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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew chapter 11. Matthew chapter 11 as we continue 
to work our way through this gospel record concerning our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Remember chapters 11 and 12 deal 
with varying responses to our Lord Jesus and to his message. The emphasis seems to fall on 
opposition. Though along the way there are 
a couple sections which show his acceptance or people that 
are that are receptive rather to the message and that's what 
we're looking at this morning in verses 25 to 30. But just 
again to set the context he speaks of John the Baptist very glowingly 
in verses 7 to 15 and on the heels of that he condemns unbelieving 
Israel. He indicts them first and then 
he condemns specific examples. The indictment comes in verses 
16 to 19 and then the specific examples arise in verses 20 to 
24. So I'll just pick up reading 
at verse 16 in Matthew chapter 11. But to what shall I liken 
this generation? It is like children sitting in 
the marketplaces and calling to their companions and saying, 
we played the flute for you and you did not dance. We mourn to 
you and you did not lament. For John came neither eating 
nor drinking and they say he has a demon. The son of man came 
eating and drinking, and they say, look, a glutton and a wine-bibber, 
a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is justified 
by her children. Then he began to rebuke the cities 
in which most of his mighty works had been done, because they did 
not repent. Woe to you, Coruscant! Woe to 
you, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works which were done in you 
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long 
ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be 
more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for 
you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be 
brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which 
were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained 
until this day. But I say to you that it shall 
be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment 
than for you." At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank 
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these 
things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 
Even so, father, for so it seemed good in your sight. All things 
have been delivered to me by my father, and no one knows the 
son except the father, nor does anyone know the father except 
the son, and the one to whom the son wills to reveal him. 
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn 
from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. And you will 
find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden 
is light. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for your written word. We pray 
now for the ministry of your spirit. We pray that you would 
forgive us for all of our transgressions and all unrighteousness. God, 
we pray that you would cleanse us afresh in the blood of the 
Lamb. We ask that you'd help us to 
receive with glad hearts your word. We pray that it would sanctify 
believer. We pray that it would save unbeliever. 
We know that we need the power of your spirit to accomplish 
both things. So we pray that you'd send him 
even now. We pray that in this you would be glorified, and you 
would be worshipped, and you would be honored. And we ask 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, what we 
find in this particular passage is rising opposition to our Lord. He indicts the people of Israel 
in verses 16 and 19. He says, what shall I like in 
this generation? It is like children in the marketplaces, 
incorrigible, stubborn, sinful, rebellious children. He says, 
when John the Baptist comes and he mourns to you, thundering 
out as a voice crying in the wilderness, you do not lament. 
When the Son of God comes and he plays the flute for you, you 
do not dance. We put it this way. We threw 
the ball to you and you didn't pick it up and throw it back. 
You didn't participate. you didn't want to play, you 
didn't want to succumb or submit to Jesus, to John, and their 
particular messages. In fact, they write John off. 
They say that he's a nut. He's got a demon. They write 
Jesus off. They say he's got a glutton and 
a wine-bibber. And then Jesus turns his attention 
to very specific cities in Galilee, that region where he had been 
laboring. And he pronounces woes, the very opposite of blessing 
he pronounces upon them. because they did not repent. 
And then in verses 25 to 30, Jesus spends some time to reveal 
to us how He prays. That's what we saw last week 
in verses 25 and 26. Along the way, though there's 
rising opposition, there are those who believe, there are 
those who accept His message, there are those who come to know 
Him as Lord and Savior, and they are identified here in verse 
25 as babes. And the basis upon which these 
people come is threefold. That's what verses 25 to 30 indicate. The first reason we looked at 
last week, the sovereign will of the Father. In other words, 
sinners come into the kingdom, sinners come into acceptance 
with God and the forgiveness of sins based on God's electing 
purposes. based on the reality that He, 
before the foundation of the world, chose us in Him. In other words, Jesus praises 
His Father here for the doctrine of election and the doctrine 
of reprobation. I was reading this week, one 
man said that predestination, which this passage certainly 
deals with in verses 25 and 26, Machen says predestination writes 
God entirely too large and man entirely too small to suit our 
human pride. We opened up this passage last 
week. We noted several objections. 
We noted some resistance that people have to the doctrine of 
predestination. In Psalm, it is the rejection 
of the Godhood of God. So the first reason that people 
come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is based on election, 
it is based on predestination, it is based on the sovereign 
will of God Most High. The second reason is listed in 
verse 27. It is the mediatorial office 
of Christ. The fact that God elected, the 
fact that God chose before the foundation of the world finds 
its historic execution or finds its revelation in and through 
the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then thirdly, we 
see that men come because of the gracious declaration of the 
gospel. That's verses 28 to 30. So this morning, we're going 
to take up the mediatorial office of the Son in verse 27, and we'll 
at least start with reference to the gracious declaration of 
the gospel in verses 28 to 30. So I often say, if you missed 
all that, it helped me. Helps me to get back into the 
context and know where we're going and how we're tracking, 
but I hope it helps you as well. We need to understand that in 
the midst of rising opposition, there are those who, by God's 
grace, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. take comfort from that 
in a world that is growing increasingly opposed to Christianity. And 
with the rise of Islam, I think sometimes Christians get paralyzed. Islam is growing at such leaps 
and bounds. Christ will build his church 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Christians, 
we must believe that. We must realize that he has purpose 
to save a great multitude which no man can number from every 
tribe, tongue, people, and nation. The God who predestines, the 
God who foreordains, the God who chooses to save His elect 
in and through Jesus Christ will accomplish the purpose for which 
He sends His Word. So look first of all with me 
this morning. Actually, before we get there, 
I just want to re-qualify something. Remember that Jesus says, I thank 
you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these 
things from the wise and prudent." Again, the doctrine of reprobation. We won't labor that particular 
point again. And then he says, "...and have 
revealed them to babes." These are not babes dispositionally. These are not a class of people 
that just seem to be a bit more humble and have more of a predilection 
toward belief in the gospel. These are not babes because they 
came out of the womb with some natural endowment to be inclined 
to gospel truth. No, we are all God-haters. We 
are all rebels. We all despise the Lord. We all 
reject His Word. It is grace that makes these 
babes. It is grace that brings men to 
their knees to show them their sin and their need for the Lord 
Jesus. So he's not saying, thank you 
that you revealed these truths to some people out there that 
had a disposition inclined. No. Thank you, Father, that not 
only did you reveal these things to babes, but you made these 
babes by your grace and for your glory. Just felt that needed 
repetition because some people asked about that last week. at 
least the quote of the man that I had mentioned. Anyways, notice 
first of all the mediatorial office of the Son. In verse 27, 
Jesus speaks of his authority and he speaks of his ability 
to reveal. He says, all things have been 
delivered to me by my Father. He's speaking here as not the 
second person of the Trinity in terms of his deity. Certainly 
as God, the Lord Christ, has all authority. He is speaking 
in his unique capacity as mediator, the one mediator between God 
and man, that mediator we considered in 1 Timothy 2. This is the office 
that he is highlighting, that office that is uniquely characterized 
by his priesthood. wherein he intercedes, wherein 
he dies and sacrifices himself on their behalf. He says that 
all has been given to him. The Father has delivered it to 
him. And Calvin says, having formally 
asserted that the church proceeds from the secret source of God's 
free election, he now shows in what manner the grace of salvation 
comes to man. This is a beautiful observation. What we find here is what God 
does in the past is brought to bear in history by the person 
and the work of His Son. In other words, the eternal decree 
is executed, yes, in the works of creation and in providence, 
but by redemption. And Christ says that He occupies 
that unique place and has the absolute authority to do this 
particular task. He says, all things have been 
delivered to me by my Father. Ryles sketches it this way. He 
says, all power and authority in everything that concerns our 
soul's interests is placed in our Lord Jesus Christ's hands. Isn't that good news? Everything 
that concerns our soul's interest is placed in our Lord Jesus Christ's 
hands. You and I can't do a lot of things. You and I have difficulty getting 
out of bed sometimes. You and I have difficulty balancing 
a checkbook. You and I have difficulty in 
living harmoniously for an entire day with our wife and children. Do we want our everlasting soul's 
destiny to rest in our hands? Certainly we don't. We want the 
mediator of the New Covenant to be clothed and robed with 
all authority so that whatever we need, whatever we stand in 
need of, Christ has it to bring to bear upon us. This is what 
I think Paul means in Colossians 1. not in 2 where he says all 
the fullness of the deity dwells in him bodily, but in Colossians 
1 he says that all the fullness dwells in him. Yes, deity, he 
specifies that in chapter 2, but in the context in chapter 
1, It's everything we stand in need of to get from this place 
of sin and misery and depravity, to get from this place of bondage 
and slavery onto acceptance with God. Everything that a soul needs 
is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an announcement of his 
sufficiency, of his authority, and of his exclusive agency. 
Notice there's not a few ways to the Father. There's not several 
ways to get this done. There is one way, and it is through 
this one who has all authority. Notice what he goes on to say 
in verse 27. He says, All things have been 
delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except 
the Father. It's a beautiful statement of 
his intimacy. His position, no one knows the 
son except the father. No one knows the father except 
the son. That's a tough passage to get 
one's mind wrapped around, at least in order to preach. I think 
as you read it, you go, yeah, that's right, that's cool. Sounds 
like what we see a lot in John's gospel. John speaks or Jesus 
speaks in John's gospel of this intimate position that he bears 
with the father. I'll just quote D.A. Carson, 
he says, there is a self-enclosed world of father and son. There's an intimacy there. There 
is a camaraderie there. The knowledge that he is speaking 
of isn't simply cognitive. The father knows who I am. The 
son knows who the father is. No, it's an experiential. It 
is that communion language. What Jesus is underscoring here 
is that not only does he have the authority, but he has the 
position of intimacy to reveal the father to his people. Carson says, there is a self-enclosed 
world of father and son. that is open to others only by 
the revelation provided by the Son. So Christ declares his authority, 
Christ then says, and no one knows the Son except the Father, 
and he highlights in this statement his own sovereign prerogative. 
Notice this, the Father hides, the Father reveals. Even so, 
it was well-pleasing in your sight, Father." Now, Jesus underscores 
His sovereignty here. He says, "...all things have 
been delivered to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except 
the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and 
the One to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." In other words, 
you don't meet my Father apart from Jesus. You don't come to 
the Father apart from the Lord Christ. You don't end up happily 
in heaven without blood, the blood of the mediator of the 
new covenant. You must have Jesus. That's what makes this passage 
so powerful. He's not speaking of one way 
among many that you can attain heaven and life eternal. Apart 
from the sovereign will of God in revealing it unto babes, apart 
from the mediation of Christ, and apart from the acceptance 
of this declaration of the glorious gospel of free and sovereign 
grace, there's no salvation. The only path, the only way, 
the only hope, the only help that anyone in this room has 
is found in Matthew's gospel, in Matthew 11, 25 to 30. Now, 
it's found elsewhere in the Bible, to be sure, but we are looking 
at this passage this morning. Christ has authority, Christ 
has position, and Christ has sovereignty to reveal His Father 
to sinners. But notice, as well, He's got 
grace. Jesus does will to reveal the 
Father to sinners. So it always kind of bugs me 
about this whole discussion or debate on predestination. Opponents 
happen to know that there's only a handful of people that are 
saved. Oh, you Calvinists, you Reform, you talk about predestination 
and election, and there's only going to be this frozen chosen 
or a few people in heaven. No, we never say that. At all! In fact, when we read Revelations, 
we see a great multitude that no man can number. When we see 
God teaching or pedagoging Abraham, and He says, look at those stars, 
and He says, look at that sand at the seashore, no Calvinist 
or Reform that I read says, man, there's only a few grains of 
sand that are going to be saved. When the prophet Isaiah declares, 
the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters 
cover, not the earth, Do you ever understand that in the prophet 
Isaiah? He doesn't say, as the waters cover the earth. He says, 
as the waters cover the sea. Is Isaiah crazy? Doesn't he know 
what he's talking about? Yes, he knows precisely what 
he's talking about. He's declaring that in and through 
the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to God's saving 
plan and purpose in redemptive history, he is going to bring 
many sinners to glory. But as well, This idea that if 
we preach predestination, if we preach election, then people 
will be hopeless. You see, I think it's just the 
opposite. If people find their hope in 
their ability, if people find their hope in their power, if 
people find their hope in their nobility, that's hopeless! But when Christ says He wills 
to reveal the Father, we know that Jesus is good, Jesus is 
gracious, Jesus abounds in love and mercy. What more hope could 
there be? than to tell needy sinners there 
is a Savior positioned between heaven and earth that wills to 
reveal His Father to sinners like you. That's hope. That's 
blessed hope. John 3, you must be born again. You must be born from above. 
Usually Reformed or Calvinist say that means something has 
to happen to you. The Arminian says you must be 
born again by an act of your will, by an act of your volition. 
You believe the gospel, then you'll be regenerated. That's 
not what the text says. The text says you must be born 
from above, or you must be born again. The text is in the passive 
voice. That means something must happen 
to you. You say you preach that and people 
will be without hope. No. Hope is, or hopelessness 
is telling dead sinners, you need to exercise your will. You 
need to breathe. So don't ever walk into the cemetery 
and start calling out to those people in the grave. You just 
need to breathe. You just need to let that blood 
flow and you need to rise up out of... No. Hope is in the 
reality that a gracious God has purposed to save a great multitude 
which no man can number. And he has the power and the 
efficacy and the ability through his son Jesus Christ and his 
mediatorial office to raise dead men from their graves. That's 
wherein hope lies. You see, the opponents of sovereignty, 
the opponents of predestination, the opponents of the will of 
God offer a hopeless gospel. telling dead sinners that they 
can exercise their dead will for the reception of God's grace. No, it's God who must awaken. It is God who must raise. It 
is God who must give the gifts of faith and repentance before 
a sinner closes with Christ. There's hope in Reformed theology, 
which is nothing less than biblical theology. Jesus is sovereign, 
Jesus is gracious, Jesus is exclusive. We've already hit this, we won't 
spend more time on this, but he says, nor does anyone know 
the Father except the Son and the One to whom the Son wills 
to reveal Him. Jesus condemns universalism. Jesus condemns pluralism. Jesus condemns any attempt or 
any mindset that says that all roads lead to heaven. Isn't there 
the universal fatherhood of God? Aren't we all just brothers in 
some eminent spirit? No, Jesus says that He alone 
is the unique link between heaven and earth. And if we do not come 
to the Father through Him, we don't come to the Father. Now, 
let's look thirdly in the context, secondly, this morning. If you 
followed that, you'd get a cookie after the service this morning. 
Somebody put tape on my pulpit. I don't like tape on my pulpit. My papers are sticking here. Notice the gracious declaration 
of the gospel, verses 28 to 30. The gracious declaration of the 
gospel. The first two things is what 
I hope that we'll get to this morning. The exhortation stated 
in the person's address. Notice, verse 28, come to me. Come to me all you who labor 
and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. That's an exhortation. Remember that the sovereignty 
of God does not diminish the responsibility of man. The responsibility 
of man does not diminish the sovereignty of God. Jesus can 
praise his father for election and reprobation on the heels 
of condemning Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum for their failure 
to repent when they saw his mighty works. And here on the basis 
of having declared the absolute sovereign will of God and the 
mediatorial office of Jesus Christ, he now turns his attention to 
say these words, come unto me. Now what does he not mean by 
this? He does not mean come unto me 
with your works. Come unto me with your virtue. Come unto me with your ability. Come unto me with your power. No, it is simply come unto me. If he has all authority and he 
is the one that reveals the Father, he certainly doesn't require 
your good works. Gerstner said the problem between 
us and God isn't so much our sin. It's our damnable good works You see the idea in verse 28 
if you're here this morning and you're not a believer Here's 
the devil's logic. I gotta start cleaning my life 
up. I have to get a little better 
I can't come to Jesus with his sin But Jesus says come unto 
me He doesn't say, first this, first that, first go, first do. You know, we've reduced the gospel 
and we've reduced holiness to just some things you stop doing. Do you know there's a lot of 
non-Christians that stop drinking and they stop smoking? Does that 
put them in the kingdom of heaven? No. No. Jesus says, come unto me. He doesn't say the man who comes, 
or the man who does, the man who works, the man who merits, 
for there is none such. David Dixon says that some turn 
the new covenant into a bastard covenant of works by adding their 
works' righteousness to faith. It's not what Jesus is saying. Come unto me, he says. It's what 
you need to hear this morning if you're not a believer. And 
I know that when a preacher says that, he kind of puts himself 
in a different category. You're not a believer and I'm 
a believer by grace. There was nothing in me predisposed 
to believe the truth. There was nothing in anybody 
here, that is in Christ, predisposed to the truth. There is nothing 
in any person in this place, as holy as they may seem to be 
right now, that fit them for entrance into the kingdom of 
heaven. It is grace alone, through faith 
alone, in Christ alone. That's the emphasis. That's the 
come on to me. It is Christ who saves, not you 
and Christ, not a little Jesus and a little me, not some of 
my works, but come to Jesus Christ alone. It is Christ alone who 
is the mediator between God and man. It is Christ alone who possesses 
the position of intimacy and the power to reveal the Father 
to men. It is Christ alone who brings men out of darkness into 
marvelous light. It is Christ alone, according 
to the author of Hebrews, that saves to the uttermost. Not saves 
partially. not saves just a little bit, 
not saves 99.9%, but He is able to save to the 
uttermost or completely all who draw near to the Father through 
Him. If you are not a Christian this 
morning, come to Jesus. That's the emphasis in the text. 
And when the text says, come unto me, it has respect to belief. Believe on the Lord Jesus. Believe 
the truth of the gospel. Believe all that the scripture 
says concerning Him. I'll turn to Gil here. He says 
that this... He explains that Jesus kindly 
invites and encourages souls to come unto Him. But it is to 
be understood of believing in Christ, the going of the soul 
to Him. I love that language. The going 
of the soul to Him. Isn't that a beautiful metaphorical 
language? God gives grace, He regenerates 
the dead sinner, He gives him faith, and we look unto Jesus 
and our souls go unto Him. We venture on Him, venture wholly, 
as the hymn writer says. We throw ourselves at the mercy 
of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We see Him as the altogether 
lovely and chief among ten thousand. We are like that bride that rejoices 
in the bridegroom that can't stop until she has Him. Beautiful. He goes on to say, it is to be 
understood of believing in Christ, the going of the soul to Him, 
in the exercise of grace on Him, or desire after Him. Love to 
Him, faith and hope in Him, believing in Christ and coming to Him are 
terms synonymous. When we stand in this pulpit, 
we say, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That means to come. not stay, not stop, not resist, 
not argue, not reject, but come. It's beautiful. Our confession 
defines saving faith this way. It says, the principal acts of 
saving faith have immediate relation to Christ. Accepting, receiving, 
and resting upon Him alone for justification sanctification 
and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace. That's 
the rub, that's the issue, that's the point. Believe on Christ. Machen says it this way, the 
true reason why faith, and just before I read this quote, I'm 
going to quote Machen a couple times this morning. I asked authorities 
this morning, Dear brethren that live their lives in reformed 
churches." They're not reformed churches, they're actually reformed 
churches. I said, did anybody ever say Reedmachin? Oh, we didn't 
really hear that name a whole lot. That could just be because 
it was a small audience of authorities that I polled. Maybe there were 
others out there that said, oh yeah, we were told Reedmachin 
all the time. Anyways. If you are struggling with what 
this all means, you come to this church, you hear us affirm predestination, 
you hear us affirm election, you hear us affirm reprobation, 
and then you hear us say, come to Christ, and you're scratching 
your melon saying, how do these things jive? Pick up Machen's 
What is Faith? It's the name of the book, What 
is Faith? And read it. You'll be happy. Actually, read our Confession 
of Faith, chapter 14 as well. I'll just go ahead and read Romans 
and Galatians while you're at it. You see, our confession and 
matron are just amplifying and explaining and putting into terms 
that we can sink our teeth into. Paul's doctrine, not just Paul's, 
the entire Bible's doctrine of justification by faith alone. Come unto me, Christ says. How do we mess that up? Come 
unto me means, I've got to this, I've got to that, I've got to 
this, I've got to that, I've got to this, I've got to that. That's 
what they thought in Galatia. I can come to Christ, that's 
good, but I've got to get circumcised and obey the ceremonies of Moses. 
Paul says that's a false gospel, that's another gospel. You don't 
add. You don't try to supplement the 
saving work and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, because 
you can't. Machen says, the true reason 
why faith is given such an exclusive place by the New Testament, so 
far as the attainment of salvation is concerned, over against love 
and over against everything else in man, except things that can 
be regarded as mere aspects of faith, is that faith means receiving 
something, not doing something, or even being something. The 
center of the Bible and the center of Christianity is found in the 
grace of God. And the necessary corollary to 
the grace of God is salvation through faith alone. Murray in 
his commentary on Romans 3 says that works are extra, or our 
works are introspective. In other words, when we do good 
works, we congratulate ourselves and we think God owes us. He 
says faith is extraspective. Faith takes the soul and the 
mind off of oneself and directs it to the other, to the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Machen then ends the book. I'll 
give away the punchline of his book. Still get the book, still 
read the book. If you don't have money for the book, tell me, 
I'll get you the book. Probably eight bucks. Don't eat 
Tim Hortons for one day or two days and you can buy a great 
book. Machen ends his little book with this statement. And 
I love this. I think people struggle. They come into churches and they 
see people with ties on. They see people that look polished. 
They see people that look healthy. And they see people that look 
full. And they don't realize that we're all miserable. We're 
all wretches and we all stand in constant need of grace. You see, when we sing amazing 
grace, it's not simply to go through a reformed ritual. We 
really believe grace is amazing. That saved a wretch like me. 
And then this whole idea of degrees of faith comes into play. Well, 
he's got a lot of faith because he really looks this way. She's 
got a lot of faith because she homeschools 15 children. He has 
a lot of faith because he does his work so well. He's got a 
lot of faith because he goes out and does street missionary 
work. We're killing people if that's 
the kind of faith we're preaching. That's what happened in Galatia. 
It's not enough for you to believe Jesus, you have to be circumcised 
too. It happens in our churches. It's 
not enough that you believe Jesus, you have to do this, or you have 
to do this, or you have to do this. Calvin makes the statement 
somewhere that when we get convicted of something, we want to make 
it a universal rule that binds everybody else. It's wrong. It's 
wicked. This is why I rejoice in that 
last paragraph, it mentions what is faith. He says, weak faith 
will not remove mountains, but there is one thing at least it 
will do. It will bring a sinner into peace 
with God. Weak faith won't move Mount Shem, 
but it'll bring your soul into saving union with Jesus Christ. 
He says, our salvation does not depend upon the strength of our 
faith. Saving faith is a channel, not 
a force. If you are once really committed 
to Christ, then despite your subsequent doubts and fears, 
you are His forever. Praise God for this. Praise God 
that it's not my sweetest frame. It's not what Moat says. I dare 
not trust my sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand, 
all other ground is sinking sand. Notice Jesus doesn't say, come 
unto me with your sweet frames. Come unto me with your experience. 
Come unto me with your mystical connection of another world. 
Come unto me, he says. That's it. You come with your 
sins to the Savior and He deals with you. It's the beauty of 
it. You don't clean up first and 
then go see Jesus. He's not your employer. You don't 
take a shower at 6 a.m. so you can be in work at 7, smelling 
nice. You know, Israel probably fell 
into that trap. This is why God the Lord and 
the prophet Jeremiah says, return ye backsliding children I will 
heal your backslidings. Isn't that beautiful? Bring the 
sin, bring the muck, bring the garbage to Jesus because He alone 
is fit to deal with it. You can't. You can't get out 
of bed on time. How in the world can you put 
your soul's salvation in what you do, in what you are, in how 
you think, or in the way you behave? You can't do it. Jesus 
says, come unto me. Not me, Jim. He says, come unto 
him, Jesus. Now, notice the person's addressed. The person's addressed. Come 
to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. All you who 
labor and are heavy laden. Now, some of the commentators 
suggest that Jesus is the answer for all our problems. And he 
is. I understand that. In the big scheme of things, 
Jesus is the answer for all our problems. But when he says, those 
who labor and those who are heavy laden, he doesn't just mean those 
who are burdened with life's cares. Consider the believer, 
consider the man who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ in 2005, 
and in 2015 he hears, you have cancer. Consider the man who 
comes to Christ in 2007, and the very next day he gets his 
layoff notice. Is it just those things that 
Jesus alleviates for us? Christians can be victim to violent 
criminals, can't they? I think the direction is specified 
in the context of Matthew's Gospel. He says, those who labor. What have I said is a rising 
problem in chapters 11 and 12, and that will dominate the latter 
half of the Gospel of Matthew. It is Christ's clash with Pharisaic 
religion. You cannot come to salvation. You cannot come to pardon of 
sin. You cannot come to the righteousness 
that you need that avails with God through those Pharisees. 
Those who labor, those who are dutiful, those who try hard, 
those who are seeking to work their fingers to the bone in 
order to attain heaven, all those who labor, come to me. Come to 
me! Those Pharisees will lead you 
to hell. That is bondage. That is works-oriented. That is destined to fail. You 
see, Jesus would heartily agree with the Westminster divines. 
The Bible heartily agrees with those divines that says that 
our obedience to the law of God must be personal, it must be 
perpetual, it must be exact, it must be entire. Unless we're 
able to render that, we will not go to heaven. So all those who labor, Jesus 
says, come to me. Come, find rest in me. And it's interesting, if you 
have read ahead in Matthew's gospel, what's the next section 
deal with in Matthew 12? Combat over rest. Confrontation. Overrest. Hardship. Anguish. Accusation. Overrest. It's no accident that Jesus promises 
rest, and the next two pericopes, or the next two blocks of narrative, 
deal with the Sabbath. Pharisees are all bound up. They're all wound up. They're 
all upset over what appears to be a lack of attention to detail 
on the part of Jesus and his disciples. In other words, if 
you followed the Pharisees, you would be laboring with all those 
external regulations, missing the point of the fourth commandment 
completely, but seeking to attain a righteousness built upon and 
grounded in Pharisaic misinterpretation. Isn't this what we've already 
seen in the Sermon on the Mount? Unless your righteousness exceeds 
the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by 
no means enter the kingdom of heaven. He doesn't say you've 
got to work harder than them. He says you need to know what 
the Bible says. And this is going to be a dominating 
theme when we get to 23. He is going to pronounce woes 
upon the Pharisees and the scribes. He's going to caution people 
about trying to take up the burdens that the Pharisees try to lay 
on people. So to that, in the midst of false 
religion, in the midst of Pharisaic misrepresentation of God's holy 
law, Jesus bids those who labor, Don't we see Paul the Apostle 
emphasize this in Pisidian Antioch, that if you believe in Jesus, 
you receive forgiveness of sins, things that you wouldn't have 
gotten in an obedience to the law of Moses, because it's not 
perpetual, it's not perfect, it's not exact, it's not entire. But he doesn't stop there. He 
says, come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. Now, I take this to mean those 
who are in sin. I get that some of you brothers 
work hard, and I admire that. I get that some of you guys are 
up at dawn and not in bed till midnight, because you're working. 
You're slugging it out. I get that you're heavy laden 
in the physical realm, and I appreciate that. I bet your wives really 
appreciate that. Wives, if you don't tell them 
you appreciate that, shame on you. Tell them. Tell them. That's not who Jesus is addressing. 
Jesus promises rest for the soul. He's talking about sin. All those who labor and are heavy 
laden. In that picture in Pilgrim's 
Progress, when Christian goes to the cross, that burden is 
snapped and it's flying off of him. I've always wondered, I've 
always speculated, I've assumed that Bunyan had this image in 
his mind. This heavy ladenness, this burden 
of sin, this weight, this oppression, this drudgery. Jesus says, come to me, all you 
who labor and are heavy laden. The psalmist spoke these things. 
The psalmist says, there is no soundness in my flesh because 
of your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin. Not my hard work schedule and 
this was the king of Israel. He had a hard work schedule. 
For my iniquities have gone over my head like a heavy burden. They are too heavy for me. My 
wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness. I 
am troubled. I am bowed down greatly. I go 
mourning all the day long for my loins are full of inflammation 
and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and severely 
broken. I groan because of the turmoil 
of my heart. What about Psalm 130 verses 1 
to 3? He says, Out of the depths I 
have cried to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let your 
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you, 
Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? You see what Jesus is saying 
to you? You're here this morning laden with sin. Come to Him. Not join that group or join that 
session or pay another therapist or, you know, whatever. He says, 
come to me. That's what he says to the heavy 
laden ones. And notice this young people. 
Notice this children. Sin is a heavy, hard taskmaster. What starts off as being cool, 
What starts off as being fun, what starts off as being pleasurable, 
ends with you in bondage, and in misery, and in depravity. Come to me all who labor and 
are heavy laden." Sin is no friendly taskmaster. Sin never benefits 
you. Sin never makes you happy, healthy 
and wise. Sin never promotes well-being 
in your lives and relationships. Sin never answers with a big 
paycheck or with a big smile. Sin never brings a sinner into 
heaven. That heavy ladenness is relieved 
at the cross alone. That's it. It isn't cool to do 
drugs. It isn't cool to get whacked 
out on whatever. It isn't cool to steal. It isn't 
cool to fornicate. It isn't cool to engage in what 
the world says is cool. It is a harsh and a heavy taskmaster. I thought about this particular 
passage this morning, and I thought about several brethren that I 
know in this church, that if you went to them and you asked 
them, me included, and you said, how was it when you were outside 
of Christ? What was life like? Was it happy? Was it fun? Was it healthy? Was 
it joyous? No, no, and no. No, all of the 
above. It never pays. It's never beneficial. It's never remedial. There's 
never happiness at the other end. Please listen. Listen to 
me. Listen to your parents. Listen 
to other brethren. Listen to men in the church. 
Listen to ladies in the church. Do you think when the father 
fell upon that son's neck, and he kissed him, and he put the 
ring on his finger, and he slayed the fatted calf, that son, sitting 
in his father's mansion said, you know, I can't wait to leave 
this place and get back to where the pigs are. Absolutely not. Are you kidding 
me? Go back to where the pigs are? 
I hate the fact that there's still some pigs in my heart. 
I want to get rid of them. I want to dispossess these Canaanites 
from the land. You know what the believer in 
Christ, that person who, by God's grace, who has come to the Lord 
Jesus, who has a new heart because of the covenant of grace, you 
know what that person does when he reflects upon his past? Ezekiel 
36. After God promises, I will take 
out the old stony heart. I will put in a new fleshly heart. 
I will put my law in your heart. I will cause you to walk after 
my ordinances. Then, he says, then you will 
remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and 
you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities 
and your abominations. Children, young people, listen. Sin is not cool. Sin is not fun. Sin does not bring happiness. 
Sin does not bring joy. Sin brings prison. Sin brings 
misery. Sin brings darkness. Sin brings 
bondage. That's what it brings. In a context 
where the Lord Jesus Christ is addressing sinners, he says, 
come to me. That's it. Come to me. We will stop our exposition there. God willing, we'll pick up the 
latter. Two verses. I'm sorry, we can't jump past 
the end of verse 28, but we'll take up 29 and 30, God willing, 
next Sunday morning. But notice Christ's promise. 
The end of verse 28, I will give you rest. I will give you rest. I will 
rest you. It's like a mother. I mean, I think we can all relate 
to mothers. I know there's some people out there that maybe didn't 
have the best relationship with mom. It seems at least statistically 
more people are inclined to have a relationship with their mother 
rather than their father. Fathers just seem to be deadbeats 
and need to get their lives together. What do you think about your 
mom? Is there anybody who can help 
you like your mom? Anybody who can make you feel 
better like your mom? I know for me, just a little 
autobiography, if I'd get hurt outside, When I was playing as 
a little guy, I'd come running in and my mom would hand me an 
Oreo. That just made everything better. I don't think I knew 
what aspirin were until I was an adult. I just had Oreos for 
everything, for a little cup of M&M's. Mom just can rest you, 
right? You cut your knee, or you gash 
your arm, or you break something. Who's there for you? Your mom 
and dad. Yeah, dad, you're there. I love 
you, brothers. You're there. You're right there. 
You're there. Some of your brothers are wonderful 
mothers, too. This is what Christ says. Cease 
and desist from following those Pharisees. They just bind you 
with burdens that no man can bear. Bring your sin to me, roll 
it over on me, cast it upon me, and I'll rest you. Cease your 
striving. Cease your resistance. Lay down 
your weapons. Surrender to the Lord of glory. 
You can't fix your sin problem. You can't make it go away. You 
can't bring forgiveness between heaven and you. You can't make 
yourself righteous. Jesus says, come to me and he 
will give you rest. Truly, truly a blessed overture 
of God's grace spoken by the Savior in the midst of those 
who rejected him. In summary, we note first that 
this promise of gospel rest is grounded firmly, grounded firmly 
in election, grounded firmly in predestination, grounded firmly 
in the good pleasure of God. See, Jesus had no problem declaring 
the graciousness of the gospel and maintaining the doctrine 
of sovereign grace. It is the foundation, God's election 
and Christ's mediation. For the theologians out there, 
I think we have Pactum Salutis, what God does in eternity in 
terms of election and reprobation. We have Astoria Salutis, what 
God does in redemptive history in sending the Son to mediate 
the blessings of the new covenant. And then in verses 28 to 30, 
we have the Ordo Salutis, justification when we come unto Him and sanctification 
when we take His yoke upon Him. and the foundation for what we 
have in terms of justification, sanctification, and in the final 
analysis, glorification, is rooted firmly, not in our will, not 
in our ability, not in our works, not in our virtue, but in the 
power of the triune God who has elected, in the power of the 
triune God who sent the Son to die and rise again, and the Spirit 
who applies that redemptive benefit. because of his grace and mercy. 
It truly is beautiful. Spurgeon says, come unto me is 
thus a divine prescription, curing our ills by the pardon of sin 
through our Lord's sacrifice and causing us the greatest peace 
by sanctifying us to his service. Secondly, we need to not forget 
and we need to make sure we don't leave this text and forget the 
reality of the exclusivity of Christ for salvation. If you 
have come here this morning and you think, well, you know, if 
I just try harder, or if I just go to the, you know, the imam, 
or I go to the Pope-ish place, or I go to wherever, they offer 
a mediator. They offer some alleviation. 
Sometimes you meet people like that. I like Jesus when he tells 
me how I'm supposed to love other men, but I don't really like 
Jesus when he tells me where I can and cannot put my sexual 
organs. I just don't like that part. 
I'm going to seek out a mediator. I'm going to seek out one who 
tells me what I want to hear. That's not what you're going 
to find. There is one who has authority and one who reveals 
the Father to sinners, and it's Jesus Christ. Again, Machen says 
it this way. He says the Christian religion 
is intolerant to the core. Intolerant to the core. Oh, you 
can't say that. They might throw you in prison 
today. Do you realize that the early creeds and councils of 
Christianity were called the ecumenical councils? Does everybody 
remember that? If you've read anything about 
church history, the early, about the seven, I think the first 
seven or seven of them are called the ecumenical councils. You know what ecumenicism is 
today? Let's just gather people from every stripe and every denomination 
and every type of religion and let's just sing kumbaya. That's 
what ecumenicism is today. No doctrine because it divides. No doctrine because it alienates. No doctrine because it makes 
people feel bad. Do you realize that in these 
seven councils that published creeds called the ecumenical 
creeds, Each of them ends with anathemas. That means damnation to those 
who do not believe these truths. You see, in the early church, 
ecumenicism was defined by the cross, by the deity of Christ, 
by the triunity of God, by Christian doctrine. We've lost that. Now anybody has anathema, whoever 
says somebody's anathema. How dare you question that person? They're preaching a false gospel. 
Paul says they ought to be damned to hell in Galatians 1. We've 
lost our way, brethren. Ecumenicism meant something differently 
in the early church than it does today. But back to Machen. He 
says, the Christian religion is intolerant to the core. There lies the whole offense 
of the cross and also the power of it. Always the gospel would 
have been received with favor by the world if it had been presented 
merely as one way of salvation. The offense came because it was 
presented as the only way, and because it made relentless war 
upon all other ways. You see, Jesus does not stand 
here in the great tradition of religious leaders and philosophers. When Jesus describes His character 
as gentle and lowly in heart, He most certainly is not, if 
He's not, God the Son. To make the statements that He 
makes, to say He has the prerogatives that He possesses, to make the 
claims that He proffers here, if He is not God, He is a false 
prophet. Christianity is exclusive. Thirdly, before we leave the 
passage, in case you didn't hear it earlier, not just children 
and young people, but adults. Sin is bad. I used to go to the prison and 
meet people. I know these brothers go to the 
prison, Pastor DJ and Don and Sean from Glen Colin. They go 
to a large correctional facility in Oregon there and they preach 
the gospel. I'm sure they've met it. I met 
it when I used to go to the penitentiary in Southern California. These 
guys aren't happy. They're not happy and thrilled. 
They get to sit in a little cell all day long. And they're there as a result 
of sin. They're there for bad choices 
and bad decisions. They have opposed God along the 
line. They don't say, I just love it 
here. I love to have a toilet in my cell with no walls or privacy 
around. I just love that. It's great. 
I love the slop they feed us. It's just fantastic. It's amazing. 
Now, maybe your prison is different. These guys all love it. But generally 
speaking, Solomon says it this way in the Proverbs. He says, 
the way of the transgressor is hard. Not happy, not fun, not 
cool, not hip. The way of the transgressor is 
hard. Jesus says to the transgressor, 
come to me and I will give you rest. Do not leave this day, 
do not leave this week, do not leave this month, do not leave 
this year without coming to Christ. That's it. That's everything. That's the most important thing 
you will ever hear, is that Jesus Christ says to sinners who are 
heavy laden, come to me. Believe on him and you will be 
saved. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, 
we thank you for your word. We thank you for this section 
in Matthew's gospel and the great truth that it sets forth to us. 
And God, I hope and pray that you'd open hearts by the power 
of your spirit. We know that you do choose to 
hide in your justice, in your judgment, in your righteousness, 
but we know that you choose to reveal in your grace and mercy 
and your abundant, loving kindness. To God this day we pray, wherever 
the gospel is preached, wherever sinners are called upon to believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, please attend. Please open hearts. As Pastor Cam read that scripture 
this morning, we know that your word does not return unto you 
void. We know it does accomplish the purpose for which you sent 
it, and in this we greatly rejoice, Lord God. We do pray there'd 
be rejoicing in heaven over sinners who repent, rejoicing in the 
churches of Christ over sinners who repent, rejoicing in families 
when sinners repent. And we pray these things through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.