Just CrossPoint: Over whelmed? Need rest? Jesus Said "Come to Me!"

This week Pastor Andre Erasmus shares some well needed words of encouragement for those who are weary and heavy laden. 

Matthew 11 talks to those who feel heavy and burdened or overwhelmed in life. It also speaks of rest as revealed by the Son (Jesus).  He said: "My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I grew up in Africa and came to America in 2001, so I am a true African-American! I did not have two lions, elephants and a giraffe.  However, I grew up on a farm cultivating mangos, pineapples and some cattle for dairy.  Memories of my youth make me think how different cultures came together and had a good working relationship with one another.  Good lessons and concepts came out of my early experiences.

One of the important lessons came from observing a yoke and the yoke maker.  A yoke is an instrument that helps oxen to work together as a team so they can complete a specific task.  Putting their strength together made it so much easier to do the work.  On its own, the ox felt alone and overwhelmed!  A yoke was not just a straight piece of wood-it was carved by the yoke maker to fit specifically on the neck of a specific animal, suitable for the task.  When you are in the military, or when you are taking a hiking trip, you have to carry a heavy back pack. If it is too heavy and does not fit 'right, ' the weight and pressure will pull you down.  A yoke does not take away the task or its weight, but makes it easier to bear.

The concept here is that God offers rest.  Throughout the Bible He prescribes rest to His people.  Rest is not laziness.  Rather, rest is to chill out and be revived-to have peace in the storm.  Life adds stuff to our load and brings a state of stress and anxiety-stuff that is hard to deal with (i.e. sitting in front of a doctor and getting a terrible diagnosis, losing a loved one, financial difficulties, troubled relationships...to name a few).

Matthew 11 says God gives us rest (peace).  God said He hid it from the wise and revealed it to babes.  A lot of times we're too smart for our own good.  I'm not referring to education-He wants us to learn- He is not talking against knowledge here, but against the source of knowledge.  A college degree does not necessarily give you rest. There is a difference between a 2nd year college student and a babe.  People are filling the hole in their hearts with all the wrong stuff; they don't have rest and peace.  Education without illumination does not give you rest.

God says we have to become like children to understand His spiritual truths!  A babe is dependent on others- in this sense, we need to be dependent totally on God. Don't try to find rest from a system that can't give you rest. You can only find it from the Son! Maybe it's harsh to say, but we think we can handle certain things/situations/people, instead of still depending on God.  God gives you rest if you are totally dependent on Him!

God said: "come to Me, all you who are tired and heavy burdened."  Jesus says: "come to Me.”  If you have tried everything else God says to come to Him and He will give you rest. The yoke maker makes the yoke specific, light and easy.  Rest from God is a free gift.  Everybody is selling rest, and it costs, but God gives it to us for FREE!

Why is rest not coming to us?   Jesus says to you today: "come to me, take my yoke.”  As you become one with Him, bonded to Him, rest will come.  We are so stubborn and ignorant that we forget the Yoke Maker!  His yoke is easy-issues will come, but it would be easier when you're one with your 'team'.  The oxen fit together -sometimes even the horns that face inwards are sawed off so they won't hurt each other.  

God's ways are not our ways. We need to pull away from bad friends.  Learn that He wants us well, wants us to walk in fullness, walk in forgiveness, walk in holiness and flee from sin. The word "easy" in Hebrew in this context means 'custom made and well fitted’. In Matthew 11:28 He says He will give you rest. He asks you to take up His yoke. Take it up and learn from Him.

We've been taught that we can have rest yet we don't have it.  Why? We look for it in the wrong places. So I challenge you to accept the invitation from Jesus- He is calling you: "Come to Me."  You will find the rest He promises.

Please check back for more messages from Pastor Andre Erasmus as well as stories about the programs and people at CrossPoint Church.  For more information about the church please call 727-372-1057.