GOD’S INVITATIONS

Matthew 11:28

There is something very powerful about an invitation. Knowing that someone cares enough about you to desire our presence and invite us to a meeting can have a profound impact. In fact, few things appeal to us as much as receiving a personal invitation to an important event.

Time and again the Bible extends to man the invitation to enter into personal fellowship with God and to be a colleague and partner in bringing redemption to this lost and needy world. Someone has said that the Bible is a book of divine invitations to man, asking him to be God's partner in his plan to redeem the world.

Although some of these invitations can fill us with joy and happiness, making us feel treasured and special, others fill us with fear as we recognize that they are opportunities for us to mature and grow. But no matter the emotion the invitation may produce, they are always extended from a Heart of perfect love. They all require a response.

An Invitation to Wait: (Psalm 62:5, Psalm 40:1, Isaiah 40:31)

For some, the hardest thing in our lives is waiting. God's most common invitation is to wait. Almost every important person in the Scriptures had to go through times of waiting. Noah waited 40 days in the Ark during the storm, and then 150 days before disembarking when the rain stopped. Moses waited 40 years in Midian and 40 more years in the desert. Israel waited 400 years to be liberated from Egypt. David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Gideon, Elijah, Paul, Peter, and countless other biblical heroes were forged in the crucible we call “the waiting.”

For many of us, this is an invitation we would prefer to ignore. It requires us to let go of our need to control people and circumstances and to truly trust God. It requires us to let go of our own agendas, our unrealistic things and expectations, to believe that God is in control and that His timing is much better than ours.

We live in a world governed by an addiction to haste. Fast food, short lines, quick conversations, light prayers, short meetings, etc., everything tries to be efficient and productive. Technology, which has provided an easier life for this generation than any before, has complicated our obsession with immediate results. We have reached the point where we cannot wait, and the main characteristic of our society is impatience. The Scriptures tell us that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, cultivated and increased in our hearts by the willingness to surrender our chaotic lives to God and wait on Him. But authentic faith recognizes that God will act where one is, whether He is just willing to wait for it.

God requires those who wait on Him to abandon their hectic lives, to recognize His absolute presence, and to draw near to Him in all reverence and devotion. He invites them to approach his presence in humility, but in trust, ensuring that each of his words and actions express love and gratitude to God.

An Invitation to Worship: (John 4:23)

Worship is truly one of the most important and frequently expressed concepts in the Bible. God invites everyone who is called by his name to worship him in spirit and truth. Worship occurs in response to the invitation, prompting, and enabling of God Himself. It is mentioned in various forms hundreds of times in the Scriptures. God invites men and women to be worshipers, true worshipers, who through dedicated and obedient lives worship Him in spirit and in truth.

God requires those who wait on Him to abandon their hectic lives, to recognize His absolute presence, and to draw near to Him in all reverence and devotion. He invites them to come into his presence in his humility, but in trust, ensuring that each of his words and actions express love and gratitude to God.

An Invitation to Follow: (Matt. 4:19-20)

Following someone requires true humility, careful attention, and the need to take risks. Following another required him to put aside his own will to follow the leader. We all have the potential to be a leader at some level. But in a culture obsessed with leadership, no one wants to be a follower.

Yet that is exactly what God intends when he invites us to come and follow him. When we accept his invitation, we give him permission to develop our character and shape our hearts. We are no longer the crude characters we used to be, doing what we feel like doing. Now we must accept the challenge of following Him, turning when He turns, stopping when He stops, taking another path when He takes another path, loving who He loves, and serving whom He serves.

There are over 1,400 references in Scripture to people serving. Some are slaves, but others God calls “his friends,” and they are described as servants, and function as examples of what God Himself values. They surrendered their lives in total and joyful submission and accepted his invitation to humble themselves and follow him.

The invitation to rest: (Matthew 11:28)

Since the beginning of human history, man has been a restless creature. Far from God, man is a dangerous, indomitable being. He lacks the peace of mind that only comes from God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The current epidemic of divorce, alcoholism, and immorality is a direct result of the destructive nature of sin. This diabolical unrest has gripped our world like a contagious disease and has become the root cause of domestic, social, and political problems. This spiritual restlessness that governs the life of human beings is the primary cause of immorality in the world.

Psychologists, who have studied how the mind works, confess that psychology is not capable of solving all people's mental and emotional problems. Sociologists, trained in the art of social science, confess that sociology cannot solve the tremendous problems regarding human relationships. Political leaders have pointed out the moral decay in the people, but we cannot help but notice that none of them indicate how to restore the moral integrity that humanity urgently needs to avoid destruction. Many political leaders have privately confessed that they do not know how to deal with the moral dilemma.

On the other hand, there is currently a promising sign: many people realize their great spiritual and moral needs. Many eminent people who were once cynical today admit that our people need a transformation that will cleanse them of callousness, deception, and immorality.

Restlessness can be seen in almost every sphere of life. This spirit of restlessness, which manifests itself in many ways, is basically due to the separation between the human heart and Christ who is the author of peace. These people, who feel and suffer their insecurity, could find spiritual peace and physical rest by giving their lives to Jesus Christ (Isaiah 57:20, Deuteronomy 28:67). We need to bring lost and needy souls into the presence of the Savior, who said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

The invitation to discipleship; (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 3:13-15)

We are saved to serve; redeemed to bear spiritual fruit, taken into the net of the gospel so that we may become fishers of men. The invitation to discipleship should inspire everyone. Imagine! Is it not a privilege to be a partner with God in the redemption and renewal of the world? Jesus said, "If anyone serves me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will also be. If anyone serves me, my Father will honor him" (John 12:26). Discipleship allows us to be intimately associated with Christ, and by faithfully fulfilling the responsibilities of true discipleship, we receive the approval and favor of God Himself.

Would you like to lay up treasures in heaven? Then put off anything that hinders you and get to work in the Lord's vineyard. There are opportunities to work everywhere. Some of your neighbors need Christ, his children are still unconverted, and your business colleagues have seen very little of Jesus Christ in you. I invite you in the name of Christ to become an efficient fisher of men.

How can I become a disciple of Christ? The answer is found in God's Word: "Whoever would come after me must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me," says Jesus. Before you can follow Jesus Christ and be his disciple, selfishness must be crucified, so that Christ may be preeminent in his heart and life.

Jesus also said: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples." The word disciple means one who learns, a student, a follower. Salvation may be instantaneous, but discipleship is something we learn from Jesus Christ. We have to know the word of God before teaching it. So, the second requirement for discipleship is: to remain in "my word", and if we do this we will become true disciples.

Also from the lips of Jesus, we hear: "By this, my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so are my disciples" (John 15:8). If the self is crucified and the spirit has dominion, the fruits of discipleship will inevitably be seen in our lives.

A true disciple of Christ will bear the fruit of the Spirit, which is: "Charity, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." This is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit. By submitting our will to the will of God, he produces this supernatural fruit in our lives. The people with whom we have to interact every day will see that we have been with Jesus. We are going to reflect the character of Christ. The secret of a Christian life is Christ living in us and producing fruit.

The invitation to live in the presence of God and under his dominion (John 15:4-10)

Personal salvation is not an occasional encounter; it consists of dwelling with God. Christianity is not a hobby; it is a permanent vocation. David, rejoicing that his life was in God's hands, said in Psalm 91: "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will dwell under the shadow of the Almighty." If you study this Psalm well, you will discover that in God we have a permanent home and that all the comfort, security, and affection that the human heart desires are found in him.

Psychiatrists say that one of man's basic needs is security. This Psalm assures us that in God we have the greatest security. Listen: "No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your dwelling place. For he will command his angels to guard you in all your ways..."

Another basic need of humanity is affection. Again David says in Psalm 91: "Because his love has set upon me, I will also deliver him: I will exalt him, because he has known my name." He who abides in God is the object of divine care and love.

The world has never seen a greater love than that of God manifested in his Son Christ Jesus. The heart of the gospel message is summed up in these significant words from Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

These invitations come directly from the lips of Christ himself. No man has ever found complete rest in anyone apart from Christ. To the multitudes of the labored, burdened, and afflicted, he invites: "Come to me... and I will give you rest." Do you want to know rest, joy, peace, security, and love? Do you want to experience what it means to belong? Give your life and heart completely to Christ. I promise you that you can obtain peace with God, peace of soul, peace of mind, and a joy you have never known before.