February 4, 2016
A WARNING AND AN INVITATION
Matthew 11:20–30
Shera O'Neal
Central Truth
It's easy to hold back complete surrender from God, but He warns strongly against that here in Matthew. He calls us to completely rest in Him and enjoy the benefits of a gracious God who wants to hold nothing back from us.
Key Verse | Matthew 11:29
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29)
Matthew 11:20–30
Woe to Unrepentant Cities
20 Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 1 11:26 Or for so it pleased you well 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 11:20–30
Here in America, particularly in the Bible Belt where I live, we are in such similar circumstances as the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum (the three towns that Jesus denounced). These three towns were called the Evangelical Triangle . . . sound familiar? Jesus did the majority of His miracles and teaching in this region. These people knew Him and saw His miracles firsthand, but yet they still chose paganism and legalism to be a part of their lives and never fully committed themselves to Him. Jesus was doing wonders in this area to prove that He truly was the Messiah and to show people His love in a tangible way.
Today, He is still doing miracles . . . at Watermark, in the Dallas Metroplex, and around the world. His miracles today come in the form of changed lives. But yet, how many of us remain unchanged after seeing Him break the power of addictions, mend broken marriages, and heal broken hearts. Some of us might go to church, community group, or Bible study, but complete surrender still hasn’t taken place. Jesus is warning here that with knowledge comes responsibility; and we will be judged more strictly, based on the goodness God has allowed us to see. Personally, I spent so much of my life having that knowledge, but still wanting to just be "good enough" to not quite have to surrender it all. So thankful He opened my eyes to see my complete need of Him and allow me to experience the rest only found in a caring God.
Where to start that surrender? Find that one thing still not surrendered. Repent of it. Relinquish that last bit of control. Rest in Him. And repeat that process often.
He’s waiting. He wants us to have freedom by yoking together with Him in complete surrender and to learn His unforced rhythms of grace. Don't let another day pass by before you experience the grace and rest He offers. It is life changing and life giving.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some modern-day miracles that we see often but that don't cause us to turn our gaze toward Jesus?
2. In what ways do you hold back from completely surrendering to God? What steps can you take today to change that?
3. In what ways do you see Him giving you rest in your life?
4. When we "yoke" together with God, the actual meaning is that we are being connected with Him for the sake of training (picture a new ox being yoked together with an old ox who knows the way to go). How are you yoking together with God to allow Him to train you better?