake, wait for Momma,---- I don’t like to miss out
on too many of those invitations! The invitation that Christ is giving here
is to come. Why do you think he is giving us this invitation to come as Christians?
Well, He knows that we are made of dust and he knows that our labors will take
a toll on us and He invites us to come! What has been your struggle lately?....Jesus
says come! What load are you carrying that no one knows anything about.....Jesus
says come! The second part of Christ’s invitation is to....
II.
TAKE v.29
Christ’s yoke, of
which he speaks here is the yoke of Sonship! What is the yoke of Sonship? Well,
for us to understand the yoke of Sonship we need first to understand what a
yoke is and who is in the yoke with us! Yoke–Israel, Haiti, Now, that gives
us an idea of what a yoke is so for us to understand verse 29 in it’s fulness
we need to understand whose yoke it is that we are putting on...Jesus says here
take my yoke upon you.... In the Pulpit commentary the
writer says this yoke represents the responsibility we have as a Christian to
put on Christ.
On a wall near the
main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following
inscription: "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is
of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle.
It is placed here by the family so that people may know the appearance of the
man who died for freedom." No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the
likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of His true followers.
Bill Morgan.
My friends, Christ is urging
everyone, in this Great Invitation to TAKE HIS yoke upon (Sonship) us.....and
the good thing about it is if we take HIS yoke upon us we will.....
III.
Learn v. 29b
Are you past the point
of being able to learn? Some people never learn! Two friends were sitting in
a coffee shop watching the eleven-o'clock news. A report came on about a man
threatening to jump from the 20th floor of a downtown building. The one friend
turned to the other and says, "I'll bet you ten bucks the guy doesn't jump."
"It's a bet," agrees his buddy. A few minutes later, the man on the ledge jumps,
so the loser hands his pal a $10 bill. The friend says "I can't take your money,"
he said. "I saw him jump earlier on the six-o'clock news." Then the other buddy
said "Me too"..... "But I didn't think he'd do it again!" Some folks never learn!
Ohio
Motorist, quoted in Reader's Digest, June, 1994, p. 72.
What does Jesus want us
to learn by taking His yoke upon us! He wants us to learn that He is gentle
and lowly in heart. It sure is nice to be around someone who is gentle, isn’t
it! Jesus was gentle! Many able teachers are hot and hasty, which is a great
discouragement to those who are dull and slow; but Christ had the know-how to
help those who were struggling and help to open their understanding! Just take
a look at how he handled those disciples of His! He was patient, kind, and gentle
towards that motley uneducated crew! Jesus’ great invitation is to... I.
Come...unto me II. Take...upon you my yoke III. Learn....of me, gentle-lowly
IV.
Rest....v.29c
READ
Do you ever get tired
physically? Ah sure you do. Is it possible to get tired spiritually? Evidently
because Jesus says here in this passage that if we Come to Him, if we Take upon
His yoke, if we Learn of Him....the result will be that we will find REST for
our souls. Are you burdened spiritually? Are you tired spiritually? The great
invitation of Christ says...Come, Take, Learn, and you will find REST! There's
no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in a rest. In our whole
life-melody the music is broken off here and there by 'rests,' and we
foolishly think we have come to the end of the tune...but my friends, it is
not without design that God writes the music of our lives. It our obligation
to learn the tune, and not be dismayed at the 'rests.' They are not to be slurred
over, not to be omitted, not to destroy the melody, not to change the keynote.
If we sadly say to ourselves, 'There is no music in a rest,' let us not forget
that there is the making of music in it. What is God trying to make of your
life? Have you responded to the great invitation?
Come
Take
Learn
Rest