Sunday, April 25, 2010

Great Invitations of the Bible : Part 3 Cleansing

GREAT INVITATIONS OF THE BIBLE
Part 3 - Invitation to Cleansing
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org


SCRIPTURE READING:

Isaiah 1:18-20
 18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
       says the LORD.
     
  "Though your sins are like scarlet,
       they shall be as white as snow;
       though they are red as crimson,
       they shall be like wool.

 19 If you are willing and obedient,
       you will eat the best from the land;

 20 but if you resist and rebel,
       you will be devoured by the sword."

       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.


INTRODUCTION:

The prophet Isaiah ministered during a turbulent time in Israel’s history.  The nation had abandoned the way of the Lord and was living in open sin and idolatry.  The verses leading up to our text chronicle a scene of rebellion and sin.

               v. 2 – The people were in open rebellion against the Lord

               v. 3 – They refused to acknowledge God and, spiritually, they were dumber than the farm animals around them. (Scripture says so...)

               v. 4 – They had forsaken the Lord and had provoked Him to anger.

               v. 5 – They had refused to respond to the Lord’s attempts at chastisement.

               v. 5-6 - They were sick spiritually and they desperately needed help.

               v. 7-8Violence filled the whole land.

               v. 9-10 – In many ways, they had become as vile as ancient Sodom and Gomorrah.

               v. 11-15 – Their religious services were an abomination to the Lord.

               v. 9 – The only thing that held the nation together was a small remnant of faithful Jews.

Does any of this sound familiar?  It sounds like a description of today.

What is holding our nation together right now?  A small remnant of faithful Christians.

It’s NOT because we are a Christian nation...because we are not.

If we were a Christian nation, there would be;
         NO ABORTION
         NO LEGAL PORNOGRAPHY
         NO SPECIAL RIGHTS BECAUSE OF A SEXUAL PREFERENCE THAT IS SINFUL
         WE WOULD NOT BE HONORING ISLAM AND OTHER FALSE RELIGIONS IN THE WHITE HOUSE...such as when Obama celebrated Ramada with Islamic leaders, yet did not attend the national day of prayer celebration last year, saying he had more important issues to see to.

Our nation is in trouble...just as Israel here in the scriptures.

In the middle this trouble in the scripture, we see God doing something though. 

The people should have been seeking God, but they were not.

People will not seek the Lord until they are first sought by the Lord.

People will not love the Lord until they are first loved by the Lord, 1 John 4:19.

God always makes the first move in this thing called salvation.

After all, man is “dead in trespasses and sins” and cannot seek the Lord, Eph. 2:1.

Jesus came to the world for the sole purpose of “seeking and saving that which was lost”, Luke 19:10.

I know that we want to elevate man in these days.  No one wants to believe that man is totally depraved and cut off from God.  Most folks hold to the idea that man contains within himself “a spark of the divine” and at some point, the good that is in man will begin to seek the good that is in God.

The Bible is very clear in this matter.  Man is a vile sinner and there is not good in him at all, Rom. 3:10-18; 23.  Man will never come to God unless God first comes to man, John 6:44.

What we see in this passage are a dirty, vile, wicked people who need to be cleansed.  They are approached by the Lord and invited to come to Him for the cleansing they so desperately need.  We can also see a principle that is still true today. God is still inviting dirty, sinful people to come to Him for the cleansing they need.

I want to take this passage today and point out the principles contained in The Invitation to Cleansing.



I.                   THE INTENSITY OF THIS INVITATION
a.      The word “come is an “imperative”.  It is a command.  God is reaching out to a wayward, sinful people and He is calling them back to Him.  
                                                             i.      This is amazing because God knows how they have been living.  He knows how they have treated His Law.  He knows the vileness and the depths of their sins.  He knows how wicked they have become.  Yet, He still loves them and reaches out to them in love, to extend grace and mercy to them, if they will repent.

b.     The blessing in this verse is the fact that this invitation still stands! God knows all about the sins in your life and mine.  He knows how far down into the cesspool of sin we have sunk.  He knows that we are wicked, evil and utterly depraved.  Yet, He loves us, in spite of our sinful condition and He calls us to come to Him.

                                                              i.      Listen to the Lord’s voice as He calls lost people to come to Him,
1.      Rev. 22:17 - The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

2.      John 7:37 - On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

3.      Matt. 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

a.      Have you heeded that invitation?  Have you come to the Lord for the salvation you so desperately need?  Have you received Jesus as your personal Savior?

c.      God’s understanding - God understood Israel’s condition better than they did.  They thought they were doing all right.  They were playing on both sides of the fence and they were happy.  But, God knew that they were in deep trouble, so He reached out to them to call them home.

                                                              i.      The same is true in our lives as well.  God knows our condition better than we do.  You take that lost sinner.  He thinks he is doing his own thing and living his life by his own terms.  He does not realize that he is nothing but a pawn in the devil’s hand.  He is being driven from sin to sin by forces that he cannot control, Eph. 2:1-3.

                                                           ii.      God, however, knows the true nature of man’s condition and God has moved to do something about it, Rom. 5:6-8.  When Jesus died on the cross, the door of salvation was opened, and now God invited all those trapped in sin to come.



II.               THE IMMEDIACY OF THIS INVITATION
a.      God’s command is for them to come “now”.  There must be no delay!  God could see what Israel could not see.  He could see where their rebellion and sin was leading them.  He could see the judgment that was about to fall upon them.  He could see their condition and their condemnation!  On the basis of what He could see, He presses them to make a change in their lives now.

b.     Just as it is with those who are not right with God today.  All they can see is the next step that lies before them.  All they can feel is the pleasure of their sins.  All they can think about is the here and now. They give no thought to what is awaiting them down the road.

                                                              i.      If wayward people could see down the road, what they would see would terrify them.  If they could see what lies just around a few more bends in the road, they would repent of their sins and run to Jesus for cleansing.

                                                           ii.      That person who is lost would see an eternity in Hell.  They would see themselves in a place of eternal torment, where they will forever be separated from family, friends, hope and God.  They would see themselves damned, doomed and destroyed in Hell,  2 Thes. 1:8-9;  Psa. 9:17;  Matt. 13:42;  Rev. 14:11.

                                                         iii.      That saved person who has walked away from God would see the chastisement of God unleashed on his or her life, Heb. 12:6-11.  They might even see themselves filling a premature grave, 1 John 5:16; 1 Cor. 5:5.  They would see the terrible consequences that are going to be suffered by their families because they refuse to get right with God.

c.      God knows how bad it is going to get.  He knows the pain and suffering that is coming.  He knows about the judgment that is about to fall, so He calls the wayward ones to come to Him.  He calls them to come now, without delay, for He knows that delay is dangerous.

                                                              i.      If you are not right with God this day, the time to come to Him is now!  

                                                           ii.      Listen to what the Bible says about this matter:

1.      Gen. 6:3 - Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

2.      Pro. 27:1 - Do not boast about tomorrow,
       for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

3.      2 Cor. 6:2 - For he says,
   
"In the time of my favor I heard you,
      and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.



III.            THE INTIMACY OF HIS INVITATION
a.       The invitation is “Come now, let us reason together”.  The phrase “let us reason together” is legal terminology. It means “let’s settle this matter before a court of law; let’s try our case in court”.

                                                              i.      The people of Israel had broken their covenant with the Lord. They had failed to hold up their end of the contract and God has initiated legal proceedings against them.  He is bringing them up on charges.  He has declared His case against them, v. 1-17, and He now invited them to defend themselves.  They are in serious trouble!  God has the goods on them and He has called them to answer for their sins.

                                                           ii.      However, the phrase “come now” is an invitation for these people to “walk with the Lord”.  He is not inviting them to a debate.  He is not opening the matter up to negotiations.  He is inviting them to come to His way of thinking.  He is inviting them to agree with Him, Amos 3:3.  He is giving them an opportunity to say, “You are right and we are wrong.  We are sorry and we are ready to go your way.

                                                         iii.      He is offering them a chance to settle their case out of court.  If they will be reasonable and honor their covenant with the Lord, He will drop the charges and restore them to a place of fellowship.  If they will repent of their sins and change their ways, God will receive them and restore them.

                                                         iv.      This is an intimate invitation to Israel to change their ways and to get in line with God.  He is saying, “Let’s walk together, and we can work this thing out. That is grace!

b.      God’s invitation to follow Him is still an intimate thing!  God does not call groups to come to Him; He calls individuals to come to Him.  His call is personal, individual and intimate.  When He calls, He always points out the areas of disagreement and He invites the wayward one to come to a place of agreement with God.  That is the very nature of Holy Spirit conviction, John 16:7-13.  It is a very intimate thing.


ILLUSTRATION People sometimes leave church saying, “That preacher was preaching to me! Who told him what I had been doing? That is the Holy Ghost of God trying to get your attention.  The preacher may not know anything about you at all; but God does!  And He extends an intimate invitation to you to come to His way of thinking.  He is offering you a chance to settle your case out of court.  You see, if your case ever goes to trial before Him, you will lose, Rev. 20:11-15.


c.       Have you ever heard that intimate, individual call “to come to” Jesus for salvation?  When that call came, did you respond by coming to God?  Have you settled your case out of court?  It’s not too late!  God is still inviting wayward souls to come to Him and to His way of thinking.  If you will come, He will receive you and save your soul!

CONCLUSION

God’s promise to Israel, if they will come to Him, is that all their sins will be washed away.

Verse 15 tells us that their hands are stained with blood. They are dirty and unclean in the sight of the Lord. But, if they will just come to Him, and heed His invitation, He will cleanse them completely.

 Their rituals would not make them clean.

Their religious observances would not make them clean.

The only hope these people had was to accept the Lord’s invitation.  If they would just do that, He would make the stain of their sin disappear forever!

 Let every person under the sound of my voice here these words:
This invitation still stands!  There is nothing you can do to take away your sins. At best, you and I are dirty and filthy in the sight of the Lord, Isa. 64:6.

We cannot cleanse ourselves by religious deeds or rituals. When we try to erase our sins by our own efforts, all we succeed in doing is making the stain deeper!

 But, if we will listen to His call and come to Him by faith. God has the power to cleanse away forever the stain of our sins!

He is able to take our sins and put them away from us as “far as the east is from the west”, Psa. 103:12.

He is able to wash us in the precious blood of Jesus and declare us holy and clean, 1 Cor. 6:9-11.

He is able to cleanse us from all sin, 1 John 1:7.

He is able to deliver us from condemnation and the threat of Hell we were under, Rom. 8:1; 5:9.

     Do you know for sure that your sins have been washed away? When God looks down at you, does He see your sins, or does He see the righteousness of His precious Son, Rom. 4:21-25?

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Great Invitations of the Bible : Part 2 Companionship

GREAT INVITATIONS OF THE BIBLE
Part 2 - Invitation to Companionship
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org


INTRODUCTION

     The Bible is a book of invitations. All through the pages of this great Book, God is continually inviting people to join Him in where He is going and in what He is doing.

     Last week we talked about the great invitation to commitment.

      In our passage this week, Moses is talking to a man named Hobab.  There is some dispute over just who this man is.  Some think he is Moses’ brother in law. Others think Hobab is another name for Moses’ father in law Jethro.

     I lean toward the latter interpretation because of Judges 4:11.  In that verse, Hobab is called “the father in law of Moses.”   We know from Exodus 18 that Jethro had visited Moses and the children of Israel.  He had been a blessing and he had received a blessing.  He had also given Moses a great piece of wisdom concerning how he was leading the people of Israel.

      In this passage, Israel is leaving their encampment at the foot of Mount Sinai. While they were there, they received the Law, built the Tabernacle and learned how to worship the Lord God.  Now, they are breaking camp and heading toward Canaan. Before they leave, Moses takes the time to invite Jethro, or Hobab, to go with them to their destination.

      I would like to study this invitation today.  In these verses, there are several aspects of this invitation we need to investigate.  There is a word here for the church.  There is a word here for those who are outside the church.  There is a word here for every person in this room. 

So, let us take some time today to look into this passage and consider The Invitation to Companionship.

OPEN IN PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING

SCRIPTURE READING

Numbers 10:29-32
29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place about which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us and we will treat you well, for the LORD has promised good things to Israel."
 30 He answered, "No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people."
 31 But Moses said, "Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the desert, and you can be our eyes. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the LORD gives us."



I.                   COME SHARE IN OUR PILGRIMAGE

a.      A Special People - Moses uses the words “us” and “we”. He is inviting his father in law to join a special people. The children of Israel were special because they were;

                                                             i.      A Chosen People, Deuteronomy 7:6

                                                          ii.      They were A Redeemed People, Exodus 15:13

                                                       iii.      The blood of the Lamb Exodus 12:1-13

Note: The saints of God are a special people as well.  If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are special!  You are special because, you have been chosen by Him.  Ephesians 1:4; John 15:16.  You are special because you have been redeemed, or cleansed by Him, 1 Peter 1:18-19; Colossians 1:14.  If you are saved, you are special, 1 Peter 2:9


b.     A Special Place - Moses invites his father in law to join them on their journey to that land God has promised to them, Exodus 3:8

                                                             i.      It was to a land of blessing and of victory.  Some twenty times, Canaan land is called “a land of milk and honey.”  It was to be a good place.  Best of all, it was to be their place.  Moses says, Come with us!

Note: We are also headed to a special place.  It is not a land of milk and honey.  But, it is a land of peace, joy and sinless perfection.  It is a land of blessing where none of the problems and afflictions of earth can follow, Revelation 21:4; 27.  It is a place called Heaven and it is promised to us, John 14:1-3


c.      A Special Privilege - Hobab is not a part of that people.  He is not a part of the covenant of Israel and he is not a part of the promises God has made to Israel.  But, Moses has the privilege of inviting Hobab to join up with Israel and share in their blessings.  Moses has the privilege of say, “Come with us and what belongs to us will becomes yours too! So he says, “Come with us!

Note: By the way, that is our privilege as well.  We have the honor of inviting all those around us to “Come with us! This thing called salvation is something that is to be shared with others.  We can give away what we have without lessening the value of what we have.

      If I have a hundred dollars and give five people twenty dollars each, then I have shared what I have, but I have nothing left.  But, if I share my faith and invite someone who does not know Jesus to “come with us”, I have given away what I have, but I have lost nothing!  In fact, I have increased the value of what I have because I have just laid up treasure in Heaven, Matthew 6:19-21.   Salvation is the only thing I know of that gets more valuable as you give it away!

      While I am on the subject, let me say that inviting people to “come with us” is more than a privilege.  It is also an obligation.  As we move through this life, we are commanded to share what we have with those who do not have it, Matthew 28:19-20;  Mark 16:15.  We are commanded to invite people to “Come with us”.



II.               COME SHARE IN OUR PARTNERSHIP

a.      Join our Family - Come thou with us” – Since Hobab is not a part of Israel, he is outside of a covenant relationship with God.  In other words, he is a lost man.  He is cut off from all the blessings and the promises of the Lord.  He has no hope of salvation apart from accepting Moses’ invitation and becoming a part of the nation of Israel.  So, Moses invites him to join the family. 

Note:  We need to hear this today:  There is no salvation outside the Lord Jesus Christ!  Please do not misunderstand me.  I am not saying that you can be saved by joining this or any church.  I am not saying that you can be saved by observing any of the rituals of this or any church.  You cannot be saved through baptism or church membership.

      What I am saying is that salvation can only be found in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  When you believe on Jesus, you become a member of His body, or the church, 1 Corinthians 12:13.  And, there is no hope of Heaven, or of salvation without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

      When the Bible says, “Ye must be born again”, it means what it says!  There must be a moment in time when you look to Jesus by faith and trust Him as your Savior by faith.

Illustrations - Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10, 13; Ephesians 2:8-9.  When you do that, you immediately become a part of the family.

      As a family member, you are entitled to all the rights and privileges thereof. You become a child of God, 1 John 3:1-3.  You are adopted into His family, Romans 8:15.  You secure a place in Heaven, John 14:1-3.  You are saved “to the uttermost”, Hebrews 7:25.  Membership has its privileges! “Come thou with us!”


b.      Join our Fellowship - We will do thee good” – Moses is telling Hobab, “If you will come with us, we will treat you right! God is blessing us and we will share those blessings with you. We won’t hurt you, but we will do our best to be a blessing to you!

In reality, Moses is saying two things to Hobab;

                                                             i.      You need us – If Hobab wants to be saved and enjoy the blessings of the Lord, then he is going to have to go with Israel.

                                                          ii.      We need you v. 31 – This desert was Hobab’s home territory. He knew where the best camp sites were located. He knew where the best trails could be found. He knew where all the watering holes were. Moses said, “We will be a blessing to you and you will be a blessing to us. Come thou with us!

Note: When we invite people to come with us, we are doing more than offering them a “get out of Hell free card.” We are promising more than just blessings after this life is over. When someone joins the church, they should hear the same things that Hobab heard. They should hear us say and see us live out, 1.) You need us and 2.) We need you.


c.      Why do People need us?  The church should be able to offer people some things they cannot find anywhere else in this world. Here is what they should find in the church.

                                                             i.      Someone who genuinely cares for themRomans 12:15; Romans 15:1-2; 1 Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:4

                                                          ii.      Someone who will help them carry their burdensGalatians 6:2 – This refers to both the physical and spiritual aspects of this truth.  If we have the means to meet a need in someone’s life, then we are to do it, in good faith, 1 John 3:16-18; James 2:15-16.  By the same token, we are to pray for one another and get under the load with them, Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6.

                                                       iii.      Someone who will love them unconditionally Matthew 22:39; Romans 13:9-10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8

                                                         iv.      There is far more that people should find in church. They should find fellowship, acceptance, and family. We should be able to say to every person who unites with this church: “We will do thee good!

Illustration - Far too many churches are in the business of hurting people.  They hurt them by their words and by their deeds.  We must get in the business of helping people!  When we do, they will come and they will stay, because they will find here what they can find nowhere else in this world.  Today, right now, can we honestly say, “Come thou with us, and we will do thee good”?  It should become our goal to be able to say that and mean it when we do!


d.     Why do we need them? - When God saves a sinner, He gives that saved on His Spirit.  Along with the Spirit of God come the gifts of the Spirit.  God uniquely gifts each person He saves for a specific task within His body, 1 Corinthians 12:7-27.  When God saves someone and sends them to our fellowship, it is not an accident!  He sends them here so that they can fulfill a special place in our ministry that no one else can fill.  We need what they bring with them if we are going to be all God would have us to be.  Therefore, we must learn to create an environment where people can exercise their spiritual gifts in the ministry here.  We should never stand in people’s way, but we should encourage them to grow in the Lord and become all they can be.  We need to give people the freedom to be who God saved them to be.



III.            COME SHARE IN OUR PROMISES

As Moses speaks with Hobab, he tells him, “the Lord hath spoken good concerning Israel”. He is inviting Hobab to share in all the great blessings that God has promised to give to Israel.

      When we look at an individual and say “Come with us”, we are inviting them to partake of the great promises that God has given to us. Here are the promises we have, that we can share with others.

a.      Come share the Promise of a Home – Just as the wilderness was not the final destination for Israel, this world is not the final home of the church.  We are merely passing through down here, 1 Peter 2:11.  We are headed to a much better land, Philippians 1:23.  We are given a little glimpse of that homeland in the book of Revelation.  Let me just refresh your memories just a little.

                                                             i.      It is a Land of WorshipRevelation 4-5; Revelation 7:9-17 – It is a land where the redeemed ones will praise their Redeemer!

                                                          ii.      It is a Land of WondersRevelation 21-22 – Words cannot begin to describe that city! Walls of Jasper, gates of pearl, foundations of twelve precious stones; streets made of transparent gold; the presence of Jesus Christ and God the Father; and the presence of the saints of God; will make Heaven a land of wonderful beauty and glory.

                                                       iii.      It is a Land of Wellness Revelation 21:4 – There will be no tears, no pain, no suffering, no sickness and no death in that land. The problems and burdens of life which trouble us here will have no effect there. They will be banned at the gate – Revelation 21:27!


b.     Come share the Promise of a Hope – The phrase in verse 29, “will give it you” is filled with promise.  Moses is inviting Hobab to rest on the promises of the Lord.  Moses is saying, “There is hope for tomorrow! The Lord Himself has promised us that there are better things down the road!   That is the hope of the believer!  This world is a place of heartaches, trials and troubles, Job 14:1.  There is sickness, death, separation and hardship.  Praise God, there is coming a better day!  Let me tell you what’s in your future, if you are saved.

                                                             i.      There will be a Day of Rest – I have already touched on it, but there is coming a day of rest for the child of God.  You will lay down the burdens of this life and you will enter a place of peace, rest and safety, where you will never be troubled again! (Illustrated in Hebrews 4:9!)  Some of you have fought the battles and paid the price to live for the Lord.  You have carried the burden of the church, your family and your community!  There is coming a day of rest!  There is coming a day when you can lay down those burdens and fly off to glory!

                                                          ii.      There will be a Day of Reunion – Many have seen those they love leave this world in death.  It was a hard day when God called that loved one to glory.  The months and years that have passed haven’t dulled the pain and the emptiness you feel in your heart.  I want to remind you that there is coming a great reunion day, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.  There is coming a day when you will meet again, in the presence of God, and you will be with those who have outstripped you in this life. Even better than that is the fact that we will see and be with our Jesus!  We will look on the One Who died for our sins on the cross; the One Who saved us by His grace; the One Who washed our sins away in His precious blood! We will see Him one day!

                                                       iii.      There will be a Day of Reward – Others of you have served in faithful silence while others got all the glory.  People bragged about the work others did while you served in silence.  I want to remind you that God didn’t miss a thing you did.  He saw it all and He took good notes.  He knows every prayer you prayed.  He knows every meal you missed. He knows every dollar you gave.  He saw every cup of cold water given in His name, Matthew 10:29-32.  He sees it all! One day, He will balance the scales and those who have tooted their own horn; those who have received all the pats on the back; those who have be given the accolades of men, will watch their works burn to ashes, while you hear Jesus say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord


c.      Come share the Promise of a Help – Moses tells Hobab that God hath “spoken good concerning Israel”.  He is saying, “The Lord did not redeem us to abandon us in this wilderness. He will go with us; He will bless us and He will help us all the way to the Promised Land.

As we journey toward glory, we also have certain promises that we can count on.  We have a divine Helper in this life

                                                             i.      He Has Promised To Sustain Us – Just as He fed Israel in that wilderness with the Manna and the quail, He will take care of His children, Philippians 4:9; Matthew 6:25-34.

                                                          ii.      He Has Promised To Sanctify Us – He set Israel apart and made them a holy, separate people.  When He saved you and me, He did the very same thing for us!  He made us into a “new creature”, 2 Corinthians 5:17.  He expects us to walk “in newness of life”, Romans 6:4.  We do not have to live like the world any longer!  We can be different because He has enabled us to be different, Ephesians 2:1-10!


                                                       iii.      He Has Promised To Satisfy Us – Israel never was satisfied with what they received from the hand of God.  No matter how mush they were given, they always wanted more.  Those who learn to trust the Lord by faith will also learn that He can provide perfect satisfaction, Psalm 103:5; Psalm 107:9; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 12:9.

                                                         iv.      He Has Promised To Secure Us – God did what He promised and He brought Israel safely through into the Promised Land. God did not save you to lose you along the way.  Just like Israel, “And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers”, Deuteronomy 6:23.  He saved us for a purpose and part of that purpose is to deliver us safely home to Heaven!  He saved us for keeps, John 6:37-40; John 10:28; 1 Peter 5:7; John 3:16.



CONCLUSION

When Hobab heard the invitation, his first response was to say “No”, verse 30.

But, we find that he changed his mind and went, Judges 1:16; 4:11.  
One of his descendants, a woman by the name of Jael, killed a Canaanite general by the name of Sisera, Judges 4:18-22.  So, Hobab accepted the invitation.  He was blessed along with Israel just as Moses promised him he would be.

      So, here is your invitation today, “Come with us!” Come with us to Heaven if you are not saved.  Come to Jesus and be saved.  Come with us as we serve the Lord.  He will bless you and He will bless us by your presence.  Come with us as we move into the future the Lord has for this church.  He has a plan for us and we can either go willingly and be blessed, or we can say “No” and miss out on all the blessings.

Has God spoken to you today?

Has He spoken to you about your soul?  Come to Jesus!

Has He spoken to you about your conduct and attitude at church?  Come to Jesus!

Has He spoken to you about some problem you are facing, or some need you have and you want to bring it to Him?  Come to Jesus!

Has He spoken to you about the need to go to others and say “Come with us”? Come to Jesus!

Whatever the need, don’t say “No” to God.  Say “Yes” to Him and come get the help you need from Him!