Jesus is No Kill Joy — E.A. Johnston

Jesus’ Yoke and the Rest He Gives

In Matthew's gospel, we read the words of Christ Jesus when he says. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls. A yoke is a wooden beam Normally used between a pair of oxen to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs.

I don't know why in the Christian life we fear giving God control. I guess it's human nature for us to Want to be in charge of our life and call the shots and to be the ramrod of our daily existence. But the sayings of Jesus always go against the grain of life.

The Cost of Following Jesus

He speaks of forsaking all to follow him. He says to hate father and mother and Children and even ourselves and to give him first place in our life. He talks about taking up a cross and denying ourselves if we want to be one of his followers.

But I believe the most difficult saying of Jesus for most folks is this verse here in Matthew. About taking his yoke because to do that means giving up our freedom. That means placing us in servitude to another.

That means an utter surrender to Jesus as Lord and we back away from that. We shrink away from it. Oh, we don't mind taking Jesus as our Savior. But something inside us fights against yielding to him as Lord if we're honest with ourselves.

Jesus Is No Killjoy

Deep down we think Jesus is a killjoy and if we yield all to him Then it's like joining the Marines where we must submit to authority and our life is no longer our own. Someone else is telling us what to do and we fight against that.

But I submit to you friends that Jesus is no killjoy and embracing all he is by Giving him all you are is true Christianity. Give me your undivided attention friends as I bring this message before you today on his Lordship.

Jesus as Lord and Owner

The word Lord In the Greek is the word Kurios and it's jam-packed with rich meaning. First it speaks of Jesus as Lord in the sense of a possessor of property. Jesus is Lord as an owner. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1st Corinthians that For you're bought with a price therefore Glorify God in your body and Jesus as Lord as an owner.

Over every blood-bought believer is the fact of scripture that you were bought with a price and the price was his blood. The Lord Jesus has rights and claims on all followers of his. Your body is not your own.

Your money is not your own. Your time is not your own. He must be a complete master. It's master of the harvest. The Lord is a sovereign have an absolute authority over it and if God conquers your Stubborn will and saves you then the Lord Jesus will reign in your life with absolute authority.

Christ’s Absolute Authority

That word Lord Means he is supreme Lord over all things. He is head over all things to the church. He's a supreme Lord who has dominion. He is a living Lord who is a sovereign of absolute authority. And Every follower of his must have a utter committal to Christ as Lord.

Every weapon of your rebellion friend must be laid down in a full surrender. At his nail-pierced feet all you are must be in subjection to all he is and he is Lord. His saviorship is found in his lordship.

You cannot divide Jesus in half and choose the one you want. He must be Lord or he one day be your judge. Jesus is no killjoy and his yoke is easy and his burden is light. A Self-ruled life is one lived on a religious road to hell.

Salvation Means Surrender to Christ

Salvation means the kingdom of self must come to an end as self is dethroned and another enthroned there the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says take my yoke upon you. Did I mention friend that a former once told me that the bigger oxen shoulders more of the load?

The Christian life is a exciting adventure of being in a vital union with a living Lord. Jesus is no killjoy. But true joy may be found in a vital love relationship with him. Don't be taken in friend with the false gospel of our day that talks about Accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and says nothing about surrendering to Christ's absolute authority in your everyday living.

Rejecting the False Gospel

Don't be deceived by a perverted gospel that preaches another Jesus other than the living Lord of the Bible. His Savior hood cannot be set. Separated from his Lordship the Christ of the Bible is Lord and he must reign in human hearts.

But some of you think Jesus is a killjoy because if you surrender to him you have part ways With your most beloved sin. Well, guess what friends? That's what true repentance is and Some of you would rather just take Jesus as a Savior from hell.

But you sure shouldn't don't want him to be a Savior from sin. Your love of sin and you love your sin and you love yourself More than you love Jesus. So the idea of his Lordship is offensive to you. But if you want him friend Then you must throw down your shotgun of rebellion and submit to all he is he is Lord.

Christ the Exalted Lord

He is a sovereign Living Lord who sits on a throne at the right hand of the father and all authority has been Given to him and he earned that right by way of a bloody cross. I'd care enough about your soul friend to a form you that accepting the Christ to relieve you of your sense of guilt without Experimentally knowing him as a living Lord is a deception of the modern gospel.

They will merely give you a false. Hope of heaven. That is nothing more than a hole in the wall. Jesus is Lord. Is he your Lord? Let us pray. Amen.