Audio
Sermon Notes
6 August 2006
The Great Invitation
Matthew 11:28-30
28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.
29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Introduction:
A. MANY INVITATIONS MAY BE EXTENDED:
1. Weddings
2. Graduations
3. Inaugurations
b. The greatest invitation of all can be found in Matthew 11:28-30,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto
your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
I. this invitation is great because of those who offer the invitation:
a. The Father in heaven
5
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a
voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased; hear ye him.
b. The invitation is offered by Christ
28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.
29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart:
and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
c. the Holy Spirit
17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely.
d. The bride of Christ / the Church
17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely.
ii. His invitation is great because of its very existence:
a. The fact that Jesus extended the invitation at all indicates man can come
to Christ
38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
39
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar
off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.
40
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves
from this untoward generation.
41
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day
there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and
in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no
respecter of persons:
35
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is
accepted with him.
b. This invitation assures us we are capable of living the Christian life
10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service.
2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
III. This invitation is great because of the rest it has to offer:
a. Those who respond to Christ’s invitation receive rest from the practice
of sin
1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
b. The pollution of sin
3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death?
c. The prison of sin
6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
d. The power of sin
12
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in
the lusts thereof.
13
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:
but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and
your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under grace.
e. The penalty of sin
23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
iv. This invitation is great because of to whom it is extended:
a. Christ invites all those who are labour and are heavy laden.
b. The benefits of Christ’s blood are not restricted to a select group of
people Christ’s death was a manifestation of God’s love for THE ENTIRE world
16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
c. When Christ died, he died for all men
14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one
died for all, then were all dead:
15
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live
unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
v. This invitation is great because it demonstrates God’s willingness to
save man. The theme of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is the
salvation of man:
A. God’s desire
4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth.
B. God’s will
9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;
but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but
that all should come to repentance.
Conclusion:
a. God was willing to send His Son
b. The Son was wiling to go and to die
c. Are you willing to come to Him
d. Receive the conditions of the great invitation?
Evening Worship
The Great Commission – Lesson One
Introduction to the series:
Matthew 28
Acts 1
1. The Authority
18
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.
Jesus King of kings
14
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he
is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called,
and chosen, and faithful.
14
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean.
2. The Obligation – Go
1
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great
persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all
scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the
apostles.
2
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation
over him.
3
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and
haling men and women committed them to prison.
4
Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the
word.
3. The Place- All the World
23
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from
the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
4. The method – Teach
26
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and
Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way
of God more perfectly.
5. The Message
16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to
the Greek.
15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature.
16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.
6. The Acts of Obedience
38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost.
35
Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached
unto him Jesus.
36
And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the
eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he
answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38
And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into
the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught
away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing.
33
Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art
come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things
that are commanded thee of God.
30
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men
every where to repent:
31
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
7. The Perpetuation – Teach them all things whatsoever I have commanded you
20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and,
lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
13
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and
others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God.
17
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for
flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in
heaven.
18
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
42
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and
in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
8. The Conformation – Approved Witnesses and miracles
16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.
17
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast
out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven,
and sat on the right hand of God.
20
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them,
and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
note the ability to work miracles was given to the apostles
1
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place.
2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and
it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon
each of them.
4
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They could lay on hands and give gifts to others
14
Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the
Holy Ghost:
16
(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.)
17
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Miracles have ceased
13
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these
is charity.
9. They continued steadfastly in the doctrine of the Christ
20
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of
God.
27
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
10. The motivation – the lost and the empty tomb
14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one
died for all, then were all dead:
1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you,
which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to
the scriptures:
More to follow …
