The Easy Yoke

July 9, 2023 Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 Year A 6th Sunday after Pentecost The easy yoke Prelude Welcome Call to Worship One: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord! Come to Jesus, all you who have suffered a beat down this week. Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have experienced family turmoil this week. One: Come to Jesus, all you who are tired of conflict all around, tired of high gas prices, tired of glass ceilings, quotas, minimum wage jobs, and limited family values. Many: Come to Jesus, all you who have a job that is getting on your last nerve. One: Jesus said, “I’ll give you rest. I’ll bring you relief. I’ll provide your deliverance. I’ll make a way.” Many: And Jesus will give us wonderful rest! All: Come on ya’ll, let’s worship the Lord! Adapted from Joseph W. Daniels, The Africana Worship Book, Year A Opening Prayer Lord of peace and hope, we open our hearts to you this day. Be with us as we hear your words of inspiration and healing. Guide our hearts and spirits as we seek to be witnesses to your redeeming and reconciling love. In Jesus’ Name, we offer this prayer. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song. Come Thou Font of Every Blessing Children’s Sermon Does everyone see this? It’s a pillow. We use pillows to rest our heads on when we sleep. We wouldn't be very comfortable without a pillow to rest our heads or neck on. And our back would start hurting and we wouldn't get that much sleep that night. Getting a good night's sleep is really important, especially if you want to be energetic and active the next day. Sleep helps our body in a lot of ways. It helps our muscles rebuild and gives our stomach time to digest all the food we ate that day. Sleep is necessary. Without it we wouldn't survive. You know kind of like this pillow, God also provides comfort and rest. But I'm not talking about sleep for our bodies, I'm talking about rest for our souls. Do you know what a soul is? Our souls are spirits that live forever and when we die, our spirits live on. When you accept Jesus into your heart, you accept his promise that your soul will live forever in heaven. If you don't accept Jesus, your soul will end up in hell. That's not a very nice place to be. So it would be nice to know for sure that we're going to heaven. I think I would lose a lot of sleep if I didn't know where I was going when I died. Fortunately, Jesus said he will give us rest. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” If we love Jesus and follow him, he will give us rest and comfort. We can be assured that we will spend an eternity with God in heaven. We'll never have to be tired, or stressed, or worried. So get a good night's sleep tonight, and when you lay your head on your pillow, remember that God provides a total rest in heaven. (Children’s Ministry Deals) Apostles Creed UMH 881 Prayer for illumination Gracious God, for generations, your Word has brought love and life to your people. Speak to us now; we pray that we may hear, and in hear- ing, we may be transformed. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Scripture. Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Sermon. The Easy Yoke Sermon Opener – The Burden Bearing Christ - Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 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.... Our major lesson for today is how to wear the yoke of Jesus. Last week we looked ag Matthew 10 – Jesus us preparing the disciples for mission. He tells them to take up your cross and follow me. Matthew 11 occurs after that event. His words and his teachings seem all over the place. The lectionary writers tried to summarize Matthew 11 for us, and it still seems like a lot fo take in. Jesus starts talking about kids refusing to play games, the he talks about a hopeless generation that won’t listen, he compares his ministry with that of John the Baptist. Then he invites us into a challenging ministry – but encourages us to rest. That is a lot to talk about in just one chapter. Some scholars say that Matthew 11 was directed to John the Baptist’ disciples. Jesus was comparing his ministry to JB. And now that John the Baptist was in jail, he was inviting his disciples to join his mission. Now get this, this is just a theory, but some people say that Jesus was a recovering alcoholic, and when he was baptized by John the Baptist, he fully recovered and turned his life around. I know that sounds crazy – but it is biblical. In his comparison, he says that John the Baptist abstained from eating and drinking and the people rejected him. And the holy one came eating and drinking and the people called him a glutton and a drunkard. Jesus liked to quote scripture – and it says in Deuteronomy 21:20 that the holy one was a glutton and a drunkard and he turned his life around and started ministry. Some people say that Jesus was talking about his own life, when he talks about the holy one. Fortunately, most scholars agree that Jesus used that biblical reference figuratively. He was just making a point, that this hopeless generation always has something to complain about. Actually, we are that hopeless generation. Times Were Hard The times were hard. The government, a huge bureaucracy that provided so many important things like roads and military support and the justice system, was hopelessly out of touch with the people. And the religious establishment wasn't much better. It seemed so focused on preserving the status quo that it had little or no vision for what might yet come to pass. When a prophet spoke out, they were vilified, punished, especially if they called into question the decisions of the government. Voices of hope arose, but just as quickly they fell as questions arose about the character of the speaker, about their ability to deliver, or about the transgressions of their past. Apathy was the prevailing ethos in the community. It was not hard to imagine the people asking, "Why even bother when nothing seems to change?" Kind of hard to figure out the time referenced, isn't it? While this description is meant to refer to Matthew's community, they could be referring to today in any town or city in America. The pervasive apathy of our age, the sense that nothing can improve and to bother trying to make things better is a fool's errand, the despair that makes us resign our hearts to a belief that poverty, hunger and homelessness have no real answers. Such matters are left to Sisyphus, sadly rolling that stone up the hill only to have it roll back down, generation after generation after generation. Trace Haythorn, Jesus' Invitation to Paradox Jesus still invites us to come and follow him. Yeah, it sounds good – but how many of us are tired, weary, wear of the Christian life. Afterall it is a lot of work. It is a lot of going against the crowd, it is a lot of worrying, it is a lot of rejection and negativity. It really doesn’t ,make life any easier – and in most cases it makes life harder. 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 When you are physically tired – we can sleep, when you are emotionally tired you can spend time alone, but what happens when you are spiritually tired.I think that we have all had that time when taking a break does not make us feel better. We are still tired after everything. What is the remedy? I Have More Remedies Have you heard about the farmer who went to a government bureaucrat specializing in animal health? The farmer sought help from the “expert” because ten of his chickens had suddenly died. The government expert instructed the farmer to give aspirin to all the surviving chickens. Two days later, however, the farmer returned. Twenty more chickens had died. What should he do now? The expert said quickly: Give all the rest castor oil. Two days later, the farmer returned a third time and reported 30 more dead chickens. The government expert now strongly recommended penicillin. Two days later a sad farmer showed up. All the rest of his chickens had now died. They were all gone. “What a shame,” said the expert, “I have lots more remedies!” The world offers many so-called remedies to the problem of stress, but the truth is most of them don’t work. The world offers many so-called experts on stress management, but the truth is there is only one Great Physician who can give us the comfort and strength we need. The world offers many so-called solutions for the tensions and burdens that push us down and pull us apart… but the truth is there is only one Prince of Peace, who can soothe our jangled nerves and save our troubled souls. There is only One who can truthfully say and mean it: “Come to Me all of you who are exhausted and weary and worn and troubled and stressed out and I will give you rest. I will give you comfort, I will give you the strength you need for the living of these days.” James W. Moore, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com I think sometimes that is the problem with this hopeless generation – we think that there is a problem for every solution. We are searching for remedies to make us feel better. After 2000 years of Jesus teaching, we are still learning that there is no remedy for life. Life is a challenge no matter who you are. Dealing with other people is a challenge. Being in mission is a challenge – and there is no cure for that. And yet Jesus is still inviting us to take up his yoke. Alone, a bull can pull 7000 pound, but when yoked to another, they can pull not twice, but three times that amount. When we are yoked to christ, it is Christ who bears the burden. There is a legend that christ made yokes in his workshop with his earthly father Joseph. They were such good craftsmen that the sign over the door said, my yokes fit well. Yoked together we don’t have to work alone, but we also don’t have to bear the burden alone. Together, we can do so much more. Together with God, we can do the impossible. Christ calls us into community to work together. Working together we can see the hard work to be done, but we can also look to see the synergy that we are creating. Did you know that the pastor’s stole is actually inspired by this verse. In the early church church workers, usually women – wore an apron to symbolize that fact that they were yoked to God in their work. Eventually the stole got smaller and was jusat a symbol- but the meaning is still the same. In order to to the work of the church, you have to be yoked to God. And be willing to follow the actions of God in everything that you do. It encourages pastors to look to God as a partner, but it is a reminder for all of us – that we are not alone, God works with us. The invititation to be a Christian is not an invitation to an easy life, but it is indeed a yoke unlike no other. Being yoked to the holy spirit is an adventure – Jesus can attest to that. One the one hand you see a lot of pain and suffering, but on the other hand – you find beauty, miracles, joy, peace, and yes rest. It is interesting, because that word has been haunting me all week. Not in a bad way – but in a way to make me think. There have been facebook post all week about rest. One which said that it is important for pastors to rest and not think that they have to work all of the time. But how can you find rest when there is so much that needs to be done? 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 Listening to God is a world beyond problems and solutions. It is a world that is so much bigger than that, a vision that offers infinite inspiration to keep going. You have light in even the darkest situation. Being yoked to God is an experience unlike any other. Jesus would know. Recognizing the presence of God along the journey of life, allows us to rest. Rest One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. "I don't get it," he said. "Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did." "But you didn't notice," said the winning woodsman, "that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest." www.Sermons.com Finally, God reminds us to honor the sabbath and to keep it holy. 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 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is lig Song. Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling. UMH 348 Prayers of the People Gracious God, in Jesus, we are invited to come to you with our burdens, with the wearying concerns of our lives. Hear us now as we pray for the world around us. Our national news is filled with stories of violence and harm. We live in a world in which many are in danger, and many seem unmoved by that fact. Change our moral consciousness Lord to one in which safety and preservation of life is our most important concern. May we each look deep into your Word, Lord, to find the ethic we will live by and work for your kingdom to come. We pray for the sick or suffering people in our world and our community. We pray for your grace to be found in the unwanted diagnosis or med- ical news; may your love saturate the grief that news brings. For those who suffer from pain and discomfort, we pray that you will ease their suffering and give them fresh hope in the face of illness. Lord, we ask that you look upon our relationships and families and strengthen them. Build up our marriages, reinforce our friendships, and bless the ties that bind us. Enable us to be the parents, grandparents, sons, and daughters you have called us to be. Bless our families — whether they are families of blood or choice. And we ask that you guide this church into new life and health. Teach us each to live in such a way that the power of God working in us is evident to all. May all that we do as a church community and all that we do as individuals glorify you. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment 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 Offertory Prayer God of compassion and mercy, you claim each one of us as your children. Like a parent, you are joyful when we find joy and your heart aches when we fall, fail, or feel less than the beloved heirs to the kingdom you meant us to be. The yoke the Bible describes doesn’t burden us but reminds us that you yearn for us to be a church, a community, that supports, steadies, and sustains when life makes us weary. The gifts we give this day we give in gratitude for this yoke that helps us finish the race in faithfulness. Bless our giving and its use, we pray in Christ’s name. Amen. (Matt 11:16-19, 25-30) (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Announcements Joys and Concerns Benediction May you be strengthened for the week ahead by the joy we have shared this day. May the words of hope resonate the whole weeklong. May you live for the glory of God. And may the triune God surround us with love and care our whole lives long. Amen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Tara Bulger)

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

Come to Jesus

July 3, 2011
Come to Jesus
Genesis 24: 34-38;42-49;58-67
Matthew 11:16-19;25-30
Third Sunday of Pentecost
Year A



The Fourth of July and Freedom

On this 4th of July weekend, we can all relate to the song “America the Beautiful. We can all agree that we live in the land of the free and the home of the brave. America is a very special country, a country where all are free to pursue their happiness and well being.

And even though we all enjoy that freedom, we all know that freedom is not free. We know the cost that many have paid with their lives, and that many others pay for with their obedience to continue to defend our country. We know that America is not perfect, our forefathers and leaders have done their fair share of injustice.


Freedom and discipline
But we also know that freedom is not free, because we cannot go around doing what we want to do. We cant just sit around and expect freedom to hand deliver everything that our heart desires. It takes much hard work and discipline. It takes obedience to our laws and rules. It takes being yoked, as Jesus would say. Jesus says to put on his yoke. The burden is easy and light. We are called to be obedient to his way of life.



Rabbi and the woman
There is an old story of a widow – who had two daughters and a field. Since her daughters were young – she would plow the field herself. But the law said to her that she was not supposed to plow with an ox and an donkey together. When she began to seed the field the law said that she was not to seed with a mix of different seed. When she began to reap and to stack her corn – the law said that she should not be reaping if she still had corn in the field. When she began to thresh – she was commanded to give her offering for the first and second tithe. She accepted the law and gave all that she had. But she sold her field and thought it easier to raise sheep – until the law said that she had to give her first fleece to the temple. She killed the sheep so that she could eat it – until the priest told her that she had to give the shoulder, the cheeks and the stomach of her sheep to the temple for sacrifice. Frustrated – she threw up her hands and asked the priest if there was anything that she could do to be free from the law. I have killed me sheep – and you are still asking for more - you killed the sheep asked the priest? Yes replied the woman. In that case the whole sheep belongs to me – he took her sheep, her lively hood and left her alone with her two daughters. There was absolutely nothing that she could do to escape the yoke of the law. It demanded everything of her. That is not the kind of yoke that Jesus is asking us to bear.

Freedom in Christ
Jesus asks us to take on the burden of freedom. Freedom in Christ. Galations 5:13 says that you were called into freedom. Matthew 11 says Come to me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
The yoke of Christ is voluntary, easy, and peaceful. The yoke of Christ is faith in Christ. The yoke fulfills all of the promises of God.

The freedom of Rebekah
Genesis 24 is a beautiful story of the faithfulness of Rebekah in fulfilling the promises of God. God promisedAbraham that he would have a family as numerous as the stars. In spite of himself destroying the promise. God works to fulfill the promise and saves Isaac. Now Sarah has died, and Isaac is unmarried. Before he dies he asks his servant to find a wife for Isaac. The servant prays for a successful mission, but it is Rebekah herself who offers herself as a faithful servant, by being willing to go home with the servant. When she sees her fiancé for the first time, she is estatic. And happily accepts the yoke not only of marriage, but of the faith to follow God.

Where are you in the story?
This unique perspective may be the point of this story, not only narratively (after all, the aged and well-off Abraham is not going to do this himself), but also theologically. This next phase of God's promise unfolds through the faithfulness not so much of the one calling the shots (Abraham), but of a trusted servant and kinfolk hundreds of miles away. God's story and promise is embedded in the interactions of all these people across all these cultures. Perhaps most importantly, that promise now depended on the decisions and discernment of the two who had the least power, but had been given the most trust by all involved — the unnamed servant and Rebekah.
Where does your worshiping community find itself in this story?
Where do some people in your worshiping community find themselves in this story?
(Note: These are two different questions which will likely have very different answers!)
Are you or some of your worshiping community Abraham, entrusting the hopes for the continuation of God's promise to another?
Are you or some of them the trusted servant, trusting God and skillfully navigating the negotiations that will help that promise come to fruition?
Are you or some of them Rebekah, suddenly finding yourself invited to be part of a story you didn't know could be opened to you?
Or are you or they Laban, invited to make a bargain that may seem like sending a sibling far away?
Put another way, is your congregation or are some in it releasing control, actively negotiating, being invited to consider a new future, or entering into some sort of exchange in which you may lose one thing to gain another?
Now a third level — where is your community — not just where your building is located, but the networks of relationships you have as individuals and a congregation — in this story?
Given where you are as a congregation, where your people are, and where you discern your community is, how might this story encourage you to understand the kind of role or roles you may have in continuing to embody God's promise, God's kingdom, where you are?
But don't stop there. Remember that the response of every person in this story involved a new commitment.
Abraham had to commit to ensuring the line would continue through his family and to sending a servant with clear boundaries but no micromanaging instructions to take care of that. The servant had to commit to fulfill Abraham's commission and to trust that God would indeed help that happen. Laban had to commit to allowing his sister to join the journey his uncle Abraham had embarked on many years, several cultures, and hundreds of miles ago. And Rebekah had to commit; indeed, she was given final say and freedom to choose — to take up the role of matriarch in an extended branch of the family and with a husband she had never met in a land far away.
How is God at work in our story?
Where we see ourselves, depends on where we see God on our lives. How is God blessing us today? How is God at work in our lives. In the story, we hear from everyone except God. God speaks to know one, God directs no one, there are no miracles present that point to an obvious God.



God at work not in knowledge but in faith
And yet God’s promises are fulfilled, just in the actions of those who are powerless over their fate, yet obedient and faithful to what they are supposed to do in life.
Jesus thanks God that God has hidden the promises of God from the wise and shown them to infants. Those who have the innocent faith of a child.

The faith of a farmer
A farmer was hard at work on his farm, and he did not realize that it was time for the Sabbath. Nightime Saturday came upon him, and he could not go home. The law forbid him from walking that far on the Sabbath. He had to spend the night in the field. He missed his home that night, he missed his family. But most of all he missed his scriptures. Without them he did not know how to pray to honor God. The next day, he told his rabbi what happened. The rabbi told him that he did not need scripture in order to praise the glory of God, to tell God that God was the head of his life. The farmer confessed that he did not think that far in his faith. He was not that wise. But he did pray the letters of the alphabet – a, b,c. Knowing that if he said the letters, then God would put the words together to hear what needed to be said. The rabbi could do nothing but praise the simplicity of his faith. Freedom is not free….but faithfulness is always rewarded and understood by God.

The invitation of Christ
All that God is to us is revealed in the lessons that Christ taught us. Jesus invites us to come. On this day and in the days to come. Take on the yoke of Christ and find rest, peace, and a freedom that is fulfilled forever. Real freedom is a promise of God to the faithful. Amen.