Many Are Invited

But Few Are Chosen

12/8/02

 

 

Read Mat. 22:1-14

 

The invitation has been given to many but only a few are chosen.

 

Mat. 7:13  "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

14  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

I want to share three tremendous invitations that God has given to all man kind.

 

Is. 1:18  "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

 

Rom. 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Is. 59:1  Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

2  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.

3  For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.

 

Ps. 32:2  Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah

5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

 

Pr. 28:13  He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

 

Mat. 11:28  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

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

30  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

 

People are starving for “soul rest.”

 

Has the world taken a toll on you?

 

Are you overwhelmed by life?

 

Are you weary?

 

Do you feel like your in a situation that seems like there is no way out?

 

Jesus wants to give you perfect rest!

 

Jo. 7:37  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

 

A thirsty person knows there is more to life than what they have.

 

The ones who are chosen are the ones who respond to the invitation that Jesus gives.

 

Responding to the invitation is very conditional.

 

Mat. 16:24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

25  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

 

You cannot come to Jesus on your own terms, you must come on His terms!

 

Many people have fooled themselves in thinking they have come to Jesus when they have not come to Him at all.

 

Jo. 5:39  You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,

40  yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

 

A person can be very religious and yet not come to Jesus.

 

2 Tim. 3:1  But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3  without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,

4  treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God--

5  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

 

No one can come to Jesus unless there is a drawing.

 

Jo. 6:44  "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

It is not a mystery.  You know it when your heart is being drawn by the Holy Spirit.  There’s a struggle, a fight, a reluctance to let go.

 

Is the Holy Spirit knocking on the door of your heart?

 

Rev. 3:20  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

 

1 Cor. 11:23  For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,

24  and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."

25  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."

26  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

27  Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.