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"Come As You Are"
 
Jesus extends a remarkable invitation to all of mankind. Matthew recorded it for us in his Gospel.
 
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.”
 
This is literally an open invitation to every man, woman and child on the planet, open and available to anyone who would simply come. But to fully understand his invitation, his offer for rest, we must back up one paragraph.
 
Matthew 11:27
 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
 
What Jesus is saying here is significant. In the ancient scrolls or what we now refer to as the Old Testament, the word “know” means far more than just knowledge, it refers to an intimate relationship. And that is exactly what Jesus is offering in his invitation, an intimate relationship with himself. Just as the Father knows the Son, Jesus is inviting us to know him, not just know about him but to be in intimate relationship with him. O how marvelous, O how wonderful! 
 
And once we accept his offer of salvation and we belong to him, we begin to gain deeper and more significant revelation into how much he loves us. And once we have that epiphany, that Aha moment when we realize that there is nothing that we can do to make God love us any more than he already does, he truly loves us just as we are, and with that realization then we can begin to trust him…I mean really trust him, with all of our heart. Christian, I promise you, once you grasp the reality of God’s love for you through Christ Jesus, you’ll never look at trials and tribulations the same way again. You will see, just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did in the fiery furnace, that you’re not in this world alone, Jesus is right there with you, right beside you, helping you endure, persevere and overcome.
 
Beloved, are you weary? Are you burdened? Are you exhausted and burned out and just tired of it all? Then I urge you to take Jesus up on his offer. He wants to give you everlasting life and he wants to give you rest in the here and now…but remember, it may not mean that your problems will just go away, however Jesus is offering to walk through them with you and to give you his peace and strength for the journey. Is your soul hungry for something more, are you thirsting for something beyond this world? Then simply, just as you are, come to Jesus.
 
Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
To God be the glory!
 
I love y’all
pastor doug