00:00:00.000 - 00:00:39.160

[ Silence ] (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [music]

00:00:39.160 - 00:01:11.440

♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ It will never lose its power ♪

00:01:11.440 - 00:01:33.080

♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪

00:01:37.340 - 00:02:04.220

♪ For the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ It will never lose its power ♪ ♪ He was despised and rejected ♪ ♪ A man of sorrow ♪

00:02:04.220 - 00:02:24.500

♪ He was wounded, wounded for our transgressions ♪ ♪ He was bruised for our iniquities ♪ ♪ But early one Sunday morning ♪ ♪ He said, "I've got all power in my hand ♪

00:02:24.500 - 00:02:39.120

♪ I'm going back to my father in glory ♪ ♪ But I'm soon to come again ♪ ♪ For the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ For all the blood ♪

00:02:39.120 - 00:02:52.960

♪ Of Jesus ♪ ♪ All the blood ♪ ♪ All the blood ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus ♪

00:02:52.960 - 00:03:12.680

♪ For all the blood ♪ ♪ Of Jesus ♪ ♪ He will never lose his power ♪ ♪ He was despised and rejected ♪

00:03:12.680 - 00:03:31.260

♪ Yes, he was despised and rejected ♪ ♪ Man of sorrow, acquainted with grief ♪ ♪ He was booed for our transgression ♪ ♪ He was bruised for our iniquity ♪

00:03:31.600 - 00:03:48.400

♪ But early one Sunday morning ♪ ♪ He said, I've got all power in my hand ♪ ♪ I'm going back to my Father in glory ♪ ♪ But I'm soon to come again ♪

00:03:48.400 - 00:04:02.700

♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh, the blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ All the blood ♪

00:04:02.700 - 00:04:21.860

♪ The blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ All the blood ♪ ♪ The blood of Jesus ♪ ♪ It will never, never lose its power ♪

00:04:24.700 - 00:04:41.700

It will never, never lose. Never lose its power. It will never, never, never, never lose. It will never lose its power.

00:04:52.700 - 00:05:15.200

Amen, amen. This is a time when we are beginning again, going back to school. I'd like to take just a moment before the message to recognize all of those who are going to school, public school,

00:05:15.200 - 00:05:49.240

call your prayerful attention to the passage of Scripture, which is the basis of the morning message, In the gospel according to Matthew, the 11th chapter and the 28th verse, reading from the study Bible, "Come to me, all who are weary and whose load is heavy.

00:05:49.240 - 00:06:10.200

I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble-hearted, and you will find rest for your souls.

00:06:10.200 - 00:06:45.040

For my yoke is easy to wear, my load is light. The yoke of learning. This is indeed a challenge for us as we face another school year When

00:06:45.040 - 00:07:00.120

Youngest daughter was filling out application forms going for going to college and One of the college Application forms

00:07:00.120 - 00:07:25.120

had, "Why do you want to go to college?" And one of the things she wrote down was, "To have fun." [laughter] This is indeed a question that should be in our minds

00:07:25.120 - 00:08:12.040

minds as we face the challenges of a new school year. And this particular passage considers learning as a yoke, as a yoke. Jesus says, "My yoke is easy and my burden It's interesting how Jesus uses certain images in order to teach eternal truths. After all, that's what a parable is, and there are many parabolic sayings in the Scripture.

00:08:12.040 - 00:08:39.960

He relates to his audience. Many of them are farmers. understand the life of an agrarian economy and he addresses them with this word my yoke is easy and my burden is light. The Jewish people had what is

00:08:39.960 - 00:09:16.820

known as the law. It is said that they had some 617 laws to keep and it was impossible for one to keep all of the laws without breaking any and if you broke one you were guilty of the whole. So the law was looked upon as a yoke. A A yoke. What is a yoke? A yoke is considered a burden. In ancient times, one would often

00:09:16.820 - 00:09:59.300

see plowing taking place with oxen out in the field, with oxen plowing. And the oxen were yoked together. And this yoke was made in various forms. Sometimes the yoke was just a crossbar above and below and a means of connecting the two together so that one would be working with another one.

00:09:59.300 - 00:10:11.820

And we often use this word "yoke fellows." "Yoke fellows." And I used to hear the older people talk about people being unequally yoked.

00:10:11.820 - 00:10:33.940

And that had meaning. It still has meaning, what it means. These oxen carried loads, heavy loads. They often found themselves overburdened.

00:10:33.940 - 00:10:49.140

Each had to stress, you can do a stress and strain in order to carry the burdens. Not only did they carry burdens, but they also plowed, engaged in work.

00:10:50.460 - 00:11:06.140

And so we look today, we look in our churches, in our schools, in our world, for those who are willing to carry the yoke, who are good yoke fellows, so to speak.

00:11:06.140 - 00:11:44.980

This is interesting because yoke fellows, or the yokes, those who were the oxen bearing the yokes, the yokes, they had certain challenges in going forth with what they had to do. Jesus is saying, "My yoke," not the laws of men. We have a lot of laws, as the Jews had

00:11:44.980 - 00:12:14.820

laws, so do we. Just across the way there is the state legislature and it's their business to make laws for the people to obey. Every year we have new laws. We interviewed a candidate for Congress some years ago. I was on the committee and we said to him, "Sir, what do you plan to do when you if you're elected to the legislature what program

00:12:14.820 - 00:12:50.020

do you have he said I don't have a program he said there's so many laws being made that you need somebody that ever just to be against and I'm one of those I'm gonna be down there against our laws not knowing any laws of my own So we have burdens, law, rules, and my brothers and sisters, as we begin school again this year, there will be rules to obey.

00:12:50.020 - 00:13:19.020

In fact, life is made up of rules and our relationship to those rules. Some people look upon those rules as a tremendous burden, but they're also opportunities, opportunities to grow, opportunities to have experiences that enrich our lives.

00:13:19.020 - 00:13:55.760

My yoke is not like the Jewish yoke of law that is so burdensome. Jesus says, "My yoke, my light, my rules are easy. My burden is light." It's easy for us to look at that and relate it to a bygone period,

00:13:55.760 - 00:14:23.760

But it's ours to relate it to ourselves and to our experiences today. Yoke fellows, those who were oxen were in pairs. And so how do we measure up when it comes to bearing our burden as parents? How do we measure up in the family, husband and wife?

00:14:23.760 - 00:14:44.920

It's a pair doing responsibilities, certain tasks that need to be performed. I listen from time to time to the cases that are being tried, the lawyers, sometimes Judge Judy, sometimes another judge.

00:14:44.920 - 00:14:57.960

And many of those cases are domestic cases, husband and wife. This one says that I paid more of the rent than I should have paid.

00:14:57.960 - 00:15:12.400

And I want my half back now that we are not living together anymore, I want my portion back. We have all of those sort of cases taking place in our lives every day

00:15:12.400 - 00:15:28.640

where we fail to be the kind of pairs that God wants us to be. as oxen under the same burden, sharing it, not trying to see that I don't give more

00:15:28.640 - 00:15:47.440

than I think I ought to give, but everyone looking to carry his or her share of the burden. Sometimes it seems a little heavier. A man was trying to get the team out of the ditch

00:15:47.440 - 00:16:04.560

out of the ditch and He just kept hitting one of the animals just kept hitting and they say well Why are you hitting that animal so? So well if I expect to get out of here, that's the one that's going to get me out

00:16:04.560 - 00:16:14.880

So They're in pairs yoke fellows carrying

00:16:14.880 - 00:16:29.680

My share you carrying your share to burden Choirs giving a concert to men's choir giving a concert this afternoon Now we have a lot of men That have good voices

00:16:29.680 - 00:16:50.920

That don't use them you know, these are the men who Doing their share making their contribution as yoke fellows bearing the burden, not looking upon it as some unbearable experience,

00:16:50.920 - 00:17:16.420

something that I would rather not have to do, but as a joy, as an opportunity to go forth and to do what is available for us in furthering the work of the Kingdom. carrying the load, my share, your share, carrying our share of the burden.

00:17:16.420 - 00:17:30.920

Jesus says, "Take my yoke." Jewish people had the yoke of the law, and we have our yokes, we have our assignments in the educational process,

00:17:30.920 - 00:17:45.520

the rules that we are to obey, We have all of those. We have our yokes to carry. But it is to be shared.

00:17:45.520 - 00:18:03.080

It is to be shared. And every one of us is to do what we can do and carry our portion of the load. You know when you're overloaded.

00:18:03.080 - 00:18:16.800

And yet sometimes we tried. We had courses offered. I was in seminary at Southwestern. I tried to take

00:18:16.800 - 00:18:29.400

eight courses, eight two-hour courses. I will never do that again. Eight two-hour courses.

00:18:30.480 - 00:18:50.120

And my blood pressure went down. And I found myself far overburdened, trying to take more than I should have taken. In life, there's a certain burden that you ought to carry.

00:18:50.120 - 00:19:09.680

And sometimes when we try to take on things that we ought not take on, we find ourselves being overburdened. It's a wonderful thing if we recognize that the oxen underneath that load, in many instances,

00:19:09.680 - 00:19:32.600

we find them in pairs, carrying our share. Men doing theirs, women doing theirs, children doing theirs. We have the church, the community, the school, the home, all of these, each is expected to share

00:19:32.600 - 00:19:45.100

a certain portion of the load. And we have a tendency to sort of push that burden away and put the burden, the whole educational process on the parents.

00:19:47.280 - 00:20:09.280

Parents many times want to put it on the teachers. Oh, these teachers, what's wrong with you and Johnny today? You know, that's often what we have. But as Yoke fellows, all of us need to be underneath the load,

00:20:09.280 - 00:20:42.800

sharing our portion of the burden, each making a significant contribution in carrying out this whole process that we call education. And really what education is, is leading out, as Socrates often did, was to lead out that which is within the individual. those abilities, those capabilities, those abilities and aptitude to somehow be able

00:20:42.800 - 00:21:06.320

to bring those out and get them cultivated and refined so that the person grows in personhood and makes a significant contribution to society. Jesus says, "My yoke is easy." of these burdens we are carrying are not the burdens of our Lord.

00:21:06.320 - 00:21:26.680

Prophets often said, "The burden of the Lord is upon me, but many of our burdens are burdens that we impose upon ourselves. They're not God's burdens." Jesus said, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

00:21:26.680 - 00:21:46.700

He's talking about the yoke of faith, the yoke of faith, my yoke, my burden. Learn of me, learn of me. Now we can be around a person and really not know them.

00:21:46.700 - 00:21:58.660

And quite often is the case. Some boy is involved in some incident and they said, "Oh, he was such a nice fellow. He always was quiet and all that we don't understand how this quite happened

00:21:58.660 - 00:22:23.480

We were around him all the time and we had no idea of this ever happening the young man came to seminary and When he came to preach his senior ceremony he stood up and Said a few words and he threw the Bible out there in front of the congregation

00:22:24.680 - 00:22:36.980

And he said that's the way he felt after he came to seminary. He felt that the seminary had taken away the Bible. And he threw it out. It shocked everybody.

00:22:36.980 - 00:22:51.980

It shocked the dean. It shocked the instructors. It shocked the students because they thought they knew this young man. To really know, to become intimate, to have a relationship that is meaningful

00:22:51.980 - 00:23:34.820

and helpful and enriching to have that kind of relationship. Jesus says, "My yoke is easy." The yoke of faith, the yoke of commitment to accept the yoke of Jesus Christ is to have an experience that is joyful. It's easy. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. As I read this passage, I said to myself, "This is such a paradox." He says, "Work,"

00:23:34.820 - 00:24:10.400

and then he says, "Rest," that if you work, there's rest, and that if you carry a heavy burden that is life this is a paradox how could this be and yet that's what he says somehow even when the way seems so hard that when it is the way of Christ it is easy my yoke is easy and my burden is life while oxen know he's talking

00:24:10.400 - 00:24:39.920

a different kind of oxen. We're talking about a kind of oxen that is not out there running away from duty, running through the woods. No, not that kind of oxen, not a wild oxen in that sense, but an oxen that somehow has been humbled by commitment, by faith, so that the oxen may be able to come right to the master and bow down and the load is placed on the oxen

00:24:39.920 - 00:25:09.440

and the oxen is willing to carry it. "My yoke is easy, my burden is light" and that's what is expressed in that old song, "take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there." If you trust and never doubt, he will surely bring you out. - Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

00:25:09.440 - 00:25:26.440

That is not only just a song, but that's an experience. If you really take your burden to the Lord, if somehow you give it to God and say, Lord, I can't handle it, but with you, I can do all things.

00:25:26.760 - 00:25:41.440

Take your burden to the Lord and leave them there. So we come now to the hymn of invitation. It's a privilege to come to Jesus, to trust him, to commit your way into him.

00:25:41.440 - 00:25:52.320

We ask you now as we come to this most precious moment, the invitation to Christian discipleship, we ask you to come. It's an open door that he sets before us,

00:25:52.320 - 00:26:40.520

a new beginning in our lives. [Music] [MUSIC PLAYING] (SINGING) Warm that Jesus by His love,

00:26:40.520 - 00:27:02.540

warm in praise to others show, warm His saving, warm His seed, ♪ More of His love who died for me ♪ ♪ More, more of Jesus ♪ ♪ More, more of Jesus ♪

00:27:02.540 - 00:27:21.100

♪ More of His saving through the sea ♪ ♪ More of His love who died for me ♪ ♪ More of Jesus, let me hear ♪ ♪ More of His holy will be served ♪

00:27:21.100 - 00:27:38.280

♪ Spirit of God, my teacher be ♪ ♪ Showing the feet of Christ to me ♪ ♪ More, more of Jesus ♪ ♪ More, more of Jesus ♪

00:27:38.280 - 00:27:56.720

♪ More of His saving, holy spirit ♪ ♪ For His love who died for me ♪ ♪ More of Jesus in His Word ♪ ♪ All things of future grief are loosed ♪

00:27:56.720 - 00:28:13.900

♪ Hear His voice in every life ♪ ♪ Making each painful, saying, "Find more" ♪ ♪ More of Jesus, oh, more ♪ ♪ More of Jesus ♪

00:28:13.900 - 00:28:32.300

♪ More of His saving goodness be ♪ ♪ More of His love put down for me ♪ ♪ More of Jesus on His throne ♪ ♪ Riches and glory all His own ♪

00:28:32.300 - 00:28:49.460

♪ More of His angels surely sing ♪ ♪ For His coming will succeed ♪ ♪ For the Jesus ♪ ♪ For the Jesus ♪

00:28:49.460 - 00:29:02.800

♪ For His saving ♪ ♪ For His saving ♪ ♪ For His love who died for me ♪ [Music]

00:29:02.800 - 00:29:12.800

[BLANK_AUDIO]