INTRODUCTION
If someone tells you to come here, meaning come to that person, there are several things indicated by that statement. It means that you are away from him, that the person is available for you to come to him, and you have the ability to come to him. In the text, Christ commands, "Come unto me," It implies absence, accessibility, and ability. Let us develop those points.
 
 
 

Our text records Christ saying, "Come unto me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden." The implication from our Lord's word "Come" is that people are away from Him. All of us, at one time or another, were in the world without Christ. Even if you came to know Christ as Savior very early in life, you still, at that point in your life were away from Jesus, and need to come to Him. Today, there are some who are past the age of accountability, who need to fully recognize they are away from Christ. Christ says, "Come," He wants you to come from where you are to where He is.

Today there are people who are away from Christ because of their philosophy. They believe they can obtain salvation, or be pronounced "okay" by God simply because their opinion, their philosophy tells them that they are not really away from Christ. But the Bible says, to you who are philosophically away, Come to Christ.

There are some today who are away from Christ theologically. The system of your theology says that as long as you do certain works, as long as you have been baptized, as long as you join some church, or as long as you do not consistently and dramatically break the Ten Commandments, you are all right. Christ says to you, Come unto me. Where are you this morning? The scripture implies absence. Are you away from Christ, tied up in some kind of philosophy or theology that says you all right as long as you do what comes naturally, or what you think is good?

ILLUSTRATION

Thursday night, Ron Morgan and I visited with a lady who says that she will be away for two weeks, but when she returns will be joining our church. I asked her where she came to know the Lord. She related that she was raised in a home with an outstanding Christian father, she thought her church relationship and goodness were enough to get her through life. It was not until this lady had lived many years and experienced additional tragedy, that she came to a realization that although she was a good person, although she was a church person, she had never received Christ as her Savior. She had assumed she was close to Him. Tragedy caused her to know she was far away, and realizing she was away from Christ, she came to Him. Thursday night she said, "There's not been a day since 1968 that I have not known for certain that I belong to the Lord Jesus and that He is my Savior. I was away, but I cam to Him."

APPLICATION

Where are you this morning? The command to come to Christ implies some are away from Him. Where are you? Do you know that you have come to Christ that He is your Savior, and that if you were to die, you know for certain you would go to be with Him? do you know this relationship on a day to day basis so that your life is influenced by your relationship with Christ? It is possible. All you need do is come to Christ.
 
 
 

In our text Jesus says, "Come unto me. It implies that He is accessible. He can be reached. There is the possibility for you and I to come to Him. Ever so often someone would say he believes his sin is so great that Christ would not receive him. Satan has confused people into believing their sins cannot be forgiven. And yet, I would call to your attention, the Lord says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you." Therefore the Lord is accessible. Another scripture verse says, "Call ye upon the Lord, while He may be found." I urge you this morning to understand completely that it is your responsibility to call upon the Lord, to ask His forgiveness, to seek a relationship with Him on a day by day basis. He is accessible. He ever lives to make intercession for us. It is His expressed desire to save sinners, for He said, "I have come to seek and to save that which is lost." If you are a sinner, if you are lost, I want you to know this morning, the Lord is accessible. You can come to Him.

ILLUSTRATION

The Bible tells us of many people who came to Jesus, they came in different ways. Some came from fishing boats, some from office desks, one was up in a tree. One had to be lowered through a roof, another sat by a water well, one out of a cave, one was along the highway side, one came running and knelt, one cried out from a sinner's cross, but all of them illustrate the truth that Jesus is accessible.

APPLICATION

Do you realize that Christ is accessible to you? It is possible that you can have such low self esteem concerning your own personhood that you would believe that Christ would not allow you to come to Him. But on the authority of God's Word, I proclaim to you that regardless of what you think of yourself, Christ invites you to come to Him. He will forgive your sins. He is accessible to you. Come to Him today. Now notice that the command to come to Christ also implies ability.
 
 
 

28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." (NAS)

EXPLANATION

The text relates that Christ gives an invitation. Christ is wise, therefore, He would not offer an invitation to which one could not respond. He would not suggest something beyond our ability. The command implies that you and I have that ability to come to Him. This morning, regardless of your personal philosophy, your theological training, or your self-worth, you have the opportunity and the ability to come to Christ. In John 3:16 it says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." scripture the same theme is proclaimed. Whosoever will may come. Whosoever means me, whosoever means you. The world might say to you, "you can't be a Christian, You can't go to Christ." But Christ's word says, "Come." Some religions of the world say "Do, and after you have done certain things, and improved yourself, you might eventually be acceptable unto God." The command of Christ in this scripture implies that you have the privilege and the ability to come to Him just as you are, and He will change you.

ILLUSTRATION
When we lived in California, we made several trips to Tijuana, Mexico. On the way back to our home, we would pass an inspection point that was established by the Immigration Bureau of the United States. One occasion, our car would be pulled over and an officer would look in our car trying to make sure that there were no Mexicans who were coming into our country illegally. Why was this check point established? Because we have limits on the number of people who can come into our country from another nation. That is not true with the gospel. Christ has no quota. There is no scripture that says only so many of a nation or race can come. Christ has come to seek and to save all who are lost. Whosoever will, may come.

APPLICATION

Do you realize that you have the ability to come to Christ this morning? God is Sovereign and He has chosen to give you the opportunity to make a choice. He has allowed you to have the knowledge that He is accessible. He has given you the ability to respond. What are you going to do this day with this opportunity.