092522     Praxis Class Meeting

Matthew 11:28-30, Title: Manual To Use Yoke

1. Word Prayer (All): “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (verse 28). God, we live in a world where we cannot live without hard effort and hard work for even a moment. We are also living a weary and exhausted life with the heavy burden of life that we have to bear alone. Jesus, You are calling us, “Come to me, all you, I will give you rest.” Holy Spirit, come into our hearts and give us the strength to come to God in the power of your Holy Spirit. So, grant us the rest that the world cannot give us, the rest that comes from heaven. Fill our gatherings today with the peace of heaven. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

2. Icebreaker: Among the manuals you have seen so far, which manual do you remember and how did it help you?

 

3. Singing(Hymn): assigned by leader

 

4. Reading the scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

 

5. Understanding the Text:

No matter how much we have received grace and are restored spiritually, the world will still burden us. In some cases, we may have to carry heavier and more difficult loads than ever before. In order to bear the burden of life and overcome it on the path of faith, we need a manual. Today's text Matthew 11:28-30 introduces the manual.

First, we must come to God with heavy burdens. The Lord is inviting us to come to Me, all of us who labor and are heavy laden (verse 28). Everyone has a difficult burden in life. Ordinary people find the way in the world to solve the difficult problems of life. However, believers must return to God through spiritual discernment. The Lord invites everyone to come. Whenever life's heavy burdens weigh on us, we must look to the Lord and not the world. If the burden is too heavy, even if we crawl, if we go to the Lord, the Lord will take our burden and give us rest. Ways to approach God include prayer, praise, and worship.

Second, bearing heavy burdens, we must learn (verse 29). He tells us to take on the yoke of the Lord and learn. A yoke is a stick placed on the neck of an ox or horse to pull a cart or plow a field. In particular, the yoke referred to in the text is not to be carried alone, but to be carried together. It is like two or three oxen working together in a yoke. God did not like the first man, Adam, to be alone, so he created his wife, Eve. God is more pleased when we work together than alone at home, at work, or in church. The yoke we bear together is called "the yoke of the Lord" in the text (verse 29). The text promises that if we take on the Lord's yoke, which we bear together, we will find rest in our hearts.

In Psalm 1, it is said that the blessed are those who meditate. Basically, you need to meditate on the Word of God, but you also need to meditate on the other person's words in a relationship. It is because you can know the mind or intention of the other person through meditation. If you consider the other person's heart, there will be peace. If we treat each other as if we treat God in human relationships, then heaven, the kingdom of God, will come upon us. You can experience the peace of the Lord there when you understand each other's hearts with family members in your home, church members within the church, and colleagues at work. The important thing is that when we take the yoke together, God must take the initiative. In other words, if we take the yoke together and obey God's word, we will find rest in our hearts.

Third, we must know that the Lord's yoke is easy and light (verse 30). Just as an ox bears a yoke, we all have burdens to bear in our lives. Graduating from school does not mean the burden of life is over. We are well aware that another burden awaits us. Even the yoke of an ox is his share, which he has to bear for the rest of his life. But the text says that the yoke the Lord gives is easy and the burden the Lord gives is light (verse 30). The phrase “easy to yoke” is an idiom in Hebrew, meaning “it fits perfectly.” Jesus, the carpenter, makes a yoke that is just right for us. If we carry this yoke on our shoulders in faith, the Lord will give us the strength to overcome it.

 

6. Questions for Understanding:

6.1. What does the Lord say to those who labor and are heavy laden (verse 28)?

6.2. What must we do to find rest (verse 29)?

6.3. What are the characteristics of the Lord's yoke (verse 30)?

 

7. Questions for Application

7.1. What did I realize in today's sermon? What words do you think are most important to you?

7.2. What is my spiritual state right now? What is my prayer list now?

7.3. What are the heavy burdens in my life?

7.4. With whom does the Lord want me to bear His yoke?

 

8. Prayer(add your prayer lists):

Dear God, thank you for the grace you have given us with your precious words. May your words be the food of life that revives our spirit and grants the right vision to life. Please guide us so that we can keep your word in our heart and walk powerfully in grace. Please guide us so that we can come to you more earnestly every time we bear the heavy burdens and yokes of life. Please receive us and renew us every time we go out to prayer, praise, and worship. We want to learn the meekness and humility of Christ. As Jesus showed, let us serve the brothers and sisters who are yoked together and enjoy great peace. Help us to remember that the yoke is a gift of grace, and guide us to persevere in hope and be filled with the strength and ability we can bear. We earnestly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen

9. Praise/ Announcements/

10. End with Lord's Prayer