Finding Rest for Your Soul

Mr. big stuff you already got you and Dr. Tony says those who try to make it on their own miss out on this is the alternative Dr. Tony, author, speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative if you're trying to lighten your load in life. The last thing you'd want to do is take on something new, something heavy today. Dr. Evans says that's exactly what it takes to find the rest your soul is been looking for. Let's join him as he explains the Pellicano was the most unwanted ship in the world. In 1986 there was a sanitation strike in the city of Philadelphia coming right out of the Democratic convention myriads of people left myriads of trash that was being uncollected unaddressed. Since the sanitation workers were on strike. The trash was collected and placed on the,, freighter 28 tons of trash had been burned, and have become toxic ash and placed on this freighter because it had become toxic and had no place to dock because no country wanted to deal with it. So for two years. The Pellicano floated from CBC ocean ocean looking for place to rest, but there was no place that would accept it because of the toxicity of the garbage.

The only thing that would allow the Pellicano to do is to stop and be refueled in order to one decimal people are like the Pellicano we just got all his garbage and no place to take out we come to church on Sunday, hoping to get rid of it, only to discover all we could do is give refueled, but we leave with the weight stillness carrying the same load we came with a little bit more fuel little bit more energy but the same weight.

If you have come way down with the stuff of life the garbage may even become sick, both for you and for others. Jesus wants to offer you place the dock please delete it, not merely to be refueled to keep carrying it, but to release it.

This release in the Bible is called rest with the bird and the thing that weighs you down you let go of Matthew chapter 11. Jesus starts off with the prayer verse 25 he says I praise you father, Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and it revealed among the infants getting ready to tell you how to let the load go is getting ready to tell you and me release the burden getting ready to tell you how to get rid of the garbage is getting ready to comfort you and your affliction.

But before you know the thoughts of the prayer. I thank you that you have hidden these things, the wise and the intelligent answers to life's burdens can be discovered at UCLA Harbor jail, University of Texas, which can give you information without illumination. He says the wise and intelligent enough not to get an education was refined to his goals.

Who think they know apart from God because I want to thank you you that it stays a secret from people who think this lot about the figure life out independently of God. I thank you that you you've Been getting from those who think they're so brilliant without you I can make life work independently of you that you have visited because on the same verse 26 and 27 only the son knows the father and we only want to know the son who knows the father is the son reveals it, and he says in verse 25 he rebuilds up infants in other words, if you want to know the answer to become a baby again revealed that the basics if you missed the big stuff. If you already got it made up your degrees on the ball and you've been educated to the high degree and you independently of God says you got to carry your garbage with you when he says if you are a baby that would raise with with money. I was raised in urban community where my parents just barely made many of you know that story you were raised in like scenario and in spite of that I went to bed worried the load of life didn't dawn on me very much. I never struggled with life as a 56708 you all is God what my problem that mom and dad's problem were about how we going tomorrow what we believe. The fact that he had been laid off from the longshoremen for weeks at a time and there was no income coming in. In other words if their dependency seek that bike and also by Allstate. This thereby get on or mom and dad say a word about the word about this because you told me to go to bed as well know the to life's burdens are not to be found in your knowledge, experience, what is referred to as human wisdom, that is a man-made approach to solving it. In fact, not only can you not find it. It's hidden from you secret. He will let you find it in God. Jesus, thanks God that is hidden from those who think they're so smart in human understanding that they don't get the divine viewpoint says three words that will let you when you leave here today take the pack off your back. He says, take and learn. Three were words that he gives us the first work he says in verse 28 come unto me all you really and heavy laden, and I will give you rest, some may, if you really wave down heavy laden, that means the weight is too heavy to bear like a weightlifter with all these plates on both sides of the bar going to hold his way down on you. The afflictions of life, the pains of life, the mistakes of life, the regrets of life supplied the anguish of life weighing down on you lifted any come to me you will.

Life has way you down, to me you weary now, weary of different than sleeping sleeping you get a bad fall off to sleep and into another realm of consciousness is weary and heavy laden, that's when the burdens of life controlling you so that you can't sleep or if you do sleep you enter into a nightmare on Elm Street. It is a burden says come to me this word rest is a big word in the Bible all the way.

The beginning of Scripture six days God created on the seventh day he rested and go to sleep nap is not what harassment it meant he chill he chill the setback to enjoy his creation so important was the rest that God told Israel the Sabbath day, the day of rest for six days.

He says you shall world try to make money make an income try to make a life for the seventh day he chill you rest rest. I prohibit you from trying to do that, make that extra dollop make the extra bucks put that extra effort in you to see what I can do with the labor that's already been done, which is what I did when I created.

In other words, why should you stay up stand up only boat was losing sleep. The Bible says the Lord.

Give it to Hezbollah.

While they sleep. When you story decision rest rest meant to put in the hands of God to leave it. Hebrews 4 says there is a rest for the people of God is rest. He wants you to rest in football with the back receives the ball from the center of the pressure to receive the ball from the center.

He backs up the pressure because the other team is trying to get it on a map and get electronic terror did tear them down to the pressure. But then he turned around and hands the ball to the halfback back pressure changes direction to press without fail because he was carrying the football. But when he goes elsewhere as long as you hold onto it. You will feel the pressure.

But Jesus says it all come to me.

I love this phrase I will give you rest. Not I will buy you rest is free.

Interesting. No cost rest no cost rest. I will give you rest. Please take the first when it comes to the verb. Take taking is something complex is a place you gotta go take is something you gotta do nothing, take something you gonna go grab it, the church to come to church welcoming him so you can come to religious ceremony respect to such people come to church who don't come to Jesus you come to church but don't come the Jesus gone the way I take. Take my yoke now this is back informing the New Testament days were in culture yoke is a harness from from the country notice. This is a harness and it would harness to sing together it would be harnessed. Usually an older big rocks and younger arts young rocks, and they would be together or you don't joke was a harness that link them.

The purpose of the link wanted created companionship. They will look up side-by-side. So now that was a companionship, a companionship, but that was submission because the younger submit to the experience and strength of the old before noon he was doing. He had to submit to that that was responsible for pulling up now so there's responsibilities.

He says to me, and then with me yoke link with me. So what does that link do for us when it comes to dealing with her day-to-day burdens.

Dr. Evans will have the answer for us when he continues this message just a moment, but before he comes back. I want to let you know that what you been hearing today is one installment in the new 20 part message compilation called coming to the comforter.

This collection of messages from Dr. Evans helps us understand how to deal with problems and pain more effectively and honestly. The collection goes hand-in-hand with the lessons from Tony's brand-new book hope for the hurting. Together these powerful resources can help you discover what God wants you to learn during difficult days.

How to find treasure in your trials, how to be made whole instead of just better and how to develop a stronger faith even in the midst of trials will send them to you is our gift right now and thanks for your contribution in support of Tony's continuing ministry here on this station and others like it around the world. Just visit Tony Evans.org to get the details and make all the arrangements. Again, that's Tony Evans.org or let one of our resource team members help you, day or night at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222. Dr. Evans will come back with part two of today's message right after this I'm standing here in Alaska. One of the most glorious places God's great creation and I want to invite you to join me permit alternative for the Alaskan cruise we going to have a magnificent time in God's word in God's creation we going to enjoy great fellowship.

Great, great, and I'm looking forward to meeting and greeting on RTU way Alaskan cruise registered to me there. Can't wait to be with more unforgettable Alaskan cruise, visit Tony Evans.org to Tony Evans.org.

I'm sure many of the situation and when something went wrong with the car you will stop on the side of the road somewhere to pick up phone call AAA call AAA can somewhat working, what going anywhere. It wasn't rolling you could make it go. You couldn't fix because you couldn't fix it. You have to get somebody who could and so you would call AAA AAA would bring this big truck and his big truck at a harness on it and this is what grab your call lift one side and then you would be moving but not under its own because it was broke down but because what came was bigger and stronger than your vehicle that could grab your vehicle you were going somewhere under the power of something else. Once you come to me if you have a hook up with me, you will discover remove you from your position is and take you to go so that you can be made right always take me to a filling station where they would take me to make what was but I couldn't get until I got you until I got hooked up Jonathan my son. He travels with me when I go somewhere speaking because of the many years I've flown in the amount of accumulated with American of a permanent platinum file which simply means that one of the benefits is if there first class seats that have gone unclaimed I could get bumped up. So on this occasion I was bumped, but they also give you a companion upgrade and so we went and we checked in, only to discover I had gotten my seat of the platinum file but there was no upgrade for him.

No seats were available so we trying to figure out since I have the right to a companion upgrade why he was about the only companion on his but there was no upgrade for 127 I'm sorry we cannot grant you, and she went to the record. She says the problem you want to get in on this flight but you got your tickets to separate from him. So you have a different indicate a number number is not the same and companion rates is not just natural person, you have the same became the number and if your friend that you can piggyback off of his privilege. Even though you're his child God. But we can piggyback on his privileges, got all indicate a Jesus but do it my way to Jesus but I got my own thoughts, but I will. We wonder why Jesus and the relationship no companion hook up. He says take my yoke upon you, you got to be attached to me, not just related to me.

It's not enough to be saying to be saved, if you haven't to be.

It's happened to you and says take my yoke upon you, we all have phones we all have phones we have in our homes. We have phones that are cordless, but after you been on it all day.

The phone becomes weary and begins to lose power begins loose juice.

The phone is asking for some more power, but you can just lay it down anyway and say it's resting it only have one place where the resting changes lay down on the dinner on the coffee table you can you can lay down, but when it's become weary and all the juice is gone is only one location that will change things message you put it back on the base don't take it back to the base. You may be laying it down, but you're not changing for a lot of us a lot of us when we do the religious but nothing is changing because we have the wrong location is not on the base with the power that you must be Joe connected to me like a coach picking up a player wrapping that injured players all around his shoulders, rubbing his hand around the interplay is waist joking him so that this really brutal playoffs can make it not because you may want to go because these sometimes caring says you must first come to me, then you must hook up with me when he says the reason for the yoke is that you might learn from me that John Knox was Joe for the purpose of learning while pulling from the whole point of the yoke was education maturation and the commitment so that you learn how to pull his plow. I want you to look up for me is essential that you learn how to live this life make decisions go in the right direction. I want you to hook up with me. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me why Jesus should I make you this whole thing for my burdens in life, 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. Listen to this is the reason you should hook up with me is my yoke is easy now. The Greek word for it. Easy means custom-made specially fitted why this sermon is a correct sermon. But Jesus says if you look up for me.

I got some tailor-made stuff you stuff that has been for your five to get a general sermon that's generally for everybody is another thing to say.

I'm talking to you. When God speaks your name and you know it was like nobody else was in the ropes because you heard his voice for you. We got Christians that have a general word, but they can't describe a Rhema word word is when God calls your name I'm talking to you this way speaks to you so you know you'll just hurt and true God. My yoke is custom-made. I got plenty of children, but I know you by name so I can custom make relieving your bird is easy, but my burden is light. My burden is light misread that you won't have a burden just one way to say saying the light of your burden, changes suggest that when you come to Jesus. When you take when you learn his way that every problem in your life will disappear. What I say it won't way what it used to way the burden is now my I was going through the Apple one day and I had suitcases in both and current suitcases in both hands. We walked to Karen's Russian carrying that burden on the cases never change my burden became like something built and that change the nature of how they could be handled God as something built in the case.

Anyway, thank you for the way wheels for you to deal with the realities of life God's guarantee is not that there will be no problems guarantee is that he will change their weight won't be that heavy tailor-made Dr. Tony talking about how God lightens your load message: finding rest for your soul and be sure to stay with us because he'll be back with a closing thought just a moment. If you want to hear today's lesson again or pass it along to someone else.

Contact us to find out how to get a full-length copy.

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Often we think of turning to God as a last resort when their backs are against the wall.

The enemy is closing in were fresh out of ideas. When next time Dr. Evans will talk about taking a more heavenly approach to solving our earthly problems right now though he's back to wrap up today with this final comment world has many problems today. It's coming in all shapes and sizes and rest is hard to come by. Problem resting because it will even let you sleep says my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And then he says and you will find rest for your souls is different than we started with. He started with give you rest in verse 20 coming to close you'll find okay this is a different statement God can give it and you not located because you'll find it totally if you come to him. He'll give it but until you yoke and until you you won't find what again say I know is when you win you down but I got the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans brought to you by the urban alternative is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you