WEBVTT 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:12.080 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.019 like to connect with HTV, go to htv .church forward 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:19.059 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.960 to htv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.899 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:30.379 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:33.700 message. Hey, good morning, everyone. So good 00:00:33.700 --> 00:00:36.460 to see you. So glad you chose to join us. If 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:38.060 you're joining us from home, thanks for welcoming 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:40.659 us into your space. Hey, can you all humor me 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:42.799 this morning? High five your neighbor and say, 00:00:42.840 --> 00:00:51.500 you look like a mess. Doesn't that feel good? 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.840 Only at HCV. And the reason I do that and the 00:00:56.840 --> 00:00:59.079 reason I asked you to do that is because our 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:04.480 theme for VBS 2026 or Kids Camp 2026 was What 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:07.219 a Mess VBS. And check out some of these images 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:10.780 from this past week. The kids had incredible 00:01:10.780 --> 00:01:14.819 fun. We had tug -of -war into mud. We were squirting 00:01:14.819 --> 00:01:18.599 people with colored paint. We were creating crafts. 00:01:18.760 --> 00:01:23.579 We were worshiping Jesus. And on Friday, We all 00:01:23.579 --> 00:01:26.900 got slimed. That's right. Think Nickelodeon. 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:31.840 And let me reassure you that the slime tastes 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:37.140 nasty, okay? Because it did happen to go in my 00:01:37.140 --> 00:01:40.459 mouth. But that's okay. That's okay. It's all 00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:43.430 for the kids. We love them. We appreciate them, 00:01:43.530 --> 00:01:45.590 and we know that they had an incredible time. 00:01:45.629 --> 00:01:49.129 Over 100 kids that we served, that we challenged 00:01:49.129 --> 00:01:50.390 them to grow in their relationship with Jesus. 00:01:50.450 --> 00:01:52.670 They are the next generation. They are the church, 00:01:52.829 --> 00:01:56.790 and we are going to continue to pour into them. 00:01:58.909 --> 00:02:02.950 So isn't it true that we live in a society that 00:02:02.950 --> 00:02:06.069 has never had more conveniences than we have, 00:02:06.250 --> 00:02:10.620 yet we've never been more exhausted? Think about 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:13.680 it. We have apps that save us time. We have devices 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:17.199 that keep us connected. We have technology that 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:19.960 accomplishes things in seconds as compared to 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:23.539 hours. Yet despite all of our advancements, all 00:02:23.539 --> 00:02:29.879 the technology, people are tired. We're tired. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:33.319 Not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:37.689 spiritually. Many of us wake up tired. push through 00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:41.490 the day with caffeine because we're tired, and 00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:45.669 then go to bed exhausted. We take vacations hoping 00:02:45.669 --> 00:02:48.729 to recover only to return to more exhaustion 00:02:48.729 --> 00:02:51.629 because we have to catch up on everything we 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:55.250 left behind. We can sleep up to eight hours and 00:02:55.250 --> 00:02:58.509 still wake up weary because the fatigue that 00:02:58.509 --> 00:03:01.789 we are experiencing isn't just in our bodies, 00:03:01.849 --> 00:03:06.789 but it's also in our minds. On top of that, some 00:03:06.789 --> 00:03:09.009 of us are carrying the weight of financial stress. 00:03:09.729 --> 00:03:11.849 Others are burdened by broken relationships, 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:14.770 the constant pressures of work. Oh yeah, we're 00:03:14.770 --> 00:03:17.849 raising children. We're caring for parents. We 00:03:17.849 --> 00:03:21.409 have guilt on our lives over past mistakes. We 00:03:21.409 --> 00:03:25.050 have anxiety about the future. We're simply trying 00:03:25.050 --> 00:03:28.289 to keep up with all the expectations of life. 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:31.830 What does the world tell us to do? Work harder. 00:03:31.990 --> 00:03:35.449 Achieve more. Buy something new. Escape for a 00:03:35.449 --> 00:03:38.310 while. You'll feel so much better. But many of 00:03:38.310 --> 00:03:39.870 us know that those things are only temporary 00:03:39.870 --> 00:03:43.650 relief. They can give us a break, yes, but they 00:03:43.650 --> 00:03:48.889 cannot give us a rest. Real rest isn't found 00:03:48.889 --> 00:03:52.409 in a place. Real rest isn't found in a thing. 00:03:53.150 --> 00:03:56.830 It's found in a person. See, into a world filled 00:03:56.830 --> 00:04:00.590 with exhausted people, Jesus extends one of the 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:04.740 most beautiful precious invitations in the entire 00:04:04.740 --> 00:04:09.120 Bible. Come to me, all of you who are weary and 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.539 carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:16.180 And notice that Jesus doesn't say come to a religion. 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:18.980 He doesn't say come to church. He doesn't say 00:04:18.980 --> 00:04:21.199 come when you've cleaned yourself up. He doesn't 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:23.060 say come when you've figured everything out. 00:04:23.160 --> 00:04:29.149 He simply invites us to come to him. And today 00:04:29.149 --> 00:04:31.629 we're going to continue our Promise Keeper series 00:04:31.629 --> 00:04:34.930 for the month of July with encouraging talk focusing 00:04:34.930 --> 00:04:39.610 on Jesus' promise to give us rest. And before 00:04:39.610 --> 00:04:43.430 we jump into Matthew chapter 11 verses 28 through 00:04:43.430 --> 00:04:47.529 30, I want to encourage you the context of these 00:04:47.529 --> 00:04:50.649 words that Jesus is about to speak to us. We 00:04:50.649 --> 00:04:52.930 must remember he's speaking to a crowd of people 00:04:52.930 --> 00:04:56.819 who are heavy hearted. They're weighed down by 00:04:56.819 --> 00:04:58.740 the burdens of life, many of them poor, many 00:04:58.740 --> 00:05:01.959 of them not having enough food to eat, and also 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:04.879 by the burdens of religion that were placed on 00:05:04.879 --> 00:05:07.300 them. They had to jump through all these hoops 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:14.420 to earn God's love. This message is a message 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:16.660 that can significantly change your life today. 00:05:17.459 --> 00:05:20.139 And I want to encourage you. Open your minds. 00:05:21.139 --> 00:05:24.389 Open your ears. And open your hearts to receive 00:05:24.389 --> 00:05:27.310 Jesus' promise. Because you could leave here 00:05:27.310 --> 00:05:30.089 different. Which leads us to our first thought. 00:05:30.389 --> 00:05:35.170 See, Jesus never promised an easy life. He promised 00:05:35.170 --> 00:05:39.089 his presence. Notice what Jesus says in Matthew 00:05:39.089 --> 00:05:42.730 11, 28. He said, come to me, all you who are 00:05:42.730 --> 00:05:46.550 weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give 00:05:46.550 --> 00:05:51.990 you rest. He will give us rest. See, one of the 00:05:51.990 --> 00:05:54.230 greatest misconceptions about following Jesus 00:05:54.230 --> 00:05:58.709 is that faith removes life's hardships and struggles. 00:05:59.149 --> 00:06:02.329 But see, Jesus never made that promise. However, 00:06:02.529 --> 00:06:05.290 notice in the words that we just read, he still 00:06:05.290 --> 00:06:09.250 promises to give us rest. And the rest that Jesus 00:06:09.250 --> 00:06:12.509 offers to us and to the people that he was speaking 00:06:12.509 --> 00:06:17.449 to is much deeper than physical relaxation. See, 00:06:17.529 --> 00:06:21.060 it's an inner peace, a security. a confidence 00:06:21.060 --> 00:06:23.680 that comes from being in a right relationship 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:28.360 with him. The Greek word for rest is antipostis, 00:06:28.360 --> 00:06:32.500 which means refreshment, relief, or restoration. 00:06:33.060 --> 00:06:38.939 See, this word conveys the idea of covering one's 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:44.839 strength after being exhausted. It re -encourages 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:49.259 us, reignites us. Jesus is inviting a weary and 00:06:49.259 --> 00:06:51.939 struggling group of people to find renewal in 00:06:51.939 --> 00:06:55.060 him, to find strength in him. Because, see, remember, 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:57.259 beyond their daily struggle and their religious 00:06:57.259 --> 00:07:00.399 burdens, if you look back to the beginning of 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.800 the chapter, Jesus is referring to one of the 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:07.120 greatest prophets the world has ever seen. A 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.480 man, in fact, who Jesus called the greatest man 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.680 that was ever born, named John the Baptist. And 00:07:12.680 --> 00:07:15.360 we find at the beginning of Matthew 11, John 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:17.959 was struggling with his faith. We read this. 00:07:18.579 --> 00:07:21.399 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:24.259 all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:26.860 his disciples to ask Jesus, are you the Messiah 00:07:26.860 --> 00:07:30.360 we've been expecting, or should we keep looking 00:07:30.360 --> 00:07:33.660 for someone else? See, John had been thrown into 00:07:33.660 --> 00:07:37.069 prison. And by this time that we're reading these 00:07:37.069 --> 00:07:39.189 words, he had been there for a while, and he 00:07:39.189 --> 00:07:41.629 was confused, wondering, what was happening? 00:07:41.889 --> 00:07:45.110 What is Jesus doing? Why am I not free by now? 00:07:45.709 --> 00:07:49.610 See, John was questioning his faith. He had been 00:07:49.610 --> 00:07:52.829 pointing people to Jesus. He's the Messiah. Follow 00:07:52.829 --> 00:07:56.310 him. And now he's asking, are you really the 00:07:56.310 --> 00:07:59.250 one? I mean, think about it. This is John the 00:07:59.250 --> 00:08:02.370 Baptist, the greatest person to walk the earth, 00:08:02.410 --> 00:08:05.920 according to Jesus. And now he's asking questions 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:09.639 and struggling with doubt in his faith. And see, 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:12.300 this is important for us to realize because when 00:08:12.300 --> 00:08:14.680 we have questions, when we have doubt, when we 00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:17.279 struggle in our faith, it doesn't mean we're 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:21.079 bad people. It doesn't mean we don't believe 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:25.160 in Jesus. It means we are human. It means that 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:29.500 we are broken people. Doubt is a part of everyone's 00:08:29.500 --> 00:08:33.389 faith journey. Theologian Alistair McGrath says 00:08:33.389 --> 00:08:37.289 it this way, doubt is natural within faith. It 00:08:37.289 --> 00:08:39.570 comes because of our human weakness and frailty. 00:08:40.590 --> 00:08:43.809 Unbelief is the decision to live your life as 00:08:43.809 --> 00:08:46.669 if there is no God. It is a deliberate decision 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:49.570 to reject Jesus and all he stands for. But doubt, 00:08:49.649 --> 00:08:53.090 doubt is something quite different. Doubt arises 00:08:53.090 --> 00:08:56.450 within the context of faith. It is a wistful 00:08:56.450 --> 00:08:58.370 longing to be sure of the things that we hope 00:08:58.370 --> 00:09:02.000 for. But it is not. and need not to be a problem. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:05.679 See, doubt is a unique problem for those of us 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:09.740 in a relationship with Jesus. It's going to happen. 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:12.139 It's a part of life. Think about it. John was 00:09:12.139 --> 00:09:15.080 pointing people to Jesus, the one he thought 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:18.379 was the Messiah, and look where it got him. He 00:09:18.379 --> 00:09:21.120 was thrown in prison. He was experiencing shame, 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:25.120 hunger, physical and emotional torment. Not only 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:28.759 that, there's these unmet expectations of what 00:09:28.759 --> 00:09:31.159 John believed the Messiah would bring to the 00:09:31.159 --> 00:09:34.139 world, to the Jewish people. Because see, in 00:09:34.139 --> 00:09:36.740 the Old Testament, we read about Jesus or the 00:09:36.740 --> 00:09:40.399 Messiah bringing liberty to the captives, opening 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:44.139 of prison doors, that Jesus would overthrow oppressive 00:09:44.139 --> 00:09:47.519 Roman rule. And John, right, is experiencing 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:52.039 none of those. He's stuck in prison, and he begins 00:09:52.039 --> 00:09:55.789 to question his faith. And many of us, if we're 00:09:55.789 --> 00:09:59.210 honest, we experience doubt for the same reasons. 00:09:59.990 --> 00:10:02.889 When we encounter difficulties in this life, 00:10:03.110 --> 00:10:05.490 whether it be at home, at school, with family 00:10:05.490 --> 00:10:08.629 and friends, maybe it's work, could be mental 00:10:08.629 --> 00:10:11.009 struggles, emotional struggles, relational struggles. 00:10:11.830 --> 00:10:13.929 Sometimes it feels like everything, all the above. 00:10:16.009 --> 00:10:20.570 But how about those unmet expectations? See, 00:10:20.629 --> 00:10:22.750 maybe we've tried to trust God for a season. 00:10:23.950 --> 00:10:25.970 And it doesn't seem to be getting any better. 00:10:26.029 --> 00:10:29.789 In fact, it's getting worse. So we begin to doubt. 00:10:29.830 --> 00:10:32.210 We begin to question, God, are you there for 00:10:32.210 --> 00:10:35.610 me? Do you love me? Do you care about me? God, 00:10:35.669 --> 00:10:39.190 I think you are good, but why isn't anything 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:42.509 changing in my life? Why won't this struggle 00:10:42.509 --> 00:10:46.210 end? And friends, we must remember that all of 00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:49.250 us have a limited perception of reality, just 00:10:49.250 --> 00:10:53.480 like John the Baptist. The greatest man to ever 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:56.899 walk the earth had no idea of the story that 00:10:56.899 --> 00:10:59.559 Jesus the Messiah and how it would play out. 00:10:59.879 --> 00:11:03.340 He had no idea Jesus was bringing a totally different 00:11:03.340 --> 00:11:07.299 kind of kingdom to this world. See, this wasn't 00:11:07.299 --> 00:11:10.220 about overthrowing the regime. It was about Jesus 00:11:10.220 --> 00:11:12.879 changing the world as we know it. John didn't 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:17.000 know that. And in his human perspective, which 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:20.990 is small and just like ours, When we go through 00:11:20.990 --> 00:11:23.429 these difficult seasons and we have these unmet 00:11:23.429 --> 00:11:26.730 expectations, we must remember our perspective 00:11:26.730 --> 00:11:30.429 on life is very limited. So there is this reality 00:11:30.429 --> 00:11:33.169 that we're going to doubt. It's a part of having 00:11:33.169 --> 00:11:37.110 faith. And not only are we going to doubt, but 00:11:37.110 --> 00:11:39.549 listen to these words from Jesus that confirm, 00:11:39.970 --> 00:11:43.690 hey, church, life is hard. And in this life, 00:11:43.730 --> 00:11:45.370 we're not going to have all the answers. Look 00:11:45.370 --> 00:11:48.850 at Matthew 7 from Jesus' famous Sermon on the 00:11:48.850 --> 00:11:52.169 Mount. You can enter God's kingdom only through 00:11:52.169 --> 00:11:54.710 the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad 00:11:54.710 --> 00:11:56.850 and its gate is wide for the many who choose 00:11:56.850 --> 00:11:59.710 that way. But the gateway to life, that means 00:11:59.710 --> 00:12:02.210 a relationship with Jesus, is very narrow and 00:12:02.210 --> 00:12:05.149 the road is difficult and only a few ever find 00:12:05.149 --> 00:12:08.909 it. That's Jesus' words. He's telling us, hey, 00:12:08.990 --> 00:12:11.309 if you're going to follow me, it's going to be 00:12:11.309 --> 00:12:13.830 hard. It's going to be difficult, which is why 00:12:13.830 --> 00:12:16.529 some people choose not to follow. And it's not 00:12:16.529 --> 00:12:18.070 just there. Let's look at a few more. Matthew 00:12:18.070 --> 00:12:21.649 10, 16 to 18 and 21. Look, I'm sending you out 00:12:21.649 --> 00:12:25.629 as sheep among wolves. Now, think about it. If 00:12:25.629 --> 00:12:28.169 you're a sheep, the last place you're running 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:32.490 is to a pack of wolves. Because sheep have no 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:35.190 defense mechanisms, and the only thing they can 00:12:35.190 --> 00:12:39.049 do is run, and they're slow. That's not good 00:12:39.049 --> 00:12:42.110 news for us, but Jesus says, you're like a pack 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:45.289 of sheep running towards the wolves. Let's continue. 00:12:45.610 --> 00:12:48.190 So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves, 00:12:48.210 --> 00:12:51.230 but beware, for you will be handed over to the 00:12:51.230 --> 00:12:53.110 courts and will be flogged with whips in the 00:12:53.110 --> 00:12:55.809 synagogues. You will stand trial before governors 00:12:55.809 --> 00:12:58.549 and kings because you are my followers, but this 00:12:58.549 --> 00:13:01.309 will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and 00:13:01.309 --> 00:13:04.230 other unbelievers about me. Is that going to 00:13:04.230 --> 00:13:08.379 be easy? Nope. Continuing on. A brother will 00:13:08.379 --> 00:13:10.460 betray his brother to death. A father will betray 00:13:10.460 --> 00:13:13.220 his own child. And children will rebel against 00:13:13.220 --> 00:13:15.580 their parents and cause them to be killed. And 00:13:15.580 --> 00:13:18.580 all the nations will hate you because you are 00:13:18.580 --> 00:13:25.120 my followers. Isn't this all good news? Oh, let's 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:29.440 continue on. Matthew 10, 38 to 39, if you refuse 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.000 to take up your cross and follow me, you are 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.419 not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your 00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:36.080 life, you'll lose it. But if you give up your 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.340 life for me, you will find it. Hey, church, go 00:13:39.340 --> 00:13:43.879 be crucified. Lose your life. That's not easy. 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.299 See, we have to realize there's days, there's 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:50.259 going to be nights, there's going to be months, 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:53.279 there's going to be even seasons of life. that 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.500 we're going to walk through on our journey with 00:13:55.500 --> 00:14:01.539 Jesus, that are hard. Faith is hard. Then on 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:03.879 top of that, we have all the burdens of this 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:06.980 world that we carry and weigh us down every single 00:14:06.980 --> 00:14:09.960 day in so many ways. Again, it doesn't matter 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:12.559 if it's school, work, jobs, responsibilities, 00:14:12.899 --> 00:14:16.159 financial burdens, physical burdens, sickness 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:19.580 like disease and pain, emotional burdens like 00:14:19.580 --> 00:14:22.970 anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts. Relational 00:14:22.970 --> 00:14:26.190 burdens. Family, friends, coworkers, classmates. 00:14:27.049 --> 00:14:29.570 Worldly burdens like wars and rumors of wars. 00:14:30.269 --> 00:14:33.830 Religionist burdens. Like we saw in these verses. 00:14:34.590 --> 00:14:38.629 So many people thinking they're not doing enough 00:14:38.629 --> 00:14:41.070 for God and holding on to this guilt and shame 00:14:41.070 --> 00:14:44.590 from their past. I mean, if we're honest, burdens 00:14:44.590 --> 00:14:46.889 in this world are real. They're heavy. They're 00:14:46.889 --> 00:14:50.620 painful. And they cause us pain. But we must 00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:54.059 remember that Jesus told us that this would happen. 00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:57.779 It's a part of faith. Look at John 16, 33. I 00:14:57.779 --> 00:15:00.299 have told you all this so you may have peace 00:15:00.299 --> 00:15:04.259 in me. Here on earth, you have many trials and 00:15:04.259 --> 00:15:06.600 sorrows, but take heart because I've overcome 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:09.340 the world. So what I'm trying to explain to you 00:15:09.340 --> 00:15:12.159 is we shouldn't be surprised by trials, sorrows, 00:15:12.179 --> 00:15:14.639 and pain that we experience in this world. The 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:18.679 Bible tells us that we live in a fallen, broken 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:24.690 world. Jesus told us that these trials, these 00:15:24.690 --> 00:15:27.629 sorrows are part of following him. So we live 00:15:27.629 --> 00:15:30.750 in a fallen world. We know life can be messy. 00:15:30.909 --> 00:15:34.509 The pain is real. And burdens are heavy to carry. 00:15:35.710 --> 00:15:39.610 All of that leads us to the good news in our 00:15:39.610 --> 00:15:42.909 next thought. When faith is hard and burdens 00:15:42.909 --> 00:15:46.169 are heavy, Jesus doesn't add to life's burdens. 00:15:46.450 --> 00:15:49.889 He helps us carry them. Notice Matthew 11, 28 00:15:49.889 --> 00:15:52.870 to 29. Then Jesus said, Come to me, all you who 00:15:52.870 --> 00:15:54.529 are weary and carry heavy burdens. I will give 00:15:54.529 --> 00:15:58.129 you rest. Take my yoke upon you. That is not 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:00.509 the yoke that you ate this morning for breakfast. 00:16:01.009 --> 00:16:04.169 Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle 00:16:04.169 --> 00:16:05.950 at heart and you will find rest for your souls. 00:16:06.730 --> 00:16:10.029 See, Jesus is painting a picture for us to see. 00:16:10.970 --> 00:16:15.529 See, two oxen get into what is called a yoke 00:16:15.529 --> 00:16:19.690 like this one together. For the purpose of carrying 00:16:19.690 --> 00:16:23.809 weight. So take a look at this picture. In this 00:16:23.809 --> 00:16:28.470 image, quite often, what farmers did was farmers 00:16:28.470 --> 00:16:32.870 would take an ox who was weaker or younger and 00:16:32.870 --> 00:16:37.509 they would put him in a yoke like this with an 00:16:37.509 --> 00:16:42.529 ox who was stronger. So the strong ox, what? 00:16:42.750 --> 00:16:45.649 Would carry the load and the weaker ox can learn 00:16:45.649 --> 00:16:50.580 to follow. And trust the stronger ox. Now today 00:16:50.580 --> 00:16:56.139 is the World Cup Championship. 3 p .m. And the 00:16:56.139 --> 00:17:01.019 world has been captivated by these games. One 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:03.539 player that took center stage until they were 00:17:03.539 --> 00:17:06.420 knocked out last week was the striking Viking. 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:12.339 Erling Haaland. Take a look at him. He's a Norwegian 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:17.509 6 '5 muscular goal scoring machine. that you 00:17:17.509 --> 00:17:19.809 can see is very intimidating and aggressive. 00:17:20.369 --> 00:17:24.230 Now, I want you to imagine for a second you being 00:17:24.230 --> 00:17:32.269 yoked with Erling. Okay? There's not many of 00:17:32.269 --> 00:17:33.789 you that are going to look at that man and say, 00:17:33.910 --> 00:17:40.690 don't worry, Erling, I got this. I will lead 00:17:40.690 --> 00:17:43.599 the way. I will carry us. You're not going to 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:45.319 say that if you see that guy. You're going to 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:48.980 say, hey, striking Viking, have your way. Lead 00:17:48.980 --> 00:17:53.440 the way. So that is the picture that Jesus is 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:58.119 giving us here, except Jesus is infinitely greater 00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:01.200 and infinitely stronger than Erling Haaland. 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:05.759 I mean, we're talking about Jesus here. God in 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.359 flesh. He created the heavens and earth. He upholds 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:11.960 the world by his power, and he's inviting us. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:17.160 To get into the yoke with him. And don't miss 00:18:17.160 --> 00:18:23.259 this. Jesus wants to carry our load. This isn't 00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:28.700 50 -50. This isn't 80 -20. Jesus is God. And 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:32.680 he can handle the entire load that we carry every 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:37.339 single day. Jesus is saying to us today, I will 00:18:37.339 --> 00:18:42.400 carry this weight with you and for you. You can't 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.640 carry it on your own. So we learned that faith 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.880 is hard. We learned that the burdens of this 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:51.619 world are tiresome and wearisome. And church, 00:18:51.680 --> 00:18:55.700 you can't do it on your own. Burdens are too 00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:59.579 heavy to carry in your own strength. And Jesus 00:18:59.579 --> 00:19:03.619 is inviting us today, come to him. But the crazy 00:19:03.619 --> 00:19:07.539 thing is, go back to that oxen picture. Even 00:19:07.539 --> 00:19:11.240 this image is wrong. When it comes to our relationship 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.119 with Jesus. Because he doesn't come beside us. 00:19:16.259 --> 00:19:19.839 He comes to live inside of us. Listen to Colossians 00:19:19.839 --> 00:19:23.519 1, 27 and 29. For God wanted them to know that 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:26.460 the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:31.859 too. And this is the secret. Christ lives in 00:19:31.859 --> 00:19:38.019 you. Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance 00:19:38.019 --> 00:19:40.890 of sharing his glory. So we tell others about 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:43.369 Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone 00:19:43.369 --> 00:19:46.130 with all the wisdom God has given us. We want 00:19:46.130 --> 00:19:48.289 to present them to God, perfect in their relationship 00:19:48.289 --> 00:19:51.150 with Christ. Notice what Paul says here. That's 00:19:51.150 --> 00:19:55.089 why I work and struggle so hard, depending on 00:19:55.089 --> 00:19:59.289 Christ's mighty power that works in me. So you 00:19:59.289 --> 00:20:01.970 hear that Paul is working. He is struggling. 00:20:02.250 --> 00:20:04.230 And some of you, if you don't know, we learn 00:20:04.230 --> 00:20:08.069 in 2 Corinthians chapter 11 that Paul had been 00:20:08.069 --> 00:20:11.059 thrown into prison. He had been beaten with rods 00:20:11.059 --> 00:20:14.980 to the point of death. He had been stoned, shipwrecked. 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:18.700 He was in danger from Jewish people, Gentiles, 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:21.759 robbers. There was danger in the city, dangers 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:25.160 in the wilderness, dangers at sea. He was experiencing 00:20:25.160 --> 00:20:29.160 hunger, pain, exposure to the elements. And the 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:31.680 list goes on and on. And what Paul is trying 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:36.779 to explain to us is faith is hard. But he overcomes 00:20:36.779 --> 00:20:41.490 all of it with Jesus. He says, life is difficult, 00:20:41.549 --> 00:20:45.029 but the yoke is easy. Church, when we have the 00:20:45.029 --> 00:20:47.990 supernatural power of Jesus living inside of 00:20:47.990 --> 00:20:52.009 us. See, this is life -changing truth when we 00:20:52.009 --> 00:20:55.829 embrace it. When we embrace the power of God 00:20:55.829 --> 00:20:59.569 living inside of us. And unfortunately, there's 00:20:59.569 --> 00:21:03.150 so many followers of Jesus, including some of 00:21:03.150 --> 00:21:05.930 you gathered here today, that don't realize. 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:08.619 When you choose to follow Jesus, when you put 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:12.119 your faith in him, yes, he forgives us. Yes, 00:21:12.140 --> 00:21:14.759 he reconnects us with the Father, but he also 00:21:14.759 --> 00:21:19.279 fills us with his spirit. He puts the Holy Spirit 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:23.599 of God inside of us to comfort us. John 14, read 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:27.140 it. To strengthen us, Philippians 4, read it. 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.940 To give us wisdom when we need it, James 1 and 00:21:30.940 --> 00:21:33.759 3, read it. To have victory over temptation, 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:37.279 Romans chapter 8. To help us with doubt and struggles. 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:41.680 Just read the book of Ecclesiastes. The Holy 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:44.200 Spirit empowers us to share our stories, Acts 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:48.359 1 and 2. It's all in there. See, we don't fight 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:52.700 the fight of faith in our own strength. Jesus 00:21:52.700 --> 00:21:56.339 inside of us fights for us. We don't have to 00:21:56.339 --> 00:22:00.119 carry burdens on our own. Jesus inside of us. 00:22:00.650 --> 00:22:03.269 He says, cast your cares, your struggles on me 00:22:03.269 --> 00:22:06.730 because I care about you. In fact, he says, I 00:22:06.730 --> 00:22:09.990 care about you so much that I put my spirit inside 00:22:09.990 --> 00:22:13.930 of you. We know that the Holy Spirit is known 00:22:13.930 --> 00:22:15.990 as the comforter. I put the comforter in you. 00:22:16.329 --> 00:22:18.430 I don't just give you help. I put the helper 00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:20.829 inside of you. I just don't give you wisdom. 00:22:21.029 --> 00:22:23.910 I put the spirit of wisdom inside of you. I don't 00:22:23.910 --> 00:22:26.450 just give you guidance. I put the guide inside 00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:30.410 of you. Jesus is saying, I put my hope, my strength, 00:22:30.490 --> 00:22:34.970 my love in you. Jesus doesn't guarantee that 00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:37.670 our life will be easier. In fact, he says, in 00:22:37.670 --> 00:22:40.109 this world you will have troubles. But he does 00:22:40.109 --> 00:22:42.250 guarantee we have the power to live beyond this 00:22:42.250 --> 00:22:45.990 world. That his yoke is easy. And that his burden 00:22:45.990 --> 00:22:48.549 is light. Which leads us to our third and final 00:22:48.549 --> 00:22:51.609 thought today. See, Jesus' burden is light because 00:22:51.609 --> 00:22:55.130 of his love for us. It's continuing. Matthew 00:22:55.130 --> 00:22:58.380 11, 28 -30. He said, come to me. All you who 00:22:58.380 --> 00:23:01.099 are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will 00:23:01.099 --> 00:23:03.920 give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:06.440 teach you, because I am humble and gentle at 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:08.180 heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.819 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I 00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:15.420 give you is light. So if we choose to follow 00:23:15.420 --> 00:23:20.759 Jesus and get into this yoke with him, that means 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:24.019 his commands that he's given to us are not a 00:23:24.019 --> 00:23:28.359 burden. In fact, they are. Let's read 1 John 00:23:28.359 --> 00:23:32.460 5, 2 through 3. We know we love God's children 00:23:32.460 --> 00:23:35.500 if we love God and obey his commandments. Now 00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:38.759 notice, loving God means keeping his commandments 00:23:38.759 --> 00:23:43.480 and his commandments are not burdensome. So notice, 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:46.579 Jesus' commands are not burdensome. They're not 00:23:46.579 --> 00:23:49.859 another thing that we have to do. So we have 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:53.220 to realize when Jesus says this, when he tells 00:23:53.220 --> 00:23:55.319 us this, that we wouldn't carry any burdens. 00:23:56.139 --> 00:23:58.779 We have to understand that we have to give them 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:02.859 to him. Because if I was to tell you, hey, I 00:24:02.859 --> 00:24:07.200 need you to lift 500 pounds above your head, 00:24:07.460 --> 00:24:10.119 I don't think there's many of us that could do 00:24:10.119 --> 00:24:13.700 that, true or false. In fact, I don't believe 00:24:13.700 --> 00:24:18.339 any of you could do it. I know I couldn't. But 00:24:18.339 --> 00:24:21.519 as we already discussed, how being in the yoke 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:24.700 with Jesus gives us supernatural power to carry 00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:28.559 out his commands. Because of Jesus' power living 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:31.720 inside of us, you can be free from addiction 00:24:31.720 --> 00:24:35.859 in this world today. Because of Jesus' power 00:24:35.859 --> 00:24:40.140 living inside of us, we can say no to sin. We 00:24:40.140 --> 00:24:43.920 can say no to temptation. Because of Jesus living 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:46.500 inside of us, we can endure through suffering. 00:24:47.380 --> 00:24:49.720 Because after all, the one that conquered all 00:24:49.720 --> 00:24:53.740 sin, shame, Satan, and death lives inside of 00:24:53.740 --> 00:24:56.890 us. So that makes the burden of following his 00:24:56.890 --> 00:25:03.450 commands light and easy. All of us have things 00:25:03.450 --> 00:25:06.829 we don't like to do. And it's those things that 00:25:06.829 --> 00:25:10.250 feel like a burden. However, when we realize 00:25:10.250 --> 00:25:13.569 how much God loves us, no command of his is a 00:25:13.569 --> 00:25:16.829 burden on us. How much does God love us? Well, 00:25:16.869 --> 00:25:19.609 1 John 4, 7 through 8, Dear friends, let us continue 00:25:19.609 --> 00:25:21.750 to love one another, for love comes from God. 00:25:22.059 --> 00:25:24.319 Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:26.420 God, but anyone who does not love does not know 00:25:26.420 --> 00:25:30.500 God, for God is love. God is love. So therefore, 00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.339 the burden is light for us when we realize how 00:25:33.339 --> 00:25:36.400 awesome Jesus is and how much he loves us. How 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:39.619 much did he love us? Well, for this is how God 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:43.559 loved the world. He gave Jesus, his one and only 00:25:43.559 --> 00:25:46.900 son, so that everyone who believes in him will 00:25:46.900 --> 00:25:50.869 not perish but have eternal life. Now, for many 00:25:50.869 --> 00:25:53.109 of us, there is no greater love relationship 00:25:53.109 --> 00:25:56.609 in this life than the relationship that we have 00:25:56.609 --> 00:25:59.069 in our marriage, for those of you that are married. 00:26:00.470 --> 00:26:02.829 See, the relationship that I have with my wife, 00:26:02.910 --> 00:26:05.630 Jessica, is the greatest love relationship that 00:26:05.630 --> 00:26:08.950 I've ever been in. In fact, I still remember 00:26:08.950 --> 00:26:11.509 the first time that I saw Jess walking down the 00:26:11.509 --> 00:26:17.230 aisle at Red Lobster, not at a church. I knew. 00:26:18.230 --> 00:26:21.009 And I'm not making this up that I was going to 00:26:21.009 --> 00:26:24.569 marry her. In fact, it was if I heard God say 00:26:24.569 --> 00:26:28.990 that that is the woman you will marry. Now, I 00:26:28.990 --> 00:26:30.930 didn't even know God then. I didn't even know 00:26:30.930 --> 00:26:32.630 the Holy Spirit. I didn't even know what that 00:26:32.630 --> 00:26:36.450 meant. But it was this inside of me, I just kind 00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:39.430 of knew it. And because of that, I instantly 00:26:39.430 --> 00:26:42.549 wanted to meet her, get to know her, and figure 00:26:42.549 --> 00:26:45.670 out what she was all about. So I began to flirt. 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:50.240 ask her questions about who she was and what 00:26:50.240 --> 00:26:53.079 she wanted to do with her life. I had no idea 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:56.440 that would lead me into a relationship with Jesus 00:26:56.440 --> 00:27:01.700 because she shared Jesus with me. And because 00:27:01.700 --> 00:27:04.640 of these interactions and because me coming into 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:08.299 a relationship with Jesus, my connection with 00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:11.920 her only strengthened to be in a relationship. 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:15.539 However, Jess was not as confident as I was. 00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:18.539 About our friendship, our relationship, our connection. 00:27:18.859 --> 00:27:21.480 So she was constantly telling me she didn't want 00:27:21.480 --> 00:27:25.220 a relationship. Boys are bad for me. She only 00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:28.400 wanted to focus on Jesus. So we were just friends 00:27:28.400 --> 00:27:33.140 for months. Years, in fact. We attended college 00:27:33.140 --> 00:27:35.140 together every day. We encouraged one another. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:39.480 We remained focused on growing our relationship 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:43.700 with God, not each other. And that led us going 00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:46.359 on a mission trip together to Ecuador. And it 00:27:46.359 --> 00:27:48.920 was there that God gave Jess a vision of her 00:27:48.920 --> 00:27:52.440 and I's life together. And that is a story you 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:57.660 can get from her. That vision led to her saying 00:27:57.660 --> 00:28:00.279 to me as soon as we got home, okay, we can get 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:02.500 married. Heck, I didn't even have to ask her. 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:06.140 I didn't have to buy a ring. I didn't do nothing. 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:12.200 But eventually I did those things. Yes, we were 00:28:12.200 --> 00:28:14.960 young. Yes, we had no clue what we were doing. 00:28:15.750 --> 00:28:18.650 But we stood in front of hundreds of people and 00:28:18.650 --> 00:28:21.289 God, and we made a commitment to live together 00:28:21.289 --> 00:28:24.750 for life. And let me tell you, that was not a 00:28:24.750 --> 00:28:27.470 heavy burden. That was one of the greatest days 00:28:27.470 --> 00:28:30.529 of my life. And for the last 29 years, we have 00:28:30.529 --> 00:28:32.730 fallen more and more and more in love with one 00:28:32.730 --> 00:28:35.150 another. And hear me out, it hasn't been easy. 00:28:35.970 --> 00:28:39.490 Marriage is hard. But it certainly hasn't been 00:28:39.490 --> 00:28:44.380 a burden for me. I want to be with her. I desire 00:28:44.380 --> 00:28:46.599 to be with her. I can't spend enough time with 00:28:46.599 --> 00:28:50.039 her because she is beautiful. I love her and 00:28:50.039 --> 00:28:54.140 she loves me back. Now make the parallel for 00:28:54.140 --> 00:28:57.940 a moment. Imagine not just standing next to me. 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:00.839 Imagine Jesus standing next to me right now. 00:29:01.779 --> 00:29:04.279 Imagine Jesus standing next to you right now 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:06.519 because according to the Bible, he is right beside 00:29:06.519 --> 00:29:09.420 us. Because the last time I checked, there's 00:29:09.420 --> 00:29:12.299 more than two of us here. So therefore his spirit 00:29:12.299 --> 00:29:16.920 is here. And as soon as I imagine that, yes, 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:20.819 my wife is great, but Jesus is infinitely greater 00:29:20.819 --> 00:29:24.559 than she is. And that's no disrespect, because 00:29:24.559 --> 00:29:26.380 I know she would say the same thing about me. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:32.079 Jesus is love. He defines love. He is perfect 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:37.140 love. And neither me or Jess could ever do that 00:29:37.140 --> 00:29:41.490 for one another. Jesus is God. He created me. 00:29:41.509 --> 00:29:45.170 He formed me, my mother's womb. He knows me inside 00:29:45.170 --> 00:29:48.250 and out, which means he knows what's best for 00:29:48.250 --> 00:29:52.829 me. And I believe when we realize how much Jesus 00:29:52.829 --> 00:29:56.690 loves us and cares for us, we won't see his teachings 00:29:56.690 --> 00:30:00.109 as a heavy burden. We'll see them as a way of 00:30:00.109 --> 00:30:03.170 experiencing a life of abundance, and we will 00:30:03.170 --> 00:30:06.789 want to practice them. See, this truth, this 00:30:06.789 --> 00:30:12.269 promise from Jesus changes everything. But unfortunately, 00:30:12.450 --> 00:30:14.589 so many Jesus followers view a relationship with 00:30:14.589 --> 00:30:17.650 God as simply a list of burdensome commands to 00:30:17.650 --> 00:30:23.349 follow. Do this. Avoid that. Flee this. Do that. 00:30:24.470 --> 00:30:26.829 And so many of us, we don't want to follow any 00:30:26.829 --> 00:30:30.529 of those commands. We feel like they're burdens. 00:30:31.630 --> 00:30:34.869 It's a burden to be pure. I love looking at women. 00:30:35.750 --> 00:30:37.970 What do you mean we can't live together? What 00:30:37.970 --> 00:30:40.250 do you mean we have to be married? I enjoy sex. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:44.500 What? We got to read the Bible? Fast pray? I 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:50.240 got to give back to the church? So many people 00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.779 think, well, I need to do that because I'm supposed 00:30:53.779 --> 00:30:56.720 to. And after all, I don't want to go to hell. 00:30:58.339 --> 00:31:00.599 And dare I say, that's not a relationship with 00:31:00.599 --> 00:31:03.519 Jesus. If that's you, that's not a relationship 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:07.319 with Jesus. That's cultural Christianity. And 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:09.589 you've bought into that lie. that leaves so many 00:31:09.589 --> 00:31:14.450 people completely empty and emotionless. If faith 00:31:14.450 --> 00:31:16.529 feels like a burden for you, like it does for 00:31:16.529 --> 00:31:20.029 so many, Jesus is calling you to experience rest 00:31:20.029 --> 00:31:23.910 today. This passage is calling you and me to 00:31:23.910 --> 00:31:26.769 wake up and see how beautiful, how powerful, 00:31:26.950 --> 00:31:31.069 how lovely Jesus is. He is infinitely better 00:31:31.069 --> 00:31:33.750 than anyone or anything in this world all put 00:31:33.750 --> 00:31:38.730 together. He loves us so much. He created you. 00:31:38.869 --> 00:31:42.650 He formed you inside and out. He knows what is 00:31:42.650 --> 00:31:45.829 best for your life. And when Jesus tells us to 00:31:45.829 --> 00:31:49.630 do something, realize that it is for our best. 00:31:50.109 --> 00:31:53.630 It is not a burden. So I want to encourage you, 00:31:53.670 --> 00:31:57.190 don't miss out on an encounter with Jesus today. 00:31:58.250 --> 00:32:00.509 Be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to do. 00:32:01.009 --> 00:32:05.089 Uncross your arms. Lift and raise your arms. 00:32:05.230 --> 00:32:10.000 Wake up. Stop going through the motions, church, 00:32:10.180 --> 00:32:13.420 of a religious routine because it has no life. 00:32:13.539 --> 00:32:17.440 It has no meaning. It's just a box you check. 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:21.160 Be willing to encounter the God of love today. 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:24.960 See, the world that we live in wants to tear 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:27.920 us down, wants to pull us away from God, doesn't 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:30.920 want us to follow. We're constantly bombarded 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:34.220 with messages that tell us to live life on our 00:32:34.220 --> 00:32:38.650 own strength. Do whatever pleases you. Eat, drink, 00:32:38.809 --> 00:32:42.970 be merry. Focus on your finances. Get all the 00:32:42.970 --> 00:32:46.750 things you want. Friends, it's just not God's 00:32:46.750 --> 00:32:52.549 best. Jesus' promise for rest is for all of us. 00:32:52.910 --> 00:32:55.690 And I believe all of us need it. Which leads 00:32:55.690 --> 00:32:58.990 us to our three simple action steps responding 00:32:58.990 --> 00:33:02.910 to the greatest invitation ever given to this 00:33:02.910 --> 00:33:06.490 world. And the first is this. We're invited to 00:33:06.490 --> 00:33:10.390 come. We're invited to come to Jesus. Then Jesus 00:33:10.390 --> 00:33:13.230 said, come to me, church, all of you who are 00:33:13.230 --> 00:33:15.170 weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give 00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:19.109 you rest. And see, rest begins with surrender. 00:33:20.430 --> 00:33:23.150 Before Jesus tells us anything to do, before 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:27.170 he tells us where to go, he invites us to be 00:33:27.170 --> 00:33:29.890 in relationship with him in Revelation 3 .20. 00:33:29.950 --> 00:33:34.259 He's standing at the door. He's knocking. If 00:33:34.259 --> 00:33:36.119 you hear my voice and open the door, I will come 00:33:36.119 --> 00:33:38.640 in and we'll share a meal together as friends. 00:33:40.319 --> 00:33:45.119 And for often, many of us, we chase after distractions. 00:33:46.660 --> 00:33:50.160 When we're tired and weary, we distract our lives. 00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:53.660 We run to relationships. We run to money. We 00:33:53.660 --> 00:33:57.019 run to entertainment and Netflix, hoping it will 00:33:57.019 --> 00:34:01.660 just calm down our anxious hearts. We look for 00:34:01.660 --> 00:34:08.880 recognition. We pursue achievement. When in reality, 00:34:08.980 --> 00:34:12.119 Jesus invites us to bring everything to him. 00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:16.239 We were never meant to carry that weight. We 00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:19.320 were never meant to carry those burdens. He is 00:34:19.320 --> 00:34:22.000 inviting us to partner with him instead of carrying 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:26.340 them alone. I want to encourage you. Stop trying 00:34:26.340 --> 00:34:30.460 to fix yourself. Stop trying to do everything 00:34:30.460 --> 00:34:34.210 in your own strength. Surrender your worries, 00:34:34.309 --> 00:34:38.030 your fears, your guilt, your exhaustion. Surrender 00:34:38.030 --> 00:34:41.769 them to God today. And I want to encourage you, 00:34:41.789 --> 00:34:43.849 you don't have to clean yourself up before you 00:34:43.849 --> 00:34:50.070 come. You simply have to come. Now I want to 00:34:50.070 --> 00:34:53.610 pause there just for a second. Many of you know 00:34:53.610 --> 00:34:55.929 that every single week we pray a simple prayer 00:34:55.929 --> 00:35:00.150 here at HTV. We invite people to come into a 00:35:00.150 --> 00:35:03.250 relationship with Jesus. Because that's the first 00:35:03.250 --> 00:35:07.690 step in encountering real life change. So I'm 00:35:07.690 --> 00:35:09.690 going to pause here during this time in our gathering. 00:35:09.750 --> 00:35:11.909 I want you to search your heart. I'm going to 00:35:11.909 --> 00:35:13.530 invite the Holy Spirit to come and I want it 00:35:13.530 --> 00:35:17.769 to be awkwardly silent for a few seconds. Search 00:35:17.769 --> 00:35:21.750 your heart. Are you in a real loving relationship 00:35:21.750 --> 00:35:25.130 with Jesus? Are you simply going through a bunch 00:35:25.130 --> 00:35:28.849 of religious activities that have become a burden 00:35:28.849 --> 00:35:35.219 for you? Do you believe he releases abundant 00:35:35.219 --> 00:35:38.420 life to you? Well, he is the way, the truth, 00:35:38.420 --> 00:35:40.719 and life. And if you're not in that relationship, 00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:43.239 pray this simple prayer with all of us today 00:35:43.239 --> 00:35:48.300 and welcome home. Let's pray. Jesus, I'm broken. 00:35:48.900 --> 00:35:54.739 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change 00:35:54.739 --> 00:36:00.199 me. Forgive me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:36:00.199 --> 00:36:04.840 believe. You died for me. I believe you're alive 00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:10.460 today. Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with 00:36:10.460 --> 00:36:15.699 your spirit. Help me, God, to serve others. In 00:36:15.699 --> 00:36:20.000 Jesus' name, amen. So listen, if you prayed that 00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:22.480 prayer for the first time today, see me, see 00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:27.440 Rudy, go to the Welcome Hub. Let us know. that 00:36:27.440 --> 00:36:29.219 you made that commitment. We want to get you 00:36:29.219 --> 00:36:31.440 baptized at the end of August. We want to give 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:35.420 you some next steps so that you can learn our 00:36:35.420 --> 00:36:38.539 second step, how to walk with Jesus. So we come 00:36:38.539 --> 00:36:42.480 to Jesus, then we walk with Jesus. Then Jesus 00:36:42.480 --> 00:36:44.500 said, come to me, all you who are weary and carry 00:36:44.500 --> 00:36:47.059 heavy burdens, and I'll give you rest. Take my 00:36:47.059 --> 00:36:52.179 yoke, remember the yoke, upon you, giving him 00:36:52.179 --> 00:36:55.559 everything. Listen to the message paraphrase. 00:36:55.659 --> 00:36:58.159 Are you tired, worn out, burned out on religion? 00:36:58.639 --> 00:37:00.940 Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover 00:37:00.940 --> 00:37:03.840 your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. 00:37:04.440 --> 00:37:07.079 Walk with me. Work with me. Watch how I do it. 00:37:07.860 --> 00:37:11.320 Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't 00:37:11.320 --> 00:37:13.239 lay anything heavy or ill -fitting on you. Keep 00:37:13.239 --> 00:37:15.559 company with me and you'll learn to live freely 00:37:15.559 --> 00:37:21.480 and lightly. Remember that yoke wasn't something 00:37:22.119 --> 00:37:24.639 The ox carried by itself. It was two joined together. 00:37:25.539 --> 00:37:28.199 So Jesus isn't asking us to carry life burdens 00:37:28.199 --> 00:37:31.500 alone. He's saying, hey, let me come live inside 00:37:31.500 --> 00:37:34.800 of you. Because when we're yoked to Jesus, he 00:37:34.800 --> 00:37:37.960 carries the weight. He directs our steps. He 00:37:37.960 --> 00:37:41.739 sets the pace. Because see, too often we race 00:37:41.739 --> 00:37:45.730 ahead of God or we fall behind. And that's when 00:37:45.730 --> 00:37:47.630 we try to do life in our own strength. Doing 00:37:47.630 --> 00:37:50.469 life in our own strength doesn't allow us to 00:37:50.469 --> 00:37:54.190 be yoked to Jesus, Colossians 2 .6. And now, 00:37:54.190 --> 00:37:57.250 just as you accepted Jesus as your Lord, continue 00:37:57.250 --> 00:38:00.250 to follow him. Let your roots grow down into 00:38:00.250 --> 00:38:03.849 him and let your lives be built on him. Then 00:38:03.849 --> 00:38:06.289 your faith will grow strong in the truth you 00:38:06.289 --> 00:38:08.809 were taught and you overflow with thankfulness. 00:38:10.539 --> 00:38:13.800 We're built on Jesus. Our lives are built on 00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:16.760 that relationship. So I want to give you permission 00:38:16.760 --> 00:38:23.119 today. Slow down. Slow down your pace of life. 00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:27.599 You say, why do I need to slow down? Jesus lived 00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:33.179 slowly. He walked everywhere. He took time to 00:38:33.179 --> 00:38:36.179 escape, to pray, to get with God, his father. 00:38:37.609 --> 00:38:39.750 He wasn't weighed down by everything that he 00:38:39.750 --> 00:38:43.309 had to do. You have permission to slow down. 00:38:43.429 --> 00:38:46.210 You can do the work tomorrow. Even today, I was 00:38:46.210 --> 00:38:47.829 already thinking, oh, I got to fix the pool. 00:38:47.929 --> 00:38:50.050 I got to fix the sink. I got to do all these 00:38:50.050 --> 00:38:54.349 things this afternoon. I'm like, why? Why do 00:38:54.349 --> 00:38:56.130 I have to do it? Because we're Americans. We 00:38:56.130 --> 00:39:01.989 got to get it done. But we don't have to. I want 00:39:01.989 --> 00:39:04.130 to encourage you, slow down your pace of life. 00:39:04.920 --> 00:39:07.360 Connect with him daily through prayer and scripture. 00:39:08.960 --> 00:39:11.019 Take it a step further. You have the Holy Spirit 00:39:11.019 --> 00:39:13.960 living inside of you. Wake up before your feet 00:39:13.960 --> 00:39:15.900 at the floor. Jesus, what are you doing today? 00:39:16.840 --> 00:39:20.739 And how can I join you? How can I partner with 00:39:20.739 --> 00:39:23.539 you? See, the goal of a relationship with Jesus 00:39:23.539 --> 00:39:26.960 isn't simply doing things for Jesus. It's sharing 00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:29.920 life with him. It's being in relationship with 00:39:29.920 --> 00:39:32.519 him. Which leads us to our final step. We come 00:39:32.519 --> 00:39:35.500 to Jesus. We walk with Jesus. We learn from Jesus. 00:39:36.179 --> 00:39:38.260 Come to me, all you who are weary and carry every 00:39:38.260 --> 00:39:41.679 burden. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon 00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:44.440 you. Let me teach you. There it is. Because I 00:39:44.440 --> 00:39:46.119 am humble and gentle at heart. And you will find 00:39:46.119 --> 00:39:48.260 rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear. 00:39:48.639 --> 00:39:52.820 And the burden I give you is light. See, Jesus 00:39:52.820 --> 00:39:56.679 doesn't simply remove our burdens. He transforms 00:39:56.679 --> 00:40:00.090 the person that is carrying them. He makes us 00:40:00.090 --> 00:40:03.750 a new person. And the more we learn his heart, 00:40:03.849 --> 00:40:07.130 the more we learn about his love, the more we 00:40:07.130 --> 00:40:10.369 begin to think, respond, trust, forgive, and 00:40:10.369 --> 00:40:14.329 love like him. See, the greatest classroom, I 00:40:14.329 --> 00:40:17.489 believe, for a relationship with Jesus isn't 00:40:17.489 --> 00:40:23.210 this building. It's Monday morning. That's your 00:40:23.210 --> 00:40:28.599 classroom. It's your everyday life. That's when 00:40:28.599 --> 00:40:31.860 we need to depend on Jesus. That's when we need 00:40:31.860 --> 00:40:33.780 to read the Bible and apply it to our lives. 00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:35.980 That's when we need to ask the Holy Spirit to 00:40:35.980 --> 00:40:38.920 convict us of our sin, that we learn from our 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:43.440 experiences that are changing. 1 Peter 2 .21 00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:45.579 says, For God called you to do good, church, 00:40:45.820 --> 00:40:49.820 even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered 00:40:49.820 --> 00:40:53.579 for you. He is your example, and you must follow 00:40:53.579 --> 00:40:59.539 in his steps. So get in a Bible plan. Read it. 00:40:59.619 --> 00:41:02.300 Apply it to your life. Read the Gospels every 00:41:02.300 --> 00:41:04.219 single day. You say, why would I read the Gospels? 00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:08.260 That's the story about Jesus' life. You learn 00:41:08.260 --> 00:41:11.099 how he walked, how he talked, what he did, who 00:41:11.099 --> 00:41:15.179 he served. That should be a part of our everyday 00:41:15.179 --> 00:41:18.260 reading. You should be in a devotional and you 00:41:18.260 --> 00:41:20.980 should be reading the Gospels. And you say, well, 00:41:20.980 --> 00:41:23.239 Chris, you said you should. That's, you're trying 00:41:23.239 --> 00:41:24.800 to guilt. No, I'm not trying to guilt you. That's 00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:28.719 called falling in love with God. That's called 00:41:28.719 --> 00:41:32.400 being a believer that takes Jesus' words and 00:41:32.400 --> 00:41:34.960 applies them to our life and then becomes a different 00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:40.219 person for the world to see. Ask the Holy Spirit 00:41:40.219 --> 00:41:43.079 to shape your character. Say, God, I want to 00:41:43.079 --> 00:41:45.800 be a reflection of you to others. When you have 00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:50.300 a decision to make, involve God. Don't just do 00:41:50.300 --> 00:41:52.880 it in your own strength. Don't just assume you 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:54.960 know the answers because chances are we don't. 00:41:55.639 --> 00:41:59.179 See, the more we learn from Jesus, the more we 00:41:59.179 --> 00:42:03.019 experience rest. And if we're honest, many of 00:42:03.019 --> 00:42:07.880 us need that rest today. So here's how I want 00:42:07.880 --> 00:42:12.480 to close. I'm going to ask you to take a step 00:42:12.480 --> 00:42:16.780 of faith. I believe that many of you walked into 00:42:16.780 --> 00:42:22.239 this place today That you were carrying something 00:42:22.239 --> 00:42:28.239 that was too much for you to bear. And I could 00:42:28.239 --> 00:42:31.139 list a thousand things, but I don't have to. 00:42:32.019 --> 00:42:34.260 Because you know your heart. You know your mind. 00:42:34.679 --> 00:42:36.940 You know what you're going through. Could be 00:42:36.940 --> 00:42:39.619 a sickness. Could be relational, financial. Could 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:44.780 be anything. And I want to ask you to take a 00:42:44.780 --> 00:42:48.900 step of faith and to experience rest today. So 00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:50.500 if you brought a burden into this place that 00:42:50.500 --> 00:42:52.639 you can't bear, that you can't carry, and you're 00:42:52.639 --> 00:42:55.179 overwhelmed by it, I want you to stand up right 00:42:55.179 --> 00:43:19.690 now. I'm Holy Spirit. Yes, God. Yes, God. Anybody 00:43:19.690 --> 00:43:26.670 else? Okay. So church, if you're sitting, you're 00:43:26.670 --> 00:43:29.630 the church. So if you're around or near someone 00:43:29.630 --> 00:43:33.170 that's standing, go, introduce yourself, and 00:43:33.170 --> 00:43:37.210 pray for them now. Stay still. No, you two stood. 00:43:37.309 --> 00:43:38.869 You can't pray for each other. I want you prayed 00:43:38.869 --> 00:43:43.070 for. Let's go. Be the church. Be the church. 00:43:43.989 --> 00:43:49.619 Be the church. Be the church. Be the church. 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:53.800 Listen, if we can't pray for people in this room, 00:43:53.960 --> 00:43:56.300 you're not going to pray for people outside these 00:43:56.300 --> 00:44:00.340 walls. If there's no one praying for you yet, 00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:04.380 put your hand up. Okay, I got two people up front. 00:44:04.679 --> 00:44:09.739 I got three, five people back there. If you're 00:44:09.739 --> 00:44:19.210 sitting, Wendell, Becky, go. Chris, go. I need 00:44:19.210 --> 00:44:23.210 someone up here praying for John. I need a lady 00:44:23.210 --> 00:44:41.750 up here. Three men back here. John, I need a 00:44:41.750 --> 00:44:46.550 lady over here, please. I need two people. Hey, 00:44:46.670 --> 00:44:49.659 hey guys. If you're sitting in a chair with your 00:44:49.659 --> 00:44:51.980 arms crossed, God's telling you to go pray for 00:44:51.980 --> 00:44:55.199 someone. Just saying. Over here. There's people 00:44:55.199 --> 00:45:06.420 over here. People over here. Thank you. Thank 00:45:06.420 --> 00:45:11.019 you. Come Holy Spirit. There's still a guy back 00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:18.480 here that needs prayed for. A lady. Please. There 00:45:18.480 --> 00:45:21.059 we go. Here we come. Mike's coming in. There 00:45:21.059 --> 00:45:24.980 we go. Mike's coming in. There we go. Move, Holy 00:45:24.980 --> 00:45:33.260 Spirit. Need a lady back here. Thank you. Thank 00:45:33.260 --> 00:45:38.219 you, Jesus. God, I just speak freedom. I speak 00:45:38.219 --> 00:45:44.659 healing, God. I speak restoration. I'm just grateful, 00:45:44.840 --> 00:45:47.659 God. That we can be a part of a community of 00:45:47.659 --> 00:45:50.760 faith where we stand together and we can lay 00:45:50.760 --> 00:45:58.800 down our burdens. I choose as an act of my will 00:45:58.800 --> 00:46:05.579 to lay down the burden that I'm carrying. Holy 00:46:05.579 --> 00:46:08.860 Spirit, move in this place. Release your grace. 00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:13.619 Release your mercy, God. We're grateful for the 00:46:14.860 --> 00:46:16.340 testimonies that are going to come out of this 00:46:16.340 --> 00:46:22.340 time of prayer, God. We speak healing. We speak 00:46:22.340 --> 00:46:28.619 relational restoration. We speak hope, meaning, 00:46:28.760 --> 00:46:35.119 life change. In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name. 00:46:35.699 --> 00:46:39.079 Now you can continue to pray for them. There 00:46:39.079 --> 00:46:40.860 were several words of knowledge I want to share 00:46:40.860 --> 00:46:42.719 with you that I received this week from the prayer 00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:47.400 team. You have an irregular heartbeat. You have 00:46:47.400 --> 00:46:50.920 muscle tension in the base of your neck. You 00:46:50.920 --> 00:46:54.619 have inner ear infection or pain. You have a 00:46:54.619 --> 00:46:58.099 painful left hip joint. You have nerve in the 00:46:58.099 --> 00:47:00.860 right elbow that is pinched and causing numbness. 00:47:01.719 --> 00:47:04.179 There's multiple people struggling with anxiety. 00:47:05.559 --> 00:47:08.420 And you have a bulging disc in the vertebrae 00:47:08.420 --> 00:47:10.559 of your neck that's causing you not to be able 00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:13.719 to turn your head. So if any of those are you, 00:47:13.900 --> 00:47:17.599 our prayer team would be on my right and my left 00:47:17.599 --> 00:47:21.460 to pray for you. And before we go and encourage 00:47:21.460 --> 00:47:26.059 you next week, we will close out our Promise 00:47:26.059 --> 00:47:29.900 Keeper series, listening to Jesus's promise that 00:47:29.900 --> 00:47:32.500 we will hear his voice. My wife will be here 00:47:32.500 --> 00:47:35.260 sharing with all of you. God bless you guys. 00:47:35.519 --> 00:47:37.019 Have a great rest of your week.