20190727 | The Invitation | Pastor John Lomacang (tvsdac)

bow your heads with me as I asked the Lord to speak to us this morning through the message entitled the invitation loving father in heaven it is amazing to see what you can wrought and build and do in the lives of those whose hearts are dedicated and we have seen in our congregation the many lives that are being touched through various ministries and through selfless labor through gifts and talents but what our mindful that even as we stand here and sit today that there are many around us who know not the God that we serve who have no knowledge of a saving grace and how he can bring us through the most difficult times that life can throw our way and so this morning Lord revolutionized our senses and remind us of all that you can do through us that the invitation may continue to go out now those who need hope and strength and peace and the assurance of eternal life may find it in you in Jesus name I pray amen the invitation it was Sunday December 28th 1879 and as has been the case on preceding days and preceding months in preceding years a very archaic train connected by nine different cars began its journey across the table in Tasmania Australia it was a stormy very windy night and the designer of the bridge by the name of Sir Thomas vouch when the bridge was being built he decided to save on the cost of the building of the bridge the estimates had come in and he won the bid by saying I can build it for the least amount of money and when you go back and look at how he built it it is said that he used lattice girders supported by iron piers with cast iron columns held together by iron cross bracings but the builders and those who had viewed the bridge after its completion said the piers were narrow and the cross bracing was less extensive and robust than on previous designs by the same builder unfortunately on that night the tazed bridge gave way taking several lives and plunging the city and community of tasmania into a very sad depressing morning state for some time but as the story continues to unfold on that train was a mail bag for you see it was through the method of transporting from one side of the bridge to the other as it is in our case today the UPS Federal Express by airplane by boat by any means necessary they were carrying letters from one community to the other and on one particular train one or the train cars there was a compartment that held thousands of letters packages sending it to those whose names were designated by the addresses but that evening a mail bag that was on that train sank to the sea floor into tazed Bay and it would be 15 years before that mail bag was recovered 15 long years packages never made their destination letters never made it to the designated individuals but amazingly enough the story was narrowed down to one lady that received a way invitation sixteen years later didn't even know about the wedding and I'm sure that the people that invited her wondered why she didn't show up when that evening after receiving this as it were hardened cardboard package was Inc barely holding on she just saw the calligraphy inviting her to the event and the date and the name of those who are getting married and having come to know them long after their wedding she hurriedly contacted them and said to them the reason I didn't come to your wedding was not because I didn't want to be there I just never received the invitation it was not until that evening that they realized what had happened 15 years earlier when I read that story it's in a book I have at home some of the world's greatest disasters when I read that story I thought awakened in my mind what if there are people that wanted to accept Christ and be ready for the wedding supper of the Lamb but the invitation came 15 years too late what if this glorious event that we're all waiting for the coming of our Lord people to our left and to our right and our communities that our jobs and our neighborhoods people we rub elbows with at Walmart at the gas station the small conversations we have what if they one day say on the stage of eternity I would have come but I never received an invitation you know I believe that God has a keen sense of humor and a timing that is impeccable I did not know that Jerry and his son would be here today I had no clue but we can go back in the course of time in our getting together playing basketball in the gym right across the parking lot that the invitation was extended but praise the Lord he's come before the wedding supper can you say Amen simply meaning I believe that they are those two are left and two all right all around us that are waiting for an invitation if we would only extend to them that grand invitation that Christ wants them to be at the wedding supper of the Lamb you know it was Paul Harvey that made this statement he said too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but they are simply keepers of the aquarium they have so designed their fish tank of worship that they they are accustomed to the rock being here and the food being this they are accustomed to the color of the stones that lay on the floor of the place where they swim from moment to moment from week to week from occasion to occasion and they're not very pleased when other fish invade their space too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium William Barclay says that Christianity is something which is meant to be seen as someone has well said there can be no such thing listen carefully there can be no such thing as a secret discipleship for either the secrecy destroys the discipleship or the discipleship destroys the secrecy a man's Christianity William Barclay said should be perfectly visible to all investor takes us to our scripture waiting for this morning if you have your Bibles go to John chapter 1 verse 46 and what we're going to watch today is what Jesus did in the very beginning to ignite the flame of inviting people to was done through the shortest sermon ever preached John chapter 1 verse 46 follow me this morning and the Faneuil said to him you will find out who him is later on and Nathanael said to him can any good thing come out of Nazareth and Philip said to him together together ready come and see what a sermon what a sermon come and see what a sermon if the if the 2019 and we've gone through that already Ryan knows and Jerry knows and those of us who dabble in playing basketball if if we were invited to the 2019 championship and we asked the question well will will we be able to come in and the person that owned the arena simply said come and see I am sure we will get in our car am i right Ryan we would take that invitation as an indication that anyone that comes will be allowed to see and today as we are standing on the portals as we're standing on the precipice as we're looking at the events that are surrounding us in our world today it is of an unmistakable clarity that we can see that it is not long before Jesus comes again that was a great place to say a hearty amen I mean all around us the signs are portentous they are bulging in politics and religion in social and economic circles in the circles of crime and violence and immorality we can see all around us that the world is ripe for the coming of the Lord but he does not want to come and realize that somebody who could have been there is no longer there because they just have not been invited my wife and I know what that's like we fly quite often and sometimes we're in the airport and we are arriving our plane is just hesitating to takeoff anybody know what I'm talking about your plane is just delaying you're saying you know please take off now we're gonna miss our connection and we have been in cases like that before and then we we alert the flight attendant that we only have X amount of minutes to make our connection I remember one of those instances very well we were landing in Phoenix Arizona I remember very well but I don't remember the airport and my wife recognized and I have long legs she said go I'll be there just go run and I'm running through the airport pulling my carry-on and my backpack is just challenging move every and I'm dodging people in the airport and I'm running and I'm running and I'm looking at the gate numbers okay great and I'm looking behind she's growing smaller and smaller as I'm running it with all I can but she said just get to the gate and tell them hold the gate open for me I'll be there and I'm running and I'm running and I'm running and I'm and I and I and I saw the sign I'd turned right and I ran all the way down gate 25 26 27 28 our gate was 29 28 28 I looked up and the sign says back that way and I looked down this hallway that looked like it was a tunnel that had no end and then my phone rang and my wife said where are you I said I'm on my way she says I'm on the plane and they're saying that they're gonna close the doors tell them a hole the door is open I'm on my way I'm running down that long hall with all the muster I can get I don't know if you know I'm exhausted I'm tired my throat is dry I need water but I can't quit because the door is being held for me I get to the gate the door is closed the flight attendants say please take your seat and prepare for departure and praise God for my wife she stood up and said to the flight attendant I am NOT leaving without my husband the doors are closed I am NOT leaving without my husband either you let him on or you let me off come on say mentally I am NOT leaving without my husband and the flight attendants arguing with her said man it's too late the doors are closed we cannot let him in and the pilot overheard this commotion am i right the pilot over she said I am NOT she refute I am NOT leaving my husband's out there I'm in here choose where you want me to be but I am NOT leaving with this plane if he's not on board thank the Lord the pilot came out and said what's the problem and asked he was aware of the situation and he sit at the flight attendant open the door and let her husband in and I got on board and I said she had that look like I was about to take that fight attendant and work her over some flight attendants they're just doing their job but let me tell you something isn't is it there's a moral to the story when you think it's too late the captain of our souls well stand up and say to those who are pleading for one more soul to get on board with them open the door and let them all come on say Amen there are those who want to be on board they are running in the wrong direction but if we are connected with the captain and we are determined not to leave without another soul on board with us we can stand and fight say Lord just one more soul keep the door open for that one more soul and I tell you when the captain hears the commotion of our heart he will say let him on boy but my question is do you possess the kind of passion that it takes to stand like that for one more soul to get on board before the flight takes off the question today is simple and we're going to walk through some of the most remedial simple methods whereby you don't need a degree you don't need hours of training as simple as my wife said I am NOT leaving to you either open that door and let me out open that door and let him in it is so simple you see the three words that are extended here in the Gospel of John was extended when Jesus was mounting and putting his roster together for his disciples they had not all yet been chosen but he got a hold of one person's heart who got a hold of another person's heart who got a hold of another person's heart and none of these men were qualified in any particular to win souls for anybody because they were connected to their own life's work they were either craftsmen or fishermen or tax collectors they had various backgrounds and they were already involved in the things that brought them joy and gave them the finances that they needed but when the Lord God holded their lives something began to happen because they tasted for the first time something that they had never tasted before the beauty and the power and the privilege of following a man Jesus was not some eloquent person in his speech but ever so divine and everything he said he didn't have an exterior that made people want to follow him because he dressed like a businessman or professional but it was unmistakable that he was the son of God and when he extended the invitation I believe one day we're going to be able to hear that voice when he extended the invitation there was something in his voice that made it very clear that this invitation is not just another invitation to a dinner but this is an invitation that will revolutionize and transform your life but the problem today is Christianity is to the large degree remaining sacred because we look at and perceived the task of leading people to Christ as something that's difficult rather than something that's joyful I don't want to tell the story too much but I I sometimes run into people and at that moment the Lord taps me on my shoulder and says that person has a need that person has something different in his or her life and and I don't know if you've ever experienced that before but sometimes the God that we serve in strange and unusual moments come into our heart and into our lives and says you're gonna meet somebody today or somebody that you're talking to right now or that person that's right in front of you I want you to change and touch that person's life today and when you do it you walk away from that with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment because you did it without looking for anything in return anybody know what I'm talking about when you extend yourself into somebody else's life and you want nothing in return it stays with you longer than doing it and expecting something in return it's called disinterested benevolence meaning doing things without ever expecting anything in return well we can learn from insects how easy it is to handle things that seem to be larger than we are I remember the story of the ant and the chocolate bonbon we have those of us that like chocolate please don't judge us a man once laid a piece of chocolate candy on a table cause he saw an ant hanging around you ever see ants you know when it rains a lot ants just show up well sometimes I may have a strange disposition but sometimes I I look at that ant and I think what is he looking for hmm I once had an encounter with a mouse in my garage why am I telling you this I have no idea and I knew that he was trying to come into the house now does anybody like a mouse in the house no but when I open the garage door there he was little mini guy but for the first time in my life he looked cute and I said to him where are you going I'm serious I'm talking to this man where are you going and he froze in his tracks and looked at me his eyes and his head moved slightly I said where are you going I said now you have an option you can leave and live or you can come in and die it's up to you I can't believe I'm telling you this story for whatever reason I think he understood and he took off like a guy trying to catch a plane that's leaving and he took off running away from the house into the grass into the fields and before long he was gone and Angie said who are you talking to a mouse she didn't even respond but I tell you what I never saw him again I don't like mice mouse a mouse in the house but in this particular story a gentleman sat down there and looked at this ant on the table and he decided well so he so he saw the ant leaning over the edge and leaning over the edge leaning and then he put a chocolate bonbon way over here and he put his finger there to let the ant crawl on his finger then he put his finger here to let the ant crawl off and the ant found that mountain a huge chocolate Mountain to an end it looks like Yellowstone National Park and he climbed on the bonbon and he looked carefully hmm and then in a matter of maybe a minute or so the ant left and came back with another hand and in a matter of a half an hour that bonbon was swarmed by ants you know what made the difference that ant tasted and he saw that what he was given is good and he could not help in his evangelistic heart but to reach out to his family that was dying of hunger and said I have tasted and it is good and he said these three words come and see now do I know that he said that No they responded for some reason and you know my brothers and my sisters the seemingly impossible tasks of life can become so easy listen carefully if we only spend time ourselves to taste and see that the Lord is good something that's good yeah you want to share it something that is good you don't want to hold yourself something that's transforming your life you want to make sure that it transforms somebody else's life something that is making a difference to you and turning your life from darkness to light from sadness to joy from disappointment to extravagant praise you want to let somebody else know about it whether it's a new doctrine whether it's a new experience with Christ whenever your life is being transformed the person with the evangelistic heart percolates and they cannot keep it to themselves that's why when you follow the story go to John chapter 1 when you follow this beautiful illustration today that my intention is to activate in your heart a desire like the aunt to percolate after you taste and see your experience with Christ to percolate with a desire and you know what the life that seems to be meaningless becomes a life fuel with meaning when you realize that the difference between that person being lost and being saved is one individual and that individual is you I was reading a couple of weeks ago now I think maybe a little more than a week I we could go out talk to my Wednesday night prayer meeting people and I'm still working on this because it's it's it's it's just it cannot let me go what I read 4 o'clock in the morning I woke up and I couldn't get comfortable and like kept reading and the Lord just gave me something that's just it's like a hammer on the back of my head it's just telling me you got to be this is what I want you to do and this is what about the direction that I want you to guide your church and your people they're gathering around you they're getting ready they want to reach out they want to change lives and this is what I want you to do and in the illustration I read in the book Christ object lessons in the chapter into the highways and hedges I read a story and Allen wife says if a wealthy man were drowning would you let him drown because he's wealthy or would you let him drown because he's affluent when we see people in distress in any situation we desire to help them because we recognize that if the tables were turned we would want that person to do for us what they want us to do for them but look at how the Lord established this pattern so beautifully John chapter 1 on the heels of the introduction of Jesus and you must remember in just a few verses earlier John 1 verse 29 John the Baptist said what do you say behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world this was the introduction day for Christ this is when Jesus came out of the shadows and began to be introduced to the gathering multitude John 1 verse 35 and the Bible says again the next day again the next day John stood with how many two of his disciples that's John the Baptist and looking at Jesus as he walked he said what behold the lamb of God notice what he did this is something other than than what we do we often tend when we meet people we often tend to turn though we often we often tend to turn their focus on us but when John had an encounter with Christ the disciples that he had he turned their focus away from him to Christ the focus was no longer on what he had in his house what he possessed his wealth his materialism the focus was on the one the Lamb of God he turned them away from himself and he turned them towards God and I want to tell you my brothers and sisters how many people have you met that you extend an invitation to them to get to know somebody other than yourself I've said to people it's good to meet you however wait and I run out to my car okay the business card get an envelope I mean I've never cut a track get a booklet and I said to every one of them if you are really serious about your future contact me if you want to know more call me that's why Rogers here today cut that call from Wisconsin or wherever was Montana whatever was I don't know where it was Roger yeah I called my wife I got a name Roger she said don't go without me and Rogers here today and his wife is here today and their grandson is here today simple invitation I didn't say Roger let me give you 74 Bible studies and then come to my church said Roger just come and Roger his wife and a grandson are here today and every one of you possess the same ability to meet people in the in the regular throes of life in Walmart that's a mall because our mall in that's our mall in Walmart take an aisle strike up a conversation I don't know how many conversations even yesterday in Walmart I was looking at the glasses section lady came over me can I help you no I was born this way and I said there I'll be right back I'll be back I'm gonna go back and bring her a track she works there I want to bring her an invitation and you know what and and we're Mary Ann I care right here in West Frankfort and the lady whose divin giving us the eye exams she said to me you're pretty cheerful today she says you're over you're overly enthusiastic you're not often enthusiastic when I listen to you on the radio she said I like that enthusiastic side of you I said you listen to me on the radio she's at all the time you see brother and sisters let me tell you something the Lord is showing me that while we travel and this is okay to do while we travel around the world we have been sewing in this field for the last 35 years from Carbondale to Metropolis to Galatia to all the surrounding towns Benton Marion West Frankfort we have been sewing in this field for 35 years but we go to Arizona for evangelism and to London for evangelism when the Lord is saying for you to get to London and to get to everyplace else you've got to literally close your eyes and walk past the field that's surrounding you that is white for the harvest present the field around us is ripe for the harvest and the reason I know that if it's happening to me I'm sure it's happening a lot of of you when we go to the hospital when we go to Best Buy or the mall or whoever Walmart reven I'm Baptist but I watch you all the time you you that guy that do you know Danny Shelton yeah I know Danny shel I was raised with him people are watching somebody once said to me not too long ago Jill that girl with the lists the lists I call her the lists girl they're watching Sabbath school because Jill says I've got seven points today they call you the list girl they're watching church it ain't it's not rocket scientist it's not rocket science because when you look at verse 37 in John chapter one look what happened when John pointed his two disciples to Jesus look what happened in verse 37 the two disciples heard him they heard him speak and they followed Jesus when they heard John speak they followed Jesus when they hear you speak and invite you to follow him that's what they will do you can only plant the seed somebody else will water it but God will give the increase you can never determine when the invitation will be followed but the invitation will never be followed if the invitation is never given am i right and you know us very well we're not the kind of church that is that are going after people's money that's not the seventh-day Adventist Church we want to tell the people about the transforming grace of Christ come on say Amen and the truth as it is in Christ we want them to see that their lives can be transformed we want to see that there's something far greater than all the voices that are surrounding them other media voices or internet voices or social media voices there's a voice that the entire world is going to hear one day and when our hearts are filled like that little ant in that evangelistic moment we are fueled with the desire to go outside of our borders and you know what you don't have to go far on the venue to find out their souls all around us all around us all around us I can't get that out of my head Roger I can't get that out of my head when I met Roger in his parking lot he said when I watched you on 3abn I asked myself the question we are all being Adventists I never forgot that when he leaned on my door and he said I asked myself the question where are all the Adventists and I told that to somebody here and they said well well if he's watching 3abn he knew where the church is that's not what he said he knew where the church is that's a building but he was asking where are the people it's like a fire department we he knew where the fire department is but my house burned down because there were no firefighters God has been just knowing at me saying it's ripe all around us and he's not asking us to preach a sermon he's not asking us to give 28 fundamentals to anybody he's asking us to preach the and I want to I want to rephrase that he's not asking us to preach a long sermon like mine he's asking us to preach the shortest sermon ever given and what does that sermon come and see can any good thing come out of Nazareth I'm not going to tell you that come and see and I see God transforming our church I see God taking us up to another level I see God giving us a greater passion I see things changing and metamorphosizing and there's a new there's a there's a new passion and a new drive I see it in programming at 3abn I see it here at our church I see it in the minds and in in in lives of our leaders and I'm excited about it but I don't want to just get excited I want there to be fruit on the other side of that excitement first thirty-seventh said the two disciples heard John speak that's heard him speak and they followed Jesus and look at verse 38 then Jesus turned and seeing them following said to them what are you looking for and they said to him rabbi which is to say when translated teacher look at this where are you staying where can we find you Joe where can we find you well if you want to know more about Christ here's where I'd like to invite you all I could invite you to our fellowship to a Bible studies to Wednesday night prayer and Bible studies just classes on sabbath morning to our worship service people that come and see in you the Christ that they long for by your love by your patience by your desire to reach out to them to talk to them I believe at that moment there will be a connection between humanity and divinity that could never had been done if the invitation had not been extended john the baptist's introduced Andrew and Peter to Jesus not to himself and the question is how many times do we do that what happened after the invitation look at verse 39 look at verse 39 what happened on the heels that in of that invitation what happened on the heels of that simple invitation he said to them what did he say who said it Jesus said it first John said it then Jesus said it and look what happened they came and saw where he was staying and look at what happened and they remained with him for an hour and a half they remain with him what that day now it was about the tenth hour in other words the visit got so good they stayed with him to 4:00 p.m. and the Bible doesn't indicate in specifics when that invitation was extended but when it says all day they stayed with him during the greater part of the day and the inference is there when people were generally out working in the field generally involved in the Commerce of the community generally out going buying and selling they decided to put all that on hold and spend the day with Jesus you know what I discovered in my life the more time you spend with Christ the greater your passion to share him and know him becomes so I had to learn as a pastor I had to learn to not just study my Bible in preparation for the sermon or a Sabbath School lesson or a program on 3abn or ones in I Bible study or getting ready for teaching some body or visit the Lord and when you want to see the transition that happened in my life a couple of years ago the Lord said okay great you're studying for that for this sermon for that topic for that evangelism but could you get back to just talking to me could just study my word because you want to spend time with me and I discovered I was working for somebody that that I was quickly without my perception forgetting who he is because I was spending time reading his letter but not talking to him I was and I was a waiter at a restaurant starving while I'm feeding other people what a fellowship what a joy divine look at first John 1 verse 7 the simple simplicity's the simple simplicity's of transforming lives changing lives rival ushion izing lives happen when we begin in our fellowship with Christ that fellowship is something that Bond's us together in no other way not through any other sport but a fellowship but it begins with a decision we make notice 1st John 1 verse 7 but if we walk in the light as he is in the life let's pause before we go any further who has to walk in the light tell me we do we've got to walk in the light because that's where we find him if we walk in the light as he is in the light notice what we have something deeper than friendship notice what we have we have what with one another say that word fellowship with one another you know what fellowship is the word there in the Greek is Quan Ania that means we go beyond the surface conversation because I've spoken to the people at Walmart behind the cash register the people in the tire Department the people in various parts of the community but the transformation takes place when I go beyond just those conversations to to finding out how you doing today can I be can I make a difference in your life today and that's when the person remembers that you're not just a customer as I said to somebody the other day I said today we didn't meet by coincidence we met because the Lord had a plan for your life today and they said if I find out if I if I get nothing else out of this day I'll remember that the Lord planned this day for my life to be introduced to him on a higher plane if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship how with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from how much sin all sin but you have to notice something has to happen that fellowship creates something else Acts chapter 2 verse 44 notice what it creates there's an unmistakable cadence in the Bible which is a silent evidence of our connection with God that he wants us to experience notice what happens and the devil understands this that's why he tries to create division notice what happened Acts chapter 2 verse 44 look at what happened among believers and it says and now all who believed were what they were what together and had how many things all things in common the togetherness do you think that the devil knows that togetherness produces unity yes he does so he seeks to impact that to togetherness and if there is no togetherness we can't have all things in common if there's no togetherness we can't have all things in common and that's why the Apostle gives us these words and Hebrews 10 in verse 25 turn there with me I know that our guys will bring it on the screen if you can't make it quickly enough the Bible experiences and emphasizes the urgency of togetherness notice what it is it says not forsaking what come on talk to me not forsaking what the assembling of ourselves how together there's that word again on the day of Pentecost they were together and he says as time goes on don't forget the power is in togetherness not forsaking the assembling of ourselves what together as is the manner of some or the practice of some but notice what he talks about the urgency but exhorting one another encouraging one of them and so much the more as you see what the Day approaching as you see the Day approaching and I know what that's like when we plan to go someplace uh-uh it's funny how Greg and gel could appreciate this how we get closer and closer to an event and we say when are we leaving we say Tuesday they said you mean like in three days did you pack yet no and I have three more things to do before I pack and we stay up till four o'clock in the morning and my wife has learned so I've been now packing earlier and she she how am I gonna say this she teases me she says even though your pack is still not gonna go to bed to two o'clock in the morning cuz you always have something left to do in other words she's in essence saying you've been packing for three days what more do you have that you stay up to two o'clock I'm that detail guy and you know my response is guys you'll appreciate that say honey I'm the one that brings the extension cords I'm the one that brings the battery charger that you don't even know that exists and when you get to where we're going you'll appreciate that I stay up to two o'clock so that you can enjoy life my point is the closer the event draws to us the more I'm determined to be ready for it first Corinthians one verse 10 look at this every time I read this in the Bible I see there's an urgency behind it first Corinthians 1 in verse 10 look at this every victor we have every victory we have as together Ness 1st Corinthians 1 verse 10 now I plead with you notice he didn't say now I ask you now I plead with you brethren by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you all speak the what same thing and that there be no division among you but that you be what perfectly joined together in the what same mine and in the what else same judgment that can't happen unless you fellowship with one another now I was wondering the other day I said there was a time that we used to have fellowship lunch every Sabbath remember that now we have fellowship lunch a planned one I think once a month which gives each of you an opportunity to invite people to your house I got to have a conversation should I say it Lord yeah dad should I say it what if they get upset with me okay I won't worry about it we are the most uninviting to the house Church I've ever been to why don't we invite people to our homes when I went on the road with Jason Bergman and Francine I got to know them cuz we sat down at lunch we sat on the bus together and you know what Jason said to me I never knew you could have fun I thought you were the starched frozen serious guy but you could really know how to have fun amen thank you Jason but you never know that if you don't spend time and fellowship with one another you don't have to have this massive ornate meal and even if you don't want to invite people to your house say let's go to somebody else's house but get together for the sake of the Lord do you realize that was the strength of the New Testament church they got together every day they broke bread together they smile together they work together they labor together they were victorious together that work together is a formula being perfectly joined together which is where the phrase comes from that I think I'd like to apply it here united we stand divided we fall but I have to insert a caution the devil knows that unity means strength and division means weakness that's why be careful when people come to you inviting you inviting you to consider teachings that will divide the church don't allow it to happen while the New Testament church was growing Satan moved with a two-stage attack to bring internal division and pull people out by false teachings I got to insert this caution Acts chapter 20 verse 28 to 30 look at it and I don't remember I don't even know what time I started honey you tell me how much time I have left okay good thank you I'm staying on time my wife is my clock keeper thank you honey look at Acts chapter 20 verse 20 to 28 to 30 Paul knew that the unity of the church Peter knew the Apostles knew that the unity was something that the enemy didn't like and look at what he warned them about he inserted a caution because unity is strength division is weakness and at the New Testament church a baby church if this was true then how much more true is it now he says in verse 28 take heed take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to Shepherd the Church of God which he has purchased with what his own blood look at the next verse for I know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock that's an outside attack but here's the inside attack also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves but when God's people together gather together you know we are called sheep what do we call we're called sheep sheep are defenseless against a wolf but sheep together are the greatest offense against a wolf I learned this not because I'm a shepherd in the real sense of sheep but I read the story once that never lost my mind and the Shepherd when he knew that there was a threat lurking in the distance and that sheep were in danger he corralled his sheep he also had sheepdogs to do this they would run around the Sheep on the outside of the sheep and the Sheep would pack together they would pack together they would pack together to the point where their backs they were so close together that their backs created a false floor and when the wolf ran tried to jump in they were so tied together that he ran across their backs and out the other side he couldn't even find a space to fall into the midst of them and bring them down because sheep can't fight wolves but when they packed together that wolf will jump into the flock with its nation's desire to to devour them but he couldn't find a floor other than their backs and they would stick together until he ran out the other side and when he got out the other side the shepherd was waiting for him with a rod of a higher they were together they prayed together acts 4 verse 31 when they got together they prayed together and when they prayed together the place where they were assembled together the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness now I want you to notice something before he takes it away they when they prayed the place where they were assembled together if we're gonna be together in heaven don't you think it'll be a wise thing to get together down here it's not enough to be strong we got to be held together I've had another story about a building that was built with bricks and the building looked perfectly well until an earthquake hit and the news reporters discovered that the building that had been built together had it was three three bricklayers wide of brick and the way that it was built the way they had they had artistically done it they were able to hold a building together with just brick alone but you know why I came down because there was no mortar between each brick to hold it together they just found a clever way to parse the bricks one on the other and from the outside if there was nothing to shake it looked like it was together but because there was no mortar holding them together when the building began to shake it came down and the casually casualty count was great the mortar that holds us together my brothers and sisters is not only the love of God but prayer working together fellowship together reaching out together when the people of God do that something begins to happen among them let's go back to the story as I begin to wind up first John chapter I mean not first John but John chapter 1 I want you to notice the cadence that was said John invited his two disciples they invited two more they went to Jesus's house but I want you to notice he keeps going it keeps going John chapter 1 verse 40 and 41 one of the who heard John speak and followed him one of the two who heard John speak and followed him was what's his name Andrew simon Peters brother he first found who his own brother where did he begin where did he begin he began in his family he invited his family first and he said to him what did he say we have found the Christ which is translated we have found the Messiah which is translated we have found the Christ he began John invited two they invited two they invited two then later on the invitation extended to Andrew and Simon Peter and what I discovered as I studied this gel which is she no student of the scriptures I found out that when when Andrew introduced Peter to Christ later on you read in the Gospels that he went and he saw Peter fishing and he said follow me and the Bible says immediately he left his nets and followed Christ and I read and I studied that this invitation did not facilitate Peter abandoning his wares yet when Andrew introduced Peter to Christ it was a year and a half later before Peter decided to follow Christ all the way he was introduced to him a year and a half earlier but it was a year and a half later that Jesus came around again to Peter and said follow me and the Bible says immediately he left his nets and followed him here's my point it's not up to you to decide when a person follows Christ it's up to you to do what introduced them extend the invitation and when they extend the invitation the Lord will take that invitation and work on the heart of that individual and when the time is right that person by the working of the Spirit of God will make a decision as to when his heart will respond to the work of God but it all begins with what it all begins with an invitation which brings me to my second point leaders don't imitate leaders leaders imitate Christ Paul says imitate me just as I also imitate Christ want you to catch this phrase there's nothing more contagious than a person infected by Christ how would you like somebody to get sick based on what you have Tracy what's wrong with them Tracy infected them all so is that why they're witnessing and talking about Jesus how many of us would love to infect somebody that way what we have needs to be contagious if we believe if we truly believe now watch this is I'm leaving the intellect behind because the doctrines are clear the doctrines are unmistakable we have a truth that cannot be broken down in any particular but if our conviction is that we know for sure that he is the Christ we ought to be so we ought to be so contagious that people we meet and we talk to about Christ oughta walk away infected so infected that the German never leaves their system and eventually it turns them into a person just as infected as we used to be a Mensa body but the question is how affected are you how infected are you I believe that when the Word of God is in us then the Word of God will be poured through us let's finish the story verse 43 and 44 and you wonder how the disciples got together it's amazing how it happened verse 43 the following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee I love that passage because it says to me Ryan he wanted to go to Galilee because he knew there was somebody there that needed him just as much as he needed them he found who did he find was the Bible say he found Philip I don't know if you remember Philip but Philip was one of the first evangelists in the Bible when the New Testament church was growing Philip wanted to preach so badly I want you this is the this is a powerful example Philip wanted to preach so badly now how many of you we just came from de Coyne and we had a little revival for the de Coyne Church how many of you would want to have an evangelistic series and when the opening night came you went to the evangelistic meeting and there was one person there you probably say man this was our advertising was horrible wouldn't you say that where did you guys advertise everywhere one person well Philip means lover of horses Philip got so infected by Christ that when the New Testament church began to grow the Lord sent Philip for his first evangelistic series he sent him out into the desert he said Philip your first evangelistic series is going to be in the desert what a Philip say nothing he went when he went out he saw the Evo bein eunuch on his way back to Ethiopia to Candace and he ran because Phillip see let me say something the Lord knows what we like do you think that's true when Phillip saw the but when Phillip saw this royal horse he forgot about his evangelistic series because SIL it means a lover of horses so the Lord sent a man who loves horses after a guy who was riding one of the best horses in town a Royal Ethiopian eunuch taken the message taken his wares back to Ethiopia to Candace and he pulled alongside of him and stopped him and climbed on board and he said what are you reading he says I'm reading Isaiah I don't understand it and that one man he began to explain Isaiah the prophet to this one Ethiopian eunuch and when it was done the gospel presentation was so beautiful he said what's preventing me from being baptized and he said nothing here's water and he went down and he baptized that Ethiopian now let's look at the impact one person to one person do you realize that outside of the Jewish nation the only nation that kept the Sabbath longer almost as long as the Jews was the nation of Ethiopia and you know how it happened it happened that day the first evangelistic series held by one of those who were a disciple of Jesus Philip that's why it says in this verse he found Philip and said to him follow me now Philip was from Bethsaida the city of Andrew and Peter which brings me to my fourth point we will not be able to catch others until we allow Jesus to catch us when Peter went to fish and Luke 5 and verse 4 when Peter went to fish a man who had fished so frequently he worked all night long at getting his catch until he had an encounter with Jesus and whether the Lord say to him Luke 5 and verse 4 when he stopped speaking he said to Simon launched out into the what into the deep and let down your net for a catch what is that saying to us today in 2019 I know I'm dating the message what does that say to us today we may have been fishing but we have to abandon our methods and begin to adapt the methods of Christ because when Peter who was a fisherman listen to me pastors have to abandon methods that pastors have adopted so that we can be successful we have methods I mean 32 years do you don't think I have methods I'd like to try out but the Lord was saying to me lately as I'm looking through my arsenal how to get us from point A to point B he says forget your methods I got methods for you here is what I want you to do to move this church forward and I love the response of Peter in verse 5 and 6 Simon answered and said to him master we have toiled all night and caught nothing we have baptisms intermittently but in reality we have not caught what the Lord intends for us to catch and this is where we are at the end of verse 5 nevertheless at your word I will let down the net and when he had done this they caught a great number of fish and their net was broken you know I heard it at 95 anybody remembered at 95 we need to have a net series ourselves I didn't ask for money now I just I didn't ask you up for penny I just said we need to have a net series ourselves because I believe that we're at that place where the Lord wants us to let down our net under his direction so that we no longer have to slide these walls close we no longer have to lower the amount of seats we have because there are people all around us waiting to be drawn in by the invitation that Christ will extend through us what happened to Peter when Peter decided to do what the Lord indicated he should do he realized that the hindrance was not what the Lord had said Peter said I am a sinful man and I want to tell you today as I close the message I will invite our singers to come up sin will keep us fishing in shallow waters but faith will cause us to launch out into the deep let me say that again fish are not in the shallow waters not the ones that the Lord is looking for sin will keep us fishing in shallow waters our faith will encourage us to cast out into the deep why into the deep because into the deep the larger communities around us the people that are around us are waiting waiting for us to take our nets and cast out into the deep John Henry Newman said it this way fear not that your life shall come to an end but rather fear that your life shall never have a beginning the Lord wants to take us from where we are to a brand new beginning what do you say because Jesus did not come to save the world for us he came to save the world through us and if we connect to that almighty power that is available to us today we're gonna put together specific plans but not my plans but not our plans we're gonna ask for the Lord to tailor those plans that each one of us can know that God is extending us to reach out to those who are nearest to us to gather someone in before it is ever too late the invitation the first sermon that Philip ever preached only had three words in those three words war what say it with me come and see this week when you begin and I know one of the dangers is we all work together but I want to tell you there are people that even would that we work together with there are people that work around us even though we work in a Christian organization there are people that work around us that want that invitation - am i right Joe they work with us in various departments if we can't extend the invitation to those that work with us when you follow the methods that were taken in the Bible they did not just invite Andrew and Peter they did not just invite Andrew and Peter John took Andrew and Peter to meet Christ if we would not just invite individuals but pick them up tell them I'll come and I'll come and pick you up I have a friend today by the name of Jose sterling he was down in Texas and his wife was pregnant she was obviously going to have a child and an Asian lady came and extended her hands to pray for his child coming out of the music world as he was in the moment that lady put her hand on his wife's stomach he fat whoa wait a minute wait a minute is is she a Christian or not I don't know and she began to pray for that child and when she entered she says in Jesus name I pray and he went she's a Christian well the lady said to him what are you doing tomorrow he said what do you mean she said I'd like to I'd like to come and pick you up and take you to church with me well it was two days later actually and she came and picked them up and took them to church she said I'm taking you into a church he's african-american she was Chinese she says I go to a different church but I want to take you to a church I know you're gonna enjoy she took him to the church introduced him to the pastor and the members of the church she said you'll like it here I'm going to Chinese Church we speak in Chinese you wouldn't understand what we're saying well after church he met with the pastor had fellowship lunch with them the members gave them a steps to Christ as I have ages great controversy you know how we do we overload people with material they read your way in rather than spend time with them read your way in and when it comes to you one day you'll be here that Tuesday he went back he was so excited about its experience he went back to that I forgot to tell you where he met this Chinese lady at a vegetarian store he went back that Tuesday to thank her for that invitation this is a true story when he pulled up to the store where he met her just a few days earlier there was no store my good friend we talk about this all the time he said there was no store the building was boarded up one of the people walking by he said what happened to the store that was open here last week they said that building has been closed for years it messed him up as it would you do what book was a Chinese know that store been closed for years he went home and told his wife he was afraid to tell her because that lady prayed for her child he said honey there is no store but that's not the end of the story but the law wasn't done with him [Music] he couldn't forget the fact that he had been introduced to the Advent message through the lady that did not exist and that stayed in the back of his mind he began to then have dreams one night at two o'clock in the morning he woke up and he said to his wife I got to tell you something she said what is it is it about Texas he said how do you know about Texas she's a lord gave me the same dream that you had to go to Texas [Music] so while they're getting ready to go to Texas they're on Barnes and Nobles now I'm telling you the story I could have him come and tell you this or himself this guy used to be Janet Jackson's entertainment lawyer we're good friends now and he found out about me through the series unclean spirits he says I'm in Barnes and Nobles and I meet another lady who says the Lord has a message for you he said wait wait right here might be right back he walked around us he said I walked around Barnes and Nobles because the last lady did not exist so I want to see if she was real so I walked around Barnes and Nobles and came back and she was there he said okay okay what's the message she says you got to go to Texas so while he's sleeping the Lord put on his heart he's got to go to Texas he never told his wife because she's already freaked out about the lady that did not exist and she wakes up at when he wakes up and she says to him is it about Texas he says how did you know she said the Lord impressed me we have to go to Texas they went to Texas and at the bus station they met a group of seven Adventists who took them to the local seventh-day Adventist Church in that Bible studies with them I'm talking about a simple invitation into this very day when we talked periodically he claims to be an Adventist watch it he claims to be a member of the seventh-day Adventist Church although he had not yet been baptized and every time I talk to any say you know what I keep trying this message out from reverence and pastors and big leaders I know the big guys because I work with them I do their advertising but they don't know this message this is the real message he's telling people about the message long before he got baptized and it all began with an invitation from a lady that did not exist what could happen with if the Lord upholds us and we do exist extend the invitation before it is ever - I'm gonna have the phrase team sing this closing song I'm gonna have us and join them as we stand together but I want to extend an invitation because this is all about it's all about seeking the lost calling on the Christ right that's significant seeking the lost country Warners all [Music] [Laughter] [Music] we not [Music] bring in the world into the fall [Music] Reidy Jesus the light [Music] warning 2g [Music] [Music] going a fly [Music] bringing the [Music] [Applause] [Music] into the floor Reidy [Music] Jesus the light [Music] [Applause] [Music] the next answer I want to make an invitation you can keep playing softly Danielle I didn't preach a rocket scientist sermon today I just stripped it down to the bare bones I didn't want to get heavily theological I want to dive all over the Greek and the Hebrew and try to take you back all to the Archaea times that are behind us I wanted to simply say to you today inviting someone to know to Christ is as simple as an invitation if you had a yard sale watches Brian Hamilton has a sign on new lake road says yard sale Sunday I said how did it go Brian he said it was amazing what would happen if instead of putting up a yard sale you put up a sign says Bible studies come for dinner you might get 200 people fine clever and creative ways to let people know you're there and for those of you that have the courage on the other side go out into the highways to community meet your neighbor hey I see you cutting your lawn what's your name do it that way my name is I'd invite you to come over I I did that in our community here and I knocked on the guys door and he opened it this close you know what he said to me I'm Baptist I don't want anything no I don't want to talk about anything I said I'm not trying to convert you I just want to give you something I gave him a steps to Christ in a CD and he closed the door real quick that's the seed that's right God will take it wherever he wants it to go don't be afraid of the people that are are in need of Jesus just like we are so we're gonna sing and lastly I want to ask a question if there's somebody here today that wants to know more about that Christ that I have come to love and to know there's somebody here today they say I want to know more about this Christ I know there's so many things I don't understand right now but but like Andrew and Peter and Philip and Nathanael they didn't know either but they followed the invitation and look at them today they are champions in the annals of scriptural history many people have come to them if there's somebody here today I want to know more about that Christ aren't you raise your hand where you are why'd you raise your hand where you are I want my life to be dedicated to that crisis there's somebody here today I'm assuming you all know him that way now that's really dangerous that means if you know him that well you are not gonna hesitate to share him with somebody right but after the service is done if there's somebody here today that wants to say maybe you're not into the public response but you want to come out silence they passed a John I want to know more about the Christ you talked about today pull me aside our elders pull them aside how can you find out how can I find out more about the Christ that you talked about today and we will be pleased to show that Christ to you I want to sing one more stanza of seeking the laws because we come in to learn about him and we leave to share him we don't leave to come back in again don't fill up your tank with gas and fail to drive anywhere if your tanks are filled with Christ you got to empty them in the journey of ministry one more stanza before we close [Music] cries what sharing the face raising the - Jesus No going a song [Music] bringing the bar into the four [Music] Jesus [Music] Father in heaven there are many right now that are driving by this church looking at the sign some people even drive through our parking lot not knowing how close they are to meeting the Christ we have gone to the post office to the local stores to the markets there are people that are right across the fence from us so down just an acre that we have seen and we've smiled at Lord they don't know what's coming upon this world but we know Lord give us a passion for the lost not to reach them only by radio and television but by personal invitation and say come and see see what just come and see and when they find that love and their dedication when they find that peace for their soul that they have been longing for whatever their station in life we pray that all the glory will go back to you and we know one day there'll be a multitude of saved from this earth when north to south to East the West every language every race every nationality father sent us forth as laborers into this ripe harvest and when that day does come our hearts will be filled with a joy that Christ has used us to save somebody as he used somebody to save us and we pray that we could do it as simple as extending the invitation in the name of Jesus this we ask Christ to be glorified in your name I pray amen

Channel: Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church

Views: 9,560

Rating: 4.8028169 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: ruVT0vrYKQ4

Length: 81min 25sec (4885 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 27 2019