MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
TEXT: Genesis 6:5, 17:18-23; Revelation 22:17; Hebrews 11:7; Acts 26:14
What is God's most compelling word? What is the word that echoes in every part of the Bible? What was the word that God spoke to man before He destroyed the earth with a flood? What is the word that prophets & apostles cried out so often?
What is the word that brought Peter to Jesus? What is the word that He spoke to little children, & to the weary & the heavy-laden?
What is the word that brings the Bible to a close with its final invitation?
Listen to these words, almost the last words in the N.T. "The Holy Spirit and the bride say, ”Come!” And the person who hears should say, “Come!” Anyone who is thirsty should come.” (Revelation 22:17 NIrV)
Yes, you have figured it out. That word is "Come." There are command-ments & warnings & promises in the Bible, for God is a God of righteousness & truth; but sounding like a refrain among all the other voices is the voice of invitation, "Come."
I. NOAH & THE FLOOD
The first time that the word "Come" is used in the Bible is when it is used with Noah. Noah stands out in the history of mankind. He is first mentioned at a time of great crisis. The whole earth was corrupt before God. And when we see what is going on in the world around us we wonder how that world could have been more corrupt than our world today.
But today's wickedness, terrible though it is, is somewhat relieved by the lives & earnest prayers of those who are faithful to God. Were it not for that, God might indeed be ready to destroy the earth once again.
But back in Noah's day, the Bible says, "The Lord saw how bad the sins of everyone on earth had become. They only thought about evil things.” (Genesis 6:5 NIrV)
Because of this universal wickedness, God decided to cleanse the world & start all over again. Noah was commanded to build an ark to save himself & any others who were willing to be saved.
In the obedience of Noah, in spite of all the ridicule he must have re¬ceived, we have one of the greatest examples of faith recorded in the Bible. Ages afterwards it was not forgotten, for the writer of Hebrews lists Noah in God's hall of fame, & says,
"Noah had faith. So he built an ark to save his family. He built it because of his great respect for God. God had warned him about things that could not yet be seen. Because of his faith Noah showed the world that it was guilty. Because of his faith he was considered right with God.” (Hebrews 11:7 NIrV)
When the ark was finished, God said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you & all your family.”
Then, when Noah & his family were safely in, the Bible says, "the waters rose & increased greatly on the earth . . . & all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered . . . Every living thing that moved on the earth perished . . . Only Noah was left, together with those who were with him in the ark." (Genesis 7:18-23
ILL. If you go into the Catacombs at Rome today, where the early Christians laid their dead, the picture that you will see most often as a symbol of the Christian's hope & faith is that of the ark floating upon the waters.
The ark was also the symbol of the Church. And still the message of God to a perishing world is what God said in the beginning, "Come into the ark." When we urge people to come into the church, remember this is not our invitation, but God's.
God said to Noah before the flood destroyed the world, "Come into the ark." And in Revelation, when the long battle with sin & darkness is over, John heard the voice of God saying, "Come; the Holy Spirit & the Bride say come."
II. CHRIST & BARTIMAEUS
It was a bright spring morning at Jericho. Blind Bartimaeus finds a sunny spot against the wall & waits to see what the day will bring him.
As he sits there he hears in the distance the hum of voices & the shuffling of feet. He soon realized that it was more than the usual street traffic. So he begins asking those hurrying by, "What is going on? What is the excitement all about?"
Someone answered, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by!" "Jesus of Nazareth!" thought the beggar. "I have heard of him. Some say that He is a good man. Others say that he is an impostor & evil. But I have heard that he is able to do great miracles, & that he has even opened the eyes of the blind. If he was able to do that for others, then why not for me?"
With hope rising in his heart, Bartimaeus waits until it sounds as if the center of the procession is near. Then, lifting up his voice, he cries out in a shout that is heard above the murmur & hubbub of the passing multitude, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
His cry was so loud that the Bible says that the people in the front of the procession started telling him, "Bartimaeus, keep still!" Who were these people?
Were they other beggars who were perhaps frightened that his cry might bring the magistrates down upon them?
Or could it have been the leaders of the city, whose official welcome had been loudly interrupted by the cry of Bartimaeus? Maybe they were Pharisees who didn't like the idea of Jesus getting all this attention in the first place.
We don't know who they were, but I do know one thing. It's a bad thing not to come to Christ yourself, but it is worse to stand in the way of others. If you will not come yourself, be sure that you do not hinder others.
But the more the bystanders rebuked Bartimaeus, the louder he cried, "Jesus, have mercy on me." Hearing the cry, Jesus stood still. Many other shouts & voices were being sounded, but that was the one Jesus heard. "And Jesus stood still."
The moment Jesus stopped, I imagine that the chief men of the town began to make apology. "This is only one of our town beggars. We had given strict orders that all beggars be removed from the street, & we are sorry that..."
But Jesus broke in on their apologies, by saying, "Call him, & tell him to come to me." They looked at Him in astonishment, & then seeing that He meant it, hurried towards the place where Bartimaeus was sitting.
Now that Jesus had called for him, all those who had been telling Bartimaeus to keep quiet changed their tune. Now they are all courtesy & kindness. "Here is your cloak," said one. And another, "Here is your staff." And another, "Give me your hand, & I'll help you to your feet."
But Bartimaeus jumps to his feet, & casting his heavy cloak aside, hurries in the direction of Jesus. What a scene! Jesus, the Light of the world, standing still, & the blind beggar all atremble & excited, standing before Him!
Jesus knew what Bartimaeus wanted, & yet He asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" What was the wish of Bartimaeus?
Did he answer, "Lord, that you should take these rags from me & clothe Me in fine garments?" Or, "Lord, that you should make me a rich man who will never have to beg again?"
No, that was not what he asked for. What he asked for was, "Lord, I want to be able to see.” He wanted to see the sky that men say is so blue, & the hills of Moab beyond the Jordan, & the Dead Sea, & the Temple of God in Jerusalem. “Lord, give me sight! Open my eyes." Then Jesus said to him. "Receive your sight. Your faith has healed you."
The word "Come" is not used here, except when it is said that the beggar came to Jesus. But that is what Jesus asked him to do. He called for him to come to Him, & the beggar came.
his was the last time Jesus ever went through Jericho. If Bartimaeus had not called, if he had not come to Christ that morning, his eyes would never have been opened.
Always for someone Jesus is passing by for the last time. Maybe even for someone here this morning He is passing by for the last time. Once again He sends this message, "Call him to come unto Me." Christ invites you to come.
III. THE LAST "COME" IN THE BIBLE
There are so many other times when the invitation to "Come" is given in the Bible. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me,” “Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them.” (Luke 18:16 NIrV)
Or how about His words to all those who labor & are carrying heavy loads, "Come to me…I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
ILL. Often, on the final night of a revival, when the last stanza of the invitation hymn has been sung, many evangelists will ask to sing one more stanza to give someone just one more chance to respond.
So God says to the apostle John, “Don’t close the book, John, until once more I can invite sinners to come.” Maybe God is inviting you today. Maybe He’s giving you one more opportunity to come to Christ
A. Who invites sinners to come?
1. The Holy Spirit invites. The first work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart is to convict men of sin and point them to the Lamb of God. It is He who brings about repentance and faith which culminate in our salvation.
Paul told King Agrippa that when he was on the Damascus road, “I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (Acts 26:14 NIV) What were those goads?
Like a sharp stick or pin pricking the flesh the Holy Spirit had been pricking Saul. You who are unsaved have had those same sharp pricks on your conscience, too.
2. The church invites. The “bride” invites you. This is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ now on earth. Surely every true church is calling out sinners. This is the primary mission of the church.
We do many things in & through the church. But the chief task of the church is to win souls, & everything we do should have the winning of souls as its ultimate aim.
3. Every hearer is to invite. “Let him who hears say, Come.” We sing about the Promised Land & ask the question, “Oh, who will come and go with me? I am bound for the Promised Land.” Are you going? Are you on the way to heaven? Then tell someone else. You’ll become a happier & stronger Christian.
B . Who are invited?
1. Those who are thirsty are invited. “”Whoever is thirsty, let him come.” This means everyone who is dissatisfied with life & its pleasures, everyone who is tired of sin, everyone who wants peace in his heart.
Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to see Jesus, was thirsty. The tax collector who cried out, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” was thirsty.
The sinful woman at the well was thirsty. And the world is full of thirsty people today. The trouble is that many are trying to quench that thirst at the wells of the world, wells that can never satisfy.
2. “Whosoever will” is invited. This is the same “whosoever will” that we find in John 3:16. It is an invitation extended & salvation offered to anyone & everyone.
3. Those who desire to be saved are invited. If in your heart you desire to drink of the water of life, you are invited to come.
C. What is the invitation?
1. It is to take the water of life. Christ provides the water. He offers it to you, but it is up to you to take it. When you are desperately ill & the doctor offers you medicine, you take it or you die. When you are sick in sin & the Great Physician offers you the only remedy for sin, you take it or you die.
2. The water is free. “Whoever wishes, let him take of the free gift of the water of life.” If you have money on this earth you can stay at the best hotels, you can eat the most expensive food, wear the finest clothes, ride in the highest-priced cars and on the largest jet planes.
But you can get to heaven without money and without price. God is not trying to sell you anything. He is trying to give you salvation & eternal life.
INVITATION: Oh, what a Savior we have! He can save the highest & he can save the lowest. He invites you to come to Him today. I have talked to you about the last invitation in the Bible. It could be the last invitation for you, also. Will you accept it?
