1. Introduction

Today, I would like to share with you a very important topic that is essential for each of us: You Shall Surely Find Rest for Your Souls.

We live in a perplexing era. Some people interviewed Jack Ma and asked, If you were to start over, would you still create Alibaba? He replied, Probably not.

Later, some journalists interviewed the renowned figure Ren Zhengfei, asking, If you were to start over, would you create Huawei? He said, I would not.

Why did they say they wouldn't do it? The reason is simple: it is truly difficult.

In reality, living should be a simple matter. Why pursue such grand endeavors just to live well? After achieving great success, there are many troubles! The character 闹 (nào, trouble) consists of 门 (mén, door) with 市 (shì, market) inside. If one's heart is filled with markets and wealth, one will be troubled. This generation is full of market competition, and why do conflicts arise between nations? Because of competition for markets, which leads to troubles.

Why did World War II break out? Because Western countries were dividing the world and establishing colonies. Germany didn't benefit much from this colonization. As a result, Germany was defeated in World War I, and World War II was fought to compete for markets.

Today, if we observe closely, people fight for markets and to earn money. If you want to go somewhere to make money, to enter that market, that market has its own protective mechanisms. In fact, it is not easy for people to live in this world; everyone is very tired. Why? Because they are all consumed by money. Is there truly an easy path in this world?

One drama begins with the line, Doing good in this world flows like a river, yet it is difficult beyond measure. This means the hardship of once you're in the game, you're no longer calling the shots. Is there then an easy path in this world? Actually, there is.

Last week, I spoke on Being a Seeker of Truth. Who was the first to speak of seeking truth? Pilate, who handed Jesus over to be killed. Pilate, fearing the Jews, delivered Jesus to them, resulting in Jesus' crucifixion. The Jews brought Jesus to Pilate, who was a regional governor with the power to decide life and death. When he judged Jesus, he asked Him some questions. After Jesus responded to him a few times, Pilate said, What is truth? Despite being a high-ranking official, a regional administrator of the Roman Empire, Pilate was also searching for the truth. So, what exactly is truth?

If you truly grasp the essence of living, is life easy or not? To find the way, you must grasp the essence of the problems of living. Although I may not be entirely correct, I offer it for everyone to share. I say, Living is just a feeling, and being troubled is also just a feeling. If one has food and drink, what is there to be troubled about?

Recently, this concept of feeling occurred in my mother. I cared for her, and when she was troubled, she gnashed her teeth, wishing she could kill someone; the feeling inside was not good. Later, after I cast the demons out of her, this feeling became very comfortable. She often patted her chest and head, saying, I understand clearly. Her heart and mind were both clear.

Do we have troubles among us? Yes! We minister to people who have troubles. Why can we minister to these people? Because we have grasped the essence of the problem: it is the spirit that gives life. Therefore, the topic I share with you today is excellent. You truly need rest. We care about this and that, but after caring about everything, we still do not find rest in our hearts.

Would you listen to what Jesus said? Jesus was originally God in heaven. He came to earth and was born like us. His mother was named Mary. After He was born, He lived exactly like you and me; He felt hunger if He didn't eat. Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30, and at 33, He was crucified, buried, and resurrected from the dead on the third day. Some saw Him ascend to heaven. Jesus understood living clearly. Why? Because He is God.

2. Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Gospel of Matthew is not easy to read, but it is well written. Even today, I have not yet led everyone to study the Gospel of Matthew. We will systematically read through the Gospel of Matthew in the future.

3. Prayer

Lord Jesus, we need You so much. Lord, we come before You to learn from You, to take Your yoke upon us. The yoke is easy, and Your burden is light. Today, we want to imitate Your example, that You perform a marvelous work in us, so that the hearts of our brothers and sisters may be filled with rest from heaven. Lord, restore today the glorious form You predestined us to have before the creation of the world. Lord, we thank You and praise You, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

4. Background of the Scripture

The background of this passage is a very interesting thing. Before Jesus spoke this passage, He also said something else. He said this:

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” (Matthew 11:20-24)

This passage speaks of Jesus performing many miracles in these places, but the people there did not repent after seeing them. They said all sorts of things. They neither explored nor pondered. What exactly did Jesus do in this place? What kind of people were in that area? Actually, Jesus often preached in places like Capernaum. Jesus also performed miracles in this place. For example, Jesus called Matthew, the tax collector from Capernaum, to follow Him; Simon and Andrew's home was also in this place; Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law's fever; He healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue; Jesus healed a woman who had been subject to bleeding; He also raised Jairus' daughter, the ruler of the synagogue, from the dead; He calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee; He walked on the water; When someone asked Jesus and Peter to pay taxes, Jesus told Peter to go fishing and get money from the fish to pay the tax; He healed the sick and cast out demons countless times... Jesus performed many miracles in this place.

Jesus often lived in this place of Capernaum, which was the base of Jesus Christ's ministry. But after Jesus performed so many miracles, what was the reaction of the people in this place? They had no reaction at all. They thought: You do your good deeds, and I live my life; you walk your sunny path, and I walk my narrow bridge.

Today, the reaction to the many miracles performed in our church is also very strange in the eyes of many people. I can understand Jesus' response at that time. If I saw Jesus doing this, I would think, What is this? Isn't this a treasure? I need to go understand it. I am a person who likes to explore. When I was in university, I liked to understand the skills of prophets and seers. We cannot deny these miracle-working things. But after seeing them, many people say, Oh, you are doing well, but you believe well, I don't believe. I wonder how these people can be like this; I think they are very interesting.

A few days ago, I had dinner with some education experts. During the dinner, I occasionally shared some of the miracle-working things I had done, because I do many miracles. But their reaction was very strange. Later, he said privately that these were all isolated cases, coincidences. I wondered why they didn't want these isolated cases. Wouldn't it be good if these isolated cases and coincidences happened to them? They think that your coincidence is very good, but you walk your sunny path, and I walk my narrow bridge. They can always find some excuses to explain it.

What we do is nothing compared to Jesus, far behind. Jairus' daughter was able to be resurrected. We are really surprised. If I could live in the days of Jesus, I would rush out to seek Him and learn a few tricks with Jesus. How awesome!

Now, I perform miracles wherever I go, but some people like to interpret them casually. Casual interpretation is not a good habit. Can he understand? No. He thinks it's just his own set of ideas. Who knows what these people will encounter when they are old? Isn't what happens in their families what they need God for? Some people's sons want to jump off buildings, and their younger brothers often see worms in the spiritual realm. How can this be fixed? In fact, people really need God. Who in the world doesn't need God? Everyone needs Him! Jesus was very emotional: But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you. (Matthew 11:24) Because Sodom did not see miracles! People's reaction to seeing miracles is very deadly!

As a result, Jesus said:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.” (Matthew 11:25-26)

This sounds very surprising! These people's reaction is very indifferent, and they don't take it seriously even when they see it. Isn't it that people need God very much when they are alive? Jesus was very emotional. Those who seek God, God treats them with grace. Those who are unwilling to seek, who are willing to walk the path of destruction, then let them go. We must know that God has given us the right to choose, but God hides Himself from these people who think they are wise and understanding, and reveals Himself to little children!

Jesus said:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus said this, but few people believe it. The people in the city are all thinking about becoming the richest people in Capernaum, expanding their business, buying a few cows, and buying a few acres of land. I believe that the people of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, after seeing the miracles performed by Jesus, feel that they have nothing to do with themselves. Their goal is to be like Jack Ma and Ren Zhengfei.

People do not seek, nor do they trust, they are self-righteous, and as a result, they bear their own labor and heavy burdens. If you want to bear it, God will not take your burden away. If you are willing to walk your own way, then walk well. Why don't people think about it? People live so hard and so tired, is it all wrong? Why don't they know that there is a God whom we can trust? God's original intention is this, meaning that if you think you are weary and burdened, you come and seek God, and you will find HimGod's good intentions are to regard those who seek as treasures.

5. All Who Labor and Are Heavy Laden Can Come to Jesus

Laboring and bearing heavy burdens is a feeling, and being upset is a feeling. Feeling is very interesting. Before I went to church, when I woke up in the morning, my body was very heavy, and I didn't know why. I walked for 10 minutes to the station, took a bus to the office, and felt like I was about to collapse, and I couldn't work. Someone told me about Jesus, and I said, Forget it, can this be eaten?

Later, I really couldn't go on, so I believed in Jesus. Suddenly, one day, I walked into the church inexplicably. When I came out of the church, I felt very relaxed, looked up at the sky, which was very blue, and the flowers were very beautiful, and the whole world lit up! Later, I realized that all who labor and are heavy laden can come to Jesus! I was educated by atheism, but that time I felt very good! As time passed, many people who were very burdened became relaxed when they came to me!

Some people have thick legs, and they walk like pandas, which makes people feel tired. One person, who is a scientist, when we were chatting, my spiritual eyes opened, and I saw many turtles lying on his chest, back, limbs. I asked him if his body was very heavy, and he told me that he was very tired when walking and felt very tired, but his eyes could not see these turtles. Labor and heavy burdens come from the spiritual forces of darkness. Why don't we live well? Because we do not live according to God's truth, but according to the devil's lies. We think that we will be better if we become the richest people, but in fact, we are even more tired. There are many people on the road to pursuing to be the richest people, and many people think this is very normal. I told him, I can fix this, do you want me to? He said, I don't want to, I'm a scientist. Then slowly go science, you know that your body is sinking.

One person's body had been sinking for a long time. After he found me, I led him to pray. I helped him cast out the demons, and after he was released, he felt very relaxed and jumped for joy! This is labor and a heavy burden! In fact, labor and a heavy burden is an evil spirit. If people regard labor and heavy burdens as very normal things, and do not explore or understand, and spend their days in pressure, fatigue, irritability, and troubles, and do not know that there is a Jesus who can be sought, isn't this very sad?

Jesus performed so many miracles in the place of Capernaum, but those people still did not believe, so Jesus cursed Capernaum and Chorazin, and as a result, that place has become loess today. In fact, the places that Jesus cursed have become ruins in this generation, because the people in that place did not seek or know God. In fact, there are answers in Jesus. As long as we are willing to seek, we will definitely get the answers.

If we have obtained the answers, we know God, we can imitate Jesus' example, take His yoke upon us, and walk with God. What a wonderful thing it is to have God walk with us! Today, among us who are laboring and bearing heavy burdens, if you feel that money can no longer solve your problems, and nothing can solve your problems, today I want to tell you that there is an answer in Jesus! You can come to Jesus, and Jesus will give you rest!

6. Learning to be Like Jesus, and Surely Your Heart Will Find Rest

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)

If a person is not like Jesus, it is a troublesome thing. Either you are like Jesus, or you are like a demon. If you are like Jesus, you walk with God. If we spend our lives pursuing being like Jesus, we must learn to be like Him. What should we learn? Learn to be gentle and humble in heart. Let us break down the meaning of gentle and humble. Gentleness means not being rigid in the heart. Rigid people are difficult to deal with. To a certain extent, rigidity leads to self-righteousness, where their word is final, and no one can oppose it.

Jesus is gentle in heart; gentleness means not being rigid, stubborn, or willful. There is a Chinese saying: With money comes willfulness! The result of willfulness is that people cannot seek the truth because their hearts are rigid! Having seen Jesus perform so many miracles, people insisted on crucifying Him because their hearts were rigid. If their hearts were just a little gentler, they would see this as treasure, as the truth that allows us to live well, and they would seek the truth. Therefore, being stubborn and rigid in heart is not a good thing.

In reality, rigidity often stems from trying to save face. People should learn to be gentle in heart. When we know, we know; when we don't know, we don't know. I often see people living miserably but still believing they are living well. Why? Because they love face. There is a Chinese saying, To know when you know, and to know when you do not know, that is knowledge. Knowing that you know something is powerful, but knowing that you don't know is even more powerful! Do we truly know the answer to living well today? Some people think having money equates to living well. Are you sure? Have you examined this?

If a person is humble, aware of their limitations, knowing they are merely human, just flesh, living on Earth for seventy or eighty years before ending up in an urn, and then after some years, no one will remember you, then you won't truly believe you know how to live well. Those who think they know, just let it go! If a person cannot even control when they are born or when they die, do you not need God? Everyone must understand that money cannot save us! There are many times when money cannot solve problems, and neither can power, but if people know they need God, they will surely find rest!

Jesus is God, yet He is gentle and humble in heart, knowing He needs God, knowing that in the flesh, He needs God and needs to walk with God. Jesus Himself is God, yet He needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Then, how much more do we Christians need God and the infilling of the Holy Spirit? So today, we must all learn to know our own inadequacy. Once we know that we do not know, that we are limited, we should seek God! Therefore, those who seek will surely find, and God is there waiting for us to seek Him.

I have a particular strength, which is that I know my own inadequacy, and then I seek. After I find it, I discover that walking with God is truly good! I often say that you must take up your Mingding Destiny. What I mean is that you must take up Jesus' yoke, take up Jesus' burden. Jesus' yoke is easy, and Jesus' burden is light. Once a person has a Mingding Destiny, knowing why God brought them into this world, living becomes easy because God will help us!

Never just work, work, work, and have work fill your eyes every day. Living and feeling that money and work are important. We should take up the burdens that Jesus Christ carries, bear the yoke that Jesus bears, because Jesus' yoke is easy, and His burden is light, because God wants to walk with you!

So, walking with God is our key! Why did you come into this world today? Why are you living in this world?

I often see people who live miserably, but in reality, they are just ordinary people who are slightly wealthy and living decently. But upon closer examination, their brother is seriously ill, and their mother is in a terrible state. There are so many problems, and they can't handle any of them. When I talk to them, they say, No, those are just isolated cases. Making excuses, thinking they know. Can you be a little more gentle and humble? Think carefully about what is really happening. Don't be so willful. Be a little more gentle in heart, a little more humble. Willfulness will bring suffering; willfulness will endure many hardships.

Having God in our days is truly wonderful. If you taste the grace of the Lord, you will know that He is good, because God can control the universe. Can we not handle these small matters of human life? Just confidently entrust all your burdens to God.

If you say, I can't let go, I can't let go, what problem is there if God is bearing it for you? You feel that serving is stressful, but if you let go and don't do it, God will still do it. Why do we still need to manage? Because God allows us to walk with Him in shepherding, so that we may grow. If we interfere haphazardly, you will eventually find that interfering haphazardly is worse than not interfering at all. With God in control, the burden is light.

Today, thank God! I feel so good inside. If there is something to do, then do it; if not, it doesn't matter. I feel that developing software, doing a job, taking on a project, if it goes well, then do it. If it doesn't, then forget it. But our goal is to help people grow. If they don't grow, what can we do? Know that it is God who makes them grow; I don't need to be anxious or upset. It is hard not to be upset at all. Sometimes, I really do get anxious, but then I think again and return to Jesus Christ because God is in control, and God's good will is so. So today, we must be people who obtain God's good will. Those who are weary and heavy-laden, lay down your burdens.

Someone told a joke: A person was carrying a very heavy burden, and a donkey cart came by. The cart owner was kind and said, Come, come, come, get on! As a result, the person got on the donkey cart but was still carrying his burden. The cart owner said, Put that burden down, put it down. He said, I can't let go. I'm already working hard enough. If I let go, the donkey will work even harder. He was carrying the burden while standing on the donkey cart. Why not just put it down?

Actually, we let go, and God takes over. With God in control, you won't collapse, and nothing will collapse. The people of this world do not know that God is in control. We do things for growth. If you don't do it with faith, God will still do it. Without your stinky tofu, God's feast can still be made. This is me speaking about myself. Don't apply it to yourself. I say, Without me, this stinky excrement, God's kingdom will still be accomplished. Do you believe it?

Where was I when God created the universe? Don't think too highly of yourself. Be gentle and humble in heart, knowing you are just a tiny thing. Why does God want us to serve? God wants us to grow, because serving is not for others, not because the thing itself is so important, but because we are important in God's eyes. How much God wants us to have His glorious image! Sometimes, we feel that we must do something, but after doing it, we don't have God's glorious image because we don't have rest. Not having rest means not trusting in God. Trust in God and walk with God. What can your flesh accomplish?

Today, we must know that if you let go, God will still carry it, because our God with His omnipotent hands holds all things together. Our service is all upheld by His power. If we trust Him, we will surely find rest. Those who trust in God will surely find rest. How comfortable it is in your heart. Why don't you want such a comfortable thing? Anxious, worried, serving people and still worried, how can you serve God? You can't serve Him.

7. Rest is What We Need Most.

You may have a question: Huh? Isn't creativity what we need most? Actually, if a person is rough and careless, there is no possibility of creativity. When a person has rest inside, their creativity will be restored to the fullest extent. What the people of the world lack is rest.

When I was little, when you talked about rest, it meant death. Actually, it is not. It is that people need rest very much when they are alive. Needing rest when alive means needing a very beautiful feeling. This beautiful feeling is being in the presence of God.

When we trust in God, we will have peace and stability inside, we will find rest inside. We don't care so much about ourselves, completely trusting in God. Nothing will collapse, and things will move forward as usual, because God controls everything.

How does rest come? Rest comes from walking with God. When we are with God, we find rest. When God is with us, God finds rest. Rest is that state of being one with God. This is a very wonderful thing, so rest must first be established in our minds and thoughts in terms of Mingding Destiny. We know why we came into this world, we see through life and death, we see through what it means to live as a human being.

Seeing through all of this, taking up the authority God has given us in the spiritual world, how can you not have rest? All the demons can be trampled under our feet, how can you not have rest? If any problem can be solved by relying on God, God controls everything, how can we not have rest?

So I urge everyone to have a Mingding Destiny. What is Mingding Destiny? Mingding Destiny is God's good will for us. God's good will for us is being accomplished. Begin to learn to trust in God like a baby. Babies trust their parents, because in the eyes of the baby, their parents are the greatest. As long as the parents are there, they will be at peace. Today, although we have grown up and discovered that our parents are not perfect, we still trust in God like infants. Can you not be peaceful and stable?

8. Strength Lies in Quiet Confidence; Salvation Lies in Returning to Rest

Do you hope that God will save you and give you rest in His embrace? Yes. Why? Because what we need most is rest. Rest is a manifestation of faith, rest is a state where God helps us, God helping us is called salvation. God has become our salvation, saving us while we are alive, saving us from all troubles.

Begin to understand that rest is an extremely wonderful thing. So in the Old Testament, there was a day called the Sabbath, the Sabbath is called the day of knowing God, the day of walking with God. If we do things carelessly, it is impossible to have creativity and power. If we learn to be quiet and confident, returning to rest, you will surely see God adding strength to you, you will surely see God working salvation in your life, and we can surely restore ourselves to being a living person with a spirit.

Rest is a spiritual thing. When God's Spirit dwells within us, when God's Spirit is poured down upon us, making us a living person with a spirit, we will surely possess God-like creativity. God began to speak, the Spirit of God moved, and things were accomplished in this way. If the Spirit of God moves within us, and we begin to speak, many things will be accomplished. How can you say that such a person cannot be above all nations under heaven?

We will surely be above all nations under heaven. The Bible says, If God helps us, we will surely be above all nations under heaven. If God is for us, who can be against us? Today, grasp the key point, learn to be like Jesus, offer yourselves and not care about yourselves. When you care too much about yourselves, you will be controlled. When you don't care about yourselves, like Jesus offering Himself completely, what will happen? A miraculous thing will happen: you will return to rest, you will be quiet and confident. If a person is not afraid of death, what else is there to fear? I often say, I am not even afraid of my own death, why would I care about other people's death? As a result, I often see God's salvation and the manifestation of God's power.

Today, I encourage everyone to lay down all your toil and heavy burdens. Toil and heavy burdens corrupt people. We can come to Jesus and walk the path of Jesus. The path of Jesus is easy to walk. When people are alive, they imitate Jesus. When they leave this world, they return to God. Let us read this passage again:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Remove the confusion within us. We want to live well but don't live well. We do not know the path lies in imitating Jesus. We should learn to be like Jesus Christ, offering ourselves completely to God. May God bless everyone!