Take Up The Yoke

Introduction - Mat 11:1-30

Mat 11:1-15 - What Did You Go Into The Desert To See?

Mat 11:16-19 - God's Kingdom Defies Human Expectations

Mat 11:20-24 - Woe

Mat 11:25-27 - Little Children

Mat 11:28-30 - Take My Yoke

What Did You Go Into The Desert To See? - Mat 11:1-15

Why did you start coming to church in the first place?

God's Kingdom Defies Human Expectations - Mat 11:16-19

Don't conform to the world's patterns

Illustrate children's singing and dirges with Astroboy, Mickey Mouse, Wizard of Oz

Am I here for unworthy / inadequate reasons?

respectability

safety

any reason other than building God's Kingdom

Three Dollars Worth

The Kingdom makes a difference

Not talk, but power - 1Cor 4:18-20

Not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace, joy - Rom 14:13-21

Not traditional church but a conquering church - Mat 16:18;

Woe - Mat 11:20-24

Warning

Don't ignore the miracles

Don't ignore the words of the miracle worker!

Don't ignore the testimony of transformed lives!

Destined for judgment:

the cowardly - Rev 21:8

the complacent - Luke 18:9-14; John 5:36-47

Revealed To Little Children - Mat 1:25-27

Know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. - 1Cor 1:18 - 2:10

The discipline of diligent seeking. - Heb 11:6

Present active - seeking as a lifestyle

The "learned" are content; children seek

My relationship with God is a relationship that I can only partially control.

Take My Yoke

Description

Do the Father's will and finish his work - John 4:34

Bring God's Kingdom to the earth - Mat 6:10

Involves prayer and action

Who are the weary and burdened?

those of you who are trying to be successful (career, business, etc.)

those of you looking desperately for respect, status, etc.

those of you looking for relationships, fulfillment, etc.

Some of you are going through great hardship because the Lord is calling you to become prayer warriors.

Take the yoke in prayer

Prayers of the saints being offered up with incense Rev 8:1-5

Incense - our prayers are assisted and completed by:

Jesus' intercession - Rom 8:31-39; Heb 7:23-25

The Holy Spirit's intercession - Rom 8:26-27

Censer

Our intercession brings judgment on the earth

Not primarily on those who won't receive us - Luke 9:51-55

Judgment on those who hinder others - Acts 13:6-12

We must keep on praying - Luke 18:1-8

Leave God voicemail (he screens his calls).

God is building our capacity to see ourselves and follow principles.

Pray for someone systematically and consistently

Take the yoke in action

Connect other people to God's Kingdom

Are you sitting around doing nothing?

Are you assisting someone else in ministry?

Are you leading in ministry?

Do you want spiritual growth?

Put your hand to the plow!

Find someone else who is doing Kingdom work and assist him/her

Ministry is not about

waiting until you achieve expert knowledge

reciting scriptures

theological arguments

Ministry is about

openness and commitment

demonstrating God’s love

Remember the scarecrow, tin man, and lion from “The Wizard of Oz”.

They each seek an instantaneous impartation

They each get what they want through a process

They have to be told what they've already acquired

They can't be told until the man behind the curtain is revealed

Dorothy has always had the ability to go home

Answer some of last week's discussion questions

Preparation

Main Passage

NIV

Hebrew Study Bible

KJV

The Message

NASB

RSV

Exegetical Idea

Subject

Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why

Complement

Developmental Questions

Explain It: What does this mean?

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

Homiletical Idea

Purpose of the Sermon

Make it plain

Use accessible language and modern parables

Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.

Knowing God

Preliminary Ideas

Issues to emphasize: Can an ancient book be relevant to us today?

What’s the difference between a Christian and a mere church goer?

Put God's Word into practice - Mat 7:24-27

Our food should be to do God's will and finish his work - John 4:31-38

We glorify God by finishing the work he sent us to do - John 17:1-4

What kind of soil are you? - Mat 13:1-23

Prioritize God

With your attention

God rewards those who earnestly seek him - Heb 11:1-6

Enoch pleased God by walking with him (not merely contemplating him) - Gen 5:18-24; Amos 3:3

Your boss expects you to make him/her you priority.

With your resources

Others may applaud you for giving God anything - Mat 6:1-6, 16-18

God demands our best - Ex 23:19; Ex 34:26; Num 18:26-32; Prov 3:9-10; Ezek 44:30; Mal 1:6-14

The IRS takes its cut first.

With your thoughts

God is more than just “your friend”.

God isn’t in your life just to make you feel good.

Christianity is more than God rescuing you from bad things that happen to you.

Christianity is also about you working as a team with other believers to do bad things to Satan's kingdom that he can't be rescued from.

Put God first and give him your best.

Walk in maturity / perfection

Jesus was perfected - Heb 5:7-10; Heb 12:2

Constant use of their discernment - Heb 5:11-14

Persevere - Heb 6:1-12

Know The Lord

“I never knew you” - Mat 7:23; Mat 25:12; Luke 13:22-30

Know the Lord - John 17:3; 1Cor 8:1-3; 1John 2:3; 1John 4:7-8;

Love the Lord - 1Cor 8:1-3

Love your brothers and sisters - 1John 4:7-8;

Obey the Lord - 1John 2:1-6

Boast in the Lord. - Jer 9:23-24; 1Cor 1:31; 2Cor 10:17

Partner with him in exercising kindness, justice, and righteousness

Know him in action (walking with him) - doing the work of his Kingdom.

Gen 5:18-24; Amos 3:3; Heb 11:1-6

You can’t know without doing.

Join the Work

Your Kingdom come, your will be done - Mat 6:9-15

Workers in the vineyard - Mat 20:1-16

Expect results

Whoever has will be given more . . . Mat 25:24-30

God wants to operate supernaturally through you

Just like you expect money when you visit some of your relatives

Believe you receive - Mark 11:20-25

Keep what you have by giving it away

Give and it will be given to you - Luke 6:38

Whoever wants to save his life . . . - Luke 9:23-25

We must multiply ourselves and teach others to do the same.

Identify areas where you have gained victory and pull others into it.

“Judge not lest you be judged” - Mat 7:1-6; Luke 6:37

Discipleship - 2Tim 2:2

Reflect on Mat 7:24-27; John 4:31-38; John 17:1-4

Discuss a recent occasion in which you adjusted your lifestyle in order to put God's Word into practice.

Considering John 4:31-38, describe a recent task that God gave you. How much satisfaction did you get or will you get from finishing it?

Considering John 17:1-4, what work has God given you to finish?

Reflect on Mat 13:1-23

Have you ever had difficulty understanding God's Word? Give an example.

In what ways are you allowing God's Word to develop deep roots in you?

Do you have problems that choke the work of God's Word in your life?

Are you "good soil". If so, in what way?

What are you going to do about this? Will you let your life group members hold you accountable in this area?

Reflect on Mat 6:1-6, Mat 6:16-18

Do you go to church to look good to other people in general?

Do you go to church to look good to other church goers?

What aspects of your church life do other people complement you on? How does this affect you?

Reflect on Ex 23:19; Ex 34:26; Num 18:26-32; Prov 3:9-10; Ezek 44:30; Mal 1:6-14

Are you giving God your best time for prayer?

Are you giving God your first and your best financially?

How does the quality of your service to God compare with your work on the job or in school? Is God getting your best in this area?

How do your relationships with your life group members compare with your other relationships? Is God getting your best in this area?

What are you going to do about this? Will you let your life group members hold you accountable in this area?

Review the current prayer partnerships in your life group.

Make sure that everyone has someone to pray with on a weekly basis.

These can be long-term assignments or your can rotate them.

If you rotate them, the assignments should last at least one month.

Review the list of people you are praying for in your life group.

Make sure that everyone knows who to pray for and how to pray for them.

Make sure that the people who need salvation are getting prayed for every day by the members of the group.

Review each person on the list of people you are reaching out to.

Has anyone invited him/her to lunch/dinner or some other informal activity along with at least one other life group member?

Has anyone invited him/her to a life group fun event?

Has anyone invited him/her to a life group meeting?

Has anyone invited him/her to a Sunday service?

Knowing God (Part 1)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday January 28, 2007