The Invitation Series

The Invitation

Matthew 7:13-29

Today we preach sermons 13 & 14 from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount… and we finish talking about the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher who ever lived.

Joke--The preacher was shaking hands with the members of his congregation after a service when one man approached him and said, "That was a wonderful sermon today, pastor!" Filled with Christian modesty, the preacher replied, "Oh, it wasn’t me, it was God." To which the reply came, "I wouldn’t say it was that good."

v. 28-29 A few weeks ago I said that Jesus’ sermon commanded attention, had a powerful effect, and is made ‘the greatest’ in part because He included the most important ingredients a sermon can have: Explanation, Illustration, and Application. Today we see the end of this sermon and can add the 4th great element: Invitation.

I can preach principles, and illustrate them so we better understand, but then I need to help you make application. Then there’s one final step, and it’s yours, and that is you making a conscious decision to accept the application, and to ‘self-apply’ it to your life. That means making a concrete creation out of it all, which will last after you leave!

This is why we give an invitation at the end…it’s continuing the historic practice of Jesus that has been carried out by serious churches throughout the ages. Granted, it can be accomplished in new and different ways…but may we never get rid of the old fashioned altar and may we never be found to be one of the few here who never uses it!

A few months ago we preached a whole message on the Two Ways we can go. We all need to be brought to the point of decision, esp. about salvation. That’s why we begin each invitation about the matter of salvation. Life is a never ending journey of making decisions…usually between 2 choices. But no decision is as big as this one: Will you receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior?

But as we continue in the Christian life, every day we have decisions, as we reach that ‘fork in the road’. Truly, there’s only 2 choices on the shelf, pleasing God and pleasing self!

Many in our generation today think they have it all figured out for themselves, and don’t accept anyone as having any spiritual authority over them. They act as though they have some ‘side deal’ with God…an understanding or special arrangement, and no one will tell them what they should do, nor will they submit to them, even if they know in their hearts that they are being challenged with the truth. And so they proceed saying, I’ll decide what I do, when I please. Sadly, most never get around to it.

May I remind you of the cold hard fact, that to wait and make no decision is to decide “no.”

John 3:18

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

What sin do you have to commit to go to hell? Unbelief!

So, what do you have to DO in order to go to hell? Nothing!

The Bible teaches that to not accept Him is to reject Him…there is no excuse. Don’t put off the decisions at hand…salvation, and every other decision which follows.

It results in a false Christianity…profession without possession.

v. 21-23 The only thing worse than being lost and going to hell, is being lost and going to hell, thinking you were going to heaven.

But then Jesus goes on to say, even if you have been saved, having chosen the right road, then you still should build, and build on the right foundation, or you won’t amount to much in your Christian life.

v. 24-27 More important than your building skills…more important than how good of ‘material’ you consider yourself to be…more important than any human concerns is this: What foundation are you built on?

You see, both houses looked about the same, so long as the sun was shining. But when the storms come, the foundation is revealed!

1 Cor. 3:11-15

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; [13] Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. [14] If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. [15] If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss…

This is talking about your Christian life. It is speaking about what you do after you get saved. Everyone will build one of two buildings. If you live for “THINGS AND THRILLS” then you are building wood, hay, and stubble, and it will burn, and there will be nothing left.