temporary just…rest i felt like a weight had been lifted

Temporary

Just…Rest

I felt like a weight Had been lifted

I felt like a weight Had been lifted

And more weightsPut back on

Jesus steps into aVery religious world

600+ Laws

New rules invented by menTo keep people from

Accidentally breaking a law

Accountability to God replacedWith accountability to man

Confused personal preferencesWith Divine Mandate

False Standard of RighteousnessAnd changed no one's heart

The Accepted & the Outcasts

- What they have (blessings)- And who the leaders accept

You were either an outcast orConstantly trying to measure up

Just like today, right?

Do more, work harderBe more moral and good

Follow our rules…or be outcast

When it comes to acceptanceAnd love

What I pursue in ChristI produce in others

Jesus, a teacher without Bona fides shows up and says…

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and

I will give you rest

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me

Teaching and ExampleWhat I know and What I do

"May you be covered in the Dust of your Rabbi"

…for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls

Gentle, lowly…rest

Gentle, not harshHumble, not prideful

Gentle, lowly…rest

You will find rest: Following me

Practicing the Truth I teach

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”

Lowly= tapeinos- Depends on God Rather than self

Cross…

Context of Matthew 11 After this

600+ Laws2 Things...

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying,

"Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

He said to him, "What is written in the Law?

How do you read it?"

And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…

…and your neighbor as yourself"

And he said to him, "You have answered correctly;

do this, and you will live"- Luke 10:25-28

Let love motivate you:

To take care ofThose who hate you

In the name of the OneWho loves you

Yeah, but what version Bible?Can I or can't I?

Which denomination?Which circle of preachers?How do I please you guys?

Context of Matthew 11

"I can't please youSo I'm not trying"

But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates…

"We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn"

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon"

The Son of Man came eating and drinking…

…and they say, "Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a

friend of tax collectors and sinners!"

We can't please you

Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds

Your approvalDoesn't make me righteous

Or unrighteous

Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds

How it changes youHow it causes you to liveHow it causes you to love

That's the sign of righteousness

To a crowd of peopleNever measuring up. Or worse-

Thinking they're in the positionTo look down on everyone else

Jesus says"Your approval is not

My goal in life"

No arrogantly or hatefullyBut as a matter of principle

Learn from me. My yoke is easy,my burden is light

Love God, Love PeopleNot approval (Self-centered)Serving needs (Others-centered)

You can't please everyoneAnd it shouldn't be your goal

Glorify God by servingAccording to needs

I can only be manipulatedTo the degree that I want something from you(Approval and acceptance)

If I'm getting thatFrom my relationship with Jesus

No one can pwn me

…they say, "Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!" Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds

You talk about my reputationAll you want

I'll let my lifeSpeak for itself

Love God, Love People

I will give you rest…I am gentle and lowly in heart

We love God by loving people

Seek their best interestsEven when they don't deserve it

And it costs to do so

God has set you freeFrom being the judge of Anyone else's worthiness

That position is already takenBy someone with greater grace

Woman taken in the act…

Centurion's servant…

Tax Collector…

But they shouldn't act that way!

You can be ExpectingOr Encouraging and Celebrating

You won't be both

There is no upsideTo expectations

There is no downsideTo encouraging toward

And celebrating in

How much of our stress comesLiving for acceptance

How much of our stress comesLiving for acceptance

And being disappointed in ourExpectations for others?

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts…

…kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one

another and, if one has a complaint against another,

forgiving each other

…as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive

The grace we've receivedForms the basis for The grace we give

Not expectationBut compassion

Not harshness, but gentlenessNot throwing out, but forgiving

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony- Col. 3:12-14

Love sets us free From keeping score

And being disappointed

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…you will find rest for your souls…

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with

one another in love- Eph. 4:2

Do you get the senseThat God knew it wouldn'tBe easy?

He called us to it because it:

Glorifies himBlesses themGives us rest

Jesus wants to give usFreedom and rest

Take my yoke upon youand learn from me…

Teaching, Example

"Covered in the Dust of your Rabbi…"

In Christ…We are free from living

For the approval of people

Because we already have his

We are called to Give that same freedom

To the people in our lives

I can expect and push and Burden you down with what I

Expect in this relationship

Or I can encourage, walk alongside and point to Jesus

I'm called to Encourage/Restore

So that knowing me, being in relationship with me

Produces…rest, peace, joy

For some of us, the greatest Thing we could do for others

Is find our rest in Jesus today

And you may need toUnlearn what

Your "religion" has taught you

If I pursue Christ's rest throughHis love and acceptance

I'll produce rest and peaceIn the people around me

Heart-Check Time

Do I make the peopleIn my life feel

Stressed, nervous, Burdened, Guilty?

Heart-Check Time

or Accepted, Lovedand Encouraged?

Heart-Check Time

Do they walk away Feeling burdened?

Or freed?

The Answer:

How do I approach God?As someone who wants me

To rest in his love?If not, why not?

Am I ready to rest?

Take my yoke upon you…You'll find rest for your souls

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