10.11.2009 My Yoke is Easy (Lighten Up!)

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An update - in 2 weeks, on October 25th, when we recognize and appoint Dick Cooper and Jeff Yackley as pastors - as elders - here in this church, we'll be doing that in the second service - and we'll have lunch afterwards.

Over the years, I’ve gone to Giant Eagle – and I have a favorite cashier – Charlene – and she grew up in church and she often calls me Reverend or Preacherman or something to make the trip interesting – and she does it very loudly… Have you ever gone to the grocery store for one thing – and then you start picking up Ho-Ho’s, Poptarts, and all kinds of things – and then you get in line – and realize that you forgot the one thing you went there for? Well, I was in line, and I realized – and said, ‘Oh, shoot!’ – and she misheard me… - her eyes got all big and made a big deal about it – she starts shouting at the top of her lungs – “The preacher swore!” This week I went in for some creamer – because a church without creamer is like a church without hymnals… - and she saw me and said, Reverend! I went to church the last two weeks! I went over to her and said, ‘well did you repent?’! - I say this – because, from her background, and in her mind – to be a good Christian you need to go to church every week.

What does being a good Christian mean to you? In the 80s and 90s – it was having a good quiet time every day, memorizing verses and worshiping and praying regularly. And of course, you evangelized. In the 2000s, it is more social justice – are you participating in causes that Jesus would be concerned about? Are you environmentally sensitive and helping the poor? That is what people think being a good Christian is today.
Jesus had a term for this set of standards of rules and regulations - a yoke.
The rabbis would follow the Torah – and they would gather followers around them – and they would take the Law and add what it means – they would interpret what it means to follow the Law. Some would be really strict and have all kinds of rules. Some would say you could only walk so far – and another would come along and one-up them and say it had to be less. The followers would take that yoke upon themselves – in desiring to be a disciple, Jewish boys would be trained and would memorize the Old Testament – and would be evaluated at different ages and would ‘make the cut’ – and at 12 or 13 the best of the best would be selected to live as the Rabbi lived – he would only pick the ones he thought could live it out.
Like football – a large percentage play peewee – then a smaller percentage to high school football – and about 3 percent play college ball – and about 1 percent of those go into the pros.

Matt. 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 shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

The first thing we see – He calls – come to Me – those who are weary and burdened. The Rabbis chose the best of the best. Jesus calls out to the struggler. Burden – like a mule weighed down with its load – struggling to carry it. Jesus is calling out those who are struggling with the weight of life.

The followers of the Rabbi – it was said that they would be covered in the dust of his feet. To be Jesus’ follower – Jesus said you would find rest for your souls. Does your Christian life give you rest? Do you have rest for your soul? Or is it stress for your soul?

Humble of heart – low to the ground. We don’t have the same system today of having disciples and apprentices.
Think of it as a coach. If you are a football follower – is the coach gentle and humble of heart? Is that our concept?
He is saying He is approachable – available – to you. He wants us to view our relationship as someone we can go to.
Take My yoke and learn…
The rabbis would test and examine – if a disciple wasn’t the best of the best – he couldn’t make it. Jesus was taking the ones who couldn’t make it. Take My yoke – everyone.

Over the next several weeks we have several special events coming up – a missions conference – and in a couple weeks Dick and Jeff will be appointed as pastor/elders here. A couple weeks ago, Jeff spoke about being a follower – I want to look at the concept of being a follower of Jesus as He calls us to be disciples.
There are 3 or 4 circumstances where Jesus calls followers…

John 1: 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and ^said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to Him, "Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?" 39 He ^said to them, "Come, and you will see." They came therefore and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour
The Rabbis would have been competitive in getting disciples – but John points his disciples to Jesus.
We, as followers – are to be first and foremost followers of Jesus. Not GSCC – not a person – but Jesus.
Jesus has the freedom to call you where He wants you to be.
Mark and Christine Wavle were here to help lead worship a few weeks ago – and they had come to this church for many years – but God called them to Dayton – and now they are following Him there.
Your job as a follower is to connect with and discover how He wants you to serve Him. It is not to follow Grace Summit.
When John referred to the Lamb of God – they would think of the Passover Lamb slain for the peoples’ sins. They had a need that could not be met on their own. We first follow Christ because He took our sins. It is not because of some great thing they can do. It is not to give them this great adventure. It is because we have sins that we are unable to deal with on our own.
Think about this – Jesus is the one who can remove your sins. Think if you had a disease – and there was one with a cure – He can remove it. Sin is worse than any disease.
That is why we follow. Now we should follow in gratitude – not because we OWE Him – but we follow in gratitude, thankful. We wake up and think – we are stressed – but we need to be grateful. Don’t do it out of duty – do it out of a motivation of thankfulness. That is why you should follow Christ.

Brennan Manning – wrote about – a woman who was having visions of Jesus – so the archbishop was sent to investigate – I hear you are having visions of Jesus. Yes. Next time you have a vision of Jesus – ask Him what sins I confessed to Him…
I’ve heard you’ve had more visions of Jesus – Did you ask him that question? Yes - I did. What did He say? He said He doesn’t remember.

We have all blown it. And we remember and think we need to do something good to make up for it. – But He wants you to follow because He doesn’t remember. That doesn’t mean the Christian life is easy – but that He doesn’t hold our sins against us. In relationship with Him, there is always forgiveness.

Andrew – was one of the first disciples –
John 1: 40 One of the two who heard John [speak,] and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He ^found first his own brother Simon, and ^said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
43 The next day He purposed to go forth into Galilee, and He ^found Philip. And Jesus ^said to him, "Follow Me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip ^found Nathanael and ^said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and [also] the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
First, we follow Jesus because we have been forgiven.
Next, we see – those who follow Jesus who invite others to follow also.
When I became a Christian – we would ask – did you evangelize? If I don’t talk to someone, I’ll feel guilty – out of duty and must and obligation. But what we have here is this gratitude – Hey! Look what I found! That is a whole different concept of evangelism, isn’t it? True followers/worshipers are grateful people.

What would our church be like – how attractive would it be – if this group of strugglers with the weight of life are called to follow Jesus and He believes in them. If everyone who comes to Him with their baggage could sense and know that He is calling me.
Second – what would it be like to be a church where forgiven sinners live in gratitude? How many grateful people do you run into during the week? What an impact! How attractive would that be?! For a group of grateful people – not because of the church, but because of what Christ has done for them?
Third – if we were a church – who, in the natural course of events – Look what I’ve found in Jesus – as God gives you opportunity. Look what I’ve found! Rest for my soul! I’m carrying around this enormous weight – hauling it – this burden of guilt and shame and fear can be lifted – and Christ can lift it for you.
Jesus wants to take their burden and sin and guilt – and we have the opportunity to invite them into that. Let’s pray.