A man stepped up to the first tee to begin his round of golf. He teed up the ball, took a mighty swing and missed the ball, but hit a rather large ant hill; ants, parts of ants, turf and dirt scattered everywhere. He swung again, missed the ball again, making thousands more ant widows and widowers.
After a third swing and a Hiroshima-effect on the now flattened ant hill there were only two living ants – dazed and battered. One ant looked at the other and announced, That guy’s gonna kill us if we don’t get on the ball!
There are all sorts of ways to make decisions. A wife found a list on her husband’s desk one fall. It was entitled: THINGS TO DO BEFORE WINTER SETS IN…
a. Install Franklin fireplace & Chop firewood
b. Check weather-stripping & Clean furnace
c. Clean and repair snow blower & Replace broken storm window
OR
a. Get the heck out of Wisconsin (1)
I like the story that comes out of the Vietnam era. A sergeant served his combat duty tour and was reassigned to a stateside induction center. It was his job to advise the new recruits about government benefits, especially GI insurance. Soon he had a nearly 100% insurance sales record. His officers were amazed. Rather than ask him how he did it, an officer stood in the back of the room one day and listened to the sales pitch.
The sergeant explained the basics of GI insurance to the new recruits, and then said, If you HAVE GI insurance, and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay $35,000 to your beneficiaries. If you DON’T have GI insurance and go into battle and are killed, the government has to pay only a maximum of $3,000. Now, he concluded, which bunch do you think they’re going to send into battle first? (2)
Decisions in life are important. Every week, at the end of each service, there is an invitation to choose the Christian way. Invitation; what is it? The same thing you got in the mail when you were 10, and your friend or classmate wanted you to come to the party.
Here, you are invited to the Lord’s "party". But, the invitation was only partially complete. Most of the time there was an RSVP at the bottom. That stands for some foreign phrase that I’ve never been able to pronounce.
But what it always meant was: "Nag the dickens out of Mom until she says you can go & lets you call your friend to tell him so!" That always created a crisis at our house. Mom sometimes didn’t want me to go. The invitation was clearly for me. But Mom had veto power, and the choice of attending had to pass through higher hands.
Every week decisions are made regarding the invitation to Christ. Some respond with what becomes a life-changing experience of saying "Yes" to God.
Once in a while, a person makes the definite, resounding, final, eternally significant "NO, leave me alone".
The overwhelming majority of decisions fall in the
"I’m uncertain what to do" category.
To you who have ever been that way...This one’s for you! If you’ve ever asked silently, "What does that preacher expect me to do, and how will that affect my life if I do it," listen closely...today can make a difference to you that will last for an eternity.
Invitation and choice; those are our subjects. I simply want to share with you three invitations this morning.
FIRST CHOICE: TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD.
There is a Bible verse that has meant literally everything to me. I gave my life to Christ, accepting Him as Savior and Lord on the strength of its’ call. Joshua was the leader in the Old Testament who took over for Moses, and led the people of God into the Promised Land.
Moses led them out of Egypt by God’s hand, but Joshua followed God into the place He’d chosen and promised long ago to Abraham.
After years of leadership and conquering all enemies, Joshua was about to die. So he sent word that all the people should gather for some final instructions. Joshua’s reminded the nation about their great God, Who had led them, protected them, provided for them.
Joshua says God is worthy of, their devotion.
And then the invitation....
"...choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)
You note that Joshua says "choose".
The invitation is offered, a crisis arises; to choose, or not to choose?
Also, please note that he says "choose YE". YOU choose.
Jesus is THE Savior of the world. He hung on a cross, died and rose again to accomplish that. But the difference in whether or not He is YOUR Savior depends on if YOU choose Him.
Joshua made HIS choice..."As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Each person must decide for himself if he will accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, become a part of God’s "forever family", and trust Him for eternal life.
That is a personal decision. It is private, it happens in the heart. But, then we offer this invitation thing at the end of the service. Another crisis...
Do I go forward? What’s expected of me?
Is it necessary?
Can’t I be saved without making a public spectacle of myself? No, not really! Jesus stated plainly in Matthew 10:32 that confessing Him before men would mean He would confess us before the Father in heaven.
I’ve studied those words. To confess is a compound word which means "to say with". The implication is identification. We must identify with Jesus to be His.
The verse says: "before men". The Greek word means "in front of". Simply put it works this way...The decision to accept Christ as YOUR Savior is quite private; it done in the heart between you and God.
But, if it is a real, genuine surrender of your life to Christ, it will result in a public acknowledgement, an identification with Jesus, in front of others. That is what our invitation is for!
Should you come forward this morning?
Yes! If you have never done that before,
YES, by all means, come and settle it once and for all time.
If you’ve not been sure of God’s grace saving you, come forward this morning when the invitation is given.
There will be someone standing at the front to receive you and help you with your decision.
SECOND CHOICE: TO BE BAPTIZED AS A BELIEVER
We do not have time this morning to expound on all the rationale for believer’s baptism. However, let me give you the reason why I was baptized. It is a step of obedience that a child of God wants to take.
It is recorded in Acts that Peter told an assembled crowd that, after repentance for sin, they should be baptized. It is God’s wish that we should be baptized. There are good reasons. What are they? I’m glad you asked.
First, it becomes an event that gives me an opportunity to be obedient in a very precise and public way to God’s commands.
Second, it is an experience of worship that encourages others to be obedient to God. That is one of the first opportunities a new believer has to be a witness, to confess Christ publicly as his Lord and Savior.
It is also a witness to the new believer of his own commitment. It is one of the ways God helps us be certain of our salvation in Him.
I have often looked back to my own baptism. It was a special service held in the back yard of our Deacon’s home. Elizabeth and I were baptized in Jerry and Enid’s swimming pool. We invited our friends and relatives. I read that verse from Joshua 24, and my life’s verse (2nd Timothy 2:15), and then we were put under the water. I never felt so clean inside (or cold out-side...the water was 40o!). Other people watched....I was a witness of Jesus’ love in saving me!
The invitation again...Should I go forward today for baptism? Why? Baptism doesn’t save people, does it?
No, you don’t have to be baptized to go to heaven. The thief on the cross wasn’t. And Jesus took him to heaven that very day. But, listen; if that thief who could make a decision to love Jesus publicly while he was naked and dying, and bound for hell, had been able to come down from that cross, I believe he would’ve followed Jesus in baptism, or anything else the Lord told him to do.
No, baptism doesn’t save a person; grace does that. But a person who has truly been saved is born again, and should start his Christian life on an obedient note. Should you come forward in the invitation? Yes! If you’ve never been baptized as a believer, YES! Come. There will be someone here to receive you and help you with your decision.
LAST CHOICE: UNITE IN MEMBERSHIP AND SPIRIT WITH GOD’S PEOPLE.
Again, the first word is "Why?” In the few moments we have together I couldn’t begin to tell you of all the reasons why you need to be a member of a local congregation, and be involved in its work in the community for Christ. But let me simply just list three of them that cover a multitude of encouragement for me of why I need to be a church member.
First: There is CARING in the church.
Where else can you depend on people praying for you daily, in your need? Where else is there the human touch with the divine love? Where else is there such understanding when people know your faults and accept you anyway?
The past year has seen many tragedies in our fellowship – death, disease, financial losses, and a host of other human conditions. But, in cases where this would have destroyed those who suffer alone, the caring of the church has preserved the sanity and the human dignity of God’s people.
Caring is a recurring theme in the life of a body of believers. A visiting preacher arrived at the church and read the bulletin announcing him as the "preacher with the unchanged message". He had a nasty moment when he thought that the news had got out that he had only one sermon to his name! (3)
We think we’ve heard it all before…that the preacher is only giving the same message – to a certain degree you are right…but it’s a tremendous message: I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, said Jesus.
Second: There is COMMUNITY about the church.
The writer to the Hebrews said that we who believe ought to remember to gather ourselves for worship regularly (He 10:25). There is something about gathering with God’s people to worship Him that can’t be had out on the lake fishing, or by viewing like a spectator as some TV evangelist begs for your money.
"Where two or three gather in My name, there am I in the midst of them."
Finally, and for me most importantly,
there is ACCOUNTABILITY in the church
The Lord himself knew how weak I am, and how prone I am to backslide. He knows I am more like tumbleweed with no roots, blowing around on the desert, than a redwood, sending strong roots down deep.
He knew I needed you all! And so he gave us the church body so we would be accountable to each other.
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!
(5)
That’s the way it is with your salvation. Long ago, before time was begun, and we were but a thought in the heart and mind of God there was an election – theologians call it pre-destination.
The election was over the fate of all mankind. God made a decision on our behalf because of His love; he voted to save us all – He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus to die for us.
On the other side, Satan, the accuser voted to condemn us to Hell. The salvation vote was a tie.
Now, each one of us gets to cast the tie-breaking vote in our own lives.
Friend, it only takes one vote to break the tie – yours! Getting out of Wisconsin is not an option here.
This is a decision that cannot be avoided. The Bible tells us that one day every knee shall bow to Jesus. That means refusing to accept Jesus Christ, refusing to offer your life to Him is to cast a negative vote.
Salvation from eternity without God is free – but like a gift you must accept it to have it. A “NO” decision is a decision against God.
The question is still asked, Would God do that? Would God send someone to Hell? The answer is “NO” – He doesn’t; we do. When we neglect this great salvation, we reject God. God only rejects those who reject Him.
So, with only love in His heart for you, God says “COME”. He says confess your sinful state, be baptized, join with other believers and worship and serve. Make your decision, choose ye this day!
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FOOTNOTES
(1) Joan G. Lloyd in Reader’s Digest
(2) Ibid.
(3) In a sermon, Owen Bourgaiz, SermonCentral.com
(4) Ibid.
(5) Jacksonville Times-Union, 1992 Article "Son Didn’t Vote in Tie For Council
