Preacher: Bishop Joab Othatcher
Main Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30
Supporting Scriptures: Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:8-11
(Opening)
Family, are you tired? I don’t just mean need-a-nap tired. I mean soul-weary. The kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix. You’re running on empty, juggling a hundred responsibilities, and the pressure is constant. Our world glorifies burnout, but God offers us a better way. Today, we’re talking about God’s design for rest. Listen to Jesus’ beautiful words in Matthew 11:28-30.
(Scripture Reading)
“Come to me, all you 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.”
(Point 1: The Promise of Rest)
Jesus begins with an invitation: “Come to me.” Rest is not something you achieve; it’s something you receive. It’s a person. He promises rest to two groups: the “weary” and the “burdened.” The weary are those exhausted from the journey—the pace of life, the constant doing. The burdened are those weighed down by a load—guilt, shame, legalism, sin. Jesus offers to lift the weight and renew our strength. This is not a physical rest alone; it is a deep, spiritual, soul-rest.
(Point 2: The Path to Rest – The Yoke)
Now, this is where it gets interesting. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you.” A yoke was a wooden beam used to tie two animals together to pull a load. At first glance, it sounds like He’s adding more burden! But a yoke in Jewish tradition was also a metaphor for a rabbi’s teaching and way of life. Jesus is inviting us into a partnership. He is saying, “Stop trying to pull the plow of life by yourself. Tie yourself to me. Walk with me. Work with me.” The rest comes from no longer carrying the load alone. His strength carries the weight.
(Point 3: The Pattern of Rest)
To understand this fully, we have to go back to the beginning. In Genesis, after six days of creation, God rested. Did God rest because He was tired? No! He rested to set a pattern for all of creation—a sacred rhythm of work and rest. This rhythm was so important it became one of the Ten Commandments: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” God commanded rest because He knows we forget. We think we are indispensable. The Sabbath is a weekly declaration that God is God, and we are not. The world will keep spinning if we stop for a day to worship, reconnect with family, and be refreshed in His presence.
(Conclusion and Altar Call)
Jesus is offering you an exchange today. Your exhaustion for His energy. Your heavy burden for His light one. Your chaotic pace for His peaceful rhythm.
Maybe you need to come to Him today and just say, “Jesus, I’m weary. I’m burdened. I’ve been carrying things you never asked me to carry.” His invitation is open.
This week, I challenge you to intentionally practice rest. Turn off the phone. Spend time in worship. Enjoy your family. Let’s break the addiction to busyness and embrace the rhythm of rest God designed for us.
If you want to receive this rest today, come and pray with me at the altar. Let’s tie ourselves to Jesus anew.
