'Come to me all who are weary' Matthew 11:28-30

It's funny how more and more reflection and mediation on a passage of the Bible, makes me more excited about preaching a passage at church. I'm working on a sermon in Matthew' gospel which i have been really struggling to think through for church (maybe a symptom of continuing illness, or I may be just slow! – Oh, and by the way, I'm feeling much better now!!). As I've continues to pray about and meditate upon this portion of Scripture, I'm becoming more and more pumped about this passage. In my preparation I found a really helpful quote from J.C. Ryle (a former Bishop of Liverpool who has been with Jesus for some time now). This part of scripture is really a gracious invitation from King Jesus.

²⁸ "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30 HCSB)

And Ryle comments:

• "We should mark, lastly, the encouraging account that Jesus gives of His service. He says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." No doubt there is a cross to be carried, if we follow Christ; no doubt there are trials to be endured, and battles to be fought: but the comforts of the Gospel far outweigh the cross. Compared to the service of the world and sin, compared to the yoke of Jewish ceremonies, and the bondage of human superstition, Christ's service is in the highest sense easy and light. His yoke is no more a burden than the feathers are to a bird; His commandments are not grievous; His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are peace. (1John 5:3; Proverbs 3:17.)" – J.C. Ryle, Expository thoughts on the Gospel of Matthew .

All I wanted to say at this point was, 'AMEN Brother!'

Oh, how glorious in this grand invitation of Jesus! Oh, how excellent is the one who calls us, we who are weighed down by the troubles of this life, we who are burdened with guilt, we who suffer, to find our rest in HIM! Finding our rest in Jesus, finding our satisfaction in HIS call to follow him definitely surpasses all that this world can throw up. What an encouragement this has been to me!

some random thoughts

I'm doing a series of short kids talks at church on doctrine. I've been thinking about it, and the 4 doctrines that i'm going to teach are:

• Salvation
• propitiation
• justification
• resurrection

If you had to teach 4 doctrines to kids what would they be?

Coffee doesn't help my fuzzy head!

I have to say this,I hate being sick. It just means that I have the fuzzy head thing non stop! And no, coffee doesn't help at all, although I wish it did.

I'm now on my sixth week of being sick with some viral thing. And I can tell you that it is no fun at all, especially when college just keeps on going. I have a church history assignment that i really haven't been able to get my head around because I'm constantly fuzzy... I don't take in information, and I'm constantly coughing (I won't share the colour of the Flem, 'cause that would be just gross!)

I've been so out of it, that the question of my last entry (Christians and the Law sermon prep), resulted in me preaching while sitting down, due to the fact that if I stood for 20 mins, I would have collapsed...

I'll be glad to be rid of this thing. I might even celebrate with a celebratory dark brew of my own making!