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Before every doctor visit or test at MD Anderson, we visit the chapel for prayer. We walk up to the door, and Lauren presses the silver button and the doors open. Usually, there is no one there. If someone is there, it may be only one sitting on a pew praying or reading a bible. This time when the doors open, they had mass. Oh no, what do we do? One of the priests motioned for us to come on in. So in we went.
We were a little nervous settling into our seats; however, it ended up being an excellent short service, and then we were on our way.
As I left, I thought about the priest that waved her hand for us to come on in. Isn’t that what Jesus does every day? He says to us, “COME ON IN, COME TO ME!”
Turning to the scripture, I first turned to Matthew 11:28.
Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version (NIV)
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, 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 will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
This scripture is the most familiar scripture when Jesus is saying COME TO ME. The word yoke is a substantial bar placed over the neck of two animals to enable them to pull whatever equipment they need to move. They did this together, allowing them to pull more weight. This is why we should take Jesus’s yoke. When we do this, we are in a relationship with him. He is carrying the burdens of life with us. God changes meaningless worry into spiritual productivity and purpose.
As humans, we tend to go to Christ when we are weary and burdened; however, this isn’t the only time God wants us to come to him. He wants us to come to him every day whether we have burdens or not, whether we have sinned or not. God wants a relationship with us. It was Gods desire to establish a connection between humans and himself. We see this is 1 John 4:10.
1 John 4:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Jesus knew that he was on his last days. Some of his final words can be found in John15. Jesus spoke these important thoughts to those he loved in the Upper Room and on the way to the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus tells of how it is of most importance to stay connected to Him. He relates it to a branch being attached to a vine. If the branch is not connected, it will wither and die. Only an attached vine can bear fruit. Psalm 1:1-3states the same thought that we must delight in the Law of the Lord and meditate on it day and night. When we do, we will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit, and we will genuinely prosper in Christian life.
John 15 NIV
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Even if we are living a good life that is not filled with despair, we should go to Christ every day. We should go to Him, so we are prepared if something does come our way. We should go to Him to keep us on the godly path. We should go to Him every day to get rid of fear, to help us avoid temptation, and to remove our pride. Attaching to the vine being immersed in the word keeps us obedient to Christ.
God invites you every day to COME ON IN! COME ONIN and be connected to the vine. The vine that keeps you fruitful.
CHALLENGES OF THE WEEK:
- Keep your daily appointment
- Dive deep into the word
- Come to Christ everyday
- Fill your cup with Christ so you can fill other cups
EXTRA READS:
https://www.intouch.org/-/media/sermon-notes/yoked-with-jesus.ashx?la=enYoked with Jesus
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