April 25th, 2004, Sunday Morning
"Life is Easy"
The world's secret to success/relief is complicated and uncertain; Jesus' is a one-step guarantee
OPENING: Matthew 11:20-30
- THE STRESSES, PRESSURES AND PROBLEMS OF LIFE ARE NOT SOLVED BY PILLS, PSYCHIATRISTS OR PSYCHICS. ALL RELIEF,
RESOLUTION AND ANSWERS COME FROM ONLY ONE SOURCE: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
- Matthew 11:25: God hides true wisdom from those who believe themselves to be learned, wise and
self-sufficient from God...
- Young, impressionable minds believe in God and His Bible (Word) simply because it's told to them while most
"scholars" and philosophers regard the Bible as a collection of fiction; a "tool for debate"
- Those who read and believe, without proof, have true faith (and are most blessed, per John 20:29)
while scientists and disbelievers require visual proof of the Bible's claims
- ...While revealing such secrets to those whom the world considers intellectually/physically weak and reliant
on God for all things
- "Babes": not infants or toddlers but simple-minded people who have not mentally/intellectually matured to
the world's (man's) standards of today
- God is speaking to those who will acknowledge they don't understand and need His help to figure it out
- He reveals answers to those who are helpless, weak and ignorant but declare God as their source of strength
- 1 Corinthians 1:26: God puts into power those whom the world doesn't acknowledge as mighty,
noble and wise; Examples:
- King David: a meek shepherd's boy--the youngest in the family (1 Samuel 17:33)
- Joseph: Rose to become king of Egypt (under Pharoah) which began by being sold as a foreign slave to Egypt by his brothers
who hated him
- To find and come to Jesus is to do so with a baby's mentality
- Luke 18:17: Jesus says you must receive the Kingdom of God (God's Word--the Bible),
"as a little child"
- Be open-minded to what the world considers foolish and have the faith to believe without seeing; for this is what
little children do
- Do not believe that talk shows, books, psychologists or psychics hold the answer; Don't believe in religions and
doctrine that says there is an "inner God" within you and that you have the power to be independent; for this is what
the world does
- John 3:17, John 20:31, Ephesians 2:18: Believe that God and His Son, Jesus, are
one, and that you cannot reach God without first praying to Jesus
- JESUS, THE ONE WHOM YOU SEEK, ISN'T WAITING FOR YOU TO ASK; HE'S ALREADY MADE THE CALL TO YOU TO
RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE (become saved)
- John 3:16, Romans 1:16: Salvation is for everyone in this world--no one is left out of God's saving grace and love
- Matthew 11:28: Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
- "Weary" is present tense: your problems keep growing more difficult
- "Heavy laden" is present tense: you're loaded with a burden that you can't handle much longer
- You're working to the point of exhaustion, with no relief in sight
- Psalm 107:9: Bread (food) satisfies the body for only for a few hours but God fills and satisfies
men's souls for eternity
- Jesus is speaking to those who feel they can't go on anymore; People who feel:
- Weighed down by their own sins, which no amount of good deeds can recompense (Isaiah 64:6)
- Distrustful and cynical of others who have let them down or disappointed them
- Angry because no one meets their personal expectations/standards (i.e., timeliness, courteous driving)
- Bitter because life keeps dealing them a "bad hand," resulting in the inability to forgive-n-forget
- Scared of uncertainly of what the next hour or day has in store for them
- Scared to face the truth (i.e., not having those medical tests or not wanting to face the consequences for actions)
- Such exhaustion results in even more extreme difficulties and possibly the final dead end: death
- The final escape and admission of defeat: suicide
- Escape from reality: drinking, drugs, sex--temporal solutions to carnal lust
- Scarred anger: mad at the world and everyone leads to a deep bitterness resulting in a lonely death
- UNLIKE THE WORLD'S METHODOLOGY TO SUCCESS, LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST IS VERY SIMPLE
- John 7:37: While different religions have different rituals and books on success have complicated
sets of recurring rules--with the disclaimer that what works for one may not work for another--Jesus' simple one-step
guarantee for all is: "let him come unto me"
- John 3:15: It's not about never breaking the law; it's not living a sin-free life; it's not
about performing sacraments; it's about solely having faith in Jesus' life and that He died for your sins so you may live
eternally with Him
- Matthew 11:29: Jesus said, "Take my yoke", meaning, "learn of me and keep my commandments"
- Just calling Jesus' name with your lips means nothing--even Satan believes in Jesus; you must also declare with
your heart; Then prove yourself by knowing/following His commandments for a healthy, successful life
- 1 John 5:3: Jesus' commandments aren't meant to take the fun out of life and they don't justify
you; They're meant for a non-burdensome, abundant life, greater than you could want for yourself (John 10:10)
- "Yoke": Man does not have the strength to carry his burdens, alone; pray to Jesus to take your burdens from you
and he will answer your prayers in His timing (Psalm 37:4)
- Don't just accept Jesus into your life--learn from Him and follow His example because He has a unique purpose
for you
- John 13:15, 1 Peter 2:21: Jesus "walked the talk" when He was on earth and it was recorded in His Word (the Bible)
so you may read and follow
- Jesus is gentle and omnipotent (complete power); I.e., He created the sun, moon, stars and earth
yet knows how to handle a baby just right
- Jesus is humble: He always puts others before Himself while others serve until the point of inconvenience and
then stop
- Results are always automatic and two-fold:
- Matthew 11:28: Jesus said, "I will give you rest"
- In your body: not just physical rest but mental; the peace and certainty to know that,
according to the Bible, we, the saved, have already won the final battle
- In your soul: eternal life in Heaven (instead of Hell)
CLOSER
- Consider that God satisfies your life with all the answers; If a psychiatrist gave you all the answers, he'd lose his
business because you'd never need to come back
- The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is from your knees to the floor
(prayer)
- Philippians 4:7: To have faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ means you don't have to understand
His love and how peace works--just accept it; Besides, God's peace cannot be understood by man
- John 16:33: When you come to Christ (become saved), life becomes easier and more peaceful;
However, be on guard: you will also learn more about love and patience because to be one of God's saved children is to conquer
trials and tribulations you will face--not be exempt from them
- Philippians 4:13: Not only will Jesus takes your burdens from you, He will give you the strength
and ability to do what the world declares impossible--a claim the world has been wrong about, time and time again
