The Path Back Home

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that,  I wanted to tell you a little story

A few years back Andrew and I were out sailing on our old catamaran. We had done a lot of repairs on our boat to make it seaworthy by patching up numerous leaks in the pontoons, repairing the trampoline and sewing up a lot of large holes in the mainsheet. 

We arrived at our landing site early in the afternoon and put up the mast.  There was a fairly strong wind already, somewhere around 14 mph S.E.  We jumped on the boat, pulled up the sails and off we went with the wind.

The first few hours were fantastic sailing. It was a beautiful warm sunny afternoon and Andrew was having a blast as he hung out on the wire and getting drenched in the nice warm water.

There’s one section of the lake that can get really rough. The wind was getting stronger with very large gusts and the caps were getting much bigger.  I slowly began to make my way to calmer water.

I looked over at Andrew for a moment and then all of a sudden he was gone. The mast had completely broken in half.  

With huge waves all around us out in the middle of the lake, we slowly began to paddle the long distance back to shore. It was grueling. We could were not making any forward progress at all because of the wind.  From out of nowhere a fishing boat showed up with a large motor and threw us a long tow rope to get us to the beach.  What would have taken us over an hour, took about 5 minutes. That extremely hard and heavy burden had been completely lifted from us and the path home was made easy.

When I think back to this personal event it always reminds me of the Christian life because Jesus carries our burden and makes it easier for us so that we can get home to heaven.

Matt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

A burden is something carried.  It is a heavy load that is hard to endure.

Jesus removed the burden and the commands contained in ordinances in the Old Testament by fulfilling them and completing them Himself.  Christianity and Judaism are two different religions. Judaism is based on law while the New Testament is all about God’s love, mercy and grace found in Christ Jesus. No matter how much any of us were to try, none of us would ever be able to to reach the Kingdom of Heaven someday if Christ had never come to save us. 

The Bible is clear that all of us have sinned from the least to the greatest.  None of us are righteous, no not one and the Bible has concluded that each of us are under sin.  

What Jesus did is took the burden of our sins to the cross.  He set forth a new covenant, and at the same time frees us from the heavy demands required through the Old Testament law. When we become Christians, we are no longer under law, but under grace.  

Acts 15:1-11

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

The Apostle Peter was born and raised a Jew but realized that Jesus has lifted us from the burden of the Old Testament law.  It was a burden that Jesus carried for us In order to make it easier for us.

Jesus was upset with many of the legal leaders in the Jewish community because they had become far too legalistic and lacked Mercy.

Matthew 23:4 – For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Many times people would use the law simply as a way to find fault with others but the truth is, each of us have our own faults. Each of us come short of the glory of God. Instead of pointing the finger at each other, God wants us to look at His precious Son. Instead of finding fault with others by using the law he wants us to accept our own sinful condition and come to Christ for mercy and Grace. God’s forgiveness is something that we all need.  As Peter clearly taught, salvation is through God’s grace.

Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:”

Acts 15:28 – For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were commanded by your dad to cut the lawn? Maybe he watched as you struggled in the 80 degree heat on a hot afternoon but then he rose up to come and take over for you so that you could go enjoy the afternoon swimming with your friends.  He took that burden upon himself and made it easier for you.

Think about the innumerable amounts of pain and suffering that Jesus took upon himself at the cross in order to free us from the things of the Old Testament.  He makes it easier for us to make our journey…

….on the path back home.

Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.💖

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