"Out Of Control"
Pastor Albert Almore
I have no idea when my GPS started doing this, but right here lately I’ll be driving down the road, and all of a sudden it’ll start talking to me wayyyy before it’s time for my next exit, or next turn. I immediately get serious, and frantically tell everyone in the car to, "SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH….Mrs. GPS is speaking, “ and she’ll go, "FASTER ROUTE NOW AVAILABLE. DO YOU ACCEPT?” I immediately panic because I feel like I only have 2 seconds to accept this mission or not.
But what she’s saying in a nutshell is, "I know the way, and I see a better way. Do you accept?” Can I tell you something? That’s what being a follower of Jesus Christ, or better known as a disciple of Jesus Christ is all about. It’s often about you going along on your merry way, all of a sudden an interruption comes into your heart, or into your mind, through the Word of God, through an individual, or His Holy Spirit, and what that sudden interruption is trying to get across to you is, "I know the way. I see a better way. Do you accept?”
No matter where you are in your relationship with Jesus, He’s looking at us all, and He’s saying the same thing to everyone in this room, "I know the way. I see a better way. Do you accept?” In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus invites you to His better way,
"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 NLT
"Take my yoke upon you. LET ME TEACH YOU…”
Matthew 11:29 NLT
Listen again to who He’s calling from verse 28—
THE WEARY
THE ONES CARRYING HEAVY BURDENS
THOSE LACKING REST
Here’s His plea. Here’s His invitation…
LET ME TEACH YOU
Why? Because I know the way. I see a better way. Do you accept?
What’s our natural response anytime the GPS, or someone tries to take us a different route, than what we’re used to. We often respond by saying or think to ourselves, "This is the way I always go. This is the way I always take.” In other words…
THIS IS JUST ME. THIS IS JUST HOW I AM.
📝 One of the greatest battles you’ll ever face is, "This is just HOW I AM, versus this is who GOD IS CALLING ME TO BE.”
Another translation says Matthew 11:29 like this…
"Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME…”
Matthew 11:29 NIV
📝 In order to learn of Him, you must UNLEARN OF YOU.
You must ABANDON to BECOME.
📝 ABANDON the old you, so that you can BECOME the new you in Christ.
Jesus is saying to us this morning, you tried it your my way, but now it’s time to learn from me.
""For My thoughts are not your thoughts, NOR ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.“
Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV
When you don’t learn from me, and when you don’t follow my ways as a true disciple….
📝 You hurt OTHERS.
📝 You hurt YOURSELF.
📝 You hurt ME.
📝 "And DO NOT GRIEVE the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.“
Ephesians 4:30 NKJV
"And DO NOT BRING SORROW TO GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT BY THE WAY YOU LIVE. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.“
Ephesians 4:30 NLT
In order to learn of Him, you must UNLEARN OF YOU. Matthew 11:29 goes on to say…
"Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE…
Matthew 11:29 NIV
📝 • Unlearn RUDENESS and replace it with GENTLENESS.
Jesus says, LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE…
📝 It doesn’t matter how common being RUTHLESS becomes, we must remain uncommon through GENTLENESS.
"Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, FOR I AM GENTLE…
Matthew 11:29 NIV
📝 As a disciple of Jesus Christ, we’re called to be GENTLE in an UNGENTLE world.
This is why the apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:5,
"LET YOUR GENTLENESS BE EVIDENT TO ALL. The Lord is near.”
Philippians 4:5 NIV
Gentleness is EVIDENCE. Gentleness is EVIDENCE that your life is not your own.
Is there enough evidence in your life through gentleness to prove that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ?
We’ll talk more about that next Sunday…moving right along. Jesus goes on to say, in Matthew 11:29…
"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 NIV
📝 • Unlearn PRIDE and replace it with HUMILITY.
📝 Pride is dangerous because pride boxes God out, and CROWNS YOU king.
📝 With pride, instead of being DEPENDENT upon God, you become INDEPENDENT in yourself.
Jesus Himself was dependent upon God…
Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, THE SON CAN DO NOTHING BY HIMSELF; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 5:19 NIV
BY MYSELF I CAN DO NOTHING; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
John 5:30 NIV
For I have come down from heaven, NOT TO DO MY OWN WILL, but to do the will of Him who sent Me.
John 6:38 BSB
"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 NLT
Listen again to who He’s calling—the weary, the ones carrying heavy burdens, those lacking rest. All of these things come upon you, the moment you begin walking in an INDEPENDENT SPIRIT, no longer dependent upon God.
"What’s the prescription AB?” I’m glad you asked. 1 Peter 5:
"…All of you, CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH HUMILITY toward one another, because, "GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD but shows FAVOR TO THE HUMBLE.”“
1 Peter 5:5 NIV
"HUMBLE YOURSELVES, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7) CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM because he cares for you.“
1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV
📝 To the weary, to the ones carrying heavy burdens, to those who are lacking rest, CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON HIM because he cares for you—AS WELL AS THOSE YOU CARE FOR.
"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 NLT
Rest comes from thought #3 today…
📝 • Unlearn CONTROL and replace it with SURRENDER.
📝 RESISTANCE points to the need of SURRENDER.
Wherever you sense the old you is resisting God’s Word the most, that’s the area that God is calling for your act of surrender.
This is why Paul said what he said in Romans 1:1,
"Paul, A BONDSERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God“
Romans 1:1 NKJV
"This letter is from Paul, A SLAVE OF CHRIST JESUS, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.“
Romans 1:1 NLT
During Romes time, slavery wasn’t tied to racism, as we often think of the word today.
During their time, you became a slave through being a prisoner of war, or you become a slave by voluntarily giving yourself away to someone, BECAUSE YOU COULDN’T PAY BACK YOUR DEBT.
You devoted your entire life to them, because you couldn’t pay them back. Therefore you signed over your desires and wills to someone else. Maybe it’s time for me to give you today’s sermon title…
Sermon Title: OUT OF CONTROL
Beloved, this is how every believer should think of themselves. This should be the disposition of every believer, I am a slave of Jesus Christ. I don’t own myself. I’VE GIVEN UP CONTROL OF MY LIFE. I’VE GIVEN UP CONTROL OF MY LIFE to someone who has more authority, greater authority, who can make better decisions than I can about my life. I’M OUT OF CONTROL. I’VE SIGNED OVER MY RIGHTS TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST.
"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.“
I Corinthians 6:18 NKJV
"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN?"
I Corinthians 6:19 NKJV
"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? YOU DO NOT BELONG TO YOURSELF,“
1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
"FOR YOU WERE BOUGHT AT A PRICE; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.“
I Corinthians 6:20 NKJV
SURRENDER and CONTROL can’t coexist.
When it comes to control, only a couple of questions remains…
ARE YOU IN, OR ARE YOU OUT? ARE YOU IN, OR ARE YOU OUT OF CONTROL?
Jesus is gentle & humble in heart, and He’s whispering to you today…
"I KNOW THE WAY. I SEE A BETTER WAY. DO YOU ACCEPT?” -Jesus