Would you take your Bible and
turn with me to the book of Matthew 11. I'm going to read verse 28. And before I read it, I shared
with some of the men a moment ago We've been going through
the book of Hebrews. And going through the book of
Hebrews, I try to study ahead and pray that the Lord give me
the sense of the passage to see the gospel as we go through the
Scriptures. But there are times when a passage
will be born to your heart, and I've heard from men that have
studied and preached much longer than I, this word of exhortation. If the Lord impresses you with
the passage of Scripture, stay there. And yesterday morning,
Very early, I guess I was awake, but it's just in that kind of
that twilight time, this passage of Scripture kept coming back
to my mind. And in my mind, I had it prepared. And I got up and looked at this
passage of Scripture, and this is truly the passage that I want
to preach on tonight and truly believe that this is the message
for us this evening. Matthew 11, 28. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Let's pray together. Our Father, this evening, Lord,
we ask your blessing upon your Word. That Word that you have promised
is not going to return void. It is going to accomplish the
purpose for which it was sent. Lord, I pray that Christ might
be honored and your people encouraged And these things we ask for Christ's
sake. Amen. All of God's people struggle. We all struggle. We sin within. We struggle with sin without. We struggle with the world. And for you who have been made
to see the weakness of self and the fleeting and lying false
promises of this world, I have a word from the Lord is to all
of us this evening. And I don't know, I don't know
the struggles that you all have. I may know something, but I don't
know really what you're going through. But I can tell you this,
based upon His Word, He has said, Come unto Me. All ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." Come. The heart of that word
is found, really, the definition, John 6.35. If you want to know,
we talk about come to the Lord. John 6.35. Here our Lord gives
the definition of it. Come to the Lord. John 6.35.
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh
to me shall never hunger. And here's the definition. He
that believeth on me He shall never thirst. What is it to come
to Christ? It's to believe Him. To trust
Him. Rely on Him. I've heard this statement before. When I came to the doctrines
of grace, and we don't come to the doctrines of grace. I'll
tell you who we come to. we come to the Christ of all
grace. The doctrines that we refer to
in love. Somebody said, you mean you love
the doctrine of total depravity? Yes, I do. Because the Lord has
told me that that's what I am. And I believe it. And Paul even
thanked the Lord In Romans 7, verse 30. Remember this? Romans
7, 30. He thanked the Lord. I'm at 725. I thank God through
Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself
serve the law of God. I love it. I love it. I love God's law. I can't keep
it, but I love it. I love God's law. It's the expression
of His character. Paul says, with the mind I serve,
I bow to it, I say it's good. But this is what he also thanked
the Lord for. But with the flesh, the law of sin. I thank God that
He's shown me that. I thank the Lord that God has
been pleased to show me what I really am Man by nature doesn't
know that. He doesn't know that he's a sinner. He doesn't know that he's a rebel. You who are called, you're a special people, special
unto the Lord. And you know how it's expressed? You're needy. I need Him. I need the Lord. I know that
according to God's eternal purpose, I know the ones that are going
to come. He said, come unto Me. I know who's going to come. All
that the Father's given Him, they're going to come. But do
you know how they're going to come? Beggars. That's how they're going to come.
They're going to come weak. When are they going to come?
in the day of His power, Psalm 110. When he calls, Paul said,
when he pleased God, who called me by His grace, he passed by
the table of custom. Matthew was sitting there and
the Lord said to him in power, follow me. Matthew followed him. Almighty God calls. He gives
a heart. He said in Ezekiel 36, 27, I
will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statues,
and you shall keep My judgments and do them. You're going to
come to Me. You're going to believe Me. You're
going to believe Me as you be weak and needy. All God's elect. Need Him. But here's what they know. If
I don't have Him, I'm going to perish. Continually. Well, let me ask you this. Do
you need Him? Are you needy? Do you need to
come afresh? Not yesterday's coming. He that
cometh. Unto me, as we've said before,
that ETH, it's a present progressive word. He that cometh, he that
believeth on the Son hath life. He that cometh unto me I will
in no wise cast out. The world knows absolutely nothing
of this need. A heart that's made tender toward
Him. And it's a continual thought. It's ever present with a believer. Everything that a believer does
daily is in relationship to Christ. It's always in relationship to
Him. Come unto Me. Why? Because you don't have any other
place to go. You have no desire to go anywhere else. Look at
John 6 again. John 6, verse 63. John 6, 63. Very familiar passage of Scripture. We read it, but as the Apostle
Paul says, to say the same things unto you, to me is not grievous,
for you it is safe. John 6, 63. The Lord speaking, He said, it
is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. That is to say, the flesh is
useful, and where the word nothing is there, that word is interpreted,
no man, not even one. When it says it profiteth nothing,
I know it means it doesn't do anything good, I understand.
But that's not the interpretation of the word. It is, the flesh
is useful for no man. No, not even one. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not and who should betray Him. And
He said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto
Me, except it were given unto him of My Father. From that time
many of His disciples went back and walk no more with him. Then
said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter
answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of
eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God. Let me ask you this. Right now, the thought of not
coming to Him, The thought of not calling on Him. To you that
know Him, that's a grieving thought. Lord, where would I go? To whom shall we go? Lord, You have
the words of eternal life. You're the Christ. You're the
Lord. But here's the comforting thing. With that command, come
unto Me. Also comes the grace and the
power to come. Faithful, this is 1 Thessalonians
5, 24. Faithful, faithful, faithful
is He that calleth you who shall also do it. He's the one that
gives the heart. He's the one that imparts that
desire. God's people come because they
want to come. But why do they want to? Because
Almighty God has given them a heart to come. I desire to come to
Him. Come unto Me. Who? Back in Matthew 11. Come unto Me. Are we afraid of the word whosoever? No. Whosoever. Whosoever. All. Any. Every. Come unto me, all ye. Now here's the qualification. That labor. That feel the fatigue. of trying to establish righteousness
before God by your own efforts. You know, this is a passage of
Scripture a lot of times that men will always use when they're
trying to appeal to unbelievers. And if that passage of Scripture
comes in power to one that God is going to call out of darkness
by His grace, the Lord will grant a heart to do that very thing.
But when He calls, believe me, He's given the power to do so.
Mercy has already been shown. Life is there. When they call,
it's because He's already given them a new heart. But I want
to tell you something, you that know Him, you that believe Him,
you that are struggling. This is a daily need. The trial and temptation that
the flesh never relinquishes is to insinuate to God's people,
you know, you've been pretty faithful.
You've been faithful a long time. That trial, that labor that you
struggle with daily, somehow we get it in our minds that we
are able to maintain, that we can continue. You know, I've
been faithful. I've been faithful all these
years. The Lord said, without me, you
can do nothing. You can do nothing without me.
I can't pray. I can't come. I can't believe. I can do nothing without Him. We never escape that struggle.
Come unto Me daily, daily. You who are cut in the heart
and experience the toil that's brought on and that remains because
of our fall in Adam and because of our own sinful nature, that
nature that Knows that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells
no good thing. Come unto me, all you that labor,
struggling, ashamed. Oh, I've already shared
with you numerous times, my struggle is just trying to pray. Just be honest. Lord, help me. Lord, thank You. Thank you that
you don't charge me with iniquity. Lord, I know it's there. I feel
the effects of it. Come unto me, all ye that are
heavy laden, that you feel the weight of the burden. What? Of self. This is what I feel. Paul expressed it this way, O
wretched man, that I am, I that knows. It's no good thing
dwelling in me, I know that. But there's a new heart there.
There's a new man. And that new man, that old man
struggles. That old man strives against
the new man. The new man strives against the
old man. He said, I know that in me that
is my flesh there dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present
with me. What will does a believer have? I'll tell you this, I want to
be obedient. I want to be consistent. I want
to be faithful. I want to. But there is a heavy
laden I'm heavy laden with myself. Sin. Who shall deliver me from
the body of this death? To will is present with me, but
how to perform that which is good I find not in me. I don't find it in me. Well,
what's the remedy? He says, come unto me. all ye
that labor heavy laden." Heavy laden with the burden of self,
the burden of sin's effects upon not only myself, but in others
that you love. Come to Him with it. Casting all your care upon Him,
for He careth for you. This is the greatest relief of
heart. I want to share my heart with
you. You already know. Lord, you know. You're the one that's brought
it to my mind. Lord, you're the one that's spoken to me about
it. Casting all of your care. Why? Because He cares for you.
You that are weary, heavy laden because of sin, that's an evidence
of a believer. This labor and being heavy laden,
this is a burden that's too much for me. I can't bear this burden
alone. Lord, help me or I'll perish.
Lord, I'll faint. And then listen to what He's
promised to all, to those whosoevers, those that have been made to
feel in heart the struggle, the pain, the labor, the burden of
sin. He says, and I will give you
rest. There is no source of rest, true
rest, Now there's some false securities. There's maybe some
temporary, you know. But I'm talking about being able
to truly settle down. He gives rest. No one earns it born in Adam. Our Lord earned the rest that
He gives. He earned it. at the greatest
price that's ever been paid. His precious blood. I will. That's a promise. That's a confirmation. You can
take this one and bank on this. I will give you the one that
is weary laboring, heavy laden, I will cause you to take ease
is what it is. I'm going to cause you to rest
from the guilt and the fear. I feel all the time guilty. I'm just
guilty. I've disappointed Him. I know
because of my inconsistencies. And I just need to bear my heart
to Him. I said, Lord, I'm sorry. I will
give you rest. You come to me. Cast your burden
upon me. Rest. I was looking at the definitions
of that word, rest. He said, I will reverse your
anxiety. And he's the only one that can.
I will reverse, I'll cause the struggle to cease. And I'm telling you, you that
have truly felt and experienced in heart that Almighty God settled
your heart down, and you think there's no other explanation.
The Lord gives rest. He grants rest. There's been times that I just
feel the burden, the burden of study, the burden of self, the
burden of sin within, and be able to express to you in my
heart what I'm trying to say. I don't know if I can. You'll
know what I'm talking about though. There's times that the Lord would
allow me to settle down, and I'd say, Lord, don't take this away. Lord, would You allow me to stay
right here? Lord, help me. I'm so prone to just slip away. Lord, take not Your Spirit, Your
Holy Spirit. That's what David said. Not that
the Lord would remove His Spirit, in saving grace. I know that. But just the experience of peace. Lord, help me right here. Help
me to stay. I will. I will cause you to feel
and drink of my rest. And I know that that's a promise
that's not going to fail. And He allows His people draws
them, directs them, chastens them, sends the chastisements
for this reason, to cause them to call on Him. He knows how
to cause me to call. How to cause me to see myself. Oh, how painful is the labor
and the heavy burden of sin. But how sweet and refreshing
is the relief from it, in the midst of it. David said, it's
good for me that I've been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes,
that I might learn of your rest, that I might experience your
comfort, that I might know of your peace. Comforted. Look at 2 Thessalonians 7. 2 Corinthians 7, verses 4-7. 2 Corinthians 7, verses 4-7. The Apostle Paul said, Great
is my boldness of speech towards you. Great is my glorying of
you. I'm filled with comfort. I'm
exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. For when we were come into Macedonia,
our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side.
Without were fightings, within were fears. Nevertheless, God
that comforted those that are cast down, comforted us by the
coming of Titus. And not by His coming only, but
by the consolation wherewith He was comforted in you, when
He told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind
toward Me, so that I rejoiced the more." Paul said, we were
in Macedonia and there was just so much fighting on the outside,
so much trials, people, the animosity. toward us, and he said there
were fears within him. Whatever the depth of his fears
were, they were true. They were real. Fightings without
and fears within. And he said, God, that comforted
those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus. How's
that, Paul? How did Titus comfort you? He said, and not by His coming
only, not just because He came, but by the consolation wherewith
He was comforted in you when He told us your earnest desire
and your mourning and your fervent mind toward Me. When He told us how the Lord
had blessed you through the ministry. And how God had settled your
heart. And he said it was just what a comfort. You know, so
many times I struggle, as I told you. I preach the messages usually,
you know, numerous times. I really preach them after I've
preached them. I go over them in my mind and go over them in
my mind. When somebody says, you know,
that was a blessing to me. That was good. I'm thinking,
oh, I pray so. I pray the Lord bless that, you
know. Beloved, you that are tried in
heart, tired of self, tired of your own inconsistencies, all
of us are tired and weary of doubts and fears that never are
going to leave us while we're in this world. Here's the exhortation. Come unto Me. Come unto Me. He who is our Sabbath, He who
is our rest, cease! Cease from the labor and the
weariness of trying to maintain my righteousness before God.
I know that He must keep me, or I'm not kept. Christ is my
righteousness. I've not established anything.
He's our peace, our comfort before God. His blood is atoned. His righteousness robes us. The holiness that we have before
God, it's His. We stand in Him. Father, I and
the children that Thou has given me, If you feel the labor and
heaviness of your sin within, without, it's because He's taught
you of it. He's taught you of your need. Come unto Me. He that cometh to Me, I will
in no wise cast out. Right now. Right now. I know
you're struggling. I know you are. I know I am. Come to Him. If He gives me breath,
Tonight, in the morning, come to Him. And in the hour of my
departure, Lord, speak the words of comfort to my frail heart
and bid me in that moment, come unto me. I will give you rest
for your soul. Those are words that a believer
can die with. Those are words that I know every
believer desires to hear. Come unto me. The sweetness of
those words, how precious to a struggling sinner. Come unto
me, all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Lord, bless these words to our
heart for Christ's sake. Thank you.