Sermon Central
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The Cure For Wearisome Religion Series
Contributed by Ron Tuit on Feb 22, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: Jesus came so that we could step off the treadmill of "law" and into the glory of His Grace.
Law and Gospel: The Cure for Wearisome Religion
I have never cared to much for exercising on a treadmill: I think it may be my overwhelming desire to be practical, even with effort and exercise; I hate to walk in one place for any amount of time, only to have NEVER moved or accomplished anything but a small amount of exercise. For the most part, “religion” is man's attempt to reach God but Christianity is God reaching man and SAVING HIM IN CHRIST from inevitable ETERNAL destruction: Jesus provides SALVATION FROM SIN, NOT RELIGION.
Listen to Matthew 11:25: “At that time Jesus said, "I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.(human beings who are totally helpless, totally reliant and dependent) 26 Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”
God alone is Sovereign in choosing those to whom He will reveal His truth. No one can know God and His Redemptive work in Christ by worldly wisdom and learning. People can have some knowledge ABOUT JESUS without knowing Him as THE SAVIOR and Lord of their lives: but God comes to the poor in spirit, the totally helpless.
Matthew 11:27 "All things have been handed over to ME by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
“Jesus makes extraordinary claims here: He claims that God’s sovereign disposition of all things has been committed to Him. As in Daniel 7, the Son of Man has received all power and dominion. He claims that He alone knows the Father and the Father alone knows Him. Jesus’ knowledge is equal to the Father’s knowledge and HIS SONSHIP is unique. He claims that His Sovereignty extends even to deciding who will know the Father.” (Geneva Study Bible footnote 11:27)
Matthew 11:28: "COME TO ME, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST (to stop working and find rest and recreation, to stop moving.) FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
1. “Come to ME”
Do you understand the authority of Jesus’ invitation to “COME TO ME”? Jesus offers HIMSELF as the ONLY message and the ONLY means for your meaningless spiritual aspirations, doubts, weights, and manmade expectations for religiosity to CEASE. Jesus is the only way to stop the RELIGIOUS TREADMILL of constantly trying and yet remaining in the same place, no closer to redemption. He Says: “COME TO ME!”
In Luke 4:18 He proclaimed: "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." … (vs. 21) "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
“COME TO ME” is the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the GOOD NEWS, and it is the BEST NEWS on earth, marked by the Sovereign Power of the Savior, NOT by manmade principles.
Listen to these verses: Jesus says in John 6:37: "All that the Father gives ME will COME TO ME, and the ONE who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” In John 7: 37, “Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him COME TO ME and drink.”
Luke 10:22 (same as matt 11:27): "All things have been handed over to ME by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
LISTEN CAREFULLY TO Matthew 7:26: "Everyone who hears these words of MINE and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” The Invitation, the CALL by Jesus to “COME (Actually, COME NOW!-Imperative) TO ME”, is a call to Repentance. Repentance is the enabling act of God which turns a heart from mere “Religion” to the Redeemer and “COME TO ME” is a call to Repentance.
John MacArthur says this: “God has to break into the blackness of our stupidity and can only do that into the heart that is humble and broken before Him. So, salvation, then, in its foundation is a meeting of the humble, dependent, open and helpless heart with a revelation given by a gracious, sovereign God. (Message: Jesus’ Personal Invitation)
