Choose Ye This Day

I know there are critics of the church who say they believe in Christ, but the church isn’t worth it. But if there were no church, there would be no Christ to believe in. It was the first Christians who belonged to the early church who preserved the message of Christ, wrote down His word, and kept the treasure of salvation for us.

People who want to be part of Christ’s body, but want to be a Lone Ranger Christian, an independent, don’t have the slightest clue how far off the mark they are. Have you ever heard of an independent kidney? How about an independent spark plug for your engine? Would an independent husband or wife work in a marriage? No; and neither do independent Christians work in the body of Christ. We are too connected by the Lord Jesus Christ to get along without each other in the church.

My life’s verse is 2 Tim 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth."

It is the church that gives me that opportunity:

In Sunday School, I study to know Him more deeply, powerfully...

In discipleship I train to learn to serve…

In worship I glorify Him…

In outreach I seek to tell others the good news.

This invitation is to you who don’t belong to the church. Will you join this local body of believers we call the church? Will you commit yourself to something greater than yourself?

Invitations have RSVP’s. Will you respond today?

Will you accept Christ?

Will you be baptized?

Will you join with this fellowship of caring?

Let me tell you what is going to happen now.

When we ask those questions, God’s Son, Jesus is standing at your heart’s door saying "Yes, Yes, open the door; walk down that aisle and confess me, identify with me."

The members of God’s family are praying "Yes, Lord, help them come down to settle those decisions once and for all!"

Your heart is saying; "I ought to, I want to".

And the world, the flesh and the devil are rooting for you to be afraid, and put it off one more time. And the nagging doubt tries to block your pathway.

Listen to Joshua one more time; "Choose YE THIS day whom ye will serve." Put it off no longer!

A story is told of a shipwrecked crew who had been drifting for days in a small boat off the coast of Brazil. They were suffering the horrors of thirst but they dare not drink the seawater because the salt would make it even worse.

They saw a vessel coming towards them, and called out,

"Water, water!"

"Dip your bucket over the side" they were told.

They thought they were being mocked. But no, the water was fresh. They had drifted into the flow of the mighty River Amazon bearing fresh water far out to sea. (4)

God’s salvation is that close – that available. It may not look like it; it may seem implausible, impractical, but you’ve got to dip your bucket in his water to find out.

Dennis Frick was a councilman in Orange Park, Florida. In 1992 he ran for re-election. He got 438 votes. The problem was Ted Coleman, his opponent also got 438 votes. “Officials said it was the first Orange Park election tie in memory.” A further problem is that Devin Frick, an 18-year-old college student at Virginia Tech didn’t register to vote before he left for school. Frick lost re-election by one vote – and something could have been done about it!