March 28, 2004

 

Today we are going to talk about invitations.Have you ever received an invitation?More than 8 years ago, I offered a person a very special invitation.I asked Dawn to marry me.Since marriage proposals are not something you give every day, I wanted to make it memorable.I was living in New York, and Dawn visited me during Christmastime.Two days before Christmas Eve, we took a train to New York City.We saw Grand Central Station, downtown Manhattan, and the World Trade Center.We went to Times Square and had a carriage ride through Central Park.Later that evening, we lined up to go ice-skating at Rockefeller Plaza, where my planned proposal was supposed to take place.A limo was supposed to pick us up at a certain time afterward, so I was nervous that we might not make it on the ice with the long line!

But sure enough, we got on the ice and skated in circles for 15 minutes or so, just enough for me to run over almost every little kid in my path.My nerves made it impossible for me to concentrate on my poor skating skills.Finally, in front of the big Christmas tree, I was able to get down on my knees and ask the question.Dawn was wondering why I was acting so strange.The large crowd gathered around the ledge above the rink also began noticing I was on my knees.It would have been really awful at this point to get turned down.But I wasn’t made to suffer such embarrassment or even suspense.Dawn lovingly and excitedly said “Yes” a number of times, to my joy and to the applause of the crowd above!

Invitations are special.To receive an invitation is to be honored.That’s why all invitations deserve a kind and thoughtful response. But the best invitations aren’t found in envelopes or on skating rinks.They are found in the Bible.God is constantly giving invitations!God is the King who prepares the palace, sets the table, and invites his subjects to come in.God opens the door and waves his hand pointing you to a full table.His invitation is not just for a meal, though.It is for life!Everlasting life!An invitation to come into his kingdom and take up residence in a tearless, graveless, painless world.All are invited!

Have you ever made an invitation that someone has ignored? Then you might understand how God feels about how people have treated his invitations!Plenty of people don’t give Jesus’ invitation serious thought.Imagine how I would have felt that night at Rockefeller Plaza if Dawn responded to me the way many respond to God!What if she had been vague and noncommittal?Imagine me there wearing skates, one knee on the ice, nose running in the cold, waiting to hear an answer from her.What if, instead of the joyful Yes, she had given me idle talk?“Oh, marriage has been in our family for years.”“What??”“Marriage has been in our family for years.My uncle got married.My aunt got married.My mom and dad. I even have a sister…”“Wait, wait, wait.What does this have to do with us?I’m talking about you and me!”“Well, Joel, like I say, I’m all in favor of marriage.I think it’s a wonderful idea, a terrific institution.”“But I’m not asking your opinion on an institution, I’m asking you to marry me!”

It must sadden the Father when we give Him vague responses to his specific invitation to come to Him.“How kind of you to invite me, Jesus.You know my family has always been religious. Remember my great-great-uncle Horace?He was a priest – real popular with the Indians.”“What?”“Like I say, our family has been pro-religion for years.Aunt Ruth sang in the choir at St. Luke’s and my cousin Jeff is an Elder at …”God’s gotta be saying, “What?”

What if Dawn had said, “Joel, you are very kind to think of me, but could we talk about this tomorrow? We won’t get to Rockefeller Plaza too many times, and I really want to get some skating in right now.”Or, worse:“Marriage?Well, Joel, we ought to discuss that someday.Let me see, I’ve got an opening next…no, that’s not a good day…how about two weeks from Tuesday?Call me and we’ll set up a time.”Oh, that would hurt!It’s one thing to be rejected.It’s another not to be taken seriously.Nothing stabs deeper than to give a once-in-a-lifetime invitation and have it relegated to a list of decisions to be made next week.But that is exactly what you and I have done with God’s invitation!

So has the world.In our text, there are two men next to Jesus. One accepts his invitation. The other doesn’t take it too seriously.We have not always taken God’s invitation seriously, either.We have relegated it to “next week” and the “week after.”We have side-stepped the real issue of our relationship with Him and talked about how religious we are, or how religious our family is.We haven’t always admitted how desperately we need Jesus as our Savior and that it was our sins that put Him on that cross.

The thief on the other side of Jesus did admit that.He realized that he was getting what he deserved!He realized that he had disappointed God with his life!He realized that he deserved an eternity apart from God.He also realized that Jesus had been perfect, and did not deserve to be on that cross next to him.And he realized that because Jesus had been perfect, Jesus was going to heaven.This King was going to his kingdom.And his perfection was good enough to bring others there with him.So he said, “Remember me.Look kindly on me.Have mercy on me.”He believed Jesus could do that.And Jesus assured him He could with an invitation.“I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”That thief, who had lived a life full of crime, accepted that invitation.He took his Father’s hand and went home.

But the story didn’t end there.Sunday morning came.Jesus rose again!The resurrection is the real key of this story!It shows Jesus made good on his promise!It proves the thief really is in paradise right now!And that means Jesus’ invitation to you to join Him there is also good.You can count on it!Even though you are no more worthy than that thief, God says to you: “Come to the wedding banquet!” …You will be with Me in paradise!

Experience Everlasting Life!Be ready for it!Max Lucado tells the story of two builders.One is a little boy on a beach.On his knees, he shapes wet sand with plastic shovels. He begins by creating a castle tower.He works all afternoon.Spooning out the moat.Packing the walls.Bottle tops will be sentries.Popsicle sticks will be bridges.A sandcastle will be built.The second builder is a man in his office.At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments.He cradles the phone with his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers.Numbers are juggled, contracts are signed, and much to his delight, profit is made.All his life he will work.Formulating plans.Forecasting the future.Annuities will be sentries.Capital gains will be bridges.An empire will be built.

These two builders have much in common.They see nothing and make something.They are diligent and determined.And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.But the similarities end there.The boy sees the end while the man ignores it.Look at the boy as dusk approaches.Each wave slaps closer to his creation.But the boy doesn’t panic.He is not surprised.All day the pounding waves reminded him that the end is inevitable.He knows that those waves will soon come and take his castle into the deep.The man, however, doesn’t realize it.He should.Like the boy, he is surrounded by rhythmic reminders.Days come and go.Every sunrise which becomes a sunset whispers: “Time will take your castles.”So, one is prepared and one isn’t.One is peaceful while the other panics.

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow.No fear.No regret.He knew this would happen. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles.He picks up his tools, takes his father’s hand, and goes home.The grownup, however, is not so wise.As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified.He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He lashes out like the criminal on the cross.He snarls at the incoming tide. “It’s my castle!” he defies.The ocean doesn’t respond.Both know to whom the sand belongs.Finally the cliff of water mounts high above the man and his little empire.Then it crashes.His tiny towers crumble and he is left on his knees, clutching muddy handfuls of yesterday.If only he had known.If only he had listened to God’s invitation to him.If only… but he, like most, never listens.

I don’t know much about sandcastles.But children do.Watch them and learn.Go ahead and build, but build with a child’s heart.When the sun sets and the tides take – applaud.Salute the process of life, take your father’s hand, and go home. He has prepared a banquet for you.A wedding banquet.One that will celebrate forever the wedding between us and Him!Take his hand and Experience Everlasting Life!

27-year-old Teresa was dying of cancer.Not what most women her age are thinking about.She was engaged to be married.Teresa and her fiancé were shattered by the reality that their life together would not be, and their wedding day would only remain a dream.Day after day, he stood by her hospital bedside holding her hand, and sharing her tears.

One day, Teresa whispered to her nurse, Barbara, “My fiancé and I have decided to get married before I die.I know it might not make sense, but we want to be one before God, even if only for a short time.I don’t know how we could get married here, though.”“Let me talk to the chaplain,” Barbara responded.The next two days, the nursing unit became festive.The hospital chapel was reserved, the chaplain counseled the young people about marriage, the social worker, a gifted violinist, offered to play for the ceremony, and the hospital cafeteria promised a special reception feast.“I’ll look kind of strange getting married in this hospital gown,” commented Teresa.Barb hesitated, and then said, “I have a lovely wedding dress you could wear. I wore it for my wedding, and I think it would fit you.”As she described it, Teresa’s eyes sparkled.

On the wedding day, joy and excitement filled the hospital.All was ready.Flowers were in place.And finally, it was time to put the nurse’s wedding dress on Teresa.Barb noticed how beautiful and peaceful Teresa seemed to look this day.She carefully removed the dress from the garment bag and said, “Teresa, are you ready to be a beautiful bride?”No answer.“Teresa?...Teresa!”She quickly wheeled around, and Teresa glanced briefly at her, gently smiling good-bye.And she was gone.The atmosphere quickly turned from joy to tears.

Two days later, Teresa’s mother and fiancé invited Barbara to the funeral.“Teresa loved you,” said her mother.“We would be honored if you could be with us at the funeral.She wanted so much to be a bride, and you understood.”She wanted so much to be a bride.In life she was denied this joy.Her mother said, “My Teresa would have been beautiful in that lovely dress.”With a faltering voice, Barb asked, “How will Teresa be dressed for her funeral?”Her mother glanced down, “We haven’t decided yet.All her clothes are so old and too big for her now.”“Would you like to dress Teresa in her wedding dress?” Barb asked.“But that is your wedding dress,” said the fiancé.“No, it was my wedding dress, but it was also to be Teresa’s wedding dress.It’s her dress.You may have it.”Teresa was buried in the creamy white satin dress with tiny pearls.A matching veil gently covered her face.She would be a bride!She was off to her real wedding – the one with her Savior Jesus.She had told Him, “Yes.”

You have been invited to a wedding.Yours!God made a proposal to you.And He clothed you in the most beautiful garment imaginable – the perfection of his Son Jesus!Some day you will be with Him in paradise!Tell Him yes!Experience Everlasting Life!Amen.

 

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