2. Which Yoke…
Will You Wear?

5. “Joy shared is doubled but a burden shared is halved”

6. Which Yoke…
Jesus

7. Which Yoke… Jesus Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

8. Which Yoke…
Law
of Sin & Death
Jesus

9. Which Yoke… Jesus Law of Sin & Death Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

10. Galatians 1:6
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel [good news] at all.

11. Romans 3:10-12
There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

12. Romans 3:23

13. Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

14. “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” – Tim Keller

15. Galatians 2:6
A person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ

16. Galatians 3:1-3
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

17. Galatians 3:21
For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.

18. Psalm 34:8
My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.

19. Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

20. Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

21. “Just the yoke gives the rest, because the moment the soul yields to obey, the Lord himself gives the strength and joy to do it” —Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ

22. Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

23. This is right where I’m at: I’m weary; I’m burdened; I need rest
This is right where I’m at: I’m weary; I’m burdened; I need rest. I’ve sought relief everywhere else but in God. I’ve feared coming to God—don’t want to hear the “I told you so,” or, “how could you?” and, “after all I’ve done for you.” Coming to God just seems like work—lots of death to self and very little joy. I may as well find what little joy I can in the pleasures of this life while I avoid the very thing I deep down know I need: surrendering to Him. I fear what surrender means. I’m afraid of the process of death to self and afraid I can’t sustain obedience to Christ. I’m afraid I won’t find fulfillment in the Lord—that it will always be an uphill battle of seeing how miserably I fail and yet feeling obliged to press on. It’s like a masochistic view of God. In my head, I know it’s not true; but my heart tells me differently.

24. As I read Abiding in Christ, I’ve come to realize that I live out of the paradigm of shame and condemnation. I don’t deep down believe the Lord loves me or is pleased with me. Therefore, I must work to please Him—which is exhausting. And full of repeated failure. And no joy. Yet deep down I know I need God and want to be in union with Him, so I press on.

25. But His Word tells me differently: He apparently welcomes me to come to Him and to abide IN him. I don’t feel worthy or wanted. I have no idea why He would see value in me after all the ways I’ve betrayed Him and inconvenienced Him. Yet His Word says I should come and learn from Him. I fear putting on the yoke because I fear the work it will take, but He’s telling me His yoke is a good thing: that I all I need to do is surrender and let Him take the reins. It won’t be hard because His yoke is easy and His burden is light…and that surrendering all to Him and accepting the invitation to come and rest will be the most liberating experience I can ever imagine.

26. Which Yoke…
Law
of Sin & Death
Jesus
Will You Wear?