He’ll Welcome Me!
My brothers and sisters, saints and sinners, bond and free children of the Almighty God, all of you that love the Lord, and to all of you in your respectable places. We do greet you in the name of the unparalleled, incomparable, and matchless name of Jesus, and do share with you his word of inspiration, wisdom, and hope. For his word is rich and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that we might be equipped for every good work. So let us turn to the book of Genesis, chapter 31 and verse 3.
Scripture: And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee." Genesis 31:3 (King James Version)
This Morning I want to talk about "He’ll Welcome Me!"
Let us Pray - Eternal God Our Father and Redeemer, Creator and Maker of us all - bless the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts - anoint us with Thy Holy Spirit and show us Your ways and inspire us to live by your truth. Amen
This morning, for a few moments we would venture to explore the subject of "He’ll Welcome Me".
Introduction
Have you ever felt unwelcome? To feel welcome is to feel appreciated and wanted. That is a feeling that each of us likes to and desires to experience. A stranger in a country wants to feel welcome. He is already uneasy because he is in a new place. But when he sees a smiling face of salutation and of the indications of welcome he feels a little more comfortable. Cities take great leaps and bounds at making tourists and visitors feel wanted and appreciated. When a convention comes to town, banners roll out and signs are hung in windows, welcoming the quests. When company come to your house we make extra efforts to let them know that their presence is not an interruption but truly an asset and high mark of the day. Feeling welcome is important because it sets the tone for the experience. Those who feel unwelcome begin the experience a sour tune.
Most communities and homes make great effort to make guest feel at home. But, there are times when we feel unwelcome, even in our own families. Being unwelcome in the family circle is the ultimate ostracism. The family knows, appreciates and wants us to be close. Any person who is rejected by his family, regardless to how oblivious he appears to the snub, is injured internally.
Those who feel welcomed see a perpetual open door. They sense that an invitation to visit and share always exists. Consider the young man who had gone away from home to start his own family. He bought himself a new home, car and lived rather lavishly. One day in his parents received a letter in the mail. The letter contained a ring of keys and a note. Curious, the parents read the note, which said: "Dear Mom and Dad. Please find enclosed the key to my home burglar alarm code, the combination to my safe. Anything I have, please free to use or borrow. You gave me full access to your treasures, I give you full access to mine." At the bottom of the note was a P.S.:" By the way I still have the key to your front door… just in case!" The parents felt welcome to their son’s home. He also felt welcome to return home anytime that he wished.
As Christians, we have given God the keys to our lives. We have given him access to the treasures and secrets of our souls. We have given him our all. In return God has given us the key to the kingdom of God and he welcomes us to use it freely.
There are many that never expect a welcome greeting or an invitation from anyone. At the very least they feel unwelcome. They consider themselves the "black sheep’’ of society and have resigned themselves to lives mediocrity. Such individuals fall into a number of categories:
Those Who Don’t Know What To Except
There are many that have been estranged from their families for many years. When they consider going home, they don’t know what to except. Their last encounter wasn’t the best and they troubled by the prospect of going home.
Such was the case with Jacob. He and his brother Esau had been on bad terms for over 20 years. Neither had seen or spoken to the other. Esau had sworn that he would kill his brother because he had stolen his birthright and cheated him out of his father’s blessing. The family was in disarray. Mother tended to favor Jacob over Esau and bad blood was everywhere. When God told Jacob to return to his family in Genesis 31:3, Jacob did not know what to expect. He was at a crossroads. He agonized over whether or not he should go home. He tossed and turned in his sleep. Just before making his decision, he wrestled with and Angel and evolved with a firm resolution to return to his kindred.
There are many siblings today that are torn in a similar way. Some have left for one reason or another and have cut off all connections with the family. On occasion the thought of going home or calling the family occurs but rarely happens because they don’t know what to except. What they remember is what they remember is what they last experienced. Jacob rose above his fear of the unknown and found that his brother Esau had forgiven him and welcomed him home with wide-open arms. Many today might find Jacob’s experience similar to their own; especially the Spirit of God has spoken to their soul and said, "go home to thy kindred."
Those Who Don’t Expect Much
There is other who returns home not expecting much. Perhaps they left in pride and arrogance and return home in humility. They don’t expect to resume their former place of family respect, only to be in the number.
Such was the case of the prodigal son. His family gave him the best of everything yet he decided to leave and try life for himself. In the far country he wasted his substance in riotous living. When faced with the prospect of eating husks with the hogs he came to himself. He considered that his father had many hired servants who living, eating and doing better than he was. When he came to himself he decided to go home. He expected only to be treated no better than a hired servant is. His father had done no wrong he made the mistakes. He messed up on his own. All he expected was a roof over his head and support until he got back on his feet.
There are many estranged from the family who see themselves as prodigals. They did not listen to the advice of their parents and grandparents and wandered into an unforgiving far country where they wasted their substance. If they do return home they don’t expect anything but the least that the family has to offer. However, like the prodigal, many found that the arms of the family are wide open in reception to a loved one that has returned home again. The key in this instance is not the fact that the son left but that he came to himself. The prodigal son was restored to his place of honor and position in the family because of its joy that he was once lost but now found, blind but now able to see.
Those Who Never Expect A Welcome
There are some that are orphaned by society who never expect a welcome or a home. They have resigned themselves into thinking the worse and expecting the least.
Jesus, in Luke, urged believers to be concerned about those outside of the immediate family circle. Those who expect nothing and consider themselves outcast. Using the illustration of a banquet he urged believers to reach beyond relatives and the important people of the community to the lost, forgotten orphans and the poor. Individuals and families that reach beyond their own circle and help others will be blessed in great ways. The ways of reaching and touching varies from family to family, but every family should not only reach out for its own but also help other struggling soul as well. Those who feel themselves welcome as outside of the reach of love or concern instantly find themselves welcome as one soul opens his home to them in love. Such actions are welcomed in heaven.
Those Who Don’t Expect Or Offer A Welcome
There are many in life that neither expect to be welcome or give them. They have shut themselves out to the world and will not allow anyone close to their sphere of life.
With respect to spiritual affairs the question of life is reversed. The great question is not whether or not Jesus will welcome us, but in the case of those with closed doors, whether we will welcome him in our lives.
Jesus said in Revelation "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
Conclusion
Finally, we should consider spiritual estate. Many consider themselves outcasts from the family of God. For one reason or another they do not consider themselves worthy.
Like Jacob, there are many that have been away from spiritual circles for so long they don’t know what to expect when they return. But the love of God is gracious that despite their enstrangement God will welcome them with open arms.
Can’t you hear Jacob running all over telling everybody "There is gonna be a reunion. I gonna see daddy over yonder at that reunion. I gonna meet with my brothers over yonder at the reunion."
But not only is there gonna be a reunion in the land of our fathers, but there is gonna be a reunion in Zion!
I gonna meet:
- Jake over there
- Cat over there
- Ethel over there
- Man Hooks over there
I gonna meet:
- David over there
- John over there
- Luke over there
- Mark over there
- Matthew over there
- Paul over there
- Peter over there
But most of all I gonna meet a man called Jesus over there
+ He had no home but He promised believers a mansion.
+ He had no bakery but he produced bread to feed 5,000
+ He had no pills or hospital but yet he healed the sick
+ He had no money yet he paid His friends taxes
+ He attended no college yet he taught not as the Scribes, but as one having the authority and holding a Ph.D. Degree.
+ He was born in a borrowed stable. Luke 2:7
+ He was laid in a borrowed cattle manger. Luke 7, 12
+ He used as His pulpit a borrowed boat. Mark 4:1
+ He fed thousands with a borrowed lunch. John 6:9-11
+ He taught from a borrowed book. Luke 4"16-17
+ He slept in a borrowed bed. Luke 9:58
+ He rode as King on a borrowed donkey. Matthew 21:2-3
+ He observed the Last Supper in a borrowed room. 26:18
+ He was mocked as King in a borrowed robe. Matthew 27:27-31
+ He was crucified on a borrowed Cross
+ He was buried in a borrowed tomb. Matthew 27:59-60
But early Sunday morning when the women went to the tomb they found that the stone had been rolled away. Yes, Jesus is all that you need. Jesus rolled away the Rock that sealed the Rock, that entombed the Rock, that was the Rock of Ages. And the Rock of Ages walked out of the Heart of the Rock with all Power in Heaven and Earth in His Hands. Jesus rose from the mist of the Rock with All-power in His hands. H e had Saving Power, Deliverance Power, Healing Power, Redeeming Power, and Holy Ghost Power in His hands.
