Rest from the exhaustion of the world

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Year A 5th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 9 Rest from the exhaustion of the world Children’s Sermon Exegetical Aim: In Christ there is rest from weariness. Props: A wrist watch. Lesson: How is everyone? (response) We are going to pretend like we are all sleeping. Everyone lay your head down. Let them rest for a few seconds. Ring, ring, ring. Look at your watch. Well, good morning it’s 7:00 and time to get up. Ok, everyone get up. Imitate the motions for them. Let’s Stretch. Everybody stretch. (stretching motion) Make your bed. Everybody make your bed. (response) 7:20 Pick up the room. (response) 7:30 time to eat breakfast. (response) 7:40 time to get dressed. Put on your shirt, pants, socks, shoes. Tie you shoes. (response) We’re going to be late. Gotta’ run and catch the bus. Let’s run. (response) Time to study and read. Everyone read. (response) Time to write. 12:00 Lunch time. Time to eat again. (response) 12:30 Lunch is over. Pick your tray up. Put it away. Throw away the paper. Get your books. Run back to class. (response) 12:40 time for math. Act like your doing math problems on a chalk board. 2:00 Recess! (or PE) Run outside. Play some Baseball. (response) Hopscotch. (response) Now some football. (response) Tennis. (response) Give me three push-ups. Get up recess is over; run back in. (response) Time for spelling. How do you spell Flabbergasted? (blank looks on their faces) You don’t know? Ah, that’s an easy one. How do you spell annoying? (response) Ring, Ring, Ring, 3:15 schools over; time to run back home. (running motion) Finally home. Whew! Everybody wipe your brow and go, Whew? (response) Get your books and folders. 4:00 Time to do your homework. (response) 5:00 Time to play. Ride you bike. (response) 6:00 time for dinner. Wash your hands. (response) Let’s eat. (response) Try now to string together several things too quickly so that they can’t keep up with the motions. Pick up your dirty dishes, pick up your room, finish your homework, take a bath, wash behind your ears, you missed a spot, dry your hair, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, say your prayers, kiss your mom, kiss your dad, kiss your dog. lay your head down, everyone lay down, go to sleep, everyone rest. You need to rest. You’ve had a big day. While your laying down let me tell you something that Jesus said. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God knows that all need rest. So he provided us with a wonderful thing called sleep. But, sometimes we need more than sleep. We need someone to help us make through the day. We are so busy all day and sometimes we feel awful and feel like we just can’t go another step. That’s when Jesus comes into our lives and tells us to stop running so hard and stop worrying so much—just “Stop,” he says, “put it all down. Put down the books, put down the problems, and stop running and just rest.” Let’s Pray: Oh God, save us from our selves. Help us to find rest in you. Give us the peace of heart and soul that only comes from your Son Jesus. Amen. ChristianGlobe, , by Brett Blair Opening Prayer Call to Worship (Matthew 11) "Come to me," Jesus invites. We come to you. "Come to me, if you are tired." We come to you. "Come to me, if you carry burdens." We come to you. "Come, and discover rest for your souls." Opening Prayer (Genesis 24, Romans 7) Like an oasis in the desert, worship satisfies our sin-besieged souls. Today, help us find the good in this life by delighting in your presence, and help us find the hope you have placed in our innermost selves. Amen. Offering Prayer (Genesis 24) May the love of Isaac for Rebekah; may the love of Rebekah for Isaac, be present in our offerings this day— offerings of our lives and possessions freely given. May we be found faithful with the many gifts you have given us. Amen. Welcome Stewardship Moment Scripture This generation 16 “To what will I compare this generation? It is like a child sitting in the marketplaces calling out to others, 17 ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. We sang a funeral song and you didn’t mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 Yet the Human One[a] came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved to be right by her works.” Footnotes: a. Matthew 11:19 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Matthew 11:25-30 Common English Bible (CEB) The Father and the Son 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have shown them to babies. 26 Indeed, Father, this brings you happiness. 27 “My Father has handed all things over to me. No one knows the Son except the Father. And nobody knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Invitation to the Word/Sermon (Genesis 24) Almighty God, prepare us to discover your word for us today. Help us hear your servant, and in the spoken words, hear your Word. May these words help us recognize our master in the many fields of life through which we travel. Amen. Sermon I think that we can all agree that COVID exhaustion is a thing. Time magazine says that our current emotional state is sort of like a battery. We all started this social distancing thing with energy and diligence – But a professor or Psychiatry, Jacqueline Gallon says that after a cocktail of stress, anxiety, isolation and disrupted schedules – all of this has gotten old. Our spirits may be tired, but the COVID virus is still alive and well. Originally we were told that this would only be a few weeks, but now weeks have turned into months. We cannot let our guards down. We are all exhausted, but cant give up now. The good news for us is that as we journey through the book of Matthew, Jesus has a special word of comfort just for us, just for our situation. Those special words come with a special invitation. Today we are looking at Matthew 11. Jesus has been talking to his disciples, preparing them to go out into the world and spread God’s love. He is preparing them for a life of discipleship. Following Jesus is not for the faint hearted. It is not an easy journey. We are all going to be tested by life. We are all going to face negativity and troubles. Jesus promises to get us through. The greatest tool that we have to face the difficulties of life is the presence and love of God. In this scripture, we are given 3 more tools to deal with COVID exhaustion – wisdom, discernment, and reliance on Jesus. Apparently, after Jesus talked to the disciples, he also talked to the crowd gathered to listen to him. Today, you and I are gathered in that crowd as you sit in your cars. Worship: Time to Cool Down In the early days of automobiles, it was common for eating and drinking places to be built on the tops of long hills. I know that near where I grew up on the old Island Highway, there is a restaurant called the Malahat Chalet - still located at the top of the longest grade between Nanaimo and Victoria. It was not located there for the view, nor were most of the others you can still find around North America at the tops of hills and mountains. These locations were for the convenience of people who needed to stop and let their overheated radiators cool down. That is one of the functions of Worship for many of us - a time for rest and refreshment - when we let our overheated radiators cool down. Richard J Fairchild, Come Unto Me - For My Burden Is Easy As we look at Matthew 11 – the words are spot on. Jesus starts out by asking To what can I compare this generation. How many of us here are asking the same thing – what in the world is going on in the world, everyone seems to be losing their mind. Jesus says that this generation is like a bunch of spoiled brats – nothing will satisfy them. Jesus says he tried to get them to play the wedding game, and they refused to dance. So jesus ways okay, lets all be sad and play the funeral game, but they refused to mourn. They still pouted and refused to cooperate. Well the bad news for us – Jesus is not talking about the people out there – Jesus is talking to each of us. Kind People in a Bad Mood The theologian Leonard Sweet underwent what he describes as a "deconversion" when he was nineteen. He writes, "What ignited my deconversion was the church’s funereal spirit, its fussy, buttoned-upness. Christians’ stay-at-home-and-pickle-in-their-own-juices personalities, their vinegary countenances, drained me emotionally, incapacitated me intellectually, and shut me down spiritually. The best I could say was this: by and large, Christians were kind people in a bad mood." Scott H. Bowerman, Dancing With God Sometimes we are so stuck in our feelings, that we just don’t want to listen to anything. That unwillingness to listen or to be comforted is a symptom of our spiritual exhaustion. It is so much more than COVID exhaustion, it is life exhaustion. There is a lot going on for all of us. Possible Sermon Closer Growing weary is the consequence of many experiences: We can be weary of waiting; We can be weary of studying and learning; We can be weary of fighting the enemy; We can be weary of criticism and persecution. There are lots of things in life that are fine in themselves, but our strength has its limits and before long fatigue cuts our feet out from beneath us. The longer the weariness lingers, the more we face the danger of that weary condition clutching our inner man by the throat and strangling our hope, our motivation, our spark, our optimism, our encouragement. But Let's understand that God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to TAKE so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us HIMSELF. That is all. And that is enough. The Savior says: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, 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 souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV). Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Zondervan, 1983, pp. 150-151 Jesus offers 3 tools to alleviate tiredness – wisdom, discernment and reliance on Jesus. We may act like children sometime, that is okay. Jesus says that God does not give wisdom to the smartest person. God gives it to that person with a primal understanding of God’s presence. It is something on the inside of each of us that allows us to recognize God’s presence in our life. When we look for Jesus, Jesus helps us. In the midst of our exhaustion, Jesus invites each of us to follow Him. Jesus says follow me and I will give you spiritual rest. Counter-cultural Surrender There is something quite important for us to understand as we celebrate Independence Day. There is a "flip flop" quality to understanding today's scripture. It goes counter to our usual way of thinking. America is the home of Davey Crocket who conquered the "wild frontier" and Wyatt Earp who tamed the "wild west." We honor and value independence, self-sufficiency, strength and the glory of a "self-made" man or woman. Surrender is what we did not do. With brains and brawn we became a super power in the world. "Yankee Ingenuity" is the brilliance that made us great. Resisting the yoke others would put on us is the strength that made us free. Now Jesus comes along to say that wisdom and intelligence did not cut the mustard when it comes to knowing God. Not only is the yoke not to be resisted, we are to voluntarily take this yoke upon ourselves and surrender to one who is greater than us! How counter-cultural can you get? We can not fight, or think or power ourselves into the kingdom of God and the peace of Christ. John Jewell, Knowing God I don’t think that obeying God is a counter cultural idea for us. We are a nation that seeks God’s presence in all things. We seek God’s presence not only in our life, but in our leaders, the people, the entire nation. Our entire nation is that generation seeking God’s transformation. God Bless America was written originally by Irvin Berlin in 1908 in response to WWI. He rewrote it in 1938 in response to the rise of Hitler. Kate Smith was the first to sing it, she sung it as a prayer got God to bless America, the land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her with the light from above. In today’s situation how is God blessing America today? What does God expect from us in return? We are still one nation under God. And Jesus still promises us rest if we come and follow him as disciples. A Beautiful Doxology Early one morning some years ago, Robert Raines got into his car and started driving through the mountains. There was no one on the road (at that time) as the mountains were quietly beginning a new day. The beautiful colors of autumn were splashed all over the trees. It was a magnificent and glorious sight as the early morning sun glistened upon the wonders of the mountains and the valleys below. And then it happened… Robert Raines saw one of the most beautiful things he had ever witnessed in his life. Right there at the very edge of that great mountain peak and facing the gorgeous valley below… was a young man in his early twenties with a trumpet pressed to his lips. And, do you know what he was playing? With his lungs expanded fully and releasing all of the energy in his soul, he was playing the Doxology on his trumpet! Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below Praise Him above ye heavenly host Praise, Father, Son and Holy Ghost! The point is clear: With all the stresses and problems in this life, still the truth is: - We have so many doxologies to sing, - So much to be grateful for, - So many blessings to count. The point is: Life is more than a grueling endurance test. Life is more than a survival game. Life is more than a coping competition. So, you see… it’s not enough to just escape the stress. It’s not enough to just endure the stress. Thank God… there is another option… James W. Moore, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com Let us pray…. Prayer Independence Day Prayer: Almighty God, bless our nation and make it true to the ideas of freedom and justice and brotherhood for all who make it great. Guard us from war, from fire and wind, from comprise, fear and confusion. Be close to our president and our statesmen, give them vision and courage, as they ponder decisions effecting peace and the future of our world. Make me more deeply aware of my heritage realizing not only my rights but also my duties and responsibilities as a citizen. Make this great land and all its people know clearly your will, that they may fulfill the destiny ordained for us. Officiant As we remember the birth of our nation, and the gifts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, let us offer our thanks and prayers to God, the giver of all good gifts. Intercessor For the women and men who braved the long journey by sea to come to this new world, We thank you Lord. For the tribes and nations who inhabited this land for generation upon generation, We thank you Lord. For patriots who dreamed of, and fought for, a free nation, We thank you Lord. For the men and women who laid the foundation of our democracy, and who pledged liberty and justice for all, We thank you Lord. For those who built this country brick by brick, road by road, and town by town, We thank you Lord. For the brave soldiers who have fought for our country, for all who paid for our freedom by their service, and those who paid by their sacrifice, We thank you Lord. For the innovators and artists, poets and teachers, farmers and factory workers; for all who labor and provide for the common good, We thank you Lord. For this land, with its peaks and valleys, coasts and deserts, fields and meadows, We thank you Lord. For our own community, for those who came before us in this place, and for our neighbors near and far, We thank you Lord. Lord, we pray for The United States, that we might always be a nation which defends and promotes liberty and freedom, truth and justice. We pray to you Lord. That we might always be a nation where all are free to worship and pray, We pray to you Lord. That we might be a beacon of freedom to all those who live under the shadow of terror and hopelessness, We pray to you Lord. That those who are elected to govern and lead, would be guided by you, and be ever aware of the trust that has been given them, We pray to you Lord. That we would be a people who repent from our sins, and who always return to you and to your grace, We pray to you Lord. Intercessor Gracious God, Father of all nations, bless and defend us and our land; prosper the work of our hands, and increase in us your grace and compassion, and our offerings of thanks to you, our rock and our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. By Rick Morley Time of reflection and Passing of the Peace Passing the Peace of Christ (Romans 7, Matthew 11) In the midst of sin, may you find peace. Peace and forgiveness. Fatigued by life's pain, may you find peace. Peace and comfort. Burdened by the law of do and do not, may you find peace. Peace and joy. The peace of Christ Jesus be unto us all. Announcements Thank you to all of the health team as well as volunteers who helped to make this service a success. The health team asks for your feedback on how the service went, and what are concerns and suggestions. They will meet on Wednesday morning, so ask that you give feedback. You can respond to the email, or call the office. We will take it one week at a time. First we gather, and listen to how the virus is spreading. And adjust accordingly. You can also listen to the sermon over the phone. Just call into a local number and listen to the sermon – more than likely recorded after the service, Monday morning for sure. The number is 815-205-3381 Because we are publicly broadcasting the service, prefer not to name those on our prayer list, but encourage you to check emails for prayer list, or become a part of the phone tree so you can get announcements. But encourage us to keep our church and all of its members and friends in prayer. Benediction Benediction (Psalm 4, Matthew 11) As a gentle father, God has opened his hand and blessed us with his touch. God has wiped away our tears and healed our every hurt. Let us leave this place now satisfied in his embrace. Special Music Additional Illustrations There is a wonderful legend concerning the quiet years of Jesus, the years prior to his visible ministry. The legend claims that Jesus the carpenter was one of the master yoke-makers in the Nazareth area. People came from miles around for a yoke, hand carved and crafted by Jesus son of Joseph. When customers arrived with their team of oxen Jesus would spend considerable time measuring the team, their height, the width, the space between them, and the size of their shoulders. Within a week, the team would be brought back and he would carefully place the newly made yoke over the shoulders, watching for rough places, smoothing out the edges and fitting them perfectly to this particular team of oxen. That’s the yoke Jesus invites us to take. Do not be misled by the word “easy,” for its root word in Greek speaks directly of the tailor-made yokes: they were “well-fitting.” The yoke Jesus invites us to take, the yoke that brings rest to weary souls, is one that is made exactly to our lives and hearts. The yoke he invites us to wear fits us well, does not rub us nor cause us to develop sore spirits and is designed for two. His yokes were always designed for two. And our yoke-partner is none other than Christ himself. Running throughout all scripture from the beginning to the end is the theme that ours is a burden bearing Christ. He is not just a Lord whom we burden, and we do, but a Lord who actually solicits our burdens.... ________________________ The Sweetest Sound There is a story that Hebrew families tell their children to help them understand the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment reads, "Six days you shall labor but on the seventh you shall rest." The story is called, "The Sweetest Sound." The main character in the story is King Ruben. It goes something like this. The king asked his royal subjects, "What is the sweetest melody of all?" Early the next morning they gathered all sorts of musicians. The sound awoke the king and all morning he listened to their tunes. But, after listening to all of them he could not tell which was the sweetest sound. Finally, one subject suggested they all play together. It was so noisy the king couldn’t think. About that moment a woman, dressed in her Sunday best, pushed to the front of the crowd and stepped forward. "O, king," she said, "I have the answer to your question." The king was surprised since she had no instrument. "Why didn’t you come earlier?" he asked. She replied, "I had to wait until the setting of the sun." The musicians were still playing and the king told them all to stop. The woman then took two candles and placed them on the king’s balcony rail. She lit them just as the sun continued to set. The flames glowed in the evening darkness. She then lifted her voice and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with the commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights." She then said, "He who has an ear, let him hear." Everyone was completely still. "What is that?" asked the king." He could not hear a sound. The woman then replied, "What you hear is the sound of rest, the sweetest melody of all." Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is also the sweetest sound any of us can hear. Keith Wagner, True Freedom Possible Sermon Closer Growing weary is the consequence of many experiences: We can be weary of waiting; We can be weary of studying and learning; We can be weary of fighting the enemy; We can be weary of criticism and persecution. There are lots of things in life that are fine in themselves, but our strength has its limits and before long fatigue cuts our feet out from beneath us. The longer the weariness lingers, the more we face the danger of that weary condition clutching our inner man by the throat and strangling our hope, our motivation, our spark, our optimism, our encouragement. But Let's understand that God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to TAKE so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us HIMSELF. That is all. And that is enough. The Savior says: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, 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 souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV). Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Zondervan, 1983, pp. 150-151 od Is Like a Tiger A priest friend of mine went to the missions in Africa. It took him three years to learn Swahili. He was working in a small village when he could finally communicate to his community. They understood him, but one of the men came up to him afterwards and said, "Father, we thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made to preach to us in Swahili, but you don’t understand God the way we do. You speak of God as out there in the universe, but for us God is like a tiger and we are the prey. Not only does He hunt us down, but we are already captured by him and baptism puts the seal on this capture. We are held by Him and He owns us, so there isn’t any great difficulty in reaching him. He is the one who seizes us." The priest learned more from that man, the native, than he probably learned in the seminary. It’s just a way of looking at God which is more meaningful in some ways than some kind of a vague, distant God in whom you have faith. We are owned by God. Once you have the faith to know that the Lord will sustain you and keep you and hold you and protect you, you don’t have to worry. Faith then becomes the support of your life. John Catoir, The Power of Faith Matthew 11:29-30 The “yoke” Jesus refers to in Matthew 11:29–30 is well illustrated by the process of training a young bullock to plow. In some parts of the world, the farmer will have the young bullock harnessed to the same yoke as a mature ox. The bullock, dwarfed by the other animal, will not even be pulling any of the weight. It is merely learning to walk in a field under control and with a yoke around its neck; the ox pulls all the weight. It is the same when a believer takes Christ’s yoke. As the Christian learns, the yoke is easy and the burden light. Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching