Sermon #1085 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: Sinners, Come And
Welcome To The Savior
Text: Matthew 11:28-30
Scripture: Reading: Luke 15:11-24
Subject: The Gospel Call
Date: Sunday Morning April 4, 1993
Introduction:
The gospel of Christ might be compared to the cities of refuge in Israel.
1. Those cities of refuge were strategically placed in Israel by the appointment of GodSo, too, the gospel of Christ is established in a place by divine appointment.
2. It was a great honor and privilege to Israel that they were favored with those cities where men who deserved to die might flee and live and find mercy. ― So the gospel of Christ, the ministry of the gospel, is the highest honor and greatest privilege God can bestow upon any people.
3. No one ever fully valued and appreciated the cities of refuge except the person who fled to the city for his life and found refuge from the avenger of blood.Even so, no one ever truly values the gospel of the grace of God until he is saved by it.
Today, I hope once more to preach to you the gospel of Christ with the utmost simplicity. May God the Holy Spirit now speak by me to every heart here and persuade you, every one of you to come to Christ. The title of my message is ― Sinners, Come And Welcome To The Savior. I take the words of Christ himself in Matthew 11:28-30 for my text. Will you hear what the Savior says? (Listen carefully as we read these three verses Matthew 11:28-30).
(Matthew 11:28-30) "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) 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. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Proposition: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, The Savior of the World, invites and persuades sinners to come to him, promising salvation and eternal life to all who do.
Divisions: Keep your Bibles open right here, and follow me. My outline is in the text itself.
I. Come unto me.
The Lord Jesus calls you to come to him. He does not call us to come to
· The Altar!
· The Church!
· The Priest!
· The Preacher!
· The Baptistery!
· The Table!
· The Law!
· The Doctrine!
He says, Come unto me! What does that mean? What is it to come to Christ? He does not leave us to guess about that. He explains his meaning John 6:35.To come to Christ is to believe on him. It is an act of faith.
(John 6:35) "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Go through the Scriptures. Look at those who came to Christ in the Gospel narratives. There you will see that all who come to him in faith had four things in common.
A. A Need They needed the mercy, grace, and power that only the Lord God himself possesses.
Illustration: The Woman with an Issue of Blood (Luke 8:43-48).
(Luke 8:43-48) "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, (44) Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. (45) And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (46) And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. (47) And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. (48) And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."
B. A Persuasion of His Ability to Help (Heb. 11:6).
Illustration: The Leper (Matt. 8:2).
The Thief (Luke 23:42).
C. A Suit A petition for mercy.
Illustration: Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52).
D. Surrender (Luke 14:25-33).
(Luke 14:25-33) "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, (26) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. (27) And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. (28) For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? (29) Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, (30) Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. (31) Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? (32) Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. (33) So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
Those who came to him continued with him, and became his followers. They depended on him for salvation, received him as their Lord and Master, professed an obedience to his precepts, accepted a share in his reproach, and renounced everything that was inconsistent with his will.
(John Newton).
(Luke 9:23-61) "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (27) But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. (28) And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. (29) And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. (30) And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: (31) Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. (32) But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. (33) And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. (34) While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. (35) And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. (36) And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. (37) And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. (38) And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. (39) And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. (40) And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. (41) And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. (42) And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. (43) And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, (44) Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. (45) But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. (46) Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. (47) And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, (48) And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. (49) And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. (50) And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. (51) And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, (52) And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. (53) And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. (54) And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? (55) But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. (56) For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. (57) And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. (58) And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (59) And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. (60) Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. (61) And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house."
(Mark 10:52) "And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way."
II. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden.
The word that is here translated labor means toil with weariness. All who toil with weariness and are heavy laden, burdened down with a load they cannot get rid of, are bidden come to Christ. If you are not laboring and heavy laden, obviously, these words are not addressed to you. But if you do, in a spiritual sense, labor with toil and weariness and are heavy laden under the oppressive load of sin, the Son of God here calls you to come and find rest in him.
Some of you are you laboring and heavy laden, seeking salvation by your own righteousness, by your own works. You have engaged upon an impossible task. Quit trying to save yourself, and come to Christ (1 John 1:7-9; Rom. 10:1-4; Gal. 3:10-13).
(Romans 10:1-4) "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. (2) For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (3) For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
(Galatians 3:10-13) "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. (12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. (13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:"
(1 John 1:7-9) "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
A. Are you laboring and heavy laden with the temptations of the devil?
· Inward Corruptions!
· Unbelief!
· Worldly Care!
Come to Christ (Heb. 2:18).
(Hebrews 2:18) "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."
B. The Lord Jesus Christ promises that he will, without exception, receive all who come to God by him (John 6:37).
(John 6:37) "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
III. Now look at the third line of verse 28 And I will give you rest!
This word, rest, expresses much more than relaxation. It also has in it the idea of refreshment. This is the rest our Savior gives to sinners, both a cessation from labor and a reviving of life.
A. It is Given Rest! ― I will give your rest.
It cost him dear. But he gives it to us freely. He learned it and bought it for us. Now he gives it freely to all who trust in him.
B. It is A Present Rest.
All who believe do, when they believe enter into rest, the rest of faith (Heb. 4:3).
(Hebrews 4:3) "For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."
1. A Satisfying Rest I have found him (John 1:45).
Illustration: The Pearl of Great Price
2. A Rest from Guilt (Isa. 12:1-2).
3. A Rest from The Reigning Power of Sin.
Illustration: Romans 6:18-22
4. A Rest from The Works of The Law (Rom. 7:4).
C. The rest promised in our text is also a future rest (Heb. 4:9).
(Hebrews 4:9) "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
It is a rest beyond all that can be experienced here. It is the perfect rest of complete salvation.
1. A Rest from All Sin!
2. A Rest from All Afflictions!
3. A Rest From All Temptations!
4. A Rest From All Sorrow!
5. A Rest From All Unsatisfied Desires!
IV. Briefly, look at verse 29. Take my yoke upon you.
A. This is an act of voluntary submission and obedience.
It is something we must do. We must bow to and slip upon ourselves
1. The Yoke of His Profession.
2. The Yoke of His Precepts.
3. The Yoke of His Providence.
B. And learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart.
Here is the appointed means by which sinners are enabled to bear this threefold yoke. He has given us an example to follow.
1. He endured great hardship for us (Heb. 12:3).
2. He became obedient to God to save us (Phil. 2:5-8).
3. He submitted to the will of God for us (John 18:11).
C. And ye shall find rest unto your souls.
1. The Rest of A God Conscience In Obedience.
2. The Rest of A Faithful Servant Doing His Will.
3. The Rest of A Believing Heart Trusting His Providence.
V. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
If you come to Christ, you will find it to be so. The easiest most pleasant, most tranquil existence in this world is the life of faith in, submission to, and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ He calls you now to this life in him.
Illustration: The Handkerchief
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and helpless, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, grace and power.
Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and mangled by the fall;
If you tarry till youre better,
You will never come at all.
I will arise and go to Jesus.
He will embrace me in His arms,
In the arms of my dear Savior.
O there are 10,000 charms!