SERMON - Burden Up! By Rev. Dennis Dafoe
Burden Up! Text: Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Introduction: You see, I;ve never flown, yet with pretty much whoever I have talked to who has flown a lot, has had this similar story. Though most of the time the bags get where they're going, its definately not always. Not long ago, I heard this story. A gentlemen's suitcase decided to stay in Chicago when he went ahead to Toronto. That began a several-hour ordeal of making the rounds at the airport, trying to locate his bag. He had carried on to the plane this very heavy, over-the-shoulder briefcase...basically it had his office in it. His hosts in Toronto had sent a great young man to pick him up, and the young man was a real help. At one point, when the gentlemen was waiting a long time for an agent, this young man just stood there with this heavy briefcase on his shoulder. He was slowly getting shorter as he stood there. Now, they weren't going anywhere . . . he could have just set it down. So, the simple question was asked- "Why are you carrying that?" He smiled sheepishly and said, "I have no idea," and promptly set it down. He felt much better. Transitional Statement: This young guy was carrying a burden he didn't have to carry. Is this situation possibly in your life? You may be making the same mistake...with a burden that's been weighing you down. I wonder if God is asking you today - "Why are you carrying that?" 1. Burdened Down? Turn To: Heb 12:1 ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Are you wearied? Set aside every weight, be it sin, or worry, or bitterness etc. Don't let your minds faint. You may say, "I've talked to God about what's weighing me down." Well, that doesn't necessarily mean you've cast those cares on Him. I can go to the mechanic with my car and tell him all about what's wrong with the brakes or the steering or the problems we're having starting the car. But it won't do any good if I just drive away with the car after I've told him all my concerns. It's not enough just to tell him about the car - nothing's going to happen until I leave it with him. Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. That cross that we look to today is the reason we can go boldly! QUOTE: "One day of worry is eqaul to one week of hard labor". Worry = weary = weight, and it only gets heavier, without letting it go. Are you obtaining mercy? Is the time of need calming down with His grace? Or is it not changing, not getting lighter? Lu 9:23 And he said to [them] all, If any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. He doesn't say carry the cross, just take it up and follow after Him, while He carries your cross! Its about focusing yourself on others burdens and He will care for yours! So lift up your cross and burden up! Burden up to Him, you make the effort to serve, and He will see you through! Now, you may be telling God about the weight you're carrying, about how heavy it is, about what you'd like Him to do about it. But that doesn't mean you're leaving it with Him - casting those cares on Him. Casting, is what you do with bait on a fishing line, but your not looking to get the useless bait back, but something useful, a blessing! Sometimes it reqires us cutting the line all together! Picture yourself... walking into God's Throne Room, all bent over, carrying that person or that situation or that need on your back. Now picture yourself leaving God's Throne Room after you've prayed about it. Are you still all bent over? Or did you leave that burden in the hands of Almighty God? If so, you'll leave His Throne Room walking tall. Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Have you cast them away, and cut the line? Or are you still holding on? 2. Burden Up! Turn: Heb 5:7 (Jesus) in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers & supplications with strong crying & tears to him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; Why did Jesus cry and pray so hard? Because the burden was so great! What was this burden that was so great? Your burden! My burden! Yours and my past burden, yours and mine future burdens! And your burdens today!! That is why He could and can say this - Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Heb 5:8: If Jesus learned through suffering, then guess what? With your burdens, God will not only lift your burden but will also teach you along the way! So burden Up! Do your part and follow close and He will keep the balance, He will get you there! It's God's burden now. For He carried it then, right to the cross! Have you surrendered? Surrendered trying to be the fixer, the solver, the figure-outer, the controller. You've decided to live the truth of that promise that is repeated several times in Scripture - "The battle is the Lord's." It may have been your burden when you entered His presence, but it's His now! Needless pain. Needless worry. Needless emotional weight. Philippians 4:6-7 says that when you give your anxieties to God, you trade stress for "the peace of God which transcends all understanding." Psalm 55 says that when you let God carry it, He will sustain you and keep you from falling. So there you are, all burdened down, stressed, discouraged and your Lord has just one question: "Why are you carrying that?" Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Are you giving up your rights to defend yourself? To fix your mistakes? To run your life? Don't let temporary things effect eternal things? This verse tells us to let God take care of us, take responsibility for us. As we take care and the responsibility of serving Him, He will be sure we don't fall. If you keep things under your control, then they will trip you and others up. Today as you celebrate communion with your brothers and sisters, examine hard your heart and rid, repent of the wrong and set aside all those burdens that are so heavy, to Him who alone has the strength! As you take the cup, find mercy for mistakes. As you take the bread, find grace to burden up! Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. Church: "Why are you carrying that? (Thanks To Ron Hutchcraft's "A Word with You" Resource)
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