INVITATIONS
(Mat 11:28-29)

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.

INTRODUCTION

A group of people were talking at their job one day -- no more than 4 to 5 people. One person was inviting a young man to church. He declined the offer. Another person that was present perceived, through the Lord, that the person didn't decline the offer because he didn't want to go to church, but because he didn't want to miss the football game. In a countering move, the revelation regarding the football game was mentioned and the young invitee confirmed its truth. A suggestion was made -- not to the invitee, but to the inviter -- that she suggest that the young man visit another church that had service earlier (a church represented by someone else in the group). This way, the football game would not be an excuse and he could attend service without distractions. She ignored the suggestion -- didn't even give a response. Another person (who had already responded to a previous invitation and had begun attending the first inviter's church) accused the source of the new suggestion that he was competing for people. The conversation and invitations ended.

Here's a "discernment litmus test" for you. Did this little story (which is true, by the way) impress you as being sad? It should. What deductions did you arrive at? Did you recognize the fact that the original inviter did not really care for the soul of the young man? If so, you're accurate. Did you deduce that she was only concerned with someone attending her church? If so, right again! Did you realize that the accuser at the end of the story had been sucked into the same mind set? If so, you're correct again!

Invitations. We've all offered them at one time or another (inviting people to church, that is). What God wants us to consider today is whether or not our invitations are valid -- that we offer invitations in accordance with HIS will and with HIS purpose. He wants us to present invitations in complete accord with HIS invitation. Any invitation that is presented without these qualifications is not pure and . . . is cursed.

Do you want to be blessed? Do you want to be favored of the Lord? Consider the root of your invitations. Let's take a closer look at invitations and examine ourselves accordingly.

CHURCH SCENARIO AND INVITATIONS

As we approach another Sunday morning, without doubt, many people will converge on church buildings (lest I should say church). Many will don pulpits. Many will don choir garb. Many will usher, work in church kitchens, take the deacons' post, greet people at the door, work in the baptismal area and so on. Unfortunately, many are "foreigners" to why they are at church. In addition, many (in this state) invite people to their church. It is the last point that is our focus for today.

Just as in the example provided in the introduction, many people are invited to church on a regular basis. The question God is asking us is ARE YOU INVITING SOMEONE TO ME OR TO YOU. Many are invited to church, but not invited to Jesus. Unfortunately, many of those people respond to the invitation in kind. They come to the person that invited them. They come to the preacher or the pastor. They come to the ceremony and to the fancy, talented choir. VERY FEW PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME TO JESUS, yet they claim Him (with a false sense of security).

THE PHARISAIC PERSPECTIVE

In John 5:38-40, Jesus said "And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. {39} Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. {40} And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." The Pharisees serve as examples of the "quintessential hypocrites". We do well, and have been warned by Jesus throughout the New Testament, not to duplicate their attitudes and actions.

One of the constants of the Pharisees (and Sadducees for that matter) was that they were willing to come to the building, to come to the ceremony, etc., but it is confirmed in John 5:38-40 that they did not come to the Lord. Note verse 38. This statement destroys the fallacy that the Pharisees knew the word of God. He states that the word of God did not abide in them. When the word of God abides in someone, it provides them with the ability to respond properly to a person that God has sent. To reject someone that God has sent is to reject God (Luke 10:16; Matthew 10:40; John 13:20).

Truth is, however, that one cannot answer this question properly without first honoring God directly. Many honored the Pharisees, because they were considered leaders, but if someone honored God, they would realize that the Pharisees had no authority and that they were overcome by hypocrisy. As a matter of fact Jesus said, ". . . Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). Their doctrine actually WAS hypocrisy. Therefore, those who responded to and submitted themselves to it could only be hypocrites, at best. This also means that those who were INVITED, were being invited to hypocrisy.

The next point embraces where this point is headed.

THE "TELL-TALE" DESTINY OF THE INVITEE

Unfortunately, many in Christendom have bought into the hype that "we are living epistles and, therefore, the only Bible that some people will ever read." If you have believed this, get ready to have 2 Corinthians 3:1-3 put in perspective. Go back and read it carefully. Though it says that we are "known and read of all men", the popular message of the day is not what Paul is stressing. He's saying that people submitted to a ministry are a reflection of what that ministry is all about. Paul's point is that he and his cohorts do not need letters of commendation -- the Corinthians are "living letters" known and read of all men.

Why is this important in today's message? As we complete review of the previous point, consider, if you will, Matthew 23:15 which says, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves." The Pharisees and Sadducees spared no expense when attempting to "convert" someone. Jesus condemns them. The fruit of their labor is that someone becomes MORE the child of hell that they were.

This same "phenomenon" takes place today. Those who love God don't want to see this happen. Those who love God will strive to make sure that they are fulfilling 1 Timothy 4:16 which says, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." Even though this statement was spoken in 1 Timothy, the concept is true throughout the ages. The Pharisees and Sadducees violated one or both of these elements. They didn't take heed to THE doctrine (truth) and they didn't take heed to (examine) themselves. Hence, they (and those like them) were/are incapable of proper ministry. They couldn't fufill the call to save themselves and they couldn't help anyone else do it either.

Many are in this state, but they just keep on inviting.

JESUS' INVITATION

Here's the basics of today's message. When we are invited or invite someone to church, as stated earlier, we must be in accordance with Jesus' invitation. The gist of HIS invitation is housed in today's text -- Matthew 11:28-29.

Have you realized that the challenge to "Come unto me (Jesus)" is an invitation. No doubt many of us are familiar with the passage of scripture that says, "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). The word "called" actually means "invited". The word "chosen", in the Greek, means "favorite". Many are INVITED, but few who have been invited will actually meet the criteria of He who has bidden them. Only those who are "favorite" will take part in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Jesus' invitation has a purpose. Let's examine it, including surrounding verses, and uncover the key points:

In verse 27, we see Jesus making a revelatory statement about Himself. No man knows the Son, but the Father and no man knows the Father, but the Son (who they are). The Father reveals this "mystery" to whomsoever He wills. Is this important? It most assuredly is!!! Without proper revelation of who God is, including His omnipotence, His omniscience and His sovereignty, any invitation that we offer will be weak, at best. If we're going to invite people to God, it's imperative that we know something about the person we're inviting people to.
This is where the invitation actually takes place. Jesus says, "Come unto me" and directs His invitation at two classifications of people: 1) those who are laboring and 2) those who are heavy laden.
The word "labor" in the Greek means "to feel fatigue" or "to work hard". To understand Jesus' point, we need look no further than the burden of the law. Compared to what the Old Testament believers had to do, we have it easy (not to mention the fact that those who were not Jews were excluded from the commonwealth of Israel -- not eligible to interact and participate). The gathering of bulls, goats, turtledoves, etc. was burdensome. God was not trying to provide a means of salvation through the law. The law was a schoolmaster. Romans 5:20 says that "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound...."
Likewise, the phrase "heavy laden" means "to overburden with ceremony or spiritual anxiety".
Jesus is inviting those seeking Him through the previous, burdensome means to take on the new yoke and new burden -- referred to as easy and light (Greek -- useful and better).
Those whom Jesus has invited are charged with responsibility -- TAKE MY YOKE AND LEARN OF ME. This is where a person can tell who they've been invited to and where an inviter can tell if they've invited people properly.
The word "yoke" denotes "labor". Those that come to Jesus will indeed work, but the works that Jesus' disciples are involved with are proper, needful and orderly -- not wrapped up in ceremony, formalism and hypocrisy.

NOTE: Many people come to church and learn, but Jesus specifies that THOSE THAT COME TO HIM MUST LEARN OF HIM. People today are learning everything BUT that which is of Jesus and are deceived because they're learning SOMETHING. Be careful what you are learning and make sure that you are coming into the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:7).

Jesus is challenging people to come to Him -- not to our churches, programs, choirs and/or personalities. He is concerned with the reconciliation of man, not how many people attend someone's church.

Jesus' invitation is void of philosophy, psychology, manipulation (a/k/a mental extortion, not witchcraft as many teach) and such like. Too many of us try to psych people into coming to church, all the while deceiving ourselves that we're inviting people to Jesus. When does this happen? Many in Christendom put on great theatrical productions. Many go out of their way to invite "renowned gospel artists" to their churches in hopes that many will come out. Many pastors actually recruit certain people to come to or to remain at their churches because they serve as a draw (e.g., people with certain talent and/or charisma).

Jesus presented two additional key points about "invitations" that we do well to submit ourselves to:

John 6:44 says, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him...." You can come up with all of the programs you want. Have your youth programs. Have your plays and musicals. Bring in comedians to make people laugh about what God considers sacred. Stock your staff with poster boys and pin-up girls to make your church look good. Know this one thing -- people can only come to Jesus if the Father draws them. Those who come in otherwise...
John 6:65-68 is the end of the same discourse, where Jesus has confronted people who came after Him for the wrong reason. They were confronted by the presentation of doctrine. When those who are "invited" DO show up, we are challenged by God to present HIS words and HIS program, not our weak and beggarly elements.

When God's word is presented, those who do not truly desire Him, those who do not know Him and those who do not have His word abiding in their hearts (as mentioned earlier) will separate themselves.

That's okay. It's sad, but it's okay. Ambassadors of Christ are only here to do SALVAGE (salvation) work. We are only to reclaim that which belongs to God. Don't worry about the rest -- those who mistreat that which is holy, casting God's word to the ground and persecuting those that deliver it.

Folks, keep your invitations clean. We can start by keeping proper tabs on ourselves and our personal accordance with God's word.

CONCLUSION

Invitations are a constant. Proper invitations, however, are not. As we approach a new Sunday, God is challenging us to make sure that we are inviting people to HIM and not to a building, a program, a personality or any of the other accursed things that we invite people to. Proper honor for God starts with Him and proceeds downward, just like the ointment on Aaron's beard (Psalm 133:2).

Unfortunately, in this day of falling away, churches are growing, but the kingdom of God is somewhat stagnant. Part of the reason? Because people drowning in pride and ignorance (proud about the church they attend and ignorant of God's righteousness) coax people to come to "their church", but they don't invite people to come to Jesus. Many respond to such invitations and worship and serve the creature instead of the creator, becoming CHURCHGOING REPROBATES.

Let's turn this invitation thing around. Let's challenge people to come unto Jesus. Let's challenge people to take HIS yoke and learn of Him. In coming to Him, then and only then will they find eternal life. Everything else leads to death.

Oh, yeah. The introduction. Let's wrap that up. When inviting people to the Lord, we'll be concerned about them receiving truth. Those wanting everyone to come to their church are misguided. If you can't succeed in inviting someone to your church/assembly, send them to someone else (that's preaching the truth of God's word). If they don't come to your church, so what!!! Whose church is it anyway (hopefully)? Be concerned about people finding rest for their souls and not about finding more money for your pastor or about feeding your ego.

Until next week, keep the word and be blessed!

Cry Aloud : Volume 5, Issue 25 -- Invitations
Copyright © 2001, CyberSaint/Scenario Ministries International
An outreach ministry of Remnant Christian Assembly, Inc. All rights reserved.
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