The Final Invitation Series

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.