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📝 = Fill in the Blank
I don’t know about you this morning, but I often visualize Jesus sitting in a posture of peace, and a posture of rest, with His head going from the left, to the right. From the right back to the left. From the left, back to the right, all the while He’s watching us attempt to do life without Him.
I believe He watches our efforts. I believe He watches our deeds. I believe He watches our attempts to do life without Him and patiently waits for us to come to Him.
And when we come to Him we don’t find an, "I told you so!” We don’t find a, "Look at you now!”No. We find a loving Savior, with open arms, with a standing invitation. A standing invitation that we find in Matthew 11:28 that reads,
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29
“For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
Matthew 11:30
I want to speak to you this morning from this subject…
I’M CHECKING MYSELF IN
We’re living in a time where certain influences will attempt to try to say you’re weak for seeking out help, but I beg to differ. In fact, I would go as far to say that,
📝 It takes more strength to say, "I NEED HELP” than it does to say, "I GOT THIS!”
Don’t for another second, buy into the lie that you don’t hurt, that you don’t get tired, that you can handle this on your own, or that sleep is for the weak.
What are we trying to prove?
What are we doing to ourselves?
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
I’m all about dreams. I’m all about ambition. I’m all about drive, but here’s the thing…
📝 There’s nothing wrong with being DRIVEN, as long as being driven doesn’t DRIVE YOU PAST JESUS.
Jesus stands by ready to help us. Jesus stands by ready to empower us. Jesus stands by ready to defend us, and cover us in our weakest moments, this is why in Matthew 11:28 Jesus said,
"COME TO ME.” -Jesus
📝 We often tell Jesus, "I got this” instead of allowing Him to HAVE US.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.”
2 Corinthians 12:8
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for MY POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about MY WEAKNESSES, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
“That is why, for CHRST’S SAKE, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
It’s for this very reason that…
I’M CHECKING MYSELF INTO HIS PRESENCE.
Jesus said, "Come to me.”
📝 Everything that you’re looking for, can be found in the PRESENCE OF GOD.
“ONE THING I ASK FROM THE LORD, THIS ONLY DO I SEEK: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”
Psalms 27:4
“You will show me the path of life; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Psalms 16:11
“Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’”
Exodus 33:12
And He said, “MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH YOU, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
“Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”
Exodus 33:15
Moses understood, I am, who I am BECAUSE OF YOU. I can do what I can do, BECAUSE OF YOU. I have what I have, BECAUSE OF YOU.
But as for me, THE NEARNESS OF GOD IS GOOD FOR ME; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, So that I may tell of all Your works. Psalm 73:28
Therefore REPENT and RETURN, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that TIMES OF REFRESHING MAY COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD; Acts 3:19
“And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.”
Exodus 33:18
I’ll cause my goodness, and my grace to pass by you, as I proclaim my name. God goes on to say in verse 20,
“But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.””
Exodus 33:20
“...Behold, THERE IS A PLACE by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:” Exodus 33:21
“So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.” Exodus 33:22
Behold, THERE IS A PLACE...
The enemy doesn’t want you to get THERE.
📝 Don’t get so distracted with everything that’s going on over HERE that you miss your THERE.
Love flows from a place called there. Joy flows from a place called there. Peace flows from a place called there. Patience flows from a place called there. Kindness flows from a place called there. GOODNESS flows from a place CALLED THERE. You’ll find the purpose for your life in a place called there. You’ll find the strength you need to keep going in a place called there.
📝 FIGHT for His presence.
📝 GUARD His presence.
You have to to fight through distractions to get there, and once you get there you have to guard your heart and mind to stay there.
“Above all else, GUARD YOUR HEART, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 4:23
I’M CHECKING MYSELF INTO HIS SCHOOL.
“Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29
“Take my yoke upon you. LET ME TEACH YOU, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29
“If you are pleased with me, TEACH ME YOUR WAYS so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.””
Exodus 33:13
TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD; make them known to me. Psalm 25:4
TEACH ME YOUR WAYS, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. Psalm 86:11
📝 TEACH ME WHO YOU ARE.
📝 TEACH ME WHO I AM.
📝 TEACH ME YOUR PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is THE PURPOSE OF THE LORD that will stand. – Proverbs 19:21
The Lord will fulfill HIS PURPOSE for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. – Psalm 138:8
📝 His PURPOSE is greater than my PLANS.
I’M CHECKING MYSELF INTO HIS REST.
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you REST. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find REST for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29
Rest from your WORKS.
Rest from trying to MAKE yourself.
📝 You weren’t created to self publish your WORTH.
📝 Rest in who GOD IS.
📝 Rest in how He MADE you.
📝 Rest in His WORKS.
“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish HIS WORK.”
John 4:34
But Jesus replied, “MY FATHER IS ALWAYS WORKING, and so am I.” John 5:17
IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS.
“And we know that IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
📝 I was created to TRUST.
📝 I was created to LEAN.
📝 I was created to DEPEND.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING;”
Proverbs 3:5
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”
Proverbs 3:6
“Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:7
WHICH WAY ARE YOU LEANING?
Are you leaning to your own understanding? Are you trusting in yourself? Are you depending solely on what you can do while leaving God out of the equation? WHICH WAY ARE YOU LEANING?