I. Introduction
A. Holiday Stress
1. In a 2023 American Psychological Association study, researchers found that 41% of American adults say their stress levels increase during the holiday season.
2. It can be a challenging time for some and a challenging time for those who do not struggle to know how to help.
B. Favorite Verse
1. Tonight’s favorite verse is Matthew 11:28-30.
2. When we’re weary, Jesus invites us to come to Him.
3. Let’s see what we can learn from this passage when we’re weary and how to help those who are weary.
II. When We’re Weary
A. Invitation to to Him- “Come to Me all who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest…”
1. Jesus knows that it is hard to be a . At some moments, it’s more challenging than others.
a. In those moments, Jesus invites us to come to Him.
b. 1 Peter 5:7 “…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
c. Too often, people look for comfort in the wrong places.
2. In verse 29 Jesus says we’ll find rest for our souls.
a. It’s possible that this is quote from Jeremiah 6:16 where Jeremiah shares with those in Judah how to return from their evil ways.
b. Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”
c. When we trust Jesus enough to accept His invitation, we can find true rest.
3. When we experience others who are weary and heavy-laden let’s find ways to offer them rest.
a. Sometimes just allowing a person to share something with you can help unburden them.
b. Take the time to be of people who are weary, make yourself available to them, and find ways to them.
B. Invitation to to Him- “…take My yoke, and learn from Me…”
1. When we are weary, Jesus invites us to connect to Him.
2. What does Jesus mean when He asks us to take His yoke?
a. A yoke is a tool that links two animals together so that they can work as a team. It is a way to double the efforts of the animals in the most efficient and effective way.
b. All of us are yoked to something, no one is completely free.
c. Some are yoked to their jobs, their achievements, their sport, etc. When we are yoked to something, it directs our life. It often dictates your schedule, your priorities, etc.
3. Jesus wants us to connect ourselves to Him.
a. If you connect yourself to Christ, you can bear a lot more weight because of His .
b. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
c. Until we learn that we truly need Jesus’ strength in life, He’s just an idea.
d. When you learn that you need Jesus, there will be power you never knew you needed to support you and provide the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7).
4. The best help we can provide others is to help them to Jesus.
C. Invitation to Find from Him- “…My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
1. When Jesus says that His yoke is easy, He is contrasting it to the yoke of the .
a. Matthew 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
b. They placed heavy burdens that others could not possibly live up to.
c. Are we as patient with the weary as we should?
2. What makes Jesus’ yoke easy and burden light?
a. Jesus does not want you to ; His desire is for you to .
b. 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome
3. Gentle and Lowly
a. Jesus is not harsh and reactionary. He is patient. He is not easily put out and frustrated. He is not waiting to strike you down or kick you out. In his book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund observes, “The posture most natural to him is not a pointed finger but open .” Jesus is gentle enough for the worst of us and lowly enough for the humblest of us.
b. God is seeking to restore, reconcile, rebuild, and renew your life—not ruin it.
4. The best comfort we can provide people is the that we find in Jesus.
III. Conclusion
A. Rest for Our Souls
1. Ultimately, rest for our souls will be found in heaven.
2. If we are truly seeking to live for Christ, it will be hard at times, and we might get discouraged.
3. 1 John 5:13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
4. When you are weary, allow this passage to encourage you. The world might beat us up or down, but this passage can help us to find comfort even in hard times.
B. Invitation