On Sunday, November 14, 2021 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 11:28-30.  This message (focusing on the “lowly heart” of Jesus) was part 2 in the “King’s Heart” series.  Below you will find questions related to this message for personal reflection or group discussion.  You will also find the audio and video of the sermon to listen to/watch, download, or share.

NOTE:  This series is also impacted by the book “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund.  You can find this book on Amazon by clicking here.

 

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 11:28-30
3. How much access do you anticipate having with anyone “important” or “famous”?  Why do you feel that way?  Contrast that with the access we have with Jesus Christ – the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
4. Jesus calls us to COME to Him and to TAKE HIS YOKE upon ourselves.  This is a call to rest in salvation AND direction in sanctification (spiritual growth).  Have you answered this “call” in the past?  How are you answering that call today?  What motivates you or demotivates you to take those steps?
5. What are some examples of how the world, your flesh, or satanic influence might try to obscure your view of Jesus from the picture found in the Gospels?
6. How does being reminded of the accessibility of Jesus encourage you to pray more?  How can you apply this reminder this week?
7. As we have walked through Matthew 11:28-30 over the past few weeks did you find yourself wanting to say, “Yes, Jesus is gentle, BUT what about  _____________ .“  In other words, did you find any internal conflict during this study of Jesus being Gentle and Lowly?  Did the concluding section of this message that tried to show how the Lion of Judah is also Gentle and the Gentle and Lowly heart is still the Lion of the tribe of Judah, help you with your concerns?
8. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here.

 

To listen to sermon audio offline, click the link:

The King’s Heart #2 11.14.21

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the service stream, use YouTube online:

OK.  Take out your phone.  Open the contacts app. Now scan through it for the cell phone number you think OTHER people would most like to have?  Maybe it is the private number for a local celebrity or athlete.  Maybe it is the cell phone for a current member of congress or the leader of a major corporation.  Maybe it is just the number that allows you to bypass all the artificial intelligence greeting system when you call AT&T customer support so you can talk directly to a real life human being.  Go ahead and look.  Which number is the hottest ticket in your contact list?

In my phone, it is probably a set of Pastors who have a national and international platform, who I have met over the years in various contexts.  For many of you, these numbers mean nothing, but for a Pastor, I am surprised that I have their numbers.  Only problem is … I NEVER CALL THEM.  Not one time.  Why?  Even though I have their number, I don’t expect they would ever really want to hear from me.

Famous people are often removed from normal people.  We know who the famous person is, but they don’t really know us … and we assume they would never really WANT to get to know us.  Even if we wanted to make contact with them, we feel like a third party would need to be an intermediary to set up.  “I’ll get in touch with his people, and they can let me know if he will accept my call.”

Now, I say all this, to focus our attention on a mind-blowing concept that we often either misunderstand or take for granted.  Jesus Christ is the Creator of the Universe.  He is the King of Kings.  There is literally NO OTHER NAME in heaven or on earth that is greater than He is.  If there is anyone out there who we would assume has a “private line” it is Jesus.  Even after we came to faith in Christ, and someone told us we could pray to Him, we assume it is just like having a famous person’s number in our contact list.  We are glad it is there, but we don’t think Jesus ever really wants to hear from us.  

And yet …

Jesus is no ordinary famous person.  He is accessible.  In fact, He is the MOST accessible person in all the universe.  I have to go someplace or use some electronic device just to talk to my wife … but Jesus is accessible simply by praying silently in my head!  If we have trusted in Him, His number is on the contact list of our soul, and He is waiting for our call!!!  He even says, “pray without ceasing” … so call anytime, day or night.  And it is not just some second rate angel who answers, or a robo-answering service that we have to navigate through.  We pray, He hears.  And He will answer.  Amazing.

All of this flows out of who Jesus really is.  In His own words in Matthew 11:29, Jesus says that He is “lowly of heart.”  When He says lowly, think humble accessibility.  He has stooped to our level so that we might know Him.

This Sunday at Wildwood (November 14) in our 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00 worship services, we will be talking more about “The King’s Heart” toward us in part two of our series.  Last week we talked about the gentle heart of Jesus, and this week we will talk about the lowly heart of Jesus.  Can’t wait to look at this passage with you all.  Join us … and bring friends.

NOTE:  Service is also available via livestream beginning at 9:45 AM on Sunday at wildwoodchurch.org/live

On Sunday, November 7, 2021 at Wildwood Community Church, I preached a sermon based on Matthew 11:28-30.  This message is part 1 in the “King’s Heart” series.  Below you will find questions related to the message for personal reflection or group discussion.  Additionally, you will find the sermon audio/video to listen to/watch, download or share.

NOTE:  This series is also impacted by the book “Gentle and Lowly” by Dane Ortlund.  You can find this book on Amazon by clicking here.

Sermon Questions:

1. Pray
2. Read Matthew 11:28-30
3. Think of an example in your life where you hesitate to approach someone.  What about that person makes you hesitate to “come to them?”  What are some examples of people who you have no hesitation “coming to them”?  What is it about them that makes them so approachable?
4. Jesus calls us to COME to Him and to TAKE HIS YOKE upon ourselves.  This is a call to rest in salvation AND direction in sanctification (spiritual growth).  Have you answered this “call” in the past?  How are you answering that call today?  What motivates you or demotivates you to take those steps?
5. A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  In what way do you think this statement is true?  What comes into YOUR mind when you think about God?
6. Jesus reveals that the heart of God is GENTLE.  Based on our study of that concept this morning, what stands out to you most about the Gentle Heart of God toward you?
7. Does the gentleness of God drive you to Him for forgiveness and provision?  Does the gentleness of God motivate you to be “yoked” together with Jesus in the direction of our lives?  What does that mean for you today?
8. As a Christ follower, how does the gentleness of your Savior show up in the way you interact with those around you today?
9. What stands out to you most from this message?  Any particular takeaway?

To access these questions in pdf format, click here

 

To listen offline, click on the link to download audio:

The King’s Heart #1 11.7.21

 

To listen online, use the media player below:

 

To watch the stream of the service, use YouTube online:

 

It is A.W. Tozer who famously said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”  This is true, not just because God created us, or even because God recreates us (and gives us new life in Christ).  This is true because our response to God determines our destiny … and how we respond to God is influenced heavily by WHO WE UNDERSTAND GOD TO BE.

So, who is God?  Who do YOU understand God to be?

Well, Jesus is fully God.  As John 1:18 tells us, Jesus has made God known to us.  As Hebrews 1:3 says, Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.”  Therefore, if we want to know who God is, we need to come to Jesus and find out.  

Rather than just sitting in our own thoughts and imagining what we think God must be like, it is far better to turn to the person of Jesus as recorded for us on the pages of the New Testament, and get to know God as He truly is.

If we imagine God is cold and uncaring, then we will never come to Him in our most vulnerable moments.  However, if we know God to be compassionate and approachable, then there is no one we would rather turn to when the chips are down.  What we think God is like greatly influences how we approach Him.

Over the next 3 Sundays at Wildwood, we will be in a little series about who Jesus really is.  In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus tells us what is at His core … what is in His heart.  Jesus says that He is “gentle and lowly in heart.”  Is that how you imagine the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords?  Maybe not.  Which is why we need to allow this passage to recalibrate our hearts.  As author and Pastor Dane Ortlund describes, “This is why we need a Bible.  Our natural intuition can only give us a God like us.  The God revealed in the Scripture deconstructs our intuitive predilections and startles us with One whose infinitude of perfections is matched by His infinitude of gentleness.  Indeed, His perfections include His perfect gentleness.”

So, make plans to be with us this Sunday at Wildwood Community Church in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 worship service as we worship our Savior whose heart is gentle and lowly.  We will sing, pray, read God’s Word, and have communion together.  Can’t wait to see you Sunday, and bring friends!

NOTE:  Livestream of the service is available beginning at 9:45 at this link.