Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
Open with discussion - What are some of the best invitations you’ve received? I was once invited by the Secret Service to visit the White House for Christmas during the Obama administration (I declined).
Here are a few funny wedding invitations I found online.
Have you ever been to an event where someone uninvited showed up? We sometimes call these people ‘Wedding Crashers’ Celebrity Wedding Crashers.
Bob Goff tells the story of him and his friend Brandon going to Washington DC on business and being close to Capital Hill at midnight. They saw a bunch of cars awkwardly parked around the Library of Congress and barricades, so they decided to investigate. They discovered that it was a set for the filming of National Treasure 2. They set out a plan. They returned to their hotel and changed from their suits to blue jeans and t-shirts to look the part of the film crew. They then went back, dodged a couple of security guards, and ran across lawns and through some bushes. They finally got to the side entrance where the crew went in and walked right in as if they belonged there, and nobody said a thing. They followed the signs and arrows that said, “Set” on it. Finally, they got to a metal detector with a guard standing it by who said, “Where are your crew badges?” We don’t have them. He mumbled something to his girlfriend about inept crew members, waved them through, and yelled at them, “Badges next time!”
They turned a few corners until they found themselves on the set, in the middle of the Library of Congress at 2 am with its millions of books on shelves. They were filming the scene where they were looking for the Presidential Book of Secrets. After the filming, they began to plan their escape without getting caught. Suddenly Nicholas Cage and Diane Kruger rounded the corner and, without even thinking, fell into their entourage as if they belonged. They walked right out without question being asked and had another thrilling adventure.
And then he writes, “There are many things I don’t get invited to. I’ve never been invited to the Oscars, Paul McCartney’s birthday, or a space shuttle launch. I’m waiting for my invitation to the National Treasure 3. If I got an invitation to any of those…I’d go. Nothing feels like being included. There’s only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I’m always tempted to turn it down. I get the invitation every day when I wake up to live a life of complete engagement, whimsy, a life where love does…It’s an invitation to live, to fully participate in this amazing life (and God’s plan of salvation) for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation to the White House, but I’ve seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to live fully.” (Credit: Tom Smith, Sermon Central)
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the thirsty one come. Let the one who wishes receive the water of life without cost. 18 I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which is written in this book. 20 He who bears witness to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:17–21)
These are the final words of Scripture and the last invitation of Jesus to an unbelieving world. It comes with a promise and a warning.
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15)
That is the promise of God for a Deliverer and Savior. The one who would come and rescue men by destroying the enemy. It is the first end-times prophesy in the Bible, barely on the heels of the fall of man in the garden. This is the promise of God and the great hope of all of mankind; likewise, Revelation 22:20 is an equally solemn promise that we can affirm.
He who bears witness to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)
“First the Savior is to come, that He might be crushed, bruised, crucified, and made an offering for sin. He is to come to die as the Redeemer for the souls of men. After God made that promise in Eden, hundreds of years passed, millenniums passed, and the Lord did not come. When He finally arrived, He came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him. He was in the world, which he made, and the world knew Him not. Thousands of humanity had forgotten the promise or scoffed at its fulfillment. When finally announcement came that He had arrived, the learned scribes pointed out where He was to be born but never took the time to journey the five miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to welcome the promised Savior of the world.
“However long He delayed, and men forgot and scoffed, and however few of a faithful band waited for the consolation of Israel, as old Simeon, yet He came. And in keeping with the holy faithful promise of God, the Lord Jesus came. Thus, in the text, God speaks in closing his Bible, ‘Surely I come quickly.’ Here a second time, however, infidels may scoff, however, others may reject, and however the centuries may grow into the millenniums, this is the immutable word and promise of the Lord God, ‘Surely, I come.’” (W.A. Criswell).
What an invitation the Bible closes with in our final study of Revelation. It is an open invitation to you, me, and anyone who will answer the call. Some say this is an invitation to the non-believer or for Jesus to return. I think either sense could be authentic and of sound interpretation. However, given the following sentence about the invitation to the water of life, it is a better interpretation to be the words of Jesus.
We know that this is an invitation to the lost from the Holy Spirit and the Church - I would submit to you that this is the Spirit-filled Church. A Spirit-filled church is an evangelizing church. For it is the unity of the Church (the Bride) and the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the will of Christ
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. (John 14:26)
Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
And those members of the body which we think as less honorable, on these, we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, (1 Corinthians 12:23)
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will say, and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13)
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times, some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1)
We are delivering the invitation on behalf of Christ. We are not the inviters; we are the messengers on behalf of Christ, with the Holy Spirit as our strength and witness.
It is the Holy Spirit that seeks to bring a lost world to Jesus (Jn 16:7-14)
It is the Holy Spirit that imparts Spiritual life (Jn 3:3-8)
It is the Holy Spirit that gives Liberty from the bondage of Sin (Rom 8:2)
It is the Holy Spirit that provides the power with to live the Christian life (Acts 1:8)
It is the Holy Spirit that produces Likeness(2 Cor 3:18)
He fills us with God’s urgent love for Souls – So we will Go! (Robert Kerr)
So what is the invitation to? Verses 14 & 15 lend us a clue:
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the authority to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Revelation 22:14–15)
This is an invitation to forgiveness:
Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your futile conduct inherited from your forefathers, (1 Peter 1:18)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (Ephesians 5:26)
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says Yahweh, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
This also speaks of the exclusivity of Heaven. Everyone doesn’t make it there. Forgiveness is a requirement for anyone to enter into heaven. Many will find themselves shut out from heaven like dogs without responding to the invitation.
Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. (Revelation 22:15)
Biblically speaking, dogs aren’t the fluffy, domesticated animals we think of today. They were scavengers and dangerous in biblical times. The Bible never has positive things to say about them.
Then Hazael said, “But what is your servant, who is but a dog, (2 Kings 8:13)
His watchmen are blind; All of them know nothing. All of them are mute dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who love to slumber; (Isaiah 56:10 )
“You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of Yahweh your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to Yahweh your God. (Deuteronomy 23:18)
Sorcerers are those who practice magic using mind-altering drugs. The sexually immoral are those who practice any sexually immoral practice. We get our word pornography from the Greek word pornea. Idolaters are those who engage in worship of anything other than God.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ten nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9–10)
Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral man sins against his own body.
So the invitation is to flee the things that will destroy your eternity and come freely to the water of life. While pastoring in Cherryville, North Carolina, a disturbance was observed, and shortly afterward, a man was taken from the church's balcony and placed in an ambulance. He was dead before they got him to the hospital. He died before the invitation could be given to that service. Could this be your last invitation? Make the decision that God calls you to make-—now is the appointed time; today is the day of salvation. (Credit: Sermon Central, Donnie Martin)
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the thirsty one come. Let the one who wishes receive the water of life without cost. (Revelation 22:17)
But there is also a significant warning that we all must pay attention to; I believe this is a warning to the believer, the preachers, and the denomination leaders of our day.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the thirsty one come. Let the one who wishes receive the water of life without cost. 18 I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book. (Revelation 22:17–18)
This is the third type of this warning we read in Chapter 22. In verse 6, we read, “These words are faithful and true.” In verse 10, we are warned not to seal up the prophecies of this book. I think that Jesus knew that many would want to change God’s word to make it more palatable to fleshly men.
Why? Because verse 20 reiterates, “Yes, I am coming soon!” So Jesus is telling the readers and the churches that these are the words of eternal life to the perishing. This is the truth of God for the salvation of men. Therefore, do not add or take away from what God has written.
There are churches and liberal theologians who are ignoring this warning. They are unwilling to contend with the truth of this prophecy because they would much rather be entertaining men or be accepted or popular, rather than speak the truth. I think there is some spiritual sickness or weakness in people like this.
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I am commanding you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)
That is the sign of a true believer. It doesn’t mean you are perfect, but you endeavor to be a person of the Word. You are a person of tremendous grace and peace, but hungry for God’s word to dwell with you and strengthen you.
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are indeed My disciples; (John 8:31)
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. (John 14:23)
And so the most incredible invitation we could receive is to receive God’s forgiveness freely. It can only be found through Jesus Christ, and with that forgiveness comes an urgent desire to be with him. Maranatha.
Following the Civil War, a dejected Confederate soldier was sitting outside the grounds of the White House. A young boy approached him and inquired why he was so sad. The soldier related how he had repeatedly tried to see President Lincoln tell him why he was unjustly deprived of certain lands in the South following the war. On each occasion, as he attempted to enter the White House, the guards crossed their bayoneted guns in front of the door and turned him away.
The boy motioned to the old soldier to follow him. When they approached the entrance, the guards came to attention, stepped back, and opened the door for the boy. He proceeded to the library where the President rested and introduced the soldier to his father.
The boy was Tad Lincoln. The soldier had gained an audience with the President through the President’s son. (Donald J. Barnhouse).
Will You Respond to His Invitation Today?
