Progressive Baptist Church

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Try Jesus, Not Me

This is an invitation for you to try Jesus. - Pastor Charlie Dates

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

Weariness is a fact of the human experience. The leisure activities we have available make us even more tired.

We can do some of the most common self-care remedies, like setting a schedule and creating boundaries, and still be fatigued.

This isn’t just a mental or physical fatigue. Your soul is tired. We need something more for this type of fatigue.

Jesus is talking to weary people in Matthew 11. He is giving them an invitation. His offer is one of refreshment and rest for the soul.

  • The word soul in the original language is the word for psyche, where we get the word for psychology.

  • The soul is the center of your being.

Jesus doesn’t offer to change your circumstances, He offers to change you. When He changes you, you can endure the things going on around you. He can relate to your humanity because of His time on earth. But He also transcends it.

Being weary is part of this life. Life can become a grind. For some of us, our very existence is labor.

Jesus says come.

He doesn’t offer an escape from the burdens of life. He offers a yoke.

  • A yoke is a wooden shoulder harness for two work animals. It ties them together so they can pull a load together.

  • A yoke is for working.

Telling us to take His yoke is offering us something for more work.

We would expect Jesus to offer a break or leisure. But He knows that we will have burdens as long as we live. What He’s offering is equipment to handle the burdens that aren’t going anywhere.

He isn’t offering you a formula or propositions. He’s offering you Himself. Because when you get Jesus, He’ll give you everything you need.

Life will kill you if you try to carry the load on your own. Try Jesus.

Reflection Questions

  • What current burdens or weariness are you experiencing that makes Jesus’ invitation to rest appealing?

  • In what ways do you look for relief through leisure or self-care, and how does this differ from the rest Jesus offers?

  • What does it mean to me that Jesus offers to change you rather than your circumstances?

Watch the full sermon on YouTube.