Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. Matthew 11:28 – 30 But He gives more grace. Therefore, it says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts, you doubleminded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:6 – 10 God sends no one away empty, except those who are full of themselves. – D. L. Moody Introduction: There are three kinds of people that Jesus addresses in these verses: the unrepentant, the humble and the weary. Jesus sees every person on earth in one of these conditions. The good news is that as long as we live, He continues to extend the invitation for our souls to find rest in Him. Jesus denounces the unrepentant and warns of judgment (11:20 – 24) Jesus reveals Himself to the humble and gives them grace (11:25 – 27) 3. Jesus invites the weary to come to Him, and learn to find rest (11:28 – 30) Discussion Questions: Dietrich Bonhoeffer asks the question – If we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us? He answers the question this way - Only Jesus Christ who bids us follow Him knows the journey’s end. But we do know that it will be a road of boundless mercy. Discipleship means joy…May we be enabled to say ‘No’ to sin and ‘Yes’ to the sinner. May we withstand our foes, and yet hold out to them the Word of the gospel which woos and wins the souls of men and women. (p. 38, The Cost of Discipleship) What is the advantage of living in our generation as opposed to living in Old Testament times, or even during New Testament times? Which do you think God will judge more severely, indifference or outright rebellion? Why? Can you think of some people who clearly demonstrate rebellion against Christ? How so? And can you think of people who are indifferent to Christ? How do they show that posture? How do you understand verse 25? Who are the ‘wise and understanding’, and what does God hide from them? Who are the ‘little children’, and what does God reveal to them? How is Jesus’ yoke easy? Jesus said our family might disown us for the cause of Christ (10:35), that we might suffer death (10:38), that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence (11:12). How is Jesus’ yoke easy? What do we need to learn from Him? Application: Think about the three categories of people in these verses. Where does Jesus see you? Pray verses 28 – 30 to the Lord. Who else comes to mind that you can pray for?