Embracing the Invitation: A Transformative Journey with Jesus
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound concept of being invited into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This invitation is not just a call to attend church or adopt a religious label; it is an invitation to experience a transformative, abundant life that begins now and extends into eternity. Reflecting on the parable from Luke 14, we see how Jesus illustrates the importance of accepting this invitation. Many are invited, but few respond, often due to distractions or excuses. Yet, the invitation remains open, urging us to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the life God has for us.
The invitation is not merely about avoiding sin or escaping our past; it is about pursuing a relationship with Jesus. When we focus on Him, we naturally distance ourselves from our old ways. This pursuit transforms us from being merely invited to becoming inviters ourselves, sharing the love and grace of Jesus with others. The Apostle Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a proclaimer of the Gospel exemplifies this change. His past, once a source of shame, became a powerful tool for reaching others.
We are reminded that there is still room in God's kingdom. Our acceptance of this invitation is not just for our benefit but also for the benefit of others. As we embrace our role as inviters, we participate in the greatest movement in history, sharing the light of Jesus in a world often shrouded in darkness. This calling is not without challenges, but it is the most valuable and important work we can do.
As we conclude, we are encouraged to say "yes" to this invitation, to step into the abundant life Jesus offers, and to become active participants in inviting others to experience the same. This is not just a momentary decision but a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus and share His love with the world.
Key Takeaways:
- The Invitation to Abundant Life: Each of us is invited into a personal relationship with Jesus, offering a life of abundance and transformation. This invitation is not a future promise but a present reality, calling us to experience eternal life starting now. [22:58]
- Pursuing Jesus, Not Just Avoiding Sin: Our focus should be on pursuing Jesus rather than merely running away from sin. When we fix our eyes on Him, we naturally distance ourselves from our past and are empowered to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. [25:40]
- From Invited to Inviter: Accepting Jesus' invitation transforms us into inviters, sharing His love and grace with others. Our past experiences, once sources of shame, can become powerful testimonies that draw others to Christ. [28:47]
- There is Still Room: God's kingdom has infinite space, and the invitation is open to all. We are called to recognize this and actively participate in inviting others to experience the transformative power of Jesus' love. [31:57]
- The Power of Saying Yes: Saying "yes" to Jesus' invitation is a life-changing decision that brings light into our darkest moments. It empowers us to face challenges with courage and to share the hope and love of Jesus with those around us. [39:19]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:30] - Wedding Season and Invitations
- [05:45] - Childhood Memories and Invitations
- [10:20] - The Parable of the Great Banquet
- [15:00] - Understanding Jesus' Invitation
- [18:30] - The Importance of Responding
- [22:58] - Pursuing Jesus Over Avoiding Sin
- [25:40] - Becoming an Inviter
- [28:47] - There is Still Room
- [31:57] - The Power of Light Over Darkness
- [33:23] - Personal Testimonies and Transformation
- [36:02] - Accepting the Invitation
- [39:19] - Becoming an Inviter
- [42:00] - Closing Prayer and Call to Action
- [45:00] - Worship and Commitment
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 14:15-24
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Observation Questions:
1. In the parable from Luke 14, what were some of the excuses given by those who were initially invited to the banquet? How do these excuses reflect common distractions in our lives today? [22:58]
2. How does the master in the parable respond to the excuses of the invited guests, and what does this reveal about God's invitation to us? [28:47]
3. What is the significance of the master inviting the poor, crippled, blind, and lame to the banquet? How does this reflect the inclusivity of God's kingdom? [31:57]
4. How does the sermon describe the transformation from being invited to becoming an inviter? What role does personal testimony play in this transformation? [25:40]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean to be invited into a personal relationship with Jesus, and how does this differ from simply attending church or adopting a religious label? [22:58]
2. How can focusing on pursuing Jesus help us naturally distance ourselves from our past and empower us to live a life of purpose and fulfillment? [25:40]
3. In what ways can our past experiences, once sources of shame, become powerful testimonies that draw others to Christ? How does the Apostle Paul's transformation exemplify this? [28:47]
4. What challenges might we face when embracing our role as inviters, and how can we overcome them to share the light of Jesus in a world often shrouded in darkness? [39:19]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there any distractions or excuses that are preventing you from fully accepting Jesus' invitation to an abundant life? How can you address these distractions this week? [22:58]
2. Consider your current focus. Are you more focused on running away from sin or pursuing a relationship with Jesus? What practical steps can you take to shift your focus towards Jesus? [25:40]
3. Think about a past experience that you once viewed as a source of shame. How can you reframe this experience as a testimony to share with others about the transformative power of Jesus? [28:47]
4. Identify one person in your life who might feel like an outsider or unworthy of God's invitation. How can you extend an invitation to them to experience the love and grace of Jesus this week? [31:57]
5. Reflect on the concept of being an inviter. What specific actions can you take to actively participate in inviting others to experience the transformative power of Jesus' love? [39:19]
6. How can you cultivate a mindset of saying "yes" to Jesus' invitation daily, and what changes might this bring to your life and the lives of those around you? [39:19]
7. Consider the role of community in your spiritual journey. How can you engage more deeply with your church or small group to support and encourage each other in accepting and extending Jesus' invitation? [39:19]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing the Invitation to Abundant Life
The invitation to a personal relationship with Jesus is not just a call to a future promise but a present reality. It is an invitation to experience a life of abundance and transformation that begins now and extends into eternity. This relationship is not about merely attending church or adopting a religious label; it is about stepping into a life that is rich with purpose and fulfillment. Jesus' parable in Luke 14 illustrates the importance of accepting this invitation, as many are called, but few respond due to distractions or excuses. Yet, the invitation remains open, urging us to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the life God has for us. [22:58]
"For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17, ESV)
Reflection: What distractions or excuses are preventing you from fully embracing the abundant life Jesus offers today? How can you take a step towards accepting His invitation right now?
Day 2: Pursuing Jesus Over Avoiding Sin
Our focus should be on pursuing a relationship with Jesus rather than merely running away from sin. When we fix our eyes on Him, we naturally distance ourselves from our past and are empowered to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. This pursuit is transformative, as it shifts our focus from what we are leaving behind to what we are moving towards. By pursuing Jesus, we are not just avoiding sin; we are embracing a life that is rich with meaning and direction. This shift in focus allows us to experience the fullness of life that Jesus offers. [25:40]
"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from avoiding sin to actively pursuing a deeper relationship with Jesus today? What practical steps can you take to set your mind on things above?
Day 3: Transforming from Invited to Inviter
Accepting Jesus' invitation transforms us into inviters, sharing His love and grace with others. Our past experiences, once sources of shame, can become powerful testimonies that draw others to Christ. The Apostle Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a proclaimer of the Gospel exemplifies this change. His past, once a source of shame, became a powerful tool for reaching others. As we embrace our role as inviters, we participate in the greatest movement in history, sharing the light of Jesus in a world often shrouded in darkness. [28:47]
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)
Reflection: How can you use your past experiences as a testimony to invite others into a relationship with Jesus? Who in your life can you reach out to this week to share His love and grace?
Day 4: Recognizing There is Still Room
God's kingdom has infinite space, and the invitation is open to all. We are called to recognize this and actively participate in inviting others to experience the transformative power of Jesus' love. This calling is not without challenges, but it is the most valuable and important work we can do. As we embrace our role as inviters, we are reminded that there is still room in God's kingdom for everyone. Our acceptance of this invitation is not just for our benefit but also for the benefit of others. [31:57]
"Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame." (Luke 14:21, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your community or circle of influence might feel like there is no room for them in God's kingdom? How can you extend an invitation to them today?
Day 5: The Power of Saying Yes
Saying "yes" to Jesus' invitation is a life-changing decision that brings light into our darkest moments. It empowers us to face challenges with courage and to share the hope and love of Jesus with those around us. This decision is not just a momentary one but a lifelong commitment to follow Jesus and share His love with the world. As we say "yes" to His invitation, we become active participants in inviting others to experience the same abundant life. [39:19]
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to say "yes" to Jesus today? How can this decision bring light into your life and the lives of those around you?
Quotes
There's one of my favorite seasons, not like the four seasons, summer, fall, winter, and spring, but like seasons aside from basketball season is what's known as wedding season. Not only because I'm a pastor and I get the chance to partake in like you know being a part of a wedding and and do saying not saying the ideas but asking them to say the ideas all that stuff and whatnot and but also as someone who is an avid dance floor enthusiast I love weddings and for those of you who don't know my dance moves consist of this just standing there you know maybe I'll get a little lip bite going on. [00:00:22] I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Mar 03, 2025. Do you have any questions about it?
But wedding season is usually in the summer you know June, May, June, July some August weddings there are some different weddings but those are when they really stack up where if you're at a certain age you might have like a wedding every weekend for the entire month of June or something like that and but this time of year right now with wedding season coming up this is invitation season where you get those you know save the dates where it's hey save the date for when this wedding is coming it's like nine months down the road you throw it on your refrigerator you completely forget about it until right around this time you are reminded of that hotel reservation you're supposed to make or those flights you're supposed to catch or the babysitter you're supposed to get it's literally happened to Sarah and I this week as we got an invitation in the mail for a wedding in Texas and it's invitation season and it's really unique because you get these wedding invitations they're so fancy and they have these these cursive or calligraphy type words and it's like the parents of this family and that family want to invite you to be an honored guest and you check you know beef or chicken or vegetarian or fish or whatever or if they don't have any option then you know you're in for a treat because it's probably buffet style which is really fun and invitation sees I was thinking wedding season this is invitation season and so I was thinking you know invitations are unique I remember when I was probably fourth or fifth grade and I've heard from a couple you that you want to hear more stories about bobblehead Ryan so for those of you who don't know when I was younger I was about half the size I am now like half the height weight I was my head was twice as big so I looked like a walking bobblehead and so in about fourth or fifth grade my bobblehead self was invited to a birthday party but this was not just any birthday party this was a sleepover birthday party which was like double the fun but third it was a sleepover birthday party at a hotel and so that was like triple fun I had no idea what to expect and one of my friends you know he invited us to come to this three -headed monster a sleepover birthday party at a hotel and I was so excited if you've had the chance to talk with me you know like right now where I'm at and I try to culture myself as much as possible but I really only talk about two things and it's sports and Jesus and back then with my bobblehead self the only thing I knew because really before I knew Jesus a whole lot the only thing I knew was sports so I was somewhat of an awkward kid so it was really a big deal to be invited to this this birthday party the sleepover birthday party at a hotel but it wasn't just a big deal because I was invited to this party but it was what I was also getting out of you see because that exact weekend it was a Friday night into a Saturday we were staying at this hotel and the hotel was like up the road from his house I'm pretty sure it was just the parents didn't want to have to clean up after a bunch of fourth or fifth grade boys demolishing their basement or anything like that so we stayed at this hotel and the thing I got out of that weekend the Saturday morning was our yard work day and so my dad would always have these you know he'd look at the weather and he would he Doppler radar or whatever I don't know he planned it out in advance of like this Saturday morning we're waking up at the break of dawn and I'm getting you four kids my two older sisters my younger brother myself you four kids out of the house and we are going to trim all the bushes we're going to pick up all the sticks we're going to do all this stuff all the while my mom's cleaning on the inside and all this stuff so it's like there's no rest for the weary on this day and this was this Saturday that was coming up it was going to be the break down Saturday but I was invited to this sleepover birthday party at a hotel so I was so so beyond excited and the day finally comes to this sleepover birthday party at a hotel and I am just not only excited for what I get to do but I'm so excited for what I get to get out of and I'm talking you know I would never do this but hypothetically speaking I was talking trash to my siblings about what they were gonna have to do what I got to get out of and all this stuff and and it was incredible we went I mean it was a Friday night we we just have one hotel room and so we had like 12 fifth grade boys staying in one hotel room I'm sure the hotel manager was thrilled about that we were running through the hallways going in the pool we were prank calling people throughout the middle of the night like we're Bart Simpson we are like we're hooking up an Xbox or Xbox that time yeah they had like an Xbox hooked up to the TV we're playing video game we're up all nights of the like all throughout the night all hours of the night is what I was trying to say and I just remember thinking this entire time because it's like 4 in the morning probably that's the like the break of dawn my siblings are getting up to pick up sticks and I'm just playing and having a great time prank calling the pizza place or something like that and it was it was incredible but it was this invitation of what I got to go do what I got to get out of was this invitation and I was just I was ecstatic and so today we're actually gonna be diving into a moment in history that's recorded in the Bible during Jesus's life one of his teachings and and we're talking about an invitation and in fact today's message the title of today's message is called I'm invited the series is I'm in thank you Charles that's my bad I should have started with that series is I'm in but again wordplay I'm invited see how see what we did there you're gonna be impressed next three weeks we got we got three four words within in the start but I'm invited I think we need to recognize an invitation that's available to each and every one of us that we can learn from the life and the teaching of Jesus that's even better than a sleepover birthday party at a hotel that gets you out of doing yard work the next morning so before we dive into that I would love to pray and just pray over this time together so if you wouldn't mind bow in your heads with me and let's pray Heavenly Father God I thank you for for fun memories like staying in the Holiday Inn Express or Holiday Inn or whatever hotel it was you know I don't with my friends when I was in fourth or fifth grade I thank you so much for giving me the strength and the courage to laugh at my bobblehead self and I thank you for the opportunity to have others laugh at my bobblehead self as well God I pray that this time is not just a time where we're where we laugh but I pray that this time God if it's your will that you would challenge each and every one of us to step more fully into the life and the abundant life that you have called us to live God I pray that this this time whatever words you want me to speak God I pray that they will be your words and not my own I pray that the ears that we have right now to hear will be ears given to us from you so we can hear exactly what you want us to hear so that we don't just hear the words that we want to hear walk away with the message that we want to receive but God I pray that we feel challenged to better know and understand who you are during this time God I pray that you would open our hearts to be transformed so we walk out of this building or we log off the internet on this service I pray that we would we would walk out of here different than when we came in God I pray that this time brings honor and glory to you it's in your wonderful name we pray amen so the moment in history that we're going to be diving into here recorded in Jesus's life is in the book of Luke which is in the New Testament it's one of the four writings of Jesus's life it's Luke 14 we'll be starting in verse 15 and while some of you if you have your paper Bibles with you you can flip to them if not that's okay we have verses up on the screen that will be up there but this moment in Jesus's life is a unique one because it's one of the moments that Jesus is teaching to his disciples to his students to his apprentices and there are moments in Jesus's life where we can look at the actions that he has and we can take something away and learn something from that but they're also unique moments throughout Jesus's life where he is literally teaching exactly what we are supposed to be doing and the way that Jesus teaches is the best teaching strategy that you can have it's very real and relevant it's it's applicable to their lives it's able to be absorbed whether someone was a an astute scholar or someone had just started reading and writing for the first time they would be able to understand what Jesus was doing what he was teaching and that's exactly what this story is in Luke chapter 14 starting in verse 15 this is what it says it says when one of those at the table with him heard this he said to Jesus blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God we'll pause there for a second Jesus is eating with people around the table so one of the people that's sitting at the table with Jesus eating they're talking about the power of a banquet the power of a feast and this guy says blessed is the one who gets to enjoy the banquet up in heaven and Jesus replies and this is where he teaches Jesus replied a certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who have been invited come for everything is now ready but they all alike began to make excuses the first said I've just bought a field and I must go and see it please excuse me another said I have just bought five yoke of oxen and I must and I'm on my way to try them out please excuse me still another said I just got married I can't come the servant came back and reported to all this to his master when the owner of the house then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor the crippled the blind and the lame sir the servant said what you ordered has been done but there is still room then the master told his servant go out to the roads and the country lanes and compel them to come in so that my house will be full I tell you that not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet so this is Jesus teaching and he teaches in what's what we know as parables which is stories that can be applied and digested from everyday life and what he says is as this guy says blessed is the one who gets to enjoy the banquet in the kingdom of God in heaven Jesus goes right into this teaching and he talks about these people that were invited guests to this this banquet who started making excuses for why they could no longer come to the banquet but the master was not concerned with the declines he was concerned with having a full house and so he sent his servants out to get the people that were on the outskirts of their culture were kind of seen as outsiders and he invited them and there was still room so he sent more people out and said just go get as many people as you can to come fill this house I'm invited turn to the person next to you say I'm invited [00:12:13]
now the way that I typically uh will give messages I will typically have one main passage and then have a few bullet points and fill in the blanks that type of thing but for whatever reason as we were preparing this message uh I felt the Lord just give me uh four or five maybe six mini messages so we're going to be here for the next three hours as we break down some laughed some were like no I'm just kidding so what we're going to do so we don't have any more slides I don't think but we're going to do is we're going to break down each so it might not flow as well as sometimes it does but I have a feeling that that hopefully each of the messages and I won't go through all six probably but maybe a few whatever God lays in my heart I think that some of them might be able to resonate and the first message that I feel like is is somewhat obvious comes from the title is this idea that I'm invited turn to the person next to you say I'm invited [00:12:01]
the reality is is each and every one of us are invited into a personal relationship with the creator of the universe you see when I thought that the invitation to go to this the sleepover birthday party at a hotel and get out of the yard work I thought that was one of the greatest invitations I could have received when uh Sarah and I were invited to my my sister's wedding this past summer as she was marrying an incredible dude even though he's a Washington Nationals fan we were invited to their wedding I thought that was a great invitation that we could receive not only because it was them getting married but there was a steak option for their reception that I was really excited about as well but the reality is each and every one of us have an even greater invitation that we might not even recognize we are invited into a personal relationship with the creator and the savior of the universe what does that invitation mean what does that entail it means because Jesus says in his time here on earth he says that uh the thief talking about the enemy the the devil Satan the thief comes only to steal kill and destroy but Jesus says but I have come so that you may have life and life to the full some translations say I have come so you may have life and an abundant life you are invited into that also in the book of John he's recalling some of Jesus's teachings and he says for God so loved the world that whoever believes he that he sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life I'm invited say I'm invited [00:12:55]
that invitation is not an invitation to come to church on Sunday mornings necessarily although if I were smart as we're trying to you know create this culture this church and head into this next season I would have utilized this I'm invited into you know a church growth strategy but I'm not that smart yet so we're talking about something else it doesn't mean that I'm I'm invited to you know put on Facebook that my religion do they still have religion on Facebook that my religion is Christianity it's not this this invitation is not an I'm not just invited to put a Bible verse on my Instagram story I'm invited to an abundant life for eternity I'm invited so as we look at this this story that Jesus is talking about we can see that there were people that were originally invited but they started making excuses and sometimes we think that an invitation how do I want to put this sometimes when we get an invitation we don't open it I don't know about you but sometimes me and people that are that are mine and my wife's age we'll get we'll receive mail from the the postal service or whatever and we'll just set it on a little place in our house that just collects dust and all the other stuff in our house and the mail just piles up and piles up and piles up and some of us we've gotten this invitation we set it down we haven't even opened it yet we have no idea that this invitation is not just a small thing but this is a trans in eternal transformative invitation but have you opened it say I'm invited but have you opened it some of us are letting our invitation sit on this small little desk or this counter collecting dust we haven't even opened it yet some of us we've opened the invitation we put it up on the refrigerator but we've completely forgotten to send back our RSVP we've got this invitation you know we had to save the day we got this invitation we put the the invitation with a nice little pretty picture of the couple or whatever sitting on the refrigerator but we forgot to send back our RSVP because we you know we haven't really made our plans yet for that far along say I'm invited but have you opened it have you responded because there's a check yes or there's a check no but they put it in a much nicer yes I'll be able to attend oh I wish I would attend whatever I'm invited but have you opened it I'm invited but have we responded see because some of us we're sitting here and we get this RSVP of this invitation to this great banquet we have this invitation to this incredible transformative life that we have but we have so many other things going on in our world that we're kind of letting this sit aside we don't really know if we want to commit to the invitation that's presented to us we've been coming to church for a long time and we're encouraged and we can maybe even quote a few Bible verses and when we go into work people know us as as you know the the Jesus freak or the Christian follower the church goer or whatever they want to call us but the reality is we're sitting there with an open invitation on our counter and we haven't responded yet because we don't know if we want to commit to that and there's going to come a time where the servant comes and says it's time for the banquet but if we're sitting there kind of sitting on the fence not sure which way we're going to lean it's going to be so much easier to say you know what I actually just purchased this field so I'm going to attend to that right now I can't make it please excuse me you see each and every one of us are invited but have we opened the invitation and have we responded to the invitation as well I'm invited but have I opened it have I responded see because the reality is is this invitation is not a save the date some of you know my story I thought I was presented with this invitation of this God who could forgive all the mistakes that I made and and welcome me into the kingdom of heaven when I die and so I took that and I treated it like it was a save the date I said I have this this card in my hand and the day that I die I'm going to cash it in and I'm going to get to go up into heaven but the reality is is the invitation that is available for each and every one of us is not an invitation that is for later down the road it's an invitation for right here and right now it's not a save the day it's an invitation for right now you see because yes there is an opportunity for us to spend eternity in heaven when we say yes to Jesus but there's an opportunity right now for your eternity in a relationship with him to start right here and right now God's not waiting for a room to open up in heaven before he takes you up there he has a reason for you being here I'm invited say I'm invited but have I opened it have I responded have I treated it the way an invitation is supposed to be treated this is not a save the date this is an invitation for right now I'm invited what does this invitation look like this is where it's going to be fun because I don't know which direction we're going next which is going to be super fun for someone who likes to be planned out you see this invitation I'm going to grab a chair actually this invitation that is available for us is uh is about life transformation gotta love these chairs they're really comfy though [00:20:08]
and what this invitation has to offer us is a new identity that is different than the one before us you see when when this this master as Jesus is teaching the story this this banquet that they're inviting people to he he says let's go tell the people that are invited that the banquet started and they can come they come up with all these excuses then he says go out and find the poor find the needy find the crippled find those that are struggling find those that are outsiders find those that you wouldn't typically expect to be invited to a grand banquet and tell them to come that they are invited because this invitation is not only about a party that we get to go to but it is about an identity transformation a purpose transformation that you and I get to have so during this time these these people that are considered outsiders are sitting in this identity that they've been living in and they are seen as the outcasts of their community they are seen as uh as the crippled as the lonely as the poor they are identified by some of the the lowest parts of their life but what Jesus says is I'm going to take those people transform their identities so they are no longer seen by just one small aspect of who they are but they're going to be seen as someone who is invited to the eternity that God has for them you see we sit in in this uh this idea of our old life some of us are sitting right now in in our old life we're sitting right now in in the sin and the things that are entangling us right now and we have this invitation to step into a new life but it's comfortable here you know I'm pretty comfortable in my addiction I'm pretty comfortable in in in the way that I speak I'm pretty comfortable in the crowds that I run in I'm pretty comfortable in I'm pretty comfortable in controlling my life I'm pretty comfortable [00:22:08]
where I am now. I have an invitation to step into something new, but I'm comfortable where I'm at right now. Say, I'm invited. [00:22:01]
The interesting thing about this invitation is, again, like I said, it's not a save the date. This invitation is about transformation. [00:22:11]
And so, yes, there's a destination, but there's a transformation in the middle. And so, if we want to accept this invitation, we're not going to be able to sit in the comfort of where we're sitting right now. [00:22:18]
If we want to accept this invitation, we need to go and pursue the relationship that Jesus has for us, pursue the life that God has for us. [00:22:26]
This invitation is about pursuing something. [00:22:29]
Let me go into a quick side tangent. Is that okay? Some of us, and I don't have anyone come to mind when I say this. Don't, don't, if you feel challenged, it's not me offending you. It's maybe the Holy Spirit convicting you. [00:22:40]
Some of us are not sitting in this chair anymore. [00:22:44]
We are standing up, and maybe a while back, we were presented with this invitation to this new life that God has for us. We were presented with this incredible opportunity to pursue something better. [00:22:48]
But as time has gone on, we are no longer looking at that invitation pursuing the relationship and the life that God has for us. We're looking at the life that we were living. [00:22:58]
We're looking at the sins that were entangling us. We're looking at the crowds that we used to run in. [00:23:03]
And so, rather than running toward the invitation that God has for us, we're running away from the life that used to be us. [00:23:09]
And what happens is, if this is the invitation that God has for us, we start out running toward this invitation that God has for us. [00:23:16]
But it's so much easier to see the sin in our lives that maybe used to entangle us, or the sin in someone else's life that might be entangling them. It's so much easier to see sin than the God Almighty that we start looking back at this sin that was entangling us. And we say, I'm going to run away from that. I'm running away from that. [00:23:28]
I don't want to do that. I'm running away from that. I apologize to Charles who's running our camera because I'm throwing him way off. I'm running away from that. [00:23:39]
And we find ourselves all the way over here because we were no longer pursuing the invitation that God has for us, but we were running away from the life that we were living. You see, what Jesus is about is about going toward him. It's not running away from something. It's running toward him. [00:23:46]
And the crazy thing is, if this is our sin, if this is our past life, we're worried about this. If we are running toward Jesus, we will be running away from the sin. [00:24:02]
But if we're running away from our sin, we might not be running toward Jesus. [00:24:05]
We see throughout Jesus' life, the people that frustrated him the most were some of the most religious people that were running away from the sin, that were running away from the things that entangled people, that were running away from their past lives. But they found themselves so far away from Jesus, and what ended up happening is they were accused of being judgmental. They were accused of being hypocrites. They were accused of all these things because they were so far away from Jesus. [00:24:15]
We need to run toward him. [00:24:19]
And when we run toward him, we will be running away from the other stuff. [00:24:23]
But when we run toward him, we will get closer to him. And when we run toward him, our mindset will not even be caught up in this stuff. [00:24:26]
And can I tell you something, again, this is just a tangent, man. I really shouldn't use notes ever because this is kind of cool. When we run toward him, sometimes what he will do, because we're so locked in on him and on this invitation, and we're running toward him, we're not even worried about this because we know that's not going to trip us up. We might trip and stumble every once in a while, but we're not worried about that. We're running toward him. [00:24:32]
What he might be able to do through you is as you're running toward him. [00:24:38]
You will be able to go get people that are back there. [00:24:40]
When you say yes to the invitation that God has for you, and you're pursuing the invitation, you no longer become just the invited, but you also become an inviter. [00:24:43]
When you accept, when you say yes to the invitation that Jesus has for you, when you say yes to go to the banquet, you are no longer just invited. Listen, you are still invited. And whether you said yes to Jesus 30 years ago, or whether you're going to say yes to Jesus today, you are invited. You are valuable. You have a handwritten invitation from the creator of the universe with your name on it that says you are invited. [00:24:54]
But when you say yes to that invitation, what can happen is when you're focused on pursuing him, you not only are invited, but you also become an inviter. [00:25:15]
And you get to be able to step into the very same environments that used to get you so tripped up and entangled and pushed down, and you step back into those environments, and you are able to pull other people up. [00:25:24]
The Apostle Paul, someone that we know as the Apostle Paul, used to be a hotshot up -and -comer within the Roman government. He used to travel from city to city, town to town, and what he would literally do is he would go into these different cities, these different towns, and he would murder people for following Jesus. He would break up families, and he would destroy cities, all in the name of trying to stop the Jesus movement. But then guess what happened? He met Jesus. [00:25:35]
He met Jesus, and he began to pursue the invitation that Jesus had before him, the life that Jesus had for him, the love and the forgiveness and the grace that Jesus had for him. [00:25:47]
And he did that, and he pursued that, and he pursued that, and he reached a point in his life where he was able to utilize, God was able to utilize his past self before he even knew Jesus. [00:25:50]
He was able to utilize Paul's past self to bring more Roman people. [00:25:56]
You see, because this Jesus movement was incredible throughout the Jewish community, throughout the Samaritan community, but they were struggling to get into this Roman government because they didn't really have any insiders, quote -unquote. And it was this culture that they lived in was so culturally and politically divided that they were struggling to find someone that could really push through. And what God said is, I'm going to utilize this guy, Paul, who was just murdering people for calling out to me, is now going to go and save people by calling out to me. [00:26:00]
He might be doing that for you, too. [00:26:15]
There might be some, some, some, there might be crowds of people that you used to run around with. [00:26:18]
There might be an addiction that you used to have. [00:26:21]
There might be a struggle that you that you used to go through. There might be an illness that you, you are walking through or you have walked through. [00:26:24]
And the reality is, is we, when we, when we are no longer looking back as to try to run away from that, but looking toward Jesus to run toward him, he can actually utilize us to reach more people that get, that are getting caught up in the same things that usually catch you up as well. I'm invited. I'm invited. [00:26:30]
And when I say yes to that invitation, I am not only invited, but I am actually an inviter. [00:26:40]
There's a, there's a sentence here that, that Jesus says in his parable. The servant said, sir, what you've ordered has been done. He says, sir, what we, you told us to go out and get the, the poor, the crippled, the lone, like the outsiders, what you've said has been done, but there is still room. Say there's still room. There is still room. [00:26:45]
Like I said earlier, your space is not an issue up in heaven. [00:26:55]
There is a multitude, there is an eternal amount, an infinite amount of rooms available in the kingdom of heaven, just waiting to be filled. For some of us, we need to accept that invitation today and say, I'm going to, I'm going to say yes. Yes. [00:27:00]
I'm going to get out of this, the seat I've been sitting in and I'm going to say yes. [00:27:10]
I'm going to get up and I'm going to say yes. Or, or I need to get out from this life that I've been living and I'm going to say yes. [00:27:15]
And listen, when we say yes to Jesus, that doesn't mean life's necessarily going to be all rainbows and butterflies. [00:27:20]
I'll be completely honest with you. The past seven months of my life so far has been probably the hardest seven months of my life I've ever experienced with just everything going on. [00:27:25]
But I will still say to this day that my sophomore year in college was the darkest moments of my life. Today's much harder, but that was darker. You know why? [00:27:30]
Because light beats darkness every time. [00:27:35]
And so when I was sitting there sophomore year of college, life was good. Everything was good. I was going through, but it was dark because I had no actual fulfillment in my life. It was dark because I had no actual identity rooted in anything in my life. It was dark because I had no purpose in my life. It was dark because I had no Jesus in my life. [00:27:40]
But right now, as we are walking through some of the most difficult conversations, some of the most difficult doctor's appointments, some of the most difficult things that we are going through right now, I know for a fact that it is not nearly as dark as it was over there because light beats darkness every single time. When we say yes to this invitation, what we are saying yes to is the light of Jesus. So even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil because he is with us and his rod and his staff, they comfort us. [00:27:50]
I'm invited. Say, I'm invited to an eternal life transformation. [00:28:10]
And eternity can start today for you. [00:28:15]
You don't have to wait until you take your last breath. [00:28:18]
You don't have to wait until you figure your whole life out. [00:28:20]
That Paul, the guy that I was telling you about, you know what he was on his way doing when Jesus met him? He was on his way to the city to go kill more Christians, destroy more cities, and separate more families. [00:28:25]
He was still probably very much very comfortable in this seat. [00:28:30]
But Jesus saw him right where he was. [00:28:32]
And he said, you're invited. [00:28:35]
Can I tell you something, friends? [00:28:38]
He sees you right where you are.
