{"id":2933,"date":"2014-08-06T16:11:02","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T20:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=2933"},"modified":"2015-07-27T12:12:12","modified_gmt":"2015-07-27T16:12:12","slug":"dont-give-up-camp-meeting-8314","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=2933","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Give Up! (Camp Meeting, 8\/3\/14)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Pastor<\/a><\/em><\/span>Don’t Give Up!<\/span><\/h3>\n

On Sunday August 3, PUMC was the host church for the Pitman Camp Meeting service in the Pitman Grove Auditorium.\u00a0 Our Men’s praise Team provided the music and our pastor, Rev. Jim Bolton delivered the sermon.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Click below to listen to a recording of the sermon and follow along by reading this post…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\nhttps:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/Sermon-Dont-Give-Up-2014-08-03-Camp-Meeting-_JHB-DM620192x16.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Pastor Jim’s message was on Matthew 11:28-30.<\/p>\n

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Matt 11:28-30 <\/span><\/h5>\n

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”<\/span><\/p>\n

NKJV<\/div><\/div>\n

Ever had a Bad Day???<\/span><\/h3>\n

Jesus understood that bad days would come in our lives.\u00a0 And yet, He said “come to Me!”\u00a0 “I have overcome.”\u00a0 But how often do we forget about God or how often do we even fail to doubt in his promises?\u00a0 Instead of trusting in God, we frequently turn to self help books instead.<\/p>\n

How is it that Christians could ever have a bad day?\u00a0 God always shows up, God always breaks through, God always helps us make it to another day.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And yet, Sometimes We Have to Ask “Why God?”<\/span><\/h3>\n

In John 16, Jesus said that “in this world you will have trouble.\u00a0 But don’t fear, I have overcome the world.”<\/p>\n

For the people listening to Jesus, things were pretty rough.\u00a0 First they had the burden of all of the rules that the Jewish Leaders had put on them.\u00a0 These rules went way beyond the Laws that God gave to them.\u00a0 These were rules that nobody could ever obey… not even the priests and scribes\u00a0 who enforced them.<\/p>\n

And of course, you also had the burden of the Romans and crooked tax collectors.\u00a0 There was widespread crime; like the traveler in the story of the “Good Samaritan,” traveling was dangerous.<\/p>\n

But in the midst of the burdens, Jesus says “Come unto Me.”\u00a0 People need rest from the burdens.\u00a0 People need relief from the question of “Why?”\u00a0 We don’t have to listen to the voices of worry and fear. God wants us to enjoy the freedom of simply worshiping Him without having to worry about how we’re dressed, or if we stand or sit at the right time, or if we say the right things, or if we look like we belong in church.<\/p>\n

Jesus says, “Come Unto Me!”<\/p>\n

Against a backdrop of a bad economy, of crime, of religious oppression- \u00a0 Jesus comes and says “Come unto me.\u00a0 I will give you rest.”\u00a0 Jesus is playing it so radically different.\u00a0 He’s coming to set us free from all of those burdens.\u00a0 We don’t have to be worn down by the fear, if we choose to come to Jesus.<\/p>\n

There are two profound truths in these verses..<\/span><\/h4>\n
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  1. Come to Jesus and find rest.<\/li>\n
  2. Come to Jesus and take upon ourselves His yoke.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Come Unto Me…<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We suffer in may ways.\u00a0 We carry burdens and cry out “Why?”\u00a0 But God doesn’t always give an answer.\u00a0 And yet, later on, we figure out what we learned from the experience.\u00a0 It’s OK to ask “Why?”\u00a0 Even Jesus did, but He was able to look beyond His immediate situation and to be looking for God’s plan.\u00a0 We need to lay down our burdens, and in faith, look for God’s will.<\/p>\n

    During Jesus’ ministry on earth, there are many examples of people who took Him up on His offer.\u00a0 They came to Jesus in humility and faith and He relieved their burdens.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Zacchaeus<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Zacchaeus was more than just a short dude who wanted a better look at Jesus.\u00a0 He was a TAX COLLECTOR.\u00a0 He collected what he was supposed to collect… and then some.\u00a0 He overcharged the people and lined his pockets at their expense.\u00a0 People weren’t too crazy about that (to say the least).<\/p>\n

    Even though the people tried to prevent it him from calling to Jesus, Zacchaeus persisted.\u00a0 In faith he came to Jesus.\u00a0 In Luke 19:1-10<\/a><\/span> this evil tax collector comes to Jesus and unloads his burden of guilt.\u00a0 He became a new man.\u00a0 Jesus gave him rest.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The Bleeding Woman<\/span><\/h4>\n

    For years she was sick.\u00a0 But she crawled to Jesus through the crowd and in faith touched the hem of His garment.\u00a0 The story is in Mark 5:25-34.<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 After reaching out to Jesus,\u00a0 Jesus told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Blind Bartimaeus<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Like Zacchaeus, \u00a0 Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was approaching so he grabbed a spot along the roadside.\u00a0 Bartimaeus was blind.\u00a0 He had been carrying heavy burdens throughout his life, so he came to Jesus.\u00a0 The story is told in Mark 10:46-52<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0\u00a0 He cried out to Jesus and Jesus said, “your faith has healed you.”<\/p>\n

    The crowd tried to shut him up, but he ignored the crowd.\u00a0 He was persistent.\u00a0 In the covenant with God, God calls us to “come.”<\/p>\n

    What an offer!\u00a0 Come to Jesus, and He has to power to give you rest!<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I Am the Measuring Rod…<\/span><\/h3>\n

    It’s so easy for us to make comparisons to someone else.\u00a0 “I’m not as bad as him!”\u00a0 or to make excuses, “Well if they hadn’t left that money laying out in the open I wouldn’t have stolen it.”\u00a0 But Jesus tells us to come to Him in faith.\u00a0 But if we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and of making excuses for our sins, we can’t be forgiven, we can’t come to Jesus in faith, and our burdens will not be lifted.<\/p>\n

    But if we come to Him in faith, He sees us “just as if I never sinned.”\u00a0 We come to Him because we’re going to find a God who will be there for us and give us exactly what we need.\u00a0 He will give us His yoke; not the one we make for ourselves.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Salvation = Jesus + 0…<\/span><\/h3>\n

    In Luke 23:40-43 <\/a><\/span>the thief crucified alongside Jesus admits his sin.\u00a0 He realizes that he doesn’t measure up the the true measuring stick (Jesus).\u00a0 And so he “comes” to Jesus and asks Him to “remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”<\/p>\n

    But Jesus doesn’t say, “hey- you are REALLY sinful; you’ve got to be baptized first.\u00a0 You have to repent.\u00a0 You have to ___…”\u00a0 He simply forgives him and says “today you will be with Me in paradise.”<\/p>\n

    Jesus knows your heart.\u00a0 Come to Him.\u00a0 Trust Him.\u00a0 God will be there for you.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    He Was Always There…<\/span><\/h3>\n

    We may not always sense it, but God is always there, ready for us to come to Him.\u00a0 He’s always there.\u00a0 Don’t give up.\u00a0 Whatever we’re facing, He is always going to be there.<\/p>\n

    A familiar poem drives this home (click below to open it up):<\/p>\n

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    Footprints<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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    Footprints in the Sand<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

    One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

    This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cYou promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand.<\/span><\/b> Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?\u201d<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

    The Lord replied, \u201cThe years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Mary Stevenson, 1936<\/b><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n

    We might be carrying the package.\u00a0 The burden may be in our hands.\u00a0 But God promises to carry us!<\/p>\n

    Don’t Give Up!!!<\/span><\/h4>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

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    Quiz Time!<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Just for the fun of it, try out these True\/False questions.\u00a0\u00a0 Don’t Worry- there’s no gradebook!\n<\/span><\/p>\n

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