[0:00] In dependence upon the Lord for all needed help, I venture to draw your prayerful attention to Matthew chapter 11 verses 28, 29, and 30.
[0:25] Matthew chapter 11 verses 28, 29, and 30.
[0:38] Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
[0:56] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
[1:19] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is right.
[1:29] Precious words of a precious Jesus. Are these words precious to your soul?
[1:47] Is Jesus precious to your heart? These words are not addressed to the self-righteous, or to those that think well of themselves.
[2:08] Indeed, perhaps one, if not the greatest hindrance to entering in to the blessings expressed in the words of our text is when a poor sinner, or I say when all the time, that one has something in itself, it's got to be humble.
[2:38] We've got to be brought right down. We've got to be stripped of all hope in self, and utterly dependent upon Jesus Christ.
[2:54] We have then coming, and we have taking, and we have an example set before us in this text tonight.
[3:13] All ye. A word that is inclusive, a word that is exclusive, for the description of the ye is in the words of our text.
[3:35] But let us first think of the fullness of the gospel, the fullness that is in Jesus Christ.
[3:53] Oh, ho everyone that thirsteth. Come ye. Come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye buy, and eat ye come, and buy wine and milk, without money and without thirst.
[4:14] Wherefore do ye spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not?
[4:25] Hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
[4:38] Incline your ear, and come unto me, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure verses of David.
[4:52] Let it be sweetly, sweetly, sweetly attracted to this sinner that is so burdened and is laboring so hard.
[5:06] Let it not be thought that this scripture is only applicable to believers in their seeking days.
[5:18] That it is blessedly true. It is indeed. It is indeed. But speak to God's dear saints. Speak to the one that is near the gates of glory.
[5:33] Ask them if they've finished with this word. They will say no. Still they pleaded. Still they come.
[5:44] Still are they from time to time laboring, and certainly heavy burdened, and seeking that rest that is in Jesus Christ.
[5:59] Come unto me. Let us look then at the character that is set before us. We speak, and rightly so, of gospel invitations.
[6:15] Now they are distinct. They are clearly addressed. I would just speak to the younger ones here for a brief moment.
[6:27] If you have an invitation to a friend to tea, as it's written, it's in an envelope and it's addressed to you personally.
[6:38] And it means you. You are welcome to come. Now, speaking with the deepest of reverence and the greatest of care, these gospel invitations from heaven, and we might just think the wonder that ever there should be a gospel invitation from heaven for vile sinners.
[7:08] But it is clearly set forth to a particular people. And this invitation here is set forth to those as name in our text, ye, all ye, that labor and are heavy laden.
[7:31] There's the active side of this, and there is the passive side of this. The active is the laboring.
[7:42] The passive is the burden sinner. Laboring. Well, we all know what it is to labor.
[7:53] It is to work. And it signifies here laboring to try and amend our ways.
[8:05] Trying to bring something to God. Something that would turn away his wrath. Something of ourselves. We read of the law of God.
[8:20] In the Sunday school recently, we've most profitably considered the Ten Commandments. I wonder if our scholars have thought about it.
[8:33] As we noticed in our closing meditation, we all have broken those commands. We've labored to try and keep them.
[8:46] Now, don't misunderstand this. It is right to seek to try and live rightly and to obey the commands of Almighty God.
[9:04] That, of course, is right. But to rest for salvation. To go to heaven upon our works, our deeds.
[9:17] That, my dear friends, will fall short at last. We find increasingly our inability to fulfill the law of God and to keep his commandments.
[9:37] And we find that we cannot, outside Jesus Christ, find peace for our soul or rest.
[9:50] We struggle. We strive. I hope I have set this balance clearly before you without any confusion, especially to the minds of those that are younger.
[10:09] I repeat, it is right, of course, to seek to do good and to obey God. And that we should pray for.
[10:20] But we cannot rest upon a life of ours to take us to heaven. Because our very best is all stained with our sin.
[10:34] These commandments are all broken and shattered. And we cannot. You may have a false peace. You may have some sense of peace.
[10:47] But, my friend, it won't be a lasting peace outside Jesus Christ. That peace must come through the Prince of Peace, through Jesus Christ, who by his death on the cross has made that peace.
[11:05] And ye who sometime were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Not the labor of my hands can fulfill thy law's demands, says the hymn.
[11:24] Let me just turn to it that I quoted correctly in your hearing. Could my zeal no respite, no.
[11:35] Could my tears forever flow? Oh, just think of it. Just think of it. From birth to death, no cessation of zeal.
[11:49] No cessation of tears of weeping because of sin. Yet all that tears alone and zeal without the blood of Christ cannot make an atonement for sin.
[12:08] All for sin cannot atone. Thou must save. And thou alone. And that's the preparation to the blessings of this text tonight of rest and peace in Jesus Christ.
[12:31] Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.
[12:43] What does that mean? It means a very heavy burden. Dear deacon, in prayer, just before we came into the service tonight, sought forgiveness for enormous sins.
[13:01] What's he done? No, being kept from grosser outward sins, but to him and to those who fear God, you will pray God that we may never think lightly of sin.
[13:20] Those who pass sin over, brush it by, say it's only little, it's only small. My dear friend, you're in terrible danger. It may sound cruel.
[13:31] It may sound cruel. It may sound unkind. It may sound hard. If I say, I pray God, you're going to be really burdened with your sin.
[13:43] That it will be laid upon you, charged upon you, as such a heavy burden, that you cannot find rest or peace.
[13:54] But that burden, leading you to Calvary's cross, and there may you, and may we, like dear Christians say, bless cross, bless sepulcher, bless rather be, the man that there did die for me.
[14:13] As that burden of dear Christian rolled off his back. There's no other way. But let us just come back a bit. We've perhaps stepped on a little too far.
[14:25] A burdened sinner. The psalmist in one place speaks of it. And he says this, Therefore, mine iniquities are gone over mine head.
[14:45] As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. The wise man says, heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it to stoop.
[15:00] But a good word maketh it glad. This is my prayer tonight. O you that are heavy in heart and spirit because of your sin.
[15:13] O that there may be a good word for you tonight. From the Lord himself, from his word, and brought with the spirit, and applied with divine faith, brought with power, and received by faith the inner soul.
[15:30] And that it may be a good word to you. Burdened. And I felt confirmed in the first hymn that we've just sung tonight.
[15:42] Thy promise is my only plea. With this I venture nigh. Thou callest burdened souls to thee.
[15:53] And such, O Lord, am I. It's true, you know. There's the gospel call. There's this gospel invitation to these burdened sinners.
[16:09] These whose sins are weighted and weighting them down. that they feel that they shall sink and rise no more.
[16:22] Fear that they shall sink into the hell that God has prepared for unpardoned sinners. Oh, friend, can you say, yes, and such, O Lord, am I.
[16:39] Bowed down beneath the load of sin by Satan sorely pressed. You know, that's a strange thing, isn't it? Satan gets active when you are brought under the burden of sin.
[17:01] You'd think that he wouldn't worry, if we may put it that way. But you see, it's the beginning of the work of God's grace. It's the power of the Spirit.
[17:12] It's a living soul that is brought to know and feel the great burden of sin and be directed to Jesus Christ to Calvary's cross.
[17:26] I say this carefully because one has read of the ungodly dying and coming to the deathbed in terror and awful consciousness of unpardoned sin.
[17:46] But, beloved, where there is this true burden of sin, conviction of sin, the work of the Spirit, this leads to Jesus Christ, the Savior, to the precious blood, to the finished work of Jesus Christ, bowed down beneath the load of sin, by Satan's sorely press, by wars without and fears within, I come to thee for rest.
[18:18] And how we pray, be thou my shield and hiding place that sheltered near thy side, I may my fierce accuser face and tell him, thou hast died, heavy laden, but now there's this word, come, come unto me.
[18:44] To whom, dear Jesus, oh, to whom shall needy sinners flee, but to thyself, who bids us come, our springs are all in thee.
[18:55] Oh, beloved friend, burdened sinner, cast down soul tonight, are you struggling to reach Jesus Christ?
[19:07] Are you coming with all your sin and all your unworthiness to look to the dear Redeemer and plead for pardon and for peace?
[19:19] Ah, if I ask him to receive me, will he say me nay, not till earth, not till heaven pass away?
[19:30] And there is a coming, now, I want, as the Lord may help me, to come right down as far as I can, as the Lord will lead me, to encourage the early seeker, it is to come in faith.
[19:45] Now, you may say, I don't know that I have faith. Beloved friend, if you are this burdened sinner, and you have no rest, and seek that rest in Christ, that peace through the blood of Christ, and come as you are to Jesus Christ, our coming sinner, it is the evidence in your heart of the possession of precious faith.
[20:16] because all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
[20:28] We've said it often, we say it again, the new birth, spiritual life, and light, and coming to Christ, and faith in the Redeemer, hungering and thirsting after the Savior, panting for Christ, looking to the Savior, beloved, is all one.
[20:51] I think Bunyan speaks of it in that way, and rightly so. And it's to come without money, it is to come without any price, just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark block, to thee whose blood can cleanse each pot, O Lamb of God, I come, just as I am, without one plea but that thy blood, and perhaps you may say, my hope was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, O friend, he won't cast you out.
[21:36] This man receiveth sinners, he's this same Jesus, some of us love him, we can't live without him, we have to tell him how weak our love is, how poor we are, and what sinners we are, and we feel it more than ever, but we do pray that we might love him more, we do pray that we might be like him, now where shall we come?
[22:00] He says, come unto me, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth, and be ye saved, for I am God, and there is none else, and Jesus says, and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me, for beloved, there's no other way, there's no other salvation, neither is a salvation any other, there's none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved, and if your religion is of heaven, if it is of the Holy Ghost, it will be that way, it's a narrow path, but it's a blessed path, it's the right way, it leads to glory, and it's unto me, and what for?
[22:46] There you are, there am I, if ever there's a sinner need salvation, you tell the Lord, Lord, it's me, I've often said this, the publican's prayer, God be merciful to me, a sinner, if ever there's a sinner on earth, Lord, that needs mercy, it's me, Lord, I'm that sinner, now, is to Jesus Christ, to none other, and it is, I come with all my sin, all my rebellion, all my leprosy, all the issues of blood, all the possession of unclean spirits and thoughts and infirmities and weakness and everything that you can possibly think of, that is evil, in the sight of Almighty God, I come with all this, dear Lord, just as I am, but from thee, and in thee, there's such a fullness that abides, and everything in my precious Jesus, for such a sinner as I, and so
[23:46] I come, I need forgiveness, I plead the name and precious blood of Jesus Christ, I come seeking salvation, to know that this Jesus, his name is Jesus, meaning a Savior, he shall save his people from their sin, I need my filthy garments of self-righteousness to be removed, but Lord, not just removed, I want some, I want a dress, I want a spotless garment, and that garment imputed the righteousness of Christ, the best robe, I want, dear Lord, that grace to walk more closely with my dear Redeemer, I want that guidance in life's path, I want that strength equal to my day, I want that submission to thy will, I want the spirit of Jesus Christ to rest upon me, and to indwell me,
[24:51] I want to be only reserved for Christ that died, that surrendered to the crucified, come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will, you know, I, after all these years, go back sometimes to the ministry of my pastor, and sometimes he would take it this way, he would take it just word by word, he stopped, and say, I, so we will deny, who is it?
[25:30] It's Jesus, Jesus, I, this dear Savior, that came from glory to this earth, that as we read, descended to this earth, now ascended into glory, I, then will, and what Jesus says, and when he says will, he'll do it, there's no breaking, no failure, no change, blessed be his name, and then it says, I will give, here is his open hand, his loving heart, here are the blessings that flow from his death on Calvary's cross, I will give, I am come, that they might have life more abundantly, that the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep, and he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things, and are we not reminded to the comfort of our souls, all things are yours, ye are
[26:50] Christ, and Christ is God, oh the wonder of it, while Christ is rich, I can't be poor, what can I want beside, and fear not little flock, it is your father's good pleasure, to give you the kingdom, do you doubt it, what did Jesus say to the dying thief, verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise, what was the prayer of the saviour, father I will, that these also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, and what is the gift of the saviour, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, and yet again another word comes to the mind, and he, the Lord our God is a sun and shield, he will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk up rightly,
[28:08] O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, I will give you, you the coming sinner, I won't cast thee out, and what is the blessing, I'll give you rest, rest, oh the restlessness of the world, oh the evil that is saturating our country, our friend, we're in a dark and solemn day, but here there's a rest that the world knows nothing of, a rest, a complete rest in Jesus Christ, I often refer here to the dove that went forth from the ark and there was no rest for the sole of her foot, she flew back to the ark and there was Noah who drew her in unto him in the ark,
[29:20] I will give you rest, it is resting in faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, it's resting in his wonderful love, it's resting in those everlasting arms, it's a rest that we might truly say is inseparable from peace, such peace with God, peace that passeth all understanding, the mind stayed on God, perfect, perfect peace, we sung last night at the prayer meeting for the Sabbath school, peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin, the blood of Jesus whispers peace within, it's like a poor sinner, fleeing to Christ and finding that rest and as this word might be rightly rendered,
[30:28] I will rest you, I will give you rest, oh you that are so laboring and struggling, oh you that are so burdened, oh come unto me, Jesus says, I will give you rest, that inward peace, that resting in the arms of his love, that communion with the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, but now there's another side, take my yoke upon you, now what is a yoke, work, well it, I take it now really as far as we're concerned in this modern age it's largely an old fashioned implement used in the old days of farming where two beasts with a wooden yoke largely would be yoked together so that they would walk together and so that they would work together and so that they would plough together.
[31:42] Are you yoked to Satan or to Jesus Christ? Are you a servant of Satan and sin and self or yoked to the Saviour?
[31:57] It is good that a man bear the yoke in the days of his yoke. Now what are we to understand then by this taking this yoke?
[32:10] we may speak of it in this way as the apostle did. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.
[32:28] It is to walk with Jesus and this yoke as the dear Saviour says here my yoke is easy and thy burden is light.
[32:40] Why? Because the dear Saviour bears if we may so name it the heavy part of that yoke and this yoke of the Saviour is lined with his love and he walks with you therefore it will be the right path it will be the right service serving the Lord it will be a grace that will be given it will be communion that will be enjoyed and then as I have read or heard as I believe if a younger beast is to be brought for the first time under a yoke with an older beast the older beast bears the heavier part of that yoke.
[33:28] Now don't you think friend that you can trust and I put it rather feebly I suppose Jesus you know he'll only lay on you just what is right and it is for your good it is for our blessing it is for rest it is for profit it is to draw us closer to himself take my yoke upon you and we are warned be do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers you see if there are two under a yoke and one wants one way and the other wants the other way there will be a struggling a chaff a rubbing against the yoke and perhaps friend a Christian a believer may be struggling may be rebelling against his lord and saviour and we need grace to pray lord make me submissive to the yoke all the time we are under this yoke all the time we are submissive to this yoke my friend it will be more comfortable take and it's my yoke upon you and it is to obey his commands it is to walk in love and here we have an example
[34:55] I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest under your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light I think I have read that the beast under the yoke the head is down and this signifies not only walking with Christ but a spirit of humility and look this is the example that Jesus Christ has set is there room for pride is there room for a wrong spirit is there room for an unforgiving spirit is there room for selfishness oh friend shame on us when we think of the example that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has set us meek and lowly when he took a towel and girded himself think of it the Lord of heaven and earth the King of kings the Lord of lords who came to this earth and there took that towel the task of the lowest servant in the house to wash the disciples feet we may look and we do with wonder and amazement at it but may it be more than that
[36:28] Lord clothe this poor sinner with humility make me humble like my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ make me willing to take the low place now don't mistake humility for weakness don't mistake humility for sacrifice of truth oh dear me no it is still to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints but is in all the spirit of humility and lowly oh so often our natural heart wants to be thought not of and is lifted up with pride we have pride in a pulpit we have pride in a prayer meeting you can have pride in the chapel you can have pride in your daily calling oh we need to acknowledge and need to be kept humble and delivered from this sin this accursed sin and friend as I say if we are favoured to look upon
[37:35] Jesus Christ it will be like we sometimes sing when I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died my riches gain I count but loss and poor contempt on all my pride what am I proud of yes I am proud of one thing and I don't use the word wrongly my soul shall make a boast in the Lord and that's where we should be ascribing all praise I'm a poor sinner and nothing at all but Jesus Christ is my all and in all me and lowly father forgive them they know not what they do oh I'm ready with a sword I'll cut that person's head off I'll get my revenge I'll get hold of them no friend no no no don't seek revenge leave that to God rather pray pray that you may be given the spirit of Jesus
[38:44] Christ and that we may be kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you friend over the spirit of Jesus Christ all to walk out this glorious gospel and to be more like our savior oh put thy gracious hands on me and make me all I ought to be and ye shall find rest unto your souls I tell you what friend if you've spoken wrongly and I know it I've spoken a word hastily or thought I perhaps haven't judged a matter rightly and I've gone home oh how rest this one has been why oh the damage I felt I've done no rest like that now what's the way of rest to speak to the one look
[39:47] I don't know whether I said the right word or whether I've been misunderstood or perhaps I have said the wrong word oh forgive and there's rest isn't there there's rest but dear pastor one of our well-known ministers now in glory was so infuriated with one of his members on a Sunday on the Monday morning he got his car out and he was going to give her well strong words but as he got near the house a word dropped in his heart something about the wrath of man it wasn't right he turned the car around he went home again and the phone was ringing it was this member full of apologies of what she'd said the Lord mercifully kept him my friend we need the spirit of Christ we need to pray for peace we need to pray that we may not be a disturber of that peace ye shall find rest unto your soul now two words and we must close if I have now found grace in thy sight show me now thy way that I may know thee that I may find grace in thy sight is it not then that that thou in presence shall go with me is it not Lord that I seek above everything else that thy blessed presence to go with me if thy presence go not with me that's what
[41:23] I'm getting at carry me not up hence the Lord says my presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest in thy presence I am happy in thy presence I'm secure in thy presence all affliction I can easily endure and and my mind goes to that little hymn give me a calm and thankful heart from every murmur free the blessings of thy grace impart and make me live to thee let the sweet hope that thou art mine my life and death attend thy presence through my journey shine and crown my journey's end I greatly hesitate on this last thought word how I came to the text and I it's not the first time of course
[42:26] I've tried to preach from it here if life is spared it may be preached again we never get weary of it but Friday afternoon just taking a little rest I dropped off and I had a most sweet dream I dreamt I was preaching and I dreamt I desired to tell the people about rest and it was vivid and this word come unto me all ye that labor and a heavy labor and I will give you rest and I remember as I woke saying friends this is the path and here I come and I woke and do you know without any exaggeration my heart was just warmed and filled with just a touch of heaven the Lord bless his word amen hit 말씀� and air be optimized and even go to the earth about