COME UNTO ME

 SUNDAY, 7TH MAY, 2023.

Topic: COME UNTO ME 

MEMORIZE: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. 

SCRIPTURE READING: Matthew 11:27-30

"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."”

EXPOSITION:

Here is the offer itself that is made to us, and an invitation to accept of it. After so solemn a preface, we may well expect something very great; and it is a faithful saying, and well worthy of all acceptation; words whereby we may be saved. We are here invited to Christ as our Priest, Prince, and Prophet, to be saved, and, in order to that, to be ruled and taught by him. We must come to Jesus Christ as our Rest, and repose ourselves in him (Mt 11:28), Come unto me all ye that labour. Let us observe these three things, 

(1.) THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSONS INVITED; All that labour, and are heavy laden. This is a word in season to him that is weary, “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned” Isaiah 50:4.  Those who complain of the burden of the ceremonial law, which was an intolerable yoke, and was made much more so by the tradition of the elders (“And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.” Luke 11:46), let them come to Christ, and they shall be made easy; he came to free his church from this yoke, to cancel the imposition of those carnal ordinances, and to introduce a purer and more spiritual way of worship; but it is rather to be understood of the burden of sin, both the guilt and the power of it. Note, All those, and those only, are invited to rest in Christ, that are sensible of sin as a burden, and groan under it; that are not only convinced of the evil of sin, of their own sin, but are contrite in soul for it; that are really sick of their sins, weary of the service of the world and of the flesh; that see their state sad and dangerous by reason of sin, and are in pain and fear about it, as Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:18-20), the prodigal (Luke 15:17), the publican (Luke 18:13), Peter's hearers (Acts 2:37), Paul (Acts 9:4,6,9), the jailor (Acts 16:29,30). This is a necessary preparative for pardon and peace. The Comforter must first convince (John 16:8); I have torn and then will heal. 

[2.] THE INVITATION ITSELF: Come unto me. That glorious display of Christ's greatness which we had (Mt 11:27), as Lord of all, might frighten us from him, but see here how he holds out the golden sceptre, that we may touch the top of it and may live. Note, It is the duty and interest of weary and heavy laden sinners to come to Jesus Christ. Renouncing all those things which stand in opposition to him, or in competition with him, we must accept of him, as our Physician and Advocate, and give up ourselves to his conduct and government; freely willing to be saved by him, in his own way, and upon his own terms. Come and cast that burden upon him, under which thou art heavy laden. This is the gospel call, The Spirit saith, Come; and the bride saith, Come; let him that is athirst come; Whoever will, let him come. Revelation 22:17.

[3.] THE BLESSING PROMISED TO THOSE THAT DO COME: I will give you rest. Christ is our Noah, whose name signifies rest, for this same shall give us rest. “And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."” Genesis 5:29; “But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself.” Genesis 8:9. Truly rest is good (Genesis 49:15 “He saw that rest was good, And that the land was pleasant;…”), especially to those that labour and are heavy laden, Ec 5:12. Note, Jesus Christ will give assured rest to those weary souls, that by a lively faith come to him for it; rest from the terror of sin, in a well-grounded peace of conscience; rest from the power of sin, in a regular order of the soul, and its due government of itself; a rest in God, and a complacency of soul, in his love. Psalm 11:6,7 “Upon the wicked He will rain coals; Fire and brimstone and a burning wind Shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” This is that rest which remains for the people of God (Hebrews 4:9), begun in grace, and perfected in glory.

Come to Jesus Christ today for your salvation and fellowship with Him and He will relief you of your heavy burden as He has promised. He is never a liar.

ACTION POINT: If you hear his voice today, do not hardened your heart. Answer him today and be saved.

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Nehemiah 1-3