AN INVITATION TO COME

 AN INVITATION TO COME

In Luke 9:23 Jesus says:

“If anyone would come to me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

That is the blessed invitation of Jesus Christ to all lost sinners.

And it is always the same.

There must be a desire to follow Him. Only God can give you that desire.

You have to ask Him for it. You have to want it.

There must be a denial of self. You must say no to all your selfish desires and say yes to the will of God in Christ Jesus. You have to ask for it. You have to want it.

There must be a determination to follow Him. Onl;y God can give you that determination. 

You have to ask Him for it.

You have to want it.

Jesus must be supreme.

He must have priority.

He must have preeminence in your life.

He must be Lord!

Desire. Denial. Determination. Ask for it. Want it. God will give it!

“For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the GIFT of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

“There is a Fountain”  feat. Vestal Goodman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE

INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

 INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY

Every individual has a moral responsibility to account for the way they choose to live their lives. We were created as morally responsible creatures. Every person who ends up in Hell will be there because he/she chose to go there. 

You willed to go there. 

You desired to go there. 

It was your decision to spend eternity in Hell without Christ, God or hope.

Your Hell will be on no one but you.

As a human being, you have a body and soul and spirit.

You turned down the invitations of Christ.

You ignored His pleas and warnings.

You said, “no, this Christ will not reign over me.”

You procrastinated until a more convenient time.

You have knocked down the doors of truth. 

You have climbed over the fences of grace and mercy.

You circumvented every single opportunity that God gave you.

You have driven by churches (God’s depository of truth) many times and kept on rolling.

You put Him off time and time again.

But one day, you are going to die.

You will face God in the judgment.

And unless you know Jesus Christ you will be lost forever.

Only a fool would make such a choice!

Remember, your Hell will be squarely on you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyfR7URb8TY 

CORRUPTION OF OUR WILLS

 CORRUPTED NATURE OF OUR WILLS

Why do people refuse to come to Christ?

Answer # 1: they are unable to come on their own.

Answer # 2: their minds have been darkened by sin

Answer # 3: their affections have been corrupted as well

Answer #4: the corrupt nature of their wills

Read John 5:40; 1:11-13 and 15:16

Many believe that they can come to Christ anytime they want because of their free wills. Your will is free but you cannot come to Christ any time you want to come. Salvation is a God thing. You must be drawn 

by the Father and the Spirit to Christ. 

Read John 6:44 and 65.

The question is never “CAN you be saved?” You can.

The question is always “WILL you be saved?” But you refuse.

You had rather do other things than read and study the Bible.

You had rather do other things than pray and serve God.

You had rather do other things than worship God with His people.

You willfully choose, consistently, the other things. Why? 

Are you willing to bow the knee and submit to the Lordship of Jesus christ?

Are you willing to humble yourself before God and repent of your sins?

Are you willing to give Him priority in your life?

Only Jesus can make you willing and joyfully willing at that!

And only Jesus can make a dead man walk out of a tomb. 

“I’d Rather Have Jesus”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd9Dt-K2lP0

CORRUPTION OF THE AFFECTIONS

 CORRUPTION OF THE AFFECTIONS

Why do people refuse to come to Christ?

Answer # 1: they are unable to come on their own.

Answer # 2 : their minds have been darkened by sin

Answer # 3: the corruption of their affections.

Read John 5:40; 6:44 and 6:65

People love and desire many things before and above Christ and spiritual truth. Many people love things and pleasure above God. Above Biblical truth. Man doesn’t need a monument to his depravity. Read the newspaper. Watch the media.. Better yet, just drive through a subdivision on Sunday morning during church hours and look at all the cars in the driveways. Look at those mowing the lawn. Gardening. Sleeping in. Chilling. Just taking it easy on a Sunday morning.

Many are hard working people who simply care not for the things of God.

Truth is choked out by the cares of this world.

Church is not attended because of so called better options.

Self is elevated above the Lord. Why?

Their affections yearn for other things. For selfish pleasure and creature comforts and ease. Very few have or feel a need for Christian fellowship or Bible study and worship. Prayer is universally neglected. 

Christ is little beloved and respected. Why? Our fallen sinful nature has been corrupted by sin. We love the ways of the world more than the ways of God. 

Really simple, isn’t it?

Gaither Vocal Band - Hear My Song, Lord 

A MIND DARKENED BY SIN

 A MIND DARKENED BY SIN

We have asked the question: why do people refuse to come to Christ?

Answer # 1 is: they are unable to come on their own.

Answer # 2 is: their minds have been darkened by sin. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, it impacted his total being, including his mind. An unbeliever has a mind but it doesn’t have good thoughts about God. His mind does not have the ability to think correct thoughts about God. His mind cannot adequately and Biblically understand God and spiritual truth!

Scripture, please? Glad you asked. Here are a few:

John 3:18-19

John 8:12

I Corinthians 2:10-14

Ephesians 4:17-24

Ephesians 5:8

There we see the full impact of sin. Sin closed the window of the soul. Darkness is all over the place. People love darkness rather than light. Their “light” is the darkness. They are born spiritually blind to the truth of God.

Romans 12:1-2 says “...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Colossians 3:2 says “… set your mind on things above …”

Philippians 2:5 “let this mind be in you as it was in Christ Jesus”

Utterly and absolutely impossible without the new birth! That is why the new birth is necessary.

“Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YFGzY_8li8

UNABLE TO COME ON YOUR OWN

 UNABLE TO COME ON YOUR OWN

We are discussing the subject of why people do not come to Christ.

Reason #1 - they are unable to come to Christ on their own. 

Please take a minute and read John 6:44 and 65 where Jesus says that “no man can come to Him unless the Father who sent Him, draws him.” Now, please read, John 16:15 where Jesus says clearly that “you did not choose me but I chose you…”

In John 3:3 Jesus said that you cannot even see the kingdom of God unless you are born again.

Unsaved man is corrupt and depraved and wicked. He does not possess the resources of his own to come to Christ. He has no desire and no strength to come. An unbeliever has eyes, hands, ears and feet like that of a saved man but he uses them in different ways.

He has no love for Christ.

He possesses no will to attend church.

Has utterly no desire to know and obey truth.

Why? Because of what sin has done. 

Sin renders you incapable of coming to Christ on your own.

What would you bring that would be acceptable to Christ?

What could you bring that was acceptable?

We have nothing to bring but our sins.

Praise His name --- that is all He wants us to bring.

“Not What My Hands Have Done”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCyYe1CyZs4

WHY PEOPLE DON'T COME TO CHRIST

 WHY PEOPLE DON’T COME TO CHRIST

We all know people, some in our own family and some of us have friends, neighbors or work associates, who give no evidence of a changed life. Oh, they may have been baptized or joined a church. But that was a long, long time ago and today they are not the least bit interested in coming to Christ!

All of which suggests the question: Why do people refuse to come to Christ?

The Bible is filled with pleas and invitations and warnings of a Risen Christ.

Repeatedly, with loving, nail scarred, outstretched hands, the Lord exhorts all people to come to Him. These pleas and invitations are found all over the Bible. Here are just a few:

Matthew 11:28-30

Luke 19:10, 12-14, 27

John 5:37-40

Revelation 3:20-21

Isaiah 55:1, 6-7 

But they don’t come. They ignore and neglect these pleas. Why? Why? 5 reasons:

Unable to come on their own

Understanding is darkened by sin

Complete corruption of the affections

Corrupt nature of the will

Refuse the invitations --- why?

Next few days, we are gonna explore each one. See you tomorrow.

“There is a Fountain”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE